A few months back, my colleagues Karim Ben Khelifa and Tina Ahrens shared with me one of the smartest concepts for alternative funding that I have seen yet. If it works, it has the potential to shape the future of photojournalism. They are calling their new platform Emphas.is, and it is based on crowd funding, but with a few twists that make it different from anything else currently available. Emphas.is is working with a board of reviewers composed of top level photo industry professionals to select proposals before they go public. They are also offering unique incentives to people that choose to back photographers. Emphas.is is expected to launch at the beginning of 2011, but the preview website went live today with an impressive list of endorsements from the directors of VII, Magnum, Visa pour l’Image, photo editors at TIME and Newsweek and many photographers (including yours truly).
*UPDATE – Sept. 13, 2010: Harvard University’s Neiman Journalism Lab just posted an article with more details about how Emphas.is will work. The founders have also added an Emphas.is Facebook page where you can keep track of developments.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by unknownsnapper, Micha Bruinvels, Kevin Thornhill, Hollandse Hoogte, amelia kunhardt and others. amelia kunhardt said: RT @Russian_Photos: RT @tomasvh: New funding models for photojournalism, Part II. Meet EMPHAS.IS http://is.gd/eLsrb [...]
By: Tweets that mention New funding models, Part II – Introducing EMPAHIS.IS « tomas van houtryve | journal -- Topsy.com on 30 August, 2010
at 1:00 PM
[...] Sounds good. I wish them all the best of luck. They are hoping to use crowd funding, ‘but with a difference’…part of the difference being that they will be working with a board of reviewers composed of top level photo industry professionals to select proposals before they go public. Thanks for that explanation Tomas. [...]
By: Robert Capa’s email list. | duckrabbit - we produce photofilms on 5 September, 2010
at 3:43 PM
Very interesting project. I’m curious to know its power after the launch hoping on a good power. Thanks
By: Eliseo Barbàra on 7 September, 2010
at 9:56 AM
[...] Posted in Support & Funding « New funding models, Part II – Introducing EMPHAS.IS [...]
By: New funding models, Part III – VII The Magazine and One Month with Flattr « tomas van houtryve | journal on 7 September, 2010
at 3:30 PM
[...] È così che Tomas V. H. sposa emphas.is, lanciando il suo progetto sul sito e diventando un convinto promotore di questo nuovo modello di finanziamento. Riguardo il progetto in Laos, ha compilato [...]
By: Emphas.is, il Laos e Tomas Van Houtryve | No Borders Magazine on 11 April, 2011
at 10:05 AM