|
MicrostockGroup Sponsors
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Messages - StockStudio
26
« on: November 26, 2018, 10:01 »
I wrote to SS customer support. Here is the reply:
Thank you for contacting Shutterstock Contributor Care.
I understand that you have a concern regarding our search engine. I can certainly help you with this.
I would like to inform you that we have checked our search page and everything is showing perfect in the page. Just as returned search results are dynamic, so is the position of images within those results. It is common for images or footage to move up and down search results and also depends on the number of times that image or footage has been downloaded. Besides downloads and age, there are many other factors that affect the image position in search results.
Additionally, we perform regular tests of small modifications to the search algorithms to test results that increase downloads. These tests are typically released to limited segments of the overall customer population. If a test performs well over time, which typically means an increase in the total number of downloads, then the resulting search algorithm change will be applied to the entire site.
Search testing and analysis is a continuous process of small improvements that generally wont result in dramatic swings in search. Changes are carefully tested and evaluated to make sure that the overall effect on customer downloads and/or purchases is a positive one.
Customer demand, content differentiation, keyword quantity and quality, global holidays, seasonality and other factors will affect an individual contributor's day-to-day earnings. We recommend allowing a little time before evaluating the effect of changes to the search engine on your personal portfolio.
If the search result order has not been updated on your computer for a significant amount of time, it is most likely that your browser is reverting to an old search result that is cached. If this is the case we recommend you to clear your cache and cookies and restart the browser.
Thank you for your feedback and concern. We really appreciate it.
Seems to me like someone from the inside promoted this "crossroads" account, and never thought someone will notice. I don't buy the whole "they have good quality clips shot in Alexa" thing. Many other great contributors with equally great quality content didn't get to rule the first page of shutterstock as far as I remember. (been there since 2012)
27
« on: November 24, 2018, 13:13 »
I shoot with high end cameras all the time, but I don't write the camera model in the description, since I don't think it's relevant to the client.
Sounds not reasonable at all.
28
« on: November 24, 2018, 04:22 »
WOW!
This is VERY very serious...
I'll write something to their support ASAP
How on earth could someone hack their search engine???
29
« on: November 22, 2018, 05:25 »
As in every November, this week the sales are almost gone- It's Thanksgiving time.
Now - unlike Christmas or Easter - Thanksgiving is celebrated only in the US and Canada.
Which brings up the question - how dominant is the US media market in the Stock footage (and stock images generally) comparing to the rest of the world.
I see my statistics in Getty - The US buyers account to more than 70% of my sales.
** I shoot almost only video - but i'd like to hear from my still photographers friends here what's their imput on this...**
What's your take on this data?
30
« on: November 15, 2018, 10:07 »
So here is the deal- I have a large batch of great clips I shot in a pharmaceutical labs I was able to gain access to, almost two years ago.
The clips are selling very good - BUT - Now I realize that the color grade I gave them at the time..well...kinda sucks.
I don't want to remove the existing clips - they are ranked very high at most agancies.
Did anyone here uploaded a new "improved" version of an existing clip? Will it be approved?
Thanks for any help...
31
« on: October 13, 2018, 02:09 »
wouldn't say the problem is the plane design: a property release would not solve it!
So you're saying property release isn't needed for Boeing planes? Adidas shoes? Ford cars? I would think you need a property release for branded products. A plane is a branded product unless the manufacturer cannot be identified.
Well, as I see it - the answer to all of these issues is COMMON SENSE, which, in recent time has completely gone from reviewers in some agencies. A serious reviewer needs to check and see that this plane has a very generic design (just to watch other clips around). When my IAF jet fighters were rejected I could understand. An F-35 stealth fighter is very recognizable from every angle. It took me months of planning, coordination, getting up at 4am and travel to the field. Shooting, grading, uploading and tagging. For the reviewer - he/she just a click of a button - REVISE. Drives me nuts.
32
« on: October 12, 2018, 06:49 »
Is a plane design treated any differently to a car? Even if you take the logo off a car image it will still be rejected, will the same not apply to a plane, boat, motorbike?
Well, aren't all the stock sites full of images and videos of planes and cars? How can we sell these kind of images (for commercial use) if no one can shoot cars, planes and such?
33
« on: October 11, 2018, 13:40 »
Just submitted a batch of videos of a crop duster over a cotton field. Nothing special. No logos on the plane. Pretty straight forward. Got the videos back for revision with a request for a property release. Now... Can't really understand if these clowns want a property release for the crop duster or the cotton field. Dear lord... Is there no limit to the incompetence of iStock reviewers???
Should I bother to answer? You've already decided they are incompetent clowns and you are right.
Are there registration numbers on the plane? Is it pained any special color scheme? Anything else besides the plane and a crop, like a building or a tractor that could be recognized? Show a frame so anyone here can take a stab at the why, otherwise everything is just a guess. What keywords did you use, any that might be trademarks or protected?
The footage was shot on purpose against the sun, so the plane shows no colors or markings whatsoever... Here is a link to the same shot on SS: https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1017459790-crop-duster-spraying-chemicals-over-cotton-field
34
« on: October 08, 2018, 14:50 »
Just submitted a batch of videos of a crop duster over a cotton field. Nothing special. No logos on the plane. Pretty straight forward. Got the videos back for revision with a request for a property release. Now... Can't really understand if these clowns want a property release for the crop duster or the cotton field. Dear lord... Is there no limit to the incompetence of iStock reviewers???
35
« on: September 29, 2018, 15:26 »
These are great news alright. But what about us - the video contributors? We have our flat rate without any increase - at least not a feasible one. The numbers of downloads on this rank system are WAY off for video. Why can't we have our own ranking system? I have hundreds of downloads a year - so only a decade or so to the next level. Not too bad  Adobe? Anyone?
36
« on: August 27, 2018, 09:17 »
A year and a half later - here is a mail I just sent dissolve:
Hello.
On April 2017 you contacted me regarding pricing of my HD footage on your site.
You informed me that since I am selling my clips on VideoBlocks (now StoryBlocks) for $49 -
the pricing on your site will be lowered to match thier price - and indeed that's what happned.
As of This month - the pricing for HD clips on StoryBlocks will rise to a price of $79 for HD videos.
I wanted to make sure you are aware of that - and that you will match my prices back to their original levels.
What do you think will be the response??
Get back to us when they do (kind of) go up to $79 in October?
Here is their response: "Thanks for your email. We are aware of the pricing adjustment happening around October 15th, I've brought this up with higher management and I hope to get back to you soon with some more information. All the best, Cecilia Contributor Support"
37
« on: August 26, 2018, 03:25 »
A year and a half later - here is a mail I just sent dissolve:
Hello.
On April 2017 you contacted me regarding pricing of my HD footage on your site.
You informed me that since I am selling my clips on VideoBlocks (now StoryBlocks) for $49 -
the pricing on your site will be lowered to match thier price - and indeed that's what happned.
As of This month - the pricing for HD clips on StoryBlocks will rise to a price of $79 for HD videos.
I wanted to make sure you are aware of that - and that you will match my prices back to their original levels.
What do you think will be the response??
38
« on: August 20, 2018, 16:13 »
This a good source to see what is protected----------
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/contributor-resources/legal/stock-photo-restrictions
So if I understand you correctly, if the specific building is not on this list (and it's not) it should be allowed for commercial use?
Aren't shutterstock reviewers supposed to be aware of this list???
You might think that....but I'm not so sure. I have experienced a lot of rejections for stuff that would have sailed through. Its a confusing inconsistent mess really.
So maybe I should stick to a method that some people have recommended here before : keep submitting these clips over and over again until some reviewer meets them on the end of his night shift, and lets them through...
40
« on: August 20, 2018, 14:50 »
I've been shooting videos of cityscapes for years now (mostly timelapse).
Lately, almost all of my videos with buildings are rejected by both Shutterstock and Adobe stock
due to " intellectual property" reasons. (of course the shutterstock reviewers had to show their incompetence by approving one clip of a building and rejecting 5 others of the same building...)
There are thousends of videos and photos out there of buildings. some of my best sellers are these kind of clips.
Does this mean we can't shoot any building anymore? is there a new set of rules for this?
41
« on: August 09, 2018, 16:51 »
Does that mean Dissolve will need to update it's HD prices back to $79 for all those who sell both on VB and dissolve??
42
« on: July 31, 2018, 02:32 »
I was just browsing through the new "collections" part of the StoryBlocks site. Came accross the "Medical Stock footage" collection. Since I have many medical clips I wanted to see whether one (or more) of them were included in the collection. To my great surprise I saw that out of around 80 clips un the collection - almost 30 are from the same contributors, same shoots, and sometimes slight variations of the same shots!! Judge of your self: https://www.videoblocks.com/collections/medical-stock-footage?page=2Now I know there are thousends (if not tens of thousends) of great medical stock clips out there in Storyblocks. How on earth did they curate such a misrable collection??? I sent them a mail - no response yet. could they be curating only best sellers? (and by that promoting them even more...) Could they be favoring some contributors over others? What . ?
43
« on: July 26, 2018, 02:34 »
Well, I feel this might had to do with what i'm having lately...
i upload only videos, so no need for a seperate release for each shoot (yet...)
But in the last couple of batches my releases were not even attached to the footage (I double checked a few times they are attached in SS before uploading)
Happned in SS, Pond5, Fotolia, VB.
Anyone having the same issue?
44
« on: June 15, 2018, 06:19 »
You not getting this when you select stock footage?
Does this mean that all the video preview, thumbnails BS will be a thing of the past?
45
« on: June 14, 2018, 02:06 »
I just had a look to see if Videohive might be worthwhile uploading to.
They require you (for stock footage) to create your own: Preview file, watermark, thumbnails.
Are you F$%$% kidding me???
46
« on: June 08, 2018, 07:10 »
Just filmed my mother in law playing the piano. Just for the sake of it I recorded all the music. She played only classical music like Bach, Beethhoven and Mozart. As far as I know, there are no rights on music 70 years after the composer died. Two questions come to mind: first will my clips be rejected due to the fact that these pieces are played. Second is whether agancies like these kind of clips with sound? (the audio is in high quality recorded using a gun mic)
47
« on: May 20, 2018, 02:58 »
So this question relates to both video (which I do mostly) and pictures. Obviously some of our images are becoming good sellers right away - just a matter of uploading the right content at the right time I guess. But I have read some threads claiming that on most agencies content gets higher ranking as time goes by (again - assuming the content is of good quality). In my portfolio most sales originate from files uploaded on 2016. On one hand I was thinking my new files aren't selling. But should I just wait for the new clips to "kick in"? What's your experience?
48
« on: April 20, 2018, 03:38 »
So does this have any effect on buyers? If all my videos are in photojpeg are people less likely to download them?
I wouldn't touch them with gloves on... 
Gave me a slight heart attack there...
As I am also buying many stock videos as well as creating ones, I never ruled out a clip because of codec or frame rate.
But I'm starting to consider buying a Mac just for encoding...
all the workarounds just don't seem good enough.
So basically what you are saying is that if I would upload all my videos in ProRes I would have much more sales??
Now that's a frustrating thought after 5 years in the business... 😮
Haha, no. It was just a joke. 
I don't believe buyers care too much about framerates and codecs if the clip is right. That being said, editors like ProRes, so I provide ProRes.
Gave me a slight heart attack there... I also buy many stock videos and never ruled out any clip because of codec or frame rate... But I'm starting to consider buying a mac just for encoding since all the workarounds just don't seem to work properly...
49
« on: April 19, 2018, 10:12 »
So does this have any effect on buyers? If all my videos are in photojpeg are people less likely to download them?
I wouldn't touch them with gloves on...
So basically what you are saying is that if I would upload all my videos in ProRes I would have much more sales?? Now that's a frustrating thought after 5 years in the business... 😮
50
« on: April 19, 2018, 00:40 »
After looking into all the options I guess switching to Resolve for simple editing and color correcting is the best option for now.
Considering the fact that sometimes today I use resolve to create LUT's for Premiere Pro, it might even speed up the whole process.
BTW - how is Resolve in terms of encoding speed?
|
Sponsors
Microstock Poll Results
Sponsors
|
Show Posts
