as a flickr addict, this would be a mind blowing experience. I read about it on flickr a couple weeks ago or something like that. Great post!

Woot woot! I have a D50 too! Nice article Dave

That story is great.

How cool!!! I'm a photographer & I would do anything for that to happen to me!!! Lol!!!

Thats such a nice story.

Neat.

"I’m not a big fan of the whole cinema-going experience."

Of course, right?

"My Flickr pictures have been used in some pretty strange places"....haha...me too buddy, me too...

awesome story.

that picture is awesome, and when it appears on screen, its really phucking cool looking. i love iron man

amazing picture

Too bad he didn't get paid for it.

It's cool, but that guy is already incredibly popular online with the Web Designer community. He's written a few books. It's like a celebrity winning the lottery.

Yes, great things happen out of the blue... but it's usually to somebody who doesn't care that much. The guy isn't a "cinema-goer"? I doubt he thinks it's as cool as slashfilm visitors and contributors (although he did admit there was definite coolness).

good for him.

a celebrity winning the lottery... that's actually not a bad concept for a comedy.

Seriously, if IRL Paris Hilton won the lottery I think I'd walk into oncoming traffic.

"I'm not a fan of the whole cinema-going experience."

What a douche, he didn't deserve this.

If my own picture was going to be in a blockbuster film, I'd sure as hell have a midnight showing ticket to see that film, no matter what it was for (besides Twilight).

But still, good story.

i am green with jealous rage right now.

Of all the amateur photographers out there, who among us hasn’t dreamed of seeing our photos plastered onscreen during the runtime of a multi-million dollar studio tentpole release/major comic book franchise film? I know this fantasy is what keeps me snapping away at random friends, family, and strangers with my Nikon D50 everyday…

Anyway, it turns out one lucky person on Flickr actually had this dream come true. On the right here, you can see a photo taken of the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral by Flickr user Adactio (real name Jeremy Keith). According to Keith, he was contacted with a strange message to use the photo in an upcoming feature film. “I thought it was an odd picture to be asking about,” Keith said. “Let’s face it; it’s not a very good photo. It’s blurry and washed out. I guess it’s somewhat unusual in that it was shot inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral. Usually members of the public aren’t allowed inside.”

Despite failing to take the woman seriously at all, she kept at it until finally she revealed to him that the photo was going to be used in the movie Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. Eventually, Keith signed away release rights to the photo. And then…

Iron Man was released a few weeks later. I never got ‘round to seeing it in the cinema; I’m not a big fan of the whole cinema-going experience. But some time later I was travelling across the Atlantic yet again and one of the in-flight movie options was Iron Man. I fired it up, wondering if my picture had made it into the final cut and even if it had, whether I’d be able to spot it.

Three minutes into the movie, there was my photo. It fills the screen. The camera lingers over it while performing its best Ken Burns effect. Not only was Robert Downey Jnr. photoshopped onto the picture, Jeff Bridges was on there too! The Dude!! …On my picture!!!

My Flickr pictures have been used in some pretty strange places but this must surely be the strangest …and the coolest.

Check out Keith’s website for the whole story (via Neatorama). This story is proof that wherever you live (Keith is from England), in America, you can still have insanely awesome things happen to you without even trying. Not that I’m bitter or anything…

Heeyahh

Why's he a douche?? Because he doesn't like sitting through 20 minutes of commercials before the movie starts, only to miss half of it because the person to his left is yammering on a cell phone and the person on the right has a crying baby?? That's what the "cinema-going experience" has become.

Great, so now everyone is going to go Flickr-crazy in a lazy attempt at trying to get their 15 minutes of fame...

@Ryan --
' "I'm not a fan of the whole cinema-going experience."
What a douche, he didn't deserve this.'

I suppose not being a fan of the movies is proof that a person is a douche.

Guess you didn't read Jeremy Keith's blog post about the experience. You may have found this:

"The woman on the other end of the phone—her name was Ashley—said she could reimburse me for the use of my photo if I signed the form she sent. I thanked her, told her I didn’t need any reimbursement, and said I would print out and sign the form for her."

Yeah, he sounds like a real dirt bag.

Ryan,

You are a DOUCHE, just because someone doesn't like the "cinema expierence" they do not deserve to have a "win-fall" like that... Please. I am not into reading comments by ingornat A-Holes, but I read yours (and am a lot dumber for doing so...Thanks D-BAG)

I'm not saying anybody was a douche, but that was definitely NOT a "win-fall". He GAVE AWAY rights to a photo he should have licensed for thousands of dollars. It's horrible business sense at best.

I've actually been a follower of Jeremy Keith's for a few years. Not due to his photos, but because I am a web developer, and he introduced me to unobtrusive JavaScript. I've seen him speak at a conference in Vancouver, Canada as well. He actually commented on one of my posts about Ajax (he is the author of "Bulletproof Ajax') saying, "This is a really good succinct description of hands-on Ajax." Crazy seeing this here, where he's getting recognition for something completely unrelated.

I hope when you say 'amazing picture' you mean the movie. The original photo was mediocre at best. His arrogance over the film makes it even less appealing.

You people are all 'insanely awesome' dorks, and you make me happy I'm on the other side of the line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a compliment...

What a great picture for the Iron Man movie.
Perhaps his talents can be used in the next
Iron Man movie. Hire the guy!

thanks from tony

now now david chen, the "bitter" allusion you made, comes off quite greedy - as you are a vital companent to arguably the coolest filmsite online. you get to write/see/interview/exclusive info/etc, to many things that 99% of the /film readership would KILL to do/experience. i really hope you are kidding, because yes, this guy is very lucky, but if i could choose between the two of you: hands down i'm taking the guy who gets things like this on a daily basis.

this is one of the weirdest talkbacks i've seen in a while. who'da thought this story would ignite some of these comments?

so.... the guy gets NOTHING for it? For a major production like Iron Man to have my work in it, no. matter. what, I would want a couple hundred bucks and at least buy me a ticket to see the movie. What kind of cheapassery is this? You can't watch our movies for free, or use anything that belongs to us without massive royalties. But here, we're gonna just take your work and use it how we see fit.. let me just send you the standard waiver form...

You guys are tools - a massive movie company is profiting from this dude's photography. That's why serious photographers don't upload their pics to sites like this - good bye all rights to the photo.

word

He's not being ripped off by a movie studio, he mentioned that he was offered imbursement a couple of times (which he refused), and could have refused use of the photo if he wanted. The fact is he published the photo to Flickr under a creative commons license ie. anyone could use it for free, and even explained that fact to the studio rep. Uploading photos to Flickr doesn't give automatic rights to everyone to use the photo, you can set the permissions.

Did you read his reason for not being a fan?
http://adactio.com/journal/1493/
Bad sound, flashig lights? Seems like a valid excuse

Haha very cool.

That would be a very trippy thing to occur! Nice to read a good news story, too (as apposed to remake.reboot news...).

That would be a very trippy thing to occur! Nice to read a good news story, too (as apposed to remake/reboot news which seems to be constant these days).

"I’m not a big fan of the whole cinema-going experience." What an ass. I just know I'd hate this person.

What a dumbass giving away rights for that photo usage.

Wow, what an awesome thing to have happen!

what an idiot... signing away rights to an image... oooopsie!

Does anyone realize that this is complete crap? Yes, it's the same building, but no, it's not the same photo! The angles are way off! It's quite clear that this is a famous building in which there were two separate photos taken.

You are all stupid.

Someone hasn't learned how to tilt a picture in photoshop. Tsk.

Thats such a nice story..

Not entirely accurate as it depends on what kind of CC license he had it under.

Exactly, it seems to be the average that most CC licenses on Flickr prevent commercial use specifically. Although it is really sad that he refused reimbursement for use on a million-dollar blockbuster movie, seems like he is rather ripping himself off.

HAHA 'besides Twilight...' Nice.

Man....that's cool...