Thanks tbmpvideo

Great response .. and great interview on your site ...  you summed up everything perfectly, Ive been trying picWorkflow, for about a week now

agreed the Meta data not transferring over yet with the file yet .. is a bit of a pain especially as the file is renamed, so some sites that don't show a thumbnail preview when a file is uploaded can make it confusing and you have to download a metadate file to copy and paste over title, keywords etc (although this is being worked on as bobbigmac  has said)

and I can see it costing a little more than iSyndica as you say .. but the good thing at the moment is your not tied to a contract, especially as things are new and being sorted out (metadata, financial stats etc)

Understand that the storage and export of a for eg 450mb video file compared to a 5mb Photo file requires more work but I hope Video Footage isn't going to be treated secondary to work out whats needed to stills up-loaders as it will cost the footage up-loader more to store / export each file compared to the Stills up loader

I really hope this system lasts and improves as Isyndica was a huge time saver and I can see huge potential and need for it ...  I wish the best of luck bobbigmac and hope Picworkflow goes from strength to strength and all your hard work pays of

Thank you MicrostockExp and sharpshot  for your replies

Im only posting this as im starting to buy more than I sell on these stock sites and have been selling for a few years now and can see why the choice is so limited on a lot of sections because of non existing rules in the real world outside of the stock site bubble

Its not because of a bad rejection that got me on the rant in the first place but because I just couldn't find a decent shot for a piece I was doing and Knowing a lot of the shots on here would be instantly rejected by quality control at TV stations and laughed out of the production room eg if I put a shot of times square in that was so defocused nothing could be recognized anymore within the blurred out fog .. or a location shot that looks like a ghost town because couldn't have a person in view for a rule that I have never seen imposed anywhere at any station I have worked for ...

I can see why they thought these rules apply as the sites selling stills probably sell a lot to advertising agencies ..  and aplied the same rules to video footage but its not just advertising agencies buying footage .. but real Production companies / producers / editors who don't have these set of rules in place and other sites setting up base there business model on established sites and follow the same rules as if they are real

Then to see Free clips in the clip of the week on some stock sites with people in that when downloaded never come with a model release .. Yet I have had shots rejected .. for a figure so far in the distance because of no model release .. even if it came with a model release I wouldn't know who to hand it to the producer would say the same as me .. what do you want me to do with this ... its never been needed before outside the Stock Site World and its only them who seem to find this a necessity

And is restricting them selling a lot more and buyers from having more choice ... if they are so worried add an editorial section then everybody's happy the buyer and the seller .. as Pond 5 Have  

The people who are buying footage have editing facilities on whatever level otherwise they wouldn't buy the shot and if the legal department of the company decides a shot shouldn't have a logo or a face in it .. then they can blur it out themselves ... rather than restricting the seller selling some good shots and the buyer from buying a better variety of footage  

I agree MicrostockExp I think the Quality should be a bit tighter on Pond 5 .. thats what the Footage Stock Sites should be concentrating on .... real shots for real TV Companies to use .. all the sites have some quality shots .. so don't want to offend anybody .. Ive bought some quality 3D footage that must have took days to do for only $50 bargain .. couldn't have made it for that and saved my Promo etc but could have a lot more ... without silly restrictions and Reviewers who have probably never set foot in a TV station

And also agree Isyndica is very good .. should drop the price a bit .. credits can be used up very quickly when uploading a series of shots to various sites .. and should also offer more storage Space with there Credit plans as again Video files are big and its not the old days when Storage Space is expensive but good Idea

They probably are not sharpshot ... im just saying good luck to them and doing the same as you are in your signature and adding a referral link incase they do have any sales I can get a few cents more .... 

Speaking from the footage Side on SS ... I liked being there until the Tax came and Sales Plumeted .. I was lucky to make a payout each month before  .. but the last couple of months have been touch and go ..

This isnt a have a go at SS .. I hope they get it together again as I do this full time and its like taking a pay cut every month now from a reliable seller.. they must be seeing the Huge drop as well

I really hope things pick up there for Footage ... other than that I liked the place ... even though it is the lowest royalty rate site on the internet and now with Tax

But Review time for Footage is Fair and Pretty Quick Compared to another top 6 site .. where footage is still waiting to be checked from nearly 2 months ago then it comes back asking for a model release for a graphic and another months wait ..

So Good Luck SS I really cross my fingers Footage sales will improve

Thanks KB for your Advice .. Ive tried .. and just get
Resolving address of ftp.istockphoto.com
Status:   Connection attempt failed with "EAI_NONAME - Neither nodename nor servname provided, or not known".
Error:   Could not connect to server

Ive checked the details and Username is also correct in the

Video FTP account
Manage your FTP Account

thanks .. think I will email them again and ask why it never works

thanks for your help though ..

I know its not SS fault or any other US based Stock Site that the Tax has imposed ... it will only make Non US Based Sites Stronger ... Its a real loss for SS ... with Declining Sales .. the Lowest Royalty Payment Percentage Site on the internet .... just got Lower ... I'm not going to Scream & Cry ... but being one of the Non-Country Treaty Submitters ... 30% Tax even if I jump through the hoops required is just not worth continuing to upload to ....  I wish SS good Luck ... and hope it can make a comeback .. but will lose a huge amount of submitters who are also buyers .. in an already dodgy World Financial climate its not whats needed

Interseting Points ichiro17 agreed I havent got millions of dollars for Advertising if I did I would have retired to some paradise Island by now not try and sell a few photos for very little return on time and money invested

like I said in the original post

I dont pretend to be one of the big sites or fill this message with loads of fake promises

I want a supermarket with it all in one place for all Media Profesionals not just photography

The big agencies Have to much not just in photography and has made all the proffession cheap .. I buy from them as well and get bored looking after the first 3 -4 pages so as time goes by your photos / GFX  are getting lost for the pittance they pay out .. so the last thing I would want to do is 'figure out how to shoot stock for the established agencies' so I could get paid less than a third world Sweat shop worker

Its not just the stock Photo Market its all the media markets .. Why hire a full TV Crew like it used to be lets hire the kid who bought his HDV Camera from the local Electrical store for next to nothing and downloaded the software for free to make our next Advert / Promo ...

Which is why like stormchaser says .. A bit of everything rather than dedicating the site to just one business .. try and be a supermarket than a corner shop ... sell kit .. teach people how to shoot then let them sell in the same place ..

Also tell them where else to sell .. show them all the Stock Sites .. Help People earn some money

I also have a section where you set the price rather than being dictated to ... but if you want to knock them out cheap the stock bit is there also as long with all other aspects of the Media .. Video and Audio the contacts the advertising the directory, Events theres also a showreel section for video Producers to sell Programs coming or Film Scripts

All in One PLace

Thanx stormchaser thats what I was aiming for with the site a community of proffessionals .. who also build the site .. add there own reviews .. teach and learn ... and build a niche type community for Media professionals as it says throughout the site

The stock part is just a small part of building the community ...  put your companies in the directory (basic submission is FREE) so the work comes back to professionals and companies

Appreciate you looking and sharing your opinions ..
its been helpfull and made me more want to build everything in one place and build it for the needs of the members ... and there opinions

I hope to see you advertising your Companies / Services and bringing in some real cash Jobs and adding your own Reviews and opinions to help people learn the Trade .. which is still a great Fun Trade to learn

Thanx Again.

After trying a few new sites and seeing poor % sales and Commisions I am going to start my own if anybody would like to help .. uploading a few photos to build the collection I would be most gratefull

I dont pretend to be one of the big sites or fill this message with loads of fake promises

but know as soon as I put an image on the big sites it vanishes so .. So would like to build my own.

Any Help to build would be a great help ..

Also want to make the site more than just Stock Shots .. with a Directory of Photographers etc thats FREE

Site is www.bestshotz.com
Photography bit is http://bestshotz.com/Media/index.php/Stock-Photography.html

Thanx Again

Paul


Cheers again

Paul

OK madelaide will do thank you for replying

Paul

Newbie Question .. do you need different releases for different sites or is it normal to do one with a  blank header for all Stock Sites .. whats the norm

Thanx Paul

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