MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: digipro on January 07, 2018, 22:54

Title: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: digipro on January 07, 2018, 22:54
Got an email from Getty about American express video custom content brief. I am curious to know if it makes sense (moneywise). I understand that the videos you produce for this type of work will not be flown to iStock and Getty websites and will only be licensed by Amex. Let's say they license 5 of my videos,  at 20% from $200 - $400 fee per image, which means I will get $200-$ 400, and that's it, finita la commedia. OR I could submit those 5 files to all other agencies in hope that they will sell someday, maybe... Does anyone have any experience with those custom briefs?
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: pancaketom on January 07, 2018, 23:29
Would you be guaranteed sales or are you going up against a bunch of submitters and some might get a sale? It seems like you should just call Amex and charge 20% less than Getty and keep it all. (I'm sure Getty doesn't think that is a good idea though)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: everest on January 08, 2018, 03:32
I don't think so. Produce generic content. It will give you a much better return per investment, much more.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Justanotherphotographer on January 08, 2018, 04:00
I don't think so. Produce generic content. It will give you a much better return per investment, much more.
Agreed. Agencies love, love,  love plugging holes in their collections by getting contributors to shoot very niche content that will never give you a ROI in micro. It helps them capture customers, does nothing for you.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Pauws99 on January 08, 2018, 05:30
How long will it take to create...how much more or less would you make doing something else?
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Shelma1 on January 08, 2018, 06:47
http://stories.gettyimages.com/custom-content/ (http://stories.gettyimages.com/custom-content/)

"Get between 75 and 500 exclusive images and/or videos—sourced from the industry’s visual powerhouse."

It sure sounds like they ask a bunch of photographers and videographers to work on each project (a la Shutterstock custom), and then the client chooses from that. So chances of your work being chosen are slim, and then you can't sell what you shot elsewhere.

(Imagine worst case, where dozens of people submit a total of 500 images or videos and the client chooses five...what are your chances of ever making a dime?)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: niktol on January 08, 2018, 10:07
Using microstock rules for exclusive content is like trying to shove a square pig through a round hole which is one tenth of the size of the pig.  It's just stupid on so many levels, even if there is a guaranteed sale. First off, if they are pretending to be an agent for a photographer/artist, 80% commission is highway robbery. Second, the price is too low. In effect they are trying to undercut legitimate agents by severely cutting the photographer's/artist's royalty while keeping what they think is theirs. Tell them where to go. If they are in microstock business, that's where they should remain.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: angelawaye on January 08, 2018, 11:52
I'm pretty confident it will fail ...
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: ShadySue on January 08, 2018, 13:33
. (sorry)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: digipro on January 08, 2018, 17:17
[url]http://stories.gettyimages.com/custom-content/[/url] ([url]http://stories.gettyimages.com/custom-content/[/url])

So chances of your work being chosen are slim, and then you can't sell what you shot elsewhere.


I was under impression that whatever is not chosen by the client can then be submitted to other agencies. Isn't that so?
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: ShadySue on January 08, 2018, 17:47
[url]http://stories.gettyimages.com/custom-content/[/url] ([url]http://stories.gettyimages.com/custom-content/[/url])

So chances of your work being chosen are slim, and then you can't sell what you shot elsewhere.


I was under impression that whatever is not chosen by the client can then be submitted to other agencies. Isn't that so?


It seems not:
"Terms
 
You agree that all content (photo, illustration, video) submitted to Getty Images/ iStock in response or in conjunction with this Brief, ("Brief Content"), shall be only be made available for license through Getty Images and iStock, whether or not you are currently or later become a non‑exclusive contributor or terminate your contributor relationship with Getty Images. Notwithstanding the terms of your contributor agreement with Getty Images, you agree that you shall not use Brief Content for any purpose except to make available under the terms of this Brief.  You further understand and acknowledge that if your Brief Content is selected by the customer, the customer shall have a perpetual, worldwide exclusive license to use that content."


...although many of the briefs are so very specific that they would be unlikely to have any other use.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Rage on July 26, 2018, 11:44
The briefs are still coming in strong. Either there are a ton of people replying or it seems that getty has got the clients and is hoping to snag someone atleast
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: PZF on August 31, 2018, 06:31
Maybe they are widening the net for photogs to join in.... I just got the email about it now....
Think I can resist.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: DavidK on August 31, 2018, 07:09
Yeah, I just got one too. They must be desperate. :)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Chichikov on August 31, 2018, 07:33
Shutterstock Custom comes back to my mind……
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: nobody on August 31, 2018, 07:50
Yeah, I just got one too. They must be desperate. :)

They are extremely desperate! Sad how they want to screw us even more... :-\


Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Pauws99 on August 31, 2018, 08:06
Shutterstock Custom comes back to my mind……
Is that still going? Haven't been insulted by one of their derisory offers for a while ;-)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Chichikov on August 31, 2018, 08:09
Shutterstock Custom comes back to my mind……
Is that still going? Haven't been insulted by one of their derisory offers for a while ;-)

I was wondering the same thing.
The site still exist, but I don't know how many have been so stupid inattentive to fall in their shameful trap…
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Pauws99 on August 31, 2018, 08:11
Just got the Getty one for a shoot "In your region". We haven't finalised Brexit yet and the UK is already a region of the US  :o
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: msg2018 on August 31, 2018, 08:18
Just got the Getty one for a shoot "In your region". We haven't finalised Brexit yet and the UK is already a region of the US  :o

Brexit means Brief. Red, white and blue of course.

Back on topic, I'm doing stock exactly because I do not wish to do briefs. Should I change my mind and do briefs, I'd want to keep near 100% of the money, not 15%. A perpetual and exclusive licence is the equivalent of selling rights! Who in their right mind May accept that? It's as if someone voted Leave. Impossible. Wait...
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Dodie on August 31, 2018, 09:11
Yeah, I just got one too. They must be desperate. :)
I got two emails today, the first was for "Introducing custom content" and the second, Brief for my region.

I am not even a contributor, I have an IS account though.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Dodie on August 31, 2018, 09:15
Just got the Getty one for a shoot "In your region". We haven't finalised Brexit yet and the UK is already a region of the US  :o
Everybody got the email with this title (Brief for your region), no matter what country.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: trek on August 31, 2018, 09:29
I wish they would respect my email preferences... and stop spamming their pathetic briefs at me.   
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Stockmaan on August 31, 2018, 09:34
I wish they would respect my email preferences... and stop spamming their pathetic briefs at me.

X2
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on August 31, 2018, 10:02
I received the "in your region" email today too - I had received the generic one about custom content (with the same example picture) a few days ago.

It had the same brief title "Vibrant Communities" as the generic email, for the Community Associations Institute (CAI). The only region mentioned in the brief is that the images be shot in the US

I'd have to move to some fantasyland somewhere to have neighborhood as they depict it though :)

I haven't submitted to iStock since 2013 (the Getty-Google fiasco, when I removed almost all images from my portfolio) - I have to guess that the same software geniuses that managed the iStock site set up the selection criteria for this email, or that they aren't getting any responses (and they want submissions by Sept 19th).

Sending email to any independent photographer is a waste of time IMO (given the crap royalty rate and requirement for exclusive licensing if your images are selected). And if a customer licenses just one of a series you shoot, even an exclusive is hosed as they can't license the rest as stock ever.

If buyers want a custom photo shoot they should pay for one.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Clair Voyant on August 31, 2018, 10:36
simply put, not it is not worth it. we should all collectively boycott this insult. honestly offering to pay for a video/photo by a major corporation tailor produced for $200-$400 per clip/image in perpetuity is and insult. i don't care how hungry one is or if they think this will help them, this will destroy the assignment industry and further put a downward pressure on the valuation of imagery. it's the microassignment of the traditional assignment industry. just sayin.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: ShadySue on August 31, 2018, 10:56
Just got the Getty one for a shoot "In your region". We haven't finalised Brexit yet and the UK is already a region of the US  :o
Everybody got the email with this title (Brief for your region), no matter what country.
I didn't get one of these this week, and usually I do get their emails. (I got one yesterday about copyright law needing updating.)
In the past 'my region' has been very loosely interpreted, though.
I can hardly imagine they'd be in any sense worth it, and you're basically in a competition for sales, then there are the restrictions on your files even if not chosen. Insanity.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: PZF on September 01, 2018, 01:47
Just got the Getty one for a shoot "In your region". We haven't finalised Brexit yet and the UK is already a region of the US  :o

As is Italy.
 ::)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: cthoman on September 06, 2018, 11:19
I got one of these today. All I have to do is buy a camera and learn how to be a photographer in less than a day, then apparently the cash will be rolling in. They might want to work on making these more targeted.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: markstout on September 06, 2018, 13:32
The Getty Custom content briefs are not only not worth it, they are doing serious damage to the industry as a whole.  Instead of a client selecting a photographer on the merits of his work, getting a quote, signing the contract and paying him thousands for the photos used instead of the chump change Getty will give you (and charge) they are through Getty getting dozens of photographers to shoot the brief at no cost to either them or Getty and then cherry pick the photos they want and pay pennies on the dollar for them.  Most likely you will get NOTHING for your work to shoot the brief and if you do get anything it won't be what it cost you to shoot it.  It also devalues what commercial advertising photographers make across the boards.

I can't recommend you read the book Advertising Photography: A Straightforward Guide to a Complex Industry by Bobbi Lane and Lou Lesko enough.  You get straightforward info on how the industry works at that level and what you should be charging!  It will SHOCK you if you have been thinking these briefs MIGHT possibly be worth shooting. (and NO I'm not getting paid by Lesko to promote the book, I just thought it was a very good read.)

There are a number of other good books on how professional commercial photography works and what we should be charging.  I suggest anyone shooting stock start reading up on it.  The micro stock industry has been doing everything in its power to destroy the industry as a whole and they constantly feed misleading information to newer photographers that don't know the ropes yet.  These Getty briefs are just one more way they are harming the entire industry.

Don't do them.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: markstout on September 06, 2018, 13:38
simply put, not it is not worth it. we should all collectively boycott this insult. honestly offering to pay for a video/photo by a major corporation tailor produced for $200-$400 per clip/image in perpetuity is and insult. i don't care how hungry one is or if they think this will help them, this will destroy the assignment industry and further put a downward pressure on the valuation of imagery. it's the microassignment of the traditional assignment industry. just sayin.

I can't agree with you more.  We all need to boycott these briefs.  It will destroy commercial assignment photography if we do it and that is the last area of our industry that is still profitable.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: digipro on September 06, 2018, 15:53
Sharing my experience with CC Briefs. Submitted some content back in January only to learn several weeks later that the client's selection period is ONE YEAR. I know for a fact that my content was selected and I already saw it in a commercial. It seems strange to me that I have to wait until the beginning of the next year to receive my royalties.    >:(
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on September 06, 2018, 18:07
Sharing my experience with CC Briefs. Submitted some content back in January only to learn several weeks later that the client's selection period is ONE YEAR. I know for a fact that my content was selected and I already saw it in a commercial. It seems strange to me that I have to wait until the beginning of the next year to receive my royalties.    >:(

Knowing now how this works, would you submit to another brief?

Does anyone know when Getty gets paid by the client - is that at the 12 month mark?

From my perspective, I find Alamy's generous reporting and payment policies less desirable, but the higher royalties seem to be a fair exchange for the extended payment plan (so to speak). To have all the onerous terms of the custom content brief and in addition to have to wait 14 months (ish) to get paid seems borderline abusive.

The sooner this toxic scheme folds the better, IMO
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: digipro on September 07, 2018, 18:13
Knowing now how this works, would you submit to another brief?
Not all briefs have 12 months selection period, most of them are about a month or so. From now on I will only submit if I already have some content that would fit the brief, or if the brief requires little to no effort to produce. I just submitted some images, which were exported as stills from a video footage. Will see how it goes.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on October 30, 2018, 15:51
In this morning's email Getty sent a survey about Custom Content briefs. I took it to see what they were asking and all the questions were about how they could get you to contribute to Custom Content (or contribute more if you already were).

That says to me that they aren't getting the contributor response they were hoping for. In the couple of places where one could type in free-form responses, I pointed out that this was trying to get a custom shoot on the cheap and how to improve it was to make things more fair and better compensated for contributors, not just a bargain for the buyers.

Anyone else get a survey from Getty about this?
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Fairplay on October 30, 2018, 16:11
In this morning's email Getty sent a survey about Custom Content briefs. I took it to see what they were asking and all the questions were about how they could get you to contribute to Custom Content (or contribute more if you already were).

That says to me that they aren't getting the contributor response they were hoping for. In the couple of places where one could type in free-form responses, I pointed out that this was trying to get a custom shoot on the cheap and how to improve it was to make things more fair and better compensated for contributors, not just a bargain for the buyers.

Anyone else get a survey from Getty about this?

I received the same e-mail but I won't lose my time to answer their questions. 15% from $200-$400 is a joke, I expect at least 50%.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: dpimborough on October 30, 2018, 16:21
In this morning's email Getty sent a survey about Custom Content briefs. I took it to see what they were asking and all the questions were about how they could get you to contribute to Custom Content (or contribute more if you already were).

That says to me that they aren't getting the contributor response they were hoping for. In the couple of places where one could type in free-form responses, I pointed out that this was trying to get a custom shoot on the cheap and how to improve it was to make things more fair and better compensated for contributors, not just a bargain for the buyers.

Anyone else get a survey from Getty about this?

I received the same e-mail but I won't lose my time to answer their questions. 15% from $200-$400 is a joke, I expect at least 50%.

$100 to $200? You set your sights far too low
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Fairplay on October 30, 2018, 17:03
In this morning's email Getty sent a survey about Custom Content briefs. I took it to see what they were asking and all the questions were about how they could get you to contribute to Custom Content (or contribute more if you already were).

That says to me that they aren't getting the contributor response they were hoping for. In the couple of places where one could type in free-form responses, I pointed out that this was trying to get a custom shoot on the cheap and how to improve it was to make things more fair and better compensated for contributors, not just a bargain for the buyers.

Anyone else get a survey from Getty about this?

I received the same e-mail but I won't lose my time to answer their questions. 15% from $200-$400 is a joke, I expect at least 50%.

$100 to $200? You set your sights far too low

Yes it's low, but it's my absolute bottom if it's something fast and easy. If it's not I'll pass ;)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: Pauws99 on October 30, 2018, 17:04
I got one but won't be filling it in.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: m00n on October 30, 2018, 18:45

Anyone else get a survey from Getty about this?

Yes. I have contract both with Getty and iStock and got 2 emails about the survey. Custom content is too cheap, so I never submitted and won't answer that survey, it's not worth my time. Better spend that time uploading to "non-Getty" agencies. :)
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: pkphotos on October 31, 2018, 14:19
I used to have 8000 RM photos on Getty until I ditched them recently. It'll cost me in the short term but I'm not overly concerned. I was bombarded with the custom content brief. I ignored and deleted them 100%. It looked like huge work for a small % chance of success. They are a greedy outfit and from all accounts heading towards growing problems. They should never have acquired Istock.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: obj owl on October 31, 2018, 15:15
I used to have 8000 RM photos on Getty until I ditched them recently. It'll cost me in the short term but I'm not overly concerned. I was bombarded with the custom content brief. I ignored and deleted them 100%. It looked like huge work for a small % chance of success. They are a greedy outfit and from all accounts heading towards growing problems. They should never have acquired Istock.

Whose accounts would they be?
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: pkphotos on October 31, 2018, 16:06
I used to have 8000 RM photos on Getty until I ditched them recently. It'll cost me in the short term but I'm not overly concerned. I was bombarded with the custom content brief. I ignored and deleted them 100%. It looked like huge work for a small % chance of success. They are a greedy outfit and from all accounts heading towards growing problems. They should never have acquired Istock.

Whose accounts would they be?

How many millions are they in debt? It's a leaky boat with multiple holes to plug
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: csm on October 31, 2018, 16:29
Always makes me laugh, often the brief has a few images for suggestions and ideas.
And I think, why not just buy that image then?
Sometimes I've read the brief and thought thats a good idea, but I wouldn't submit it, as already mentioned only encourages commissions on the cheap.
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: obj owl on October 31, 2018, 16:56
I used to have 8000 RM photos on Getty until I ditched them recently. It'll cost me in the short term but I'm not overly concerned. I was bombarded with the custom content brief. I ignored and deleted them 100%. It looked like huge work for a small % chance of success. They are a greedy outfit and from all accounts heading towards growing problems. They should never have acquired Istock.

Whose accounts would they be?

How many millions are they in debt? It's a leaky boat with multiple holes to plug


2,350 dollar millions in debt. Nothing new then?
Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: markstout on November 06, 2018, 14:27
Would you be guaranteed sales or are you going up against a bunch of submitters and some might get a sale? It seems like you should just call Amex and charge 20% less than Getty and keep it all. (I'm sure Getty doesn't think that is a good idea though)

Custom Briefs are just another means of screwing photographers ROYALY.  Take some time to investigate what those companies would be paying photographers had they used an ad agency or commissioned the photographer directly.  It isn't hundreds of dollars for five images, it's MANY thousands of dollars for EACH image.  Also they have committed to you and signed a contract prior to the shoot so you don't have the risk of them saying "we decided to use the photos of someone else that shot this same assignment for us instead of yours."

Check out Blink Bid https://blinkbid.com and see what pros are charging for these kind of shoots. You will be shocked to see how much we can, and SHOULD, actually charge. 

Don't let Getty iStock destroy yet another segment of our industry.  Just say no to custom briefs.  It is a total waste of your time and effort and could cost you big in putting together the production values required for the shoots and then making nothing at all!

Title: Re: Getty Custom Content Brief - is it worth it?
Post by: THP Creative on November 07, 2018, 12:32
Is it worth it? No. Not even close.