Re: Things are quiet ..
 

The ethical & smart way to handle this if you want to take on a lower paid job is to make clear from the start that while you will be doing the editing that because of prior commitments your top camera operator will actually be shooting the wedding. If you get another higher paid booking then you can accept it & send a trusted shooter out to cover the first wedding but if you don't get another booking then you can surprise & delight your clients by explaining that you will be shooting their wedding personally after all at the reduced price.

Re: Things are quiet ..
 

So if you don't get another higher booking, what do you tell the videographer that is supposedly booked for the lower priced job ? This is why i take a 50% retainer from anyone who hires me to shoot, if the hirer negates on my end, I go fishing with 50% in my pocket.Sweet. Happened to me way too often in the past that I got hired as free lance and days before the event was told it was off due to many different circumstances. I held dates that prevented me to take other ( even higher paid) jobs on those same dates. I would apply the 50% deposit if the cancelled date was put to a later date that I am free to do. No problem there, but I must know what the future date is asap so I can reserve it.

Re: Things are quiet ..
 

Happened to me once before, lesson learned, I was hired by another videographer months before a wedding and he would send me the details, but months passed and he didn't, when I finally called him (about a month before the wedding) to finally give me all contact and planning details he told me it was not necessary anymore. Now I know the guy very well and I trusted it to be ok, but next time I"ll ask for a retainer as well.

Re: Things are quiet ..
 

If the bride and groom must leave a deposit to reserve and book the date so must the contractor( studio) also leave a deposit to reserve and book the assigned videographer. That videographer deposit is much less than the contractor (studio) takes as a deposit. If the bride and groom cancel the wedding without any possibility of future date, then that contractor (studio) deposit is usually forfeited, but will the assigned videographer get any part of that...??? probably not a penny. In my opinion anyone that is booked should be given a retainer deposit, how much should be agreed upon in advance. This way it also makes it much easier for the contractor to cough up the final payment to the videographer after the job is done. I hear many cases of videographers are into the 3rd and 4th shoot without getting paid yet for previous shoots.