We’re always looking for new ways to give our customers more creative freedom — and to make our already-user-friendly AI video maker easier to use.
That’s why we recently partnered with Shutterstock to provide our customers more flexibility and choice, in their Vyond video making with nearly 4 million stock video, audio, music and photography assets.*
If you were in the market for a stock library, good news: now there’s no need to add a standalone account. If you have other stock imagery accounts, this means no more annoying platform-switching or added cost: now you can search for — and integrate — Shutterstock assets directly in Vyond. And if you haven’t considered integrating stock content into your animated videos before, there’s no better time to explore the possibilities.
Here’s how easy access to new stock assets can help you create more engaging and relevant video content for any audience.
*Currently Shutterstock is only available to Professional and Enterprise users. Learn more about our pricing plans.
The benefits of using stock content in your animated videos
As Vyond users know, animated videos are a powerful form of business communication. They’re ideal for storytelling and reflecting diversity because of their unlimited possibilities for creating characters and scenes. And they’re uniquely effective at conveying complex ideas in a simple, visual way.
But in some business communication and learning contexts, there can be benefits to incorporating photorealistic elements as well. For example:
Your company brand guidelines may require using photorealistic content for certain communications
Some companies have strict brand and style guidelines, especially for external-facing content. Having a wider range of assets to choose from can help you both communicate better and stay on brand in every context.
Certain departments may prefer using stock content
L&D, HR, Sales Enablement, Compliance and Internal Comms teams love being able to use animated characters, objects, and backgrounds to create engaging scenario-based training, announcements, and explainer videos.
But their colleagues in finance may prefer using more buttoned-up photorealistic elements when creating videos for certain audiences. Having a full suite of animation options and Shutterstock assets in-platform makes Vyond relevant, engaging and cost-effective for employees companywide looking to communicate better.
Example of a mixed-media video for a financial services audience
Representing specific locations or landmarks is easier — and faster — with stock photos
If representing a specific, recognizable location is important for your video — like a particular sports stadium or national landmark — you might opt to use stock imagery or video as a background rather than creating its animated equivalent.
Your audience will probably recognize it more easily that way — plus, just dropping in a photo saves time. (Many Vyond users love creating mixed-media worlds featuring animated characters against photorealistic backgrounds, like this educational series from the City of Roswell, Georgia or this Dutch language tutorial.)
In some cases, sensitive topics can benefit from photorealistic assets
L&D and HR teams are routinely tasked with communicating about important but delicate topics like sexual harassment prevention, mental health awareness, and racial inequity, to name a few.
As Vyond users know, animated characters and scenarios are hugely effective at both driving home the most important ideas related to these topics — and bringing difficult situations to life.
However, in some cases, video creators may feel that using stock photos or footage of real people are more tonally appropriate or emotionally impactful. (For example: photographs of real Black families instead of animated characters in a series about the legacy of Martin Luther King. Or evocative video clips of real people meant to capture the impact of anxiety or PTSD.)
Whatever your video-making needs and challenges are, we hope these use cases — and our new Shutterstock assets — inspire you to try some new techniques and help you create the content you need for all your video projects.
Don’t have a Vyond license yet but you’re eager to see this Shutterstock library for yourself? Start your free two-week trial and you’ll be browsing the library in a few clicks (no credit card needed – our treat)!
