Hesitating to post this... but want opinions!

[Richard Gooderick]

I looked at this twice.

The first time round I thought you'd done a good job.

The second time round I tried harder to put myself in their shoes and wondered.

The music is a kind of rollicking let-your-hair down track but the way you've shot it is very formal.

There aren't any shots of people enjoying themselves except right at the very end when the groom is dancing with his mother in law.

And before that when they come out onto the balcony we see them wave but we don't see who they are waving to.

When we do see the floor it's half empty. Did anyone enjoy this wedding or did they all sneak off home halfway through the speeches. I'm exaggerating to make a point.

For my money the music works against what you see and if I were the bride and groom I'd appreciate seeing more of the guests celebrating their marriage.

It's well shot (apart from that head) and put together. If they haven't paid for this they can't complain. But you gave them the opportunity to preview the compilation so there is an implication that it is up for changing otherwise why bother.

I think I'd try to find out what their concerns are and see if you can address them easily whilst at the same time making them aware that what you've done was not budgeted for.

[Noa Put]

I always put up some highlight prior to delivery and until now that has not caused any problems, on the contrary, they love it and the highlights are also the main reason why I get new clients in. I always ask permission before I make it public and I let them look on a password protected part of my site and 9 out of 10 let me post afterwards. The trick is to make them clear it is a highlight meaning the final product will be edited differently. I always tell them that those are specifically made for the internet to show as much as possible on a very short timeperiod. Most of the time they ask me to include the highlight on their dvd, just because they like it.

I would never do a re-edit if someone would ask me after they saw the highlights and if they insist I will make a second quotation, until now I had 2 queries for re-edits after the deliveries, usually 2 to 3 weeks after, when I tell them what that would cost them then it's suddenly not necessary anymore :)

[Mike Williams]

I love those ones that ask for a cheap price and hire three photographers :) I broke my own rule a few days ago about showing a preview and the although the groom said "you are the artist, do what you want" he later stated he doesn't like B&W so asked me to change all the B&W shots to color! It totally changes the feel but you now what they say about giving the people what they want. Give it to em good.

It's always easy to talk tough when your not worried about future bookings :)

Just finished watching the vid. You did a great job and she looked like a total stiff.... there is nothing you can do to help that. The only thing that could have helped was a warm card to defrost your bride a little :)

I thought it was fine. I have had at least three couples ask for that song down here! Not my fav.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Mike Williams

he later stated he doesn't like B&W so asked me to change all the B&W shots to color!

Did that couple not see any demo's from you before they hired you? since you used B&W I can only think that you use that on other projects as well? I always show them how I film and edit but also what type of effects I use, by showing a few "real" examples on dvd (and also explain what the biggest difference is compared to the internet demo's) and telling them what they can expect you could prevent this kind of comment.

I get clients who say they really liked my demo's they saw but I always tell them not to use this as a base for their decision, therefore I always insist that they see the actual dvd and explain very carefully every part of it so they know what to expect. That might explain why I never get any complaints after I post a demo which is always weeks before they get their finished product.

The only 2 complaints and re-edit questions I had so far were because one wanted a change in the music I used, which she had approved before but she changed her mind, and the other was a Russian wedding were she wanted me to remove a small part of a conversation between family in Russian she missed at first but when hearing it later it seemed that it was not that appropriate. :) For both I told them what that re-edit would cost and both told me it was not necessary anymore.

We get people asking for cheap prizes here as well Mike but they usually have a very known and expensive photog :)