1 Stock Footage Clip Bursts Your Bubble

Had some fun the other day with my kids' bubble gun.  I used what I had learned following around mosquitoes (which honestly I am still working on to hopefully have something usable to upload) and decided to try a slow motion tracking shot of a soap bubble.  It was quite frustrating, but with the very thin depth of field I was working with, I am happy to have something that is at least in focus most of the time.  The raw clip had my reflection in the middle, so with some creative matte work, feathering and blurring, I was successful in removing it.

You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

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These videos were shot using the Sony NEX-FS700 and a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens

1 Stock Footage Clip Walks into my Parlour

I've spend a couple of mornings these past few weeks in a small wooded/park area, with the few minutes I have in-between dropping my kids off at daycare and starting my full time job, challenging myself to some high-speed macro shooting with my FS700 and Sigma 24mm Macro lens.  My goal was to get clips of some male mosquitoes (since they are abundant here and they don't bite) flying around dreamily in slow motion. I usually walk away without any usable footage but a game plan for something new to try the next day.   The razor-thin depth of field when shooting macro made following around a very small bug, that flies VERY fast, quite a feat.  I took a break from chasing them around when I noticed this spider in a web lit very well by the rising sun.  Amazingly, in between hitting record and the camera actually beginning the record, one of the mosquitoes flew into the web!!!  It was an incredible thing to catch, considering I was already set up to shoot/expose at 240fps.  I was also channeling my inner J.J. Abrams with that lens flare popping into the shot.  Hope you can use it!!!

Fun side project: In your NLE, take the video clip and speed it up 10x to see the real speed in which this whole thing happened.


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

These videos were shot using the Sony NEX-FS700 and a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens

3 Stock Footage Clips Take a Leak

One of the more popular tools in an editor's toolkit nowadays is the "Light Leak".  The idea is to simulate the old style "imperfect" capture of footage on film when light would sneak in between the lens camera or through the film door (if it has been worn down).  It is now a popular effect and is used as a storytelling device/visual cue to simulate flashbacks, or even act as a transition.  Usually these files are imported into your NLE and put over another clip and blended using an "overlay" effect.  Previously, I released a clip that was kind of like a light leak, but thought I should have some practical ones for people to use as well.

I created these by leaving the lens off of my T2i and tested out different lighting setups hitting the bare sensor (risky I know!!!).

There are three different types below.  The "Hard Edge" clip helps simulate a shifted or poorly threaded film frame during playback.  The "Fast Motion" clip would be helpful as a accompaniment to a whip pan or really any other type of transition.  The "Soft Focus" clip is what you would typically consider your most common leak, gently filling parts of the frame with light.  Hopefully you will be able to find good uses or at least one of these.



 You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

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These videos were shot using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i

5 Stock Footage Clips Spill the Beans

 A few days ago, I posted a question on our Facebook and Twitter pages asking people to complete this phrase:

Post by Beachfront B-Roll: Free HD Stock Footage.

Only one person at the time of this posting had replied and he said "Coffee Beans".  In all honesty, I've had that one on my "to-do" list for quite some time and this was the kick in the butt I needed to get up and just do it.  I shot it a couple of times trying different pour speeds and thought I'd include the variety for you.  My personal favorite is the one that is left justified.  For those of you who read these posts often, you'll know I am a big fan of including negative space.

PS - For those of you interested, the beans are being poured into a giant wooden bowl which helped keep the action in one place.  It was shot with my trusty F&V R-300 ring light as the primary/only source and I used my Sigma 24mm Macro lens at a f1.3 (thanks to my Metabones Speedbooster lens adapter) to get the very shallow depth of field.

PPS - Also, for those coffee aficionados, the beans I used was an organic, fair trade, Honduran coffee from Trader Joe's.   Please don't judge me on that one way or another..   :)



 You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

These videos were shot using the Sony NEX-FS700 and a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens

1 Stock Footage Clip is Limited

This is a shot that I've been wanting to get for a while.  I love traffic time lapse shots.  I find them very useful when trying to tell a story.  They can be used to shot the passage of time or a change in location beautifully.  I also like how this shot has something stationary and prominent in the foreground, yet being a radar, still shows a lot of motion.

You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

1 Stock Footage Clip is Uplifting

Something I've enjoyed doing with the FS700 is capturing clouds by shooting at 1-2 fps using the camera's adjustable frame rate feature.  Doing something like that in the DSLR is tricky because it takes some time to write the information onto the card from the buffer and usually you can't get a reliably smooth time lapse.  The video is also compiled in-camera, meaning instant playback.  With my T2i, I need to load it into the computer, compile it, and render it in order to see what I got. Obviously the benefit to DSLR time lapses is the ability to record higher than HD in the RAW format.

I was able to catch this great cloud swell the other day and wanted to share it with you.  Those of you who have been following the blog might know that I am a big fan of negative space in my shots (even though I try to properly frame everything to keep it as "stock" as possible).  I was hoping to have the formation hold at the bottom third of the screen, but the billow that happens is pretty cool too.  I've been told that you can't have too many cloud clips, so i hope you don't mind one more!


You can preview and download the clip by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

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This video was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

1 Stock Footage Clip is Hoppy

Being a beer lover, it was inevitable that I would release at least one shot of the delicious brew.  It also gave me good practice at "product shots" (an area I've been interested in moving in to for a while).  I've also been wanting to expand my stock footage categories to include food and drink, so I need enough clips warrant it's own section.

If I learned anything from this shoot, it would be that cloth gloves are a MUST when working with both HD and glass items.  I could not get this pint glass clean enough!  This released footage is the best shot I got, and this is after processing the clip, as individual image files, through a batch action script created in Photoshop to utilize it's "content-aware fill' feature on EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DUST.  The result isn't half bad.  The pour could have been better, and from what I hear, the trick is to slightly "de-carbonate" the drink with a tiny bit of sugar before filling the glass, to reduce the amount of head the pour produces.  Leave a comment below if you've had better luck using a different method.

I used my trusty F&V R-300 LED Ring Light again to light this clip.  It was pretty handy.  I put the light, face-up on the counter and placed the pint glass in the open center. I was pleased with the amount of light it produced without flicker, considering a frame rate of 240 fps and a shutter speed of 1/500.

(PS. For those Beer Enthusiasts out there who MUST know, this is a Shoals Pale Ale from Smuttynose Brewing Company; My absolute favorite is the Old Brown Dog, but I was afraid of the darker color my first time out)


You can preview and download the clip by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

1 Stock Footage Clip is Seeing Stars

Usually twice a year, the family and I travel about 90 miles outside of the city to a very small town in a valley to visit my wife's grandmother.  It is a wonderful place free of things like cell signals, which force you to be more "connected" to the people and things around you.  I've brought my camera down ever since I have started this blog in order to get star time lapses (something I cannot do in the light polluted city limits).  Since we don't go that often, rarely do i have a clear sky to capture (this was the only other one I've been able to get).  This past weekend gave me the perfect opportunity though and I was excited to employ the A/C adapter for my camera that tested so well during the "rotting banana" time lapse.  I also came this time with a much more scientific/mathematical approach to shooting vs. my previous star time lapse.

Most notably, I was able to put into practice something called the "500 rule" which is a calculation that you can perform to figure out how long you can keep your shutter open before you start to capture "star trails" instead of stars.  The formula goes as follows: 500/ (lens focal length) = max. shutter duration in seconds.  I was using my Sigma 24mm f/1.8 lens on my Canon T2i.  The Rebel line of Canon cameras has a 1.6x crop factor that needed to be included as well.  So my calculation was a followed: 500/(24 times 1.6) = 13.  So I had the max time my shutter could be open (13 seconds), I ended up dialing it back 1 second for safety.  Since I was focusing to "infinity" the depth of field did not matter on the camera, so I was able to keep it wide open at f/1.8.  These two known values allowed me to then dial in my ISO to something that would allow me a good exposure.  I settled on 800.  So for those of you interested, this sequence was shot RAW at f/1.8, ISO 800 and a shutter speed of 12 seconds.  I set the intervalometer in my Magic Lantern hacked firmware to 16 seconds, allowing my camera 4 extra seconds to write the RAW file out of the buffer to the 32GB card.  1,464 images later (or 6.5 hours) and what you see below is what I can offer you.

I plan on going back to the RAW files and trying my hand at creating a star trail time lapse by gradually stacking the images.  This is obviously something that will take a while, so I wanted to initially post this video for people who might be able to find a good use for it.  The lights on the trees are actually from trains that pass through town.  I was amazed that the images picked the light from them up.


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i and a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens

1 Stock Footage Clip is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S

I was finally able to pull out my A/C adapter for my T2i and put together a setup to capture a very long-form time lapse.  After blacking out a room in my basement, I set up a very simple shot and employed a F&V R-300 LED ring light around my DSLR.  The light and the camera were plugged in and the Canon was programmed to utilize the intervalometer in the Magic Lantern firmware.  I was VERY happy with the consistent output of the light.  No flicker whatsoever.  This video was shot over 8 days.  Each frame is 15 minutes apart.  The hardest part was not having my camera at my side during my day to day routine.


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i and a Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens

3 Stock Footage Clips for a Fan

I tend to browse Twitter daily, reading news from the stock footage world.  The other day, I came across a Twitter user who was coming up with nothing when looking for free stock footage of an electric fan.  Since I am always looking for my next clip idea, I replied to his tweet to see if there was anything specific he was looking for.  Fortunately the type of fan he was looking for was similar to an old one I had in my basement at home.  That night I captured some shots to offer online.

These clips were shot at 240 frames per second.  I wanted to reduce the motion blur on the spinning blades, knowing the footage can be easily sped up. The opposite, not so much.  Once again I've included some different shots to hopefully help in editing.

 You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

These videos were shot using the Sony NEX-FS700

2 Stock Footage Clips Chip in the Dough

I've always wanted to put up some cooking clips, and a roll of cookie dough caught my eye while I was shopping the other day.  What started as capturing some footage on a whim, turned into a pretty neat comparison between my 2 cameras.

The clip titled "Baking Cookies" was shot at 1fps at 1920x1080 with a shutter speed of 1/2 on my Sony NEX FS-700.  The beautiful part of this process was a clip that was ready to upload the minute I was finished.  The clip titled "Baking Cookies Alt Angle" was shot using my Canon T2i with the Magic Lantern Firmware hack using the intervalometer feature at 1 image per second RAW (5184x3456).  The clip was processed through After Effects and the resulting 1920x1080 clip was created "full sized" (cropped instead of resized) so what you see an 1:1 pixel display.

I'd say the little Canon keeps up pretty well doesn't it?

Another beneficial side effect of this footage, was that the resulting cookies were a good way to thank my wife for taking over the kitchen for the night.

You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

The "Baking Cookies" clip was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

The "Baking Cookies Alternate Angle" clip was shot using the Canon T2i

2 Stock Footage Clips Melt With You

In keeping with my winter clip push, I give you 2 somewhat similar shots of icicles melting.  One was is a real time shot with rapidly dripping water and another is in slow motion. I actually had to ramp the slow motion clip between drips because there was literally nothing to see.  It made for a pretty boring minute and 20 second viewing.  So instead, you get 40 seconds cut out and water droplets that are still in slow motion.

I feel these clips will come in handy right before spring in any project where you need to illustrate a seasonal change.  Hope you can use them!


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

These videos were shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

1 Stock Footage Clip Lets it Snow

I've been waiting a while for a day when the snow was falling just right.  We've gotten a lot of heavy sleety and misty powdery conditions, but nothing this "flaky".  Unlike a lot of stock snow clips you may find out there, this is 100% real, live-action weather.  Snow falling has been the most requested shot lately, so I am happy to deliver something somewhat usable.  This may be the best I can get.

I shot it with a slightly small depth of field and at 240 fps on the FS700.  The video nerd in me loves seeing the flakes that float through mostly in focus. You should also be able to do a nice overlay/screen effect using this on your existing footage to give it a nice "wintery" treatment.  As the clip is now, it's falling peacefully and almost picturesque.  Feel free to speed it up 10x if you are going for a more snowstorm type atmosphere.


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

2 Stock Footage Clips are Stoked

I thought I should take a break from all of the "wintery" clips and post something a little more warm.  I had access to this fireplace and thought this might be nice.  Honestly, I do like the more peaceful movement that the slow motion creates, but that gentle flame also give it a somewhat un-organic look.  Something about it is both mesmerizing and unsettling.  Hope either of these are useful in your projects!


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

These videos were shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

1 Stock Footage Clip is Frozen to a Point

I was able to take advantage of a free morning as well as a very crisp cold day to get this shot.  I was hoping for a completely clear day, but the few wisps of clouds you see in the background are actually quite nice.  While the sun coming through the ice IS powerful, I feel this attempt was too "messy" for my personal taste overall.

It was partially due to laziness in not getting my external ND filter and relying on the on board 1/64 the FS700 has.  This made the capture a f/40 (yes 40).  I would have much rather shot this somewhere around f/8-11.  The imperfections/dust on the outside of the window I was shooting out of came in to play a lot more that i had hoped because of it (you better believe those weren't on my lens!).  This was a somewhat selfish decision as well, since I valued the heat in my home and the "newness" of my camera a little too much to have it sitting outside for 2 hours in 4 degree weather.

I did decided to upload this, because although I feel it is somewhat "dirty", and look forward to a much more clean reshoot, I appreciate the dreamlike feeling this has, and think it would compliment some of the work a lot of you are doing.  Hope you can find a use for it!


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700

1 Stock Footage Clip is Fast and Flurrious

We've been getting hit with some pretty nice snow bands here in Upstate NY.  I thought it might be fun to strap the camera in the passenger seat and record my trip home from work.  I don't see too many driving time lapse clips done in the winter out there.

I shot this at 1fps and dragged the shutter to 1/2 using the FS700, and honestly wish there was a little more light available.  I can't wait to get some lenses on this baby that can get wider than a F/4.0.  I pushed the levels in post just slightly, but didn't want to alter it too far away for the original. Please feel free to do what you like with it.


You can preview and download the clips by clicking "read more" below.  Happy Downloading!

As always, please e-mail, like us or share this on facebook, tweet, google plus, pinterest or do whatever you can to spread the word about this site. Thanks!

This video was shot using a Sony NEX-FS700