Crack Down on Duplicates

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/280996/duplicates-p5.JPG of why I think Pond5 should require duplicate files be put all in ONE details page.

A simple search for Statue of Liberty yields https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/280996/duplicates-p5.JPG; of the 24 clip thumbnails shown, 13 are duplicates. Should customers be forced to sift through this?

I understand the need for different frame rates, resolutions, formats, etc. I'm NOT against that (in fact, I was just asked if I had a 24fps version of this clip), so please don't misunderstand my complaint. I just think all options should be consolidated into one page with one thumbnail when searching.

I know that Pond5 doesn't exactly make this easy for the contributor, which I'm sure is a big reason for all these messy thumbnails. Perhaps Pond5 could work on making this more automated or controlled by the submitter.

So, producers, please continue to upload variants of your clips as you see fit, but Pond5, please work on making this more streamlined for the buyer.

(But, really? Do we need a https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/280996/duplicates-p5-1440.JPG version? I think not.)

Now with 4K starting to be interesting, perhaps a down-rezzing system that automatically offers up various sizes would be appropriate.. Not only would it "clean up" as you say, but it would also save lots of uploading overhead as well as artist tagging time. The key is to offer the correct collection of sizes. Of course with frame rates, it would still need to be unique units.

Agreed 100% James. These multiple versions distort search results severely, making it difficult for buyers to search, and pushing other relevant clips down the order. It would be a great improvement if Pond5 could bundle all these versions of the same clip as one result, instead of sometimes dozens.

Same thing happens with music, making searching for a track really annoying. If all variants were coalesced into one page, it would awesome.

I thought I remember seeing multiple formats combined into one page a while back. If so I'd love to know how to do it. I just got my 4k camera and intended to upload both 4k and HD versions of footage but absolutely don't want to upload duplicates? Any suggestions P5?

Just send email with the list of files to p5 and they will link them. Use format fileHD file4K etc. This is the only known method.

ODesigns,

I see many examples on the forum when artists think that the customers are dumb. I don't think so!

I searched for "Statue of Liberty" and I didn't get your result.

Customers always can limit their results with advanced search.
From the total of 2123 clips with Liberty Statue if I want all HD | 24/23.98 | 16:9 the result is 388 clips. Simple!

I personally don't upload versions under HD 1080P. From the newest productions I upload only 4K native version (4096x2160) and HD 1080P and I don't want to put them together because of many many reasons such management of the files, marketing...

With 2,2 millions video files it's too late for P5 to manage this issue. Advance Search solve this issue very very well.

It's time consuming for some artists to go back on their portfolio and combine all versions of the same clip into one ID.

I agree with you some artists upload too many different resolutions versions for no very good reasons or upload too many different color corrections versions but if P5 accept that's OK.

THIS or THIS are good examples of TOO MANY.

I'm guilty in part of this to a degree. I have 2K and 4K versions of some clips that are listed separately. Originally I spent a lot of time compiling file #'s and composing messages with all the pertinent information in the "comment for curators" section of the uploads, which was repeatably overlooked. Even some curators suggesting I request to have them associated, without a method to do so, clearly either not seeing the message attached or not bothering with it. I sent direct messages to suggested addresses, one was responded to by telling me I should have sent it elsewhere, the other not at all. I commented and reported my issue in forums participated in by staff. None of my videos have ever been associated.

I decided that I had already wasted too much time for something that, in the end, will just reduce my presence in search results, fair or not. I honestly don't how other contributors are getting their clips associated, what process they're going through or how much time it takes. So until someone enlightens me, I'll continue as I have.

Oddly enough, I do have a musical piece which I uploaded multiple versions for. Without even requesting it, they were associated during curation. Seemed painless enough. Not sure why the same couldn't be done for video, but I obviously don't completely understand the process either.

As far as TRUE duplicates in the search results, I saw a lot of clips in "Just Sold" by one artist, which happened to be a subject I have fairly well covered. I wondered why the buyer didn't seem to buy any of mine, so out of curiosity I re-created the search experience only to see a bunch of that same contributors uploads like https://www.pond5.com/de/stock-footage/10808997/chicago-0711-timelapse-night-river.html, https://www.pond5.com/de/stock-footage/10808988/chicago-0709-night-river-timelapse.html and https://www.pond5.com/de/stock-footage/10808776/chicago-0698-night-river-timelapse.html. All the same clip, separately listed in 1 minute, 30 sec and 15 sec edits. Not different frame rates, angles, speed or resolution, the same exact clip in varying lengths. Also, with numbers in the titles, which I was told would "lower my contributor rating" if used. Though it didn't stop these clips from selling.

The customer probably didn't get to page 19,759, past all the repetitive noise, to give other clips like mine a chance. There has to be a way to clean things up, a report button, something, anything.

Then there's the abundance of photos with 4 duplicates of each from the merging with other companies...