How long do you wait?

[Dan Burnap]

I was paid 100% upfront for a wedding I filmed in March 2009. Waiting since then for music choice etc. A year. Email address and telephone numbers not working. The second I delete it the project I'll probably get an email the music selection. I haven't edited it yet and wont until \ if they contact me but I could do with getting rid of the project files.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Dan Burnap

I was paid 100% upfront for a wedding I filmed in March 2009. Waiting since then for music choice etc. A year. Email address and telephone numbers not working. The second I delete it the project I'll probably get an email the music selection. I haven't edited it yet and wont until \ if they contact me but I could do with getting rid of the project files.

I see a lot of people waiting until 'after' the wedding to ask for this stuff. Why?

I send a questionnaire to the B+G about 3 weeks prior to the wedding asking all sorts of stuff about the day, one of which is about what music is being used on the day (entrance to the ceremony, signing the register, leaving the ceremony, first dance etc) and also if they have any preferences for music used during the rest of the film. Usually I can figure out from the 3 or 4 they've chosen to play during the register signing (assuming a civili wedding) what I can use if they don't express other preferences.

If it's a church wedding then it's slightly different and I have to be a little more insistent on music choices, but again it's all done before the day.

When I get home from a wedding the footage is copied and backed up that night - no waiting. If there's no wedding the next day then all the footage is ingested by noon and key worded within an hour or so ready to get going on the edit. I don't see the point in waiting a couple of weeks (or more) for them to come back from honeymoon to answer some questions on music. In fact, my goal is to have the completed film by the time they get back. Our edit times have come down dramatically over the last year (since adopting FCPX) and we rarely take more than a couple of weeks to deliver, even though the T&C says 4 - 8 weeks.

Maybe everyone waits until after the wedding for a reason. If so, please enlighten me :)

[Steve Bleasdale]

Whoops sorry Chris / Dave i seemed to have not read the end of Chris post saying he got paid in full and this is all about add ons, sorry Chris!!

[George Kilroy]

I've had a few that have run on for 3 or 4 months; all were finally collected, one that went on for just over two years, they got back to me after the wedding with a series of financial hiccups, including child sick, washing machine broke down and finally husband lost his job. After 2 years they finally paid the balance and took the VHS (it was that long ago), Two days later the wife called to ask if I had a copy as somehow the tape had got chewed in their machine, I had long since dumped the original camera tapes so I couldn't help.
The longest oneI've held on to is from July 2006 I had all the payment apart from £200. The husband turned up with £100 of it but I didn't let the DVD go. He has never been back with the final £100, despite my contacts by phone, email and registered letter. As I have now retired from weddings and moved county I doubt they'll ever get to see it but I still have it just in case they do contact me, after all a DVD doesn't require much storage space and ironically I considered it to be one of my best wedding videos: Photogenic couple, good location, friendly families, fine weather etc.

[Chris Hewitt]

Hi Chris, I've had two of those situations in the last year and both causes were lack of money. I would just hold on to the DVDs but also email them and as suggested already, tell them that your hard drive needs to be cleared within 14 days so act now.
That did the job for me and they replied within hours. In both cases, the clients had not pre-paid as both weddings were last minute bookings and even though I told them that full payment was due on the day, it didn't work out that way. I do think that a scare tends to make them pay up quick if it means they could lose the lot. Good luck!

[Chris Harding]

Hi Steve

On this one yes, she paid up front BUT I don't always make them pay up front. My normal deal is you pay 1/3rd on booking and then 1/3 2 weeks before the wedding and the final 1/3 when the DVD's are ready.

This is actually the first issue I have had where she paid everything prior to the wedding but doesn't want her DVD's ... I only got caught once and gave a bride her DVD's after she promised to put the money in the bank that very evening! Otherwise they will normally pay as soon as I email them and once I see the money, I can deliver.

I always try to get all the stuff I need before the big day otherwise you wait for ages or they simply lose interest! I just bug them until they comply so at least I have everything I need to complete the project.


BTW Chris ?? Are you still heading out to Australia again sometime or is that on hold???

Chris

[Tim Bakland]

True story:

I have a wedding in my editing deck from 2009 (actually my last standard def/Canon XL2 wedding). They had made a full half payment 6 months prior and, when on the day no final payment came (and this is common as I'm fine collecting it prior to editing in the days after -- I figure I have all the leverage), I just waited. So here's the uncommon part: They ran into financial straits. At that point, I had only filmed the wedding. Their half payment was certainly sufficient funding for my having been there for that time.

They were back in contact 2 years ago. They were able to pay me enough to make them a trailer. They loved it.

They were in contact a couple months ago. They're about ready to pay the balance for a full edit.

Would I always like working this way? (No.) And most couples, knowing you're sitting on their footage, will be on time with payments. But this story is actually kind of working out. And I have never done an ounce of work more than they've paid for.

At any rate, my contract is very clear that if you don't get musical selections/payments to be by due dates, that their editing may be postponed until all current paying clients' work is completed.

[Chris Hewitt]

Hi Chris, funny about that, I was all set to come back having turned down 29 weddings for this year alone when I was offered a corporate job just a couple of weeks ago which will take me through to September.
I'm still weighing it up, too many pros and cons so I have to make a decision.....go to Perth in a month and do nothing for several months or do this corp job and come over in September/October but miss the summer season.
Staying an extra 6 months would get me a pair of nice new cameras (RX10s) though but I'll still keep the AC160...brilliant camera!

[Steve Bleasdale]

Cheers Chris hope you get it sorted! Ps, I was in Melbourne myself last year family there! Will have to cone see ya, give ya a hand on a shoot! Haha! Steve

[Chris Harding]

Hey Chris

Money makes the world go around and if you can make a bundle in the UK then go for it. We are heading into Winter in a couple of months and you guys are heading towards Summer so you can get the best of both seasons and have two Summers in 2014!!

Chris

[Jeff Harper]

Chris, I would wait. I've had a couple of very slow pays, one took two years and the other about a year. Got paid both times.

You could put it aside and let it go for awhile. This has worked for me very well a few times.

My main thing is to NEVER show impatience to the customer.

You could, as suggested, force your hand through a deadline or other method if you wanted. I will not argue against this approach, it's fine for those who are comfortable operating that way. But it's not for me.

My personal style is to show more concern for the customer than for myself. I just hate being pushy with people. Everyone is going through something or other, and those going through a tough time cannot always open up and tell you what is really happening.

What's more, it is obvious that if they are not showing interest in getting the video there is a problem, the thing is, what is the problem? They did not spend the initial money with the intention of throwing all of it away, right?

I had a customer (bride) that clearly had the money but was incommuncative, and like you, it drove me crazy. Eventually they paid, but I took unorthodox method of finding the grooms place of employment and placing a friendly call. He said his wife had not told him the videos were ready. I was like "No problem, everything is fine, there is no rush, I just wanted to make sure you all knew what was up." He paid me same day. Some times you have to sneak around to both bride and groom, but just stay nice, which for you would not be hard.

Now, for final 1/3 payment I ask for it before I begin editing the wedding. So I don't have the issue much anymore.

I wonder if the "extras" are possibly making them feel overcharged? Who knows. Good luck.

[Tim Lewis]

Chris, I think you might be a bit stonkered. I remember talking to another jeweller in the mid-90's who was still holding engagement rings that they had repaired from the mid-60's. Thirty years! And that was the ring, which you would expect as a daily adornment might be a little more upper in the mind than the video of the wedding. I think a bit of patience might get you over the line.

[Chris Harding]

Hey Tim

In 30 years time the bride will be in her very late fiftys with probably 3 more kids and even grandkids ...Hmmm sobering thought that I will be 97 in 30 years time ... Don't snicker ..we all get old and my Dad made it to 99!! Then again I really cannot see me shooting weddings at that age so if she waits 30 years she loses out. DVD disks will also probably be totally obsolete by then too .. "Hey Dad what's that round plastic thing on your shelf ..a drinks coaster ?? ....Really? you used to watch videos on that?? Is that video in 16K or 32K resolution ? Really, 720 x576 no seriously what's 720?? "

Getting back to real life I haven't done her extras yet and have already told her I have her DVD's and if she wants to cancel the extras that's no issues ... since she will not email or phone me ..I don't know what she wants to do. I guess they can sit on the shelf for a while longer!! If they are still there when I eventually retire like Don they can go into the bin!!

Chris

[Roger Gunkel]

Hey that's funny Chris, I know we think alike on a lot of things but we are exactly the same age as well!! :-0

Roger

[Andrew Maclaurin]

I'm still waiting on a couple who's wedding was last September. They were in contact in January saying they were keen on getting the video and they'd be in touch soon. I think they'll pay the rest and collect the DVDs sometime before 2015! They just seem very disorganised.
I'd wait if I were you.