Anyone tried out Dronebase's Getty Images - or do you do it yourself?

[black_magic100]

Yes, I'd have thought it was better to give them to DB?

I don't really know at this point. It seems like gettyimages is a scam. Pond5 might be the best option.

 

[dangerd]

I don't sell a lot of shots per month but I get better money than $15. I would rather make less and preserve the industry than to make it a race to the bottom dollarwise.
Selling to the lowest bidders will not do you any good in the long run, soon you will find everyone wants your shots for a dollar.
Like I said above, some months are better some worse, some of my content is also audio clips and they go for less than video, I don't keep that close a track of sales as this is only side money.

Edit: if you want to sell through Getty than set up an account there.

 

[black_magic100]

I don't sell a lot of shots per month but I get better money than $15. I would rather make less and preserve the industry than to make it a race to the bottom dollarwise.
Selling to the lowest bidders will not do you any good in the long run, soon you will find everyone wants your shots for a dollar.
Like I said above, some months are better some worse, some of my content is also audio clips and they go for less than video, I don't keep that close a track of sales as this is only side money.

Edit: if you want to sell through Getty than set up an account there.

Fair enough! So do you just simply upload short clips of color graded footage to pond5 and wait for somebody to purchase it? Do they accept everything on their site... sort of like an eBay kind of deal? I am just trying to figure this out because I think it would be awesome to start making money off my drone footage, but I don't want to saturate the market like you said and undercut myself and others!

 

[black_magic100]

I don't sell a lot of shots per month but I get better money than $15. I would rather make less and preserve the industry than to make it a race to the bottom dollarwise.
Selling to the lowest bidders will not do you any good in the long run, soon you will find everyone wants your shots for a dollar.
Like I said above, some months are better some worse, some of my content is also audio clips and they go for less than video, I don't keep that close a track of sales as this is only side money.

Edit: if you want to sell through Getty than set up an account there.

Another quick question if you don't mind... What if I have multiple angles of a shot. Should I upload them separately or just the best one?

 

[dangerd]

Yea, I grade the clips, usually just color correct but sometimes I have some fun and trick them out, or ramp the speed etc.
I send clips usually between 5 - 30 seconds (shorter is better but some shots need more length).
Then you fill in the metadata form on the site (this is the most important and boring part) and submit it. Afterwards the curators will look at the footage and decide if they want it, or they will give notes so maybe you can fix and resubmit.
Some shots I take out trademarks, license plate numbers etc. as that makes them commercial instead of editorial, but you don't have to. Commercial usually sell better but not always!
Once they approve your shot you just wait for the money to roll in.

 

[dangerd]

Another quick question if you don't mind... What if I have multiple angles of a shot. Should I upload them separately or just the best one?

I edit them separate and send both, change the description and reuse most of the keywords.

 

[black_magic100]

I edit them separate and send both, change the description and reuse most of the keywords.

So when you first started how long before you got your first sale? Do you upload 4k and 1080 files or just 4k?

 

[dangerd]

So when you first started how long before you got your first sale? Do you upload 4k and 1080 files or just 4k?

It took a couple of weeks I think, can't remember. Some shots sell quickly but most are up for a long time before anyone buys. When your shots are selling I think that Pond5 pushes your portfolio more. Also I sometimes check the button for them to use a shot here and there in a give away, this brings people to your shots and it sometimes helps sell some of the other ones. I usually send 4K as they will downsample to 1080 , and you can set separate prices for each.

 

[black_magic100]

It took a couple of weeks I think, can't remember. Some shots sell quickly but most are up for a long time before anyone buys. When your shots are selling I think that Pond5 pushes your portfolio more. Also I sometimes check the button for them to use a shot here and there in a give away, this brings people to your shots and it sometimes helps sell some of the other ones. I usually send 4K as they will downsample to 1080 , and you can set separate prices for each.

I find it so interesting that people actually buy this stuff. Would you mind sharing a clip of yours that has sold more than once? It kind of blows my mind because I have some really good footage, but I have no idea why anybody would ever use it, lol

BTW Thanks again for all the help

 

[dangerd]

I have learned from selling over a few years that you never know what an editor in a dark room will suddenly need at a minutes notice so I uploade anything I think I can get past the curators. I had a clip of a groundhog scratching its head that I shot at a zoo and it sold a bunch of times - that is when it dawned on me that I am no judge of what people will need!
Glad to help, that is why we all come here and a lot of people on this site have been very helpful to me!

Zurich Switzerland Panorama ~ Stock Footage #58616413

Central California Hills Sunset Aerial ~ Clip #76326162

Westlake Village California Fast Aerial Dolly ~ Video #76786640

Lamb With Audio ~ High Resolution ~ Hi Res Video #58463776

 

[black_magic100]

I have learned from selling over a few years that you never know what an editor in a dark room will suddenly need at a minutes notice so I uploade anything I think I can get past the curators. I had a clip of a groundhog scratching its head that I shot at a zoo and it sold a bunch of times - that is when it dawned on me that I am no judge of what people will need!
Glad to help, that is why we all come here and a lot of people on this site have been very helpful to me!

Zurich Switzerland Panorama ~ Stock Footage #58616413

Central California Hills Sunset Aerial ~ Clip #76326162

Westlake Village California Fast Aerial Dolly ~ Video #76786640

Lamb With Audio ~ High Resolution ~ Hi Res Video #58463776

Oh wow all of those clips actually sold? They seem very basic, but well done so I guess it makes sense about what you said regarding editors.

What bit rate settings do you use in adobe or whatever software you use to export?

edit: Is their a way to combine clips of different angles so if an editor sees something they like they can choose from multiple angles?

 

[dangerd]

Oh wow all of those clips actually sold? They seem very basic, but well done so I guess it makes sense about what you said regarding editors.

What bit rate settings do you use in adobe or whatever software you use to export?

I'm cut and pasting from pond info for a drone clip as I don't have my computer here with the preset:
4K
3840x2160 @29.97fps / mp4 / 116.2MB / H.264
Average bit rate: 110 Mbps

I use to use .mov but I'm on windows (use to have an output card for encoding QuickTime) and it's easier for me to use MP4.
I cut with premiere pro and do all other color correction etc. in After effects (cs6) I'm not renting software from adobe. You can use any program. DaVinci Resolve is food for color correction and it's only $300.
Just as long as it outputs to the specs that Pond5 wants. See the website.

 

[dangerd]

Oh wow all of those clips actually sold? They seem very basic, but well done so I guess it makes sense about what you said regarding editors.

What bit rate settings do you use in adobe or whatever software you use to export?

edit: Is their a way to combine clips of different angles so if an editor sees something they like they can choose from multiple angles?

They don't like that. Send them separately.

 

[black_magic100]

They don't like that. Send them separately.

Hmmm.... I uploaded one file successfully, but I tried uploading two more and I keep getting error messages

Any idea?

" Error - Something went wrong, please try again.
You can alternatively try uploading using FTP."

 

[dangerd]

Hmmm.... I uploaded one file successfully, but I tried uploading two more and I keep getting error messages

Any idea?

" Error - Something went wrong, please try again.
You can alternatively try uploading using FTP."

Don't know, I use the FTP option. You can get FileZilla for free.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Otherwise just follow the directions. I know that they usually like to look at a few files before they approve you as a producer, but you probably already know that.

 

[black_magic100]

Don't know, I use the FTP option. You can get FileZilla for free.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Otherwise just follow the directions. I know that they usually like to look at a few files before they approve you as a producer, but you probably already know that.

client or server option for firezilla?

 

[dangerd]

client or server option for firezilla?

You want the client.

 

[black_magic100]

You want the client.

And I drag the content into the release folder right? Their directions just say the remote site window, but that doesn't do anything so I am assuming it is the folder.

 

[dangerd]

You drag the files to here:
The release folder is for model/property releases, not your video. Video goes in the window that opens when you log on - the root for your user account.

 

[black_magic100]

You drag the files to here:
The release folder is for model/property releases, not your video. Video goes in the window that opens when you log on - the root for your user account.

What would I do without you lol