FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I know I'm not the cheapest video producer or videographer in town - I am however FAR from the most expensive. I do make my living with a camera and it is my full time job and has been for years. If you are considering price ONLY in your vendor selection process, I might not be the provider for you. If you are seeking a truly professional and experienced director, a fully competent and easy-to-work-with "people person" with the eye of an artist and the goal to get the very best of your business, your message or your event captured on the screen, feel free to contact me. I DO understand the stresses and challenges of small business (being a small business person myself), so I am willing to work within a limited budget as long as it's realistic.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
My process is very fluid because I understand that every customer is different. There are some things I maintain as consistent policies - A) You OWN your footage. The customer is entitled to keep the raw footage of the project if they want it. If not, I archive it for a year after the project is completed, then if the customer doesn't want it, it's deleted. B) Progress payments. I usually ask for a 50% non-refundable deposit on the project, up front when the contract is signed (I never work without a contract) and the balance when the editing is done. On larger projects, I will sometimes agree to 1/3 up front, 1/3 at the completion of the shoot and the final 1/3 when editing is done. The finished video is shown to the client but not delivered until the final payment is received. C) "Three Strikes Rule" on editorial changes. I realize that what I do is in the category of ART, hence not everyone is always going to be IN LOVE with every part of the art I create for them. On the other hand, although this is ART, it's also a BUSINESS - one I have to be able to make a living at, which means the editing process cannot go on indefinitely. The best way I've been able to balance these two factors is what I call the "Three Strikes" clause in the contract. This means the client is allowed three chances to request revisions without being charged more. I show the client an edited version of the project and the client makes a list of any changes they would like to see made (many projects are accepted on the first showing). I make these changes from their list, and re-submit. They have the right to make two more lists, but after the third time, we are done and the client pays the balance of the contract amount. It's VERY rare I cannot make a client happy in three revisions. If more changes are desired, the client either pays by the hour for additional changes or they may take their footage to another editor, once the final balance has been paid.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I majored in Communication Sciences at Cal State Fullerton, and I occasionally take online classes, seminars and individual workshops at Seattle Film Institute. However most of my training comes simply from experience - I have been doing film and video production since my late teens and have worked every position there is on a film crew. The technology of this business changes, sometimes quite rapidly - the STYLE of how people communicate on screen changes too - but the PRINCIPLES of what makes good cinema or video: how to engage the viewer, how to hold the audience's interest, how to SAY something with lighting, sound, camera angles and editing, that kind of thing never changes.