TIP #1: Duplicate Keywords
Only one instance of a keyword needs to be entered in ClipLog for the keyword to be searchable. It is NOT necessary to duplicate keywords. However, if the main subject of your clip is identical to one of the pre-existing keywords in Cliplog (i.e. if the habitat is "Rainforest" but the main subject of the clip is a rainforest), then you could add the keyword to both the Habitat field and the Primary Subject field. Please see Tip #4 for more about the Primary Subject field. Also, it is helpful to include the root word and singular/plural word where the root word is modified (butterfly/butterflies, fin/finning, etc.), or commonly used synonyms (crocodile/croc, etc.).
TIP #2: Plural vs. Singular
Our online search engine will automatically remove an “s” or “es” from the end of a keyword search. Therefore, you can use either the plural or singular form of a keyword.
TIP #3: Using Cliplog’s Keywords
It is best to select keywords from existing categories in Cliplog rather than enter them manually. For example, if your shot is a Time Lapse, it is best to add this as a keyword to your clip from the special category Shot Type where Time Lapse is already listed as an option, rather than manually type Time Lapse in the Subject field. This way, your clip will come up when someone does an Advanced Search for Time Lapse from the Shot Type search filter on our website. For Subject Category, we recommend including Animal if you have also checked Fish, Invertebrate etc. You do not need to repeat those terms in the Primary Subject or Other Subject fields.
TIP #4: Primary Subject
Primary Subject is a unique field, in that all entries generate tag, which is a link directly from your Profile web page to the subject listed. On your profile page, the subjects are listed once, such as "Great White Shark". If a client were to click on that "Great White Shark" tag, then a search page would open containing all of your clips with the keyword "Great White Shark". Primary Subject should only include the main subject(s) in the shot, with no other descriptive keywords. There is no need to repeat these terms in the Other Subject field. Save that field for scientific names, common synonyms, or other secondary subjects in the shot. We also use Primary Subject to update the main Browse pages on the NatureFootage website. In fact, looking at the Browse pages can assist you in choosing appropriate keywords for your clips. It can also be helpful to do a search on a similar subject and see how other providers have logged their clips.
TIP #5: Action Keywords
The Actions keyword field includes broad actions, but be sure to use additional Action keywords (or add your own custom keywords) to make the action more specific. For example, if the action in the clip is Travel, you could also add Swim, Run, Swarm, Walk, Slither etc. For the term Parent, you might include Nurse or Nest. Many clients are looking for specific behaviors and may use those terms to search.
TIP #6: Keyword Sets & Logging Templates
Keyword Sets and
Logging Templates can save you time when logging. Keyword Sets allow you to create a set of keywords from all of the categories on the logging page that can then be saved to your Cliplog account. By creating a Keyword Set up front, all keywords can be added by applying your set to many clips instead of re-typing the keywords again and again. This can minimize mistakes when logging. Logging Templates allow you to hide any fields on the Cliplog logging page so that you only see the fields you use the most. Logging Templates can also be saved to your Cliplog account.
TIP #7: Location! Location! Location!
Logging the Location field is required for your clips to be searchable on the Nature Footage site, as it is very helpful to know where the clip was shot. Clients are often looking for species from specific or broad geographic areas. Please add additional custom location keywords that are not already included as keyword options under the Location field. It is not necessary to repeat the location in the description of the subject. For example, for a clip with the subject “Sunset at Half Dome”, you would add the keyword “North America” from the Location field, but you should also include “Yosemite National Park”, "California", "Sierra Nevada Mountains" as keywords in the Location field as well. You may want to include a single entry of the location under Primary Subject so that it is included on your profile page. A category that is also often underused is the Habitat field. This is the place to add terms such as Kelp Forest, Mangrove, Beach, Meadow, Steep, Rugged, etc. Try to think of any terms a client may use to search for a specific habitat that is not included in one of the check boxes.
TIP #8: Land vs. Ocean
Another field that must be logged in order for your clips to go online is the Category field, where you have the options to log your clip under the Land or Ocean category. If you're unsure whether your footage belongs under Land or Ocean, check where the animal/subject of your footage is listed on our Nature & Wildlife and Ocean & Underwater browse pages. The Ocean category is for subjects who are intrinsically tied to the ocean. For example, if you have uploaded footage of sea lions lying on a beach, you should log these clips under the Ocean category even if the sea lions are on land. Conversely, if you have footage of a monkey on the beach drinking from the ocean, the clip should still be logged in the Land category because Monkeys are land animals, and are listed under the Nature & Wildlife Browse page. Any land-based body of water (i.e. river, lake, wetland, pond, etc.) should logged in the Land category.
TIP #9: Selecting Still Images
Selecting Still Images can be done for an entire tape sequentially or as you log each clip. Selecting a Still Image before you log each clip is a good way to review the content of each clip without having to watch the entire preview. It is very important to take the time to select your stills as these images are what visitors see first when searching on the NatureFootage website.
TIP #10: SAVE CHANGES!
Ensure that you SAVE CHANGES (by clicking the Save Data button) before leaving the clip editing page if you want your changes to apply.
TIP #11: Batch Logging
Batch Logging is a great way to add common keywords to an entire tape or a set of clips. For example, if an entire tape is all underwater Galapagos footage, then you can perform a Batch Log to add keywords that apply to all the shots on the tape (e.g. Galapagos, Underwater, South America, Tropical, etc.). You can also do a search in Cliplog for a specific keyword, like dolphin, then perform a Batch Log on this found set (e.g. to change pricing, add clips to a sequence, add additional keywords like species name, etc.). You can also log clips by adding them to a Clipbin and performing a Batch Log on those clips. For instance, you might use Batch Logging to add keywords for location, habitat etc. that are common to all clips on a submission. Then, you would use the Clipbin you created to select a subset of clips that have a common keyword(s). This is faster than adding that keyword(s) to each clip individually.
TIP #12: Use the Metadata Import Spreadsheet
An alternative solution to logging your clips in Cliplog would be to use our custom
Metadata Import Spreadsheet, which you would fill out with all of the logging information for each clip. After the spreadsheet has been filled out, you will need to send it back to us for import into Cliplog. Please contact one of our representatives if you have any questions on how to use our Metadata Import Spreadsheet to log your footage.