| HOW TO MAKE MONEY VIDEOTAPING
WEDDINGS There is a huge potential market for wedding videos. Just look in your local paper any summer week and see how many weddings there were. Since almost every household in the country has a VCR, you can bet that almost every wedding has a video. Keep in mind, though, that there is also big competition in this field. If you want to make it, you'll have be sure of two things: you have the skills necessary, and that you can offer more in your area. There's more to taping a wedding than just setting up a camera and turning it on. If you're married and had a video taken at your wedding, I'm sure you'll agree. You, the photographer, can expect to be dropped into an environment of potential conflict. Last minute spats between the bride and groom, conflicts between family members, still photographers, all can be a source of headaches for you. The best way to prevent problems is to set up a meeting with the bride, groom, close family members, and, if possible, any other photographers that will be at the service/reception. This way, you can find out exactly what the family wants, any special shots they will want, any unusual parts to the ceremony that they may want on tape, how many people will be involved, and other issues. Keep in mind, the family will be paying you, so they will probably want to TELL you what you can or can't do. If what they want is reasonable, don't fight it. That makes your job easier. But, if what they want is unreasonable, be honest with them, but, by all means, be tactful. If you can meet with the other photographer(s), discuss where they need to be to get their best shots, so you and your camera won't be in the way. Also, this will help you with your planning so they won't be in your video, and you won't show up in the photos. This brings up the subject of planning. Planning is all important when it comes to wedding videos. You will be producing something that the couple will want to view over and over, that their family and friends will be seeing. It's your best advertisement. So, you will want it to be the best it can be. If you know what the ceremony will be like ahead of time, and what special shots the couple and family will want, you've got the ball in your court.Be sure to attend the rehearsal, so you can set your equipment up and plan your camera angles. Since you've planned your work, all you have to do is work your plan. Here's an idea of the equipment a well-stocked wedding videographer should have or have access to: - At least two VHS camcorders with high-quality low-light - At least one VHS VCR for editing and dubbing - At least one free-standing light for each camera - A tripod for each camera, preferably ones with a large range of heights - At least two twelve hours of batteries for the camera - The best quality wireless microphone you can afford (one for each camera) - All necessary cables, with spares - Extra tapes, the best quality available. Don't let this list scare you off. If you don't own all this, you don't have to rush out and empty your bank account. You can either rent what you need, or barter your services with someone who has the equipment. Then, pick up the stuff you need piece by piece. Also, keep your eyes open for good quality used equipment. Other equipment you may want to consider would include a good video editor deck, for putting your finished product together; a film-to-tape camera attachment (can be used to create a montage of scenes from old home movies of the couple when they were kids - a great service to offer and a unique marketing point to offer!); and a graphics/title generator. So, you may have wondered, why would you need more than one camera? If you have two cameras set up, you can have different angles of the action, instead of the standard wedding video, which has a half-hour of a still camera; and you're covered if one of the cameras messes up or lighting is bad. Make sure your videos are special, different from the run-of-the-mill wedding videos. Try to get a camera aimed toward the faces of the couple, so you can capture them during the vows, and at other points. This will also provide close-up footage to edit in at slow points. Try to have a camera at the end of the aisle, so you can catch the exit of the bride and groom. This camera could also be used to show the bride from the back, entering the ceremony, an angle that you rarely see in a wedding video.If possible, get or draw up a floor plan of the location of the ceremony. It will help you plan your camera placement and shots. Position your microphones where they'll do the most good. If possible, get either the bride or the groom to wear one, and get the minister or celebrant to wear one. This way, you'll have crisp, clear sound. Just remember to warn the bride and groom not to whisper anything they wouldn't want the microphone to pick up! (You can always edit out any unwanted sound.) Other places you may want a camera would be (with the couple in the 12 o'clock position): 10:00 or 2:00. Use the camera to get views of the crowd, the parents of the couple (edit a shot of them in during the vows - catch the emotion of the ceremony), and the entrance of the attendants. If the ceremony is a specialized ethnic ceremony (becoming more popular, especially with Black Americans) or unusual, you should look for points of interest to capture on tape which will show the special meanings and emotions of the ceremony. If the couple and family can watch your tape and feel the same emotions they had during the actual ceremony, your tape is a winner! Technical skills are important, but they can be learned. Before you ever do your first PAID wedding, practice with another event - for free. Practice makes for fluency. The worst wedding video is the most common: one stationary camera, no zooms,,never moving. People look around when they're at a wedding, and so should the camera, within reason. Practice a slow, smooth pan that keep the subject in the frame of the camera. Practice smooth zooms that aren't jerky, and aren't too close or too far from the subject. You've probably figured that you'll need a helper for the actual taping. Unless the only camera that will pan and zoom is the one you're operating, and the others are stationary, you'll need someone. Be sure your helper is well-trained, with skills up to par with yourself. Ideas: a friend who also has a videocamera (here's a way to save on equipment costs); a college or high-school kid with video experience (they're becoming more common, as more and more schools add video classes to their curriculum); or a free-lancer (possibly a crew member from the public access channel at your cable station). At the reception, it's important to get the "traditional" events: the garter/ bouquet toss, cutting the cake, toasts, etc. Use the same guidelines as before: keep in mind what's important to have in the frame, and try to tape it smoothly. A good idea may be to talk to the relatives of the couple and see if some of them would want to say a few words about the couple on tape (try to do this early in the reception, before a lot of drinks have been served!). If your videos are special and well-produced, you should be able to charge fees that are toward the top range in your area. Premium wedding videographers in large areas should be able to get œ400 to œ500 for a wedding. Discretely call other videographers in your area to get an idea of what the range is. Marketing ideas: (1) Scan your newspaper for engagement announcements. Then, use your computer's word processor to print out personalized letters detailing your services. Use your library's city directory to find the addresses you need. Send the letters and a brochure to the lucky couples. (2) Set up a referral network with florists, formalwear shops, printers, and other wedding-related retailers in your area. You could offer them a set commission fee each time a referral leads to a taping job. (3) Find a wedding photographer in your area who doesn't currently offer video. Set up a deal where your photo and video services could be offered as a package. (4) Participate in local bridal shows. These are attended by people who will be marrying soon, qualified prospects for your services. Have plenty of your brochures and marketing materials handy, so you don't run out. A good idea is to have one of your best videos playing on a monitor at the show (get permission from the couple on tape first, maybe offer them a discount in exchange for letting you use their tape for marketing purposes). (5) Advertise in your newspaper's wedding supplement. Most newspapers publish at least one a year. If your taping was simple, with only one camera, you may be able to deliver the tape to the couple at the end of the wedding. If more extensive editing needs to be done, make sure you give the couple a realistic date when they can expect the tape. Don't give them a time that will leave you rushed. If you don't have your own editing equipment, check ahead with your local cable station. Many times, they have facilities for their public access station which can be rented. Many also offer short courses in video editing which are worth checking into. . HOW TO MAKE MONEY PRODUCING SPECIAL EVENT VIDEOS. Special event videos are much simpler and a lot less worry than videotaping a wedding ceremony. In many cases, you'll only need one camera, one microphone, and little or no editing. You'll charge less, of course, but your profit margin will be higher. You can provide this service to any professional person or group - attorneys, salespeople, financial advisors, professional speakers - anyone who must give a talk, presentation or lecture before a group of people. Workshops, meetings, conferences, reunions, all are potential jobs for you. As with weddings, meet beforehand with the person or persons you will be taping, both to get their permission to tape them, if necessary, and to get a feel for what they specifically want on tape. If all they want is a tape of their speech, then all you'll need is one camera (two if you want a spare in case of problems), one microphone and a tripod. Set your equipment up well ahead of time, to allow for testing. Be sure to have the subject of the tape do a test of part of their speech, so you can be sure the microphone is set right. It's important to have clear sound for event taping. For panel discussions, meetings and other group events, you'll want to have a camera pointed at every person, or possibly at every two people, as well as one at the whole group. Make sure every person can be picked up by your microphones. When you edit the tapes together, try to have the speaking person on screen as they speak, unless that would mean too many rapid changes, which can be disorienting to the viewer. If taping an interview, the subject of the interview is more important than the interviewer. While it's good to cut in a reaction shot of the interviewer from time to time, keep the focus of your tape on the person being interviewed. Unless you need to use multiple cameras and heavy editing, you should charge less for event taping than you would for wedding taping. There are a few reasons for this. First, you will spend far less time on an event tape. Second, you have a higher potential for return business. If you do a good job, you have a good chance of being called in again for the next meeting or conference. Finally, there is always the possibility of selling copies of the tape to targeted customers. This can either be done for the subject of the tape, with you getting a cut, or the subject can pay you a license fee for each that he or she sells. An up-and-coming event to tape is the high school or college class reunion. Offer your services to tape the reunion as a keepsake for those who attended, or those who couldn't attend. If you price your service right, you may be able to work a deal where each attendee would get a copy of the tape as part of their registration fee, with a cut going to you. You'll make less for each tape, but you'll be make up on quantity. You should be able to make œ7.50 to œ10 per tape just for copying the master onto a blank. Set up your VCRs, start the copying, and grab a good book. Sounds like easy money to me! If you tape a reunion, try to get a class list so you can send a personalized letter and brochure to those who didn't attend. They are a good market for copies of the tape. You will need to work out details with the planning committee of the reunion, as they will probably want a cut of the profits, which is fair. But, you are entitled to the lion's share, since you did the work. When taping a reunion, make sure to get a good group shot of the attendees, possibly panning across the group for clear face shots. Be sure to tape any and all speeches, important class members like the valedictorian, class leaders, sports figures, and any class member(s) who have become local or national celebrities. Be sure to get plenty of candid material, too, which can be edited in. You'll want to make sure your skills are good when holding the camera for an event like this. Other events you may want to consider would be family events, like birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs, holiday get-togethers, as well as business and school parties, award ceremonies, etc. You'll get these jobs primarily from referrals, which means your marketing expenses for these occasional events will be little or none. Scan your newspaper periodically for local publicity events like hot air balloon races, boat races or shows, trade shows, scouting events, or other events that appeal to a specialized crowd. Get permission to tape these events, then work out one of these deals: - Sell the tape to the sponsor of the event; - Keep the rights to the tape and give the sponsor a royalty fee for each tape sold. Also, you could tape a group of similar events and edit them together into a compilation tape that could be sold to targeted customers. There are many potential profit areas in event taping, if you keep your eyes open! HOW TO MAKE MONEY PROVIDING "INVENTORY VIDEO TAPING" SERVICE This is, in my opinion, THE business to get into with your videocamera. You only need one camera, decent video skills, little expenses and supplies, and, if done right, very low marketing expenses. Besides your videocamera, you'll need an instant camera and an engraving tool, which together should be able to be found for under œ70. Here's the business in a nutshell: You videotape household and business inventory and valuables for insurance purposes. Then, if a robbery occurs,the owner has a video documentation of the missing valuables for law enforcement and insurance agents. Your primary prospects for this service will be upper-income families and businesses that specialize in high-ticket items or have a high investment in equipment. The first step you should take to run a property inventory taping service is to meet with your area law enforcement agencies to find out what regulations, if any, they have. Remember, you will be going into other people's houses and will have full knowledge of their valuables. If you have endorsement from the law, your customers can feel comfortable that you won't use this knowledge for the wrong purposes. The person you want to meet with would be the one in charge of neighborhood watches or community How much should you charge? A typical mid-sized to large home should take two hours, at most, to tape, if the owner has prepared everything ahead of time. You can charge anywhere from œ40 to œ75 per hour, depending upon what your local market will bear, with œ40 per hour a good figure to start with. You should be able to see how this business can add up! In your marketing materials, stress the fact this your charge is a small price to pay, considering it is a crime deterrent and will result in far less stress and time on the customer's part if a mishap does occur. You can feel good that you are providing a service which will help people in bad times. Remember to be professional while in the client's home, don't make any comments which could be construed in bad ways, and be assuring about the safety and reliability of yourself and your service. services. Normally, police agencies are enthusiastic supporters of services like this, as it makes their job easier. Others to meet with include insurance agents, private detectives, fire officials and attorneys. Not only will you gain valuable information from them, you will be building up a network for referrals. Be sure to keep a good record of who you meet with so you can send them business cards, brochures and periodic reminders of your services. While meeting with insurance agents, take care of your insurance requirements. You should carry liability insurance, and you should also get bonded. The extra expense is worth it, as it will both help to get business and will protect you and your customer. Your service will be ripe for publicity, so prepare a good press release. You should be able to find a good book or two on publicity releases at your library. Get these releases to every daily and weekly newspaper in your area, as well as local business magazines and television stations. When your service gets written up in the papers, keep a clipping of each article to use in your marketing materials. Send a copy to all the insurance agents, attorneys, private detectives and law enforcement agencies in your area. You WILL get referrals from this! Another idea for publicity is to set up a booth at local home and garden shows, preferably in the home protection areas (alarms, etc.). This will establish your name in the minds of consumers. If you don't mind public speaking, offer to give a short seminar on home inventory protection and how your service can help prevent theft. You can prepare one presentation that can be given numerous times at different community-related functions and locations, such as country clubs. Now for the meat of the service. When you set up an appointment with a customer, make sure they know you will be charging by the hour, so it will be to their advantage to have things such as jewelry, china or antiques laid out and ready to be taped. Take your videocamera with extra tape and batteries, an instant camera with plenty of film, your engraver, forms for listing valuables, and a three-ring binder for the forms. When taping valuables, be sure to get a clear picture of them, including any distinguishing characteristics. Be sure to fill out your forms completely, listing special features or characteristics, such as type and weight of gems, etc. Jewelry is probably best photographed with your instant camera, as is any small valuables. Large antiques and other primary household items are easily videotaped. Be sure to get any brand names and model numbers clearly taped. After taping the individual items, walk through the house. Be sure to get any computer and video equipment, phones, TVs, art and other items that would be tempting to thieves. Engrave the client's social security or driver's license number on the back or bottom of items that won't be damaged by doing so. Record all this on the forms, including the location of the engraving and all serial numbers. If the home is burglarized and police recover the stolen goods, this will help the client get his or her valuables back quickly and easily. Don't forget to tape the outside of the house, including patios, walkways and landscaping. This can help the client establish value in case of vandalism. In businesses, videotape the office equipment, as well as the offices themselves, inside and out. In specialized businesses, be sure to tape any special equipment. A good idea is to provide window stickers for your clients that tell potential thieves that items in the house have been marked and recorded. These stickers can be purchased or printed. Your local law enforcement agencies may even be able to provide these to you at a low cost. When through taping, give the tape a quick run-through to be sure everything's OK, then give it to your client, along with the binder.Encourage them to store these in a safe deposit box, in case of fire. |
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