How much notice to give to customers... - Page 2

shaf · #11 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by The Guru

If your customers are happy to accept that sort of waiting list... fine. However, eight weeks wait for a wedding video is simply too long.

As Mark says, you have to be switched-on when you're filming. You're getting too much raw material, learn when to press the "record" button and when not.
If you are the camera operator and the editor, you should go into the edit suite knowing what material you have. You don't have to digitize all the material, only the bits you need. Then allowing one week (40 hours) to edit and your video should be ready the following Saturday.
If you're not too sure of your editing skills then you might allow two weeks for editing.

If it takes you three weeks (120 hours) to edit a one hour wedding DVD, then you should consider getting a proper editor to work for you.

You asked the question, how long to deliver a professional wedding video to customers and the answer is that it should be ready for them when they return from their honeymoon two, or at the most, three weeks later.

An English wedding isn't any easier than an Asian wedding, if you know what you're doing. If you're going to be a professional then don't have excuses... have results.

I appreciate your comments mate....videography is my second job...so that means having to work around my different shift patterns etc. I am looking to hire another editor to ease the pressure off me.

Mark W · #12 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by shaf

Mark, problem in asian culture is that they want everything shot...from ppl dining, children playing etc etc.... hell even the decorations! And the organisation of the wedding is usaully terrible. I can imagine how simple a english wedding would be to shoot and edit as they are very well prepared.

One of the other reasons I wont do weddings.

My approach to this type of situation is to politely tell them to piss off. You hire a plumber you dont tell him how to plumb do you? ? ? Same thing.

BritishEye · #13 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 07:53 PM

Well, I've filmed a wedding recently, and got 2 and a half hours footage.
Two weeks on and it's not finished. But I'm still hurrying to get it done asap. If it stretches beyond a month, you've lost it really.

If you want to make a career out of it, you want to try and be as quick as possible with it, so you can move onto the next.

shaf · #14 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by BritishEye

Well, I've filmed a wedding recently, and got 2 and a half hours footage.
Two weeks on and it's not finished. But I'm still hurrying to get it done asap. If it stretches beyond a month, you've lost it really.

If you want to make a career out of it, you want to try and be as quick as possible with it, so you can move onto the next.

So imagine how long would 5hrs of footage would take to edit

The Guru · #15 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 08:05 AM

A week. No longer.

The Guru · #16 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 08:11 AM

Last week a producer delivered 10 hours of my footage to an editor, he/she spent five days in the edit suite and we (ie the crew) will be viewing the result on Monday. That is normal. That is what you should be achieving if you're working as a professional. You can take longer but, for a low budget image film (which is what a wedding video is) this is what I would expect from a competant editor.
That's what he's paid for and that's what you're charging your client for.

I don't know how often you have to hear this, or how many people have to tell you, mate, but your editing times are simply too long if you want to call yourself a professional.

The bottom line is (to quote Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel) you have to keep the customer satisfied. I agree that Asian weddings are long and they want a long video, if that's the case, you must charge accordingly. If you don't then you're just devaluing the work of proper professionals and preventing a pro from earning his crust. This is the "Pro" section and, whilst we're happy to give any aspiring semi-pro advice, don't expect any sympathy when you complain that your paid hobby is getting in the way of your real job.

GDR · #17 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 09:30 AM

I filmed a wedding a couple of weeks ago from guests arrivals to champagne celebrations just before speeches...thats all they wanted.

I acquired 37 min footage including the civil ceremony.

I started the edit at 9 am the next day and had the film finished and ready for delivery by 2 pm including the dvd authoring and disc printing etc.

So 5 hrs...

The finished wedding was 27 min long, so I lost approx 10 min of footage.

I know this is not the norm but I would personally not want to spend any longer than a week on each wedding,(5 - 7 hours raw footage approx depending on how many cameras etc.....and the only reason it would take longer is if I was inundated with so many that they were queued!

Just my two pence worth.

GDR

Mark W · #18 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 09:42 AM

That is how i try to work ( not on weddings, other stuff) - I try to have a rough s board in my head then plan each shot with that in mind.

Zero · #19 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 12:37 PM

We average 7 hours (2 cams) of film from each wedding. Remember thats 7 hours capture, plus the edit.
Depending how fussy you are with intros, storylines and keeping continuity it can take some time. I don't rush any edits, I enjoy the challenge of slotting key artistic shots into the story of the day.
The average time for our wedding edit is one week, including artwork, authoring & duplication.
Everyone usually gets their DVD on their return from honeymoon, that is until about July onwards, when we can film 3 per week. That is when the back up starts.
The maximum is about 6 weeks wait and we have never, ever had a complaint about the wait.
The sense of anticipation is also a factor and ready too early may suggest to some, the edit was thrown together.

Nikosony · #20 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 01:37 PM

I think saying it will be done after the honeymoon can be problematic, instead I would say it will be done after two weeks as not every couple will have a honeymoon that lasts two weeks. What if they leave on a Friday and come back on the Monday, perhaps they wish to put the cost of a two week honeymoon on a down payment for a house? So I would change the wording to say it will be done in two weeks time, just in case their honeymoon only lasts a weekend, that way you are covered and won't be up you know where without a paddle.