When you are stuck at 3am, scratching your head trying to determine the difference between “retangular pixels” and “square pixels”, you may resort to using forums on various stock sites. I have found them incredibly valuable, saving time, sweat and tears. Some of the forums are very active, although most don't see much traffic. Stick to the majors. The two I read and contribute to on a regular basis are at Pond5 and the video contributors forum at iStock.photo. All the forums have their regulars with both expert and cantankerous opinions on a huge range of postings. Those posts span dense technical questions, new and old gear, pricing strategies, the pros & cons of exclusivity, the future of stock video, etc.
Here are tips to help you get the info you need - fast:
Search the forum first before you ask your question. If you hunt around, on most sites you can find a search bar in the forum. Many of the same questions get asked a lot, so you may find discussions and solutions to your question already in extreme detail.
Make your subject header specific. Instead of “Got a techie problem, newbie needs help!” write “How do I format files in Final Cut with square pixels?”. You're likely to get an expert response immediately. I tend to ignore headers such as “Newbie Needs Help!”.
Describe your problem in detail. State what operating system you are using, editing program, and series of actions you have followed already, etc. Give the readers all the information they would need to answer your question. Get detailed.
Keep it polite and avoid YOU statements. Things get heated and opinionated very quickly. No matter how tempted you are to respond to someone who has insinuated you are a jerk, don't press the enter button. Believe me, it just goes on and on.
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