Hobby into a business?

Mark Randall · November 6th, 2004, 06:28 PM

To echo what some others have said here. I wouldn't do it. It will turn a hobby you enjoy into a stressful, difficult business.

First my qualifications to say this: I have twenty years of broadcast production experience including national commercials, news, promos and some 35mm film work. I have won local, regional and national Addy awards and have worked on a project that won a national prime-time Emmy (yes, I got to walk the red carpet in Pasadena).

I have had many friends of friends ask me if I will shoot their wedding and my answer is always "no way, not ever".

The biggest problem for me is that I would be putting myself in a constantly evolving, unpredictable, uncontrollable environment and yet be expected to document the most important day in somone's life. Not only document it but turn it into a compelling, romantic and captivating story. If I were to screw up this almost impossible task, the bad karma would be unbelievable. I try to never attempt things that have such poor odds. I don't play the lotto. I don't gamble in Vegas and I don't shoot weddings.

I have nothing but intense respect for the guys (and gals) that do weddings, more power to them, but I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. It is the closest thing to "damn near impossible", that I have ever seen so many people willing to consider attempting. I think of the really good event videographers like I think of those daredevils in the old black-and-white newsreels that would walk on the wings on biplanes in mid-flight. All I can say is that they are braver than I.

--- Mark

Steve Hagan · November 7th, 2004, 12:17 PM

Hey Todd ,
I read your post I like the idea of real estate tours. So what do you do, tape and edit the property, post it on your own web site, then give the realtor the link to it so he or she can link it in the own listing site? Are the realtor very demanding? And how many of those are you doing a month where you are at?
Thanks

Todd Kivimaki · November 7th, 2004, 12:49 PM

Steve,
Yea I go out and tape then edit the property, I do the hosting because in my early stages I always had the realtors host the homes, but it was a pain because I always ended up going over to their office and setting it up for them, so now I just do all the hosting for them, works out better and I get paid faster ( if they are late to pay then it's easy for me to cut off the hosting until they pay ) I don't think the realtors are very demanding, they are a "push-over" compared to the demands faced by a Bride and Groom. I'm still in the early stages of getting the idea out there, I'm in Lima Ohio, and cover Findlay and the little towns around the area. It will go in spurts for me, one week I'll do 10 of them and there's other weeks were I have no business. It always seems like whenever I have a Wedding to do I have no real estate, and when I have real estate I have no weddings, so it's worked out nicely that I usually have something comning in.

Steve Hagan · November 8th, 2004, 07:12 AM

Todd,
Sounds like a cool idea, something I would like to get into. I have a friend who's a realtor maybe Ill give her a call and see if I can do a couple for her for free to see what she thinks. Who do you use for your host server?

Todd Kivimaki · November 8th, 2004, 07:53 AM

Yea, I'd definatly go for it, there's a hugh market for it, the tours sell themselves, the ardest part is convincing the realtors that the need to spend the money for a tour. I use Bluehost for my hosting, they give me unlimited server space, and 75gig transfer, for only ... I think it's $8.00 a month. They're easy to work with, and so far I've been nothing but pleased. I don't know if you saw my website but I have a couple of tours up there.

A new thing I'm offering is the ability to follow the realtor around giving the tour throughout the house, with wireless on the realtor, and a glidecam, I think it adds a whole new dimension, also another thing I'm looking into is a TV show, think this would entice a lot more realtors.

If you get enough people visiting your website, or watching your TV show to shop fora house, your golden, because then all the real estate companies with go with you. But be ready in the early stages, they are really cheap, and at least around here pretty snotty.

Good Luck Steve, email or post with any more questions.

Mike Martin · November 14th, 2004, 09:24 AM

Hi Todd,

Do you have link to a sample of the real estate video? I'm curious about what the final version looks like. I have a lot of friends who are agents. Don't worry, I'm not located in Ohio.

Mike

Todd Kivimaki · November 14th, 2004, 11:06 AM

Yea, www.videomemoriesinc.com under the house link. There's 2 tours there, also I based my tours off other internet companies, if you do a search for real estate video tours, or something to that effect you'll find other samples.

Aaron Rosen · November 15th, 2004, 12:13 AM

I just finished my FIRST wedding shoot. I was invited as a guest of the bride then magically became the video guy the week before.

They knew I didn't shoot weddings beforehand but that still does not do anything to calm the stress. Im sure it didn't help my date was a bridesmaid and her parents (whom I just met) were watching me from the audience as well as a client from a different shoot.

Stressful does not even begin to cover this and somehow I have now gotten 2 more Weddings lined up.

Video Biographies are much more fun. There is always a retake there...

Does it get any easier? Maybe without the date...?

Mike Martin · November 15th, 2004, 09:42 AM

Todd,

Thanks for the link. I checked out the videos and they look real nice. I'll have to check with some local real estate agents in my area to see if it's something they'd like to have.

Mike Martin
Fast Forward Club
www.fastforwardclub.com
Don't Miss the Fast Forward Club Expo 2005

Tim White AU · November 20th, 2004, 05:24 PM

Todd, it's great to hear you've got this idea up and running...

My one concern with either trying this idea myself, or even using the service to sell my own house would be the problem of security.

All a potential thief has to do is browse the internet, find a potential victim with lots of goodies, and learn the layout of their house, and viola... easy access.

Do you get asked this occasionally, and what are your thoughts on it?

Todd Kivimaki · November 21st, 2004, 04:18 PM

Hmm. Never heard that before, never came to mind. I guess you run into the same problems with showing pictures or Virtual Tours. A lot of the higher end homes I do all have security systems, so this would help. But if a thief really wants to rob a house he's going to do it no matter what. And I think a lot of times a thief is going to look for small expensive things to take, so showing a big screen TV or nice furniture isn't going to entice the thief for the fact alone that it's hard to move.

So I guess it doesn't really concern me, or my clients. But it does bring up an interesting point.

November 7th, 2004, 12:17 PM	#17
Steve Hagan New Boot Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NC Posts: 13	Hey Todd , I read your post I like the idea of real estate tours. So what do you do, tape and edit the property, post it on your own web site, then give the realtor the link to it so he or she can link it in the own listing site? Are the realtor very demanding? And how many of those are you doing a month where you are at? Thanks __________________ Steve

November 8th, 2004, 07:12 AM	#19
Steve Hagan New Boot Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NC Posts: 13	Todd, Sounds like a cool idea, something I would like to get into. I have a friend who's a realtor maybe Ill give her a call and see if I can do a couple for her for free to see what she thinks. Who do you use for your host server? __________________ Steve

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November 6th, 2004, 06:28 PM	#16
Mark Randall Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 47	To echo what some others have said here. I wouldn't do it. It will turn a hobby you enjoy into a stressful, difficult business. First my qualifications to say this: I have twenty years of broadcast production experience including national commercials, news, promos and some 35mm film work. I have won local, regional and national Addy awards and have worked on a project that won a national prime-time Emmy (yes, I got to walk the red carpet in Pasadena). I have had many friends of friends ask me if I will shoot their wedding and my answer is always "no way, not ever". The biggest problem for me is that I would be putting myself in a constantly evolving, unpredictable, uncontrollable environment and yet be expected to document the most important day in somone's life. Not only document it but turn it into a compelling, romantic and captivating story. If I were to screw up this almost impossible task, the bad karma would be unbelievable. I try to never attempt things that have such poor odds. I don't play the lotto. I don't gamble in Vegas and I don't shoot weddings. I have nothing but intense respect for the guys (and gals) that do weddings, more power to them, but I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. It is the closest thing to "damn near impossible", that I have ever seen so many people willing to consider attempting. I think of the really good event videographers like I think of those daredevils in the old black-and-white newsreels that would walk on the wings on biplanes in mid-flight. All I can say is that they are braver than I. --- Mark

November 7th, 2004, 12:49 PM	#18
Todd Kivimaki Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Elida Ohio Posts: 217	Steve, Yea I go out and tape then edit the property, I do the hosting because in my early stages I always had the realtors host the homes, but it was a pain because I always ended up going over to their office and setting it up for them, so now I just do all the hosting for them, works out better and I get paid faster ( if they are late to pay then it's easy for me to cut off the hosting until they pay ) I don't think the realtors are very demanding, they are a "push-over" compared to the demands faced by a Bride and Groom. I'm still in the early stages of getting the idea out there, I'm in Lima Ohio, and cover Findlay and the little towns around the area. It will go in spurts for me, one week I'll do 10 of them and there's other weeks were I have no business. It always seems like whenever I have a Wedding to do I have no real estate, and when I have real estate I have no weddings, so it's worked out nicely that I usually have something comning in.

November 8th, 2004, 07:53 AM	#20
Todd Kivimaki Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Elida Ohio Posts: 217	Yea, I'd definatly go for it, there's a hugh market for it, the tours sell themselves, the ardest part is convincing the realtors that the need to spend the money for a tour. I use Bluehost for my hosting, they give me unlimited server space, and 75gig transfer, for only ... I think it's $8.00 a month. They're easy to work with, and so far I've been nothing but pleased. I don't know if you saw my website but I have a couple of tours up there. A new thing I'm offering is the ability to follow the realtor around giving the tour throughout the house, with wireless on the realtor, and a glidecam, I think it adds a whole new dimension, also another thing I'm looking into is a TV show, think this would entice a lot more realtors. If you get enough people visiting your website, or watching your TV show to shop fora house, your golden, because then all the real estate companies with go with you. But be ready in the early stages, they are really cheap, and at least around here pretty snotty. Good Luck Steve, email or post with any more questions.

November 14th, 2004, 09:24 AM	#21
Mike Martin New Boot Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 8	Hi Todd, Do you have link to a sample of the real estate video? I'm curious about what the final version looks like. I have a lot of friends who are agents. Don't worry, I'm not located in Ohio. Mike

November 14th, 2004, 11:06 AM	#22
Todd Kivimaki Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Elida Ohio Posts: 217	Yea, www.videomemoriesinc.com under the house link. There's 2 tours there, also I based my tours off other internet companies, if you do a search for real estate video tours, or something to that effect you'll find other samples.

November 15th, 2004, 12:13 AM	#23
Aaron Rosen Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: HB, CA - USA Posts: 298	I just finished my FIRST wedding shoot. I was invited as a guest of the bride then magically became the video guy the week before. They knew I didn't shoot weddings beforehand but that still does not do anything to calm the stress. Im sure it didn't help my date was a bridesmaid and her parents (whom I just met) were watching me from the audience as well as a client from a different shoot. Stressful does not even begin to cover this and somehow I have now gotten 2 more Weddings lined up. Video Biographies are much more fun. There is always a retake there... Does it get any easier? Maybe without the date...?

November 15th, 2004, 09:42 AM	#24
Mike Martin New Boot Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 8	Todd, Thanks for the link. I checked out the videos and they look real nice. I'll have to check with some local real estate agents in my area to see if it's something they'd like to have. Mike Martin Fast Forward Club www.fastforwardclub.com Don't Miss the Fast Forward Club Expo 2005

November 20th, 2004, 05:24 PM	#25
Tim White AU New Boot Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 17	Todd, it's great to hear you've got this idea up and running... My one concern with either trying this idea myself, or even using the service to sell my own house would be the problem of security. All a potential thief has to do is browse the internet, find a potential victim with lots of goodies, and learn the layout of their house, and viola... easy access. Do you get asked this occasionally, and what are your thoughts on it?

November 21st, 2004, 04:18 PM	#26
Todd Kivimaki Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Elida Ohio Posts: 217	Hmm. Never heard that before, never came to mind. I guess you run into the same problems with showing pictures or Virtual Tours. A lot of the higher end homes I do all have security systems, so this would help. But if a thief really wants to rob a house he's going to do it no matter what. And I think a lot of times a thief is going to look for small expensive things to take, so showing a big screen TV or nice furniture isn't going to entice the thief for the fact alone that it's hard to move. So I guess it doesn't really concern me, or my clients. But it does bring up an interesting point.