How To Get Started and Stay In The Business

robstar1 said:
However and more importantly, how are you going to make money on this to pay those who need to be paid?
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Ideally a primary sponsor for the season and a secondary sponsor for each episode. Secondary sponsors will tie in with the ingredients used and the time of year.

robstar1 said:
What is the audience demographic?
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Housewives and retired women.

robstar1 said:
What potential advertisers desire that demographic?
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Granted, I haven't done my market research yet -- still in the brainstorming stage. But my thoughts are grocers (regional chain, Mom and Pop, specialty, farmers markets, etc.), state meat councils, orchards, wineries, and health care/nutrition facilities.

robstar1 said:
What is viewership potential in the local market?
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This would air on my state's PBS station. Don't have any hard numbers or desired time slots yet.

robstar1 said:
What is that viewership worth to a sponsor?
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Good question. I've definitely got some research to do. Any links, books, or personal insight is highly appreciated. (Thanks for the great thread, Robert!)
 
I suggest you spend a few weeks watching or DVRing all your local stations and see who is already advertising with TV spots. Make a WRITTEN list and you'll quickly see who values TV time and has a budget for it. Those will be your potential customers / sponsors / advertisers. There's a difference in those three descriptors you need to understand completely as well.

You can also meet with the local advertising sales reps for those accounts and find out what their clients mindsets are. For instance, some may be into trying new things and some may run the same ads on the same shows for 15 years. You can probably get those reps to explain their pricing for spots as well.

I think you're going to be really surprised at how cheap local airtime is when purchased in quantity... like stupid cheap. For instance our local bike shop was running 30-60 second spots during the Tour de France for about $60 EACH with a buy of 50 spots or so.

Remember as well, advertisers buy airtime and that money goes to the broadcasters, sponsors place product for a monetary exchange with you and maybe they buy some spots as well but the spot money goes to the broadcasters.

While making your current advertisers list put some thought into how many local / regional shows you see and what they are. My guess is not many because the revenue stream is small and complex to develop / cultivate. I think your original post was referencing local programing and now you reference regional. The difference is substantial.

Next put some thought into WHO will do it and HOW all this marketing, sales and coordination will happen. Are you going this on your own and do you have the resources a/k/a time and money to create marketing, sales and promotional materials to drive audience, sponsor and advertisers interests?

I don't mean this to come across as negative at all; I'm very supportive of your idea to do this. However, I'm wearing the hat right now asking you questions that a potential investor, bank, broadcaster, advertiser or sponsor will ask.

Continue your research then come back and sell US here on your idea. Practice on us before you kill a potential good idea in front of a real sponsor where you'll only get one chance.

Thanks for the great topic and question!

Robert
 
Using "local" in my original post might have confused things. My target destination from the outset has been my state's PBS station, which means no commercial breaks to sell. I have a good relationship with the PBS affiliate in my state, having worked for them in the past and gotten the green light on a similar project once before (only the chef was the one spearheading the project, and he pulled the plug before it got off the ground). Setting out on my own this time, I wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking any legal potholes that lie ahead.

But I haven't ruled out local stations and media buys. I have a pretty good understanding of who buys ad time since I currently work at one of the ad agencies in town. We do TV and radio spots, as well as two local half hour shows (out of maybe a handful currently on the air). Before that, I freelanced for other agencies and production houses in town.

Nonetheless, I certainly have some work ahead of me. I appreciate the responses so far and look forward to bouncing ideas off of this group as I move forward.
 
Hey Chromeo! Nice little project for your DSLR.


This has been a very busy year for me so far with both production, Steadicam training and my cinema business consulting. I just finished working the Angenieux lens booth at NAB demoing their 45-120mm compact Optimo for them.

Here's some food for thought below borrowed off a simple paper sign in the tiny mom and pop trailer hitch shop who put a hitch on my truck this week:

Business Goes
Where It's Invited
And Stays
Where It's Well Treated​

I thought it was interesting enough that I took a photo of it with my phone and emailed it out to all my business consulting clients.

Got a question about the business of our business? Post it here and I'll try to help!

Robert
 
Rob, your post brings a little marketing question to my head, something that I have been thinking about for a while:

the word "CINEMA"

I have always seen myself as a videographer, shooter / editor. I know what cinema is from a movie/film point of view. I have always thought that that's not what I do. I don't make movies.

But I can't help but notice that a lot of videographers, especially wedding people, are using the word "cinema" in their business description.

Cinema denotes a 'higher' level of production quality and viewer experience, and has some emotional attachment to it. Fine. But from our point of view, what exactly does it entail?

People say the RED cameras and DSLR's and other interchangeable lens cameras are 'cinematic' cameras... Fine, so you can throw different lenses onto it, and some of them are less convenient to use than a standard video camera (lack of XLR jacks)... you call that cinema?

Ultimately is it just a marketing word?




btw I came across a beautiful fox in my city last night, had my cell phone handy... it was being chased my a household cat if you can believe it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhecAjp7aUQ&feature=youtu.be

Now this is NOT cinema, LOL!
 
I've struggled with explaining a more "cinematic" look to clients as well. It's very elusive and subjective. We understand it most among ourselves but our clients do not. We just converted one of our clients and their shoot over to cinema cameras and lenses from video and after trying to explain it it words for ten minutes they just said "we trust you" and how much more will it cost? They loved the results though and now understand it better.
 
Where should my business head?

It has been a pretty busy summer for me. Both quality and quantity of projects have improved, and getting my first crack at cable TV commercials and finally tasting what it could be like to not have to worry so much about where my next project comes from.

I want to expand my business, though which direction I'm not sure. Here are some of the alternatives I have been considering:

1) augmenting my video production
- This means upgrading my core offering from video to cinema, in short. This also means investing in about 15K worth of gear and some new demo footage. Yes I know what Rob said about not buying gear, but in the long run (say 3 years), owning and potentially reselling gear after they become obsolete pays off if you have the capital or loan to buy. But the investment is real, and there is no turning back once I decide to go this way.

2) expanding to other rich media
- It has taken me several years to even get into producing medium to high levels of After Effects work. I have to have clients who are willing to buy something that I do not necessarily have in my portfolio, that I have to outsource to produce, but finally I'm starting to get some bites. I know that high quality motion graphics attracts higher caliber clients and projects, so I indeed should make this my focus. However, I cannot produce this level of graphics work myself and would need to outsource, so my margins is lower. It doesn't require 15K of investment, though.

I also like to get into Flash programming to make web-based interactive stuff, but that's a little above my head at this time.

3) start a marketing / design agency
- Barrier of entry is quite low, but short term (3 years) return is also expected to be low as well. This will be like starting a new business with little leverage. Some of my current clients are in this space as well and sure they do not need to know my ambition here. I would also need to outsource much of the work and only profit from markups. But in the long run this can be by far the most lucrative business path.

4) A combination of the above options
- In a way they are all related and overlap one way or another.

5) Do no force expansion
- and just focus on my corporate video work as it has been, that my business would naturally expand to slowly incorporate more and more product types as clients just demand them from me.

I think it's time to produce a business plan.

Discussion welcomed.
 
Congrats on the continued success! You've worked hard, experienced some growth and are hungry for more; you just don't know which way to turn and that's okay. My business evolved from commercial photography to resort photography, then video and now cinema. There was a period there where we considered ourselves the "anti-agency" in that we could do everything and agency could do but not an agency culture.

What is it that you want most, you'd do for free if you could live that way? What excites you? It's good to have different creative interests and explore them. You won't know if you don't try.

My only caution to you though is be careful of diluting your efforts and your new-found success. All that can go away quicker than it came to you. Make sure you're solid with years established before you branch out too far or too soon.

If you really want to sort through all this and make a working business plan you should check out my Personalized Two-Day Business Workshop

http://stabilizerworkshops.com/traditional-col-three/private-business-consults/

We can talk on the phone if you like.

Robert
 
Thus thread should be printed into a book.

Rob we met at nab couple years ago, i worked with jon and Khalid on the f4 test.

Didn't know you were on dvx user! Now i do!
 
Thanks Rob,

I've bookmarked your site.

My only caution to you though is be careful of diluting your efforts and your new-found success. All that can go away quicker than it came to you. Make sure you're solid with years established before you branch out too far or too soon.
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I too am concerned about this. I'm heavily leaning towards leaving things as organic growth for another year to see if the growth I've experience over the last 2 years is sustainable, especially now since I don't have much time to market, and production efficiency and time management are starting to come into play.

Rob can you PM me your number and your phone consultation rate please?

Thanks
 
Hire a business coach

Hire a business coach

I'm glad this thread is still going.

I first asked Rob's advice here many years ago, and it has helped. Recently, we decided to hire a business coach and, with a doubt, it has been the best investment we have made as a company. Better than any computer, camera or piece of gear you can buy, is knowledge. Even Roger Federer has a coach! Hell, the CFO of Google has a business coach!!!!

Our coach gives us plenty of food for though, but there's a couple things that really stand out.

1. We have someone externally to answer to and create accountability. This can be hard to do when you start a business with friends.
2. Outside observation of our tactics, processes and results. Many times, we think, as long as we're making money, we're doing okay. But is that really the case? Can we be doing better? Have we wasted time and resources in making our money? Could we have made more and done the same amount of work? The answer is almost always yes.
3. Simply, he knows things we don't. We're not trained business people, we're marketing and production folks at our core, and we're learning the ropes as we go, as necessity dictates, but our coach is a trained sales professional. He'll analyze our numbers, our methods and tell us where we need to improve, and what he tells us are things we never would have thought of on our own.

Now, I could go on about this for a while, but you get the idea. How many times have you taken a class on After Effects, Lighting, Editing, even though you already know how to do those tasks? Why do you take them? Because you are being taught skills by someone who is a specialist in the field, and they're knowledge is either greater than yours, or they offer a different perspective than what you're used to.

There are plenty of resources out there for coaches, but for my money, someone who will meet with you, face to face every two weeks is the way to go.
 
Congratulation Pulpwoody!!!

I'm so happy to see you've made positive steps in building your business and not just steps but action and investment in your future!

Way to go!!!!

Robert
 
One question - how "wise" is it to go out there and produce your own documentary (because I want to make it and because it would be a good addition to the portfolio) ? What if I touch on some borderline political subjects, could it cause some bad effects to my future, name?
 
I would ask this:
What clients do you want? Do you have a long term vision for yourself or company? Answer those, and if your goals are in conflict with the documentary you want to make, then give it some serious thought.

We do lots of video for high tech companies, so I wouldn't run out and make a damning documentary about high tech waste or pollution or politics. Don't poop where you eat.
 
Hey Tom!

Thanks for joining in on the thread.

Woody is on the right track with his post and he's a great example of someone who has made extraordinary strides in the growth of his business over that last few years.

A documentary would be a fine way to explore, hone and showcase your talents as long as it's positive in nature and subject matter. There are places for controversial docs but maybe not so much while you are just getting started unless of course you want to be known for that and have the funding to support yourself until you become the next Michael Moore. Ken Burns is an example of a documentarian who does quality work without controversy.

By the same token, don't let yourself be distracted or consumed by filming "work" unless you have a balanced and dedicated approach to building your business that goes with it else you have no one to show it to.

Robert
 
I appreciate your suggestions very much.

I don't plan on doing anything controversial, at least not from my point of view. But I am aware that the society today is incredibly sensitive, it's practically impossible to out your opinion on anything without being labeled a hater, traitor or one-sided manipulator...

So it seems to me one can only choose 2 paths...one is being true to himself, and the other is the path of vanilla fluff, basically doing whatever one thinks will appeal to the biggest % of the potential audience. And I know I'm not particularly good at the latter...
 
-Tom- said:
I appreciate your suggestions very much.

I don't plan on doing anything controversial, at least not from my point of view. But I am aware that the society today is incredibly sensitive, it's practically impossible to out your opinion on anything without being labeled a hater, traitor or one-sided manipulator...

So it seems to me one can only choose 2 paths...one is being true to himself, and the other is the path of vanilla fluff, basically doing whatever one thinks will appeal to the biggest % of the potential audience. And I know I'm not particularly good at the latter...
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Follow your heart, but also remember that bill collectors don't care that you're following your heart. They have none.
 
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