Requirements for footage submissions to Pond5

Before submitting your work, please review our requirements for footage submissions to Pond5.

» Quality Requirements

In most cases, we will not accept footage that does not originate from a high-quality camera (3ccd MiniDV or better). We will make exceptions for unique content.

Accurate focus, a clean camera lens, proper lighting conditions and camera settings, and smooth, considered camera movements are essential for viable stock. In many cases a “lockdown” shot, with no pans or tilts, is preferable to unsteady camera movements.

Moderate color correction and effects are OK; however, please remember that many buyers will color correct or otherwise modify the look of the footage after purchase, and will therefore desire a high-quality, minimally manipulated image to work with.

» Technical Specs

Duration and File Size

Clips should be in the range of 3 to 60 seconds, and no larger than 1 GB (1000 MB).

File Format

All files should be prepared as QuickTime .MOVs. If your footage is in a different format (such as .AVI), please convert it to .MOV before uploading. If your editing program cannot export .MOV files, we advise using MPEG Streamclip (which is free, and supports batch processing) or QuickTime Pro ($30) to perform the conversion. Be sure all settings match the original clip, so that the conversion is performed losslessly.

Before uploading, please verify the quality of your clips by a) monitoring them from your NLE using a broadcast-standard monitor, and b) opening them in Quicktime Player and using the "Window" > "Show Movie Properties" command to verify that all settings, including resolution, codec, and frame rate, are as they should be.

Codecs

We accept the following codecs:

• DV (NTSC DV and PAL DV): for all clips that originate in the DV, MiniDV or DVCPro25 format. Quality level of 100%.

• PhotoJPEG: for non-DV progressive-scan clips, including HDV720p. Quality level of “high” (75%) or better (please do not go above 95%, in order to keep file sizes reasonable).

• MotionJPEG-B: for non-DV interlaced clips, including HDV1080i. Make sure that the field order matches the original material (most likely upper-field first for non-DV material). Quality level of “high” (75%) or better (please do not go above 95%, in order to keep file sizes reasonable).

• Animation or PNG: for clips with embedded alpha channels.

Resolution and Frame Rate

Camera-shot clips should be prepared at their native resolution and frame rate. For motion graphics work, we will accept any resolution/frame rate (the larger the better), but it's a good idea to stick to these standards:

• HD1080: 1920X1080 (25, 29.97, or 30 FPS)
• HD720: 1280X720 (25, 29.97 or 30 FPS)
• PAL: 720X576 (25 FPS)
• NTSC: 720X486 (29.97 FPS)
• NTSC DV: 720X480 (29.97 FPS)
• Multimedia: 640X480
• Multimedia: 320X240

Note: PAL and NTSC are non-square pixel formats. They are meant to be displayed at 4:3 or 16:9 (anamorphic) aspect ratios, and will not appear to have the proper proportions when viewed as square pixels (as on a computer monitor). Pay special attention when creating motion graphics work in PAL/NTSC. If possible, create clips at a higher, square-pixel resolution (eg HD1080 or 720) to avoid confusion and make your clips useful to a wider range of buyers.

Audio

If the audio associated with a clip could be useful to our buyers, and doesn't contain any copyrighted material (such as music) or recognizable voices (which would require a talent release), then the audio should be included with the clip. It should be in it's native format, without any additional compression.

If there is no useful audio associated with the clip, please delete the audio track.


Not sure how to prepare your clips? Drop us a line and we’ll do our best to help.

» Legal Requirements

Ownership

When you upload a clip to Pond5, you are offering it for licensing to Pond5’s end-users, who will be able to use your work according to the terms of our Royalty-Free License.

You MUST be the copyright-owner of any footage you make available for licensing on Pond5. Generally, if you created the footage, you are the copyright owner and are free to upload and market your work. If you are unsure whether you are the legal copyright-holder of a clip, don’t upload it.

If you are interested in finding out more about copyright, or in registering your work with the US copyright office (this is not necessary, but it can afford you additional legal protections), you can take a look at their website:
http://www.copyright.gov/
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ45.html (regarding registering video work)

Talent and Property Releases

All commercially-oriented content that contains recognizable people must be accompanied by a signed Talent Release (available here). Releases need to be signed by the model(s) as well as by a witness other than the cameraperson/uploader.

Even if you are filming yourself as a model, we require a model release, signed by you and a witness.

Property releases are required in some cases, when copyrighted or trademarked material appears in the shot (including on the audio track).

You can download standard talent and property releases here. We will accept other release agreements as well, as long as the legal provisions are roughly the same.

Scans of signed releases should be uploaded in JPG format. To do this, use the “attach” (paperclip) button next to the clip on your Uploads page.



Happy shooting! Please contact us if you have any questions regarding video requirements on Pond5.