Discovery Channel Wants to License My Footage

basspig

basspig

Veteran
How many of you have had experience with Discovery Channel licensing your footage?

I ask that because I am in the midst of a deal with them for some footage I shot at an air show that turned into a crash scene.

What is considered a reasonable offer for such footage, shot on professional HD cameras? I am trying to determine the ballpark figure that is reasonable. What kind of an offer is worth considering?

Any suggestions about terms and conditions and any other unexpected things I may not have thought of?
 
I don't have your answers, but knowing the type of show you're speaking of, I can speak for one thing: They do not care anything about the quality of filmmaking in the footage. They care only about content. Professional HD cameras do not make this type of footage any more valuable.
 
Discovery is null and void on that, what is the name of the production co. that wants to license it???

What crash scene (I'm a pilot, know everything about the few crashes).
 
Just my opinion, but I would say get the most you can get on a non exclusive basis. This type footage is once in a lifetime stuff and should be priced accordingly. If sold non exclusive you can still be selling it 10 years from now to the every disaster show that comes along, rather than getting top dollar just once. Not to mention you can still put it up on high priced stock footage sites where it will sell probably for $3000-$4000 a pop. So maybe that gives you an idea what to ask.
 
To answer a few of the questions raised, the production house that contacted me is Pilgrim Film & TV. The segment is "Destroyed in Seconds".

Apparently they saw my YouTube clip of the accident last year. It was Kent Shockley's "Shockwave" rocket-powered truck rolling over at 300+ mph due to a parachute malfunction. I had two EX1s rolling at the time and got great footage on both.

I don't believe that I could go the stock footage route, unless I were able to enter some sort of agreement with the truck's owner, being Shockwave is a recognizeable and unique truck. Pilgrim is doing all that negotiation and has already contacted Kent Shockley about obtaining permission to use the footage.

Given this will probably be a one-time thing, I'm wondering what a 'reasonable' offer would be. I sense that $500 would probably NOT be considered reasonable, if $3K a pop for stock footage is the case. However, I would be stunned if they offered more than that. I have no experience with TV shows buying my footage in this type of circumstance, so I seek input from those with that experience.

Bear in mind, there were over 100,000 people there, many with camcorders no doubt, whom the segment producer could approach and offer less and get footage (of lesser quality), so I don't want to price myself out of the potential deal. Plus having my footage on national television would be a nice credential.
 
Craig Pilgrams Co., they will low ball you, I have seen your footage and have also rode in the shockwave truck in Springfield Mo. we have a mutual friend. Far as I understand you do not need the Shockleys permission to air or sell the clip. I'm sure there were reporters there that also have footage of it. I'd be firm at $5k for a licenese, don't sell copy rights. That's just me though.
 
I'd also serch out stock footage houses to see if anyone else has a clip of it they are selling.
 
Thanks for your advice ChipG. I have searched a few stock footage sites and can find no entries for "shockwave truck". $5K non-exclusive sounds reasonable. At least it's a baseline I can work from.
 
What a deal Mark! Let us know if it goes though - I follow destroyed in seconds occasionally - would love to see your footage on the show :D

Chip, where do you fly out of? I'm a pilot in Northern California.
 
Not to discourage you, but just a few words of warning from knowing the show if you're looking to make any money off of this:

1. They're not looking for quality
2. There are probably others with the same footage (Probably not as high quality footage, but see #1)
3. Even if there is no one else with footage of the same event, they have plenty of other disasterous events to get footage from

So I would keep all of that in mind in negotiations.
 
basspig said:
Thanks for your advice ChipG. I have searched a few stock footage sites and can find no entries for "shockwave truck". $5K non-exclusive sounds reasonable. At least it's a baseline I can work from.
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Don't go any lower, actually start at $10k and come down, no lower that $5k, that's a good disaster for their show, if they want to use the Shckwave wreck as a segment it's not going to stop them if you charge $1k or $8k, realmonkey s right they will degrade your footage to make it look more home videoish but they will spend $10k searching and trying to find the others who have footage so time is vaulable to them. Also you have two cameras on it. The more I think about it you might want to raise your price to $8k-$10k for a licenense.

Don't let them tell you they have other footage they can buy for $800 because they say that to everyone. It's how they negotiate, if they try that tactic tell them there is another show interested for more $ and raise your price. You do not have to have Shocleys permission to sell it unless they hired you to shoot the event for them and if that's the case they own rights to the footage not you.
 
Well, reading that the show is a lowballer, makes me wonder if they will just walk out if I ask for $10K.

And what if they want exclusive rights? What then? Or do they care?

BTW, this is the YouTube video I put up last year, which is what Pilgrim saw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEZlwaEgjkY

I shot this as an independant, with the intent of creating stock footage. I tend to go to these events when I hear of them, with this in mind. But it's good to know that I have the right to sell the footage. I suppose the public nature of this kind of setting removes such restrictions, though I wonder why it's not the same as shooting recognizeable likenesses in public.
 
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They won't walk out if they want it, they probably will pay it. Perfect segment for them.

If they want exclusive rights I personally would tell them $30k, they will more than likely just want a license. They know that shot is worth $30k sold off around the world for other disaster shows, it might take you several years but it's worth that.

Disco Pays about $400k for a 1 hour show like that BTW. They have the money, it'll be games from here on out for them to buy it as cheap as they can.

What was their offer or have they made one yet?
 
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You have a couple minutes of good footage there, I have sold 10 seconds for $3500 before. Don't give it away. That's some awesome stock footage to have BTW :)
 
There's no way that they are going to spend $10k on the footage.

I'm sure it looks great and was shot well, its just that my experience with production companies who produce these shows is that they will lowball the hell out of you.
 
mcgeedigital said:
There's no way that they are going to spend $10k on the footage.

I'm sure it looks great and was shot well, its just that my experience with production companies who produce these shows is that they will lowball the hell out of you.
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It's always better to start high and come down on your price than give money away. It is worth $5k min, no doubt about that.
 
That was a great spectrum of information, and it somewhat confirms the value of what I have there.

It's been about a week since they received the screener of that footage and I'm waiting to hear back from them.

It's a delicate balance between getting paid and getting nothing here.. I don't want to price myself out of the first opportunity in 22 years of shooting to get national exposure and paid for it, yet I don't want to accept a lowball figure. Frankly, I don't know if they're going to even come back and negotiate, or if I'll hear from them again. Time will tell... how long do they usually ruminate over these decisions?
 
Basspig,

You mentioned you were there to shoot stock footage, I'm assuming you are building a stock footage library and business, who cares if they don't buy it, those clips of the 2-3 min will SELL, I'd start putting them on stock footage sites, you'd be surprised how many production companies around the world make disaster shows. If they want full rights to it for $3500 walk away, you can get that or more for a license from stock houses and sell it year after year.
 
Can you recommend some stock sites that would pay that kind of money per sale? I'm currently on RevoStock, but I only get $21 per download.

Whom should I contact that will pay me what it's real top market value might be?
 
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