Anyone do special interest DVDs? at DVinfo.net

Adam Bray · July 28th, 2006, 02:57 AM

I'm trying to get get my own little video production business going. But I have no interest in doing gigs for others such as recording weddings, sporting events, corporate events, etc. I'm interested in producing my own DVDs in areas that interest me and I know about. Producing my own instructional videos or "how-to" type videos. Maybe some documentary work down the line, but no films.

I was just curious if anyone in here produces and sells their own videos for a living? I don't think I have seen anyone talk about it. Seems most are doing the wedding and corporate videos or taking a shot at films.

Steve Connor · July 28th, 2006, 03:53 AM

I do just that, make programmes on a specialist subject, shoot and edit the shows, make the DVD's and then sell them via an eBay store. With an Acard 1-3 duplicator a DVD printer and a good colour laser printer you can actually do everything in-house.

I make stock to order and it brings in a nice little 2nd income providing you are clever about marketing your DVDs. I usually blitz any forums that are related to the subject as well as posting trailers on YouTube.

Jim Nelson · July 28th, 2006, 10:39 AM

Adam thanks for posting this question becoz I have exactly the same aproach as you do but never found any forum discusing it. Steve could you post a link showing some of your work, I would love to see how others are doing it.
Thanks everyone.

Steve Connor · July 28th, 2006, 10:47 AM

www.flyingmachines.tv has a link to my e-bay store as an example, it's all very simple and easy to maintain. Since I started it in January the trailers have benn downloaded around 200,000 times, thank heavens for unlimited bandwidth servers.

Now if everyone who had download a clip paid £1 for it I would have had a good year!

Corey Callahan · July 28th, 2006, 12:22 PM

Steve,

do you mind me asking how successful you are financially with your selling of DVD's? How much does ebay help towards that?

Steve Connor · July 28th, 2006, 12:30 PM

It doesn't make me a living put it that way! It does however give me a nice second income, because I do everything on the programmes it doesn't cost me much to do and the unit cost of the DVD's is tiny.

e-Bay works well because it's like having a shop in a mall, you get passing trade. I do work hard on viral marketing though so the right people get to my site. This is where the new video share sites work well, I'm getting a lot of referrals from YouTube etc.

I plan to expand the operation over the quiet winter months to include pay per view on the site.

Adam Bray · July 28th, 2006, 06:58 PM

Steve, do the DVD's really sell for 12.99 British Pounds (roughly $25 dollars)?My experiece with Ebay is the buyers are "cheap". I'm just curious how much a DVD can sell for.

Steve Connor · July 29th, 2006, 01:03 AM

eBay is no longer just for cheap second hand goods it's now a proper marketplace for new goods as well.

Peter Ferling · July 29th, 2006, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Connor

I do work hard on viral marketing though so the right people get to my site. This is where the new video share sites work well, I'm getting a lot of referrals from YouTube etc.

Precisely what I thought. After considering all the buzz about copyright and ownership on these sites, they have to protect themselves, and earn revenue in some fashion. You just have to be careful of what you post and make sure your name is in there. From a public viewpoint, your not posting hi-rez clips for others to steal and use in their own compilations either.

If your video clip winds up in a YouTube marketing piece for their promotion, it's free marketing for yours as well.

(I'm just wondering how long it will be until some form of video spam, er, VAM floods this sites? It'll be exploited).

You have some very nice video Steve, not to mention a job that looks like a lot of fun. A rare combination.

I live in a 'dry county', that is, one where folks don't want to pay much for weddings and local spots. Rather cheap. So I'm also considering subject material that will appeal to a wider audience.

Obviously you have a love for aircraft, so how did you come into making these productive pieces? How did you wind up starring through the viewfinder of a camera?

Ash Greyson · July 29th, 2006, 11:07 AM

Sounds like a brutal way to make a living. What you may consider is making one that you can pitch to other idea guys, that way you get money up front from them for production. You can actually make a living that way. I dont think people realize how much production work there is that is not all weddings/corporate/etc. With satellite, digital cable and now internet, there is more production than ever before. If you are good at it, you can make $50K in any market in the US.

ash =o)

Steven Gotz · July 29th, 2006, 01:03 PM

Yes, that sounds about right. But I can't live on $50K anymore. Maybe when I am ready to retire.

By the way, after watching a couple of videos, it occurs to me that I may never have seen a better example of something that would look better in High Definition. The shape of the planes just cries out for widescreen doesn't it?

Steve Connor · July 29th, 2006, 01:35 PM

Don't I know it - we've shot everything on HDCam and XDCamHD this year and it looks stunning! I'll have some HD .wmv files on the site in the next few weeks.

Peter Ferling · July 29th, 2006, 01:37 PM

$50k is not enough to quit my day job, but it could help, and my wife wouldn't have to work part time anymore either.

Still, there has to be more than just the money that causes one to drag the gear back and forth to the garage.

Your right about the wide-angle perspective Steve, a lot more marketing edge in that.

Ash Greyson · July 29th, 2006, 02:33 PM

There is much more than $50K to be made, I only said that because that's what is EASY. With more talent, better gear and some connections, you can make a multiple of that as myself and many others do. I live in a market ranked 40+ and make a very good living...

ash =o)

Adam Bray · July 29th, 2006, 03:17 PM

Ash,

Can you elaborate on what type of productions you are talking about and give some examples of what maybe you have done in the past. I have interest in all forms of video production. But wedding, corporate, etc is not for me. Maybe this could give me another avenue to look into.

July 28th, 2006, 02:57 AM	#1
Adam Bray Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Houston/Austin Posts: 394	Anyone do special interest DVDs? I'm trying to get get my own little video production business going. But I have no interest in doing gigs for others such as recording weddings, sporting events, corporate events, etc. I'm interested in producing my own DVDs in areas that interest me and I know about. Producing my own instructional videos or "how-to" type videos. Maybe some documentary work down the line, but no films. I was just curious if anyone in here produces and sells their own videos for a living? I don't think I have seen anyone talk about it. Seems most are doing the wedding and corporate videos or taking a shot at films.

July 29th, 2006, 01:03 PM	#11
Steven Gotz Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Clermont, FL Posts: 1,520	Yes, that sounds about right. But I can't live on $50K anymore. Maybe when I am ready to retire. By the way, after watching a couple of videos, it occurs to me that I may never have seen a better example of something that would look better in High Definition. The shape of the planes just cries out for widescreen doesn't it? __________________ Steven Gotz http://www.stevengotz.com

July 29th, 2006, 01:37 PM	#13
Peter Ferling Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wyomissing, PA Posts: 1,141 Images: 57	$50k is not enough to quit my day job, but it could help, and my wife wouldn't have to work part time anymore either. Still, there has to be more than just the money that causes one to drag the gear back and forth to the garage. Your right about the wide-angle perspective Steve, a lot more marketing edge in that. __________________ Pete Ferling http://ferling.net It's never a mistake if you learn something new from it. -------------------------------------------

July 28th, 2006, 03:53 AM	#2
Steve Connor Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 383	I do just that, make programmes on a specialist subject, shoot and edit the shows, make the DVD's and then sell them via an eBay store. With an Acard 1-3 duplicator a DVD printer and a good colour laser printer you can actually do everything in-house. I make stock to order and it brings in a nice little 2nd income providing you are clever about marketing your DVDs. I usually blitz any forums that are related to the subject as well as posting trailers on YouTube.

July 28th, 2006, 10:39 AM	#3
Jim Nelson Tourist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rockford,IL Posts: 1	Adam thanks for posting this question becoz I have exactly the same aproach as you do but never found any forum discusing it. Steve could you post a link showing some of your work, I would love to see how others are doing it. Thanks everyone.

July 28th, 2006, 10:47 AM	#4
Steve Connor Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 383	www.flyingmachines.tv has a link to my e-bay store as an example, it's all very simple and easy to maintain. Since I started it in January the trailers have benn downloaded around 200,000 times, thank heavens for unlimited bandwidth servers. Now if everyone who had download a clip paid £1 for it I would have had a good year!

July 28th, 2006, 12:22 PM	#5
Corey Callahan New Boot Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 23	Steve, do you mind me asking how successful you are financially with your selling of DVD's? How much does ebay help towards that?

July 28th, 2006, 12:30 PM	#6
Steve Connor Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 383	It doesn't make me a living put it that way! It does however give me a nice second income, because I do everything on the programmes it doesn't cost me much to do and the unit cost of the DVD's is tiny. e-Bay works well because it's like having a shop in a mall, you get passing trade. I do work hard on viral marketing though so the right people get to my site. This is where the new video share sites work well, I'm getting a lot of referrals from YouTube etc. I plan to expand the operation over the quiet winter months to include pay per view on the site.

July 28th, 2006, 06:58 PM	#7
Adam Bray Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Houston/Austin Posts: 394	Steve, do the DVD's really sell for 12.99 British Pounds (roughly $25 dollars)?My experiece with Ebay is the buyers are "cheap". I'm just curious how much a DVD can sell for.

July 29th, 2006, 01:03 AM	#8
Steve Connor Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 383	eBay is no longer just for cheap second hand goods it's now a proper marketplace for new goods as well.

July 29th, 2006, 11:07 AM	#10
Ash Greyson Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,689	Sounds like a brutal way to make a living. What you may consider is making one that you can pitch to other idea guys, that way you get money up front from them for production. You can actually make a living that way. I dont think people realize how much production work there is that is not all weddings/corporate/etc. With satellite, digital cable and now internet, there is more production than ever before. If you are good at it, you can make $50K in any market in the US. ash =o)

July 29th, 2006, 01:35 PM	#12
Steve Connor Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Posts: 383	Don't I know it - we've shot everything on HDCam and XDCamHD this year and it looks stunning! I'll have some HD .wmv files on the site in the next few weeks.

July 29th, 2006, 02:33 PM	#14
Ash Greyson Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,689	There is much more than $50K to be made, I only said that because that's what is EASY. With more talent, better gear and some connections, you can make a multiple of that as myself and many others do. I live in a market ranked 40+ and make a very good living... ash =o)

July 29th, 2006, 03:17 PM	#15
Adam Bray Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Houston/Austin Posts: 394	Ash, Can you elaborate on what type of productions you are talking about and give some examples of what maybe you have done in the past. I have interest in all forms of video production. But wedding, corporate, etc is not for me. Maybe this could give me another avenue to look into.