How long do you give yourself until you delivery DVD after Wedding? at DVinfo.net

Yi Fong Yu · January 2nd, 2006, 06:52 PM

i just shot one on Saturday =). now i gotta know what's a reasonable deadline?

A.J. Briones · January 2nd, 2006, 07:15 PM

4 months. longer during peak times. no promises. it's done when it's perfect.

Peter Jefferson · January 2nd, 2006, 08:50 PM

i started off at 3 months,
then that jumped to 5 when business kicked in..

soon after i hit the 8 to 10 months delivery, but i make no promises to them whatsoever. .
putting down a delivery date in writing is probabaly the biggest headache i am dealing with now. No seriously once there is a date ther, if they get it one day late, they'll hate u.
Now consider that youre a one man band, everythign is done yourself, all
consultations, filming and editing. This is ALOT of work for a measly 2 grand...

I learnt the hard way with promising delivery times.. now i just tell them between 6 to 8 months depending on the workload of the studio.
I also tell them that if they want short form, they will definately get it sooner.

See editing doesnt take long. I can cut maybe 12 hours of multicammed footage and get it all ready with artwork etc within 10 days. Thats how i work and i know im faster than most, but thats not the problem.
The problem is that when u shoot 50 odd weddings a year you literally WILL NEVER be able to deliver the finished goods on a tight deadline like 3 months.. its physically impossible even with 2 machines.. the other factors surrounding the business just get in the way.. from sales, to marketting to emails, to cionsultations, through to living life like a normal human...

Yi Fong Yu · January 2nd, 2006, 09:14 PM

ummm, wouldn't the bride&groom get irritated? is this the industry norm? delivery after a few months?

John DeLuca · January 2nd, 2006, 09:36 PM

Four weeks in my contract. Alittle longer during busy months. I can only double book weekends(two photography, two video a week) so things don't get to backed up. I agree that things would get backed up if you do everything yourself and had more than two weddings a week. I know a guy that claims to have 11 weddings a week(both photography & video).

One thing about having your own business is that you set your own hours. I know alot of lazy editors that don't work a full 8 hour(or more) day. You can get alot done in a day if you work hard esp with real time editing on a fast machine. I also do all my digital photography files aswell? 50% raw files to boot. Rarely hits six weeks.

John

Richard Zlamany · January 3rd, 2006, 12:38 AM

One to Two weeks.

A.J. Briones · January 3rd, 2006, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yi Fong Yu

ummm, wouldn't the bride&groom get irritated? is this the industry norm? delivery after a few months?

i know photographers that deliver in 6-8 months, and we're talking one or two data dvds with cropped and color corrected jpegs.

i can do a dvd in 3 days if that's all i have going on. but take into consideration that we are filming weddings almost every weekend (sometimes two weddings in one weekend for every weekend of the month on peak times) and i still have my day job animating for videogames and it works out to be something like 4 to 6 months.

yes, i can probably go faster, but quality gets lower.

Tom Hardwick · January 3rd, 2006, 04:45 AM

One to two weeks. Any longer than that and you risk them parting and not wanting to pay the balance. I had one couple that parted after 3 weeks but the good news was she had me back 5 years later to film her second wedding. Nearly 3 years now, so she made a better choice this time.

tom.

Peter Jefferson · January 3rd, 2006, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

One to two weeks. Any longer than that and you risk them parting and not wanting to pay the balance. I had one couple that parted after 3 weeks but the good news was she had me back 5 years later to film her second wedding. Nearly 3 years now, so she made a better choice this time.

tom.

thats why they pay in advance, and if they dont want to pay in advance, they can go elsewhere.. on top of that, if theyre worried abotutheir investment, they have a 3 part contract which protects it..

Tom Hardwick · January 3rd, 2006, 04:55 AM

They probably 'go elsewhere' and come to my door Peter. I always want to see the work a man does for me before I pay him. If he carpets my floor, photographs my children, digs my garden, makes me a suit I want to have a good look at his workmanship before I hand over the dosh.

I treat my clients in just the same way. I hand over the DVDs and they hand over the money. Never yet had a defaulter.

tom.

David Nelson · January 3rd, 2006, 05:57 AM

Good rule of thumb, try to get the video done prior to the divorce. Any later than that, your S.O.L.!

Ryan DesRoches · January 3rd, 2006, 07:51 AM

Working part time (wedding videography is not my full time job) - it took me a little over a month and a half to get out a one and a half hour DVD to the customer (which they loved, BTW). Working full time, I probably could have had it out in a two week period. I shout about 11 hours of tape on this particular wedding.

I guess it all depends on how good you are with an editing system, and how anal you are with the details. I go untill I am 95% satisfied with it (I am never 100% satisfied with anything I shoot and edit - I always want "more") - and then ship it. You need to remember that the customer wants to see this ASAP in most circumstances, so I try to keep that in mind as well.

Ryan

Bill Dooling · January 3rd, 2006, 08:34 AM

In 10 years of requiring payment in full before the wedding I have had only one bride and groom balk at the idea. I require half at the time of booking and the other half 2 weeks before the wedding. I am a photographer and this is for photography but I see no reason why it would be different for Video.

As a "by the way," the bride and groom that balked at the idea, I made a special arrangement for payment in thirds, one third at booking, one third three months before and the final third upon delivery. They went ahead and paid in full two weeks before the wedding anyway, I think they trusted me at that point.

Bill

A.J. Briones · January 3rd, 2006, 09:55 AM

deposit due with contract to seal the date, balance due 2 weeks prior to the wedding. i have not yet had a client complain. i want a video i can be proud to show from packaging to content, from start to finish, and that can take time.

Ryan DesRoches · January 3rd, 2006, 09:59 AM

I usually do one of two payment methods:

- Half up front/Half on Delivery.

or

- 1/3 up front, 1/3 at wedding (when filming is complete), and 1/3 at delivery. (This is usually how I work Independent films and other event Videography - usually not weddings).

A program like Quickbooks is essential when you have multiple customers with different payment cycles . . .

Ryan

January 2nd, 2006, 06:52 PM	#1
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	How long do you give yourself until you delivery DVD after Wedding? i just shot one on Saturday =). now i gotta know what's a reasonable deadline? __________________ bow wow wow

January 2nd, 2006, 09:14 PM	#4
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	ummm, wouldn't the bride&groom get irritated? is this the industry norm? delivery after a few months? __________________ bow wow wow

January 2nd, 2006, 07:15 PM	#2
A.J. Briones Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 275	4 months. longer during peak times. no promises. it's done when it's perfect.

January 2nd, 2006, 08:50 PM	#3
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	i started off at 3 months, then that jumped to 5 when business kicked in.. soon after i hit the 8 to 10 months delivery, but i make no promises to them whatsoever. . putting down a delivery date in writing is probabaly the biggest headache i am dealing with now. No seriously once there is a date ther, if they get it one day late, they'll hate u. Now consider that youre a one man band, everythign is done yourself, all consultations, filming and editing. This is ALOT of work for a measly 2 grand... I learnt the hard way with promising delivery times.. now i just tell them between 6 to 8 months depending on the workload of the studio. I also tell them that if they want short form, they will definately get it sooner. See editing doesnt take long. I can cut maybe 12 hours of multicammed footage and get it all ready with artwork etc within 10 days. Thats how i work and i know im faster than most, but thats not the problem. The problem is that when u shoot 50 odd weddings a year you literally WILL NEVER be able to deliver the finished goods on a tight deadline like 3 months.. its physically impossible even with 2 machines.. the other factors surrounding the business just get in the way.. from sales, to marketting to emails, to cionsultations, through to living life like a normal human...

January 2nd, 2006, 09:36 PM	#5
John DeLuca Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Akron, Ohio Posts: 496	Four weeks in my contract. Alittle longer during busy months. I can only double book weekends(two photography, two video a week) so things don't get to backed up. I agree that things would get backed up if you do everything yourself and had more than two weddings a week. I know a guy that claims to have 11 weddings a week(both photography & video). One thing about having your own business is that you set your own hours. I know alot of lazy editors that don't work a full 8 hour(or more) day. You can get alot done in a day if you work hard esp with real time editing on a fast machine. I also do all my digital photography files aswell? 50% raw files to boot. Rarely hits six weeks. John

January 3rd, 2006, 12:38 AM	#6
Richard Zlamany Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hamden CT Posts: 470	One to Two weeks.

January 3rd, 2006, 04:45 AM	#8
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	One to two weeks. Any longer than that and you risk them parting and not wanting to pay the balance. I had one couple that parted after 3 weeks but the good news was she had me back 5 years later to film her second wedding. Nearly 3 years now, so she made a better choice this time. tom.

January 3rd, 2006, 04:55 AM	#10
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	They probably 'go elsewhere' and come to my door Peter. I always want to see the work a man does for me before I pay him. If he carpets my floor, photographs my children, digs my garden, makes me a suit I want to have a good look at his workmanship before I hand over the dosh. I treat my clients in just the same way. I hand over the DVDs and they hand over the money. Never yet had a defaulter. tom.

January 3rd, 2006, 05:57 AM	#11
David Nelson Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 73	Good rule of thumb, try to get the video done prior to the divorce. Any later than that, your S.O.L.!

January 3rd, 2006, 07:51 AM	#12
Ryan DesRoches Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Worcester, Mass USA Posts: 125	Working part time (wedding videography is not my full time job) - it took me a little over a month and a half to get out a one and a half hour DVD to the customer (which they loved, BTW). Working full time, I probably could have had it out in a two week period. I shout about 11 hours of tape on this particular wedding. I guess it all depends on how good you are with an editing system, and how anal you are with the details. I go untill I am 95% satisfied with it (I am never 100% satisfied with anything I shoot and edit - I always want "more") - and then ship it. You need to remember that the customer wants to see this ASAP in most circumstances, so I try to keep that in mind as well. Ryan

January 3rd, 2006, 08:34 AM	#13
Bill Dooling Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 29	In 10 years of requiring payment in full before the wedding I have had only one bride and groom balk at the idea. I require half at the time of booking and the other half 2 weeks before the wedding. I am a photographer and this is for photography but I see no reason why it would be different for Video. As a "by the way," the bride and groom that balked at the idea, I made a special arrangement for payment in thirds, one third at booking, one third three months before and the final third upon delivery. They went ahead and paid in full two weeks before the wedding anyway, I think they trusted me at that point. Bill

January 3rd, 2006, 09:55 AM	#14
A.J. Briones Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 275	deposit due with contract to seal the date, balance due 2 weeks prior to the wedding. i have not yet had a client complain. i want a video i can be proud to show from packaging to content, from start to finish, and that can take time.

January 3rd, 2006, 09:59 AM	#15
Ryan DesRoches Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Worcester, Mass USA Posts: 125	I usually do one of two payment methods: - Half up front/Half on Delivery. or - 1/3 up front, 1/3 at wedding (when filming is complete), and 1/3 at delivery. (This is usually how I work Independent films and other event Videography - usually not weddings). A program like Quickbooks is essential when you have multiple customers with different payment cycles . . . Ryan