How jazzed was I when I got an e-mail from David Jay’s team ShowIt to be a speaker on his 9-city Freedom Tour. That’s like for cool, young and hipster photogs. I’m just a “not as young” up-and-coming-filmmaker trying to make a buck. (But I LOOK young, don’t I?) Okay, maybe I’m over-doing the humility thing a bit, but I was very honored to be asked to join the likes of Jasmine Star, Jessica Claire, Zach and Jody Gray, Promise Tangeman (yes, her name is really Promise), the Boudoir Divas, and Mr. Jay himself.

Besides personalized training on ShowIt Sites, each city will feature three speakers. I’ll be joining the team in Austin, TX next Wednesday, June 23. Then in my own neck of the woods, Hot-lanta, GA on Friday, the 25th. If you’re in driving distance to either one of those cities, I hope you come out. (I know a lot of my fellow videogs are near Austin, so come support a brutha!)

I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to talk about. I’ll most likely do my “So You Think You Can Dance” audition performance. (And if for a moment you actually believed that, I have a bridge in New York I’d like to sell you). I hope to see you there. You can get the skinny on the whole tour at tour.showitfast.com.

This past Sunday I was honored to present part 1 of a 2-part course on DSLR filmmaking. It was hosted by The DV Show, one of the most popular websites and podcasts on the topic of video production. The course title is The Art and Business of DSLR Filmmaking. Brian Alves (the host) reported there were over 500 live viewers. Thanks to each and every one of your for spending 90 minutes of your Sunday night with little ol’ me.

I hope you’re ready for round two, because I’m going to talk about stuff that you never (or seldom) hear DSLR filmmaker instructors talk about. (At least I never have). Last Sunday was the art. This coming Sunday, June 13 at 8 pm EST, I’ll be presenting part 2, the business. If you watch it live, the course is FREE.

In this Sunday’s course, I want to address the issue of how one can go about incorporating these tools into their business, but in a way that is wise from a business perspective. Yes, we all know these camera take beautiful video, but should you go out and plunk down 5, 10, or $20,000 in new gear, hardware, and software? Should you raise your prices? How do  you communicate to your clients about your new “look” and why they should care? We’ll cover these and many more topics:

• Rent vs. own and when it’s best to do each
• How to market the new tech to your clients in a way that makes sense (benefit vs. features)
• Pricing: the added workflow (from production to post) means that you shouldn’t charge the same amount for an HD DSLR shoot than you do for a SD shoot. Even a regular HD shoot. Depending on the project, you may need a bigger crew, which means more money needed. Also, you’ll definitely need more processing power and time, so post production should be more too.
• Photography and Video: should you offer both? If so, how?
• Hollywood is getting into the game too. What that means for you.

As I did Sunday, I’ll make time for Q&A afterward. Also, since it seemed like people got such a kick out of watching the video I showed, this week I’ll show part 1 of that film series, tying it into the business lesson, of course. It’s sure to be loads of fun. (And I promise not to do any rocking this week.

DISCOUNT ON MY HOW TO PRICE YOUR SERVICES MP3

Also, if you’ve ever wondered how to go about pricing your services in general, you will want to take advantage of my DV Show special on my “How to Price Your Service: Power Pricing” audio mp3. It’s a 75-minute coaching call session that goes into detail on the topic. Sells for $29.95 on this blog, but if you visit the DV Show page with the DSLR filmmaking info, you’ll find a link that will lead you to a special $19.95 price. As usual, there’s a 100% money back guarantee.

I hope to see you there live. (Well, I guess I won’t “see” you, you’ll see me, but you get the idea.)

Attention all DSLR filmmakers, as well as photographers and videographers looking to get into DSLR filmmaking. This Sunday, June 6, at 8 pm EST, LIVE, I will be conducting a course on DSLR filmmaking called, “The Art and Business of DSLR Filmmaking.” I know there is no shortage of amazing resources on the web about shooting video with Canon’s line of DSLR cameras. One thing I think has been lacking from much of the discussion are practical strategies for small business photographers and videographers to adopt these tools. This course will be perfect for event filmmakers, photographers, or other small studios who don’t have the budgets to buy steadicams, jibs, dollies, HDMI monitors, or stocking up on lenses that cost three times the body of the camera. I’m excited to have The DV Show as the platform for the course. The course will be a two-parter, June 6 and 13.

The Art – June 6, 8 pm EST

Part I of the series will be on the creative side of DSLR filmmaking:

• Story rules, it’s the talent not the tools!
• Picking lenses for shooting on sticks, stabilizers, etc.
• “Bokeh Bonkers”: many people love the DLSRs for their shallow DoF and beautiful bokeh. But, bokeh can (and often is) over used. When and how should you use bokeh and selective focus. (Citizen Kane is famous for it’s use of DEEP depth of field shots!)
• Focus on focusing: focusing can be a pain with these cameras. How to nail focus.
• Audio: shooting with HD DSLRs is ironically like going back to the days of feature film. Audio should be recorded to a separate device. Ways in which you can do that, and when are the times you might want to use the in-camera audio.
• Transcoding: you can’t edit native files from the camera. They need to be transcoded. The two most popular “flavors” are XDCAM and Apple’s ProRes. What should you consider for each.
• The art of storytelling
• The mindset of the creative filmmaker
• My favorite resources for inspiration

The Business – June 13, 8 pm EST

• Rent vs. own and when it’s best to do each
• How to market the new tech to your clients in a way that makes sense (benefit vs. features)
• Pricing: the added workflow (from production to post) means that you shouldn’t charge the same amount for an HD DSLR shoot than you do for a SD shoot. Even a regular HD shoot. Depending on the project, you may need a bigger crew, which means more money needed. Also, you’ll definitely need more processing power and time, so post production should be more too.
• Photography and Video: should you offer both? If so, how?
• Hollywood is getting into the game too. What that means for you.

The course will be FREE if you watch it live. Premium subscribers to The DV Show will be able to access the show in the Premium Subscriber area afterward.

SPECIAL DEAL

I will have a special discounted price of my “How to Price Your Services” mp3 (click the training link at the top of my blog for more info on this product).  The discounted price link will only be available from the DV Show page starting this Sunday. So be sure to tune in!

Today is part two of an amazing educational event called Escalate Live. It’s being hosted by friend, colleague, client, and Fast Track Photographer author Dane Sanders. It’s a training seminar with some of the top photogs in the industry sharing their knowledge live via internet video. Yesterday, one of the speakers, the never too-bashful-to-say-how-he-feels Chris Becker did a slam against Pictage (full disclosure: Pictage is a client of ours). It was during his talk about the importance of branding. It caused a little bit of a stir in the wedding and portrait world as word circulated about the slam. Personally, I felt it was bad form for Chris to slam a company during Dane’s event when that company has been a major supporter and sponsor of Dane and Fast Track. There are any number of companies he could have used to make his point: AT&T, American Airlines, and B of A come to mind.

But it got me thinking: can a brand get a second chance? Is it possible to win clients back and change consumers’ perspectives. Anyone who’s been associated with Pictage over the past five years (whether as a client or an employee) will tell you that there’s a night and day difference in the company since Jim Collins and the rest of the new management team has taken over. Old clients have returned, and the company is winning new evangelists. In addition to the strides they’ve made improving their technology, addressing customer service issues, and expanding their price offerings, they’ve done a significant amount to give back to the community (i.e. the Katrina family charity shoot and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas “Lens & Learn Event”). It’s still a work in process for sure, but they are definitely headed in the right track. In an earlier post I did about them, I predicted that not only are they making a come back, but in a few years, if they continue down this track, they’ll be a lovemark in the photo industry.

So, the question I pose to you: can a brand get a second chance at greatness?

If you follow the video DSLR world, or if you’re an event filmmaker, chances are you’ve seen Kevin Shahinian’s epic wedding film “City of Lakes.” This is an actual wedding movie shot for a client of Kevin’s. The clients originally hired Kevin to produce their wedding film plus have Kevin work his concept film magic. Kevin has made a name for himself creating wedding concept films with production values that rival films you see at Sundance or Cannes. That is no exaggeration or hyperbole.  Kevin uses steadicams, cranes, jibs, HMIs, and 35mm adapters (or in the case of “City of Lakes” all Canon 5DMark IIs and 7Ds). His films often have musical and dance numbers with professional choreography.

Now his film “City of Lakes” has raised the bar again. But what does this film really mean for the event filmmaking industry? Will we see an increase in production values on all films? Will brides finally give wedding film (aka wedding videos) the proper respect they are due? And how good is “City of Lakes” really? Well, here is my personal take on all these questions.

A Filmmaker’s Review

Many have said this lifts the bar for wedding video. In all honesty, it’s so far out of scope for most other wedding filmmakers, it’s almost a moot point. It’s really on a level all it’s own in the event filmmaker world. I don’t think we’re going to start seeing wedding films of this caliber out of pure practicality. First off, 99.99% of event clients will not be able to afford such a production. And most American brides who can afford this don’t want that kind of production on their wedding day. In fact, many uber high-end brides want the exact opposite. They want an unobtrusive documentarian for the day. Not steadicams and jibs.

However, it definitely does change the way the average Joe or Jane should look at this industry. It gives the industry a level of cache that it needs.  Event filmmakers the likes of Kevin (as well as his co-horts in this project, Patrick Moreau, Joe Simon, and Casey Warren) have made it cool to be wedding filmmakers. The work of these artists is FINALLY being taken seriously. When I started in the business eight years ago, I never heard of a wedding videographer being sponsored by a major brand (the way wedding photographers like Mike Colon are). That’s changed. Major manufacturers like Canon, Tiffen, and Adobe are sponsoring these guys. Even now Patrick and his StillMotion crew are doing a Canon-sponsored educational tour around the country; and the NFL hired StillMotion to do work for them based on the wedding films they saw on Vimeo. The N-freaking F-L people!

The POSH Women Filmmakers Cruise Retreat

Guest Blog Post by Reagan Zugelter

POSH presenters Kristen*, Tasra Dawson, & Jessica Roman

When I look back at how POSH came together, it was nothing more than a casual Friday afternoon banter on Twitter between a handful of women event filmmakers.  Jennifer Moon of Northernlight Filmsworks and I then started direct messaging each other discussing how there are so many very talented ladies in this industry, why don’t we create something just for us and have it be about networking but also include some education as well. So we set out to create the first ever event that was not only just for women but also highlights the amazing female filmmakers of what is largely a male dominated industry on our blogsite. And lets face it, some down time at the end of the wedding season doesn’t sound too bad either, does it?

With POSH, we want it to be different than what had been done before, something more intimate that will still allow for networking, education, inspiration and a little R&R, so we set our sights on the a 4-day cruise in the Bahamas, November 8-12.  The cruise includes a stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas where we are doing a shoot with DSLR and Super 8 & 16mm cameras plus utilizing some other cool gear.  There is one day at sea which is dedicated to our workshop with featured presenters Kristen* of Bliss* Productions, Tasra Dawson of Dare Dreamer Media and Jessica Roman of Ray Roman Films. Within the workshop there is also small group discussions with moderators so attendees have a chance to share and learn from each other too. We really wanted this retreat to be more of an educational experience so we are focusing more on a grass roots type of atmosphere.

Our main goal with POSH is to not only connect and educate other women business owners and artists but to also launch more women leaders in the industry and have them be recognized. We hope to see more women on the EventDV 25 list, winning international awards, speaking at various conferences and associations and maybe even hosting their own workshop someday.

POSH 2010 is limited to only 40 women. If you register by April 30, you are entered to win a $100 onboard cruise credit. For more info or to register, visit www.posheventonline.com

We would like to thank EventDV Magazine, Event Filmmaker, Canon Filmmakers and Ron Dawson for promoting and supporting women visual artists and POSH. If you are interested in sponsoring this unique experience, please contact us at info@posheventonline.com.

About the Author

Reagan Zugelter is co-founder of international Award Winning event filmmaking studio, Studio+Z Films. Reagan manages the marketing, advertising and day-to-day operations of the business while her husband, Steve, is the primary filmmaker. She spent 10 years in the corporate world as a Marketing Manager in the radio, television, print /digital industry before leaving to focus full time on the studio and her two daughters.

Whenever I coach small business photographers or videographers, one of the things I usually harp on my clients about is their About page. Nine times out of ten, their about pages sound something like this: “We love to capture the memories of your special day. Photography/Video is so important to us and there’s nothing more important to YOU than capturing those once in a lifetime memories… blah, blah, blah.”

EVERYBODY says something like that. Your about page needs to stand out. It needs to set you apart. When people read it, they need to sit up and take notice. And more important, they need to remember you.

I always encourage photogs and videogs to tell a funny anecdote; or include some information about you that really sets you apart—you won an Oscar, or you were on Oprah, or you won some coveted award that a million other people DON’T also have, i.e. Telly’s don’t cut it. (As Brett Culp used to put it, “My son has a Telly.”)

A Couple from Nashville Gets It Right

One of the things I love about Twitter is discovering new and interesting people. Today I discovered this couple: Eugene and Heather Brown of 2 Duce 2 Video in Nashville, TN. They followed me, so I clicked over to their Twitter profile to check ‘em out. Admittedly, I was first intrigued because, like myself, they are an interracial couple in the visual arts industry. But when I checked out their website and read their about page, I knew I had to blog about them. Their about page is fun. It’s fresh. And more importantly, it’s memorable. From memory, having only read it once, I can tell you that Heather wants 4 children, she wants to own a Christmas tree farm, that Eugene peed in the bed (I forget until which age), he’s a Mac addict, they start decorating for Christmas on Halloween, and their rottweiler thinks she’s a cat. I honestly only looked at their about page only once. That my friends, is how you should write an About page.

I should also point out that their custom Twitter page was also very compelling. Just another reason to make sure even your Twitter page draws people in. You never know who may blog about you because of it.

Kudos Eugene and Heather for your cool site and your very effective About page.

That’s right. T.G.I.M! as in Monday. The day that most working professionals dread because it’s the end of the weekend and the start of another long work week. The day of Monday blues. Well, I’m happy to say that I now look forward to Mondays. Here’s why. REST!

My wife Tasra and I have always tried to have at least one day of the week when we rest. When we put away all the work and focus on our family and just relaxing. Traditionally this has been Sunday for us. But it would typically go like this:

• I get up with our 5-year-old, Joshua, around 7-ish…or 8-ish if I’m lucky.
• I play with him while the ladies of the house continue to dream away.
• We rush to get ready for church
• We go to church then get out about noon-ish
• Come home and cram in the kitchen as we all try to make lunch
• We try to put Joshua  down for a nap
• From the moment he enters his bedroom, every 5 minutes (literally) we hear this “Is it time to wake up yet? Is it time to wake up yet? I want to wake up? Is it time to wake up?”
• I try to relax and read some magazines, but by this time Joshua is now been released from confinement and is anxious to play again.
• Evening rolls around and now we’re all cramming the kitchen to make dinner. It’s YO-YO night (i.e. You’re On Your Own).
• We go through the Joshua bath and bedtime routine (which is sort of like training for the Olympics when you take into account the running around trying to catch him, the splashing trying to wash him, and the hoops you have to jump through to get him to actually lie down).
• Then, at some point, ashamedly I must admit, either me or Tasra end up back at the computer tweeting, Facebooking, blogging, planning, or editing.

Now tell me. Does that sound very “restful” to you? I didn’t think so.

Now we’ve started this photography business that requires meeting with our team on Sundays. Our day of rest just got more complicated.

Then my brilliant wife had a most wonderful idea. “Why don’t we take our rest day on Monday? Joshua will be in pre-school and Imahni [our daughter] will be busy with her home school work. We’ll actually be able to have most of the afternoon all to ourselves to actually REST! Then we’ll make Saturday our new ‘Friday’ which works out well ‘cuz we always work on Saturday anyway.”

I must admit, my initial reaction was “We can’t do that.” But then, as the idea sunk in, it grew on me. Pastor’s take Monday off. I know a lot of friends in the wedding and event business who take Monday’s off. Barbers take Mondays off. Why not us.

Well, we’ve been doing it for about two weeks now and I LOVE IT! It’s so simple, yet so brilliant. A day I can actually relax and rejuvenate. To read. To re-connect with my family. And there’s something about it being a weekday that makes it all the more restful. (I’m sure it’s psychological.) Furthermore, I no longer have to feel guilty for working on Saturday. It’s now expected.

EVERYONE WINS!

This taking Monday off as my rest day is a win-win-win:

• I win because I get to re-charge
• My family wins because we get to have a day of peace and real connection
• My clients and business partners win because I go into my workweek rejuvenated which is so important for a creative professional.

I gotta tell you. If you’re in business for yourself and it makes sense to do so, taking up Monday as the new “Sunday” will be one of the best decisions you’ll make.

Click to see full flyer

I’ve recently been notified of a great business planning seminar coming to the great Atlanta area. This is one aspect of business that many small businesses are terrible at, particularly in the wedding and event world. I wanted to pass on the information and encourage any wedding pros in the Atlanta area to seriously consider this.

Sage Wedding Pros is a consultancy with a mission to create sustainable business in the wedding industry. This February 22-23 they will be in Atlanta with their business planning workshop, The Simple Plan.  It is an all-encompassing business strategy session where business owners will:

• Write a mission statement and define a company vision
• Set short and long term goals
• Refine their target market and niche
• Find the pricing sweet-spot
• Determine how many weddings is needed to be profitable; write a sales plan
• Examine branding and determine whether their branding projects their vision and values
• Create a marketing plan, operational plan, and financial plan

It is open to all professionals who do business in the wedding industry: new and experienced, in all segments (photo, video, flowers, planners, etc.)  YOU WILL WALK OUT WITH A BUSINESS PLAN IN HAND, WRITTEN BY YOU.

Michelle Loretta & Kelly Simants, owners of Sage Wedding Pros, strongly believe that a business plan is at the core of business sustainability.  It is the one competitive advantage that successful businesses have over others in their industry.

The Simple Plan is a no-sweat, no-fuss, piece-of-cake, easy-peasy approach to writing a business plan.

For ticketing and click here.

No, I’m not talking about your eyesight. What I’m talking about is the vision for your business or organization. I’ve started listening to a podcast series by Andy Stanley that has really got me thinking about how to improve the vision for our businesses. Andy is a head pastor for Northpoint Community Church in the Atlanta metro area. This is a 14,000+ membership church spread over three campuses. Andy is recognized worldwide for his leadership ability and education and has published many books and CDs. Although aimed at church leaders, this podcast is totally applicable to any organization.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

In part 1 of this 5-part podcast Andy tells us that the vision for your organization has got to be simple. I love how he put it: “Paragraphs and complex sentences do not make for a good vision statement.” It’s got to be memorable and portable. He used as an example Barack Obama’s campaign vision. Ask yourself right now what was the vision for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The main premise he ran on? I don’t even need to write it here because you know it. Whether or not you voted for him, you knew what his platform was. Now, ask yourself, what was Hilary Clinton’s or John McCain’s vision platform? (Insert sounds of crickets here.) Exactly. Andy also used the vision statement for the ONE movement (co-founded by U2 headman Bono). “To make poverty history.” Simple. Yet, powerful. Two great examples of casting a simple vision that people could get behind.

BUT IT’S NOT COMPLETE

The immediate reaction you may have is that in each of the cases above, the full vision is not complete. With regards to ONE, what kind of poverty? Where? With Obama,whenever he got up to speak, people would challenge him on his vision for the country. And that’s just it. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to fill in the blanks when and where it’s more appropriate: on your blog; in your brochure; in your promo video. But in order to create something that will stick in people’s minds, something that people can get behind, it must be memorable and portable.

So ask yourself, “what is my vision statement. Is it memorable and portable?”

You can listen to all five parts by subscribing to Andy’s Leadership Podcast (will launch iTunes). You can read more details about casting vision in his book “Making Vision Stick.” (Only $9)