MicrostockGroup

I use adobe premiere elements 7 for editing video.  Have read some complaints about version 8 though.  It's fairly easy to use, I did look at some youtube tutorials to help when I started.

Don't know if your camera is good enough, have you tried searching on Pond5 to see if anyone uses your camera?  I would just upload 1 clip and see if it is accepted.

Encode your video in QuickTime .MOV format using the "PhotoJPEG" codec at 85% to 95% and remove the audio track.  That is supported everywhere.

You can just do it with QuickTime if you have Pro version.  You might try the free trial of Sony Vegas, it's fully functional for 30-days.  Or search for MPEG Streamclip which is used by many hobbyist stock footage people.

The biggest advice I can give you with footage is BE PATIENT.  It can takes months sometimes for your first sale, depending on how saturated the subject is for your clip.

Hope you don't mind if I jump in your thread to ask some beginner questions also.

Is there a general rule of thumb for length of the clip?

Will a simple keyword search show how saturated a subject is?

Is it best to leave the clips in original format for buyer to decide or should they be graded for maximum effectiveness?

Is shooting in anamorphic an acceptable format?

I know obviously branded objects are one to look out for but what about larger objects like cars, boats, houses, buildings?  Say i wanted to shoot something luxurious and shot a ferrari, avoiding the obvious badges, because everyone knows what a ferrari looks like, will there be an issue?  I see it in music video clips all the time, do they have to get release forms for that from manufacturer even though it is owned by someone?

Same question applies to say taking people shots and they are wearing branded clothes, shoes, etc...does the rules differ because it is video stock rather than print stock?

Cheers.

i had tried to consolidate summary i got from few websites about footage format..


pond5
Pond5 Stock Footage
mov format
-clips should be in the range of 3 to 60 seconds, and no larger than 1 GB (1000 MB). For HD files, a size of 200-500mb is normal. Clips should have no edits, if you do have a file with several clips edited together, please separate them out and sell each file individually.

fotolia
http://www.fotolia.com/partner/201335833

Video files must be in asf, avi, flv, h264, mov, mpeg, mpegts or mpegvideo formats
The codec must be : flv, dvvideo, h264, mjpeg, mpeg1video, mpeg2video, mpeg4, rpza, svq1, vp6f, wmv2 or wmv3
The compression level should correspond to the best image quality possible
The video length must be between 5 and 60 seconds
You must be the author of all files (and all their elements) you upload on Fotolia
You must have a valid model release for each person represented in your files (even voices)
No logo or trademark must appear in your video clips
You may not upload video clips representing buildings, trademarks or places which are protected by an intellectual property right.

shutterstock
http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=488923

Footage must be at least 480 pixels in height with an aspect ratio of at least 4:3. We are asking that film clips try and abide by the NTSC standard of 29.97fps (frames per second) with a time limit no longer than 60 seconds. Film clips that are uploaded with the PAL standard of 25fps are also fine.
    Footage must NOT contain any sound bites not produced by the footage producer without a property release from the audio creator.
    Footage should be correctly exposed and in-focus. Audio should be seamless.
    Footage submitted should be digital only and we will try to accommodate any file type, including DV, Windows Media, and QuickTime.

istock
http://www.istockphoto.com/mtkang

6.0 - Digital Video Requirements
                Length (sec)   Size   Frame Rate
(/sec)
File   Format(s)   Codec(s)   Compression   Min   Max   Min   Max   Min   Max
Application Sample   Quicktime, MP4   MP4
H.264   best   5   30   320 x 240   1920 x 1080   24   30
Upload Proxy   Quicktime, MP4   MP4
H.264   best   (same as final)   (same as final)   720 x 480   1920 x 1080   24   30
RF full-res   Quicktime MOV   PhotoJPEG,
MJPEG-A/B,
HDV,
DV   3:1, 95%, Best   5   30   720 x 480   1920 x 1080   24   30
NOTE: Formats must match frame rates. We do not accept NTSC at 25 FPS or PAL at 30 FPS

Format   Dimensions   Frame Rate(s)
HD 1080i   1920x1080   24, 25, 29.97, 30
HD 720p   1280x720   24, 25, 29.97, 30
PAL   720x576   25
NTSC D1   720x486   29.97
NTSC DV   720x480   29.97

clipcanvas
<a href="http://www.clipcanvas.com/?r=486FB558" title="Clipcanvas Stock Footage - HD Video Clip Downloads" >Clipcanvas Stock Footage[/url]

The technical requirements regarding uploading content are easy to follow. Currently, we accept HD and DV broadcast quality content with 16:9 aspect ratio in a Quicktime .MOV file container format and the most relevant codecs: PhotoJPEG, DVCPro 25/50/100, ProRes HQ, HDV, XDCAM, IMX50, DNx and DNxHD. Our system does not accept .avi containers. If your content constitutes a different codec, please contact us and we will try to accomodate your needs. The minimum resolution requirements is as follows:  720 x 576 (if anamorphic) or 1024 x 576 square pixels in PAL (25fps) or 720 x 486 (if anamorphic) or 864 x 486 square pixels in NTSC (30fps). Furthermore, each individual clip must have a duration of at least 2 seconds, and should not be longer than 60 seconds. In addition, the file may not exceed 750 MB. If any of these technical requirements are not fulfilled, you work will automatically be denied.

"Is there a general rule of thumb for length of the clip?

Will a simple keyword search show how saturated a subject is?

Is it best to leave the clips in original format for buyer to decide or should they be graded for maximum effectiveness?

Is shooting in anamorphic an acceptable format?

I know obviously branded objects are one to look out for but what about larger objects like cars, boats, houses, buildings?  Say i wanted to shoot something luxurious and shot a ferrari, avoiding the obvious badges, because everyone knows what a ferrari looks like, will there be an issue?  I see it in music video clips all the time, do they have to get release forms for that from manufacturer even though it is owned by someone"

I don't think buyers are looking for long clips in particular. Mostly, unless the length is very specific to the essence of the clip, 10 - 15 seconds is fine.

Keyword in a couple of the most popular combinations and read the results carefully. Look at the top and bottom of each page . This will give you an idea of the quality of the category if you examine it carefully. Do the shots with some production value indeed sell? When do the downloads and views stop? Can you compete in this category with a new angle on the image? For an interesting interview addressing some of these research questions see this my interview at www.stockvideoseller.com/public_html/interviews-2/bob-davies-picworkflow-and-.html

For my particular take on format see www.stockvideoseller.com/public_html/topics/3-the-universal-formats-wha.html. In short, why not streamline workflow and offer the most easily digestible format for all users, Motion or PhotoJpeg at this point. Animators/graphics may need other formats to maximize sales.

Some sites, perhaps most are conscious of the branding issues, privacy rights issues, etc. Even dogs can be identified from their markings. Numbers on boats, planes, trains and license plates are things to watch out for. Ouch! Pond5 puts the burden on the user and anything goes up, whereas iStock vets the clips for the consumer and you'll get a high number of rejections of reasons you might consider strange on buildings, urbanscapes, etc. Some sites let you mark shot of Times Square with its adverts and swarms of identifiable faces as editorial. See: www.stockvideoseller.com/public_html/topics/editorial-a-different-way-t.html . You are right, it's a mine field. Just have to know where to step.  

These two articles at iStockphoto give some great examples and insight into the agency mind:

Intellectual Property Standards at Istock, Parts 2 & 3.

www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=395

www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=413