How do you deal with re-edits?

[Ana Conlon]

I wondering how other videographers deal with clients who want re edits because of a personal preference as apposed to an error. I have a bride who is delighted with her DVD but she wants to change one clip from bw to colour. The clip is less than 5 sec long but as we all know its not a simple click of a button. It takes hours of exporting, re-compressing, burning, re-packaging and post etc.

My contract stipulates that I charge for re-edits that are down to personal preference but I rearly get asked. My questions is; how do other videographers explain to clients the work involved and extra charges for re edits while keeping clients happy.

[Katie Fasel]

Hi Ana,
I understand your dilemma...in the 4 years in business, we have done ONE re-edit for a client. In our contract, we used to say "additional changes or editing...yadda yadda yadda is an extra $ per hour with a two hour minimum"

The ONE time we were asked to make changes, I did not charge them. It's not worth leaving the customer with a bad taste in their mouth. Now, my bride's requests were like yours, just a couple of simple, quick changes. I did point out to her that per her contract changes were an additional charge, but that I would do it this one time as a favor. If she had come to me with a list of demands, I probably would have been quick to point out (and stick to) our editing rate, and she probably would have been quick to change her mind.

I understand all the recompress time, burn time, etc. is a thorn in a busy wedding schedule's side, but just tell her you'll make the changes, and fit them in when your schedule allows (within reason of course)...she already has a finished video for now, so it shouldn't have to be a rush job that you are pushing other things off for.

It's just worth it to keep brides happy to me...she loved her video, recommended us to her friends, and gave us a great review on our Wedding Wire profile. She probably would not have, if we had charged her for the simple changes.

BTW, we don't even have an extra editing option in our contract any more. We have a clause that says they surrender complete creative editing control to us, and don't even put the idea of making changes in their head. If ever anyone wants changes, we deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

[Ana Conlon]

Hi Katie,

Thanks for the advice and as you've mentioned I also know that I will end up making the changes and not charging. However I do want the bride to understand its no small thing.

This is what I have in my contract:
Your satisfaction is our primary goal. That said, you, the client, acknowledge that the finished product is a creative work, and as such, artistic license will be used in the filming and editing of the video. Creative aspects such as shooting and editing style are at the discretion of the company. Changes to the finished product will result in additional charges not allowed for in the contract.

Giving the option of a free re-edit I think most couple would make some changes. I would like to have a nice way to phrase that this isn't simple. Its outside what was agreed, it takes extra time and therefore extra money. It’s hard to rap it up in a nice little sentence!

[Rickey Brillantes]

Hi Ana, I too had the same experience when I started in this business, the bride wants to delete a clip where I shot her hand with her engagement ring on, she said her hand looks dry and that she forgot to put on a lotion. That's just one of the many scenarios.

What Im doing now before I mail the DVD's to my client is that I invite them to my place and let them preview their video on a TV monitor that is hook up to my work station. I did explain this on our first meeting that prior to burning it to DVD they have to view it first and if there are clips they want deleted, I can cut it at that very moment. Their job is only to tell me what clips they don't want thats it.

Ever since I did this I have no more issues of brides calling me to do re-edits.

[James Manford]

So Rickey, you view the whole film with every client ?

Wow ..

I could never do that.

[Steve Bleasdale]

Originally Posted by Rickey Brillantes

Hi Ana, I too had the same experience when I started in this business, the bride wants to delete a clip where I shot her hand with her engagement ring on, she said her hand looks dry and that she forgot to put on a lotion. That's just one of the many scenarios.

What Im doing now before I mail the DVD's to my client is that I invite them to my place and let them preview their video on a TV monitor that is hook up to my work station. I did explain this on our first meeting that prior to burning it to DVD they have to view it first and if there are clips they want deleted, I can cut it at that very moment. Their job is only to tell me what clips they don't want thats it.

Ever since I did this I have no more issues of brides calling me to do re-edits.

In my opiniion never ever do this...You are opening a whole can of worms, they think they are editors when you do this...The whole scenario changes... All you have to do within reason is fix what they want, it takes no real work ! cmon.. They will bad mouth you for sure, happened to me...

[Don Bloom]

I understand keeping the client happy, I understand making a change before it's compressed burned folded ironed and put away but I also understand I am running a business and my time is all I have.
Although this happens more often on corporate work than wedding work my solution is this. I figure out the number of hours the work is going to take. As we all know NOTHING in this business is push one button and it's done nor is anything easy peasy. If I figure the job is going to take 4 hours I may very well cut them a deal and only charge them for 2 but I will charge them. If you don't clients "might" try to take advantage of your generosity. I know it's hard to believe but there are people out there like that. Well maybe not where you live but they are where I live.
Folks the main thing is this. Unless you have a 9 to 5 and are doing this for fun and not the money you are running a business and no business can succeed and be a long term entity by giving it away. Do it for one and pretty soon everyone knows about it and they're all clamoring for the "deal".
Look, how you run your business is up to you but I've been running businesses for 45 years and I found out the hard way, when you tell the client "it's free" you have no one to blame but yourself when you run out of money before you run out of month.
Your business, your choice!

[Ana Conlon]

Wow that's an impressive service ricki...I hope your clients appreciate it! I don't think it feasible for me simply because my customers are nationwide and I think it could end up spending much more time on the editing process.

I know this is a common enough seninaro, the problem I find is that couples think you press a button an it all pops out onto DVD. So if you’re charging extra they get annoyed because to them its only a simple small thing. I'm looking for a nice way of explains the extra time involved without blasting them with techno terms.

[Rickey Brillantes]

Originally Posted by James Manford

So Rickey, you view the whole film with every client ?

Wow ..

I could never do that.

No, I don't watch with them. I let them view how long their video is usually around 60-90 minutes long. At the end they will just tell me if everything is okay or may need some cut.

[Ana Conlon]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

I understand keeping the client happy, I understand making a change before it's compressed burned folded ironed and put away but I also understand I am running a business and my time is all I have.
Although this happens more often on corporate work than wedding work my solution is this. I figure out the number of hours the work is going to take. As we all know NOTHING in this business is push one button and it's done nor is anything easy peasy. If I figure the job is going to take 4 hours I may very well cut them a deal and only charge them for 2 but I will charge them. If you don't clients "might" try to take advantage of your generosity. I know it's hard to believe but there are people out there like that. Well maybe not where you live but they are where I live.
Folks the main thing is this. Unless you have a 9 to 5 and are doing this for fun and not the money you are running a business and no business can succeed and be a long term entity by giving it away. Do it for one and pretty soon everyone knows about it and they're all clamoring for the "deal".
Look, how you run your business is up to you but I've been running businesses for 45 years and I found out the hard way, when you tell the client "it's free" you have no one to blame but yourself when you run out of money before you run out of month.
Your business, your choice!

This is exactly what it all comes down too. I think if I get into a habit of doing this kind of thing for free where does it end...my time is my income! I think I have to try and help clients understand the processes involved so they understand why it’s extra.

[Rickey Brillantes]

Originally Posted by Steve Bleasdale

In my opiniion never ever do this...You are opening a whole can of worms, they think they are editors when you do this...The whole scenario changes... All you have to do within reason is fix what they want, it takes no real work ! cmon.. They will bad mouth you for sure, happened to me...

Bad mouth? Not in my case... in fact I got more referrals from them and good reviews too. I hear couples while watching their videos laughing and making comments on every scene, and at the end they tell me how they appreciate how their videos was made, and that they just want some scenes deleted, again I reiterate that their job is only to cut scenes they don't want on their DVD's, and that doesn't change anything.

In my area, my clients like what Im offering and it's good for me too, cuz I don't have to deal with re-aligning the chapter markers, re-compression, re-authoring, re-burning, re-packaging and re-mailing, easy for everybody, now if they cannot come to preview their video, than that scenario of adding fees apply.

[Roger Gunkel]

I offer no re-edit at all to clients unless I have made an error on titling or similar. All clients have seen examples of m work before they book, so they know exactly what they will be getting. I am quite happy to offer them BW or slomo clips for example if they request them in advance, but not after the edit is finished.

My contract states that 'all editing decisions will be mine alone, in accordance with examples of my work that they have seen. Any variations or specific requirements will only be accommodated if agreed in advance.'

As others have said, once clients get the scent of possible personal change of editing choices, you will never hear the end of it. In the OP's case, the few seconds of BW is probably worth it at no charge as it is a simple request, not a demand for control, so will give you brownie points. Changes just for the sake of it should be heavily discouraged, in the same way that a portrait painter would object to a client making suggestions. if they don't like your work they should have booked someone else!

Roger

[Don Bloom]

Let me clarify something. IF you do decide to do some sort of re-edit for the client and decide not to charge them for it, do an invoice anyway. Put the number of hours and the hourly charge for those hours along with the total charges including any "discount " you might have offered (I HATE the word "discount") and then across the invoice in big bold letters mark it NO CHARGE! Why? First, you need to make the client understand that there would be a charge and what it would be and that YOU as the business owner made the ultimate decision to give them the work for NO CHARGE! Second, why NO CHARGE and not FREE! Think of the connotation of the words. In the minds of most people FREE means not worth anything where as NO CHARGE means the product and or service has a value and they are receiving it at NO CHARGE!
Like I said before, your business, your choice but for all my years in business I have NEVER given anyone anything for FREE except maybe a cold! Even FREE advice is worth exactly what you pay for it in almost every case.
Just sayin'!

[Daniel Latimer]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

Even FREE advice is worth exactly what you pay for it in almost every case.
Just sayin'!

Was this advice free. . .?



-----------------------------

Joking of course.

[Steve Bleasdale]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

I offer no re-edit at all to clients unless I have made an error on titling or similar. All clients have seen examples of m work before they book, so they know exactly what they will be getting. I am quite happy to offer them BW or slomo clips for example if they request them in advance, but not after the edit is finished.

My contract states that 'all editing decisions will be mine alone, in accordance with examples of my work that they have seen. Any variations or specific requirements will only be accommodated if agreed in advance.'

As others have said, once clients get the scent of possible personal change of editing choices, you will never hear the end of it. In the OP's case, the few seconds of BW is probably worth it at no charge as it is a simple request, not a demand for control, so will give you brownie points. Changes just for the sake of it should be heavily discouraged, in the same way that a portrait painter would object to a client making suggestions. if they don't like your work they should have booked someone else!

Roger

+10 roger, for sure thats what happens