GENERAL

What is stock footage?

Stock footage is video that is not custom shot for a particular production but is just a general shot that can be licensed, sold and used in a variety of different projects, from films to television, commercials, web videos, documentaries, news programs and more. Examples of stock footage may be b-roll shots of city streets, panoramic shots, people doing certain actions, nature shots, etc. The same applies to photographs but their usage is more limited to general websites and blogs.

 

Do I need to be a professional filmmaker to make and sell stock media?

No, you don’t need to be an experienced filmmaker or photographer to sell stock footage or stock photos. However, you have to make sure that what you are selling is good quality video and photos so make sure you get the right exposure, focus and framing. When shooting video, a tripod is highly recommended.

 

Is it easy to make money by selling stock videos and photos?

It’s not easy to make money by selling stock media. There’s a lot of media and marketplaces out there. A good approach we suggest to our artists is to create large libraries of high quality stock media. Also, think outside the box and make sure your media is unique and compelling. If you are a professional or even amateur videographer, cinematographer, cameraman, photographer, it’s likely that you will be shooting many different types of projects in different locations. To capture stock footage is not time consuming or difficult once you are on location and have all the equipment needed. With little effort you’ll be able to create large libraries of videos and photos in many categories and it will be easier to find a market for your material.

 

FOR BUYERS

How can I find media to purchase?

If you’re looking for media to buy you can start by using our search function in the home page. You may also browse media by categories and location by clicking the links in the browsing sections at the bottom of the home page.

 

What kind of payment options do you offer to buy media?

We currently only accept paypal to purchase media.

 

Can I use any media I purchase on your site for promotional and commercial projects?

Not all footage can be used commercially. Some can only be used for editorial projects, meaning news and documentaries.

 

After I purchase media, how can I download them?

After you buy media, you will receive an email with a link that will allow you to download the media. You may also go to the “Manage Media” section of “My Account” and then click on “Downloads”.

 

What are “browsing collections”?

If you browse our website looking for various media to purchase under the same topic, you may create a “browsing collection”, a collection of media that fall under the same category or sub-category. You can save your browsing collection and go back to it at a later time to purchase media you are interested in. You can access your browsing collection in the “My Collections” tab in “My Account”. There you will also find your “seller’s collections” if you are selling media.

FOR SELLERS

Who can sell stock media on StockFootageLab.com?

Anybody who owns the copyrights of the media can legally sell stock media through our website, an individual or a company.

 

What is my cut of each media sale?

We currently offer a 60% cut to the artist who owns the copyright of the media sold. You set the price and you can change it anytime.

 

How can I sell my videos and photographs through StockFootageLab.com?

It’s very easy to open an account on StockFootageLab. Just click on the “Sign Up” link in the homepage, indicate your email, create a username and password. Once you have an account you’ll need to indicate your personal and payment information. Go to “My Account”, go to  “Personal Information” and click on “Edit Information”. There you’ll be able to indicate your name, company name, address which will be used to send you a check (if you select a check as preferred method of payment), and paypal email.

In order to upload video clips or photographs to sell, go to “Upload Media”. There you will first select the type of media you are uploading, whether a video or a photograph, then you’ll select the file, indicate the category and sub-categories that best describe it, choose a title, fill the description section and indicate the type of camera used. In order to select the right price for your clip, browse around the internet for similar media and consider the quality and length of your clip. You can also indicate the location where your clip was shot if you consider it relevant to the media you’re selling. If, for example, your clip is a shot of a person smiling, the location may not be important. If, on the other hand, you’re selling a shot of particular building in a major metropolitan area, then you should indicate the location. Finally, select as many tag words as you want to further categorize your media and create a “Seller’s Collection” if you are planning to sell many clips or photographs that fall under the same specific category (e.g. “New York at Night”, “Nevada Desert”, “San Francisco Aerial Footage”, etc).

Video Upload Specifications

You may upload video from various types of cameras from professional cameras to prosumer cameras, DSLRs, GoPros, iPhones. As far as the format is concerned, most of the demand is for High Definition (HD) video. However if you have footage shot in Standard Definition (SD) or film, including Super 8mm, 16mm or 35mm film, that you think is unique and may sell, feel free to upload it.

Please only upload videos that are professionally shot, so only select videos with proper exposure and focus. Videos shot using a tripod are usually more requested than hand held shot. Clients also prefer videos that are not manipulated with color correction. Single clips are preferred over sequences.

File size should not exceed 2GB and the duration of the clip should be in between 5 seconds and 2 minutes.

The file formats that we currently support are .MOV and .MP4. We accept various codecs, including AVCHD, Apple ProRes 422, H.264, PhotoJPEG and Avid native DNXHD.

Audio may be included in the videos you upload but make sure that it doesn’t infringe copyright.

 

Photo Upload Specifications

We currently accept JPEG images that are at least 1600x1200 or 1.92MP. Please make sure your images are well exposed, in focus and well framed.

 

What are the “Seller’s Collections”?

As you upload media that fall under the same subject matter or specific category, you might want to create a “seller’s collection” so that buyers can browse media they are interested in more easily. Examples of a “seller’s collection” might be “New York stock footage”, “Nature clips”, “Marine life”, “Los Angeles by night” and so on. In your profile page, buyers will find links to your seller’s collections.

 

How and when will I get paid for the media that I sell?

Payments are made the 21st of the month following your media sales. So, for the media sold in January you’ll get paid on the 21st of February.

Our current payment options are paypal and by check. You can set your payment options in the “Personal Information” section or in the “Sold Media” section of “My Account”. You can either have a check sent to your address or you can get paid electronically through paypal. You can change your payment preferences anytime.

 

The fee to have a check sent to your address is 5$.

The paypal fee to transfer money to your account is 2% on each payment made.