presenting to clients or pitching new ones...???

Steve Kahn

Steve Kahn

Well-known member
I have a really big pitch coming up and am going to use a new film I just shot to help sell it with a new client.

The problem is that though I took time to light, expose properly, and finally color correct my footage to perfection that is all lost to uncertainty (and for the most part lost) when viewing it on computer monitors with computer gammas.

So... how do you get the client to see your footage at its best?

Do you bring a small HDTV or if you show a your reel on the web how do you color and crush blacks with all the different gammas out there?
 
I never show footage to a new client using their computer or even worse - boardroom projector… Depending how many people are in the room I'll show either on a properly calibrated 17" macbook pro, or in more intimate settings I'll retime and hand them an iPad. I know that an iPad is low res and you can't calibrate, but you can optimise footage so it looks great, and they love having something in their hands that they feel they can control the experience.

Existing clients that I have a track record with or ad agencies I'm not so picky - they know the vagaries of equipment.

In the end it was probably the web and their poorly calibrated monitor that led them to you...
 
I guess that all depends on what a client might have in their office.
The days of bringing a DVD and watching it on a 4:3 set are over.
I have a 24" HDTV with HDMI that I bring to some meetings.
I playback video using a Western Digital Media Player.

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=330

It can playback HD video from a thumb drive.
It supports h.264 .mp4 videos 720 or 1080.
Some clients will have larger HD screens and I can
hook up the media player in 2 secs.

Some clients will want to see samples from websites
because that is where most of the distribution takes place.
I have had clients now wanting Blu-Ray for trades shows, etc.

But yes, just walking in with DVD's that play on computer monitors
is a crap shoot.
 
Try calibrating your computer monitor or laptop or if they have a viewing room try to get get acces to the montor or tv there before the actual picth.

Worst case scenerio would be :
If the potential client is really enthustiastic about working with you she rips the dvd from your hand and says: Hey we got a big plasma screen in the conference room or whatever.
Pops it in the DVDplayer and before you know it your reel is in Oversaturated hell.
Explaine immediately that theire plasma screen is not properly calibrated and try and prove it right on the spot by bringing the color down etc.
General knowlegde of operating a remote is required :).
This is how one of my biggest meetings went down.
She was very happy and informed and now we have a very healthy bussinesrelationship :)
 
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I always take my own kit to a first time presentation. A boardroom system is kiss of death to getting business - been there.
 
Maybe have color bars as a separate movie that you can use to check (or calibrate, if you're lucky and have time) their monitor?
 
I'm not so sure about trying to calibrate their monitor / projector. Lot's of places have a guy who thinks that he is an 'AV God', and changing his settings can be a recipe for disaster.

G.
 
Trying to figure out the best solution here. I agree, calibrating someone else's equipment wont work. Just no time and probably wont get a decent image anyway.

Heavy: how do you color for the iPad? Or can you calibrate it?

HVXguy: that Western Digital Media Player looks good. May have to get one. Still though, I would bring my own HDTV. Just too many ways to screw up a picture...
 
Steve Kahn said:
Heavy: how do you color for the iPad? Or can you calibrate it?
Click to expand...

You can't calibrate an iPad (if you can I wish someone would tell me) but through trial and error I've been able to tweak colour and play with compression settings to get some really great output on mine.

Also - as much as we all obsess, pixel peep and freak out losing sleep over picture quality - getting that last 15% that makes you proud probably won't register with anyone in the room if you act professional and sound like an authority.

G.
 
I often use my ipad to pitch clients, and it looks pretty good on there. Depends what you're pitching but I find for commercials, music videos, and motion graphics they're usually impressed. Plus cant argue with the portability of it.
 
Don't try to calibrate a clients monitor when you show up, you will look like a bit of a clod. if they are super critical about your work from a visual standpoint (producer at a production house, etc) chances are they will already have something halfway decent.

For personal one on one situations though, iPad iPad iPad. And if you have properly graded your footage, I find it always looks perfectly acceptable on the iPad.
 
William_Robinette said:
For personal one on one situations though, iPad iPad iPad. And if you have properly graded your footage, I find it always looks perfectly acceptable on the iPad.
Click to expand...

So the iPad conforms closely to Rec 709? That is if I grade to look well on a Rec 709 monitor can I expect it to look good on an iPad?
 
Steve Kahn said:
So the iPad conforms closely to Rec 709? That is if I grade to look well on a Rec 709 monitor can I expect it to look good on an iPad?
Click to expand...

No problems here either - though testing, testing, testing is always wise.

G.
 
iPad, iShmad!

Take the biggest, baddest assed screen with an easy to set up sound system and blow them away!

One shot at a first impression is all you have!

From my days as a Creative director:
The entire presentation and effort the supplier put in to get my business played a massive part in the decision making process.
Especially when I was looking at a lot of other pitches for our business and the suppliers all brought the same stuff thinking I would use them based on talent alone.

From my days pitching for business:
I made it my goal to have my pitch be an 'event' for the potential client. - Really wow them so that my pitch would set the standard for any other possible competitors.

Edit: Might be a bit over the top, but depending on the client I would even go so far as to provide everyone in the room with different flavors of popcorn... heh heh
"Why so much effort?" A potential client might ask.
"For a man who loves his work, this is not effort" would be my standard answer.
 
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I show my reels on anything ....from my web site, DVDs... and even my Smart phone (flash).

These days the opportunity to show is difficult to obtain and no one has as much time to give you. I take the chances as they come.

Never had a problem with the technical issues or quality of the images in presentations. Its just a fact that the devices are calibrated how you find them.
 
Shooter said:
I show my reels on anything ....from my web site, DVDs... and even my Smart phone (flash).

These days the opportunity to show is difficult to obtain and no one has as much time to give you. I take the chances as they come.

Never had a problem with the technical issues or quality of the images in presentations. Its just a fact that the devices are calibrated how you find them.
Click to expand...

I 'hooked' my biggest client at a conference by showing them my reel on my iPhone - over beers at the end of the day. So yeah that happens.

G.
 
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