It has never been easier for people in my line of work to share video samples online. With combination of high speed Internet and online sharing sites, it makes mylife really easy. In the past, there were very few sharing sites, and the load times were slow and the quality wasn’t that great. Many people, including myself, would host video on their own web server. This means choosing a format, and then hoping you don’t get overloaded with people watching it and using up your bandwidth for the month.
Last year I started using Google Video, YouTube, and Yahoo Video. Yahoo Video had become my main area to store my video and use it for my web page because they allowed longer video clips than YouTube (they only allow 10 minutes) and Yahoo looked better than Google. I have recently thought of encoding things to Flash myself, but that becomes more trouble than it is worth.
What all of these sharing sites have in common and is that not only am I storing video for free, but people can now search for it. When you host on your own site, you can only find it by going to that site. Now, people can share your clips and find your site from these other sites. The other great part is that these sites all encode in Flash. In the past you really had to make that choice between QucikTime® and Windows Media®. Then you had to worry about if people had one of the other. With Flash, anyone who has their web browser up to date can view these videos.
Today, I have started posting on a new site. It is DailyMotion.com. What I really like about them is that interface is simple, and that they allow you to have videos that are up to 20 minutes long. Here is a sample of what it looks like.
This is the question, and it is different for everyone. Is it necessary to meet with your videographer before your wedding? The answer is no, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I have done it both ways myself where I have met with the couple and where I am meeting them for the first time on the day of their wedding. The problem I find with not meeting before is first, you don’t know anyone. Next weekend I will be going to do a wedding where the only person that I have talked to is the mother of the groom. The groom I have only talked to through e-mail. It’s not that I mind doing business like that, after all it is a job, but it will lead to t he moment where I have to go around and introduce myself to everyone when we get there.
I will always advise meeting with the couple at least once before the wedding. And I really recommend this for all of your vendors except maybe the limosine driver. The first contact is either on the phone or e-mail, and that is where we get some basic stuff out of the way such as if I have the date free, can they afford to actually pay for the service. Now this may seem rude to some people, but it will save a lot of time. Before I meet with anyone in person, I make sure that they have looked at my web page and that they have looked at my prices. This way my time and their time is not wasted for us to meet when they are really looking for a $500 job.
Once the basic stuff is out of the way, it’s time to have a face to face meeting. I prefer to go to the bride’s house. My work can be messy at times, and this way I am doing the driving, making it easier for the couple. I like to start off the meeting by popping in a video and then asking what they are looking for in a video. I have different names for everything, but they may not know what they are. That is why I let them describe what they would like in their own words and then work from there. The meeting is also a time to see if the couple is comfortable around me. I will be video taping 8 - 10 hours of their life, it is important that we can all get along and joke around to a certain extent.
Many times, this one meeting is enough, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be the last. If they want to do something fancy, or they need to give me photos for their montage, there will be a quick meeting here and there. Another important meeting is the rehearsal. I don’t go to all of the rehearsals, but I do like to try and make it there. This gives me a chance to meet the rest of the bridal party and the parents. This way they already know me on wedding day. It is also a nice time to talk with the people in charge. If it is a Church, I can talk to the priest and find out where I can and can’t go. This can always be done the day of, but it’s nice to get it out of the way. It will also give me a chance to think about camera locations so that on the wedding day, I can show up with my assistant and set up quickly.
That is my take on vendor meetings, so please, take the time to meet with them. I know it’s not easy. I’m planning my own wedding and I have trouble finding the time. But if you do it will pay off in the end.
And to my Jewish friends, a Happy Passover, and to everyone else, a beautiful Sunday morning. Spring time was here for a couple of weeks, and then winter decided to come back for a couple of days, so all of you that live in this area know that it is chilly out there. But that’s ok, because for most of us, today is a Holiday, and being in the wedding business, one thing is true about holidays, people always get engaged on them. I doubt that it will be as many people as on Christmas or New Years, but there will sure to be some.
With Spring right around the corner, that means wedding season is almost here as well. For those of you getting married this summer, vendors are something that need to checked off of your list. Newer shops like me may have free dates in the summer, but other vendors that have been around for years also book years in advance. Don’t wait to the last minute to book your photographer, or your DJ or your videographer.
Enjoy the weekend, and it’s time to get back to planning that wedding, take some time to look at sample video online, and start calling around. Remember that the sample video is only part of what you are paying for, there is also that videographer that is go to be with you for 8 to 10 hours on your wedding day. It is important to make sure that it will be someone that you won’t mind hanging around.
It was a long day, but after some last minute adjusting and a little bit of nerves, I think that my first bridal show went really well. There were 172 Brides there, and I would like to think that I made some good contacts. We will see how things go once I start calling people back.
Brochures - Check Demo Video - Check Projector and Screen - Check Nervous Keith - Check
Yes, I have everything that I think I need for my first Bridal Show, and yes, I’m a little nervous since I don’t really know what to expect. I have never done anything like this for myself. I have been to trade shows, and I have seen how they work. But now, it’s time to represent myself, something that no one else in the world can do.
Ok, I need to get dressed, thinking about it right now is making me nervous again. But I rather be nervous than calm, because that means I won’t forget anything. Look for another post after the show.
This Saturday, I will be working at my first Bridal Show at the Marriott in Shelton, CT. Putting on the show is Bosco Bridal. I have not met Bosco in person yet, but the phone conversations that I have had with him up to this point have been very helpful in preparing for this coming Saturday.
Today, I finished production of my lates wedding and then put together a wedding demo that I will be using for the show. I took some things from two different weddings that I shot over the past year. This latest one really is my best work to date. The only problem I have with the video is the lighting. I felt the lighting was too dim in the reception hall.
This brings up a good point that I would like to share with others out there. Many reception halls like to turn the lights down very low. Now this makes for an intamite setting, however, it makes for a dark and grainy video. Whether you work with me, or with another videographer, you should discuss lighting at the hall. When you and your videographer are on the same page, you can then pass this info along to the recpetion hall. It always helps when the people paying the reception hall are the ones telling them not to turn the lights down too low. The alternative is to have the videographer use a light on the camera. This will produce great video as far as quality has, but I find that people tend to not enjoy having a bright light in their face. I personally don’t like to use a light for this reason.
Well, I have been working for hours on video staring at this computer screen, so it is time for me to hit the sack and get some shut eye
I do work for a large corporation, and a project that I got to do was follow Jared Fogel (The Subway Guy) around NYC for a day as he kicked off his book tour. This video is also potsed on www.subwayfreshbuzz.com
This past weekend was rather productive for the business. First I met with a client in the morning so I could get photos from them in order to finish their wedding video. After I got the photos, I said to my self, it’s time to buy that new scanner. After dropping the photos off at my house, I headed to staples to buy the HP Scanjet 4370. Now, I will admit, this is not the top of the line scanner, but it is great for my needs. Its scan resolution is more than what video is, which means that it will look great on anyone’s TV.
I think that the second item that I bought is actually more important than the scanner, and something that I have been meaning to get for a while. It is a UPS or uninterrupted Power Supply. This is a surge protector plus. It protects your computer from all of those power spikes, and it also keeps it going when the lights go out. The one that I bought will keep my computer running for about 15 minutes, which is enough time for me to save what ever I am working on and shut down my computer. This is piece of mind for me and for any of my customers because now when a storm comes through I don’t have to worry about losing all of my work, especially if I’m not home. That’s right, if I’m not home and I lose power, this UPS will shut my computer down for me.
Oh, aside from shopping spree, I finished editing a wedding, and tonight I finish the DVD.
This blog is new for my business, but this project I want to show you is not. It is my first major job that I did before I was even an LLC. The project itself is a documentary about a woman. Her 40th Birthday was coming up, and her husband wanted to do something really special. He wanted to make a documentary about her by interviewing her friends and family. Enter me! I spent several Saturdays recording interviews of friends and family. The final viewing took place in a theater that he rented out. She though she was going to see “The Squid and The Whale”. I sat in the back row, all their friends were in the front, and they came in ‘late’ and sat right in front of me. Being able to watch her excitement through the whole video was the best experience.
Without further delay, here is a small sample from what ended up being a 50 minute video. Enjoy!
