Let’s face it, Facebook is where it’s at today.  Everyone is on there now.  I signed up when it was still only available to a limited number of colleges, but now anyone and everyone has Facebook accounts.  My parents are even on there.  And now, Keith Michael Productions is on there as well.

 If you are on Facebook, please, go to my company page and read what people are saying, and become a fan of Keith Michael Productions  on Facebook.

There are a lot of videographers out there that have been doing this for years and make really good money. I have not been doing it 10 or 20 years yet. I’m still new in the game compared to some companies. But yesterday I was reminded why I do this, and it isn’t for the money. Sure, I dream about being able to quit my day job and just do video. Who doesn’t dream about being their own boss full time? But that’s not it either.

Two months ago I did an 80th birthday party. Pretty standard affair. I had some trouble with a slide show that a family member had made in another program to play nice with Final Cut. I had sent them a rough cut while I worked out the kinks with the final video. I sent the final off a couple weeks ago, and when they told me that they received the copies, they also told me that the woman who’s party it was, was now in the Hospital.

Yesterday when I got home from work, I checked my e-mail, and there was an e-mail from the daughter who had been the one that contracted me for the party. She told me that her mother passed away the night before. My heart sank as I read the brief e-mail. She ended the e-mail by telling me that they would be playing the video of the party bereavement luncheon after the funeral, and then thanked me for giving them this beautiful remembrance.

Each time that I read this e-mail, I had to fight off the tears. Then I thought about one of my first videos that I made in tribute to college friend who had passed away, and how much that video touched people. And then I realized that this is the main reason why I love to make videos. I love to touch people’s lives. These birthday parties, and weddings that I record maybe a job for me, but when they are played back on the TV of one of my clients, they become an emotion.

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.

Here is my new sample video from the last wedding I did. It is live as of yesterday on my webpage.

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!