How to make $$ with the EX1?
 

I was adding video to my wedding packages because I love video and audio work. I am a full time photographer and this is not a direction I will continue to go, I feel I do better photography work doing photography only. I also make much more income photographing a wedding than doing the video and each has a ton of gear, together its overwhelming to deal with on such a fast paced day.

I want to continue doing some sort of video work, I love it, just not weddings.
I have the Ex1, Canon HV30 and 5D II and will be adding the 1D IV when its out. I have tons of great canon glass.

What can you do in a very rural Pennsylvania area to make a little income in the winter months with video. I do not expect to make a ton, but if I can make a little mad money it would be great.

Any suggestions?

Well Denny, making money in ANY rural area is a challenge. I can understand a market for photographic services there, but I doubt there is a local market for any video related services. So move away from thinking of providing a service and perhaps think more about creating a product... to sell on-line! You've got a great camera, AND you've got the photographer's eye for composition. You could probably find some great countryside scenes all around you...and there's a market for those as "stock footage" on sites such as Pond5. I'll bet you can discover a bunch more. That could be a sweet little business by itself...and you are playing to your strengths there.

Thanks Frank, that is a good idea and I do have some fantastic scenic areas.

I know that video is huge now days, every where you look there is video online.
I am not looking for enough to support me, but to justify keeping all the video equipment I have and to do something I love.

"I know that video is huge now days, every where you look there is video online"

Much of it poorly done and free.

There is a mentality that the web is FREE. I often run into clients that really want the quality of my work but want to pay $300 for a 2 minute video. I can't do it for 10 times that. Yet those clients will pay a still photographer $1000 for a 6 hour shoot. Video has become a cheap commodity for many people who think youtube = free.

Political candidates - primaries are next year and all candidates need video these days.

School(s) have functions that might need video recording - they probably won't have money but the parents will want a dvd. Any performance with children always has the potential for video/photo sales.

I like the idea about political ads - now when they send me junk mail maybe I'll send them a mailing for video services. That will probably work as well as their junk mail did...

Watch doing school plays, some plays that are purchased have very strict copyright restriction about video and even photography. I shoot some plays for an elementary school but the plays that I do are originals works written by the director's father. (One was a musical with original music and it actually was pretty good!) You generally sell one to every parent that has a child in the play and then two or three copies for the children with lead roles. The parents love it because they can watch the play and don't have to hold a camera the whole time, and then watch a real nice version later. Many of them have told me they watch them year after year. And Holiday plays this time of year sell the best. But I would not call it a "money maker" but it brings in a couple bucks. I only use my old MiniDV cameras for this job. I have gotten a couple jobs out of the publicity of doing them.

Some local colleges can be sold on the idea of archiving plays and dance recitals. Once again I point out copyright issues but I generally make only two DVDs using static cameras and do no editing other than titles and credit roll at the end. The colleges avoid copyright issues because they are not distributed and are only used in the classroom. Some colleges will not record any plays on the advice of their lawyers. While these jobs are easy it only amounts to a hand full of jobs a year.

There's no reason to charge less for video per given hour of work than photography. An hour of your time doesn't change in value between photography and video. If clients undervalue video then either people with unprofitable business models are competing locally or you're not doing a proper sales job.

Personally video has greater value. 50 years from now, seeing one's late great grandma toasting the couple and dancing with late great grandpa says so much more about family history than a frozen photo. Wouldn't you love to hear your long lost relatives tell their story? I've had cases where couples contacted me years after a wedding to ask about more raw video of a relative who recently passed because seeing them walk and talk once more was so precious.

You could do local cable spots. The cable company may do them for free but you can do them better. In some cases you can even give a demo to the cable company who may give their more discerning clients to you. As an ad agency you may also get paid 15% of the media buy so you can make money on top of production. Unlike the cable company's spot you can repurpose them for your clients. You can post them on their websites. They can use a link in an email advertising campaign.