Stock media can greatly enhance your production and save you time and expense, but finding the right media for your production requires knowing where to look, and understanding the different types of licensing agreements per stock site.
Watch the credit roll at the end of any feature film or documentary and note how many stock sites are credited. AP Archive, AP Images, Getty Images, iStock, and Shutterstock are just a few of the stock media sites widely used and available on the web but often come with a hefty price tag. Where can you find free (or reasonably priced) stock elements?
Stock Media Resources
Imagery
Body Liberation: Body Liberation’s collections portray plus-size individuals.
Canva: Provides a library of stock photos, illustrations, icons, and graphics.
CreateHER: A collection featuring artistic compositions that resemble candid photographs.
Freepik: Offers free vector graphics and illustrations, as well as premium content.
Nappy: A collection of beautiful photos of Black and Brown people, for free.
Pexels: Offers a wide range of free stock photos and has a video section as well.
Pixabay: Provides free images, illustrations, and vectors, in addition to video clips.
StoryBlocks: Known for its library of stock assets including stock photos, stock videos, stock audio, and graphic design elements such as templates and illustrations.
The Gender Spectrum Collection: A stock photo library featuring images of trans and non-binary models.
TONL: Showcases the narratives of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Unsplash: Known for its vast collection of high-resolution, free-to-use images from talented photographers.
Video
Coverr: Offers a selection of free, beautiful video backgrounds for your projects.
Pexels: Provides a large collection of high-quality, free stock videos in various categories.
Pixabay: In addition to images, Pixabay also offers free stock video clips.
Pond5: Known for its extensive library of creative and unique video clips.
Videvo: Offers free video clips, motion graphics, and After Effects templates.
Audio
Epidemic Sound: Known for its diverse collection of music genres and sound effects.
Free Music Archive: Offers a collection of free music tracks and audio for various projects.
Freesound: A collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed audio clips and sound effects.
Incompetech: Provides royalty-free music created by composer Kevin MacLeod.
Jamendo: Offers a large selection of free music tracks with Creative Commons licenses.
Licensing
Always check the specific licensing terms and usage restrictions on these platforms to ensure you are complying with their guidelines. Some may require attribution or have limitations on commercial use, so it’s essential to review the terms for each resource you plan to use in your projects.
Citing Your Sources
It’s important to cite your sources. Purdue Owl offers an excellent guide (with samples) on how to write references for audiovisual media.
Conclusion
Stock media can add visually compelling content to your productions and streamline your video development processes. Check out different stock sites and explore the millions of images, videos, 3D charts, infographic templates, music and sound effects that can help accentuate and accelerate your next production.