New site…new blog

If you have been reading my posts and have wondered why it hasn’t been updated, it’s because I have changed it slightly.  Please go to www.ImproveMyVideo.com to see the new site. I have more content, several podcasts and a few tool kits to make learning about video easier than ever.  Please go there now and update your RSS reader.

Tilt Shift

I had a meeting last week with several other media professionals and we got on the topic of Tilt Shift and using it in video.  If you haven’t seen it, then click on the link at the end of this post…it’s amazing. Keith Loutit does a great job with this video.  Using a special lens, you can change the perspective and make it look like scale models. When you first look at the photo or video, you will think the image is not real but the more you study it, the more details you can distinguish.  It blew my mind.

How could this be used in your video?  Great question.  That’s what our media team was discussing.  It could be used in a lot of ways to show a unique perspective to the viewer.  The more you can keep your viewer guessing, the more they will stick around and come back for more.  Don’t you watch the commercials on T.V. when you are interested?  Don’t you turn the boring commercials?  If you can use this effect to keep your viewers guessing, and find a way to monetize the video, then you have a million dollar idea.  The possibilities are up to you.

I thought I would throw this post up quickly to see what you all thought of it.  Tell me in the comments how you could use this in a video to capture a scene and make money!

Click here to see link.

3 Ways to ensure success with your video company.

Last Friday I had the privilege of filming a wedding.  This time, it was for a close friend.  It means so much to me when I get to capture a wedding on video for a friend.  This couple is so encouraging and with God’s help will continue to encourage people for decades to come.  Even though I work hard when filming anything, I put an extra touch into weddings where I know the couple, family or situation.  It becomes more than a job when I have a relationship with the couple.

Most people that get into the “wedding video biz” start by filming friends and family weddings.  Since you know the couple and you are trying to get started, go the extra mile.  Don’t get picky with staying an extra 15 minutes, even though it says in your contract that you won’t stay past 10pm.  The little you do for free, will come back to you in referrals.  Here are 3 ways to insure succes with your video company.

1. Network: Tell as many people what you do and find common services that can recommend your video services.  You have to get your name and company out there for people to pay you.  Set up a basic website, use Facebook, talk to friends and family, go to networking meetings in your area.  Go to the “products” page and in the coming weeks I’ll have some info to purchase on how to market yourself (for free).  Don’t forget to think about areas that other videographers won’t (see my ebook on the products page).  If you are sitting at home wondering why people aren’t calling you with work, then you need to get out and talk to some businesses.  People do business with people they know and trust.

2. Go the extra mile: Don’t be lazy, overly picky or rude when starting your business (or once you are successful!).  Remember, your clients are making you successful and you need them to refer you to anyone.  You can be picky about the weddings you film (especially if you only film beach weddings, high end weddings or any other niche) but don’t be picky and tell the couple all the things you don’t do (“I don’t go to the rehearsal. I don’t go to film the bride getting ready.  I don’t stay longer than 2 hours for the reception.”)  I’ve heard some crazy things the videographer tells the couple.  Go the extra mile and it will come back to you.

3.  Quick turn around: It’s easy to get lazy once the wedding is done and you’ve gotten paid.  But, you still have the editing to do.  Make it a goal to get the DVD back to the couple by the time they get back from the honeymoon.  That’s my goal.  When I first started I would wait a few weeks but then I would procrastinate and never “feel” like finishing the wedding.  It’s best to just get it done and into the hands of the anxious couple.  Most wedding photographers aren’t able to offer quick turn around so if you can hand the DVD to the couple a few days after they get back from the honeymoon, you will look like the best business person EVER!  They will tell all their friends/family about you and your video services.

So there you have it.  Get people to know who you are, your work ethic and that you offer quick turn around and you will have customers lining up.

Tell me what you think in the comments…

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New Product…download it, read it, become a pro

I just completed and posted the first product that will help you improve your videos.  My goal was to illiminate the stress when filming a wedding.  Where to be?  What to film?  What to expect?  What will happen next?  I read a lot of blogs, posts and forums and a lot of you have the same questions and I want you to film like a pro.  Click on the products page or click the link below to get to the storefront page.  Isn’t a few dollars now worth the lack of stress on the day of the wedding.

Click here to view and buy the ebook.

How to break in (and not get arrested)

I hear from high school students, college students and others that are interested in breaking into the video production field but don’t know how to do it. There are several ways and some of them are more costly than others. Let’s go over a few of them.

College: Get a degree in a media related field.
Pros: It looks good on your resume and you can use that if you want to work at a production house and to brag to your friends (Hollywood may not be as impressed though). If you find the right school with the right teachers, you will come out knowing a lot and having a lot of real world experience.  I have plenty of colleagues that have gone this route and do quite well for themselves.
Cons: You pay a lot of money and might learn on outdated equipment…the teachers may not even know what HD is (High Definition for the unlearned). I have plenty of colleagues that have gone this route and do quite well for themselves.  I’ve heard plenty of students complain that they wasted money on the degree when they could have just learned and worked at a tv station or at an internship for a video production company. Which brings us into the next topic…

Internships, working for cheap and/or volunteering:
Pros: This can be a very wise choice as you are learning from the pros while in the field. You aren’t learning from a professor that was in the field 20 years ago (a lot has changed…think VHS was the king of media then). This is also a great choice because they can teach you while filming various types of videos. You can learn how to film: weddings, corporate training videos, promotional videos, infomercials, live events, and much more. After the internship you could walk away with a wealth of knowledge. You may not get paid a lot but money shouldn’t be the focus during this time. You can discuss the length of time that you would be working with the video professional. You cold also work with a wedding videographer, t.v. station, cable access station, court videographer, or any other professional that is offering work. Be clear that you want to work with them to learn all aspects of the biz. If you are lucky, they will let you on the inside and how to deal with clients, write proposals, edit, and deliver a great product to the client…but don’t assume they will give away their secrets. As you can tell, this is a great idea and something I would highly encourage.
Cons: You probably won’t be earning much money during this time and will be doing everything from learning the fun stuff (how to film, edit and work with clients) to the boring stuff (cleaning up after a shoot, setting up the equipment, filming stuff the owner doesn’t want to, and getting coffee). Overall, the cons for this are pretty short.

Learning on your own: teach yourself by learning online, from blogs, podcasts, magazines, etc
Pros: You can do this for a lot cheaper. There are plenty of sites (like this one), Lynda.com and VTC.com (online training for a small monthly fee) that teach you how to improve your skills as well as learn various video programs. Talk to video professionals and see how they got their start. They are always willing to talk the biz (just not during the shoot after they’ve yelled, “quite on the set”).
Cons: This may take you longer if you aren’t motivated and don’t do your homework (yes, you can still do homework while not in school, except this homework is a lot more enjoyable). Your family/friends may look down on you if you don’t go to school for your degree (no problem if you have a vision/passion and don’t need to go to school for it).

These are just a few options.  I just heard of a guy who went to Hollywood and learned everything from an incredible DP but then died shortly after that.  Which means, this guy learned a bunch from the pro and was able to take over the biz after the death….I wouldn’t recommend counting on this situation to happen every time.

Best of luck.  Leave a comment on how you broke into the biz.

Products and Services

The more I meet beginner videographers, the more I realize they have the passion and drive to do a great job filming but they need the information. I would have loved during my first years to have the “secrets of the pros”. I’ve done enough wedding and corporate videos to be able to help beginners raise their level of success to the next level.

What are some products and services I could develop and provide? I would love to have ideas, checklists, documents and other resources available to download both for free and for a fee that would help beginners raise their skills to the next level. One of my first weddings, I somehow missed the bride walking down the aisle. I think I was checking my settings or something. Thankfully I had a second camera set up that got most of it. If I would have had some information from a professional I would have known how to deal with the couple during the meeting, what to expect the day of the wedding, and how to deliver a great project. It took me countless weddings and several years to perfect my craft.

So again….what tips and tricks would you like me to provide that would help you film weddings (or even corporate videos) and take you to the next level? Respond back and I’ll get started ASAP.

Start it up!

I keep hearing from people how bad the economy is as well as the job market, home market and lending market. From all the reports I would agree, it does look pretty bleak. What if I had a built in market that will never stop and will continue to come back. Sounds pretty good eh?

One of the many things about video production is that their is a built in market. Wedding videos. There are a little over 2.2 million wedding a year…and ya know what? Most of them will want their wedding filmed. They may choose a friend or family member or they may chose a big, expensive company to film their wedding. Either way, you have a market that is reoccurring. No matter what the economy, there will be people that want someone to film the wedding. Doesn’t that sound great. It doesn’t matter if you film weddings full time, part time or are just getting into the “biz”, wedding videography is a great place to be…whatever the market looks like.

Follow me over the coming months as we talk about wedding videography and how to make the most of it. My goal is that you will improve your video, no matter what your current skill and knowledge leve.

The Biz…gotta love it

I filmed a wedding the other week (not a big deal since I am a videographer) and I again was encouraged by the amount of people wanting to be on camera and asking what I do. They were intrigued by the fact that I own my own company and work when I want and for whom I want. They were impressed by my camera as well as my audio equipment. I always tell people that a great investment is a good looking camera. You don’t have to know how to use each button and feature at first but people will respect you more when you have a decent camera.

I was also reminded of setting up before the wedding so no surprises happen. At the last minute I was asked to put a personal camera on stage. I usually don’t do these last minute things but since I knew some of the people involved in the wedding, I obliged. If I had guessed where everyone was standing, I wouldn’t have put the camera in the right place but since I had done the homework and asked the right people, I knew where to put the camera so it would get great placement.

Just remember, do what you love and keep the dream alive that you can start, run and succeed at owning your own video production company. Even if it’s only on week nights and weekends.

How to price your video…and make the money you want.

Pricing is the best part of the job. You can literally make what you want to make regardless of where you live. I would say, if you’ve never filmed a wedding, to keep it under $1000 (at least for your first wedding). Search online around your area to see what others are charging. Remember, their will always be “cheap” and “discounted” wedding videographers in the area but they will always stay in those price ranges. Once you set a price and the word gets out, it’s hard to up your fees. The best time to do that is when weddings are slow which is usually around January through February. I have met people who filmed weddings at under $500 and have never been able to raise their rates because they attract the kind of people who will only pay for a $500 wedding video. Your prices reflect your clients pockets. Are they the type of client who will pay anything for the wedding or are scraping by and trying to find the cheapest deal. If you have a couple who complains about your price, remind them that they will be able to watch this forever and you can’t put a price on the memory (don’t get too cheesy or they won’t book you).
If your plan is to get into the market with cheaper prices ALWAYS put the full price (let’s say $800) and give them a 50% discount. That way, if anyone asks you can tell them that you charge $800. Like I said before, it’s hard to bump up your prices once you are labeled a “discount” videographer. Your reputation follows you.
So, it’s up to you…what do you want to make and what type of clients do you want to work with? Look for future posts about finding Clients (which are good) and Grinders (which will waste your life away).

Knowledge

I got started filming weddings for friends and family so they didn’t mind if it wasn’t the best.  They also didn’t pay a lot for it either.  I had to ask friend for cameras to use for these first weddings since I didn’t own any yet.  One wedding I filmed, I somehow didn’t get all the bride walking down the aisle with my primary camera so I didn’t have a close up of her face.  Thankfully I had another camera angle but it didn’t have a good angle at all.  Thankfully, she never complained.  Knowledge only comes through experience and learning from your mistakes.  Even if you’ve read all the books in the world on filming weddings, you still have to get in there and film some weddings to know what works best for you and what your style is.  I have worked with a lot of college students who know a lot but they havent’ been in the field.  They have all the book answers and they think they know everything.  You can’t fake experiece but you can focus on what you know when you are around the client so they forget the areas you don’t know.  The old saying, “fake it till you make it”, is partly true but make sure you are learning at a feaverish pace until you know a lot and make it.

Knowledge is key in the video production industry and I am convinced you can’t know it all.  If you know everything in the weddig video industry, you still have to learn the corporate video side.  If you have mastered the corporate video industry, you still have the film and movie industry to learn.  Same thing with television commercials, travel videos, documentaries, live events, etc.  What my goal is with this blog and future podcasts is to bring your knowledge up a notch or two in a few industries as well as give you some information that is transferable from one industry to the next.

Have a great week and don’t be afraid to pick up a book, read some blogs, and get some knowledge on video production.  Even Steven Spielberg had to start somewhere…and look at all the knowledge he has now.