UnStock app review: earn money by selling video clips and footage

Introduction

It seems like every time you turnaround these days someone has captured the perfect moment on video using their iPhone that in the past simply wouldn’t have been possible. Think about it. We’re all walking around with the potential to be an amateur filmmaker right in our pocket at all times. It wasn’t that long ago that the only people that captured events and important news on video were news crews and in many cases by the time they showed up on scene the moment had gone. The growth in popularity of the smartphone over the last decade has changed all that.

The keyword here is amateur. While anyone has the power to take a video on the spur of the moment these days, very few of us ever get paid for it. At best we post our videos to our social media feeds to share with our friends and family and if we’re lucky we put a smile on their face or perhaps even illicit a few laughs. There’s an app trying to change all that called Unstock. This app gives all the amateur videographers among us a place to create a portfolio of videos and the chance to sell them to freelancers and various content creators right across the globe. This is a free app and it’s compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Find Friends, Followers, and Fans

This app is sort of a cross between a social media app and a freelance marketplace. You can interact with your own circle of friends and family using the apps familiar social media style features such as the ability to like posts, chat, and follow each other’s feeds. If you’re simply looking for a place to share your love of film and you’re not too worried about the idea of making money off your videos this particular aspect of the app will definitely appeal to you. If you find a post that really catches your attention then you can share it with everyone in your own circle.

Sell Your Expertise

For those that are looking for an outlet to make a little money off their filmmaking expertise UnStock is one of the few places you can do that. You start by building your portfolio and spreading the news amongst your connections. The more interest you can generate from each video you upload the better chance there is of catching the attention of someone that’s willing to pay you to use your work. You have the ability to set your rates within the guidelines of the app and payment is made securely through PayPal. The level of control you have over your own work is excellent and the way the app features your work does make it easy for potential clients to find you.

Licensing

The great thing about selling your videos on this app is that you are doing it under license. That means you’re not relinquishing ownership of your work and you hold on to the copyright. Depending on the type of contract you set up with a client that means you’re free to sell your work over and over again if it’s a popular item. Maintaining artistic control of your own work is important and it’s nice to see the apps developers are committed to protecting the artists. There are a lot of horror stories out there when creative types lose control of their work in all different types of mediums. 

Professional Feedback

Another feature I really liked about this app is that you can get feedback from real professionals in the film making industry. This can be done in one of two ways: either through the UnStock academy or in the form of tips and tricks that you can search. The Academy feature is a great option if you want to take your filmmaking to the next level, but be aware that this is a paid portion of the app. If you’re not quite willing to pay for the help you can still find a lot of useful information in the tips and tricks section. You won’t find many other apps that are set up to help you succeed in film like this one. 

Real-time Communication

When an opportunity arises to sell your work under license it’s a pretty big deal. It means someone out there feels you’re actually a decent filmmaker and that’s bound to make you feel good and it should. Creating a great video that captures an important moment in time is a real talent and not everyone can do it. Sure we can all take videos, but that doesn’t mean we can make a real film. This app makes sure you’re notified as soon as someone expresses interest in your work by allowing for real-time communication with potential clients. If someone likes your work, but they have slightly different requirements, they may ask you to do some custom work for them and they can communicate that to you instantly. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Includes familiar social media features
• Upload and share your videos
• Potential to sell your videos under license and earn money
• Access to professional feedback
• Real-time communication with potential clients
• You can participate in missions and gain access to more potential clients

Cons

• The academy portion of the app does require in-app purchase

Start Your Film Career

One of the biggest obstacles to making money off your creative talents is finding a marketplace to sell your work and that’s exactly what UnStock provides for budding filmmakers. It’s easy to share your work and find potential paying customers with this app. Best of all it has a lot of social media features as well so it won’t even feel like you’re trying hard to sell anything and you can have a lot of fun in the process.