8
RANDOM THOUGHTS 138
May 30, 2007
Getty Images Provides Footage For Fox Reality Show
Getty Images is the official footage partner for Fox's new reality series, "On the Lot," created by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg and produced by Mark Burnett Productions.
"On the Lot" features a cast of aspiring filmmakers who compete to win a million-dollar movie deal with Spielberg's DreamWorks studio. Every week, contestants will produce short films in a specified genre, from comedies and thrillers to dramas and science fiction. Filmmakers will use professional writers, cast and crew along with custom, genre-specific libraries of Getty Images clips. Audiences will vote on the films to eliminate the lowest-ranking contestants.
"Artfully incorporating pre-shot footage can be essential to the success of a short film, especially when delivering on small budgets and short time frames," said Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, co-executive producers from DreamWorks Television.
The stock footage is provided through the newly created footage and multimedia division of Getty Images, headed by the Emmy-winning Craig Peters. Getty's partnership with "On the Lot" underscores the company's intent to accelerate the growth of its stock and archival-footage business.
Fotolia to Raise Prices with Site Revamp
By: Julia Dudnik Stern
Fotolia, a rapidly expanding microstock business, announced an upcoming credit price increase. Fotolia's credit -- a currency-like commodity that buyers purchase in bulk and redeem for stock images - is raising its value from $1 to $1.36. Individual image costs range from 1 to 200 credits and depend on image size, format and license type.
The rise is attributed to standardizing prices between the company's North American and European operations, which use the Euro as currency. In addition to the U.S., Fotolia currently operates sites in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. In its corporate blog, Fotolia predicts that the price hike is good news for contributing U.S. photographers, "who will now see a 30% increase in commissions overnight."
The new price structure will launch alongside Fotolia V2, an upcoming site update designed to increase stability, improve performance and add new features, such as vector image support. In addition, Fotolia's image database will be streamlined to remove images that don't sell for 18 consecutive months.
Getty Images Appoints High-Profile General Counsel
By: Julia Dudnik Stern
John McKay has joined Getty Images as senior vice president and general counsel. McKay is one eight U.S .Attorneys whose departure from the Justice Department is the focus of an ongoing political investigation. In addition to serving as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington during 2001-2007, McKay has a distinguished legal career. He was a White House Fellow, held partnerships in two Seattle law firms and was a visiting professor at Seattle University School of Law.
"We will benefit greatly from [McKay's] experience and wisdom, as we continue to expand
our business around the world," said Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images. The company has been expanding at an aggressive pace, recently acquiring MediaVast Inc. and its three brands: WireImage, FilmMagic and Contour Photos. According to Klein's recent remarks at the Goldman Sachs Internet Conference, Getty's $400 million in cash are earmarked for additional acquisitions that will grow the company's business globally and extend its editorial market segment.
McKay succeeds Jeff Beyle, who remains in a new role as senior vice president, business development.
Quark Symposium Offers Stock Agencies Promo Opps
By: Julia Dudnik Stern
Quark, a leading publishing software company, kicked off its 2007 series of free customer training workshops with one-day events in New York and Montreal. The two sessions attracted nearly 850 attendees, including local freelancers and staffers from ad agencies, design firms and publishing houses. The Quark Symposium 2007 Series continues with June events in Houston, Orlando, Florida, and Los Angeles, and an October session in Chicago, which offers participating sponsors, such as photos.com, an opportunity to connect with professional designers.
Jupiterimages Appoints New Marketing VP
By: Julia Dudnik Stern
Kendall Higbee has joined Jupiterimages as vice president to oversee the company's global marketing in both direct and partner channels. Highbee has worked in the stock industry for over 12 years, including key positions at Corbis and the recent Getty Images acquisition, MediaVast.