Quote from: Zero Talent on September 27, 2017, 13:56

Let me remind you that I rejected the offer.
These potential $680 + expenses are not tempting enough for me.

But I can imagine others having no problems with it. Some people I know are ready to shoot a whole wedding for similar amounts.

but the only way to get the big money assignments is to collect points on the lesser assignments to increase your Shutterstock Custom Score.

If indeed those big money assignments exist;-)

Quote from: obj owl on September 27, 2017, 15:37

Quote from: Zero Talent on September 27, 2017, 15:16

I'm not pretending anything. I just believe it is rather safe to assume that there are not too many photographers ready to travel and shoot in that area, if any.
So counting on the full amount could make sense. But I repeat: not even this full advertised amount is sufficient to make me move my ass, let alone if, after the first assignment, I would find-out that I wasted my time.

It is definitely not about your "robber barons" myth. We have the choice to say no!

If all photographers from my area will do the same, they will quickly learn that what they are ready to pay is below the market price. Subsequently, they will adjust their rates accordingly, until their offer will make me, and the others like me, move our asses.
If somebody else is already free-willingly accepting this assignment, it means they got it right. It means this is the market price for that type of work.
As simple as that.

You need to get with the program and rack up your points quick, these people now have the Enterprise Team behind them and will grow exponentially and pretty soon they will have $40,000 commissions for the favoured few.  It's not about $680 at this time it's all about points, get off your arse before you get left behind.

Thanks! I appreciate your advice, but I'll pass!
I don't trust "points" as currency nor the promise of a better afterlife.

Yeah, the "there will be bigger jobs in the future" line seems to never pan out whenever I've heard it.

Yeah, the "there will be bigger jobs in the future" line seems to never pan out whenever I've heard it.

That's because it only happens to one in a thousand, the optimistic, glass half full hard workers who get off their arses and collect points.

Like Imagebrief who gets our ideas for free and shows to the people who enter a brief. Ever notice that few are sold and some come back over and over? The clients are using us for ideas and then making their own images. Some do buy, but it's a way to milk us for ideas and pay nothing.

There was a funny brief a few weeks ago. Someone wanted an image "just like one from Alamy" and they even showed the image with the watermark. Ok, makes me wonder, if they wanted an image like that why not just license that Alamy image? Cheap *insult removed* lol

Quote from: cthoman on September 27, 2017, 15:50

Yeah, the "there will be bigger jobs in the future" line seems to never pan out whenever I've heard it.

That's because it only happens to one in a thousand, the optimistic, glass half full hard workers who get off their arses and collect points.

Better odds doing the lottery then?

Quote from: obj owl on September 27, 2017, 15:58

Quote from: cthoman on September 27, 2017, 15:50

Yeah, the "there will be bigger jobs in the future" line seems to never pan out whenever I've heard it.

That's because it only happens to one in a thousand, the optimistic, glass half full hard workers who get off their arses and collect points.

Is there somewhere I can redeem those "I got scammed" points or is it like a karma thing?

I conceed that in most cases you will be able to tell me "I told you so" time and time again in thread after thread.  I have no doubt the vast majority of people will be disapointed with this scheme, but carrots work and some kid could well become the next big thing chasing them.  I think any decent microstocker could take some of these assignments make them their own and submit the images and videos to half a dozen sites and make a lot more than they are offering, but if the Enterprise Team do their work a few very good ambitious photographers will break through and make a lot of money.

Quote from: cthoman on September 27, 2017, 16:12

Quote from: obj owl on September 27, 2017, 15:58

Quote from: cthoman on September 27, 2017, 15:50

Yeah, the "there will be bigger jobs in the future" line seems to never pan out whenever I've heard it.

That's because it only happens to one in a thousand, the optimistic, glass half full hard workers who get off their arses and collect points.

Is there somewhere I can redeem those "I got scammed" points or is it like a karma thing?

I conceed that in most cases you will be able to tell me "I told you so" time and time again in thread after thread.  I have no doubt the vast majority of people will be disapointed with this scheme, but carrots work and some kid could well become the next big thing chasing them.  I think any decent microstocker could take some of these assignments make them their own and submit the images and videos to half a dozen sites and make a lot more than they are offering, but if the Enterprise Team do their work a few very good ambitious photographers will break through and make a lot of money.

I actually have no idea how it will all turn out. It may very well work out just fine for some people. I was just teasing because that is one of those classic pitches you get from clients trying to get a big discount.

Overall, I'm not sure about their offering. It seems to have potential, but selling off rights to a middle man without a lot of guarantees of future earnings seems a big leap of faith. They seem to want a stable of reliable artists without putting much investment into those artists. Call me old fashioned, but I like to be wined and dined a bit.

Absolutely. They'll break into a new market, break that market, and rake in the bucks. They'll pay you guys peanuts and put better-paid photographers out of business. If it works.

Absolutely. They'll break into a new market, break that market, and rake in the bucks. They'll pay you guys peanuts and put better-paid photographers out of business. If it works.

Yes they will do to assignment photography what they did to stock, but they won't be paying me peanuts, I turned off my port until the climate for contributors becomes more favourable, could be a long, long wait.

Quote from: obj owl on September 27, 2017, 15:58

Quote from: cthoman on September 27, 2017, 15:50

Yeah, the "there will be bigger jobs in the future" line seems to never pan out whenever I've heard it.

That's because it only happens to one in a thousand, the optimistic, glass half full hard workers who get off their arses and collect points.

I'm guessing that somewhere in the contributor agreement it will say that any terms and conditions can be changed at any time without notice. You're more than an optimist if you expect that the terms they promote now to entice you to participate will remain the same over time.

We have many, many examples from stock agencies of reneging on favorable terms once it suited them.

If you don't mind working for what you're being paid now, then go ahead. But hoping for future returns (without any sort of binding contracts) is just flying in the face of the last decade of stock agency track records.

From what I've seen you would be hard pressed to find any favourable Terms and Conditions regarding Shutterstock Custom and they won't change over time for passed briefs because unlike RF once they have your images that's it, gone, and unlike everyone else I do mind working for what Shutterstock is paying now. 

Why would clients agree to pay for photographers with more points? They got good photos for $15; they know they can continue to get good photos for $15. They'll just keep offering jobs that pay $15 per photo, and the people with more "points" will be shut out of assignments.

The issue is the points not terms for a set of images.

You seem to think it's worth working on these underpaid assignments to rack up points to get the big assignments. Suppose you do this and either they double the number of points required at a later time, or scrap the points system entirely in favor of flat fees. You will have been counting points as part of your compensation only to have the value of them cut or eliminated.

You cannot count on the future value of the points - and if that doesn't matter to you, then go ahead, but unless I misunderstood your earlier post, I thought you suggested getting assignments now to get points for more lucrative assignments down the road.

You seem to think you know what I think and perhaps I have mislead you or you may have misread me, no matter.  What I was trying to say regarding the game that is Shutterstock Custom is that turning down underpaid assignments at the inception of the game just because they are underpaid would not be a wise move because at this stage of the game it is about points, you need a fast start in accumulating points.   This is because those who amass a lot of points at the begining get the better assignments, which would lead to more points.  Turning down assignments will lead to poorer assignments and the likelyhood that they too will be turned down until one comes around that you fancy enough to get of your arse, by that time the game will be lost, everybody else will have more points than you.  If many people play the game in relation to the number of assignments the harder it will be for late starters.
This advice does not endorse the game, I think the game is diablolical, a cynical way to incentivise people, but for the people here who signed up and want to play the game I think it is valid advice.  As you say down the line the rules of the game may change, but in any game like this most players will lose eventually, it dosen't mean they can't enjoy it.  I always lose at Monopoly, but I never refuse a game and I don't think it's real money.

Just got a request so have something concrete rather than speculation $12.50 each for four images.....but very run of the mill  location based. If I happened to live near its something I could do in minutes and probably incorporate into a wider shoot. If they didn't sell they wouldn't identify the brand so I could put up for sale....precisely what this business model is suited to.

In Germany?

I got the same, apparently. Would be a breeze of a shoot if I lived there or had visited. Just general cityscapes.