How long are your wedding DVDs? What sort of content is in them?

Matthew Ebenezer · January 1st, 2006, 08:51 PM

Hi all,

My last three weddings were all under 15 minutes in length. Actually, all the weddings I've done have come in under 20 minutes. All up I've done about 10 weddings.

They generally breakdown as follows:

Bridal Prep - edited to a song
Ceremony - edited to a song
Photos - edited to a song

Sometimes other sections are thrown in - i.e. at the last wedding the guys had a special photoshoot with the cars. We got enough footage of this part of the day to put it to a song - they loved it!

I find that the couples I deal with absolutely love this format. They aren't interested in the 'Lord of the Rings Trilogy' version of their wedding day.

These couples love that they can have friends/family over for dinner, put on their wedding DVD and entertain everyone for 15 minutes and still give them a really great feel for the day.

In terms of pricing in my local area, we are around average. Some places are less expensive, some are more expensive. It doesn't seem to matter that we are offering a shorter end product. People like the quality and style of our productions.

I agree that this discussion should be a sticky. This is about the third time I've seen/answered this question.

Thanks,

Matthew.
www.ebenezerfilms.com

Peter Jefferson · January 1st, 2006, 10:40 PM

ive already answered this as i do Both, however on a pure market sense ill continue.. (i know money wasnt an issue here buyt anyway.. )

Content.. people want content. here in Aus, there are many good and bad producers who would offer a similar package to mine and charge half of what i charge. However this is a selling point on my end, as usually i tell the client that they can go cheap and not get the kind of service i give, or they can "invest " keyword in something a little higher which will future proof that "investment"
Its all about what u say and how u say it.

Persoanlly id prefer to sell shortform. It saves me ALOT of time, but here, people would prefer longer weddings. in the 24 weddings shot since June this year, ONE client requested a highlights only package.. I dont mind that, but to only focus on the shortform would be suicide in this neck of the woods.. Ive had clients request raw material, and like i said, i charge extra for this. Nothign is free anymore and i make it a point of my business to ensure that the client is paying for not only the shooting, but for the fact that the service COMES WITH an edit. The edit is usually comprehensive enough to ensure raws are NOT NEEDED. They do not represent the finished product and they do nothing to assist my business in its growth.
On top of that, handing out raw material allows the client to consider re-editing elements which i have shot. As far as im concerned, i own my styles and my techniques. I created them and i perfected my own personal editing style. THIS IS WHAT THEYRE PAYING FOR..
If they want raw, the possibily of having someone cut my footage is definately there.. I dont like that. Thats jstu me, but im sure some people here wouldnt mnd someone else editing their work, but i DO mind coz my shots are mine.. very simple..
Working on the backend of things as a supplier and trainer ive come across many producers short on ideas, new and old it doesnt matter.. but the idea of one of these guys going out and tryin to emulate one of my shots, or copy a particular look i created for an edit rocks my boat.

Now some people think this is paranoia blah blah.. but when u consider that there are really only very afew elements within this industry which seperate each video producer, keeping those difference SEPERATE can eithe rmake or break your business.. If everyone offered teh exact same thing proce would only be the differential... so keeping a style as your own can be paramount to the success of yoru business..

This is one reason i dont post shit online. what i or my clients may like, ONE potential client may not. Now that ONE potential could be an $8000 SDE 4 camera job... im not willing to risk losing that potential client until i can show them an equivalent of WHAT THEYRE LOOKING FOR..

Research.. chat with your potentials, ask them WHAT THEY WANT.. THEN show them the closest thing you have to what they want.
Ive had numerous potential clients grab the tissues coz i give them the idea of teh theyre seeing is THEM... obviously its not them, but the association of the product to their particualr day (with the research in mind) brings on more of an emotive influence on the decision to go with me, or to go with someone else..

Does that make any sense?
its not just about the work... its about what you can do BEFORE the job to ensure that u understand what this particular client wants, whether it be short or long form or flashy or simple..

Alot of producers forget that this is a big "investment" for the clients, so ensuring u get the clients confidence with WHAT you know, and HOW YOU ARE AS A HUMAN is of the utmost importance. They need to trust u... even with a contract, if they cant trust u, forget it... with knowledge, comes confidence, with that confidence, comes trust. Once u can win that confidence, the rest is a given...

So do what u have to do for teh client, irrespective of long or shot or high and might or simple cuts.

Just dont put your business in a position whereby the client has too much power and control.
On teh outset, for produciton the client should have all teh power to advise u of what they want and how they want it. Once the day is shot, YOU must decide how youll work wiht the footage, based on the guideliens set by your client.
From here, if you are required to change your flow of working AFTER THE FACT ensure teh client understands that there will be charges.
Ive spent numerous hours reworking scenes due to clients not telling me beforehand of what theyre looking for.. even with reaseching their needs and tastes, these can change and many clients dont feel that they should pay for the re-edit of something which has already been shot and edited based on their initial requests..

It all comes down to time, and when u hit the 50 wedding a year mark, gettin the jobs out will be far more important than anything else u do in the business..

at the end of the day, you should do what works for your business and what works for your LIFE...

Quito Washington · January 1st, 2006, 10:58 PM

not taking you out of context, just quoting the relevant parts

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Jefferson

Content.. people want content...Its all about what u say and how u say it.

This is one reason i dont post shit online. what i or my clients may like, ONE potential client may not.

Research.. chat with your potentials, ask them WHAT THEY WANT.. THEN show them the closest thing you have to what they want.

at the end of the day, you should do what works for your business and what works for your LIFE...

all that I agree with, and of course, also feel everyone has their own personal style....
so you have to work with what is best for you, learn from others, take in knowledge and try different things....not be afraid or so insular as to say "nope, this is what I am doing...."
not talking about you, amigo, or saying you do that, i am talking in the general sense...
thanks for posting all that, makes for a good discussion

Peter Jefferson · January 2nd, 2006, 10:00 AM

wel thats the thing.. if u lock urself away to ONE STYLE, ONE MENTALITY, ONE set of "rules" you might end up shooting urself in the foot..

Do what is right for u and ur business, and things will end up being right for ur clients..

Seun Osewa · May 2nd, 2008, 01:19 AM

Peter, I feel as if your post is all about you, you, you.
Try to respect your customers a little bit more. Cheers.

Noa Put · May 2nd, 2008, 01:27 AM

Seun, you do know you are reacting to a post written 2,5 years ago?

Seun Osewa · May 2nd, 2008, 01:32 AM

Oops. Sorry!

Kiflom Bahta · May 2nd, 2008, 02:36 AM

It depends on how long the wedding was. I put 1:30hr per disc. I like to give the complete story no matter how long it is. How do you guys put 2hrs of footage in one disc? what about the quality?

Alex Atamanskiy · May 4th, 2008, 02:01 PM

I usually do a condensed version of 25-30 minutes put to music and using effects for cinematic look, that brides usually show to their friends or watch when they don't feel like watching the whole thing. However I also edit a complete ceremony and reception for a long run, say 15-20 years later, they might want to watch every second of it... usually on 2 DVDs 1:20 each.

That way, it's a balanced coverage with place for creativity and journalism.

May 4th, 2008, 02:01 PM	#39
Alex Atamanskiy New Boot Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC USA Posts: 16	I usually do a condensed version of 25-30 minutes put to music and using effects for cinematic look, that brides usually show to their friends or watch when they don't feel like watching the whole thing. However I also edit a complete ceremony and reception for a long run, say 15-20 years later, they might want to watch every second of it... usually on 2 DVDs 1:20 each. That way, it's a balanced coverage with place for creativity and journalism. Last edited by Alex Atamanskiy; May 4th, 2008 at 02:57 PM.

January 1st, 2006, 08:51 PM	#31
Matthew Ebenezer Major Player Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Posts: 370	Hi all, My last three weddings were all under 15 minutes in length. Actually, all the weddings I've done have come in under 20 minutes. All up I've done about 10 weddings. They generally breakdown as follows: Bridal Prep - edited to a song Ceremony - edited to a song Photos - edited to a song Sometimes other sections are thrown in - i.e. at the last wedding the guys had a special photoshoot with the cars. We got enough footage of this part of the day to put it to a song - they loved it! I find that the couples I deal with absolutely love this format. They aren't interested in the 'Lord of the Rings Trilogy' version of their wedding day. These couples love that they can have friends/family over for dinner, put on their wedding DVD and entertain everyone for 15 minutes and still give them a really great feel for the day. In terms of pricing in my local area, we are around average. Some places are less expensive, some are more expensive. It doesn't seem to matter that we are offering a shorter end product. People like the quality and style of our productions. I agree that this discussion should be a sticky. This is about the third time I've seen/answered this question. Thanks, Matthew. www.ebenezerfilms.com

January 1st, 2006, 10:40 PM	#32
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	ive already answered this as i do Both, however on a pure market sense ill continue.. (i know money wasnt an issue here buyt anyway.. ) Content.. people want content. here in Aus, there are many good and bad producers who would offer a similar package to mine and charge half of what i charge. However this is a selling point on my end, as usually i tell the client that they can go cheap and not get the kind of service i give, or they can "invest " keyword in something a little higher which will future proof that "investment" Its all about what u say and how u say it. Persoanlly id prefer to sell shortform. It saves me ALOT of time, but here, people would prefer longer weddings. in the 24 weddings shot since June this year, ONE client requested a highlights only package.. I dont mind that, but to only focus on the shortform would be suicide in this neck of the woods.. Ive had clients request raw material, and like i said, i charge extra for this. Nothign is free anymore and i make it a point of my business to ensure that the client is paying for not only the shooting, but for the fact that the service COMES WITH an edit. The edit is usually comprehensive enough to ensure raws are NOT NEEDED. They do not represent the finished product and they do nothing to assist my business in its growth. On top of that, handing out raw material allows the client to consider re-editing elements which i have shot. As far as im concerned, i own my styles and my techniques. I created them and i perfected my own personal editing style. THIS IS WHAT THEYRE PAYING FOR.. If they want raw, the possibily of having someone cut my footage is definately there.. I dont like that. Thats jstu me, but im sure some people here wouldnt mnd someone else editing their work, but i DO mind coz my shots are mine.. very simple.. Working on the backend of things as a supplier and trainer ive come across many producers short on ideas, new and old it doesnt matter.. but the idea of one of these guys going out and tryin to emulate one of my shots, or copy a particular look i created for an edit rocks my boat. Now some people think this is paranoia blah blah.. but when u consider that there are really only very afew elements within this industry which seperate each video producer, keeping those difference SEPERATE can eithe rmake or break your business.. If everyone offered teh exact same thing proce would only be the differential... so keeping a style as your own can be paramount to the success of yoru business.. This is one reason i dont post shit online. what i or my clients may like, ONE potential client may not. Now that ONE potential could be an $8000 SDE 4 camera job... im not willing to risk losing that potential client until i can show them an equivalent of WHAT THEYRE LOOKING FOR.. Research.. chat with your potentials, ask them WHAT THEY WANT.. THEN show them the closest thing you have to what they want. Ive had numerous potential clients grab the tissues coz i give them the idea of teh theyre seeing is THEM... obviously its not them, but the association of the product to their particualr day (with the research in mind) brings on more of an emotive influence on the decision to go with me, or to go with someone else.. Does that make any sense? its not just about the work... its about what you can do BEFORE the job to ensure that u understand what this particular client wants, whether it be short or long form or flashy or simple.. Alot of producers forget that this is a big "investment" for the clients, so ensuring u get the clients confidence with WHAT you know, and HOW YOU ARE AS A HUMAN is of the utmost importance. They need to trust u... even with a contract, if they cant trust u, forget it... with knowledge, comes confidence, with that confidence, comes trust. Once u can win that confidence, the rest is a given... So do what u have to do for teh client, irrespective of long or shot or high and might or simple cuts. Just dont put your business in a position whereby the client has too much power and control. On teh outset, for produciton the client should have all teh power to advise u of what they want and how they want it. Once the day is shot, YOU must decide how youll work wiht the footage, based on the guideliens set by your client. From here, if you are required to change your flow of working AFTER THE FACT ensure teh client understands that there will be charges. Ive spent numerous hours reworking scenes due to clients not telling me beforehand of what theyre looking for.. even with reaseching their needs and tastes, these can change and many clients dont feel that they should pay for the re-edit of something which has already been shot and edited based on their initial requests.. It all comes down to time, and when u hit the 50 wedding a year mark, gettin the jobs out will be far more important than anything else u do in the business.. at the end of the day, you should do what works for your business and what works for your LIFE...

January 2nd, 2006, 10:00 AM	#34
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	wel thats the thing.. if u lock urself away to ONE STYLE, ONE MENTALITY, ONE set of "rules" you might end up shooting urself in the foot.. Do what is right for u and ur business, and things will end up being right for ur clients..

May 2nd, 2008, 01:19 AM	#35
Seun Osewa Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West Africa Posts: 255	Peter, I feel as if your post is all about you, you, you. Try to respect your customers a little bit more. Cheers.

May 2nd, 2008, 01:27 AM	#36
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Seun, you do know you are reacting to a post written 2,5 years ago?

May 2nd, 2008, 01:32 AM	#37
Seun Osewa Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West Africa Posts: 255	Oops. Sorry!

May 2nd, 2008, 02:36 AM	#38
Kiflom Bahta Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 203	It depends on how long the wedding was. I put 1:30hr per disc. I like to give the complete story no matter how long it is. How do you guys put 2hrs of footage in one disc? what about the quality?