.How do you use your DVX???

H

hYpnochronic

New member
How do you use your DVX to make money? I am purchasing one very soon to make short films, but also with the hopes that I will be able to make my money back. I know there are countless ways to do this (music videos/weddings/etc) but I am new to this so I'd like to hear what everyone's personal experiences are in the field.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

Nobody anywhere will make money shooting music videos with a DVX, unless they're already entrenched with a M/V production company. You may get an occasional job to shoot an MV, but it'll probably be for a struggling band and you'll be lucky to get $200 or so for it.

The vast majority of videographers who make money with their cameras shoot weddings and events (birthday parties, football games, etc). There's a group dedicated to that sector of the economy, called WEVA (Wedding & Event Videographers Association, www.weva.org).

Some people try to make local TV commercials with 'em, but that road is a hellish dead-end. If you're really, really good, you can get in with ad agencies and get some decent budgets ($5,000 - $100,000) but at those rates you'll frequently be using something other than the DVX.

If you can get hooked up with a VNR company you can shoot video news releases, those can pay some decent wages.

But, unfortunately, it usually all leads back to weddings. Weddings are the one place where the public recognizes that they actually want a video, and will sometimes even pay for it. It's also a brutally competitive field, and rates can vary from free to $3500 and above.

I've used mine to shoot "films", regional and local commercials, concerts, corporate films, all sorts of stuff.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

Sorry but I have to disagree with you on the music video and commercial thing. From my experience all kinda of people everywhere want music videos and commericals and will pay from 500 - 2000 for work and sometimes maybe even more. And the DVX is a perfect camera to do it on. I know tons of rappers that do music videos all day on cameras like the dvx and canon xl1.

Plus even tv shows... mostly all underground but they still do pay alot of money!
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

As with everything in the Entertainment Industry, it's all about who you know, not what you know.

I'll let you guys know if I ever make any money with this camera. I can tell you that your chances are much greater in areas where people are willing to pay for video services. If you're in small-town Midwestern or rural areas, in my opinion, you're screwed. I'm living proof.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

I live in Oklahoma City and have been employed exclusively through video and film production since 1987 in this market.

You gotta make it happen... or it won't.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

[quote author=skettalee link=board=Offtopic;num=1082859319;start=0#2 date=04/25/04 at 14:17:20]Sorry but I have to disagree with you on the music video and commercial thing. From my experience all kinda of people everywhere want music videos and commericals and will pay from 500 - 2000 for work and sometimes maybe even more. [/quote]

Well, I guess that depends on what you consider a lot of money.  In Vegas I've been approached about exactly two music video gigs, one is an edit-only job and the other was the full concept/write/produce/shoot/direct/edit deal, and either job would pay $400 total.  I don't consider that a lot, but I guess some people would be quite happy with that.  As a shooter I charge $800/day just to show up, shoot and go home, dropping off the raw footage, so I certainly don't expect to do all the writing, producing, directing, and editing for an entire project for $400.  And the problem is, for these clients, $400 is a LOT of money -- they feel like they're paying a royal fortune, so the expectations and demands are way out of line when compared to the rewards.

But hey, there are probably many DVX'ers who'd be happy with an additional $400 per month, or even $400 per week, and if they can do a job in a week, it might be worth it to them. You couldn't make a living at that, but if you can do it on nights & weekends you could maybe do well.

A music video for $2000 is more like it, provided you can be done with the job in its entirety in under 3 days, and you don't have to rent a bunch of gear and props and costumes and hire crew, thus spending the whole budget...

When I was talking about music videos, I was talking about the $30,000 to $250,000 jobs you see on MTV/VH1/BET.  Those jobs are out there, but they're usually handled by entrenched companies.

About commercials, I've gone on long rants about this before.  But basically the TV stations here will do commercials for $100/hr, with a complete job done in about 3 hours total.  If doing an entire commercial job (including all writing, producing, directing, editing, plus all costs, costumes, props, equipment, everything included) for $300 is appealing to someone, then perhaps that avenue is viable for them.  I spent some time slumming for local-tv commercial jobs, and am only too happy to be out of it now.  The low end is swamped with competition, the prices are abysmal, and the client demands are high.  (If you get in with an ad agency, then your budgets go to $10,000 to $50,000 and that changes everything.)

Local TV commercials are basically a dead-end path to despair.  I much prefer corporate work, where the budgets are usually $5,000 to $25,000, the schedule is more relaxed, the clients are far less demanding, and the potential to do satisfying creative work is greater. Regional commercials are better still, you get to deal with more professional clients who understand that they have to spend enough money to do it right, and because they're advertising all across the country, they will put a little more into the shoot. Most of my commercial work recently has been for regionals, and it's much more rewarding and satisfying than doing local stuff.

But, there are all sorts of ways to use a DVX to make money, even to make a living.  Find your niche, do what you're good at, and you can do well.  Try to bulldog your way into something because you think there's money in it, and that's a recipe for failure.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

[quote author=dpwanab link=board=Offtopic;num=1082859319;start=0#3 date=04/26/04 at 08:57:00]As with everything in the Entertainment Industry, it's all about who you know, not what you know.

I'll let you guys know if I ever make any money with this camera.  I can tell you that your chances are much greater in areas where people are willing to pay for video services.  If you're in small-town Midwestern or rural areas, in my opinion, you're screwed.  I'm living proof.
[/quote]

Wrong. It's not who you know... it's who knows you. And on the midwest comment, wrong again. I also live in Oklahoma like Terry (as midwest as you can get), and do work for national clients (mtv, bacardi, etc). It's the quality of your work that matters. Not where you are.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

A friend of mine from Norman, OK used to tell me stories of how OKC was a pretty popular test market for all kinds of new products and market research. No doubt part of the reason you guys are so busy.

Plus, isn't it one of the few urban areas for hundreds of miles in any direction? It's not like my area, (Cincinnati, OH) where you've got Dayton and Columbus OH, Louisville and Lexington KY, and Indianapolis IN all within 100 miles, all with their own small markets. I would expect a bit of 'pooling' to take place in the OKC area, even if it's population isn't as large as some other cities which end up having less commercial activity. (I'm actually somewhere between Cincinnati and Indianapolis, in rural small-town hell; small town as in anything within a 30 minute drive has a population of less than 5,000 people.)

And it's not like there ISN'T work here, it's just EXTREMELY hard to break in, and if you've been in since 1987, I would hope you wouldn't have problems finding work and getting paid for it.

I agree it's who knows you, but that's just kinda elaborating on the same thing. I'm not one of those people who says I know somebody when I've only met them once or know them only through someone else.

Read my post again, I said 'small-town Midwestern or rural areas' which applies to me and my comment. I don't really think that applies to Oklahoma City. And it COULD work in places like that, but the populus has to be willing to pay for such things. People where I am are pretty unwilling to do so, maybe they pay in OKC?

(Though technically thought of as a midwestern state, Oklahoma is too far West for me to consider it that. I guess I would consider part of the 'Plains States' which I'm probably assuming exist when there may be no such distinction)
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

Oh... Well, I guess you're right.

Might as well give up and sell your camera. ::)
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

sidenote- i'm in Tulsa, population about 450,000. Oklahoma City has about 550,000 or so. Not big markets, not small either.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

[quote author=dpwanab link=board=Offtopic;num=1082859319;start=0#7 date=04/26/04 at 13:07:03]A friend of mine from Norman, OK used to tell me stories of how OKC was a pretty popular test market for all kinds of new products and market research.  No doubt part of the reason you guys are so busy.

Plus, isn't it one of the few urban areas for hundreds of miles in any direction?  It's not like my area, (Cincinnati, OH) where you've got Dayton and Columbus OH, Louisville and Lexington KY, and Indianapolis IN all within 100 miles, all with their own small markets.  I would expect a bit of 'pooling' to take place in the OKC area, even if it's population isn't as large as some other cities which end up having less commercial activity.  (I'm actually somewhere between Cincinnati and Indianapolis, in rural small-town hell;  small town as in anything within a 30 minute drive has a population of less than 5,000 people.)

And it's not like there ISN'T work here, it's just EXTREMELY hard to break in, and if you've been in since 1987, I would hope you wouldn't have problems finding work and getting paid for it.

I agree it's who knows you, but that's just kinda elaborating on the same thing.  I'm not one of those people who says I know somebody when I've only met them once or know them only through someone else.

Read my post again, I said 'small-town Midwestern or rural areas' which applies to me and my comment.  I don't really think that applies to Oklahoma City.  And it COULD work in places like that, but the populus has to be willing to pay for such things.  People where I am are pretty unwilling to do so, maybe they pay in OKC?  

(Though technically thought of as a midwestern state, Oklahoma is too far West for me to consider it that.  I guess I would consider part of the 'Plains States' which I'm probably assuming exist when there may be no such distinction)[/quote]

As a former denizen of Cincinnati, I know there are many avenues to pursue if you get creative enough. For a city its size, it has an amazing saturation of theatre troupes, local (non-cover) bands, and all sorts of other talent. Visit the hundreds of coffee houses. Look at the flyers. Hook up with one of the small bands of actors or musicians. Hang out at CCM.

Making a living? It will be tough to do, sure, but if you ever want to, you're going to need the experience. You've got plenty of opportunity to get the practice and a great demo reel.

Besides, if making a living at video were as easy as buying the camera and shooting, everyone would do it . . . ::)
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

...sigh...

looks like I'm getting misunderstood/taken too seriously, AGAIN

anyway, no ill-will towards the Oklahoman's on this board, they're OK!
(sorry, couldn't resist)

I realize that Cincy may have more to offer than meets the eye, but as I should have probably mentioned more clearly, I'm not really IN Cincinnati, though it is the closest city at just over an hour's drive away. I'm about halfway between Indianapolis and Cincinnati in SE Indiana, a VERY rural area. I'll further clarify by saying that the people in the immediate area around me don't want to purchase wedding vidoes or to produce local cable advertisements for example. In times of desparation I've offered as low as $300 and been laughed at, seriously.

I think maybe the difference is that I'm looking at it from a couple of different angles, and both of them at the moment are negative. As a Videographer it's very difficult in small, rural, midwestern towns. As a freelance crew member, it's very difficult to be taken seriously in these small midwestern markets.

I work as an AC in the IN/OH/KY market, but I've realized after trying to break into that market for the past 3 years that I'm still at the bottom of everybody's list. I maybe work 1 day per month. I believe without a doubt it has everything to do with the area/mentality and my perceived young age of 26. Nearly every other AC in the market are in their late 30's early 40's, and they all work consistantly, cause they all know each other from WAY back. It's a pretty small market, and everybody just keeps hiring the same people over and over again, and there's just not enough room for me at this time, and that's just the way it is.

Believe me, whatever you might suggest as far as trying to get more work, I've probably done it, I am still doing it, and plan to keep doing it along with pursuing every other applicable technique and strategy. Yet, nothing has worked yet. Makes it hard to believe it's something I'm not doing.

I agree that the quality of work matters more than where you are; if you're above the line. As far as production crew goes though, you're a placeholder, a cog in the wheel. I'm fine with that, I like being an AC. I'd like to do it a lot more often. But I'm not gonna get to do that here. Relocation is my only option, but not an available option at this time. To quote the Gambler, you gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em.
 
Re: .How do you use your DVX???

Well, I just got the DVX100a a few weeks ago, but when I had my Ikegami 55 which doesnt look as good as the DVX I shot Cops [BAD bOYS} Real Stories of the Highway Patrol..remember that? Yuck! Industrials, Event stuff, Wedding Videos, News, ect..ect. Its how far you push yourself and how well you can shoot/Light, shot composition ect.
Now I have a full time job and only have weekends to enjoy my true love, but pound the streets, give out your business cards and a demo reel and dont give up. Ya might have to do a few freebies to build your demo, which is what Iam doing now. Kinda having to start all over again.
 
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