VideoBlocks is now Storyblocks, and has a new office in Arlington

VideoBlocks, a subscription-based stock media startup in Arlington, Virginia announced the rollout of a new brand called Storyblocks, as it looks to expand its content selection into new areas. 

As part of the new brand, Storyblocks has created a marketplace for photographers and the creative community to contribute work and receive 100 percent of the commission from the members who use their content.  

Storyblocks works with the third parties to license their content, giving money directly to the artists.  

The video marketplace created by the company has paid more than $6 million to video and filmmakers who have created work for the company, according to company figures. The idea behind Storyblocks is to disrupt the traditional stock image companies like Shutterstock, Getty and Adobe. 

“There’s this true creative explosion taking place. And the face of the content creator is changing. It doesn’t look like it did a decade ago,” said TJ Leonard, CEO of Storyblocks.  

“Now we think that this new, massive emerging creative class is going to represent the majority of the creative world in the future if it doesn’t already. Getty and a lot of those legacy providers just aren’t paying attention to these people,” said Leonard. 

Current clients include NBC, Discovery Communications and MTV.  

Kim Quill, Lead Engineer works on a project while reclining in a hammock at her stand up desk. (Courtesy photo)

The local startup employs 95 people and recently moved from Reston, Va. into its new digs in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington, Va. The office is a 22,00-sq. ft. open concept workspace, with conference rooms, a “gym” game room and dog-friendly office—all part of a design effort to encourage employee collaboration.

The office is also equipped with an “Airstream RV room” based on the vehicle that founder Joel Holland took around the U.S. after launching the business.  

Holland would travel to a city, shoot the city and then sell the video footage on eBay. Whichever videos would sell more, he would then fly to that city, and ship the DVDs to the people who bought them, creating the basis for the company’s original archive, which now contains five million videos.   

Charlie Laughlin, Junior Treat Tester and Gus Sansing, COD (Chief Office Dog) hanging around the office pup tent. (Courtesy photo)

The new name represents a move toward working with more creative entrepreneurs.

“We felt like we had outgrown our old brand. Today’s creatives see themselves as digital storytellers, and we believe it is our job to provide the content and tools—the building blocks, if you will—so they can tap their innate creativity to tell more authentic and impactful stories,” said Holland. 

Jonathan Fulton, Vice President of Engineering and Mathias Hansen, Lead Engineer enjoy a game of ping pong at the Storyblocks office. (Courtesy photo)