A video production friend asked me if I could shoot a local cover band at a concert for a DVD. The go-between asked me if I would be using the on-board mic to capture the audio. I told him,"Hell no, I'll be using three cameras with one directly linked to the audio board." The end result was the client disliking the product so much that she said she is going to stick the DVDs in a drawer and not show the rest of the band because she knows they "will not be pleased."
About me: I've been shooting video since 2000, where I was a local news and sports shooter for seven years. I started doing side work (weddings, government, corporate, etc.) in 2004. I've been in business solely for myself since 2008. I'm in a small market and my productions are meat-and-potatoes ... still shooting SD using three DVX cameras (an original, an 'A' model and a 'B' model). I do not take on projects that are better suited for higher end production companies.
The gig: I agreed to shoot their outdoor concert on the 4th of July and produce an edited DVD of the show. The pay was for $300. The concert lasted about 1.5 hours ... the finished DVD clocked in at 1 hour, 10 minutes.
The set-up: I set up the DVX100 at the sound booth and had audio feeding into it. It was unmanned on a wide shot for editing cutaways. The DVX100A was on a tripod adjacent to the stage for a medium-ish shot. The DVX100B was the camera I handheld for the various close-ups and other shots. This is pretty much how I shoot weddings and other things. I shot using 24P advanced. I used the crop function in Sony Vegas to match aspect with the DVX100 and used that shot as sparingly as possible due to the loss of resolution. The cameras are difficult to color match at times as well.
I admit ... there are better ways to shoot a concert video. But her response to the DVD was that it wasn't worth $300. While she couldn't nail down her main complaint, I think it just wasn't "flashy" enough for her. I tried to grill her (nice and politely) and pin it down. I explained to her that without manning many cameras and monitoring audio, you cannot get a perfect concert video. I also told her that to do so would cost more like $1,500 or likely more. My compromise was to shoot a few songs at an upcoming gig to try to "get it right." This is an eight-piece rock band, spread out across a wide stage ... and I think part of her fear is that not enough face time is given to each performer (which I tried to explain that the leads usually get most the cam time or it doesn't make much sense). I learned that covering a wide range or performers across a large stage is more difficult than a three-piece in a bar.
I suppose my main question to the forum is ... how do you deal with this? I offered to return the $300; she refused & we compromised because my reputation has always been good & I don't want it damaged. She wasn't rude, but she said she wanted to be honest ... that she was almost was in tears because she feels as if she's going to have to foot the bill because she's too embarrassed to show the others. I'm disappointed my client isn't happy, but I also feel that, for $300 on short notice on the 4th of July holiday, you can't get much more. A YouTube link to a song from the concert is posted below. I certainly would not have taken on the job if knew there were unreasonable expectations, and a higher budget would have been used accordingly. (and for the record, my production buddy who got me the gig thought it looked fine). Thanks for reading.
http://youtu.be/w0Gqgyof7hQ
About me: I've been shooting video since 2000, where I was a local news and sports shooter for seven years. I started doing side work (weddings, government, corporate, etc.) in 2004. I've been in business solely for myself since 2008. I'm in a small market and my productions are meat-and-potatoes ... still shooting SD using three DVX cameras (an original, an 'A' model and a 'B' model). I do not take on projects that are better suited for higher end production companies.
The gig: I agreed to shoot their outdoor concert on the 4th of July and produce an edited DVD of the show. The pay was for $300. The concert lasted about 1.5 hours ... the finished DVD clocked in at 1 hour, 10 minutes.
The set-up: I set up the DVX100 at the sound booth and had audio feeding into it. It was unmanned on a wide shot for editing cutaways. The DVX100A was on a tripod adjacent to the stage for a medium-ish shot. The DVX100B was the camera I handheld for the various close-ups and other shots. This is pretty much how I shoot weddings and other things. I shot using 24P advanced. I used the crop function in Sony Vegas to match aspect with the DVX100 and used that shot as sparingly as possible due to the loss of resolution. The cameras are difficult to color match at times as well.
I admit ... there are better ways to shoot a concert video. But her response to the DVD was that it wasn't worth $300. While she couldn't nail down her main complaint, I think it just wasn't "flashy" enough for her. I tried to grill her (nice and politely) and pin it down. I explained to her that without manning many cameras and monitoring audio, you cannot get a perfect concert video. I also told her that to do so would cost more like $1,500 or likely more. My compromise was to shoot a few songs at an upcoming gig to try to "get it right." This is an eight-piece rock band, spread out across a wide stage ... and I think part of her fear is that not enough face time is given to each performer (which I tried to explain that the leads usually get most the cam time or it doesn't make much sense). I learned that covering a wide range or performers across a large stage is more difficult than a three-piece in a bar.
I suppose my main question to the forum is ... how do you deal with this? I offered to return the $300; she refused & we compromised because my reputation has always been good & I don't want it damaged. She wasn't rude, but she said she wanted to be honest ... that she was almost was in tears because she feels as if she's going to have to foot the bill because she's too embarrassed to show the others. I'm disappointed my client isn't happy, but I also feel that, for $300 on short notice on the 4th of July holiday, you can't get much more. A YouTube link to a song from the concert is posted below. I certainly would not have taken on the job if knew there were unreasonable expectations, and a higher budget would have been used accordingly. (and for the record, my production buddy who got me the gig thought it looked fine). Thanks for reading.
http://youtu.be/w0Gqgyof7hQ
