Photographers, Videographers and Editors Deserve Royalty Transparency
Rethinking photo and video license royalties from the creator’s who are producing all the digital “assets”
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, was an 18th century German writer (content creator) and statesman who became a literary celebrity by the age of 25. Considering the average life expectancy was 41 years old back then, he was not so young to be deemed successful.
I remember my initial gigs in competitive New York ad agencies at 19 years old, working countless hours, sometimes overnight on deadline-driven campaigns. The entire industry was created around this mantra of scarcity, I recall a studio manager saying to me “someone is waiting right outside for your job.” I believed it, even if it was 100% true, what’s it worth when you work 24 hours straight and get paid for 8. Why did I let it happen? I’ve dreamed to be in this position for years, to become a professional illustrator and digital artist, see my work everywhere from Time Square to Trafalgar Square.
Fast forward, with a few gray hairs and much more chutzpah my viewpoint has shifted towards advocacy. I see what the true “model” was, it was manipulation and many times exploitation of talent. Clarity came only when I fully understood the end-to-end sales transaction behind my skill. This newfound information did not arrive on my desk easy, it was buried within various departments and unconsciously became industry status quo for me.
Today, many young creative professionals (i.e. designers, art directors, producers, photographers and videographers) are undervalued and remain blinded by a big brand in their portfolio. Early on we had a team of photographers and videographers covering League of Legends World Championship in Korea, they were so excited to go, one offered to do it for free. We explained that is not negotiation, that is insecure charity that directly impacts your fellow creatives that can’t afford to work for a plane ticket. I kindly asked to send me an invoice and we paid it promptly after the event. Our culture is many things, but fair is the context of this particular post.
Royalties statements look like confusing bank statements and the contributor agreements are equally baffling. Imagine a world where your license content royalty statement is as straightforward a sales rep’s commission.
“Science and art belong to the whole world, and before them vanish the barriers of nationality.” — Johann Wolfgang Goethe
The above quote is true within the creative freedom of fine art. In contrast, our business involves an end-to-end transaction that is inherit to commercial art. I’ve see many creatives (all ages) get taken advantage of when they can’t make this clear distinction.
Recently, the banking sector has experienced constant disruption due to smart founders creating B2B and B2C platforms using blockchain. These products are accountable, adopted and respected by consumers who seek truth.
Similar to game developers, leaders within this new industry have an opportunity to write the rules of the game. ESPAT is a small spoke in the wheel, but we are committed to transforming the way our photographers and videographers are acknowledged and get paid. Let’s create!
