table of contents

• 1. Preface
  - About the Author
  - My Stock Origin Story
  - About the Book
  
• 2. What is Stock Footage?
  - Why Does Stock Footage Exist?
  - Microstock Defined
  - Royalty-Free Defined
  
• 3. Equipment Needed
  - Traditional Cameras
  - The DSLR Revolution
  - Non-Traditional Cameras
  - Light Kits and Tripods
  - Animation and Motion Graphics
  - Computer
  - Internet Access
  
• 4: What to Shoot
  - In What Resolution Should You Shoot?
  - Frame Rates
  - Working with Actors
  - Vertical or Horizontal?
  - Shoot What's Around You!
  - Model & Property Releases
  
• 5: What to be Cautious Of
  - Logos and Trademarks
  - Editorial Clips
  - Now What?
  
• 6: Clip Preparation
  - File Types
  - Codecs
  - H.264/H.265
  - PNG
  - Animation
  - DV
  - ProRes
  - File Organization
  - Keywording
  - Release Storage
  - Alternate Resolutions
  
• 7: Where to Sell
  - My Agencies
  - Bulk Submitting
  - Pond5
  - ShutterStock
  - iStock
  - Adobe Stock
  - StoryBlocks
  - Other Agencies
  - Subscription Services
  - Pricing
  - Dealing with Rejections
  - Becoming Exclusive
  - Getting Paid and Checking Sales
  
• 8: Market Yourself
  - Build a Website
  - Make a Demo Reel
  - Use Social Media
  
• 9: Final Thoughts & Considerations
  - Backing Up
  - Bookkeeping
  - Custom Work
  - How Much Can You Make?
  - Affiliate Income
  - How's My Portfolio Performing?
  - Choosing Thumbnails
  - Why Are My Sales Lacking?
  - Returns
  - Deleting Clips
  - Should I Delete My Portfolio?
  - Final Thoughts
  
• 10. Acknowledgments

about the book

Learn to navigate the stock footage industry and supplement your income with creativity!

This e-book contains basic tips, tricks, and hints on what to shoot and how to prepare your footage for submission to several of the more popular microstock footage agencies on the Internet. Video examples, charts, and even sample financial data included!

If you're thinking about getting into the stock footage business, or are a new producer struggling with technical issues while preparing your clips, this book will serve as a valuable resource.

» Download a book sample in PDF format ...

about the author

Written by James Orlowski, an accomplished videographer and producer with over 30 years of video production experience and the owner/operator of OrlowskiDesigns Royalty-Free Stock Footage.

A graduate from Penn State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and a Master's Degree in Multimedia from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he has years of stock footage experience with consistent and regular sales on many of the major Internet-based stock media agencies.

» View my stock portfolio ...