Most people search stock libraries by subject, then pick the first decent result. That is how every video ends up with the same clip of a laptop on a desk.
Search by the shot instead. Wide, close, slow motion, hands only, no people. Narrow the frame and you will find footage the algorithm rarely surfaces.
Cheap stock announces itself. The camera moves too fast and the color is already baked in.
Stock will never match your footage straight out of the download. Grading, cropping, and a slight speed change go a long way.
If the clip feels too polished, add grain or a subtle blur to bring it down to the texture of your own camera.
Nobody minds stock footage. They mind stock footage that looks like stock footage.
B-roll carries the parts of a story your interview cannot show. Here is what it is for, where it fits, and how to use it without burying the scene.
A b-roll bank only helps when you can find the right clip fast. Plan your shots around editing problems and your future self will thank you.
B-roll should follow the meaning of a line, not just its nouns. Here is how to match footage to narration so the images feel earned.
Analyze a channel, extract its structural DNA, and generate scripts engineered from patterns that actually work.
Analyze a Channel