Joe AKA Bisbinetts and the star of his Bounty submission
Poptent has really kicked it into overdrive in the last few months. Last spring the site was running maybe 3 or 4 video assignments at a time but currently they have 8 assignments up and running. And I’ve noticed that as soon as one assignment closes, another one soon pops up. The number of videos purchased per assignment keeps going up too. Last week Poptent announced that Sprite bought 4 videos for $5,000 each and one for $10,000. Also, a lot of the “brands” that run these assignments have started buying more videos then they were obligated to. For instance, just today Poptent announced that Pringles bought 5 videos for $7,500 each. Originally they had only committed themselves to buy one.
So with all these assignments going on and with the increase in the number of purchases per assignment, there are a whole lot more chances for filmmakers to make money. And recently I’ve noticed that a few of the more talented members of the site seem to really be cashing in by making multiple sales one after another.
The king of these new Poptent super-sellers goes by the screen name “Bisbinetts.” This single member has sold a total of 8 videos through Poptent. (4/1/11 UPDATE: Make that 9 sales! Poptent just announced that Mr. Bisbinetts just sold an ad to Triaminic for $7,500.) Now, I won’t tell you exactly how much he’s made but his earliest videos earned him $3,500 and his latest ones sold for $7,500. So you do the math….and then curl up into a jealous little ball and have a good cry. But then get over it because not everyone can be “Bisbinetts!” In fact, even “Bisbinetts” isn’t really “Bisbinetts.” So who is the lucky filmmaker behind the screen name? Well….let’s find out:
VCN: Poptent users pretty much only know each other as a screen name and a tiny photo. So who the heck are you? Where are you from? What’s your story?
JOE: They say it’s not the size of the photo that matters, it’s how you frame it. My name is Joe. My story begins in the early 80s with my birth. This is where the details get pretty hazy. I’m almost positive I studied finance at Georgetown and worked in the insurance business for a couple years after that. I knew I wasn’t doing that shit for the rest of my life. So I quit. Then I took my savings and blew it on incredible journeys to Alaska and Europe. I had just enough left for an 8 week intensive directing program at the New York Film Academy (the one in NY). That was a blast! I learned some stuff, but mostly it just got the creative juices flowing again. I also met some great friends, including my current production partner and “PopStar” RJ75, who pretty much sells everything he makes. So, after the NYFA, I left the east coast for sunny LA as people tend to do when pursuing such a career as filmmaking. Since being out in LA, I’ve made a few shorts, a feature and a shit load of commercials. It’s been a great ride so far…
VCN: How and when did you first discover Poptent and why did you sign up?
JOE: A couple years ago I started poking around the web and found a few online video contests. I wasn’t into making commercials yet, but thought I would give it a try. I came across Poptent when they were XLNTads and they were running a Bud Light competition. I thought that was sweet and dove in.
VCN: How long was it until you made your first sale?
JOE: I never really struck gold before Poptent. I entered a solid handful of other contests before I won anything. I did manage to collect a wonderful assortment of consolation prizes – a model truck, a cutting board, a bag of pistachios, a shirt. Exciting stuff. I actually thought I was going to sell my first Poptent submission for Bud Light. It kicked ass. Bud Light got cold feet though. I finally made my first Poptent sale with Coors Light (eat it Bud Light), which was about the 5th competition I entered through Poptent.
Purchased by Coors Light. Price: $3,500
Also Purchased by Coors Light. Price: $3,500
VCN: So which Poptent assignments have you won? And which sale are you proudest of?
JOE: I have been lucky enough to nail a handful of these. I sold a couple ads to Coors Light along with eHealth, Nokia, Crystal Light, Harrahs, New York Life and Trident. I’m definitely proudest of my most recent win with Trident. It was my first foray into the rap video realm and I worked really hard putting all the pieces together. And it was a blast to shoot that!
Purchased by Trident. Price: $7,500
VCN: Do you have a strategy when it comes to making poptent submissions? Or to put it another way, what’s your secret?
JOE: A crowdsourcer never reveals his secrets. Ha, I wish I had a formula. I don’t really have a specific strategy. I make sure to read the creative brief a few times over to see exactly what the brand is looking for. Then I see if I can make something interesting and/or funny. Then I make it.
VCN: In the three years you’ve been a member of Poptent you’ve submitted 44 videos to assignments. How much of your time is spent working on Poptent-related projects?
JOE: Actually, Beardy, its 49. Some of my videos are private and hands-off.. In the beginning, Poptent wasn’t pumping out a lot of assignments. So I wasn’t really involved too much. It wasn’t until about a year ago that the company really started picking up. It was also around this time I was getting more and more into making commercials. So it worked out well. I needed spots for my reel (and money) and Poptent provided great opportunities for that. Nowadays, my involvement changes month to month. I do a lot of freelance creative work so when time allows I’ll pop onto Poptent and see what’s happening. Usually I’ll end up making a couple spots a month.
Purchased by New York Life. Price: $7,500.
VCN: HOW do you create your submissions? By that I mean, what is your process?
JOE: The HOW really varies from submission to submission. Sometimes I do it all myself and sometimes I get some help. I do have a great group of creative friends to bounce ideas off. As mentioned earlier, RJ is really the other half of our production team. We are a tireless two man crew either working on his spots or mine. Usually, I decide to participate in an assignment a week or so before it’s due. Instead of casting, I rely on my regular group of actor friends to step in (I’ll even use myself in a pinch). I know what I’m gonna get, I can keep costs down and it makes for a great time when we shoot!
VCN: What kind of camera do you shoot with?
JOE: I used to shoot with the HVX-200. Great camera, great colors, but no cinematic depth of field. I bought a Nikon D7000 (comparably to the Canon 7D) over x-mas which is what I used to shoot my last 3-4 spots (including Trident). Great little DSLR.
VCN: Have you ever submitted a video that you were sure was going to get purchased but it didn’t?
JOE: All of them? No, I usually feel good about my submissions, but there are some I know don’t really have a shot. However, there have been a few that left me stunned when they weren’t purchased. I still consider “C’est La Dude” to be some of my finest work and Bud Light chose to ignore it. I also thought my Snickers and Monograms submissions were the best of the bunch. And of course my Old Spice ad which came 6 months or more before Isaiah Mustafa took the world by storm.
NOT purchased by Snickers. Beardy’s Note: Wow! Um…I think this ad seriously could have been Old Spice’s secret inspiration for the Mustafa “Hello Ladies..” ads!
VCN: If you don’t mind me asking, what have you been doing with the money you’ve been making??
JOE: Winning. I got a great deal on a 100 quarts of tiger blood. It will be worth more than gold in a few years. Mark my words. I finally started paying off my credit card debts too. And I bought a computer. Now I’m broke again. Come on Zatarains – 1 in 17 chance!
Purchased by Triaminic. Price: $7,500.
VCN: What is it you like best about Poptent?
JOE: The Medals. If I ever feel down, I can just check out my page and see all of my accolades. I’m just two medals away from becoming the greatest commercial producer of all-time. Ok, I’m not that self-absorbed. Poptent is great for many reasons, but the best part is the community. They have a wonderful staff made up of human beings with real faces that actually interact with you. Then there’s the countless number of creators who provide feedback and with whom you can connect with and work with if you so desire. It’s very cool.
Joe and RJ spend some of their winnings at the track
VCN: The Poptent staff seems pretty open to making changes based on the suggestions of users. So if there was one thing you could change about the site, what would it be?
JOE: Get those rates up. From my vantage point, Poptent is leading the charge in this industry. I’ve dabbled elsewhere but have yet to come across a model like Poptent that drives real brands that we’ve all heard of. Poptent is setting the standard. $5k shouldn’t even be on the table anymore. These giant brands have budgets dipping into 6 figures. They snicker when they learn they can get a national TV ad made for $10k or less. It’s a tough call for Poptent because they get their slice either way, but at this point we shouldn’t be seeing anything less than a $15k purse per video.
VCN: What are your future plans?
JOE: Good question. I think I’m gonna go get a sandwich. And make a children’s film.
