Long-form style · 16:9 or 9:16

Narrated videos over footage that is free to use

A narrated film shown entirely with real footage that is free to use: stock footage of our own time and, for lines about the past, public-domain archive film. Every shot is found for the line it plays under and cut to the narrator's words. Nothing is taken from YouTube.

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Shape
16:9 or 9:16
Length
up to 10 minutes
Languages
16 languages
A sample made in the studio. Your script over real footage that is free to use.

How this style works

  • The script is cut into beats, and footage is searched for what each beat should show.
  • Places, things, nature, work, machines and crowds - shown as themselves.
  • Lines about the past are shown with old public-domain film.

What you give it

  • A topic in one line
  • Or your own script, word for word
  • Or your own voice recording

Best for

  • Explainers
  • Facts & lists
  • Science & nature
  • General history
  • Money & health

Stock libraries do not hold a named person or a particular event. For a story about particular people or news, use the Documentary style. Documentary

From a line of text to a Stock Footage Documentary video

  1. 1

    Choose a style

    Pick how the video should look: a hand-drawn whiteboard, a real-footage documentary, an AI presenter, a vertical short. Every style shows a sample before you choose it.

  2. 2

    Say what it is about

    One line is enough - the script is written for you. Or paste your own script, upload your own voice recording, or bring your own footage or links, depending on the style.

  3. 3

    Check the script and the credits

    Read the script, change any line, pick the language and the narrator. You see exactly what the video takes before anything is made.

  4. 4

    Get your video

    VidGenius narrates, draws or finds every picture, adds captions and edits the video. Swap anything you do not like, render, and download a 1080p MP4.

Stock Footage Documentary: questions

Is the footage safe to use on YouTube?

It comes from free stock libraries and public-domain archives, not from other people's YouTube videos.

How long can the video be?

Up to ten minutes, wide or tall.

Can I use my own script?

Yes. Paste it and it is kept word for word; nothing is rewritten.

How long does it take to make?

Minutes for most videos. A two-minute video is ready in about five minutes; longer videos, and formats that search for real footage, take longer.

What do I download?

A 1080p MP4, ready to upload. Download it to keep it: the studio holds a finished video for a few days, depending on your plan.

Styles like this one

Documentary - a sample frame

Documentary

Real footage, real photographs, real pages.

See the style
Sleep Story - a sample frame

Sleep Story

A calm voice over slowly drifting photographs.

See the style
3D Mannequin Documentary - a sample frame

3D Mannequin Documentary

Held, not cut. The camera does the moving.

See the style

All 19 styles

Make a Stock Footage Documentary video

Create a free account and look around the studio. You choose a plan when you make your first video.

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