How to Use Stock Photography in Movie Trailers and Promos
Sept. 9 2024, Published 3:00 a.m. ET
Stock photos are images and illustrations made available for licensing and buying. They are quite common in marketing and serve various purposes, including promotions and movie trailers.
Find the Right Photography
This step is quite simple. All you need to do is to research reputable websites. You can focus on a particular keyword when researching, but also on the quality and resolutions of these images.
The best part is that there is a wide selection of websites where you can find stock photos. The most popular are Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Getty Images, Unsplash and Motionarray.
Choose Your Style
It will be more difficult to determine the right set of images if you are not really sure about what you are looking for. Therefore, focus on the tone, mood, and overall message of a particular image to make sure it will fit your promo material.
The key is to find the balance between the ambient already implemented in existing materials, and making sure that the stock photo will follow the same. That will lead to an easier implementation.
Don’t Forget the Licensing
When it comes to advertisements, you will need a commercial license for these images. So, be sure to check if there is one as part of the terms and conditions when you are downloading the stock photo. These details are usually provided in the description.
Edit and Customize
This is usually the case. You cannot expect that you will find a perfect photo ready to be implemented in your trailer. In most cases, it will require some cropping, resizing, or color adjustment. The best solution for this is to use Adobe Photoshop or similar editing platform.
Integrate Photo into Video
In this part, the key is to know how to properly add the stock photo and make it a natural part of your video. Therefore, it is essential to have proper skills and experience with video editing tools. You can use various effects, transitions, and overlays to perfectly add it and make it look as it was captured with your camera along with the rest of the material.
Combine It With Additional Elements
To make the stock photo even more natural, you should add a layer of sound effects over it, such as music, voiceovers, and other sound effects. The proper selection depends on your goals and type of promo material you are making.
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Don’t Rush With Final Rendering
Review the material for several times, or play it on a loop to see if the stock photos really because a seamless part of the trailer. Pay attention to glitches and other issues that will make it evident that part of the video is made with external materials.
Last Words
It is a great solution for promo materials since you won’t need to hire a photographer. However, proper skills with editing tools are necessary. Also, always be sure to check the terms of license before you release the trailer so that you can prevent copyright issues.
