Just jumping right in!

twisty834 11 Mar 2012 05:42
It would be awesome if anyone wanted to take a look at some clips that I have posted already and tell me their thoughts. I am a wedding photographer/videographer who is slowly getting out of the business after 5 years. I want to spend more time at home with the kids so I've decided to sell stock even though I swore I would never do it. My dad (RekindlePhoto) (hi dad) has always told me I should try it and finally got fed up with the wedding business so I'm just diving right in!
I think mostly I will be doing people oriented videos, all with model releases. The ones I have on there now are just kind of random, but hopefully my portfolio will start to come together and be more collaborative over time.
Anyways, I'd love some opinions (good, bad, whatever!) on the beginning batch that just got approved!

Here is one that I like:
TheEngineer 11 Mar 2012 07:34
Well you have a head start on most people, having someone who can give you great advice about the stock video business is a huge bonus.

Listen to what he says, he has been doing this a while!
EdgeofReason 11 Mar 2012 14:04
Welcome! For me the biggest shift in the mindset between shooting commercial work to shooting stock is that for stock, the more generic the footage, the better. You seem to have a good sense of that already. I could see the Father and Son Walking clip doing very well here, as well as the buttoning of the wedding dress clip. I like the pan of the wedding chairs, but there's a chance the details of the room may limit it's marketability. I'm by no means an expert, but thought I would offer my opinion. I'm still very much learning myself.
RekindlePhoto 11 Mar 2012 23:51
Hi ... and you are not even my referral ;)
Remember during post processing use a little brightness and or contrast if needed so the footage isn't too flat. Just a little, don't over do it. Bright, colorful, stable footage will get the most looks and sales.
DogPhonics 14 Mar 2012 05:25
Twisty, you have a good eye and obviously a lot of flight time. The model released shots will get you some sales, for sure. Things do look a bit flat - maybe it's the preview. Research! Do a search of the keywords you might be using to describe the shots you want to create. Take a inventory of what's out there across all the viable sites, Pond5, iStockphoto, Shutterstock, etc. If you cannot compete in production value on those shots, you may consider moving on to subjects where you can or finding less accessible subjects and creating access for yourself. Call up local business / industrial sites and offer to exchange footage for access and releases. The easier a subject is to shoot / access, the more competition you are going to have and the less you'll be able to ask for it. You can read http://www.stockvideoseller.com (it's getting a bit dated).
twisty834 21 Mar 2012 02:53
I looked at my videos on another screen, and they definitely are a bit dark. I'll have to re-calibrate my monitor I guess. Thanks!