partners

StockMotionFinder.com (the sister site to StockPhotoFinder.com) is a business-to-business stock content search engine that refers buyers to sellers. Participation is limited to professionals who are capable of properly servicing the needs of agency buyers, editors and researchers. The need of the buyer to experience ease-of-use and speed in obtaining just the right footage is our top priority, enabling us to return substantial value to our footage providers for their marketing investment. To partner with us and take advantage of this powerful and effective marketing channel, there are three essential requirements:

You must maintain an accessible, keyword searchable database
Your footage and the quality of your keywording must adhere to industry standards
You must provide daily sales and fulfillment support during traditional business hours or 24/7 e-commerce

Further explanation about these critical requirements and optional solutions to address web site, keywording and sales support needs are available as follows. If you are interested and can fulfill these requirements directly or with outsourcing, we invite you to contact us and ask that we send you our Marketing Agreement and Annual Marketing Fee Schedule. Many options exist to meet the core requirements. The following is a step-by-step guide and checklist of what you will need and where to find it if you do not already have it.

Subjects On This Page
1) General Advice
- let someone else do it
- let StockMotionFinder.com help you
2) Database Needed
- an accessible, keyword searchable database
- off-the-shelf software
- ecommerce
3) Quality Approval
- editing
- keywording
4) Fulfillment Requirements
- 9-5 in-house staff
- forwarding to a footage provider or subagent
- forwarding to an assignment rep
- stock reps
- 24/7 ecommerce
- cooperatives
- outsourced fulfillment
5) How To Contract Services
- contact info
6) FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions -
- how does data export and spidering work?
- are there any image size requirements?
- do you sell placement in search results?
- how much does it cost?
7) Qualification Checklist

1) General Advice

Let Someone Else Do It

If you are a videographer, filmmaker or footage provider who is not yet ready to directly handle B2B footage licensing and fulfillment, why not hook up with people who are already doing what you need to do? As simple minded as this may sound, why reinvent the wheel? Some possibilities to consider would be stock footage libraries, assignment reps, technology providers, forming a mini-cooperative with shared resources, or outsourcing specific tasks that are missing from your workflow and support. (For videographers, the most hassle-free way to get edited footage into a qualified online database is to submit it to a stock footage library that is already participating in StockMotionFinder.com.)

Let StockMotionFinder.com Help You

Note also that we can assist you in qualifying to participate, either directly or through third party companies. If in doubt, please ask. We have many workarounds.

2) Database Needed

An accessible, keyword searchable database - Footage must be searchable online by keyword without any barriers (ie, login requirements) to search and display thumbnails or key frames or to view preview pages. It is recommended, though not required, to have your full contact information on all preview pages to make it easy for buyers to reach you or your designated sales rep. (StockMotionFinder.com also provides a link to your "about us" or "contact" page from an icon beneath each footage frame.) Note that search speed, accuracy and continuity are factors in the qualification process.

If you do not already have a searchable database, we would suggest that StockMedia.net be on your short list of possible service providers.

3) Quality Approval

Review and approval of content, keywording quality and footage quality - To meet the high standards of the footage buyers who search StockMotionFinder.com, your content will be initially and repeatedly checked for redundancy, quality and content, as well as for the quality of your keywording and captions.

Editing

To be included in the search engine, footage must be tightly edited and top quality of relevant content. Some collections may need editing. Freelance editors can be hired.

Keywording

Accurate, controlled keywording is essential for finding footage and for narrowing the search to just the right clip, especially when researchers are looking through hundreds of hours of footage. Note that substandard keywording or captioning will prevent addition of your footage or require deletion of your footage from StockMotionFinder.com. An option:

Do it in-house - Keywording is a demanding and challenging task. Too many extraneous keywords can ruin a web site as users will quickly determine that they need to sort their way through too much footage that has nothing to do with what they are looking for. Skilled keyworders know how to "milk" content appropriately to maximize its sales potential.  Sadly, keywording is all too often delegated to the most inexperienced employee because everyone else is 'too busy'. If electing to keyword in-house, keywording tools such as Keyword Compiler can help to maximize the value of your web site and your footage.

Outsource - For those who want to improve quality and save money by outsourcing to paid professionals. KeywordCompiler.com also offers keywording services.

4) Fulfillment Requirements

Sales and fulfillment support - Buyer satisfaction is paramount. To that end, participation contractually requires the capacity to consistently and dependably take orders and satisfy client needs in the time zone of the buyer. Delivering adequate footage to the licensee in a timely manner is essential. Note that multiple, validated client complaints about lack of response or inability to contact you will require removal of your footage from StockMotionFinder.com.

Orders, Client Support & Fulfillment

A growing portion of the marketplace prefers e-commerce with immediate delivery of high resolution, digital files for licensing. Next day fulfillment on demand of the order is still acceptable for many buyers. Today's ideal standard is to deliver well-executed, high resolution digital files that were generated from original film or HDTV. Some fulfillment options (with an emphasis on individual creators):

9-5 In-house staff - A normal business operation that answers the phone and instantly responds to the needs of the client. In-house operations have the advantage of total control. (Voice mail and answering machines are simply not an acceptable option.)

Forwarding to your stock footage - If you are an individual creator, your online database can refer all calls and contact to a footage library that has the footage and that is in the country or time zone of the client.

Forwarding to an assignment rep - For participating videographers, some assignment reps are capable and willing to negotiate and fulfill stock footage sales on your behalf. Ask your rep.

(Note that your stock footage libraries, subagents and reps will have to have the hi-res version of all of your archives that are available online for search by stockmotionfinder.com.)

24/7 E-commerce - Depending on the robustness of the licensing engine, e-commerce can circumvent everything but the need for interactive client support. Bandwidth and storage costs, however, are key factors to consider.

Cooperatives - An emerging trend is groupings of videographers and filmmakers who act like a cooperative, sharing resources to lower costs and expand skill sets.

Outsourced fulfillment - Depending on the technology, fulfillment centers can satisfy many needs, such as delivering your footage on your behalf without the added overhead of e-commerce.

5) How To Contract Services

A signed contract and payment of an annual marketing fee - As the first step in the process is a review of your footage and keywording, please contact us for a review and possible meeting. Once approved, you will need to provide two signed copies of the Marketing Agreement and a check for services. Contact us at 212 929-6965. We will sign and return one copy of the contract with an invoice marked as paid to you and get things started. We'll send instructions for you to do an initial, simple data export to "jump start" the search process. (Spidering handles future updates).

6) FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How does data export and "spidering" work?

Although we will ³spider² the database at your website for later updates, the fastest and most efficient way for us to get the initial searchable data is via an export from your database. This can be in almost any format, but a tab delimited text file is probably best. We do not need any actual footage. There are just a few things to send us to enable searches and to link to your text descriptions, thumbnails clips and preview/detail pages:

- Content ID (Usually, it becomes part of the file name that's used to make the URL path.)
- Caption
- Keywords (Comma separated within the field is best.)
- Footage source (The name of the videographer, creator or agency from whom the footage came.)
- RF/RM (If both royalty-free/buyout and rights-managed footage are included, each clip needs to be designated for what it is.)
- Advanced Search fields (If information is separated into different fields, such as subject categories or groupings, please include also.)

If there are no thumbnails, please provide your logo in a digital form that is at least 200 pixels wide. Your records will be branded with your logo instead of a frame from the footage. (Thumbnail images are not required for the search process. Only a link to a preview/detail page is required. That detail page can be text or visual.)

This information will then be used to build the paths as follows. (Note that we need any variables that appear in these URL paths, such as folder names or similar, as part of the data export.)

- URL path to thumbnail image of the main frame (There is sometimes a formula, perhaps with variables in it. We need to be able to create an unrestricted path to display your keyframes, thumbnail images or animated gifs.)
- URL path to preview/detail page - not the preview clip itself  (Also a formula, we need to create the URL path that will display your preview page when someone clicks on a thumbnail image.)

After delivery of the initial text data, new footage that you add to your web site will be made searchable via stockmotionfinder.com, thanks to a periodic "spidering" of your database which requires no effort on your part.

Are there any size or quality requirements?

The thumbnails, keyframes or animated gifs are limited to 160 pixels. So, they should not be larger than 160 pixels wide. Ask us if sizes exceed 160. Our technology can resize "on the fly" if needed. There is no size or quality limit for the preview/detail clip because we are displaying your actual preview page, passing the sales lead to you. It is recommended, however, that a preview page should display comfortably on an 800x600 pixel monitor. Your deliverables can be any size and format that satisfies client needs, as you are accustomed to delivering currently.

Do you sell placement in the search results?

Absolutely not. Search results are randomized. As user patterns develop, they will be ordered by an algorithm that factors in many variables, some of which are based on the actions of those who search the site. Over time, the most relevant footage will appear early on the search results page. Newly added footage is randomized to ensure a level playing field. No paid placement exists. This is all about providing the user with the most appropriate footage at the earliest opportunity. In so doing, we hope to ensure their quick return for additional searches to the benefit of everyone.

For those participants who want to advertise, you can do so by contacting us directly. We will work with you to create adequate placement at our sitesin clearly designated advertising areas. Advertisements opportunities have performance guaranties.

How much does it cost?

Surprisingly little, given the value delivered. The annual Marketing Fee, which is based on the quantity of clips in your database and performance delivered, prepays one full year of search of your web site. There is no other cost other than this low annual fee. Contact us at (212) 929-6965 for a Marketing Agreement and Annual Marketing Fee Schedule.

7) Qualification Checklist

Here's a quick checklist of requirements to participate in StockMotionFinder.com. Please ask us for help if you don't meet all the requirements.

online, searchable database

___ fast search
___ no partial word search ("wom" must not find "woman", "cat" must not find "cathedral")
___ no login requirements to view thumbnails and preview pages
___ 99% up time

footage quality

___ no illegal content (ie, obscene)
___ sufficient quality to make a licensing decision and for use

keywording quality

___ accurate keywording and/or captions
___ no excessive keywording (dozens rather than hundreds)
___ proper spelling

fulfillment

___ easily accessible hi-res files
___ prompt, daily ability to service call requests and deliver footage

 

Thank you for your interest in StockMotionFinder.com. We look forward to working with you to grow your direct sales via this very effective marketing tool for the stock footage industry.