Charging for videoing

[K. Forman]

Originally Posted by Craig Seeman

Avoid paper labels on DVDs. Either the weight or slight off center can cause problems with many players. Over time the glue dries and if the label bubbles or peals it will either become unplayable or even damage the player.

Inkjet printable DVDs are VERY INEXPENSIVE these days and an Epson R220 printer is only $99.

I've had problems with my Epson, since shortly after buying it. So... I'm looking for an inkjet that can print on disk media, and guess what? Epson is the only printer in the U.S. that will print on disks. Yet, the Canons sold overseas will also do this, but the exact same model sold here won't. What's up with that?

[Tom Elliott]

Dear Keith Forman,
My 8 track mixing board is a SOUNDCRAFT Spirit E8.
They make also E6 and E12.
I got it to use when I do Video Taped Depositions. My wife is a courtreporter and we work together on Video Depostions.
I forgot howmuch the E8 cost, but I seem remember it was about $700 from B&H in New York.
It is great, however I could have gotten away with a BeachTEK attached to the bottom of my GL2 with 2 or four XLR balanced inputs, which I also have by the way the one with two.
I can just use the BeachTEK or the E8.
One can also daisychain two E8s for 16 channels!
I have four lavelairs along with the needed XLR balanced cables.
No more 60 cycle hum or foreign radio stations on my sound track. Also ambiant room sounds, such as airconditioners, are gone. I really has to be noisey to screw up the sound.
A friend has loaned me a very expensive ($1,000) shotgun mike to use for "Man in the street" interviews or anyother set up that requires good sound under adverse conditions.
The learning curve is straight up forever. I started out as a still photographer and now I do ANYTHING having to do with image making, stills, motion, website, brochures, newsletters and of course DVD.
Romour has it that I can use my E8 as a sound mixer for my computer/Premier Pro 1.5.
It is lots of FUN! and since my wife became my CFO I am starting to make money.
I am finishing up my first music video in the coming weeks.
Trust me, I will let the world know/view it when it is finished.
Yours,
Tom

[K. Forman]

No need to be so formal Tom...we're neighbors here :) I used to have a Korg D12, that I recorded my audio on, and could mix it later at my leisure. However nice it was, it needed to be battery powered. I lost a lot of audio one day, when the breaker kept flipping off at a concert. Since then, I have been looking for a new multitrack recorder, but it has to use batteries, and be cheap... or affordable. The Deva is out of my league.

[Lorinda Norton]

Man, this thread has veered way off topic--and in two different directions! :) About the printers, Keith, have you looked at the Primera Z6? My friend uses one in conjunction with a nifty little robot. It (robot) feeds, burns, prints--puts everything in a cool little pile using the aforementioned printer. I think the printer cost him about $1500.

[Tom Elliott]

Lorinda,
YES! Way off topic.
I think it was what are your fees.
I like to think I was one of the few that answered straight away.
In fact my CFO (wife) was a little upset that I "gave away too much" as to fees.
She came around when I explained just how much I have learned from this and other boards.
My sound mixer is ac powered and I have batteries with converters for those woods locations and when the power goes. In the case of AC going out in a building, the clients understand it does take a few minutes to do a change over.
Keith, my main sound is done on my GL2. I have no provision as this date for doing a backup sound track, though in the case of the video depositions some court reporters request just a sound track only at the end of a depo and in that case a plain vanilla casset recorder does the trick.
However the technology for reporters has changed in the past 6 months so that sound is recorded either on an attached laptop or now on the reporters machine on a flash card along with the text.
Now, is there anybody out there that has been following these posts that would like to let us know their fee structure and the reasons ? ? ? or even another thread/threads that cover it???
Yours,
Tom

[Dale Guthormsen]

Tom,

While it seems to gone off thread, I got a lot of cool and outstanding information from this thread!!!
I have often pondered about a number of items mentioned in this thread. As someone said, there is no learning curve, its all uphill!!

thanks a million everyone!!!


dale

[K. Forman]

Originally Posted by Dale Guthormsen

Tom,

While it seems to gone off thread, I got a lot of cool and outstanding information from this thread!!!
I have often pondered about a number of items mentioned in this thread. As someone said, there is no learning curve, its all uphill!!

thanks a million everyone!!!


dale

Hey, glad our off topic ramblings could be helpful... so Tthhhhhhpt! to you Lorinda ;) I gave him my honest reply to his question, and got sidetracked by tech stuff. I'm a guy, it happens!

And Tom... I sort of liked being able to record 4 to 8 tracks at the same time, then adjust the seperate tracks later in post. I used to do a lot of bands, and could get a feed from the house board, from each mic. In better situations, I can tune down drums and instruments to get better vocals. When you listen live, the drummer and bass usually overwhelm the rest of the group.

And finally, Lorinda... When you coming back to Florida? I'm looking forward to being able to harass you in person :) By the way, I have heard of the Primeras. They just aren't what I need. I don't do many DVDs, so that would be a bit of overkill- and pricey too. I just wanted an inkjet that could do the odd ones I need, and print forms and pics the rest of the time. Cheaply, too!

[Lorinda Norton]

Oh my gosh, Keith--you did it again! LOL! :) Actually, I'm upset because it's looking like I might not make it for the annual Madness in Miami this year. But I haven't given up just yet. You and a couple other funny guys in Florida will be the first to know if something gets cooked up.

Let's see....back to topic #3, I understand about the printer--it's way out of my range too.

@Dale: Maybe slip some audio from other parts of the game into that seven minutes? Except for unique announcer talk, it all sounds about the same! :)

[K. Forman]

Um.... oops?

[Gregg Sullivan]

Originally Posted by Don Palomaki

An uncomplicated 1-camcorder shoot and edit of a simple wedding and reception might be a roughly equivalent event, and prices might start around US$1000, including editing and a couple DVD or tapes. But there is wide variation in price. even within a give region.

I live in the LA area (where you'd think that wedding videography could fetch $10k USD and up! Up! UP! - And it Can!)

But you need to take in to account the competition in a given area too. I have a coworker that nets about $400-$600 USD after costs per wedding, because there are plenty of videographers trying to make a spare buck anywhere they can.

Check local ads for the service that you are offering, and see what they are charging. That will give you a base to work from. It also helps to have a reel highlighting both your shooting and post-production skills. If you "Wow" the perspective clients with a good reel, you can squeeze aditional Ducats out of what otherwise is a real skinflint of a client. Display them on a showy laptop when interviewing the job, and better still the dinero can go.

A nice photo album with highlight stills from your shoots and a winning sales personality, and a videographer can make a good back-up living on the weekends!

-G.