Getting into event videography, budget concerns.

I had no intention on starting a debate like this when I asked the question.

The idea had always been that I would be able to provide HD event videography at a similar price to people who are offering only SD. In exchange for this, is the fact that I'm not as experienced or established.

Look as I might, I'm at an impasse. I could purchase a gray market product through e-bay and save almost $1000 upfront but if something happens to the camera and I miss 2 shoots because I cannot get my camera back to me in working order as quickly, those savings are long gone. Even missing just 1 shoot negates most of the savings and the bad rep of having to say "sorry my camera is down" will be more than enough for the rest.

I could get 2 DVX100 cameras easily enough to negate that issue but then what am I offering that someone else isn't? It's definitely not experience. It isn't establishment. Quality of work? How do we know? The idea of offering HD is marketing. I'll be able to offer something that NO ONE else is and lets face it, for the ignorant masses, thats often enough. I'll be able to futureproof myself and my clients.

They might not have an HDTV right now. But they will eventually.
 
Sell them on something else unique about your product. Do interviews with the families, put together a montage of preparing the wedding to show at the reception, or offer a 10-minute "quick version" of the ceremony on DVD, with just the highlights in a cool montage.

Families will hire you because they trust you. It's better to explain your high prices than apoligize for your quality.

I got a lot of business by giving my clients $100 for each referral that paid a deposit.
 
dont worry lynxis, youdidnt start any debate that hasnt already been had in other threads here. but i have to say
approach broadcast quality which can't really be said for HDV cams
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- SVHS is "broadcast quality". the HVX far exceeds that. as do any of the HDV cameras
at least 3 discovery channel shows are shot primarilly on HDV. a lot of folks here and in other forums get all tied up in discussions of gear. movies/films/videos have been made for years from even VHS cameras. get what you can aford and shoot your GOOD ideas - and shoot them WELL.

beyond that its up to salesmanship. PERIOD.

on another note. a lot of folks think they can just buy an hvx for $5k and be ready for prime time. sure they CAN. many have. and i did - but i grew it from there.
the reality for a newcomer is that after the camera, mics, p2, firestore, tripod, lights, lens adapter and lenses, etc. youre not gonna build an even approaching "comprhensive" HVX rig for less than about $7k
 
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That's very true... only I personally would never touch or buy a firestore. I've heard nothing but bad things, yet some people here love 'em I guess. I don't see the point for me. We have someone on set capturing that footage as it's shot right to the hard disk and backing up to externals. No use for that thing.
 
jonathan - have you ever personally USED a firestore? if not, youre just spreading unsubstantiated rumors. "sammie? bob said he doinked her on the first date!"

- well, what if bob is a liar? or if bob is just trying to look cool? or if bobs just too dumb to know technically what "doinking" is?

firestores scare me as well based on rumors. but mine (FS4 and FS100) have never once failed me.
 
I've long since accepted that I cannot just spend 5k on the camera and be ready to go. Along those lines, I've decided it would be poor foresight if I spent 5k on a camera for 2 shoots which may just sit there after that.

The most important thing for me at this point is to build experience and establishment. This is a city which thrives on word of mouth. Because I'm new and I'm shooting these first 2 weddings for very close friends of mine, I'll be doing them at cost which will be around $400 after rental of gear and edit suite time which is extremely reasonable if you ask me.

Especially when the established photographers in town request at minimum around $1000 for a bare minimum shoot.
 
wgzn said:
connor. that may be THE most ignorant statement ive heard this month. and im not saying that to be ugly to you. its just clear that you are coming at things with a very limited perspective.

first of all please, PLEASE tell me that "$3/hour" was a typo?!?!?!

its my passion AND my business. i dont quite gather how you seem to think the two are mutually exclusive. ive been in this biz for well over a decade and ive been at both ends of that spectrum. but i finally decided that it made more sense to do 8 $25,000 projects a year than try to do 100 $2000 projects.

the work is out there and its there for anyone. just because someone chooses to accept the low paying gigs or their experience (or negotiating skills) dont allow them to get more - doesnt mean its not there for someone else.

this is the same in any business. there are people who will pay a premium for premium products and there are people who wont. it all depends on how and to whom you present yourself.

as a side note, i've known several wedding/event videographers who do well over $100k a year and thats all they do. they shoot on the weekends and edit weekdays and their "weekend" is generally tuesday/wednesday
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We also came to the same conclusion, wgzn, better to hold out for 8 great projects a year than take little ones. We've had clients ask to make music videos for $2,000, $2,500, $550, etc. We can't make anything good with those budgets, let alone make a profit and make the quality of work we expect to make. I don't believe in shooting a music video with a crew of 3 people and then editing it myself. I believe in having a professional crew of at least 7-8 people, that's skeleton crew level (my last shoot we had about 20 cast / crew), and having the money in the budget to make something really great. We have been trying to break into the Persian music video market, because my friend has lots of Persian friends who are singers, but we've found that many of them won't pay what we expect to make, so we decided we're fine with being the relatively expensive guys ($8,000-12,000, still tiny budget by American standards, seriously) you go to if you're a serious musician who wants professional Hollywood results, not crap quality home videos by our competition. If that's how you want to sell yourself, go for it, but we want to work with people who take their careers seriously and will pay us fair money to make them professional results.

Never sell your name so cheap. It's very hard to ask for more when you've already sold yourself so cheap...

"the XH-A1 sucked, the footage was very grainy"

lol, that's funny because we shot with the XH-A1 once, had major grain issues, got our HVX200s (loved them, still love them, great little cameras for the price especially), and then our XH-A1 got stolen (office robbery) and we never replaced it, just got the insurance money and we decided no reason to rebuy that one.
 
Well I agree with the philosopy, but I must add that if I were shooting a music video in Milwaukee, I'd be happy to get $2500. But most musicians that are ready to spend more are going to leave the city for that kind of service anyway. I can't compete with the guys on the west coast because I'd never get enough jobs to keep the crew and equipment paid for. There is a sweet spot where you can be the expensive guy locally and maybe not the expensive guy nationally.
 
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