Last time I posted something, some people had trouble playing it. Also some said that the wmv looked washed out. I tried adjusting the gamma, pulling back the blacks, and boosting saturation before encoding to .wmv. How does it work/look?

Also, if you'd like to critique the work go ahead. Don't hold back, everything helps.


Post Ceremony Clip (http://www.truvisionstudios.com/demos/dviclip.wmv)

I was puzzeled at first. Something didn't seem quite right, but I couldn't put my finger on it at first. Then I watched again, and realized that there just weren't very many people doing much smiling. You had a tough bunch to work with there, but I think you put the piece together pretty well, and the color didn't look washed out.

Even most the smiles (what few there were) from the bride, looked like she was forcing them (frankly, it looks like she wasn't to thrilled to be getting married that day).

Thanks!

I thought the same thing the entire time I was editing. Not too many happy faces.

If I had to guess though, I think the photographer had a bit of something to do with the unhappy bride. I about died when he yelled at the bride "Your on my time now."

The photographer was in my way the entire day, told me to stay out of the way during the cake cutting, dances, and would not work with me what so ever. I felt he was purposely stepping into my shots.

The mother of the bride wrote him a letter after the wedding explaining how dissapointed they were in him. I tell future brides i will not do another wedding with him and that he is the only photographer I have ever had trouble with. Other photographers have told me nothing but how easy I am to work with.

Another bit of info... the photographer had offered a free video to the mother of the bride... because his company is going to start offering video and they need a demo. Luckily the MOB told him no, they had already hired somebody, and she thought it would be rude to have their crew there too.

What an idiot. Might almost be tempting to thwack him with a shotty mic, if not for possibly hurting the mic.

I enjoy every video you post... you do excellent work.

Some parts of the video do look a little washed out in my opinion, but it doesn't stand out too bad. Good editing, and I agree with everyone else about the smiling.

Also, I love the package store trip that was priceless, :D

I'll gladly donate my shotgun mic to the cause . . . or my shotgun, for that matter . . .

"You're on my time now."

????

Wow, what a complete moron. I'm amazed he still get clients.

Anyways, on to the video . . .

I thought you did a great job. The pacing and cuts and transitions all pretty much worked for me. You could use a little color correction in most of the shots, but nothing serious (cloudy days are tough). The only thing that really stuck out to me was the shot you ended on. Maybe it fits in your overall video, but I think you should end on the shot of the bride and groom laying on the grass, not on the next shot of the empty reception hall.

Those are my thoughts . . . and seriously, the shotgun or the mic, whatever you want . . . d:-)

"Another bit of info... the photographer had offered a free video to the
mother of the bride... because his company is going to start offering video and they need a demo. Luckily the MOB told him no, they had already hired somebody, and she thought it would be rude to have their crew there too."

this is probably why he behaved the way he did.. you took "his business" from him...

Sometimes I kind of like cloudy days because I don't get hard shadows. It does make colors look dull which, as you said, is what I had here. I definitly could do some CC work, but with weddings, and the average associated pay, as much as I don't like to say it, there has got to be a line somewhere... doesn't there? If not I could work on the same wedding for months, years, or forever!

The couple and their families were thrilled with the video. The bride told me it was alot more than she expected, and her mom called and said they watched it over and over the night they got it. She said it was unbelievable.

I bet 9 times out of 10 the average wedding client would never notice the difference between a color corrected version and the original, unless the original color was drastically off, or the effect was drastic.

I have always been a perfectionist, and struggle to balance this with the fact that I am also running a business. Again, with a $1300 wedding video.. where should that line be?

As far as that photographer goes... I would take the shotgun. This guy is one of the reasons video is getting a bad rap. You should see the demo vid on his website. Right above it says, "$400 for your entire wedding day on DVD!!! Cheaper than Anywhere else!!" I'm so tempted to post his site, but would that be morally wrong?

I stood my ground with him... got the best shots I could... and had the b&g and parents on my side which helped. His work is... mediocre to be kind... the mother of the bride said his portfolio looked good.. but the final photos were... ok.

What's the URL for this nitwit's site? Morbid curiosity has gotten the best of me I fear.

What's the URL for this nitwit's site? Morbid curiosity has gotten the best of me I fear.


check your email

Wow. That's impressive. That clip on the guy's site may very well be the weakest wedding video demo clip I've ever seen. You certainly don't have to worry about him taking any business from you, from brides that want quality. He should have been a plummer or something (not that I'd let him fix a leaky faucet in my house).

The couple that got that free, paid to much! LOL

My thoughts exactly.

Unfortunatly alot of the prospective clients I talk to ask for prices before anything else. I get leads through different online ad sites requesting availability for a date and a budget of $500 for raw video.

I wonder if people around here have just seen to many uncle charlie videos and videos from clowns like this guy to appreciate what a wedding video can be.

I do book 90% of the couples that come in to meet with me. I've even booked some at bridal shows who said they had no desire for a video before they saw my demo.

I havn't been doing this that long, a little over 2 years... but I feel confident in saying I blow away most of the local competition. I am no glen, mark, or eric, but I hold my own against the local guys and am always trying to improve.

I'm thinking of not giving any prices out over phone or email anymore.

I'll tell people if they are shopping for the cheapest video they can find... I'm not for them. If they want the best value for their money I'd be happy to meet with them and go over my prices and help pick a package that fits their day and their budget.

Good idea?

You're thinking along the right lines. It's almost rule number one in sales not to quote a price right away. I'll try to remember to drop you an email that goes into a little more detail on strategies for dealing with the "how much does it cost" shopper. Basically, you should always be responding to that with a question that probes what it is they really want, and if indeed all they want is the lowest price on anything that remotely resembles the product or service in question (in this case video production), then you'll almost always want to politely end the conversation fairly quickly, and move on.

I face the same problems. Most brides aren't even considering paying for a wedding video, which makes our job really difficult right from the start. It's also not something most brides get real excited about even if they are thinking about it. Wedding shows are, in my opinion, the best place to get your business because you can show your work and talk to the bride.

I currently list my prices on my website because it annoys me to go to websites where the prices aren't listed. However, my wife (a photographer) doesn't list hers, and she's doing very well. So, I'm starting to lean toward that way. I might lose some people who don't want to submit their email or call me, but I'd be losing people because they weren't talking to me as well.

Morbid curiosity has gotten the better of me as well . . . email me the link . . . d:-)

Travis check your email.

I think we should all band together, pool our money for a national primetime add campaign that runs during american idol. Something more has to be done to build up the industry.

I believe, at least in my area, the single biggest problem is that brides just don't realize the possibilities.

Travis - It's almost painful to watch ...LOL.

Matt, my curiosity is getting the best of me as well... mainly because I'm just starting out and have only done 1 wedding. I've been working on a demo and would really like to see this guy's to compare.

Thanks,
Chad

I definitly could do some CC work, but with weddings, and the average associated pay, as much as I don't like to say it, there has got to be a line somewhere... doesn't there? If not I could work on the same wedding for months, years, or forever!

I bet 9 times out of 10 the average wedding client would never notice the difference between a color corrected version and the original, unless the original color was drastically off, or the effect was drastic.


I would do the CC work (if you know what you're doing -biggy!). I CC every video I do and the more CC work I do - the faster it goes. I would estimate that I now spend just 20-30 minutes color correcting per video. It's not that big of a deal.

Maybe most people wouldn't notice (consiously) but consider that much of the percieved difference between "professional" and "amature" are those things that the average person can't quite put their finger on - but they know it when they see it! I think color is one of those things and the other even bigger one is sound... but that's another thread!

IMHO if you are shooting with two different camera's you MUST color correct and match hue to make it look right. Remember that whoever watches any video you've done, no matter what package you've sold, they will assume it's the best representation of your work. A friend watching this newlyweds video will not take into consideration the price paid and assume you can do better.

You are never just selling a $1300 video - you are selling a $1300 video and courting future customers.

I would do the CC work (if you know what you're doing -biggy!). I CC every video I do and the more CC work I do - the faster it goes. I would estimate that I know spend just 20-30 minutes color correcting per video. It's not that big of a deal.

Maybe most people wouldn't notice (consiously) but consider that much of the percieved difference between "professional" and "amature" are those things that the average person can't quite put their finger on - but they know it when they see it! I think color is one of those things and the other even bigger one is sound... but that's another thread!

IMHO if you are shooting with two different camera's you MUST color correct and match hue to make it look right. Remember that whoever watches any video you've done, no matter what package you've sold, they will assume it's the best representation of your work. A friend watching this newlyweds video will not take into consideration the price paid and assume you can do better.

You are never just selling a $1300 video - you are selling a $1300 video and courting future customers.


I do agree with you completely.

The clip from the wedding posted here was filmed with two DVX100a's.

I have since sold these cams and picked up a PD170 and a VX2100. Can't say I'm extremely pleased with the switch... the sony's are good, but I am missing the manual controls on the DVX. I also wish I had 16:9 but can live without it for the time being.

I would like to offer HD within the next year and a half to two years.

What are you considering for your HD cameras? I've been looking/comparing the XL-H1 and the JVC HD100U for HD cameras. I really like the XL H1 because of the shoulder support, but the HD100U is so much cheaper. I just can't decide...

I'm hoping that within a year and a half or two years HD will have greater market penetration (as far as people with HDTV's and the needed hardware to play back HD-DVD or BluRay), and that there will be some better HD camera options on the market. Right now I like the XLH1... I would like to think that the HVX200 looks promising too, but alot of what I have read is that there isn't much out right now that is very well suited for wedding videography.

I'm also waiting for the demand/playability. I'd like to offer HD in addition to my SD, and I figured the price would come down when the popularity gets up. Remember when DVD burners were $400?.

By the way, that video is hilarious! I wouldn't pay $40 for his videos

I do remember $400 DVD Burners.

I saw a video on CNET a few weeks ago for an HD-DVD player that is going to retail for $1800.00 due out this year. It will take a couple years before more than a fraction of a percent of the population has one of these connected to their home theater.

I do consider the fact that shooting HD would yield a better SD picture, and that there may be some $$ in selling remastered HD versions of todays weddings over the next 5-10 years. If business picks up over the next year I may make the jump sooner. I'm waiting for now though.

Okay, the website alone was painful to look at. Then I get to the video, and what the heck is that? Seriously, this is the one case where uncle Bob probably could have done a better job.

Does this guy just set up a camera on a tripod and leave it while he shoots? That's what it looked like to me. Wow.

For me, I'm not ready to invest in HD yet. The HD cameras available in my price range just aren't capable enough yet. Also, the percentage of my clients who own an HD display is pretty small still. Finally, the distribution format for HD material (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray) hasn't been ironed out yet, so it seems like a waste of money to invest in cameras and equipment just yet.

I'm thinking 2-5 years for the HD switch. Bottom line for me is that it has to be a profitable switch. I can't just do it because I want to work in HD. d:-(

At first I thought you were talking about my website and my video. It took a second to click, its been a long day.

But yes, his website looks very mid 90's, designed by a fourth grader. Photographers.... ... .. . at least they aren't all bad.

Does this guy just set up a camera on a tripod and leave it while he shoots? That's what it looked like to me. Wow.

The ultimate in ultra-low-budget production. This guy deserves the rotten tomato award. He earned it fair and square.

My wife is a photographer, and she was appalled by the story of him yelling at the bride. I also showed her his website, and she had to leave the room she couldn't stand it so much. As a photographer, he's actually not very good either. Maybe that's why he's offering the cheap video too.

I feel really bad for anyone who hires him.

I feel really bad for anyone who hires him.

Yeah, that really is sad. I feel bad for the victims, that 25 years from now won't have anything worth looking at, from one of the most important events of their lives.

He has a link to his site stats on his main page....

I've only emailed the link to 3 or 4 people, between yesterday and today, and his page views have been 80% above average the past two days. He doesn't know what to think about the recent boost in traffic.

The boudoir section is great. I like how the girls have the same blue and white striped shirt on.

You're cracking me up here.

Robert, have you come across the info on sales strategy yet. I'd love to read it.

Robert, I'm also interested in that if you don't mind sending it along

Hey, post it on DVInfo, I'm sure there are many people that would benefit from it

I've got to take some time and write it out. It's a matter of putting down in writing concisely, what I've managed to gather over a long period of time. I've got a pretty fair amount of marketing, advertising and sales background, with a variety of products/services.

Nick - Drop me an email, so I have your email addy, and I'll CC you, when I get it done.

I’ll try to get working on it a bit tonight guys.

The core concept here, to absolutely burn into your mind, is that “price” is simply NOT your product - plain and simple as that. (Mr. Rotten Tomato Award winner sells “price” - not you.) Your product/service is professional quality wedding video production. When a prospective client asks you “how much” right off the bat, they are simply not asking the correct question (because it isn’t really what they are seeking - hopefully, they are seeking a professional wedding video production - AND, “price” is simply not a commodity you deal in anyways - you deal in making professional quality video), so you need to help them out a little, by asking them questions to get them to tell you what it is that they really want, in a video of their wedding and the events that surround it, to help determine if what they really want is something suitable for you to provide to them. Done perfectly, you will make the sale (the prospect decides to buy from you) before price is even discussed. Price only comes into play, once they’ve decided what they want YOU to provide them with (key concept: once they’ve decided they want YOU to do the providing), to make informed decisions on what they can afford. Then you sign a piece of paper and take a check.

sounds like a good plan. we will see how well I can execute it.

First thing is to take those prices down. Your prospects, when first viewing your website, simply don't know enough about what it is you do, and what they really want, to be able to make any sort of informed decision on what they can afford. Prices can be okay sometimes, for products/services that a prospective client already has a good understanding of, but with wedding video production, that's pretty rare to start off with prospects that even have much of a clue.

I just got my FX1 yesterday, have fiddled with it just a little, and I'll just say that my first impression is a good one and believe this will be a very workable camera for weddings.

Say, I hope I haven't come off arrogantly or anything. This is a great bunch of folks at dvinfo. I really appreciate the things you guys teach me and I'm more than happy to share some of the stuff I've managed to learn along life's journey, from being in a number of marketing/sales/advertising related jobs and being involved in a few business ventures over the years. I've also got something of a computer background (build em, fix em, program em), so I try to offer what I can there sometimes too. My dad was a computer programmer from way back to almost the stone age (he's long since retired), and had me writing my first program (to play tic-tac-toe) back in the early 1960s, when I was like 7 or so, so I got exposed to computers pretty early in life, way before they were commonplace.

One of the things that's worked pretty well for me over the years is to sort of analyze sales, as a process you engage in, and break the components of the process down so you can find strategies and tactics to maximize the efficiency of getting sales and increase the odds of making those sales good deals for both buyer and seller (not just volume, but quality).

I'm 48 now, and I've decided I want to do something I really enjoy from here on out. I'm a bit of a maverick, and not the type to work for somebody else in an office very long (it's just not for me). And I enjoy making video immensely, so that's what I've set my mind to doing. I want to do it well and make a good living at it, just like you guys do, and just like most folks at dvinfo. You guys do some great work, and I'm learning a heck of a lot from you. I appreciate it.

- Bob

I don't think you have come off arrogant. Just supportive which is really what this place is all about.

I'm glad you guys see the problem I had to deal with, and you havn't even met or worked with the guy... I'm sure we all have or all will have to work with someone similar to this at some point. You just have to shrug your shoulders, laugh it off, and make the best of it.

We've seen his website Matt (and that alleged "video"), so it's difficult to imagine you were exaggerating much ...LOL.