Update: Entries for Shutterstock Stories are currently closed! Check out the latest at the Shutterstock Stories page.
Last week, we announced our new artistic-grant program, Shutterstock Stories, and starting today, submissions are now open! A total of $75,000 in grants will be awarded to the winners of the program, which is open to all current Shutterstock contributors in good standing.
It’s all in celebration of our 10th anniversary — the perfect occasion to showcase the inspiring stories of the artists who have made the success of our first decade possible.
Submissions are open from today at 12:00pm EDT until 11:59pm EDT on August 30, so over the next several weeks, we’ll be on a mission to uncover the most extraordinary, emotional, humbling, exciting, and downright entertaining stories of Shutterstock contributors. There will be a total of seven creative grants: five $5,000 winners and two $25,000 winners, including one who will be selected by you, the public.
If you have a story to tell, get your thinking caps on and get ready to share it. You can watch a few of them in the video above for initial inspiration, then check out the story of contributor Anja Kaiser for more, and keep reading for full submission details.
The specifics:
Any contributor in good standing can submit a Shutterstock Story. We’re also accepting written and foreign-language entries (as long as you submit a transcript, too). Only one submission is allowed per person, and entries may not be modified after submission, so make sure you’re sending us the final product. Below are all the specifics and technical requirements, along with a few tips and tricks for creating your Story.
What we need from you:
– Tell us who you are with a written bio (up to 250 words)
– A high-resolution head shot (4×6, 300 dpi minimum)
– A link to your Shutterstock portfolio
– If anyone else is in your video (although we strongly suggest not including anyone else), signed model releases
– 5-10 of your favorite images or videos from your Shutterstock portfolio
– And the most important part: A 30-second (minimum) to 5-minute (maximum) video telling us your Shutterstock Story
What we’re giving away:
– Along with a panel of jurors, we’ll be choosing an undisclosed number of semi-finalists
– The jury will then select five (5) finalists, who will each receive $5,000 creative grants
– The public will vote and select one (1) global winner to receive a $25,000 grant
– The jury will select one (1) additional global winner, who will also receive a $25,000 grant
– As part of the prize, winners may be asked to document their creative efforts through blogging, Instagram, video interviews, etc.
Tips, tricks, and what should be in the video:
– Animators and illustrators are welcome to submit animated or motion works
– Every video needs to include:
- – Your name
- – Location (city, state/country)
- – What kind of artist you are (photographer, illustrator, filmmaker, etc.)
- – The phrase “I am Shutterstock”
– Please title your video “Shutterstock Stories 2013 + (Your First and Last Name)”
– Your video can be submitted in any language, but if it’s not in English, include a text transcript for easy translation
– To send us your video when submissions open, you’ll need to upload to YouTube or Vimeo and set the video to private/viewable only to those with a link
– Please keep hi-res copies of your videos, as we may request those files for use in campaign or finalist marketing
What shouldn’t be in your video:
– Profanity
– Nudity
– Logos, songs, or other creative material that doesn’t belong to you
The technical details:
– We prefer 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720 HD resolution (progressive scan, not interlaced)
– Quicktime .mov file format
– Video codec: H.264
– If the file is too large to upload, you might need to go into your compression settings in your video editor and set compression to a lower quality
– Your video should not contain music or other external sound effects; please also limit surrounding noise so that we can fully hear your Story
Topics you might want to include in your Shutterstock Story:
– How long have you been a contributor?
– Is this your full-time profession? If not, what else do you do?
– How did you become a Shutterstock contributor?
– Why do you contribute to Shutterstock?
– What/where did you study?
– What inspires your work?
– What’s been the most rewarding thing about contributing to Shutterstock?
– What does creating art enable you to do/be?
– Do you have a favorite piece/creation? Why?
– What would you do with the creative grant?
By entering the contest, you also agree to all terms and conditions, and permit us to use any portion of your video for promotional and advertising purposes. All eligible contributors who enter will be featured in a comprehensive recap of Stories later this fall.
Want to talk about Shutterstock Stories on social media? Tag us and use #ShutterstockStories.
Every artist has a story. We can’t wait for you to tell us yours.
