ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

9 years, 10 months ago - Matt Jamie

No, Ivo, the previous posters are correct. You make the video - if the artist likes it they buy it. It becomes their video. Or, as has been suggested, you "win the prize money".

The question of why would an artist not want to be in their video - that's quite often the case. Check out other platforms like Radar and the like, and you'll see that often a story-based brief or something more abstract might appeal to some artists, or they're looking for 'alternative' videos to accompany output they already have.

However, the old Genero model of "make the video, submit to the contest" is not a sustainable model, and now most of Genero's output now is on a "pitch a brief" basis - which is obviously how things work in the industry.

I have entered (and been a finalist every time) 4 of their make up front type competitions. The upside of losing (!) is that your video then enters the Genero Video store (if you want it to), where other artists can pay you to re-edit your video to their track. I've sold one through there. Genero take a commission - of course. (I made the mistake of selling the producers my footage an allowing them to do their own edit... but that's another story).

However despite my relatively successful record with Genero I wouldn't enter again on a make-up-front basis. Clearly it is a gamble, costs money and is unlikely to yield the best results for the artist or the film maker.

Though I can understand the appeal of their approach in some ways (the artist gets 30-40 finished videos ready to go to look at... much clearer than reading a bunch of pitches)... but it's pretty obvious that if you've got a $10,000 budget, you'll get a better video by paying someone $10,000 to make a video based on a pitch you've approved. Much better than paying someone $10,000 for a video they've already made with their mates for $200.

9 years, 10 months ago - gustavo arteaga

Yes. I'd love to hear how this Genero thing ever gets things done. Like you Ivo I am puzzled.

The Genero proposition is crazy; "Make something for nothing and enter the raffle." Cool if I am doing it for some worthy cause I may feel an empathy towards. Doing it for Virgin, BT, Quatar Airways? Come on. Get real.

More puzzling to me in the case of established acts wanting music videos is how Genero manages to get them to join the scam. Alanis Morissette has enough dosh to hire whoever she likes. She must realize the exploitative nature of Genero's proposition.

9 years, 10 months ago - Ivo Marloh

Gustavo, if there was a Like button, I'd use it on your response. I think what probably happens is that if you are lucky they "choose" your video, then come to you and say, "we'd like something like this, but with us/our product in it please. So let's go, here's your big chance." And then you do it again — for free. BUT obviously I am just guessing.