XH-A1 vs. Sony DSR-300A

[Philip Williams]

Originally Posted by J. Chris Moore

Really it just pissed me off. Because obviously he's out of touch because the same camera can be had for less than the cost of my a1 and he really doesn't understand HD as a concept.

Fine, so if this fella gets married he won't hire you. Go out and sell HD wedding video packages delivered on Blu-Ray and watch what happens. Order up some 2 Disc Blu-Ray cases and deliver BD/DVD combos. Make it a 3 disc case and toss in a Digital Copy if you wanna be really hip.

Look how many HDTVs have sold over the last 2 or 3 holidays. And Blu-Ray players have finally started to hit a real stride. No way will anyone with an HDTV order up a wedding videographer with an SD cam once they realize that you are offering HD.

If you have a web site or flyers make sure your picture includes you holding your XHA1 with all the trimmings attached. You want people to see that when you say HD you mean proper HD.

[Bill Grant]

I will repeat my opinion one more time for the record. BRIDES DON"T CARE ABOUT YOUR CAMERA. they don't care about HD vs SD or 1/2" vs 1/3 " they just don't care. But it doesn't matter anyway. Your only goal here is to be able to shoot $1k videos. That's bargain basement pricing. You could easily show up with 1 HV20 and give them what they're paying for. As much as we love our technology, no one outside of our industry understands or cares what we are shooting with. PLEASE don't put a picture of you with your camera on your website thinking that will impress anyone but other camera people.
Bill

[Philip Williams]

I will repeat my opinion one more time for the record. BRIDES DON"T CARE ABOUT YOUR CAMERA. they don't care about HD vs SD or 1/2" vs 1/3 " they just don't care.

I totally concur, that's literally true at least 99% of the time. My and many of my friend's wives watch SD cable/sat channels when the HD versions are just a click away. But to be fair, the groom will generally help to shop the videographer and there's a good chance that the bride's father might be paying for it. And if all else is equal and the bride doesn't care anyway, the guys will hire the HD videographer even if its a few bucks more. Marketing HD or Blu-Ray should in no way replace the standard marketing that appeals to brides - and I certainly didn't mean to imply such. But I really think that adding the tech side will help sway the grooms and dads over. In a barrel of wedding videographers anything that can differentiate you from the pack has got to be a good thing. Especially if you're going to charge more than the (in this case ridiculously) underpriced competition. IMO of course.

As much as we love our technology, no one outside of our industry understands or cares what we are shooting with. PLEASE don't put a picture of you with your camera on your website thinking that will impress anyone but other camera people.

Hey I'm just trying to give some advice that might help Chris differentiate himself from the $600 guy :) I certainly don't want him to put his camera front and center, but I don't think the discreet inclusion of his camera in a picture of him in action or something is going to hurt. Generally the brides looking at his site won't really notice, but at least if the groom is looking at it he'll know that the videographer's cam is better than his. Until Chris can establish himself in the community as the superior videographer he's got two things that make him different to the populace: 1) He's new. 2) He costs $400 more. That doesn't exactly make for a good marketing slogan ;)

I honestly think that highlighting his HD production over his cheaper competition will help give a boost, and perhaps we'll just disagree on that. But still in the end its going to be confidence, contacts and showmanship that wins the day. Getting a busy wedding photographer or planner to recommend you is worth more than any cameras, web sites, yellow pages or business cards. If a couple is already committing 2-5K on a photographer and that person recommends your $1,000 package I think that's a done deal no matter how many $600 guys are running around. Still, I don't see any harm in differentiating yourself from your competitors with every advantage that you offer.

[Bill Grant]

Hey Snellville, very cool. How different are southern weddings right? Anyway, I think a pic in action is not a bad idea, but featuring the camera or pics of the camera or anything like that is probably not helpful. And, I agree distinguish yourself, but I don't know that in this day and age HD will help even with grooms. I ask every groom that comes through the door if he has a blu-ray player or a PS3, so far none have wanted blu-ray or admitted to watching blu-ray. I had 1 grrom in 2008 that was interested in a digital file, but he kindof just went away and I never heard from him again. You will want to distinguish your work. Do that with your HD, but try not to talk about it so much. Now, that being said, I show my footage in HD at my office and I get alot of remarks on how amazing it looks. I get constant comments when seen at bridal shows about how good my footage looks, and that is HD. But I don't tell them that. I just say thanks and let the work speak. That's all I'm saying.
Bill

[J. Chris Moore]

Thanks everyone for you comments. Bill, I'm located in Rocky Mount, VA. The market is moving toward HD and Bluray for sure. I believe its the next step in the progression of motion media. However, I do understand most brides right now don't really care, they just want some one who can capture and preserve all the emotion of the day with a cinematic feel. Hopefully my work will stand on it own with out the need to try and justify my price against the guys down the street.

Again, thank for all the good comments and interest in this post.

Any comments on the video I posted? I'd love some feed back.

Chris