Helping Hands from 2005

[Rick Bravo]

<<<"Your investment in your financial future for our
all-inclusive, completely turnkey HVSI studio
package is $ 99,900.00.">>>

Dude...if I had $99,900, why would I need this?

They've got to be kidding!

RB

[Ben Lynn]

Jamie,

Run away fast!

If you are really looking to run a video business then I suggest that you start by talking with a video consultant on what it takes to create professional video. They can also tell you what it "really takes" to make it work. And it won't be "every night and weekend off". They can also give you honest advice on what you can accomplish with your budget.

It also depends on the production level that you're looking to get into. You'll find that the demands/rewards at each level will vary greater.

One thing for sure is that it won't come in a magic box like that site says. You need to talk with someone in the industry and get some honest answers to your questions.

Ben Lynn

[David Yuen]

Looks like he's got some mega compression algorithm, since he illustrates his Video to Computer File Conversion link with a VHS tape and a 3.5" floppy disk.

[Rhett Allen]

"Super Duper Codec" Hahaha!

I also like the "Video Tape Repair" with a picture of some film negative next to it.

also,
Why do I give a sh*t what their personal hobbies are? So I feel better knowing where my $100K is going while I struggle to figure out how to make it back with this new venture I started with the money I saved from working at Walmart?

The scariest part is... you know some a-hole is going to buy into it!

[David Yuen]

I think the missing piece of the puzzle is that you go into major debt and then make it all back with several hundred real estate and car commercial videos.

[Rhett Allen]

Yeah! 100 bucks at a time! Should turn a profit oh in... never!

[Rob Lohman]

Isn't it easier and cheaper to just shoot something yourself for
that kind of money?

[Bryan Roberts]

Just what it says. I'm a freelancer in NC but would definitely welcome projects nationwide. I have access to Avid Xpress Pro, FCP HD, Vegas 5, After Effects. I have edited many short films, one feature length film, music videos, PSA's etc. Reel available apon request.

[Rick Jones]

I went to their seminar to see what was involved. If you're looking to do a lot of "shooting" or spending a lot of time editing Hollywood grade productions then this isn't for you. This program is geared more towards the consumer or small company that wants video work but can't afford the big production houses.

However, they do have a package that will allow you to make money IF you decide that you can be happy doing it. Yes, tape repair is one of the "Profit Centers" and no, you're not going to get rich doing that. It's just another way of bringing in other potential clients.

There are over 60 studios across the country. What they make varies but I have talked to the individual studio owners and 10K per month is not uncommon. One in Phoenix grossed over 25K in December.

Is it a rip off? Depends on what your thinking is. What you're paying for is not only the equipment but the sales and marketing program to generate clients in your area. No evenings or weekends? Not likely in the beginning I'm sure. The main selling point of this business is the studio support you get. There is ongoing training, weekly sales and marketing calls. You have access to accountants, marketing experts, technical support, web presense and support, etc. Almost all are toll free numbers to call. Plus you have the experience of all the other studio owners with which to call on.

I've talked with several owners that are making good money. I've also talked with some that haven't or have gone out of business. Most of them put the blame on themselves though for not following the "Prime Directives" or investing enough in marketing. Or simply not working it as a business.

Expensive. Yes it is. Very. However their target potential owner is someone in their 40's or later with money to invest in a turnkey business. Not someone fresh out of college. No different than buying a Kinko's.

I don't want to get into a pis-ing contest about this but it seems to be a working plan as long as you realize that you're not going to make the next great Hollywood spectacular. Just another way of working in the video field.

And yes, they need some SERIOUS work on their web site and collateral material.

--My 2 cents

[Rhett Allen]

Yea, and I've seen people on TV making $100K a month working from home stuffing envelopes! I just don't like these kind of turnkey businesses.
Pressing the "copy" button on a machine at Kinkos is a little easier to teach than the millions of skills involved in video production. Yes, to buy an existing business would be easier if the employees that actually DO the work are already there but the notion that any idiot with $100K can buy into this industry from scratch just says to me the industry quality is going down the toilet.

Look at what happened in the early 90's when Macintosh computers really started taking off. Any moron with $5K to buy a Mac suddenly thought they were a designer. The design world has never been the same.

And their website alone gives me enough reason to doubt the marketing prowess of these guys! But, to each his own. At least they're making tons of money.

[Guillaume Tremblay]

No, I need clip from known american films

[Richard Alvarez]

Let me get this straight, you called all of the majors, and they all agreed to give you access to clips for a package deal of $10,000? Or did only one of them agree to the package arangement? That would narrow down your search parameters.

[Scott Shuster]

Calling all Helping Hands:

Some execs at a big famous corporation here in NYC want to start doing some video things on their big corporate website but it's an "unbudgeted" endeavor. That means the execs who want to do this basically "have an idea" ...but very little money to make it happen, at least at the start.

They are further hesitant because they think they need to spend god-zillions of dollars to acquire the video using the very high-end professional video people who gave them astroquotes here in NYC.

I'm telling them that independent camera owners with two PD-150s (or any 3CCD mini-dv cameras) and the ability to lease and ride herd on a sound board with a bunch of wired mikes plugged to it are all they need. so now they want to looking into hiring independent videographers to do this work.

These guys are long-time acquaintances of mine (I do another kind of work for them) and they have asked my company to do these jobs. Problem is, my staff and gear are totally tapped out creating our DVDs. So here I am sharing this story and looking for people in NYC, Chicago, LA and Vegas who might want to do this work, pick-up-a-coupla-buks and get a nice big corporate name to put on your resume. Here's what the honchos are looking for:

PRODUCT NUMBER ONE: (Chicago, LA, NYC)
Two-camera shoots of simple, unamplified roundtable discussions involving as many as 10 or 12 microphoned panelists in a wide-ranging conversation about corporate stuff. In a hotel conference room using ambient light and with no live audience. Need light-sensitive cameras so they don't have to spring for lighting, so I figure this should be shot with two VX2000s, PD-150s or similar, and taped directly off the mike-mixer into the miniDV cassettes in the two cameras (one fixed, one following: ONE operator).

Then they will take the two cassettes home and look at them for a few days, writing down time codes and verbal cues for a batch of video clips to stream on their website. They'll send the cassettes back to you with the edit cues, you puil-out the clips, compress 'em, and messenger-'em to the company (midtown Manhattan) on a CD -- and wait for their next conference. What an easy job and it could be repeating business.

(They may also create a single webstream of the whole two-hour discussion, so if anyone wants to click-once and watch the whole roundtable discussion, they can do so. 100% talking heads).

PRODUCT NUMBER TWO: (Las Vegas)
They are going to shoot three-minute presentations by people hawking outdoor products in well-lit natural environments. Single camera shooting with a remote mike or two clipped to the hawkers. They will want you to shoot about 5-to-ten minutes of video from which to create these three-minute presentations. Nothing fancy at all, just people talking about their product and holding it up for the camera to look at. Very, very simple stuff.

These too will have to be compressed for web streaming. The videographer will ask pre-set questions of the hawkers, who will deliver their practiced statements, maybe repeatedly until they get it right!! You'll shoot cut-shots of the hawkers' stuff-for-sale, take the video home and knock-out the three-minute blab. Maybe some music under but probably not.

No artificial lighting in either case - this is all real close-to-the-ground simple shooting for showing on tiny Internet video windows only. A couple of cameras, a couple of fluid-heads, a remote mike you can clip to the hawkers, some kind of editing and compression back at the ranch and you're in business. Easy easy easy easy!

So there you have it. They want to shoot product one in Chicago, LA and NYC and product two in Las Vegas. They can't pay for travel yet & so are looking for locally-based talent in each case.

If you are interested in making this corporate contact please say so here in a reply to this post. After there are enough replies I'll contact my contacts at the big company and tell them 'hey take a look at this page at DVinfo.net!' and maybe you'll get a call from New York. If so: Lucky you. These are all really nice people to work with and it is a truly huge, familiar, big-name corporation. Tell something about your gear, similar stuff you have done etc., and remember to include your phone number &/or e-mail address.

Many thanks and good luck!@
Scott

[Jimmy McKenzie]

Well presented. Exactly fits the mold of the business model for internet streaming product launch. I'm in. Have the 2 dv cams and the required audio gear. As well as lighting, it's included in my rates. Even 320x240 at 15 fps at wmv9 can show the difference.
When your client is ready for Canada, I can help. I'm under an hour from Toronto except for rush hour.

Jimmy.

[Scott Shuster]

Thanks, Jimmy - great response. They're totally global as a company so who knows? Toronto may be on their radar screen too...
scott