Quote:
Originally Posted by MaDalton
every shooter that says he shoots more than ever now, hasn't worked much in the past
(c) MaDalton, 2010
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You have to consider what they were doing in the past first and when that past was.
Here's a closer statement.
"Every shooter who says he makes more money now made very little in the past."
And here's another one.
"Every shooter who worked exclusive for the Internet until 2007 either wasn't good enough or to dumb to work elsewhere."
Here's why the second statement is true.
Until 2007 there was still a magazine market worth selling to. In fact until later there was. A market that a US sale would pay $2,000 for a solo girl set, the same set sold in the UK for $1,000. Then there was EU, Japan and AU. Then there was second rights and on top of that it could be brokered via companies like Photorama, who still send us checks.
Turn the clock back to 2005 and there were 5 UK companies all buying sets, in the US about 7. In EU there was all the countries with there own magazines, small money that mounted up. The sales on a stills set were great.
Unless the sets were crap.
The situation in the video market was similar. A boy girl scene shot for a video company would sell for $5,000 to $25,000 and the market was much bigger.
Unless the video was really crap.
I never shot a lot of video after Astral Blue was closed down by the local trading standards. A local council organisation. Because a good BG or multi girl set would sell in the UK and US for around $3,000 each. $6,000 in total.
Was it tough to sell to these areas?
No. For magazines you bought the magazine. Studied what it published, shot some sets and made a phone call to go see the editors. Rarely did I have one say no to seeing me. You know how easy it is to go onto a stand at the Berlin show and introduce yourself. Then show your work. You can telephone them and see them in their offices as well.
Flying to the US with a suitcase full of slide sets, about 20, would result in a $30,000 to $40,000 turn over and open the door for me to post sets after that. With a briefcase of discs with digital sets it was even easier.
Was it tough to shoot for these markets?
Well not according to BM Bradly. Any dumb fuck could do it. I certainly could. Was it tough to focus and light a set properly. Well not that tough, I could do it. If you couldn't you really were a dumb fuck. Was it tough to shoot a set? Well if it was thank you for the accolades because I could do it.
So if you couldn't do it, according to BM B you weren't even clever enough to be a dumb fuck.
The downside was you had to wait until publication to get paid. Which often meant waiting 4-6 months for a check after the shoot day. You had to pay all the costs of the shoot and wait for your money. Investing in a days work to return $6,000, for two sets we still own, in 4-6 months is far better than working for an Internet company who will pay $2,000 for the days work, the shooter no longer owns. you have to be living check to check to prefer that.
AM I LIVING IN THE PAST?
Like everyone here I to would love to turn the clock back to 2005.
Just another thought occurred to me. This market was also open to sites shooting for themselves. So a shoot day that cost $1,000 to $5,000 could return a healthy profit from non Internet sales.