http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Tag: business - Recent Posts en Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:33:33 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74167 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:15:25 +0000 franko 74167@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks everyone for all the great help! love this community for that feature. I will look into others doing that work out here. I dont think anyone does. Thus why i thought it would be a nice thing to try freelancing. i have an "in" cause my family is good friends with a local independent agent out here. her firms business cards even say wanna work with us in real estate call us. So im gonna get things together on a business plan so to speak. and then talk with her about if this is done. and if not. maybe i can just do it for her real low key. to get my feet wet. Thanks again everyone!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74163 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:20:57 +0000 composite1 74163@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Since you have a day gig, approaching production as a hobby isn't a bad idea. As interest and potential clients begin to build, freelancing will give you a clear indication if this is what you really want to do full time.</p> <p>Earl's correct in that if you can, link up with someone who does this as their day job. Whether they are crazy successful or just crazy, you can learn what to do and what not from their example. When you think you're ready to work in production full-time, be prepared to jump into the shark tank. We've all said it here many times and will say so many more; starting a business is not for the fainthearted, half-assed or marginally interested. </p> <p>Running a biz is all day, everyday. All the things you take for granted as an employee (days off, paid vacay's, etc.) go away a warp speed when you start up. You also better love doing what you do because there is far more about running a biz that sucks than what is cool. You'll have to come to terms that the few and fleeting 'cool things' must outweigh the 'suckage' or you won't be in business long!</p> <p>The good thing about you having gone to filmschool is the tech side is one less thing you have to learn about. Learning how to run a biz is going to be enough of a heavy lift without adding having to learn the tech from scratch!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/7-types-of-clients-you-should-avoid#post-74155 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:39:29 +0000 birdcat 74155@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I dunno - Avoid is a good word for some wannabe client's.</p> <p>I just turned down one clown who wanted me to take his 10-12 hours of wedding footage (three cams), capture it, edit two videos - long form and highlights then author &amp; burn a DVD - and his budget I was supposed to do this for (drum roll) - $150 (he had lots of work for that price).  </p> <p>I may not have been 100% kind when I turned him down.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/7-types-of-clients-you-should-avoid#post-74132 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:24:28 +0000 jackwolcott 74132@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>"Avoid" may be too strong a word, but one type of potential client to be <em>wary</em> of is the company or agency which wants you to submit a lengthy proposal for a project they have in mind. Often the back story runs like this: the boss says to his secretary: Here's what I want done. Find out how much it will cost."</p> <p>So the secretary emails you and asks you to develop a proposal. You spend several hours figuring costs, calling back and forth with your contact to attempt to firm up vaporous details, and lining up people who will be your sub contractors -- audio, graphics, etc., -- and never hear from the contact again. </p> <p>Why? Because the secretary is in the middle; she has no decision-making power and, once she has turned in all her facts, it's the boss who calls the shots. And all he cares about is what it will cost him. So he decides that his nephew will use the camera he got for Christmas to do the job, the details of which the boss still isn't clear about! And chances are the project never happens. You've spent several hours of your life working on a project for which you will never be paid a dime!</p> <p>Always work with the decision maker directly. It's one of the first things I ask when approached, especially if the inquiry is from a governmental agency, where you're typically dealing with a committee: "Who is the boss?"</p> <p>Shooting things at schools fall into this category. Find out the specific person who will be approving what you do and who will be paying you. Don't accept "It's coming from the PSTA" or "The choral club will be paying you." Have your contract signed by the person whose name will appear on the check. It's him or her that you have to please, and it's this person, not you, who will have to negotiate with the rest of the committee. </p> <p>Finally, you only have one thing in life to sell and that's your time. Make it clear from the outset with any client that you'll be paid for any time you spend on the project. Have a contract that spells this out in detail. If you have to drive half an hour each way to get to the client's office for meetings, and you're expected to spend a couple of hours discussing storyboard, that's three hours of your life that you could have been editing or shooting. Have all of that time spent covered in your contract.</p> <p>Being a nice guy is part of being professional. So is getting paid for the time you spend with a job. I can be incredibly accommodating with even the most difficult client so long as I'm being paid by the hour.</p> <p>Jack</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/7-types-of-clients-you-should-avoid#post-74131 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:20:40 +0000 EarlC 74131@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>As much as we need and want the business, as desperate as we become for a bit of cash flow, it is important that we as creative professionals and as businesspeople determine and recognize our worth and be true to ourselves.</p> <p>There are certainly occasions when our individual economic situations are such that we are compelled to take whatever we can get simply to survive but survival isn't always based on making a dollar. It is based on sustaining SOME level of value for ourselves and our industry by walking away from gigs, Luis, where people you refer to as "cheapskate clients" fail to understand or appreciate our personal, professional and business worth.</p> <p>Until more independent professional video services providers stand solid and not "give it away" simply because they're either not concerned about profit, don't realize that profit is important, or are simply videographers who don't need to worry about price or value there will be difficultly dealing with this category. At some point we have to realize that this type of client is simply NOT worth it in the long run or short run.</p> <p>Bottom line is be true to yourself, your personal AND REAL sense of worth, your business needs and either hone your marketing skills to overcome such mentality, or walk away. Or, you can always refer such clients to others in the video business (we all know some) for whom business and profit are concepts to be ignored.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/7-types-of-clients-you-should-avoid#post-74130 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:06:15 +0000 SargeHero 74130@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I found this interesting <a title="7 Types of clients you should avoid at all cost" href="http://www.momeomagazine.com/business-101-disaster-clients-the-7-types-of-clients-you-should-avoid-at-all-costs/">article </a>that talks about 7 types of clients that should be avoided. In my personal experience in the video production world I have stumble upon at least 5 of this clients. In my opinion the worst and most common in the video business are the "cheapskate clients", which are not willing to pay for your hard work and expect a lot of things for less. </p> <p>I would really like to hear how Videomaker community deals with this type of clients. Any awful experience? Any advise for the video business newbies? </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74116 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:34:32 +0000 EarlC 74116@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>There's a LOT to be said for going into the business, jumping in and getting your feet wet, so to speak, especially if you've received some degree of education on the application and skills of film/video production. Nothing teaches better than working with a professional in some capacity, or even taking on some personal risks yourself. It has been said that those who can't, teach. That is not entirely an accurate indictment but it's not totally off the wall either.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74114 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:39:24 +0000 franko 74114@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks Vid-e-o-man. I have always loved videomaker FOR the business tips, as well as its focus on video technology. As both are something we never really studied, just had to research on our own. In the intro to production class, we DID watch videomaker published dvd's. And wish they would use some of its sources on the business side.</p> <p>I am probably gonna go back to the university, since im an alum now, and ask about any non degree courses they may offer on business management, it DOES have a business school. </p> <p>I am deff gonna look up your suggestion of business of video on here. That is gonna be a huge help i imagine.</p> <p>Marketing wise, im generally set. I took Intro to marketing for non majors as an elective. Which was a wise decision on my part. To take classes that pertain to my industry, but others in my study are not forced to take. I chose to take that one just to add some good bloat to my resume. I am not a pro at it. but, I think based on the small venture I am perusing, in such a small community. i should be fine.</p> <p>Thanks for the tips!</p> <p>ps. I imagine most would have to look up semiotics. I studied it in film theory, which for media arts majors is a 400 level class. Semiotics is dry as hell lol, one of the many things that i learned about, and will probably never use other then to talk film theory with my film nerd friends lol.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74072 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:59:46 +0000 vid-e-o-man 74072@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;P.s. I had to google 'Semiotics in film'.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74071 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:56:46 +0000 vid-e-o-man 74071@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;franko,&nbsp;what composite1 describes, the business side of Video isn't part of the usual course of study. Perhaps&nbsp;some business/enterprise courses should be required for any course of study which will end in a business environment. If you research the&nbsp;business of video on this site you will find many threads about pricing, marketing, etc. I remember a thread on the very subject you mentioned- real estate videos. Posters with real life experience in this left some excellent comments. As far as marketing video, we are lucky to have a contributer, EarlC, who has given all of us some sage advice on this aspect. This is a great place to find information about all phases of this industry.</p> <p>My advice for you would be similar to composite1's build up a video resume to show to any prospective client. Showing a&nbsp;wide variety of your work,&nbsp;real&nbsp;estate, weddings,&nbsp;birthday parties, sports events, memorials, etc. will showcase your talent and expertise. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Get lots of practice, shoot lots of different projects (paying or not)&nbsp;and as you develop your highlight reel, your confidence in your abilities will blossom.This confidence helps you market yourself, getting jobs and the pay rate that's appropriate. Keep shooting.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74068 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:37:42 +0000 franko 74068@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks so much for the help! I am gonna start looking into it. i have a day job, at nights. so that is doing fine for bringing in the cash, but i wanna venture out to more things of my field. so i can start that research and see where it takes me. thanks a bunch! I really appreciate it.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74058 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:45:22 +0000 composite1 74058@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Franko,</p> <p>Unfortunately, that's the drawback about going to filmschool or getting a degree in broadcast comm's. Universities are not mandated to teach the practical side if they want to keep their accreditation. So they only teach the theoretical side. If you're lucky, there will be classes which deal specifically with producing or self-study where you can research the business side on your own. If you're luckier, you'll have instructors who know it's BS not to hit you with some practical aspects and they'll jam in much as they can.</p> <p>So in the meantime, you're first going to have to learn what it's going to take to start a small business even if you will start out as a freelancer. You can do that by getting with your local SBA (small business administration) office and they'll break down the info you'll need to research. Also, tap self-help books like 'The Idiot's Guide to Starting a Business'. Lots of great info translated into English on the steps to start up.</p> <p>In the meantime, continue your research. You may find out there isn't a need or desire for the services you wish to offer. Problem is these days with digital cameras so readily available and easy to use, everybody figures they can save money by shooting stuff themselves. Your task will be to show them what the sales impact could be by hiring your professional service instead of them 'happy snapping' their potential products. You'll have to convince them with your work that the money spent on you will translate to sales that make the investment worth it.</p> <p>That's tough to do. You won't just be able to walk in, pitch your idea and get the gig. You'll need sample shots, referrals from other realtors and a basic gear kit to do a good job. To get that, you probably will have to connect with agents and slog it out with their BS, until you can build a reputation for doing good work. Remember, you're going to have to make a living while building up what you'll need.</p> <p>It's going to take time, but if you do the research and build your portfolio/reel, you'll be able to take advantage of good opportunities as they come.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74047 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:18 +0000 franko 74047@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Greetings. I have been looking for ways to make money with the video skills I learned in college. I came to the conclusion that I could easily shoot real estate photos and videos for agents in the small community I live in. (I will be getting a Canon D7 in the coming months, so would use that.)</p> <p>The idea is, going to the major real estate firms out here, I think its only 2. Going to them with the option to contract me as there video/photo guy. Instead of connecting with the countless agents, and working for them. Connecting with the firms itself. so that when any of its many agents needs photos or video, the firm just says "we got a guy for that, we'll send him out tomorrow." </p> <p>Is this a somewhat good business plan for such a venture? And if so, how would I appropriately charge for such a service? a standard by the hour rate? Or on a per visit system? And what would be an appropriate cost for such work? I wanna make money, but I also wanna be competitively priced. I can debate semiotics in film, but was taught NOTHING about video business practices in college lol. So any comments or thoughts are welcomed.</p> <p>Thank you for your time.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-any-money#post-73161 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:24:31 +0000 jackwolcott 73161@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Couldn't handle it if things got much busier. No relief (?) in sight until the second week in February.</p> <p>The recession hit us hard two years ago but we've been able to shift focus a bit and are nearly back to where we need to be. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-any-money#post-73150 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:33:20 +0000 hmueller 73150@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I always strive to get jobs signed and sealed by the first week in December. After that it is a drought until late in January. I always have a few jobs that I do on spec and I keep these for December thru January. It keeps me busy at least and there is the hope of money down the line.</p> <p>This year seems to be particularly slow, perhaps it is because of the overall economy being so shaky.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-any-money#post-73135 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:37:30 +0000 langel 73135@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Great! No hollydays in the schedule. Bulgaria :)</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-any-money#post-73074 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:24:48 +0000 Don 73074@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>got that pre holiday season lull... I expect things will pick up again soon, though.</p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-any-money#post-73073 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:57:37 +0000 Charles Schultz 73073@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Starting to get real busy Earl, I have four music videos in the works with a lot more potential videos once these are complete.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-any-money#post-73065 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:13:20 +0000 EarlC 73065@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>How's the video business?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70069 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:04:58 +0000 shastabroadcaster 70069@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Same here, Mini-DV tapes go in the drawer. The few times I failed to do that and misplaced the tape it ended up biting me..right...there...</p> <p>After a seriously bad investment in a couple of Netgear SC101 Network Storage "Toasters" I found I had a half-dozen or so "Enterprise Grade" 250Gb IDE drives not doing much. BTW: if you have a SC101...get rid of it...you'll thank me...</p> <p>  You can get a IDE-USB converter cable and power supply for about 20 bucks on E-bray. </p> <p>I formatted the drives for OSX, dedicated a drive to each major project, backed up the files, put the drive in a zip-lock bag along with one of those "do not eat" dessicant thingies, squeezed out as much air as possible, and then into the back of the fridge.  So far it's worked quite well.</p> <p> Note, if you happen to want to use one of the drives, take it out of the fridge and let it warm up to room temperature BEFORE you open the bag. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70065 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:22:28 +0000 EarlC 70065@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Like Don I maintain a combination of archival storage options: miniDV tapes; hard drives; DVDs. Like Bruce, my most important client files and originals are stored in duplicate ... on and off premises.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70064 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:14:23 +0000 Don 70064@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I never re-use tapes.. so some stuff is archived on mini dv tapes... other stuff goes one copy on a firewire drive, these drives get used as working drives until they are near full, then put in storage when all jobs on them are finished, then a back up copy on nas raid drives and another copy on another nas raid drive, but saved as an mp4 movie in itunes...</p> <p>finding a project in itunes is fairly fast and easy, and all I have to do is drop the mp4 file into roxio toast to burn a dvd or I can ftp the file... if I need original source material, then I search my archives...</p> <p>everything on raids...</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70062 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:50:54 +0000 BruceMol 70062@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I keep everything. I have two sets of 2Tb drives for each of my two archives - one drive set I keep at home, the other set in a large safety deposit box at the bank. I back up my video drives on my edit computer after I work on a project and only back up my email/business computer once a month. Altogether each month I back up my 4 500Gb drives to two 1Tb drives and exchange those for a set in the bank too. I have 1 drive I don't back up which has the end product for each customer in a folder - that's so I don't have to plug in (eSATA) archive drives when I (rarely) need to make a copy of something. By end product I mean, for a DVD customer, the iso file and cover art. For web clients just the finished video. </p> <p>Recently one of my monthly exchange 1Tb drives corrupted so I reformatted the drive, got the other drive out of the bank, copied the data over and put a drive back in the bank same day.</p> <p>I also have a big box of labelled miniDV tapes I keep in a cool place. I occasionally reuse tapes but not very often. When I format the tapes I number them and keep a list on my email/business computer of what tapes belong to what projects. In 4 years I've never gone back and recaptured a tape.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70061 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:12:51 +0000 composite1 70061@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Sarge,</p> <p>Unless otherwise stated in your contract, keep all your tapes and digitized files as stock footage. Obviously, you'll clear projects off your drive, but keep an archive of the project file and the digitized footage on a harddrive and store it. You may do some more work for the same client or want to pull some files off to use as stock footage at a later time. The main thing is to keep it all in as universal a format possible for the inevitable need to shift everything to a more current medium.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70059 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 06:35:13 +0000 MediaFish 70059@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I have every photograph and video taken over the past 30 years in some form for every client I have had - Rubbermaid bins, digibeta, beta, DVC, DVHS, VHS, 3.5 diskettes, data cassette tape drives, and hard drives.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70056 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:45:45 +0000 Charles Schultz 70056@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thus far I keep them on an external hard drive; though I do not have 100gb worth. most of the footage that I have taken will not fit on a single DVD so I figure it is better to keep it intact on an external hard drive.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/what-do-you-do-with-your-client-files#post-70055 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:30:05 +0000 SargeHero 70055@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hello Videomaker community</p> <p>I'm asking this because I have like 100+ GB footage from clients. To all pros here, what do you do with your client raw footage after you hand over the final production?. Do you keep them store in DVD or external hardrive or do you delete them?. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/new-to-the-freelance-business-advice-help-comments-all-appreciated#post-69059 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:51:02 +0000 composite1 69059@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Shane,</p> <p>Since you're already halfway through school, finish it. Move your major into Film &amp; TV Production or Communications with a TV emphasis come your Junior year. During semester breaks, instead of sitting on your butt do some interning with your local TV station, Video Production House or Studio. They are always looking for folks to do freebies and it will give you an opportunity to both network and gain some insight into how things work.</p> <p>Whether you go to school for production or not, you're not getting out of 'paying dues'. The main thing school does for you is give you a 'safe' environment to learn and explore a field where your mistakes don't necessarily count. You'll also have a slight advantage over someone who's going the 'School of Hard Knocks' path from scratch, but it will still come down to how hard you hustle, the quality of your work and how well others can work with you.</p> <p>I completely agree with the other posters, you are far and away <strong>not ready for freelancing yet</strong>. Way too many people who have significant experience and know-how <strong>get their butts handed to them</strong> when they leave the stable environment of working for a station, production house or studio to go out on their own. Right now, everybody and their grandparents think all it takes to make 'great videos and movies is a camera.' With so many people out of work pouring into the photography and video biz thinking they'll make 'easy money' you can't find the 'wheat for all the frickin' chaff!'</p> <p>You're going to have enough to learn concerning the craft, not to mention you seem unclear as to what you want to do concerning production anyway. Freelancing also entails learning the business side which is an entire profession in itself! Right now, stick to learning your craft. Yeah, you might want to do some side gigs but be very careful! All it takes is one misstep, dissatisfied customer or accident on the job and you'll be in deep, deep Kim Chee without a flotation device or a pair of chopsticks to eat your way out!</p> <p>So keep that enthusiasm while you're taking those 'baby steps'. You'll want to start running right off the bat but you have to crawl before you walk, walk before you run and run before you can fly.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/new-to-the-freelance-business-advice-help-comments-all-appreciated#post-69035 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:31:33 +0000 grinner 69035@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> well said. Skip the proper educational steps to become a successful freelancer and you're just unemployed while trying to convince your bride otherwise.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/new-to-the-freelance-business-advice-help-comments-all-appreciated#post-69011 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:13:10 +0000 EarlC 69011@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Exactly what facet of the video production business YOU want to pursue now or over time dictates the amount of dues you'll need to pay. Some have had formal training and years of internship. etc. before entering into their own operations.</p> <p>Others have continued an ongoing education while simultaneously pursuing work in the field and experience.</p> <p>Others have self-trained, learned from experience (and many mistakes) and pulled off a bootstrap business environment.</p> <p>It also depends on whether you want to get into the same league as the BIG HOUSES, work for ENG, develop your own boutique or simply become an event video producer providing product and services for individuals and small businesses.</p> <p>As in most businesses a lot is based on who you know, with WHAT you know catching up to you if you don't KNOW it ;-)</p>