This post is brought to you by VideoBlocks. Learn more at VideoBlocks.com.

The dictionary defines a genre as a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique or the like. But for the videographer, a genre is a rich field of content that’s waiting to be mined.

It’s not always possible — or economically feasible — to shoot a particular video in a particular location or in a particular manner; that’s where a video content house becomes an asset. It provides the needed content that can be used as-is or blended in with other footage based on need and desire.

Here are five video genres where use of a video content service like VideoBlocks can be successful.

1. TV Commercials

A TV commercial aims to create a mood and make the focus of the commercial palatable and attractive to the viewer. These could be pharmaceutical ads or political ads, for example, which involve seeing crowds of people in an outdoor setting, or a panorama of a major city or small town.

A TV ad shouldn’t look contrived and so careful selection of the content that is to be seen is paramount. Being able to pick and choose from existing content allows for a more creative approach.

2. Music Videos

Where else can you find cars racing, people dancing, buildings exploding and pretty much anything else you can think of occurring in a few minutes?

Being able to choose from existing content means that you are not constrained by cost or location and can make the visual experience as wild or sedate or otherworldly as the music suggests.

3. Corporate Videos

A corporate video must show a company or its employees in a positive light. This requires that everything the viewer sees is sharp, concise and free from ambiguity. Video is a cost-effective business tool for pointing out the value of a company and can encompass promotions, demonstrations, information and can even strive to educate.

There is an almost endless range of existing content that can be used, from panoramas from across the world, to scenes from outer space or the oceans, all with the purpose of creating an attractive bubble around the company’s core message.

4. Promotional Tourism Videos

The overriding purpose of a tourism video is to show off the locale in as positive a light as possible — while also conveying what is desirable about visiting and seeing it for yourself. This can include aerial shots — extremely expensive to shoot oneself — which help to convey a sense of grandeur and scale through a birds-eye view.

And whether it’s on safari or in an urban setting, it’s also important to show people enjoying themselves; eating in restaurants and seeing the sights.

5. News Segments

News segments require images that stand out and make their point succinctly and quickly. Holidays or city skylines, airports or scenes from around the world, the advantage of stock footage is that it can provide accent and background imagery that is generic and so usable for any kind of commentary.

VideoBlocks provides its members with access to over 2 million HD and 4K video, with more being added all the time to the royalty-free library, including After Effects Templates. Additionally, members can purchase video directly from artists in the Videoblocks Marketplace.

VideoBlocks’ aim is to provide content to all creatives without the historically large charges that negate use by all but the large production houses and agencies. Click here to get a 7-day free trial from Videoblocks today!