Current.TV - Make money with videos

Current.TV is an independent cable and satellite TV network which pays for viewer-created video content. Anyone with a camera and a story to tell has the opportunity to make money online by getting paid for short non-fiction videos called pods which tell a story, profile a character and/or share an idea. It’s a self-contained story, a profile of an interesting character or a dose of information.

Types of videos accepted
A wide variety of work on different levels are accepted for consideration, ranging from journalism pods to TV promos. Depending on your interest and level, you can submit videos for any of the following areas:

1. Pods
Pods are short videos that tell a story, profile a character and/or share an idea.

2. Current Journalism
Current Journalism Pods are news segments made by independent video producers who meet the highest journalistic standards of Current TV.

3. Promos
Current TV promos which tell audiences about Current TV, why they are different, and why you should participate in the network.

4. V-CAMS
V-CAMs are viewer-created ad messages for Current TV sponsors that can run on Current TV and beyond.

5. Raw Intel
This is raw footage caught with a video camera. This is reserved for footage that is newsworthy and/or is so riveting on its own, Current TV will consider buying it without all the extra editing and post production needed to create a finished Pod.

Requirements
1. Video lengths are generally between 1 -7 minutes, although there is no official limit. However, you are encouraged to break up your video into episodes if it runs longer than the norm.
2. Videos most likely to be accepted have unique voices, interesting perspectives, characters you don’t see other places and a story arch with a beginning a middle and an end.
3. Current TV is a network aimed at 18 to 34 year olds, so the subject matter should appeal to folks who fit into that general age bracket.
4. You can share and submit your videos to other sites as well.
5. Copyright laws for images and music applies.

Video submission formats
Uploads are handled by the Video Egg Publisher, a website plug-in that makes it simple for users to capture, edit, encode, and post digital video online. The Video Egg Publisher can capture directly from hundreds of types of devices and reads dozens of formats. This means you don’t have to compress your video, as Video Egg does it for you upon upload. Please upload the highest resolution version of your video to get the best compression possible.

You can upload the following formats using Video Egg: .3gp, .3gp2, avi, .dv, .mpg, .mpg4, .mov, .mqv, .wmv, .asf. At this time, the Video Egg Publisher does not support MPEG-2 movies. These movies are most commonly found on DVDs.

You can also submit your videos by disc or tape but these are strongly discouraged.

Payment
1. Payment for Pods, including Raw Intel and mobile submissions, is negotiated on a per-Pod basis.
2. Promos are purchased for a flat rate of $250 per promo that makes it onto Current TV.
3. V-CAM submissions are paid a flat rate of $1000 per V-CAM chosen for Current TV. If your V-CAM does air on Current TV and the sponsor of your V-CAM wants to show it in other places beyond Current TV, you’ll get anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000, depending on where they show it:

- Internet (other web sites besides): $5,000
- Cable or satellite television (other than Current TV or any cable or satellite television network owned or controlled by Current TV): $10,000
- Network television: $15,000
- Any other medium (theatrical trailer, public billboard, sporting event jumbotron, etc.: $20,000

If you are a video enthusiast or budding journalist, Current TV is an excellent platform to get your work on air because it is a credible organization (its chairman is Al Gore) which runs quality content. If your work is acepted, it can not only earn you some decent money, but the opportunity also adds positively to your resume should you decide on a future career in journalism.