What catches your eye when you look at this image? The warmth of the background? The bag in the center? Or the engagement between all three women? Probably the interactions of the photo subjects. That level of human connection makes this photo popular with our customers on Shutterstock Images — and its also a quality in demand on Shutterstock Footage.
Footage clips of customer-employee interaction are in high demand. To help inspire you to create footage like this, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite tips for locations shooting. You may also find these tips helpful for shooting still images, or shooting people in other environments.
Consider setting a footage shoot in retail stores, restaurants, and other places where you see business happening. Shoot footage of people exchanging money, talking, smiling, or interacting face-to-face in any way. Aim for authenticity in cast and production design. Like always, diversity in age and ethnicity are a plus.
Here are ten more tips that may help you conduct a successful footage shoot in a store.
1. Ask locally owned businesses. You’ll probably have more success getting permission from a shop owner in your own neighborhood than from a large chain with layers of corporate management.
2. Work out a deal with the shop. Instead of paying a location fee, offer to shoot a video for the store’s website, staff portraits, or other picture needs they might have.
3. Can’t get permission to shoot inside? You can still shoot entrances and exits to stores and shopping centers from public property. (Remember to avoid logos, trademarks and distinct building architecture. See tip 7 below.)
4. Survey the location beforehand and plan your shots. Get a sense of the lighting, space, and technical capabilities such as power outlets.
5. Agree to an open or closed set. On a closed set, only necessary crew and talent are allowed. On an open set, the venue conducts normal business and everyone is allowed.
6. Obtain model releases for all identifiable people in your footage. This is a requirement for commercial footage licensed through Shutterstock. Bring extra model releases and be prepared to explain your project to anyone around.
7. Check thoroughly for logos, trademarks, and other intellectual property. These could disqualify your footage from commercial licensing. Please note that some locations can be identified based on their unique architecture, so it is always best to have the property owner sign a property release.
8. Give direction to your subjects. Make sure everyone (store personnel, talent, crew) knows what to do and coordinates with one another.
9. Allow for spontaneity. The most genuine moments happen when people feel free to be themselves.
10. Have a pal who also shoots footage or images? Pool your resources and save money. Split the cost of hiring models and renting equipment with a friend and schedule your shoots back-to-back.
Good luck with the shoot!
Related story: What photo and footage subjects are popular? Check out our Keyword Trends Tool!
Photo: © iofoto/Shutterstock.
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14 Responses
Thanks for good tips
We can go through all the trouble of asking businesses for permission, setting up set, doing all the prep work and the rest of it to shhot footage and stills and the rest of it.
The problem is, Shutterstock, is your stupid reviewers. Yes I call them stupid, sorry, don’t mind if you feel hurt. A content artist can go through all the trouble of making an image or a footage (plan, shoot and post production etc.), but at the end of the day, it is your reviewers (who I am sure feel like Gods themselves) are the ones who can make or break a footage or image entering the market. No matter how intently your super models are smiling and how sweet the client-business interaction is shown and how good your setup is – it may still be rejected for “limited commercial value” or “poor or uneven lighting”. Believe me, it is the fact.
Do you know why there is a high acceptance rate for footage? That’s because SS still has lower than 1 million footage in the library. Do you reckon SS will be so generous if it had say 12 million or say 20 million? Nopes.
So don’t come here and lecture on what sells and how the submitters can benefit from them.
Dang, Why don’t you say how you really feel submitter? LOL!!!! I think the shot above is a terrible example of what should be considered a good quality picture. I’m sorry and really don’t intend on being mean. I just don’t find the composition and lighting good at all. : )
The article was okay though. ; )
Danny, I thought the same thing about the shot! They put this as an example while they systematically reject good images?! Doesn’t seem like a serious agency anymore…
A friend of mine told me to check this out. He laughed because he doesn’t know how he was submitted to be on their e-mail list. He told me to check out the article and the image with the article. I was trying to be nice! LOL! I think there’s some education these good folks need before latching onto or trying to latch on to professional resources. I think the real market calls this type of thing bastardizing an industry but I’ve been wrong before… snicker… heh heh heh… I would never trust them with either image of character or profession and would refrain from any submission. Just saying.
Totally agree about the shot.
I agree with submitter, NONE of my photos were accepted to even get my account started, so I’m still pending, and its for the reasons you mentioned, not commercially valuable and uneven/poor lighting.
I agree with what was said in the comments before me….strange acceptance criteria by SS….my personal experience: tried to start the account with 10 photos that are selling very well on one other mayor photo stock-site and were all but 3 refused for uneven/poor lighting and whatnot …. maybe they just want to be exclusive stock-club…not interested
I agree about the shot; there is just too much going on and not enough contrast to completely outline the subject matter. The first thing that caught my eye was the mid section of the bright purple dress, honestly. I wonder how the reviewers would rate this if it were submitted as a test without their knowledge. Would it pass? Is there any standard or are reviewers being paid to reject a certain percentage of photos to keep their “credibility”? Is there a “Godfather” reviewer that puts hits out on subordinate reviewers that accept too many photos, or are the reviewers just washed up loan officers and insurance agents who lost their job in 2008 who were trained to reject anything that crosses their desk?
Uneven lightning/shadow rejection is so stupid. I took a lot of landscapes photo especially sunrise/sunset. In those situations, of course there are shadow, uneven lightning to dramatize the scenes.
Agree, agree, agree! I submitted ten photos to get started and seven were rejected, even though they have sold elsewhere. The reasons for rejection were ridiculous, including one stating that the exposure was wrong – it was PERFECT. I often lecture in photography and have shown it to other lecturers and pro photographers who also agree it’s perfect. Who are these reviewers, it’s embarrassing?!
And the photo in the article is really poor – busy fore & background, subjects disappearing into the background, bright colours that distract from the subjects etc.
Oh dear SS.
Agree with the above. The best reason for refusal has got to be “Your image is not in focus or focus is not located where we feel it works best” That one always makes me see red!! Also how are you supposed to get a property release for a building like big ben or the empire state building?
I like it .But how much for those arms in the corner
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