Hey Harold,
I left you a little critique. I agreed with mjroddy, and added a few suggestion of my own.

Cheers!

Thanks MJR & Frank. I read everything and pretty much agree with the comments. A couple of things I didn't notice until you guys pointed them out. Great work. I posted a comment at vegasusers as well. I have several shots that I just hate because of bad lighting. I have several segements that I edited for a local cable show that were filmed by a friend using a Canon XL1. His indoor shots without lighting are pretty good compared to my cheaper camera.

Harold

I think your text shadows were offset to far to the left.
I think you need to offset them to them left and below your text.

If I remember correctly. An offset of .36 for both x and y looks pretty good and then feather it a bit. (perhaps I am thinking of .036)

Busterkeaton I agree with what you said. I will play with those settings in the veg file. For whatever reason I almost always do an offset to the right and typically slightly down. Maybe because I am right handed. I almost never do a left offset. I don't know why that is. Thanks for the input.

I think it's because we read left to right.


Shadows to the left seem wrong for that reason.


OOPS. I did mean to the right above. (Been doing a lot of that lately)

I liked it. Loved the server in green.
Do they have many customers?
If you show it has a modest crowd, so that it looks like there
is room for the viewer and friends, you give the impression of
a place to be. The makeup of the customers in your video
should reflect the age group of customers they want to attract.

Great you have a steady customer!

Hi Harold.

As some of the other guys mentioned, don't be afraid to take charge and 'direct' the shoot. For restaurant stuff, we often shoot after (or before) hours, or when things are really slow - get some staff to come in an hour early, or whatever the case is. But, you want to be in charge of what's happening, and know what you need... So make a plan for what shots you need before you go out, and get those shots when you're on location. Get tights, wides, sequences, etc. Don't need to overshoot, just need to have a plan for what to get. Then you can light those shots accordingly, get the people you need etc. Most clients have friends they can call in to fill the place, offer some free food whatever the case is, to get get 'extras' in there to fill it up so you can get what you need, and you can have the 'run' of the place...

Its the hardest part of the job, is basically taking control of every aspect (within reason). But at the end of the day, if you don't have all the pieces in place, you don't have a good product in the end...

I can't stress planning enough - concept, script, shot list - we do it on every project, regardless of how big, or small. Sometimes its on a napkin, but at the end of the day - it's a plan.

Have a peek at the last restaurant spot we produced: www.centricproductions.com. Should be a link to Green Gates.

It was a small budget project, so planning was important to make sure we didn't spend any more time than necessary getting what we needed.

Keep at it though - its a non-stop learning process!

Mike.

Mike,
Watched your commercial. Very nice work. I think that I am more concerned with the actual images and not so much in the graphics, which is wrong obviously. The graphics in your commercial help sell the elegance. In fact even the titles concern me when I do them. I always labor over the location, color and size of the titles. I was also concerned about showing people in the comedy room but I notice you have quite a large crowed in one of your spots. Is there a problem with doing that? I have shots of the crowd but no release for any of them. How do you handle this with a large group? I have another restaurant commercial that I did that is better than this one. I have the owner and his family at a table eating. It was shot before they opened.

Thanks,
Harold

Would you mind posting what you charged for that nice 30 second commercial?

RCourtney
The side room where the comedy and bands perform is actually not too bad. The restaurant side is the size of a small bar. The restaurant has a very old tin ceiling that reflects color and the owner likes the ceiling very much. That is why I had a clip in commercial 2 that features the ceiling. I just had a hard time with filming the crowd (not just technical) and the owner decided not to have a short comedy segment just before the band started which is what I wanted to shoot. The band was late and the crowd wanted music. So, I have the comedian just introducing the band. It was the owners decision so I went along with it. I understand your comments and I would have to think about how I would have solved this one. Something you just always have to plan for.
Thanks for taking the time!
Harold

Everyone in the commercial we shot, have signed a release form - doesn't matter who they are - whether they are paid or not, we get them to sign release forms. Even fully paid actors sign one. It's a small layer of protection against being sued, or having someone object to them being used in the spot. There's a million stories of projects being shelved because of some guy in the background who didn't sign a release, not wanting to be in a project... or you've got some family's grandmother in the background, she passes away, the family sees the commercial with her in it, and freak out. Bam, they call the station, the station calls the client, the client calls you, all hell breaks loose, and suddenly you have to re-work a spot you did 8 months earlier - at your expense. Or worse...

Everyone in that spot, were 'hired' as extras - paid with nothing more than food from the restaurant. Some are friends of the owners, some are employees, and their friends etc. If you don't have a budget for talent, you can always find people willing to come out... the problem is always making sure they actually show up. Out of the 50 people who were asked to come out, 45 confirmed, and only 35 actually showed up.

Make sure you don't shoot anyone without a release - it can come back to haunt you, big time. If you dig around online, you can find release forms that people have posted. They're not bullet proof, but they're better than nothing.

The images, the graphics, the voice over, everything ultimately needs to work together. If you have great shooting, and lousy graphics - it all falls apart. Or great graphics, great shots, and horrible music and VO... it doesn't work. Simple is always best for titles. Clean, simple - solid color, slight outline if need be - but if you watch TV commercials a lot, you'll see they're usually 'white' on colored backgrounds, or over live video - or in the letterbox... Ultimately, you want to make it easy to read.

Of course, sometimes we get stuck with compromises all the time... working on a project right now, where the client apparently knows more than we do about producing commercials (despite the fact, they've never done one) and have taken it upon themselves to re-write our copy, not listen to suggestions from our writer etc. etc. Have put the project 3 weeks behind schedule because they're suddenly realizing they don't have a clear idea what they're actually wanting to do with their product, or how to sell it.

But, you grin, nod your head, make suggestions, and do what you can to make it 'right'... but, eventually the final product isn't as good as it could be. At the end of the day though, they're happy, they pay their bill, and you move on. :)

From a shooting stand point in your spot, lighting is probably the biggest thing... which is why having control of the place is important - so you can setup lights, move stuff around, etc. without having to get in the way of paying customers. Plus you can control who gets in the shot, and make sure they've signed a release.

If your client has a problem with this - remind them, simply, they've hired you to sell their 'product' - and to do it right, you need to control what's happening. It also protects them, and you.

Mike

Duraflex,
Details,,,,,
I did a total of three commercials.
Commercial #1: Edit
Commercial #2: Film, VO & Edit
Commercial #3: Film, Morph & Edit

I received a total of $260. Two other individuals involved were also paid. The still photos were shot on a Canon Eos 20D. I would charge a lot more if I had a better video camera, had more experience shooting commercials and of course did a better job. Some of the work posted here is just great.

At the risk of hi-jacking, I'd be curious to hear more folk weighing in on the, "Do I need a release form" topic.
I recently heard that, unless you "feature" someone, you don't necessarily need a release form. I recently did a :30 for a outdoor plaza. By the end of the night, my lights and the fact that I was in a cherry-picker had attracted about 150 people - all of whom wanted to be in the commercial. I just let 'em. I knew those shots were wide and didn't have the energy to say, "HEY! SIGN THIS BEFORE YOU LEAVE."
But what do the pros have to say? (Guess I should do a search here for "release forms." I think this was covered here previously.)

Not a pro yet, but the legal research i've done preparing for it is: If a person can be identified clearly in your set, you need a release. If it's on the street or in a similar public place, it is in your favor as being in public, the expectation of a person's privacy is less.

Feedback is welcome as this is what I've gathered from my research.

I've only been at this a couple years myself, but I always get a signed release form for those that will be seen on screen. For larger site shoots (i.e. casinos, city & public areas, etc) , I have been told that agencies in my area will section off an area, and then post signs that if anyone entering that area is agreeing agreeing to allow (releasing) their image to be used in the production.

By the way...here's my website www.uniqueverse.com. And...sorry...I'm not a true webmaster, but I play one on the internet! :)

I think I saw a release form at digitaljuice a couple of months ago. I know I downloaded it to my PC.

Mike,
Thanks for sharing your experiences and “best” business practices. It will be very helpful. Last night I watched your demo video as well. Very nice. I have thought about doing a teaser trailer for my home movie but I never seem to be able to pick out the scenes that I should use. Not all that different from a 30 second commercial I guess.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Thanks again.
Harold

If you can tell who the person is, get a release. It's really that simple. "The Media" can get away without it, because... well, it's The Media. It's a different set of rules for them, really. But, again you see it all the time - blurry faces, and mosaics over some people - why? Because they refused to be on camera. Especially when the story isn't especially flattering...

If you have to shoot with large groups of people, as someone else mentioned, one way is to post signs indicating entering the area you may appear on camera. Then keep your shots wide enough that you can't see faces directly. Or shoot over the shoulder shots etc. to limit people’s exposure. If you need, or want to shoot a sequence with someone - have release forms on hand. Go up to them, explain what you are doing, why, for who etc. and ask their permission, then get them to sign a release.

For non-broadcast projects, you can get away just posting signs for the most part. But, if it is going to appear on TV, viewed in public etc. - get a release. Even for employees of the company you are producing the spot for - just because they work for the company, doesn't mean they're happy to appear on camera. All it takes is them to get fired, get mad, and refuse to have their image used in the TV commercial - you're sunk.

As well, get a location release form. People often over look that, but a store/business owner can object to having their business in the scene, as much as someone can object to having their face in the scene. Again, if you're on the street - try not to shoot signs directly, crop them out of the shot, etc. If you are using a store for a location (for a documentary, TV commercial etc.) it's VERY important to do this. In fact, we get location release forms even from the clients who hire us... i.e. you're shooting someone’s restaurant - for a commercial, get a release anyway. Seems odd, maybe unnecessary really - but it's a 2 cents worth of paper, and 30 seconds for a signature.

When doing documentary projects, you need release forms for just about everything, plus errors and omission insurance to cover yourself (and the broadcaster) incase you missed something along the way.

Anyway, whenever possible - we get extras, section off where we are going to shoot and get everyone to sign off on it. Even if its a casino, shopping mall, street, swimming pool - doesn't matter. Makes life MUCH easier when you can control what's happening, give direction, get people to do things over again, and build sequences of shots so you have more than random pans, and close-ups of things.

Mike.

"Even for employees of the company you are producing the spot for "
ESPECIALLY for employees! That's my experience. I've never had a client's customer try to shut down a commercial I've done in the last 8 years (well, one tried, but got laughed away). But I have had a disgruntled employee who was fired refuse to be seen in the commercial for the location from which he was just fired. I just slipped in another shot without that fellow and moved on.
And, yes, when I shoot restaurants, I put up a sign on every door and on the host's peodium saying somethign like, "We're shooting a comercial for XXX. If you want to be in our commercial, THANK YOU. If you don't, please let your hostess know and we'll seat you in an area that will not be video taped." Then in fine print I put, "Entering these premesis constitutes your permission for .... "etc.
I'm quite sure the above info is right -section areas off and get releas forms from everyone. Typically, when I'm shooting a restaurant, I can't do that. I need to cover the entire place and not a sectioned off area. So I just reley on the kindness of strangers, backed up by my happy lil' Release Signs. Of course, I'm only shooting for cable - limited viewers. Regional or Network spots woudl be vastly different.

Sorry for the delay but Thanksgiving kept me off the boards for a while there.

Thanks for answering my question. So many video makers are reluctant to talk about money - but if you're doing this work, you're trying to make money at it - right?

Harold - Harold - Harold ...$260? ...for 3 versions of that commercial ?
Were the other two people who helped also paid out of that $260?

Forget what make and model of camera you have - the only thing that counts is the end product and if your client likes what they see, it doesn't matter. Never apologize for your equipment - the apology changes nothing and only gives the client an excuse to get you to lower your charges. If they wanted big time, high end production, they wouldn't be looking to hire a little guy in the first place. And - if Canal House didn't like what you did in the first place, they wouldn't be hiring you to do two follow-up commercials. Your commercials and their placement (where and when they play) must be bringing in business. Sometimes, a commercial can be too slick or too "Hollywood" and not convey the impression the business is trying to make.

IMO, you are selling your services way too cheap.

Consider this:
- What is your total investment in equipment and software used?
- How far did you have to travel?
- How many hours or days to shoot , to edit, to deliver, to revise?
- How many phone calls (time) to plan, follow up and bill for the job?
- What was your outlay in materials?
- What is the value of your work to the client?
Is the commercial bringing in business?
How long will they be able to run your commercial? - a week, a month or years?

Now deduct FICA (about 15% for self employed) and the federal state and local income taxes you will have to pay and determine your net income. You may also have business and liability insurance costs to factor in.

So - What did that wind up earning you per hour for your work? Gross and more important NET. Obviously, you don't have to answer to me, I am only trying to show you that I think your charge is way too low.

For a little more perspective - The guy that cut lawns in our neighborhood charges $35- $40 per lawn (about 1/3 of an acre each). It takes him about 45 minutes per property. Home handymen charge anywhere from $10 to $65 an hour - with travel time often being extra. Do you see where I'm going here?

Many young video makers fail to consider everything that really goes into making a product.

Here's another thing to look into, find out what a local graphic artist charges to prepare a print ad with an image. You might be very surprised. And they often don't even have to leave their office to do the work.

Good Luck Harold and keep up the good work.

Well, I was out shopping today with the wife. At least we didn't go at 5am!
Duraflex,
I understand the points you have made but there are some twists for me in all of this. It is kind of an involved story but for the most part I did this to help a friend. I am paid by my friend not the client. He has to work pretty hard to make the sale and get the ideas from the client. He also provides the transportation to the customer site as well as pick up and drop off of tapes. He gets their input on what they want to tell the world and I try to turn that into a commercial. The local cable company charges about $400 to do a 30 second spot that plays only on their station. I had shot enough footage to do 2 commercials, one that had a limited run time of 30 days (commercial #2) and the other that could play indefinitely (commercial #3). The first commercial was shot by someone else and I only edited it.

For me this has been a needed experience that I will work from. I placed my commercials on the web for honest evaluation which I am very thankful to receive. I want to hear points of view. Some points are objective and others are subjective. I hope this input will make me see my work differently and to try something I might have never thought of on my own. I also like to hear about pricing because that helps too. Speaking of pricing I agree with your comments and my friend and I have discussed this and it is understood that if I do anymore commercials my compensation will be more appropriate. My wife has expressed an interest in helping me on the sales side so we might strike off doing some things on our own. However, I do want to purchase a Sony Z1 for future work. I just think it is the right thing to do. I also have another fellow interested in doing some of the VO. He has done radio work for years and has a studio setup in his home. He does excellent work. I don't have the range to do everything.
I would like to expand in a bigger market about 15 miles north that could be a more rewarding experience.
Thanks,
Harold

Harold-
That $400 production charge by the cable company for a single 30 second commercial that will only run on their service is closer to what I would expect. It's a loss leader - it gets advertisers on the cable and that drives revenue. For me, $400 would barely cover expenses and the cable company is making up for it on the back end with what they charge for running it.

As an independent, forget that approach. Making up for a low cost production price by attempting to recoup in charging a premium for dubs does not work.

I now understand and appreciate that you were not the principal on this project and that you were helping out a friend. That's a good thing - I've done it and it usually works if your friend can be trusted to reciprocate when you need him/her.