Feb 25
This has got to be my favorite commercial running right now.
Feb 23
Hello all. It’s been far too long since we last spoke….or at least since I wrote something. You get the idea. I’ve been working on a huge project that is almost done and has sapped a lot of creative energy out of me. So much so that I haven’t even wanted to write. My goal to post more has taken quite a hit.
The subject of projects brings me to the keyboard to pound out this post. Particularly the “dirty” words….dare I say them…SPEC WORK. DUM DUM DUM!!! Spec (short for speculative) work is the practice of soliciting work for a project (usually from multiple sources) for no payment. Typically there are open calls for submissions where, under the guise of a contest, the “client” asks for entries for their project and a “winner” is chosen. My heavy use of quotation marks could offer clues on how I feel about this. In the industry, spec work is seen as a detriment to ethical practices in the client/producer relationship.
Recently I heard of a new site called Pixish via Daring Fireball. Pixish is a site that aims to bring buyers together with image makers, according to their front page. Right beside their logo on the home page is the proclamation that they are “in beta, baby!” This has become a popular practice of launching websites that are half-baked, saying that it’s in beta. Since their launch, Pixish has called down the thunder from those accusing them of facilitating spec work. I don’t want to be too hard on Pixish. From what I can gather Derek Powazek, the man behind the site, is trying to fill what he sees as a void in the world of purchasers of creative work. That it’s too expensive and time-consuming these days to find the right creative material for their needs. Though he seems sincere, Pixish has admittedly made mistakes.
On some level, I do think spec work is taking place at Pixish. Understandably they don’t want that label but it may be hard to shake. Both the budding and the desperate artist are free to do what they want, but I will argue they are potentially doing themselves more harm than good. I know how difficult it can be to find work both freelance and full-time. I have been a victim of those seeking to have work done with no intention of reward. What’s worse is that it was someone I trusted. Unfortunately, there are those who have no business designing anything and those foolish enough to hire them getting together out there which makes it even more challenging.
To me, a better service would be one that allowed artists to post their portfolio and opt-in to the a project rather than doing the work and then getting nothing for it. The onus should be on the potential client to make a decision based on a body of work, not on a finished product tailored to their specifications. There are some services like that such as Guru that work similarly. With Guru, a project is posted, artists supply quotes, a decision is made by the client on the candidates, and the work is done according to the terms.
It’s hard enough to get people to understand the value of design without practices that only cheapen it. My hope is that Pixish might evolve into a truly useful site that helps creatives. After all, they are the ones that put themselves on the line.
Feb 06
Today I spotted an article on TechCrunch about a CNET story on the future of the video sharing site Revver. It seems that Revver is having a rough time of it. Revver was the first video sharing site to offer revenue share with its members. According to TechCrunch, Revver has lost over half its staff in the last 18 months and is trying to sell itself at a “bargain” price. Rough times indeed.
You may have noticed that I have a few videos that are hosted with Revver showcasing some of my background videos. The idea of video sharing sites is that you can have your videos hosted with the service and take part in their community. The upside is that you can post your uploaded videos on your own site while using their bandwidth and not killing your own. Revver was started at a time when video sharing had not taken off the way it has today. What I liked about them was the revenue sharing (although I never had any delusions that it would bring me great wealth) and most of all, their seeming friendliness to commercial use. Secondly, Revver and another personal favorite, Viddler have smaller and more focused communities than say YouTube.
This brings me to the dilemma. What happens in the event that Revver goes the way of the dodo? What will likely happen is that those videos will no longer be available. This could mean a potentially large hole in the content on one’s site and it could happen to any of the services available out there. YouTube stands the best chance of sticking around for a long time. As an alternative, you of course have the option of serving up your own videos and run the risk of huge bandwidth usage should your video become popular. While potentially expensive, this is your best option of protecting your content from becoming extinct because of the failure of a company.
When your content is of the utmost importance, be aware of the pitfalls that all this great technology brings us. Have a plan to protect what’s worth protecting.
