The good news is you have delirium

Just wanted to announce that we are working hard on a new design for the www.deliriummedia.com web site. We are hoping to have it ready for February 1st.

Stay tuned…

Blogging is sometimes like going to the gym. You skip it once or twice, and the next thing you know, a week (or four) goes by and it just seems harder to get started again.

But I’m back, and I’m ready to talk about what lies ahead for Delirium Media.

I am planning major changes to the web site for 2009. It will have a different look and there will definitely be some new videos posted. I have not set a target date for the new site, but for now, I will set a soft deadline of February 1st.

I am also planning to add personnel, including sales associates, camera operators, and editors, so if you or someone you know is interested, please send a resume to the e-mail address on our contact page.

Our wedding video packages will also be changing (for the better, of course). I plan to lower the cost of adding a second camera. I’m doing this for two reasons. Number one, to be sensitive to the tough economic times we’re in, particularly here in Windsor (Motor City of Canada). And number two, I just know that using two cameras gives me more creativity, resulting in a better product for me to showcase, which in turn, should lead to more bookings.

Those are the things to count on. There will probably be a few surprises as well, so stay tuned.

That’s all for now. From the Delirium Media team, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

That’s my advice to my fellow videographers.

Before you make your way out to a gig, it’s normal to assess the job and bring only the equipment you need. This can save time on loading, unloading, setting up, and tearing down. Plus sometimes you might not know where a certain accessory is at the moment and you’re in a hurry, so you just bolt.

After a couple experiences I’ve had, I now believe in bringing as much as you can, because “you just never know.”

You might find that one of your wireless mics is not working properly, but since you left your other(s) behind, you’re in a jam. Or your client suddenly requests some exterior shots on a windy day, but you left your Rycote Softie at the office.

D’oh!

Of course, your main concern has to be covering your own assets, and ensuring you deliver on your promises to your client(s). But helping others in need can be just as important.

What if you brought everything you needed, but the DJ needed an extra XLR? You might laugh as he twists in the wind, but it’s your gig too. If he can’t do his job right, the event suffers, and everyone at the event is a little less happy. You want happy clients. Give the DJ your XLR. You’ll not only be a hero for the night, that DJ will never forget that you did him a solid.

Keep your equipment organized so you can grab whatever you need, whenever you need it. And when you go to your next gig, load up as much as possible.

Last week’s wedding show at the Caboto Club went very well for me. I had not done the fall show the last couple years, opting to just do the bigger show in January, but I guess I’ve found that bigger isn’t always better.

The first wedding show I ever did was actually the fall show. It’s been a while, but I don’t remember getting any bookings from it. Looking back, what could I have expected? I was new, had very little material to demo, and didn’t have the confidence and polish that I have today. My brochures and business cards are nicer, I have a a beautiful banner, I have much more material to demo, and my booth looks much better. Consequently, I had numerous engaging conversations with potential clients.

Go figure.

The winter show in January is much bigger, there’s no question about that, but one thing you can never predict is the weather.

Earlier this year in January, the Wedding Extravaganza got off to a roaring start on day 1, but overnight and into the morning of day 2, Windsor was tagged with a wicked snow storm. It got cold and nasty and the roads were very icy. Day 2 was a bomb. I don’t think we had even half the people we had from day 1. As a vendor, it’s tough paying $700+ for two days of booth space but really only getting 1.

Right now, I’m not sure what to do about the upcoming January ‘09 show. I’m tempted to wait until the week of the event and see what the weather report says. Of course, the selection of good booths could be very limited by then, or even entirely sold out. I will have to think about it over the next week or so.

When you’re doing any sort of trade show, you need to do whatever you can to jazz up your booth.

Even if you’re lucky enough to get a great spot with high traffic, people are likely to pass by if you don’t catch their attention.

I’ve done a few of the larger (and smaller) wedding shows, and my booth layouts have gotten better, but they were still missing something.

I had a sign with my company name. It was better than nothing, but it contained no images, and did very little to stand out.

A lot of companies, especially the successful ones, had large, colourful banners. Making a banner large will get people’s attention from a distance, and if it is well designed, they’ll want to read it and try to figure out what your company does. And if it’s really well designed, you will catch them staring at it, giving you an opportunity to introduce yourself and talk business.

Last week, I spent a few days in Photoshop designing a banner for my company, Delirium Media. The image above is the end result from hours of designing and tweaking. If you click here, you can view a larger version. This banner will be proudly hanging at booth 43s at the Caboto Club during the Fall Wedding Event.

Last week, I was in Orlando, Florida for the WEVA Expo. This is the second Expo I’ve attended. I learned quite a bit last year, but I think this year was even better.

Now that I’ve been back for a couple days, I’ve had time to reflect on what I thought were the most important seminars. I should preface this by saying that I found almost every seminar informative and worthwhile. But here are the ones I think will have the biggest impact on my business:

EXTREME INSTANT EDITS with Adam Mancini & Eric Model
This seminar shows you how to create same-day edits, and the amazing ripple effect they can have on your business. Imagine how impressed the bride and all her guests at the reception would be to see an edited montage of footage captured earlier that day. To take it a step further, Adam also discussed same-day DVDs. With the proper equipment, a videographer can not only show the same-day edit, but actually distribute the video on DVD to guests when they leave. It makes for a great party favour, and it’s much better than any thank you card. And the best part is it should lead to a lot of new business.

ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR: TOP 10 EDITING TIPS! with Brooke Rudnick
Brooke had some beautiful footage, fantastic really, but I think the biggest lesson she taught was the importance of voiceovers, and to a lesser extent, using fresh new music instead of the same old recycled songs. When a father sees his daughter in her dress for the first time, it’s one thing to see the reaction on his face, but if you can add some of his actual words to the mix, it just adds a lot of emotion and takes the production to another level. And as for music, artists like U2, Michael Bublé, and Celine Dion are great, but we’ve all heard them dozens of times. Finding something new will give your video some personality, and the couple can then say “that’s our song from the video.”

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS: THINK DIFFERENT! with Carlito Frias
This was the last seminar of the Expo I attended, and it was one of the best. Carlito preached the importance of having a team, as opposed to trying to take on the world by yourself. It may be possible for one person to do all the shooting, the editing, the web updates, and all the duties required in running a production company. It is possible, but not if you want to grow. For that, you need more people. And he suggests you start with sales people. If you alone make 10 sales a year, imagine what 5 additional sales associates could do for you? I don’t want to ramble on much more, but I think “Carlito’s Way” of thinking is going to make a big impact on anyone who attended his seminar.

So that’s a brief summary of what I learned at WEVA ‘08. I’m very eager to implement a lot of these new skills and business practices into future Delirium Media productions.

It’s not like me to go a week without a new post, but I have been one busy bee lately.

First off, I shot four weddings this month. That’s four weddings that all need to be edited pronto so I can get them back to my clients ASAP.

I also moved, as in, a change of residential address. Not exactly something you do in one afternoon.

And I’ve been running around the city in search of the right shirts and hats to be deemed “Delirium Media-worthy.” See, I’m going to have some shirts and hats made up that have the Delirium Media logo on them, so it’s important I get the good stuff. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a plain white, fitted hat in this city. A shout out to “Lids” at the Devonshire Mall for coming through in the clutch for me.

Silver Stitch has these great lightweight shirts that absorb moisture and keep you cool when you are sweating. This is perfect for shooting those July and August weddings when the temperature can hit north of 90 degrees. The shirts are also made out of recycled water bottles, so I’m doing my part to be green as well. Silver Stitch will also be doing all my embroidery.

I’ve always thought branding was so important, and I think a lot of people underestimate the power of a unique name and memorable logo. In video production, no matter how great your work is, unless a lot of people see it, you will struggle to reap the rewards of your labour. It’s the same with a company name and logo, you need to get your message out to the world.

Wearing apparel like shirts and hats is one great way to do that.

Delirium Media now has a dedicated page on the popular social networking site, Facebook.

If you look at other wedding videographer’s web sites, you’ll notice they tend to generally have the same content. Usually there is a blurb about the company (perhaps mentioning how they’re unique), there will be some video clip samples, and some contact information in case you want to learn more or book an appointment.

But there is one thing not everyone lists.

Pricing.

The ratio of sites with pricing compared to those that do not list pricing is probably split around 50/50. If you have some time on your hands, try browsing the videographer links listed on WEVA’s site. They are listed by US State. Canadian listings are in the International section.

There are a couple schools of thought here, each with their own pros and cons.

Those who choose not to show their prices are hoping that the customer has enough interest in the service that they will take the initiative to call and (hopefully) book an appointment. The upside to this method is that once the videographer reveals his/her pricing, he/she gets a chance to talk to the client, and explain why they are unique and why their pricing is fair. On the down side, some customers may think that if the pricing is not listed, it must be very expensive, and therefore, they never call.

Those who choose to show their prices are generally doing so to save both the customer and themselves a lot of time by not having to take that all-too-familiar “what are your prices?” phone call. By displaying his/her prices, the videographer is saying “these are my prices, I’m worth it, and I have nothing to hide.” This can also save the videographer some cash, as there is not really any need to print expensive brochures. Instead, customers can just be directed to a web site with all the info. Another pro is that if a customer does call, chances are they are more likely to book an appointment, because obviously your pricing did not scare them away, so you are talking to more serious customers. One con is that if a customer thinks the prices are too high, they won’t call, and the videographer won’t get the chance to explain their value.

Which method is best?

There is no right or wrong answer here. I personally did not show my prices for the first couple years, but I’ve just had too many calls from “shoppers,” so now my pricing is online. I always tried to explain my value to customers, but often, they were in a rush because they wanted to call a dozen other videographers, so I didn’t get to sell myself. I also was tired of throwing out hundreds of expensive brochures every year (packages and pricing changes every year). And lastly, having already tried the “no show” method, I thought I’d mix things up and see if displaying my prices would improve sales. Having only posted the prices a couple weeks ago, it’s too soon to say that there has been a difference, but I certainly seem to be taking less calls from shoppers, so that’s a plus.

To the videographers out there, I say do whatever works for you. And experiment, try it both ways, see how your market reacts.

To the customer, give every videographer a chance to explain their style and their unique service. And remember, there is much more than price to consider. What good is saving $200 on a video if you don’t receive it for 8 months after the wedding?! Ask about turnaround times, equipment, style, and training.

No two videographers are the same, so it’s up to YOU to do the research and find the right one. To view my current packages and pricing, click here.

Last Saturday, there was an article in the Windsor Star that touched on the growing filmmaking community in Windsor. In case you missed it, you can read the article by clicking here.

It’s great to see people realizing that you don’t need to be in Toronto to make films. Hopefully this is something that continues to gather steam.

This article was of particular interest to me as I would like to make films as well. If you would like to be involved in one of my upcoming films, as cast or crew, or if you think you have a dynamite script, please contact my office at 519-739-3700.