MY STOCK VIDEO PROCESS - Filming, editing & uploading footage to Adobe Stock, Pond5 & other sites

[@boycefitzgerald]

I started as a complete beginner and now I’m averaging $600 a month with $19,000 in total sales. If I can do it as an older man with no training, anyone can. Your tips are right one and very helpful.

[@NicoleGlass]

Awesome, that’s a great side income!

[@boycefitzgerald]

@@NicoleGlass - appreciate what I learn from you.

[@alvaro_bueno]

Hi Nicole, to control of what I upload, and where I upload each photo or video, I use a spreadsheet file, type Excel, I create tabs by year or month, and rows for groups of photos or videos of the same topic. Then, I create columns for each stock, and I take note if it is uploaded or not uploaded to one or another stock and the date. This makes it much easier to control what, where and when something is uploaded. :)

[@NicoleGlass]

You are VERY organized - that’s great! Maybe I’ll try to be more like you :)

[@alvaro_bueno]

@@NicoleGlass Please try it!!! It is very easy to manage... And de-stress the daily work . :)

[@OLOZANO]

THANK YOU!!! That info right there is super valuable since it provides a basic roadmap as to how to get a bit more organized with my Stock video/Footage! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to put this video together Nicole.

[@DavidNkwa]

Good job. Join SS and Pond on June 2020 thrrough your video. So far I have sold 5 pictures on SS.

[@jacobchristianglover3655]

Always, Always, Always enjoy your videos Nicole! Nice music, worked well with your tutorial. Be well, stay encouraged, and healthy.

[@NicoleGlass]

Thank you Jacob! Hope you are well:)

[@jacobchristianglover3655]

@@NicoleGlass You are more than welcome Nicole:) All is well with me, regardless of the dismal reports coming from Florida. You just keep the great content coming and I will be even better:)

[@rcjarvis]

HI, I have been considering to start shooting stock footage and you are THE one getting me to dive in.. Thanks for your input !

[@benmoore4008]

EXCELLENT!! This is what I need! I Hope you continue to feed us your processes you take in video stock. My wife and I are moving, from Michigan (small town), back to South Carolina, to Columbia (capital). My possibilities and opportunities will be tremendous. I feel like 2021 will be my year to grow! Please, the more you will give us on this subject, I feel my chance will increase. Thank you so much, Nicole! ❤️

[@UnkelBMW]

Nice tutorial, Greetings from Malaysia

[@HuntressMedia]

Thanks for your candid, informative video. Nice b roll of your camera and...stuff! showing just what to do. Nice to see you’re doing well and still passionate 😊👍

[@Panda-pu7qd]

My mom just gave me her old T6 and this video is very helpful to beginners. Tremendously helpful:) TY!

[@NicoleGlass]

Great camera! Enjoy it :)

[@RicG.]

Hey Nicole, thanks for the great video! Are you still doing anything with Shutterstock, or did you stop after they changed their earnings structure. Thanks.

[@BEOGRADNAVODI]

I tried to post the video on stock, but they mostly refuse because it's a shaky. What do you recommend, What technique, what gimbal, how enable stabilization? Thank you.

[@NicoleGlass]

Have you tried fixing the footage with Warp stabilizer on Premiere?

[@BEOGRADNAVODI]

@@NicoleGlass Thank you for your prompt response. I don't even remember anymore, I didn't try for a year after that, I was disappointed ... :) But I will try again. I mostly use After Effects, it has Warp Stabilization. I have a Nikon D5100 DSLR 1080. It's not a professional camera, but I think I can place it on the stock with it. But how about some good gimbal or tripod? I don't have a gimbal, I have a tripod, but it shaky when I move it :)? (sorry for English, I don't know very well)

[@casperd956]

Great video, create more, stress less.

[@Andy001z]

Hi great tips, any advice on the optimal video length? Thanks

[@AndyFeliciotti]

Okay based on your video/photo process you'd love the EOS R! They have a dedicated record button that goes to a preset shooting mode you've set.

[@NicoleGlass]

That sounds so convenient! 😊 I’ve definitely heard a lot of good things about that camera

[@lawrencegleason4666]

A Nicole Glass video!!! Okay, it should be a good morning. :) Good tips, Nicole. Thumbs up on your video.

[@NicoleGlass]

You're the best, thank you!

[@lawrencegleason4666]

@@NicoleGlass Gosh. Golly. Gee whiz. I'm reminded of Goofy blushing. By the way, I notice you've passed the 25,000 subs mark! One quarter way to 100,000! :) Congrats! :)

[@alaskalonghunters2990]

That was really good Nicole! I need to be more systematic in my editing and archiving process for sure. Just finished my first film so its marketing time these days. Thanks again!

[@madvstudiosllc5938]

How did your first film go?

[@beaugy99]

This was great Nicole. Thanks for focusing on video. That's awesome revenue for a month.

[@NicoleGlass]

Glad it was helpful! Yes, it was a pretty good month for stock for me :)

[@SawanNaLive]

Look and get the knowledge. Will continue to follow

[@bravo8088]

good afternoon, happy new year to you! thanks for the video, I wanted to ask what technique do you use for video shooting on stocks? what camera and stabilizer?

[@TripHacksDC]

How many of your clips sell at 4k resolution vs. 1080p? As a customer of stock photos/videos I know the 4k clips are more expensive and sometimes harder to justify if not needed for a specific project.

[@NicoleGlass]

I’d say it’s probably 40/60 😊

[@rpcastilho]

Hi Nicole, thanks for sharing, excellent tips. I wonder if you follow any shoot briefs at all.

[@capitalhunter]

Hey Nicole! Question, at what resolution do you tend to export? I keep shooting in 4k and then exporting in 1080p in order to allow the compression make the footage look juicer. Is this something that would be effective on Pond5? Thank you for all your amazing content. I've been slowly growing my pond5 portfolio and making a few dollars every few months! 🙌🏼

[@capitalhunter]

@Kansai Japan Walker I was wondering in the sense of compression. Making the video look more detailed in less space, but I do see what you're saying.

[@Takeonm]

Great video and tips. I’ve been using premiere rush on mobile to edit the videos taken on my phone ready for upload 👍🏼👌🏼

[@hgrgrnd1206]

Thanks Nicole. I’m curious how you stay up to date with current events-things that are happening around your city that might sell as great or news worthy footage?

[@NicoleGlass]

Just a little bit of Internet searching and news watching. A lot of things I hear about on Facebook too or through word of mouth. ☺️

[@NARFALICIOUS]

For color, do you just use the stock camera settings?

[@khoushiekram5287]

Thank you Nicole!

[@donbrooks8479]

I was thinking of stock videos. Thank you for your insight!

[@NicoleGlass]

Sure thing!

[@Hummingbirdaerial]

The only thing you didn't mention was titling, descriptions and keywording. Even though I use a spreadsheet to keep track, for me, this takes more time than trimming and editing. If you have a time saving hack for this, I'd love to hear it.

[@nithishbala1057]

Mam your videos r awesome I am watching it regularly

[@jakwanahmed8222]

Thinking of joining the stock photography business along with my graphic designing business.

[@monzaj]

Thank you for these tips!!!!

[@NicoleGlass]

Any time!

[@OoTigerEyeoO]

do you have to get signed approval for all these peaple shown on the stock video ? it looks hard work !

[@MainlightDrone]

Your switching mode is a great idea. BTW, I cancelled my Shutterstock and Bigstock accounts last month and have noticed that sales on my other sites have gone up. I used to sell very little on Canstock and Dreamstime and now stuff is selling there. Adobe and Getty are about the same. I moved the majority over to Pond5 but I'm not getting a lot of views or sales yet but I know I will. Keep up the great videos!

[@MauiTravelVideos]

Is it "Wise" to shoot in 1080P and then using software, export it to 4K? Or better to just send it to Pond5 in the "native mode" it was shot in. Shoot in 4k, and then edit and export in 4k. I'll assume that's your answer. LOL.

[@violetatelier2289]

Hello Nicole, Many thanx for posting so many insights of your work process. Do you use any additional plug-ins for noise reduction of your videos?

[@denisad.originals]

this was absolutely very helpful - thanks !

[@tofulosophy]

This was SUPER informative and helpful. Thanks Nicole!

[@NicoleGlass]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@DarkGunner45]

whats the difference between editorial vs commercial ?

[@huzeyfemahmut5045]

Hello Dear Nicole .. Thanks for these awesome informations .. Can i upload one photo on many stock sites ?

[@NicoleGlass]

Yes you can! :)

[@DayaanABA]

Hey! Do you ever use black box for stock video? What’s your opinion

[@vickynegrett]

Hi Nicole, what do you think about places like black box where you upload and they distribute to 5 different agencies? Do you know of any other platforms similar to these? I'm looking for comparisons

[@calvertphoto]

Can you do a post about how your earnings have been affected by Shutterstock's new earnings structure?

[@NicoleGlass]

My earnings were high due to a few high value video sales. I uploaded no new photos. But making that video will give a false overall impression + be controversial.

[@mediaguyberlin]

@@NicoleGlass controversy can be good for business.

[@rahulg.b.u2809]

Nice and simple

[@stevestrasser6833]

Hi Nicole! Thanks for your insight. I just had one question: if you film in a higher frame rate, wouldn't it be better to upload in that same frame rate to give the buyer the option to make a slow motion. Or keep it at that frame rate. Of course one could argue that the buyer could speed the slow motion footage up again if wanted ... I mostly film in 50p (I live in Europe) and upload in 50p. But I must admit: slow mo very often looks much better :)

[@modezy7602]

For stock videography, is iphone12pro Max good enough? if yes, what is the point that i have to concern when using it? or what is the limitation about that? thanks.

[@blankvsblank2808]

Hello, Love the vids how do you get permissions for all involved in the shot? Like dancers and such? Seems impossible to get releases for everyone involved a lot of the time. Am I missing something?

[@EvaL4LP]

I love you Nicole!!!

[@sameerchogale6288]

Hello Nicole .. I am a commercial photographer. And I have been uploading photos on 10-12 stock websites for the last 3-4 months.Only 8 of my photos were sold on Shutterstock. Please tell How to increase the sales of photos. What kind of photos to upload

[@holmanwl]

Thank you!

[@ShortJourneys702]

Awesome!

[@overrooftops]

Hi Nicole. I loved your concise yet informative video on uploading stock videos. I am getting ready to upload my first video clip to Pond5, and this video helped. Thank you! BTW, Pond5's tutorial said not to use an iPhone, even though it said 4K videos are OK (My iPhone12 can shoot 4K at 60fps). Have you ever submitted 4K video clips from an iPhone? Also, what kind of (video) camera do you use? The prices of these can put one off!

[@walkersmusic2042]

i want video about uploading video shutterstock

[@dazzlingdeb8427]

Thank you for making this video! What determines your frame rate? Why not always shoot at 24 FPS? Pond5 - what dollar amount would you recommend setting for a novice videographer? Should I go with the default amount at first? Thanx!

[@NicoleGlass]

I highly recommend reading this blog post to help you with the frame rate: www.techsmith.com/blog/frame-rate-beginners-guide/ There's a need for all of them, but different industries typically use different frame rates.

[@dazzlingdeb8427]

Nicole Glass Thank you!

[@johnsimpson7437]

Here's some advice; When you can afford it -- get a Sigma 60-600 lens It's like the Canon 70-200 on steroids. It allows you to get those telephoto shots you've been missing. The lens produces extremely clean images.

[@NicoleGlass]

Thanks for the tip! I’ll do some research on it

[@andrewdutton3831]

I'm enjoying your videos. Nice way to compare notes with what I'm doing. Pond5 is my favorite stock site as well, by far. I generally make $450-$650 a month on Pond5...with a total of 1065 clips currently available. It's a nice way to cover my hobby costs, and fund small trips, etc. I'm adding about 30 clips a month now...and I'm hoping if 1000 clips = $500 a month, then perhaps 2000 clips will lead to $1000 a month. I'll need to keep the quality high and content compelling, so we'll see. Quick question, at 4:06 (girls waving German flags), do you bother to get model releases? Or do you just publish it with an editorial limitation? Nice seeing my old stomping grounds. Bethesda Ave and Woodmont Ave intersection sure has changed since I lived there (80's through 2010).

[@NicoleGlass]

Based on your numbers it sounds like you have some quality clips for sale! Nice job. Regarding your question - I did not get model releases. This was at a parade and I was filming while walking in the parade, no time to stop. Uploaded as editorial. And yes - Bethesda has completely transformed, even just in the past year. Look up the new building “The Elm” !

[@terrykellyphotography6171]

Oh no no no. Yes, like Naoufal said “You got amazing skills to make us do things.” I swore off video, OMG your video has me thinking of shooting video. So tempting. I’ve never shot video with my D850, I know it’s not the best camera for video. Now I’m on the fence.

[@NicoleGlass]

Yeah, video made a drastic difference to my overall earnings. So much that I don't even know if I'll really be uploading photos much anymore.

[@terrykellyphotography6171]

Nicole Glass so tempting but if you and all others quit uploading photos, I’ll be the only one doing photos lol.

[@usasports-v9k]

All of the clips are the same footage, you just cut them differently and upload them to the different sites? Also is it much better to be exclusive with some of the sites or to upload the same video everywhere, as it sounds like it is much faster to upload the same video everywhere? Is the difference in earnings really that much bigger?

[@romiemiller3093]

I use Pond 5, but haven't sent video yet. I'll try that.

[@extraordinarymoments]

Thank you Nicole, is there a price guide for POND5 you might suggest? Non related, are you using filters for your drone?

[@NicoleGlass]

I do use ND filters for my drone. And in terms of pricing, I experiment with different prices. If the video has a lot of competition, I'll usually lower my prices. If the video is super unique, I'll keep prices high.

[@extraordinarymoments]

@@NicoleGlass Thanks Nicole, I have not used filters in the past, but yesterday I capture some very "hot" video with the drone. I will warm up the tones in Adobe Premiere. Thanks for the input on pricing.

[@jerrye1001]

When you shoot videos of groups of people, do you need to get model releases for everyone??

[@gordonbarbay750]

Hi Nicole, Thanks for another informative video! Whenever you are taking your video, what determines whether you are doing it in 24, 60, or whatever frame rate? What I mean is does the situation drive your choice or do you just "wing it" based on your experience? Same question goes for resolution. Do you decide on the spot or do you have some criteria for your video being in 4K or 1080? Finally, do you target a particular resolution when uploading to the stock site, or do you just go with what you happen to have? Thanks!

[@NicoleGlass]

If I have the ability to shoot 4k, I will always do that. People can then download the video in 4K or 1080. I shoot in 60 FPS if I want to create a slow-motion sequence out of it. Like the video of the girls waving the flags. :) Here's a really good overview of frame rates and when to use them: www.techsmith.com/blog/frame-rate-beginners-guide/

[@gordonbarbay750]

@@NicoleGlass Thanks Nicole!

[@bilalhafeez7569]

Mam which camera used for videography....i have 2 camera but SHUTTERSTOCK can't accept video clip of these camera

[@musicdhamal4814]

If consistency make very Much of difference in our sales ?

[@077Mannyt]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@NicoleGlass]

You bet!

[@naoufaltakroumt6373]

You got amazing skills to make us do things!

[@vanshjacker_official]

I learn so many things and I follow your all tips and believe me it's worked.. I sale in one month 5 image But problem is all picture sale only $0.10 to $.25 ....is it Shutterstock policy or other thing... Because I'm also using other website in which my first image sale that is almost $0.75 ..u can see lot of different... Pls tell me any solution if you know..

[@joncothranphotography9375]

Thanks!

[@pieterboning]

Very useful video! One question, probably unrelated to the main theme of the video, but any reason why you would choose 1/50 instead of 1/25 for 24p?

[@NicoleGlass]

Shutterspeed and frame rate are not the same thing. When shooting on a DSLR, you'll want to set your shutter speed to double the frame rate. Here's an article that explains it pretty well: www.thevideomode.com/tuition/how-shutter-speeds-work-when-shooting-video-263/

[@rodoraperez7159]

hi Nicole, do you have a signed model release form for the stock footage of current events? How do you ask the subjects to sign the form?

[@dfjtobin]

Hi, I'm a photo journalist, you don't require permission from people who are in a public space.

[@rodoraperez7159]

@@dfjtobin Thank you!

[@shino_arg]

POND5 is for photography too? Adobe allows editorial photos?

[@NicoleGlass]

You can upload photos to Pond5 but most clients seem to use it to buy videos and music. Adobe does not allow editorials.

[@MumtazBahri]

great! thank you. how do you deal with model/property releases in your videos?

[@NicoleGlass]

Exactly the same methodology as with photos :)

[@MumtazBahri]

@@NicoleGlass we appreciate if you do a video about it or to share a link if u already had ;)

[@stevestrasser6833]

I did not know that you can mark only some clips as exclusive in Pond5. I thought you could go exclusive with them or not. Interesting ... I have to find out how to mark the exclusivity for selected clips. This would be a nice topic for another tutorial: when to go exclusive, which clips you choose that are going to be exclusive and most importantly: explain why it is important for us stock people to go exclusive.

[@NicoleGlass]

Pond5 allows you to have two accounts. So I have one exclusive account and one non-exclusive account :) Check out the second-to-last question in the FAQ contributor.pond5.com/faq/

[@stevestrasser6833]

@@NicoleGlass Thank you for that valuable information! I will check it out. Cheers!

[@johnnyc.5979]

Hey Nicole, so when you record videos for editorial use, are you allowed to edit the clip (removing sections) and improve it (saturation, sharpness, color grading)? Or do you have to submit the clip as recorded?

[@eliwilson8021]

I would quick shutterstock right now but I am doing so good from all my protest photos I can’t stop, I went from averaging $5 a month to making $55 last month and just last night I got a $22 photo sale.

[@NicoleGlass]

Nice work! If you keep shooting what's newsworthy, you will do well

[@Discipal4goodmusic]

always great vids!!

[@NicoleGlass]

Glad you like them!

[@dinagalall]

when i started i uploaded a lot and just a few videos. Now i don;t have stuff to upload unfortunately. Does using a 12mp camera affect sales?

[@tejjasphotography2590]

Thankyou,, it really helped.

[@N_O_R_R_I_E]

Nice video as always Nicole :-) What camera do you use for your footage out of interest please ?

[@NicoleGlass]

Thanks! I use a Canon 5D Mark IV

[@N_O_R_R_I_E]

@@NicoleGlass nice, thankyou. Enjoy the rest of your day :-)

[@CRJines]

Is there a market for time-lapse videos?

[@marcovasquez348]

Thanks!!! Blessings. Great video.

[@NicoleGlass]

Thanks!

[@GaryStockton]

Excellent video Nicole. One question, about how long are your average stock video clips?

[@NicoleGlass]

It varies, I'd say my average is probably around 10 seconds

[@GaryStockton]

Nicole Glass thanks Nicole

[@sfdgrew354]

What codec do you use? Thanks!

[@gerardferry3958]

video is so much more work and the uploads are bigger yet the rewards are dropping

[@99.YamanKumar]

Nice content Thank you so much🙏🙏🙏🙂🙂🙂🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@RobertoNorberto]

Hey Nicole! Great video! do you recommend H264 for export? Do customers prefer less compressed codecs?

[@NicoleGlass]

I use Premiere Pro and my settings are usually H.264 and preset "adaptive high bitrate", although there are other ways to do it too.

[@CalciFrostHV]

@@NicoleGlass Is this for 4K, too? I'd been using High Bitrate since forever, but the bitrate just ends up being 10Mbps. Going to try the adaptive one now.

[@paololarocca7684]

thanks for the advices Nicole, I want to make more videos too, for now I use the footage as it is out of the camera (except trimming with the Windows editor), for editing I have to buy a new more powerful computer...

[@NicoleGlass]

Yeah when you start to edit 4K clips, you'll notice that older computers really struggle.

[@MarcelloSpinFishing]

I would like to ask you one question that seems stupid . How you deal with casual people in your stock videos and photos ? I am living in Thailand and here the law is very strict about this topic. Basically everyone who appears in a photo or a video without you ask their permission could send you to the court.

[@NicoleGlass]

If that's the law in your country, you probably shouldn't do that. Here in the US, the law is much more relaxed about that. We are allowed to photograph anyone in public spaces.

[@BILLIONTECH]

How do you set price , how much $ you charge ?

[@NicoleGlass]

I experiment with different prices. If my footage is really unique, I price it higher. If it's not that unique and there are a lot of competing clips, I'll price it a bit lower. Pond5 has some pricing guidelines here: contributor.pond5.com/getting-started/preparing-your-files/?a=10

[@juandiegopinzonrivera3310]

What export settings do yo use?

[@joaomarveloso1049]

How do you determine the price for your videos on Pond5?

[@cvideos9641]

For editorial footage, I’ve only uploaded to SS and Pond5. Do you know of other sites that accept editorial footage?

[@cvideos9641]

??

[@alexism4824]

Hi Nicole, Which frame rate do you think sells best on stock footage? 23.976 or 29.97? thank you

[@johnsimpson7437]

The frame rate is not the issue it's the bitrate. I'd do 29.97 or 30 and lower the bitrate to 8000. The lowering the bitrate greatly reduces the file size and it uploads much faster with no noticable degradation. Don't go under 4000 as it won't play correctly due to dropped frames; the video will be jittery and will freeze at times These examples are for 1080P video; 4k will possibly be different and I'm not sure as to the bitrate(s) for 4k because I don't shoot 4k at the moment. I shoot/edit AVCHD and MP4 other formats are unstable and I don't recommend using them. Experiment, and edit samlple videos with different bitrates and see how low you can go before you start to drop frame's My videos start dropping frame's at 3800 bps. Also, don't forget to eliminate the audio track if it's not important. Enjoy and have fun !

[@cre8tivity06]

Do the videos have to be a certain length or not go over a certain length?

[@NicoleGlass]

5-60 seconds :)

[@cre8tivity06]

Awesome thank you so much! @@NicoleGlass

[@sonipitts]

Aside from Pond5, how do you keep track of which clips/photos have been uploaded where, so you don't duplicate? (Although I realize most sites have a system for rejecting duplicates.)

[@NicoleGlass]

I organize my video clips on my hard drive by month, and then I have the three folders I showed you. I upload everything right away, so I already know that everything in the previous months' folders is up.

[@sonipitts]

@@NicoleGlass Awesome, thanks!

[@dominickcritelli5631]

Aside from the earnings change on SS, do you find that it's hard to get video accepted there? It's the only platform that consistently rejects for noise despite it being very minimal if present at all. Every other platform accepts the same clips that get rejected on SS.

[@NicoleGlass]

Yes, I get way more rejections there than other platforms

[@dominickcritelli5631]

​@@NicoleGlass Good to know it's not just something I'm doing wrong. They accept all my illustrations almost instantly but nearly every video gets rejected. Frustrating. Thanks for the great content. Appreciate your work.

[@alwinlee5864]

What frame rate do you often shoot stock footage at ? And which ones sells more? 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps?

[@NicoleGlass]

I have a mix of different ones (including 60) but the majority are 24fps

[@alwinlee5864]

@@NicoleGlass thank you for your help! one last question, do most of the buyers purchase your footage in 4k or HD more? I'm thinking of getting a canon rp but record mostly in 1080p because of the lack of features in 4k ( crop and no dual autofocus)

[@NicoleGlass]

@@alwinlee5864 Based on the $ I am getting on downloads, it looks like it's about 50-50 (maybe slightly more HD downloads), but it's hard to tell exactly since those stats are not provided to me.

[@alwinlee5864]

@@NicoleGlass does pdon5 tell you if you sell more commercial or editorial clips? Which clips do you like to capture more, commercial or editorial ?

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Why not use C1? You can set both aperture and shutter speed, maybe let ISO float. Why shoot at 24 FPS? Most likely uses of your video at TV and internet. Nobody broadcasts TV at 24 FPS, so it must be changed. Those crown scenes would look wrong sped up, so someone has to invent intermediate frames. Gerald Undone has a good video explaining the process.

[@dazzlingdeb8427]

Would shooting at 30 FPS be better for TV? Is 24 FPS better for movies? I’m a novice, so I’m trying to understand the basics.

[@anzaeria]

There is some high end TV content that is shot at 24fps.

[@RafieeArtist]

i do it but no sale

[@theconstructionphotographer]

What do you think about Blackbox stock footage

[@NicoleGlass]

Well, Blackbox submits your videos to Shutterstock. So if someone can get it cheaply on SS, why would they go to Pond5 and pay more there? Up to you, but sometimes I think it's probably better to hand-select which footage goes where.

[@theconstructionphotographer]

Nicole Glass gotcha, good point. I’ll definitely stick to submitting myself. Thanks

[@theconstructionphotographer]

Nicole Glass and what sites do you submit footage too?