How to shoot stock that sells (7 easy tips)

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, stock content has been highly utilized throughout creative industries such as marketing agencies, production houses, and tv/film companies. Our clients come to us for stock footage and photography that avoids clichés and represents filmmaker quality. In this article, we’ve outlined 7 tips on how to shoot stock content that stands out above the rest.

1. Use lists and briefs as portfolio inspiration.

Let your cinematography style shine through your stock, but still keep in mind some parameters. Read through our trusty shot lists and shoot briefs.

2. Keep up with industry trends.

Do some research and get familiar with the type of content being produced for ad agencies, production houses, and tv/film studios. This is the audience that is viewing your work on Dissolve to include in their upcoming projects. Here’s our most recent list of client shot needs.

Our clients love authentic people in authentic settings. Although you’ll want to keep in mind themes that are popular, keep in mind that art buyers also seek out niche and hard-to-find shots.

3. Capture multiple angles and themes to increase your chances of selling.

More variations of shots increase the number of items you can sell. Take a mixture of shot angles- from close-ups to wide shots. Switch out models to act out the same scene, or utilize your models for different themed shoots, ie: a model being used in a technology shoot and also a “work from home” shoot.

4. Releases, releases, releases.

Marketing agencies and production houses prioritize model and property released stock during their searches. Getting releases isn’t intimating, simply follow this Contributor guide that we put together. Remember to avoid logos!

5. Spend less time editing in post with presets.

Test and set up simple presets that will let you adjust your footage and photos seamlessly. These presets can be as simple as including a certain white balance, saturation, and contrast level to all your shots.

6. Set a budget.

Keep in mind a budget for each shoot. The more you spend on each shoot, the more content you must sell to earn a return. A great way to keep your costs down is to utilize shot opportunities around you. Instead of hiring models and renting out a space, why not ask your friend to be your model and take a walk around your city for some shots?

7. Advertise yourself.

Utilizing social media channels is super important to get your stock content out there. Share teasers on your platforms that backlink to your portfolio sites. Follow and engage with fellow filmmakers’ posts- the more engagement your profile gets, the more your chances of your content getting boosted and sold.

Along with Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter- make sure to advertise yourself within online communities more centralized towards individuals in your industry. Community-driven platforms like Dissolve Creators are aimed to showcase your work and provide you with networking opportunities (to sell more stock!)

Dissolve Contributors have the ability to showcase their stock collections to a community of similar creatives and industry pros on the Dissolve Creators platform. Not a Dissolve Contributor yet? Apply now before application space fills up and start earning royalties.