Those wonderful Visionaries of Vimeo have once again vaulted themselves to Hero status.

Behold!  The Vimeo Tip Jar

Yes, Vimeo Video coolness abounds! This is way cool news for content creators, especially those with films on Vimeo already (and also for those of you not yet on Vimeo). Here’s the scoop;

Vimeo’s Tip Jar allows Vimeo users to crowd source funding for future projects! How cool is that? Viewers partaking of the films on the site will have the option to leave a ‘tip’ during/ after viewing a video. THEN, (this is one of the neat parts), Vimeo gives the filmmaker 85% of the money collected for that video—  cash to the creator. Amazing, considering many other pay-the-creator schemes currently in play (and the paltry sums being handed back to the filmmakers). 85% seems pretty good to me. Vimeo member already? Follow me-

Already a Vimeo Plus or Vimeo Pro member already? You’re in business-  jump over to Vimeo, and you can fire up the Tip Jar right now, just by activating the feature. You’re still here?

Funding  filmmakers is fun

This is great news for filmmakers with content on Vimeo already, or for those pondering a place to put their stuff aside from YouTube (seen the numbers needed to get any sort of cash from them)?  This is a wonderful way for folks to help fund a future project, or support fav folks in film with a current project. Drop a tip in the jar! Hell, most Starbucks have a tip jar on the counter- – you’d be getting your coffee whether you tipped well or not, right?  Let’s rock the boat.

This is one way of being far less anonymous, and directly supportive of the work you like.  More money to work with means more behind-the scenes video, educational resources, more films and potentially higher production value on future projects! If most folks with films on video are like the crowd I’m around most of the time, they’re dropping the funds from these schemes back into the project (or projects) at hand. Crowd sourced funding, indeed. Neat.

Vimeo Visionary Kerry Trainor has this to say in The Atlantic ;

The Atlantic– Why give creators the tools to monetize their videos, and why now?

Kerry Trainor–  It goes back to the core of Vimeo as a platform. Vimeo has been quite successful in terms of distinguishing itself as the quality platform for creative people. Enabling those people to start to build businesses and generate revenue around their work really feels like the next logical step. So the features that we’re announcing this week and overall – the first move forward for Vimeo into empowering creators to earn revenue really is a continuation of Vimeo’s core commitment to providing a quality platform for those creators.

Got questions?  Vimeo’s got answers. Get the Faq’s.

Like the Vimeoo folks say: “You Made the work. Now make it work for you.” Got thoughts to toss this way on Vimeo’s Tip Jar?  Let’s hear ’em.  (Thanks to Vincent LaForet for the heads up)!

Cheers, M