Re: Does anyone shoot funeral videos for a living?
 

In the lean months I do shoot funerals, it is pretty straight forward, stress free and you don't have to worry about doing money shots. Believe it or not we get photography packages as well. It is very simple as well, pose each family beside the coffin ( don't forget that its a funeral, meaning don't say BIG SMILES everyone).

Music is easy as well, Josh Grobin and the theme song from Ghost those are the only 2 songs you need.

I thought about doing funeral shoots exclusively but never had the chance to market myself (part of me still want to shoot the celebration of life, rather than the end of it).

Re: Does anyone shoot funeral videos for a living?
 

Hi Noel

I actually considered it because as you say, it's less stressful than a wedding and nothing is rushed!! My buddy over East says he does around 6 a year!!

In Australia most weddings are done in a funeral home with a civil celebrant so shooting those would be fairly easy. They usually have the coffin on display at the premises so there is no hearse as such but the celebrant gives a little talk followed by family coming up with something to say. It would almost be like doing wedding speeches here!!! Hardly creative but there would be an income as most funerals are during the week anyway!!

Do you pay the funeral director a big cut or does the family contact and hire you???? I do my Realty Inspection reports for $200 for maybe 2 hours work so funerals might be a neat extra source of income..where we are we also have an ageing population and lot's of funeral homes.

I have only been to a couple of services here and the only thing they do is put up a slideshow using old photos with the deceased favorite songs.

Hmmmm might be worth looking into????

Chris

Re: Does anyone shoot funeral videos for a living?
 

If you put one of those into a gravestone here, it would be out and on Ebay the next day; cemented in or not it would be gone.

I been asked to do four. Two of those were for Caribbean families who seemed to be quiet relaxed about it and the result was very satisfactory for the family and for me. One was for an Indian family who live next door to me. They wanted it filmed but only wanted to look at it. They said that they wanted to see the funeral but could not keep the video or even stills of the funeral for cultural reasons. The other was for a English family, it was very stressful. The immediate family were okay but the extended family and friends looked embarrassed, self-conscious and threw many daggered looks at me as if to say don't film me you insensitive vulture. Before you think that I was being in their face I wasn't everything was shot at discrete distance but everyone was so conscious of it being filmed. I've never offer to do another, I just don't feel it's for me.

Re: Does anyone shoot funeral videos for a living?
 

Hi Chris, sorry for the late reply. I charge $ 500 for a 4 hour shoot ( Funeral Home/Church/Cemetery/Reception), the edit is pretty straight forward like I don't take tons of footage and I basically shoot edit already.

My plan was to contact funeral homes which I never get to do, the people who calls me got my number from a local newspaper I advertise in. Other Studios who shuns away from funerals throws me some business as well. I know one Event DV 25er back then exclusively shoot funerals, so I know there's money to be made.

Re: Does anyone shoot funeral videos for a living?
 

Got offered to do this numerous times, but just cannot get myself to do it.. i understand the reason and need for the service but luckily i have the option of saying no thanks. I guess if its a job to pay the mortgage and such then that is certainly an "untapped" market...

Kren
www.verticalvideoworks.ca