Selling Stock Footage

[John Knight]

Hi guys,

Has anyone had any luck selling HD stock footage?

I joined www.RevoStock.com about 1 year ago and uploaded about 6 short SD clips from a Sony VX2000 - Actually one did sell and I made a whopping 45% of US$15

I'm quite impressed with www.alwayshd.com and thinking of uploading some Z7 footage there - most their clips are US$150-US$400 and you get 50% commission which sounds good - but does anyone know anyone who is making money from this? Any other libraries I should consider?

[Chris Hurd]

Moved from Sony Z7/S270 to T.C.B.

[Shaun Stanley]

You might want to keep an eye on VideoPros which is coming online this summer. Not only does it provide the most robust, customizable streaming/hosting solution available but also comes at a price point that can't beat. I only mention them because I know, through a back door connection, that they are going to be introducing a unique and ambitious licensing area to their network where the video producer sets his own rates for re-use. These guys are unique because their network (including the licensable content) is being deployed via API within a number of "commercial interests" intranets....more to come but you'll wanted to keep them on your radar! Find be a stock house that lets you set your own price and that is directly "connected" on the purchasers internal network!

[John Knight]

Do they have a website?

[Shaun Stanley]

www.videopros.com, however the site is beta at the moment as they complete their backend network. The licensing side is to launch by the end of July. Check them out for I believe they represent a new wave of opportunities for us where we, as producers, take control of re-use and re-sells as well as empowering us as the distribution of our video productions. I believe this is the key element missing. We hear alot of talk about low rates for web video production. This is because, we as an industry, have not come full circle with our service offerings.....watch the industry this year....successful video production companies will be THE distributors for their clients videos. Production cost matched with distribution services equal profit for us. Let me know your thoughts.
Shaun

[John Knight]

Sounds good... but sounds like you work for them?

[Rick L. Allen]

As someone who's sold stock footage for the last 15 years I never think of it as a guaranteed money maker. You need to have a unique niche and high quality footage. Any site that offers less than 50% is ripping you off (50% is absurd too but that's the industry standard right now). RevStock, iStock Video etc. are a non starter. Anyone who thinks they'll make a living off a percentage of $25 dollar clips is nuts. With the plethora of inexpensive HD cameras out there you are now competing against the world for sales and it's a tough fight.

Think of your stock footage as fun money that arrives unexpectedly - never count on it until the check arrives. Also, read any footage contract slowly and carefully and then reread it. Most contracts are not set up in your favor.

[John Knight]

Cheers Rick,

Who should I list with apart from www.AlwaysHD.com ?

My current clips are here: http://www.alwayshd.com/search_resul...ontrib_ID=1680

Would these be the type that sell?

I've just signed up to http://www.naturefootage.com but haven't uploaded anything there yet...

[David Rice]

I have around 2,200 clips at Naturefootage and Oceanfootage. http://www.oceanfootage.com/sellers/drice

In 12 months I sold around a dozen clips. The buyers were mostly advertisers.

Not worth the effort. Shooting, Editing, cataloging, uploading or sending Raw HD on DVD's to wholesellers takes a lot of effort!

If you cannot afford your own web page, and if you don't have a lot of upfront cash to promote your work. Selling Stock footage is a waste of time and a poor return on your investment.

It's strickly Hobby income.

[James Hooey]

John,

I have been placing stock footage and music on Revostock.com since April 2007. So far to date I have sold 59 files and currently have about 250 for sale. Roughly speaking I have earned about $700 from the sales. It's certainly not a sole means of income, but it is nice to have a use for the footage I have that I wouldn't necessarily have specific uses for. I don't count on the money by any means, but once I've done the work for the clips my work is done and then the clips remain for future sales.

When it comes to a site like Revo you really need two things, QUALITY and QUANTITY. Fitting a niche is also helpful if for no other reason than you may have a monopoly on possible footage. When you say you had about 6 clips on Revostock, considering that they now have over 30 000 files you are really a miniscule blip in the possibility of sales that a customer may make.