Secure Distribution

Once talent approves their photos, the clock starts ticking. Publicists need those stills yesterday, journalists have deadlines, and the production wants to know who downloaded what. Emailing WeTransfer links and hoping for the best isn't a distribution strategy.

ReelStorage gives you controlled, trackable distribution with expiring links, automatic watermarking, and a complete chain of custody for every file.

The problem with current workflows

Most production teams distribute stills through some combination of email attachments, file transfer services, and shared drives. This works until it doesn't:

• No tracking: Once you email a photo, you have no idea who forwards it or where it ends up
• No revocation: You can't un-send an email. If plans change and a photo gets killed after distribution, you're out of luck.
• No watermarking: Clean files go out, and if one leaks before the premiere, good luck figuring out who shared it
• No audit trail: When the production asks "who had access to that photo?", you're digging through sent folders

How distribution works

1. Approved stills become available

After talent completes the approval workflow, their approved photos are flagged as ready for distribution. You don't need to manually move files or create a separate delivery folder.

2. Create a distribution link

Choose the photos (or collection) to share and generate a link. Configure:

• Expiration date: When should access cut off?
• Download limit: How many times can files be downloaded?
• Watermarking: Visible text, invisible tracking data, or both
• Access scope: Which specific assets are included?

3. Share the link

Send the link to your recipients. They open it in a browser, browse the gallery, preview photos, and download what they need. No account required, no app to install.

4. Monitor access

Watch downloads happen in real time. The tracking dashboard shows:

• Who opened the link
• When they accessed it
• Which files they previewed
• Which files they downloaded
• Total download count per file

Watermarking

Visible watermarks

Add text overlays to distributed photos. Common options:

• Recipient's name or organization
• Copyright notice
• "For review only" or "Not for publication"

You control the text, opacity, and placement. Visible enough to identify the source if a photo leaks, subtle enough not to ruin the image for legitimate review.

Invisible watermarks

Embed tracking data directly into the image file. This data survives cropping, resizing, and screenshots. If a photo shows up somewhere it shouldn't, the embedded data points back to which distribution link (and which recipient) it came from.

Per-recipient settings

Different recipients can get different watermark configurations. The production's publicist gets clean files. A journalist on a tight deadline gets visible watermarks on previews with clean downloads. An external agency gets everything watermarked.

Expiring links

Every distribution link can have an expiration date. After that date:

• The link stops working
• Recipients see a clear "access expired" message
• Previously downloaded files remain on their devices (that's what watermarking is for)

Set expirations based on your needs. Press embargo lifts in two weeks? Set the link to expire the day after. Quick review needed by Friday? Expire it Saturday morning.

Download tracking and chain of custody

This is where ReelStorage replaces the spreadsheet-and-email approach:

• Per-file tracking: See exactly which photos each recipient downloaded
• Timestamp logging: Know when every access and download happened
• IP logging: Record where access came from
• Export reports: Generate chain of custody documentation for compliance, insurance, or legal review

When someone asks "who had access to that leaked still?", you pull the report instead of guessing.

Access control

Link revocation

Changed your mind? Revoke any link instantly. Access stops for all recipients of that link, effective immediately.

Download limits

Cap how many times files can be downloaded through a single link. Once the limit is hit, the link deactivates. This limits how far your photos can spread from the intended recipients.

Recipient-specific links

Create separate links for each recipient (or group). Each link has its own expiration, download limit, and watermark settings. If one link gets compromised, revoke it without affecting anyone else's access.

Use cases

Press junket distribution

The talent approved their stills this morning. By noon, you need 30 journalists to have access for their reviews. Create a distribution link with 48-hour expiration, visible watermarks with your copyright, and download tracking. Send the link, then watch the downloads come in. After the embargo lifts, share clean versions through a new link.

Production compliance

Studios and production insurance often require documentation of who accessed unreleased content. ReelStorage's chain of custody reports show every access event, every download, and every watermark configuration. Export the report and attach it to your production records.

Agency client delivery

PR agencies managing multiple productions can create separate distribution links for each client, outlet, or campaign. Keep track of which photos went where, when access was revoked, and whether download limits were reached.

Who this is for

Publicists who distribute stills to media on tight deadlines and need to track where those photos go. PR managers coordinating delivery across multiple outlets. Talent representatives who want confidence that kill rights are being respected after distribution. Production teams that need chain of custody documentation for compliance and insurance.