At this time, Might 6, is House Day!
To rejoice we thought it might be good to do a function on one of many extra curious members of the Viewwp Neighborhood, SpaceStockFootage, who first started on as RedScreenDigital. During the last 5 years he has cornered the house area of interest throughout nearly all of our marketplaces and by focussing on this theme he’s been capable of construct a sustainable revenue from inventory video, graphic and audio belongings.
I requested him concerning the second he knew he’d stumbled onto a profitable area of interest, how he’s managed to create space themed gadgets for a number of marketplaces and what the plans are for the way forward for SpaceStockFootage.
Why house? You’ve actually grow to be the chief in that area of interest, so what drives you to create these explicit gadgets? Is it based mostly on a lifelong obsession with house, the great thing about it, or was it merely that you simply noticed a spot out there?
All the above I’d say! I’ve all the time been a large fan of house and astronomy since I used to be very younger. Telescopes, magazines on house, sci-fi books and movies… I even used to concentrate in science classes in school!
Spinning Earth with Yellow Sun and Lens Flare
“I believe this was the primary merchandise I uploaded, again within the mists of time earlier than I began SpaceStockFootage. Undoubtedly wants some work!”
“It wasn’t a lot as seeing a spot out there, however protecting a detailed eye on what was promoting in my current portfolio.”
It wasn’t a lot as seeing a spot out there, however protecting a detailed eye on what was promoting in my current portfolio. I’ve had non-space stuff earlier than, however my house and sci-fi gadgets all the time appeared to promote very nicely. As soon as I’d picked up on that, it made sense to go for a distinct segment and model myself accordingly.
And, I’m not gonna a lie… including CC Sphere to an Earth texture in After Results is ridiculously fast and straightforward, which appeals to my inherent laziness!
You’re on nearly all of our marketplaces from VideoHive to 3DOcean with most of your gadgets exploring the house theme. Do you your self make all the gadgets throughout these completely different codecs?
I don’t make all my gadgets, no. I’m not that proficient sadly! Each month or two, I’ll take a day or two off and make an inventory of all of the gadgets I need to create. That record is often influenced by stuff that has impressed me lately, or gadgets which might be at present doing nicely in my portfolio. I’ll then work out if I've the talents and skill to create all of these gadgets. If there’s one thing the place I’m not going to have the ability to do it justice, and the fee is warranted, then I’ll rent someone to create it for me. That is perhaps the complete merchandise, or simply a component of it that I’m having hassle with. I’d say 90% of my portfolio is all me although.
Just like the current article on Neighborhood.Viewwp about cross-selling, movement graphics previews are all the time higher with music and/or sound results, however I’ve all the time felt a bit dangerous sending consumers off to different individuals’s gadgets to get the music from them…So I’ve employed musicians to create a choice of music tracks and sound results components that I can use in my preview movies. These gadgets are additionally out there on AudioJungle so I can hyperlink to them in my descriptions.
Global Network – Orange
“This was the primary merchandise the place I employed someone else to assist out. I knew what I needed, and though the Earth was straightforward, I’ve by no means been that good at particle work… so I made a decision to deliver someone in. With three completely different colour variations, I’ve had 303 gross sales over ten months, so I believe it was a sound funding!”
– Audio Monitor “Deep Space Two” by SpaceStockFootage
What's your background? Did you examine astronomy?
Sure and no. I didn’t go down the college route, though you could possibly say I’ve been a lifelong learner in the case of astronomy.
Simply a few years in the past I used to be on an astrophysics course at Liverpool John Moores College. It’s solely a brief distance studying course on planetary atmospheres, however it’s at diploma degree, and also you get college credit score on the finish that may contribute in direction of a bachelor’s diploma. I’ll be doing extra when I've the time and the cash.
“Accuracy isn’t precisely attractive…so I've to take a little bit of inventive license. However, I strive to verify the vital issues are proper”
I try to put that data to good use when creating my gadgets, making an attempt to make them as correct as potential. Accuracy isn’t precisely attractive although, so I've to take a little bit of inventive license. However, I strive to verify the vital issues are proper: the route planets rotate; relative place of stars; how astronomical objects look in seen gentle versus X-Ray for instance; ensuring the Moon isn’t 100 miles from Earth and many others!
As for my work background, I’ve primarily executed gross sales and customer support. My final “correct job” was a buyer expertise and course of supervisor for a big telecommunications firm. That’s earlier than I used to be made redundant in 2009 and I made the swap to VFX and movement graphics.
Mars Lander One
“I’m fairly happy with all my Mars clips. At all times been a giant fan of Mars and I did a sequence of clips on the exploration and colonization of Mars. A few dozen of which had been utilized in a documentary on the potential colonization of Mars.”
“Having a residual revenue from my gross sales on Viewwp implies that I’ll have cash coming in each month…”
The place are you based mostly?
I’m Scottish, born in England and spend loads of time in Spain. So I cut up my time between the UK and Southern Spain. Though I’m off travelling on the finish of Might – first cease, the US of A for a few weeks, after which on to South East Asia. Having a residual revenue from my gross sales on Viewwp implies that I’ll have cash coming in each month whereas I’m away, as long as I’m wise with my cash, which is unlikely, I could possibly be travelling indefinitely.
Australia is on the record of locations to go to, so I would swing by the Viewwp compound and see if I can blag a cup of tea and a biscuit. Or a bathe. Or someplace to sleep.
What’s your strongest swimsuit? Video, audio, pictures, animation…?
Undoubtedly video and animation, particularly VFX and movement graphics. If I used to be simply importing images and my very own musical compositions, then I’d in all probability nonetheless be at Stage 1 for gross sales!
“You possibly can create one thing that you simply assume is nice, which you’re actually happy with…and need you’d by no means bothered. Or you may create stuff that you simply want you’d by no means bothered with, and it finally ends up promoting rather well!”
What’s the merchandise you’re most happy with?
That’s a troublesome one! You possibly can create one thing that you simply assume is nice, which you’re actually happy with, and then you definately promote one in every of them over the interval of a yr and need you’d by no means bothered. Or you may create stuff that you simply want you’d by no means bothered with, and it finally ends up promoting rather well!
It’s all the time nice to see your clips within the wild although, so I’m notably happy with a few of my gadgets which have appeared in film trailers, documentaries and many others.
Some locations the place SpaceStockFootage’s gadgets have popped up lately:
What’s the merchandise that took essentially the most work?
My current World Map Equipment merchandise, that’s why I employed someone else to do it! I couldn’t deliver myself to masks out each single nation. My hand was going numb by the tip of the US Map Equipment, and that solely had 50 states. I dealt with all the opposite map kits although, simply so !
World Map Kit
“I created this after the success of my Worldwide House Station View clips. It was round that time the place I actually began to consider usability of things. Offering layered clips, transparency, the power for individuals so as to add their very own content material.”
Was there an merchandise you launched that all of the sudden satisfied you that you simply had been onto one thing?
I’d say “Worldwide House Station View”. It was in all probability the primary merchandise that I realised the place it was potential to get a couple of or two gross sales per 30 days! It did assist that the merchandise was featured although, and that impressed me to create completely different variations alongside the identical theme to maximise gross sales.
It was in all probability round that point that I made a decision to start out focussing extra on VideoHive because it was then that I realised it was potential to make a good sum of money on Viewwp. Positive, there are many Elite Authors, however I believe lots of people really feel they’ll by no means attain that degree, that it’s too far off. I’m nonetheless a good distance off, however with loads of arduous work and a good plan of motion, I’m hoping I’m solely years away, fairly than many years or millennia!
International Space Station View Kit
“I created this after the success of my Worldwide House Station View clips. It was round that time the place I actually began to consider usability of things. Offering layered clips, transparency, the power for individuals so as to add their very own content material.”
“The extra I earn from inventory, the much less I've to depend on freelance work,”
Was there ever some extent the place you weren’t gaining sufficient traction and considered giving up?
Not previously eighteen months or so, since I’ve been placing within the effort. I believe I’ve been incomes almost 20% further month on month, for the final eighteen months or so… which is an efficient motivator! The extra I earn from inventory, the much less I've to depend on freelance work, so the extra time I can spend creating extra inventory. It appears to be snowballing for the time being, which is sweet!
Lastly, what are your plans for the way forward for SpaceStockFootage? Maintain creating, or is there a brand new technique?
Properly I’ll be travelling the world for the following yr or so. I missed out on the entire hole yr factor once I was youthful, so I’m making up for misplaced time! I’ve been to some locations in Europe and the US, however there’s nonetheless loads of the world to discover.
I’ll be taking my laptop computer, so new gadgets will probably be popping up in my account for the foreseeable future.
Can’t see there being many complicated CG renders on my laptop computer although! I've purchased a DJI Osmo to take with me, with the intention of capturing some inventory footage whereas I’m travelling. Wildlife, temples, landscapes, cities and many others. I’ve arrange a brand new account for that, to maintain it separate from my house content material. Took some time to think about a reputation for it, however I believe EarthStockFootage is kind of becoming!
However yeah, I’ll nonetheless be making house and sci-fi stuff for so long as I’m arising with new concepts and till my thoughts and physique not operate appropriately. Hopefully that gained’t be any time quickly!
