An Honest Comparison
Context vs. Identity
There's nothing wrong with stock footage when it's used for the right reason. It's useful for general context. The problem is when it starts pretending to show your actual business.
People may not always know exactly what's wrong, but a generic team or warehouse can make a video feel disconnected from the business. If the point is to show people what you do and who you are, real footage is usually the better choice.
Side by Side
Stock Footage vs. Real Footage
| Area | Stock Footage | Real Footage |
|---|
| Best for | Generic context: skylines, weather, maps, abstract ideas, hard-to-film scenes. | Your people, your place, your process and your product. |
| Credibility | Fine for background. Recognizable as generic when overused. | Shows the real business, which builds trust. |
| Uniqueness | Anyone can license the same clip. | Only your business has it. |
| Cost | Billed at cost plus the editing time to add it, quoted before use. | Part of the filming time in your project. |
| Control | Limited to what already exists. | Filmed to fit your story, your look and your message. |
| Licensing | Subject to the stock provider's licence terms. | Filmed for your project and its agreed use. |
| Risk | Makes a business look interchangeable if it carries the story. | Needs planning and filming time. |
When to Choose Each
When to Use Each
When Stock Footage Is Fine
Stock can be useful when the shot is just there to set the scene, or when filming it yourself would be impractical.
- City skylines and establishing shots far from the shoot
- Weather, seasons and landscapes out of season
- Maps, global or industry-wide context
- Abstract ideas that don't have a literal picture
- Scenes that are impossible, unsafe or too costly to film
When You Need Real Footage
If we're showing something that's supposed to be part of your business, I prefer to film the real thing.
- Your owners, leadership and employees
- Your shop, plant, office, site or vehicles
- Your process and how the work actually gets done
- Your product, in use
- Your customers, with their agreement
A Third Option: AI-Assisted Visuals
AI-generated visuals can help in a few specific situations, such as illustrating something that was never filmed or filling a gap in a company's history. I only recommend them when they serve a clear purpose, and I review the result as part of the edit.
AI isn't a replacement for a real interview or footage we can actually film. If the real thing is available and makes more sense, that's what I'd recommend.
AI-assisted work is billed at $150 per hour, plus generation costs at actual cost with no markup. Like stock, it is discussed and quoted before it is used.
How I Work
How I Approach It
I plan the shoot around the real story: your people, your workplace and the work itself. If we still have a gap, we'll discuss whether stock footage, archive material or AI-assisted visuals are worth using. I'll explain the cost before anything is added.
I also have a drone, so depending on the location and conditions, we may be able to film your actual site instead of using a generic aerial. I handle the project from planning through filming and editing, so the decisions stay connected to the story we're telling.
01
Talk
What the video needs to show and what already exists.
02
Plan
Real footage for the core story; any gaps identified early.
03
Film
Your people, place, process and product, including aerials when useful.
04
Edit
Stock or AI-assisted visuals only where agreed and quoted.
Real Work
Real First, Then Fill the Gap
Supplement Source
For Supplement Source, I produced a company-history video using interviews and footage of the business. There was no original footage for some of the company's early history, so I used a small amount of AI-assisted imagery and real archived web material to cover that part.
The interviews and workplace footage told the main story. The AI-assisted visuals and archive material were only there to cover the parts we couldn't film. See more corporate video work
Past work across different scales has included CBC, Molson, TELUS, Alberta Health Services, Ledcor and Travel Alberta, along with small and mid-sized businesses across Alberta.
How Stock and AI-Assisted Work Are Billed
Stock footage is billed at cost, plus the editing time to add it, and quoted before it is used. AI-assisted work is $150 per hour, plus generation costs at actual cost with no markup, and is also discussed before it is used.
My corporate video packages start with the Starter Business Video at $2,500 and the Company Profile + Customer Stories package at $4,995, in Canadian dollars plus GST. Packages include my standard production kit, local travel in my service area, licensed music, colour grading, branded titles, captions and two rounds of revisions. I do not add a separate rental fee for my standard kit. Full details are on my video production pricing page.
Common Questions
Real Footage vs. Stock Footage FAQ
Is it bad to use stock footage in a business video?
No. Stock is fine for generic context, such as skylines, weather, maps, abstract ideas, or scenes that would be impossible or too costly to film. It becomes a problem when it stands in for your own people, place, process or product.
Can viewers tell when a video uses stock footage?
Often, yes, especially when stock is used to show a team, a workplace or a product. That doubt works against trust, which is why the core of a business video should be real footage.
How is stock footage billed?
Stock footage is billed at cost, plus the editing time to add it, and it is quoted before it is used.
Do you use AI-generated visuals?
Only when they genuinely help the story, such as filling a gap where footage never existed, and always guided by human editorial judgment. AI-assisted work is $150 per hour plus generation costs at actual cost with no markup. It is never a substitute for real interviews or footage when those are better.
Can drone footage replace stock aerials?
Often, yes. My kit includes a drone, so aerials of your actual site or area are usually possible instead of a generic stock skyline, subject to location and conditions.
Want a Video That Looks Like Your Business?
Tell me what the video needs to show and what material you already have. I'll help you work out what we should film and where stock or other visuals might be useful.
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