Success, like still images, will depend on your father's skill as a shooter. 8mm is not professional standard but if your Dad captured unique subject matter - there's more potential for a market. Major American cities in the 1940's is an example. As far as model releases go, query SS, Pond5, etc. Everything I've sent in was editorial.

You'll probably have to provide proof of ownership. Certainly that'll be the case with SS.

     I have approx. 500 clips with P5. My portfolio is a vast array of subject matter ranging from simple "snapshot clips" to highly unique subject matter. P5 is, in my opinion, the unsung hero of the micro stock agencies because they allow you to assess the true value of your work.
     If I have a clip originally priced at $49 sitting unsold for more than six months - I drop the price $10 regardless of quality and subject matter. Nothing in my P5 portfolio is less than $29.
     That same portfolio can be found with SS. If one of my clips with P5 sells for more than $120, I remove that same clip from SS. It indicates to me that the clip has more value than SS is willing to pay me. However, if that same clip is selling exclusively with SS, both agencies will have the opportunity to offer it to potential buyers.
     

Judging by the length of this topic the "DT Titanic" is all but submerged. Really too bad. It was my top agency three years
ago before I got in with SS and has been taking on water ever
since. Metaphorically speaking I guess SS became my "lifeboat".

"Women and children first!"

I understand the anger people in this forum are feeling toward DP.
It's justified and I hope DP is listening.

My perspective is a little different. I currently have approx. 1500
images with DP. Same with DT. I sell everyday through DP. I'm
lucky if I sell one through DT every five or more days. I've never
received less than $0.30 from a sale with DP. The same cannot
be said with IS and 123RF.

DP always sells images that have never sold with any other agency and while I sell more with SS (approx. 300 images) they are always the same images. DP will often reject an image stating: "We don't think your image has enough commercial value." I respect that. I interpret the statement as: "We don't think we can sell your image..." but it doesn't mean other agencies won't accept and sell the photo.
I believe when SS rejects an image stating: "The image is out
of focus" is their way of saying: "We don't think your image
has commercial value." They are, after all, photos taken with
a tripod. Manually focused and checked 100% before submitting.
I just wish they'd adopt DP's approach.

Until DP starts paying less than $0.30 (my cut-off point), I'm
staying with them but also hope that the concerns expressed
in this forum will prompt action on DP's part.

Lovely, Sam. That slow, subtle zoom in is a really nice touch. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!

DT is one of the few sites still showing consistent growth for me. Not sure why there is so much variety in results?

Especially when July was a good month and this month? 4 sales with 2000+ images. My only agency down (very down) this month.

I'm hoping Getty has woken up and realized they're now in the 21st century. Perhaps we're seeing the early stages of web changes that will ultimately offer contributors a direct home page with all the information we seek....and a multi-photo and video upload system that's just a click away and doesn't rely on third party entities. Their current system, one they've relied on since day one is old and antiquated. Period.

Well, at least I have people to commiserate with.
Terrible weekend. But hey, August is a long month
and we all know how quickly things can change.

A friend once told me to make consistent, everyday sales with an agency, you need approximately 1000 in your portfolio. This held true for DP and DT, the only two agencies where I have 1000+ images.

I'd love to see someone grow to challenge the existing agencies, but video isn't my thing. Does anyone see much in the way of photo sales at Pond5?

Just clips. Its been my experience that photos just don't sell. Pond5 is known for, and concentrates on, video. I've got about 300 clips, Jo Ann. A real range from historic/archival to my own present day material.

I set my own clips at $39 a pop but the archival material, everything from a young Margaret Thatcher to Nazi era material, much more. It sells, but very slowly. About one clip a month. I love the ability to set your own pricing. The best I've done so far was $120 for a 1940's  shot of a rotary phone......

I think if you're willing to play with the pricing (ie. too cheap and buyers might regard your clips poor quality without looking and too high a price and buyers will look elsewhere), you'll find some success but Pond5 has to market more and get the word out to buyers what an impressive library they have. Hopefully that'll happen with their recent partnerships.

I know we all have our "reviewer" stories. I thought I'd share my most recent one with you....

I've tried and failed a number of times to get on with IS. My last attempt included three images that have been with SS for approximately 18 months. Collectively they've sold 517 times and earned me $417.40 with SS alone. I've sold the same three images many times with other agencies but SS is by far my most successful agency.....

Those three images were rejected by IS because: "We feel your images are not up to IStock standards...."

Really? They're obviously up to everybody else's standards including, most importantly, the buyers' standards.

It's another example of the reviewer crap shoot. Did they base their opinion on the current submission or on past failed attempts? And most importantly, is this an agency that I want to be judged by?

Ditto here.

Buyers bailed end of March and haven't returned. At least reflective in terms of my personal sales.  The slack appears to have been taken up by DT. 

My SS and P5 statistics would be comparable but I make about 25% more with P5 because of the 50% commission and the ability to set my own price.