Dronebase- is it worth it

Bigdz · Feb 5, 2017

AerialEye said:
Dronebase is having a problem with their software. Sent in 7 panos today and 4 of them came back upside down and were rejected.

I resubmitted them and one came back correctly and the other 3 upside down again. I'll keep resubmitting until they are all stitched correctly. Always check your rejected panos. It may not be your fault.

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did 2 one came out like your's, resubmitted still the same result

floridajustin · Feb 6, 2017

Do you have to have 107 to get paid for pano mission uploads?

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Helihover · Feb 6, 2017

floridajustin said:
Do you have to have 107 to get paid for pano mission uploads?

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Yes.

JMFinch · Feb 6, 2017

The panos are intended for sale. You cannot even shoot them for free if you do not have a 107.

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Helihover · Feb 6, 2017

Tswilliam said:
From what I have read and my experience with DB here are my 2 cents. Out of all these posts only one person Davemex said he was getting client missions. Frankly I don't believe him. I live in Houston and I email back and forth with a guy named Nick at DB and he said he would send over client missions as soon as they are available. Houston area has 6 million people and they don't have a single client mission? No way. When I asked Nick why the pay was so low he said it was not sold to the realtor but to a "data company" I pressed him further and he said Zillow. So this whole company seems to be a shill for Zillow or realtor.com. Think about it they don't care what gets paid for a job- take 100,000 panos times $20 bucks and what do you get- $2 million bucks , while we get $25 bucks. Until DB starts showing client missions with guaranteed payouts, I am sticking with my story. By the way I have not seen 1 company for drone pilots to sign up with that gets any results.
Ok that said I have made some money with them, about %60 payout, but ask yourself are you too lazy to call people and ask for work and just like not having to talk with people to sell your service? The time you spend flying $20 panos, uploading them and praying for a payout you could have made real contacts in your area. This is a sales business, leave the cave. kill something and bring it home.

I've touched on this before.....

Takes a lot of work to get a client who is going to hire you AND pay you. Anyone who has done this (I'm not talking about shooting a house for your realitor buddy), knows what I'm talking about.

Then there's editing. Ever edit? Editing takes 4-5 times longer than the actual shooting of the job takes. I spent almost 10 hrs on my last 3:30 min video.....

Drone Base is keeping pilots busy and the future looks promising. Did you watch the video? Looks like Nick is working on some big things for us!!

And....... I've been hired to do 2 pano missions with a guaranteed pay out. These weren't "client missions", but I was contacted to go shoot them for payment.

Currently @ 105 missions completed.

rccrazy30 · Feb 6, 2017

I've done 37pannos and 1 client mission.

The client mission was great it took about a total of 1hr flying, travel, and upload I made $250 that's not a bad deal. I have noticed a big slow down on pano missions A LOT have disappeared from the map only a few left... hopefully their slowing down panos and taking that part of the sales team to focus on client mission.

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AerialEye · Feb 6, 2017

Update: I contacted Nick about the upside down panos and he got them fixed. Quick response and quick fix. They're looking out for us over there.

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Bigdz · Feb 6, 2017

FYI be on the look out for 10 rating pano missions
Pretty much a garauntee payout, but not considered a client mission. I thought it was a typo/bug, emailed Nick about it and he said it's something new they are trying.

rladwig · Feb 6, 2017

I have done 2 so far and got paid $20 and $19. I guess if I can make a route and do several of these in a day it may be worth it. Time to see

Helihover · Feb 6, 2017

Bigdz said:
FYI be on the look out for 10 rating pano missions
Pretty much a garauntee payout, but not considered a client mission. I thought it was a typo/bug, emailed Nick about it and he said it's something new they are trying.

oohhh This is cool. Thanks for the heads up!

Edit: So after having a look around, I found several 10's! 6 of them blocks from each other and all of them are commercial.

Bigdz · Feb 6, 2017

Helihover said:
oohhh This is cool. Thanks for the heads up!

Edit: So after having a look around, I found several 10's! 6 of them blocks from each other and all of them are commercial.

You lucked out!

AerialEye · Feb 7, 2017

Helihover said:
oohhh This is cool. Thanks for the heads up!

Edit: So after having a look around, I found several 10's! 6 of them blocks from each other and all of them are commercial.

Cant find any in my area. Maybe not available here yet.

Bigdz · Feb 7, 2017

AerialEye said:
Cant find any in my area. Maybe not available here yet.

There was just two in my area.

Helihover · Feb 7, 2017

Too bad it's been raining here for like the last five days......

Gulfstream · Feb 7, 2017

Tswilliam said:
From what I have read and my experience with DB here are my 2 cents. Out of all these posts only one person Davemex said he was getting client missions. Frankly I don't believe him. I live in Houston and I email back and forth with a guy named Nick at DB and he said he would send over client missions as soon as they are available. Houston area has 6 million people and they don't have a single client mission? No way. When I asked Nick why the pay was so low he said it was not sold to the realtor but to a "data company" I pressed him further and he said Zillow. So this whole company seems to be a shill for Zillow or realtor.com. Think about it they don't care what gets paid for a job- take 100,000 panos times $20 bucks and what do you get- $2 million bucks , while we get $25 bucks. Until DB starts showing client missions with guaranteed payouts, I am sticking with my story. By the way I have not seen 1 company for drone pilots to sign up with that gets any results.
Ok that said I have made some money with them, about %60 payout, but ask yourself are you too lazy to call people and ask for work and just like not having to talk with people to sell your service? The time you spend flying $20 panos, uploading them and praying for a payout you could have made real contacts in your area. This is a sales business, leave the cave. kill something and bring it home.

Have to agree. Doesn't pass the smell test. Most of the Commercial Property work you guys are doing is going to LoopNet That IS a database - for commercial Real Estate Brokers who are making a ton in commissions (3% of millions in sales/lease agreements) and you're getting $25.00 "and a chance to fly your drone" as DB likes to say.

They love it that MOST UAS Pilots don't know squat about Real Estate (especially commercial), and they (DB) can make some great revenue, and payout a pittance!

I have been shooting RE for over 5years in a large market, including Commercial, Industrial, Office, and Retail for a Fortune 500 company that provides Ground Level imagery, and pays many multiples of the DB Pano plan.

I also shoot homes, and a Pano will easily generate an extra $100 above and beyond the normal fee for the home.

I realize for some it's a great way to pickup some extra cash, but you're killing yourself (financially) and the marketplace by doing so! Clients WILL pay for good work... period. Don't Sell Yourself Short!

Here is a great example I picked at random: Recent Commercial Real Estate Deal -- Considering all info presented, do you think that image is worth more than $25?

It was most likely used as "marketing tool to secure the deal", and it's being used again to "promote" the deal. This image is worth a minimum of $2000 for a pro (ASMP), but DB knows that very few pilots are aware of the fact that pros charge a "creative fee" and a "usage fee" based upon how, and where the image(s) will be used.

Helihover · Feb 7, 2017

Gulfstream said:
Have to agree. Doesn't pass the smell test. Most of the Commercial Property work you guys are doing is going to LoopNet That IS a database - for commercial Real Estate Brokers who are making a ton in commissions (3% of millions in sales/lease agreements) and you're getting $25.00 "and a chance to fly your drone" as DB likes to say.

They love it that MOST UAS Pilots don't know squat about Real Estate (especially commercial), and they (DB) can make some great revenue, and payout a pittance!

I have been shooting RE for over 5years in a large market, including Commercial, Industrial, Office, and Retail for a Fortune 500 company that provides Ground Level imagery, and pays many multiples of the DB Pano plan.

I also shoot homes, and a Pano will easily generate an extra $100 above and beyond the normal fee for the home.

I realize for some it's a great way to pickup some extra cash, but you're killing yourself (financially) and the marketplace by doing so! Clients WILL pay for good work... period. Don't Sell Yourself Short!

Here is a great example I picked at random: Recent Commercial Real Estate Deal -- Considering all info presented, do you think that image is worth more than $25?

It was most likely used as "marketing tool to secure the deal", and it's being used again to "promote" the deal. This image is worth a minimum of $2000 for a pro (ASMP), but DB knows that very few pilots are aware of the fact that pros charge a "creative fee" and a "usage fee" based upon how, and where the image(s) will be used.

Good points....

We're still not discussing a client base and editing. You mentioned none of these. These two items are the biggest challenges, especially to someone who knows nothing or nobody. Getting a client is 1/2 the battle. Editing is the other 1/2. Maybe it's because of my flying and photography experience, but the actual flying is the easiest. It's a cake walk and super fun.

So ask yourself this, how much would your $200.00 photo be worth if you never had to contact a client and never had to put it through an editor? I mean really it only took you 5 minutes, so what would you charge?

Gulfstream · Feb 7, 2017

Helihover said:
Good points....

We're still not discussing a client base and editing. You mentioned none of these. These two items are the biggest challenges, especially to someone who knows nothing or nobody. Getting a client is 1/2 the battle. Editing is the other 1/2. Maybe it's because of my flying and photography experience, but the actual flying is the easiest. It's a cake walk and super fun.

So ask yourself this, how much would your $200.00 photo be worth if you never had to contact a client and never had to put it through an editor? I mean really it only took you 5 minutes, so what would you charge?

Great questions:

It's a $2000 photo

and Flying is a blast UAS, or any other aircraft!

Yes, it took me 2 yrs. to build my R/E client base, (no aerials during that time), but it really wasn't that difficult even in this market. No... it wasn't easy, you just have to work hard, and just like anything else, it will eventually payoff.

Honest to The Good Lord Above, I Have NEVER "met" the Fortune 500 client mentioned in my first post. Happened 100% online, I've only actually spoken to the manager 4 times, Never even had coffee with a rep passing thru town, and they are our best customers!!!

It IS about time and usage. We ask the "right questions" about audience and usage and price accordingly. For instance, if this shot was going to be used a printed piece distributed on Cruise Ships that call on the port from around the world, it would be "X", but if it's used internally, lets say on a local guide for the area, it would be "Y". These are Industry norms.

Time is usually negotiated by the Day, Half-Day, or by the job, if appropriate (less than 2hrs).

Editing is simply part of the job, and you charge accordingly for Post Production.

All that said... I think any Commercial / Residential Pano should pay a minimum of $100 anywhere in the U.S, and if it's an extraordinary shot, it should be double that amount at a minimum.

Hope this helps!

Rosey · Feb 8, 2017

I have been hearing talk about the app...anyone know where I can get it?? I don't see it showing up in the Google Play store. I am only tracking the website.