The Digital Video Information Network - View Single Post - Advice on bidding/producing an exercise video?

Bill Davis · January 6th, 2009, 09:03 PM

Hi Kell,

Here's my advice.

Qualify this client in advance. Not necessarily as to budget or ability to pay - tho those are certainly also important.

What I mean is to qualify the client as to the organizational skills required to produce THIS particular video.

Experience has shown me that EVERY SINGLE marshal arts, exercise, dance, or similar practitioner is convinced that producing their own video will cause the world to beat a path to their doorstep causing a huge influx of cash - if only they can make a really cool video for next to nothing FIRST.

In reality, without a star name, most of these projects end up as vanity projects selling modestly, ending up in the red or barely recouping their costs to produce.

I'd start by requiring the client to do their own DETAILED outline of every single minute of content. The lessons, the music to be used (with it's appropriate usage RIGHTS cleared), lists of who will appear, properly executed and signed releases from all of THEM, and a realistic breakdown of a marketing plan to turn the resultant product into cash such that everyone gets paid.

Almost always, simply asking people to be REAL about a project such as this, will expose whether they actually have the entrepreneurial skills necessary to have any hope of success.

In my experience 95% of these "hey, I want to make a (insert martial art or exercise here) videos" clients never make it past the idea stage.

Unless they can get someone like you to agree to donate all the production work in advance.

This is the PERFECT time to use the smartest video production rejoinder in the world. To wit... "Look, how about instead of me giving you a huge discount for the first one with the understanding that I'll get full rates for subsequent ones - how about I charge my full rates for this first one - then I'll give you increasingly big discounts on the next few - you'll come out WAY ahead that way"

Bounce that off them - but don't hold your breath.

Good luck.

January 6th, 2009, 09:03 PM	#3
Bill Davis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Posts: 893	Hi Kell, Here's my advice. Qualify this client in advance. Not necessarily as to budget or ability to pay - tho those are certainly also important. What I mean is to qualify the client as to the organizational skills required to produce THIS particular video. Experience has shown me that EVERY SINGLE marshal arts, exercise, dance, or similar practitioner is convinced that producing their own video will cause the world to beat a path to their doorstep causing a huge influx of cash - if only they can make a really cool video for next to nothing FIRST. In reality, without a star name, most of these projects end up as vanity projects selling modestly, ending up in the red or barely recouping their costs to produce. I'd start by requiring the client to do their own DETAILED outline of every single minute of content. The lessons, the music to be used (with it's appropriate usage RIGHTS cleared), lists of who will appear, properly executed and signed releases from all of THEM, and a realistic breakdown of a marketing plan to turn the resultant product into cash such that everyone gets paid. Almost always, simply asking people to be REAL about a project such as this, will expose whether they actually have the entrepreneurial skills necessary to have any hope of success. In my experience 95% of these "hey, I want to make a (insert martial art or exercise here) videos" clients never make it past the idea stage. Unless they can get someone like you to agree to donate all the production work in advance. This is the PERFECT time to use the smartest video production rejoinder in the world. To wit... "Look, how about instead of me giving you a huge discount for the first one with the understanding that I'll get full rates for subsequent ones - how about I charge my full rates for this first one - then I'll give you increasingly big discounts on the next few - you'll come out WAY ahead that way" Bounce that off them - but don't hold your breath. Good luck.