The good news is you have delirium

As you know, I was in Orlando last week for WEVA Expo ‘08. While the seminars are certainly the focus of the Expo, and the reason we all go, there is also a terrific trade show going on at the same time.

Vendors from all the big companies are there, including Panasonic, Sony, Canon, JVC and more. There was a guy there from Steadicam (a division of Tiffen) who was demonstrating the Merlin.

I had to talk to this guy.

I told him that I tried adjusting (aka “trimming”) the instrument for quite some time, but couldn’t quite get it. He told me that the only way I could balance the HVX200 would be with one additional middle weight (there are three weight classes: starter, middle, finish).

Even though the Merlin “Cookbook” says you can balance the camera if you trim properly, he was convinced it could only be done by adding another middle weight.

Well, I spent $800 on this thing, I’m not backing out now over one weight.

I thought it would cost around $20 (everything in video production is way overpriced), but I was relieved (and shocked!!) to discover B & H sells them for only $5.95.

So I’ve already ordered it. In fact, it should arrive sometime tomorrow.

Once I’ve got it balanced, I plan to post some test footage.

Last week, I was in Orlando, Florida for the WEVA Expo. This is the second Expo I’ve attended. I learned quite a bit last year, but I think this year was even better.

Now that I’ve been back for a couple days, I’ve had time to reflect on what I thought were the most important seminars. I should preface this by saying that I found almost every seminar informative and worthwhile. But here are the ones I think will have the biggest impact on my business:

EXTREME INSTANT EDITS with Adam Mancini & Eric Model
This seminar shows you how to create same-day edits, and the amazing ripple effect they can have on your business. Imagine how impressed the bride and all her guests at the reception would be to see an edited montage of footage captured earlier that day. To take it a step further, Adam also discussed same-day DVDs. With the proper equipment, a videographer can not only show the same-day edit, but actually distribute the video on DVD to guests when they leave. It makes for a great party favour, and it’s much better than any thank you card. And the best part is it should lead to a lot of new business.

ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR: TOP 10 EDITING TIPS! with Brooke Rudnick
Brooke had some beautiful footage, fantastic really, but I think the biggest lesson she taught was the importance of voiceovers, and to a lesser extent, using fresh new music instead of the same old recycled songs. When a father sees his daughter in her dress for the first time, it’s one thing to see the reaction on his face, but if you can add some of his actual words to the mix, it just adds a lot of emotion and takes the production to another level. And as for music, artists like U2, Michael Bublé, and Celine Dion are great, but we’ve all heard them dozens of times. Finding something new will give your video some personality, and the couple can then say “that’s our song from the video.”

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS: THINK DIFFERENT! with Carlito Frias
This was the last seminar of the Expo I attended, and it was one of the best. Carlito preached the importance of having a team, as opposed to trying to take on the world by yourself. It may be possible for one person to do all the shooting, the editing, the web updates, and all the duties required in running a production company. It is possible, but not if you want to grow. For that, you need more people. And he suggests you start with sales people. If you alone make 10 sales a year, imagine what 5 additional sales associates could do for you? I don’t want to ramble on much more, but I think “Carlito’s Way” of thinking is going to make a big impact on anyone who attended his seminar.

So that’s a brief summary of what I learned at WEVA ‘08. I’m very eager to implement a lot of these new skills and business practices into future Delirium Media productions.

No, I’ve got a long ways to go before retirement. I’m heading to Florida for WEVA Expo 2008.

The Expo is an annual convention put on by the folks from WEVA (Wedding & Event Videographers Association). It’s basically a series of workshops on how to improve one’s videography skills.

Last year, the event was held in Las Vegas. That was my first WEVA Expo and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There were presenters from around the world sharing their knowledge and techniques. After learning about new camera techniques, editing effects, and general business sense, I was very eager to return home and practice all that I had learned.

Now I know what to expect so I can’t wait to get this show on the road.

The 2008 WEVA Expo runs this Monday through Thursday at the Grande Lakes Resort in sunny Orlando, Florida.

My follow-up post on the Steadicam Merlin will likely have to wait until I return on the weekend.

So my Steadicam Merlin arrived yesterday from B & H, and I was very eager to get it out of the box. Here are my first impressions.

As you can see in the photos (taken with my iPhone so they’re not super crisp, sorry), the Merlin comes in a very nice, foam padded case, which would have been just fine on its own, but it also comes with a travel bag. The travel bag is also padded with foam inside and has small handle straps as well as a shoulder strap. One could certainly remove the foam from the travel bag and use it for other gear, or maybe use it to horde some food from a wedding reception, your call.

I read the manual and watched the instructional DVD, and as I played with all the different knobs and sliders, I started to understand how to adjust it for my needs.

I mounted my camera, the HVX200A, and I’d love to tell you that it just balanced perfectly, but that just didn’t happen. I kept fiddling with it until I was really close, only to realize I had yet to insert my battery.

Ugh!

That’s a fairly hefty accessory that greatly changes the weight distribution of the camera, especially since the HVX200A comes with a large battery. 

I kept plugging away for a while but it just wasn’t in the cards last night, so I packed it up and figured I’d try again the next day.

I also thought I’d try removing some things to lighten the load.

When I make my second attempt tonight, I’m going to remove the lens hood, the XLR caps, even the screws for the mic holder, and I’ll only use one P2 card instead of two. I will keep my UV filter on because I never take it off, as it protects my precious Leica lens.

I will write another post detailing the efforts of my second attempt.

Note that the Merlin can work great with the HVX200A, but this camera is definitely at the limits of the stabilizer, and if you NEED to attach other accessories (lights, mics. lenses), you’ll have to go with a different product.

The Merlin is also something that takes time to master. Remember that setting the proper balance for a flat, level shot is only the beginning. If you plan to film while going up or down stairs, you’ll need the camera tilted up or down, which requires adjusting, referred to in the manual as “trimming.” So you’ll need to learn how to trim on the run.

The Merlin retails for $799 US and can be upgraded with the arm and vest package for an additional $1749.

Using a tripod is essential for most shoots. It’s the only way to get silky smooth, shake-free footage.

But if you never take your camera off your tripod, you are missing out on some of the coolest, most memorable, jaw-dropping shots. Film/video is more interesting to watch when there is motion, and it’s even better when the camera is moving, as opposed to just the subject.

Using a dolly or a crane can get you some very cool shots with motion, but sometimes those setups are just too big or take too much time to set up for your shoot.

For tight spaces or quick run-and-gun shooting, there is nothing like the freedom of having the camera in your hands.

Ah, but what about the shakiness?

In order to capture these handheld shots in a smooth manner, you need some sort of stabilizer, and the best one that I’ve found is the Merlin from Steadicam. I just ordered mine on Sunday, so it should arrive sometime this week.

Here is a clip that shows the type of shots you can pull off with the Merlin.

It’s not like me to go a week without a new post, but I have been one busy bee lately.

First off, I shot four weddings this month. That’s four weddings that all need to be edited pronto so I can get them back to my clients ASAP.

I also moved, as in, a change of residential address. Not exactly something you do in one afternoon.

And I’ve been running around the city in search of the right shirts and hats to be deemed “Delirium Media-worthy.” See, I’m going to have some shirts and hats made up that have the Delirium Media logo on them, so it’s important I get the good stuff. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a plain white, fitted hat in this city. A shout out to “Lids” at the Devonshire Mall for coming through in the clutch for me.

Silver Stitch has these great lightweight shirts that absorb moisture and keep you cool when you are sweating. This is perfect for shooting those July and August weddings when the temperature can hit north of 90 degrees. The shirts are also made out of recycled water bottles, so I’m doing my part to be green as well. Silver Stitch will also be doing all my embroidery.

I’ve always thought branding was so important, and I think a lot of people underestimate the power of a unique name and memorable logo. In video production, no matter how great your work is, unless a lot of people see it, you will struggle to reap the rewards of your labour. It’s the same with a company name and logo, you need to get your message out to the world.

Wearing apparel like shirts and hats is one great way to do that.

Delirium Media now has a dedicated page on the popular social networking site, Facebook.

This year’s WEVA Expo is being held at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida. I am very excited to get down there and learn some new tricks.

Not being from around Florida, I’ll need to hop on a plane and fly there. Ah, but where to book a flight, and when?

For last year’s expo in Las Vegas, I used Travelocity. It was a rather simple and painless process, and at a great price.

But…

Then my friend told me about kayak.com. It searches around 140 different sites for the best prices.

Beautiful!

So I found a place to book a flight, but pricing changes all the time, so which day of the week is best to book? From my research, I would say Tuesday.

Depending on the day, the best price could be as high as $269, but I’m happy to say that my Tuesday booking set me up with round trip airfare from Detroit to Orlando for $214.

So, the other day I installed some extra RAM into my Mac Pro computer (two sticks of 2GB RAM). Originally, I put one in each riser. After rebooting a couple times only to see that the new RAM still didn’t register, I googled some instructions and discovered something.

Anyone who owns a Mac Pro should know that RAM must be installed in pairs, but what you may not know is that the new RAM must also be installed on the same riser.

There are two platforms of RAM in the Mac Pro called risers. They are generally referred to as the upper and lower risers.

If you install one stick of new RAM on the upper riser, and one on the lower, the computer will not recognize it. They must be next to each other on the same riser.

If you look at other wedding videographer’s web sites, you’ll notice they tend to generally have the same content. Usually there is a blurb about the company (perhaps mentioning how they’re unique), there will be some video clip samples, and some contact information in case you want to learn more or book an appointment.

But there is one thing not everyone lists.

Pricing.

The ratio of sites with pricing compared to those that do not list pricing is probably split around 50/50. If you have some time on your hands, try browsing the videographer links listed on WEVA’s site. They are listed by US State. Canadian listings are in the International section.

There are a couple schools of thought here, each with their own pros and cons.

Those who choose not to show their prices are hoping that the customer has enough interest in the service that they will take the initiative to call and (hopefully) book an appointment. The upside to this method is that once the videographer reveals his/her pricing, he/she gets a chance to talk to the client, and explain why they are unique and why their pricing is fair. On the down side, some customers may think that if the pricing is not listed, it must be very expensive, and therefore, they never call.

Those who choose to show their prices are generally doing so to save both the customer and themselves a lot of time by not having to take that all-too-familiar “what are your prices?” phone call. By displaying his/her prices, the videographer is saying “these are my prices, I’m worth it, and I have nothing to hide.” This can also save the videographer some cash, as there is not really any need to print expensive brochures. Instead, customers can just be directed to a web site with all the info. Another pro is that if a customer does call, chances are they are more likely to book an appointment, because obviously your pricing did not scare them away, so you are talking to more serious customers. One con is that if a customer thinks the prices are too high, they won’t call, and the videographer won’t get the chance to explain their value.

Which method is best?

There is no right or wrong answer here. I personally did not show my prices for the first couple years, but I’ve just had too many calls from “shoppers,” so now my pricing is online. I always tried to explain my value to customers, but often, they were in a rush because they wanted to call a dozen other videographers, so I didn’t get to sell myself. I also was tired of throwing out hundreds of expensive brochures every year (packages and pricing changes every year). And lastly, having already tried the “no show” method, I thought I’d mix things up and see if displaying my prices would improve sales. Having only posted the prices a couple weeks ago, it’s too soon to say that there has been a difference, but I certainly seem to be taking less calls from shoppers, so that’s a plus.

To the videographers out there, I say do whatever works for you. And experiment, try it both ways, see how your market reacts.

To the customer, give every videographer a chance to explain their style and their unique service. And remember, there is much more than price to consider. What good is saving $200 on a video if you don’t receive it for 8 months after the wedding?! Ask about turnaround times, equipment, style, and training.

No two videographers are the same, so it’s up to YOU to do the research and find the right one. To view my current packages and pricing, click here.