Getty Images: Competing Against Yourself
By Jason Moriber • Jan 22nd, 2008 • Category: Loose Ends, News for Creatives (archives)I spoke with an old-school, and now retired art director , who remembers when stock was used for sketches, this past weekend. He remembers when clients began saying in meetings, “well why do I need a new image, this one is fine” to the shock and awe of the art directors who had much greater designs in mind. Most pointedly he told me he saw the end of value in image-making on the decline at that moment a few decades ago, and has seen its sharp decrease ever since, “why would photographers compete against themselves?” he asked.
Now with Getty putting itself up for sale, we see now who gets the value of all those images, Getty does. Sure, stock has been a life-saver, a big revenue generator for many photographers and image-makers, but looking at the market now, seeing how it’s affecting careers, it seems like it’s been a bad idea all along. I wish in the Getty contracts there was a type of revenue sharing, that all those artists who are part of Getty get a cut of the deal. No chance.
I say let the investment banks take their chances, but all they tend to do is cut costs and streamline, cutting jobs, cuttings payouts, cutting cutting cutting. So I’ not sure what Getty will be like when it’s owned by a private firm, my guess is that we’re seeing the end of that era. Mostly what it will take is artists to stop working with stock houses and demanding more. I know that’s not an easy thing to do, but look at the alternative, carefully.
Jason Moriber is a veteran product/project/marketing manager, underground artist/musician, and online community developer, Jason expertly builds/produces/manages clients' projects, programs, and campaigns.
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