It doesn't matter whether you're shooting specifically to make stock footage, or whether you're making almost any kind of film: visual trends are important. A new and insightful report from Shutterstock highlights the main visual trends feeding into today's aesthetic zeitgeist.
The reasons why trends tend to trend are typically hidden and sometimes completely random. So it's especially fascinating when these ephemeral preferences are researched and the results made available.
That's exactly what Shutterstock has just done with its 2020 Creative Trends report.
We'll outline just the major trends here, but you can view the whole report by clicking on the link above.
A whole century after the 1920s, the decade of decadence and hedonism, there's a yearning for ornate geometric shapes, elegant colour pallets and Art Deco artefacts. Searches for "Gold pattern" rose by an astonishing 4,223%, "'20s retro" by 189% and "Linear geometric by 106%
In an age of factual deficit you can see why the occult and spirit worlds are creeping up on artistic preferences. Search keywords with major increases in use include "Magic" with an increase of 525%, "Spiritual" up by 289%, "Horoscopes" by 37% and "Palm reading" by 22%
It looks like simplicity is taking a break for a while because there's a distinct preference for big, bright and complex floral displays. And why not? There's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy a rich diet sometimes.
Newly popular keywords include "Flowerscape" which was up by 141%, "Bloom", up by 136% and "Live wall" rose by 83%.
Other trends include
Where are trends embrace an organic and sophisticated view of the widespread weed.
While some areas have been trending away from minimalism, it's alive and well, as long as it's dark. Here's a clue: use of the keyword "Black" went off the scale with an increase of 1779%
The outdoor lifestyle is a popular theme with keywords like "Hiking" increasing by 553%, "Camping" by 368% and "Backpack and boots" by 325%
The subtlety and graceful energy of minimalistic oriental calligraphy is attracting designers and filmmakers. Searches for "Ink and wash painting" rose by 118%, "Cherry blossom illustration" by 152% and "Chinese Illustration by 74%.
One word: "Sports", which was up by a very noticeable 1,647%
If you want to read the report, just go here.