Become a collector
Get paid to capture first-person footage in your own town.
We build custom egocentric datasets for AI teams, and we need people who can capture real work in real places, anywhere in the world. Hear from collectors already doing it, then apply.
- Where
- Your own town, anywhere
- Start
- Apply online
- Trial
- One paid, reviewed session
- Standards
- Published in full
Our collectors
Hear from our providers.
Collectors Wesley, Yohance and Eric share what working with Firsthand is like in their own words.
Provider testimonial
Wesley
Provider testimonial
Yohance
Provider testimonial
Eric
How it works
From application to first paid session.
Anyone we recruit already owns the camera for phone capture; the spec shows you how to use it.
- 1. Apply
- Tell us where you are and what you can capture. Applications are open worldwide.
- 2. Paid trial session
- One paid, calibrated trial session, reviewed against a real spec.
- 3. Get briefed
- Each assignment comes with a spec that says how to mount the camera, frame the task and what counts as a usable take.
- 4. Capture and get paid
- Paid by the hour, including setup, calibration and breaks. Payment does not depend on footage being accepted.
What we look for
Not camera talent. Care and consistency.
These are the checks behind the paid trial session. They decide whether an hour of footage is usable.
- Calibration discipline
- You complete and pass the opening and closing calibration on every session.
- Spec literacy
- You can read a skill spec and tell mid-session whether the take will be accepted.
- Consent handling
- Releases are collected before capture, and you stop recording if an un-consented person enters the region.
- Environment access
- You have legitimate, documented permission for every site you propose.
Pay rates, terms and the full acceptance bar are on the collector standards page. The release you would be collecting is published on the provenance page.
Ready to capture for Firsthand?
Applying takes a few minutes. We will follow up about your paid trial session.