Ultimate Guide to Sell Stock Footage Make Money from Filmmaking
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I've explored the math side of selling stock video and I find in a number of examples, its not actually worth your time. Its time consuming to edit, tag, upload etc for a chance someone might buy it. That time could easily be more productive towards working on a project, even if its a personal creative project. That project might not sell in of itself (ad money maybe, but it helps you grow your skills and exposures that will pay more dividends into the future.
If fewer people were selling their stock footage, it would create more paid jobs. A client wants an areal view of a City? Guess we got to get a videographer with a drone. But with everyone putting up next to free content online, its cheaper for the client to just pick on of those. That could be good for the client. But the guy that actually took it might make $100, got underpaid and probable has moved on out of selling stock footage so probably feeling a little remorse for the time and effort he put into it to get $100.
But, I do believe in free markets. So I wont bash anyone selling stock footage. Do what you want.
Date: 2022-09-13
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Comments and reviews: 19
All
Give me a scenario where I would need 8K footage. Seriously. Yes, stock footage is a lucrative field. I've shot some myself, but, haven't kept up with producing more due to time (and money) constraints. All the sources I've looked into, including BlackBox whom I send my stock footage to, have said that the format that sells the most is HD. Don't let anyone fool you. It takes time and money to produce stock footage on a consistent basis. Look at this video. Two guys flying in a helicopter shooting stock footage. Can anyone do that? Of course not. But, 8K? Most feature films are shown in 4K at most. Most audiences wouldn't know the difference between 4K and 8K. So, why?
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Give me a scenario where I would need 8K footage. Seriously. Yes, stock footage is a lucrative field. I've shot some myself, but, haven't kept up with producing more due to time (and money) constraints. All the sources I've looked into, including BlackBox whom I send my stock footage to, have said that the format that sells the most is HD. Don't let anyone fool you. It takes time and money to produce stock footage on a consistent basis. Look at this video. Two guys flying in a helicopter shooting stock footage. Can anyone do that? Of course not. But, 8K? Most feature films are shown in 4K at most. Most audiences wouldn't know the difference between 4K and 8K. So, why?
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Zegeebwah
I make about 250 bucks a month from stock footage I shot when doing real estate videos and I can say that almost all of the real sellers are aerial footage.
The generic aerial footage of cityscapes and for me beaches are the good sellers if the footage is seriously top quality but I noticed more and more that my footage gets flagged and rejected if it has even the most vague of things that could be recognized. A full days worth of footage was rejected because of the quote-unquote architectural intellectual property of a water treatment plant in the background of my footage so take extra special care to make sure that NOTHING in your footage is rejectable.
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I make about 250 bucks a month from stock footage I shot when doing real estate videos and I can say that almost all of the real sellers are aerial footage.
The generic aerial footage of cityscapes and for me beaches are the good sellers if the footage is seriously top quality but I noticed more and more that my footage gets flagged and rejected if it has even the most vague of things that could be recognized. A full days worth of footage was rejected because of the quote-unquote architectural intellectual property of a water treatment plant in the background of my footage so take extra special care to make sure that NOTHING in your footage is rejectable.
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Tim
One important thing you forgot to mention, any recognizable face or sometimes landmark in any of your stock footage requires paperwork confirming permission to film. You can't just go to a market and point your camera at a random person. Also, I wish you mentioned some of the reliable stock sites to sell your footage on that have a good financial return. Some sites ask for a larger percentage per sale.
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One important thing you forgot to mention, any recognizable face or sometimes landmark in any of your stock footage requires paperwork confirming permission to film. You can't just go to a market and point your camera at a random person. Also, I wish you mentioned some of the reliable stock sites to sell your footage on that have a good financial return. Some sites ask for a larger percentage per sale.
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JamesDaily
Stock footage is an INSANE amount of work, in a super saturated and degrading market, for very little pay. unless you have a very specific talent or access to something that not a lot of people have (like a helicopter, high speed motion control bot, phantom, etc. 14 months in, 6961 clips, and $288 of revenue in July. TRUST that there was more than that spent in just gas getting these shots.
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Stock footage is an INSANE amount of work, in a super saturated and degrading market, for very little pay. unless you have a very specific talent or access to something that not a lot of people have (like a helicopter, high speed motion control bot, phantom, etc. 14 months in, 6961 clips, and $288 of revenue in July. TRUST that there was more than that spent in just gas getting these shots.
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Q2
Hey guys, thanks for the informative content. I just finished listening to your podcast of the same episode. Something I didn't pick up on was which third party site to use for uploading and tagging content onto multiple stock sites. I'm exclusive right now at iStock but knowing how to streamline and potentially earn more by going non-exclusive would be incredibly helpful. Cheers!
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Hey guys, thanks for the informative content. I just finished listening to your podcast of the same episode. Something I didn't pick up on was which third party site to use for uploading and tagging content onto multiple stock sites. I'm exclusive right now at iStock but knowing how to streamline and potentially earn more by going non-exclusive would be incredibly helpful. Cheers!
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Schardt
Ok, so years ago they came to the conclusion that somewhere between 9 to 11 megapixels equaled the same resolution and quality that 35mm film could produce t least in stills for a high quality large print. So 8K is around 25 megapixels. Larger than my Canon 80D. Except for cropping and zooming in a frame for quality. Why does anything need filmed at more than 4K?
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Ok, so years ago they came to the conclusion that somewhere between 9 to 11 megapixels equaled the same resolution and quality that 35mm film could produce t least in stills for a high quality large print. So 8K is around 25 megapixels. Larger than my Canon 80D. Except for cropping and zooming in a frame for quality. Why does anything need filmed at more than 4K?
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Bruh
Indy Mogul has been blowing up lately in regards to popularity, most likely due to them sticking to script of what they did before, but adding in more quality, and relevance to such a significant into such an urbanized esc. platform. Ive been watching since the beginning with the man, the myth, the legend, Erik. Keep it up guys.
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Indy Mogul has been blowing up lately in regards to popularity, most likely due to them sticking to script of what they did before, but adding in more quality, and relevance to such a significant into such an urbanized esc. platform. Ive been watching since the beginning with the man, the myth, the legend, Erik. Keep it up guys.
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Jump
I work for a major stock footage company, time-lapses are dead to us and our clients. Please no time-lapses. Thank you for saying this here. Also, Hyperlapses are pretty saturated at this point. I recommend just shooting really cinematic establishing shots in place of time or hyper lapses.
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I work for a major stock footage company, time-lapses are dead to us and our clients. Please no time-lapses. Thank you for saying this here. Also, Hyperlapses are pretty saturated at this point. I recommend just shooting really cinematic establishing shots in place of time or hyper lapses.
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indy_mogul
Nothing about setting white balance or other camera settings. I noticed that some of Luke's footage was in PAL, but apart from that I have no idea of what you think are viable options.
Note that not all countries broadcast in NTSC 1080p30.
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Nothing about setting white balance or other camera settings. I noticed that some of Luke's footage was in PAL, but apart from that I have no idea of what you think are viable options.
Note that not all countries broadcast in NTSC 1080p30.
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Vivian
Some wolfy utubers even by buy these stocks to make doubloon films about subjects they steel from elsewhere.
And then utub watchers say: so beautiful, so beautiful, I've never seem something so beautiful. So nothing's bad in the pig.
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Some wolfy utubers even by buy these stocks to make doubloon films about subjects they steel from elsewhere.
And then utub watchers say: so beautiful, so beautiful, I've never seem something so beautiful. So nothing's bad in the pig.
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Bartosz
Great stocks and I just bought in on them, but I'm interested in making short term profit, let say turn a $150K to $500k in 6months, I'd appreciate tips on how what stocks to buy to make this much profit.
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Great stocks and I just bought in on them, but I'm interested in making short term profit, let say turn a $150K to $500k in 6months, I'd appreciate tips on how what stocks to buy to make this much profit.
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Danar
Since you mentioned lifestyle stock etc with a person in frame of your stocks, how about the release or consent from the person regarding this? since the stocks maybe would used in commercial and stuff.
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Since you mentioned lifestyle stock etc with a person in frame of your stocks, how about the release or consent from the person regarding this? since the stocks maybe would used in commercial and stuff.
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Bob
No. They want healthy, clean, friendly, average looking people in footage and if you are shooting television commercials then someone who looks similar to a popular celebrity is used.
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No. They want healthy, clean, friendly, average looking people in footage and if you are shooting television commercials then someone who looks similar to a popular celebrity is used.
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Oren
The title should have been Ultra highend stock footage that you will never dream of producing. And that's actually not even close to being an ultimate guide but rather quick tips.
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The title should have been Ultra highend stock footage that you will never dream of producing. And that's actually not even close to being an ultimate guide but rather quick tips.
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rarevfx
Nice video and very informative! But people keep in mind, especially for these arials, selling these without a flying permission in the city may get you in trouble
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Nice video and very informative! But people keep in mind, especially for these arials, selling these without a flying permission in the city may get you in trouble
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K.
So what is the legal process of this? What I mean is, when you film at these locations do the people in the video and the business have to sign a contract of sorts?
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So what is the legal process of this? What I mean is, when you film at these locations do the people in the video and the business have to sign a contract of sorts?
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Seven
This is crazy. That short that you keep showing is one I absolutely love. It's a demo for the BMPCC4K and still one of the best projects I've seen yet
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This is crazy. That short that you keep showing is one I absolutely love. It's a demo for the BMPCC4K and still one of the best projects I've seen yet
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GreeneLighte
Anybody have any experience with Blackbox (a site where you upload your footage once and then they upload it to the major stock sites?
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Anybody have any experience with Blackbox (a site where you upload your footage once and then they upload it to the major stock sites?
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Nelo
What app or site do you use to upload hundreds of footage and distribute it to variuos stock footage companies in just one go? Thanks
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What app or site do you use to upload hundreds of footage and distribute it to variuos stock footage companies in just one go? Thanks
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