Kind of reminds me of the panic that hit the printing industry when computers came down to an affordable and everyone who could type went into business as a "desktop printing company". The biggest problem was that most of them knew absolutely nothing about how to do proper layouts, what font to use, etc. The industry did suffer a lot of losses and a lot of bigger places simply closed their doors.
The same thing has already happened in this industry. Large post houses across the country are shutting their doors because they can't afford to compete with a kid with bootleg software. There are a lot of them out there and a number of them are talented. The biggest issue, as I said, is that they're too lazy to pay the money and buy the software.
Much the same thing happened with the audio recording industry as well. A kid with a bit of talent and a computer gets some good software and before you know it, he's running a recording studio for $15/hr.
The unfortunate part in all of this is that a lot of potentially new customers go for the lowest bid. When it turns out to be crap, they blame the industry rather than realize that they got what they paid for.
The key to success was mentioned in one of the replies to the thread Grazie quoted and that was to stand behind your work 100%. A good friend runs a local post house. He's never been one to compromise his standards and, while the client may initially balk at the price, they keep coming back because of the quality of the work.

Mike

Oh yes!

If I/you can "pick" the client we want, then this - IMHO - makes for a truly good business experienece AND lays down wine for the future too!

Less jobs . . more quality . . leads to more options to creatively expand. Ultimately my clients want my ideas and creativity . . If I come up with a multimedia solution to boot - then all the better!

This is how I want my viedo business to go. My time/learning "investment" with Sony Vegas has been a wise decision. And so far MY Team at Madison has always come up with features that "lead" my inspiration to greater heights. On past experience I have no reason to believe that I will not be dissappointed with Vegas 6.

I bring up the V6 "angle" because I am now so inextricably Vegas orientated that the way I DO camerawork, editing and think of video work is how it will be easily, quickly and efficiently processed through Vegas and this then in turn is what I can pursue with the client.

Getting all my ducks in a row is part of the whole scheme: Cameras; Vegas; DVDA and even to my Verbatim DVD-R platters - ALL this stuff is aimed at getting more ideas out to more people more often.

The "discussion" I link to has helped me to re-confirm what I'm doing . . but maybe tomorrow I'll change again! I'm glad you thought it was of value.

Speaking as we find never, ever did make problems. Rose tinted glasses do! But then again, they too can be used in front of a matte box!

Grazie

Here's what I figure. If you're good - that can do it for you on it's own sometimes, but what really sells your business is service - if the service you provide to your customer is EXCELLENT, and you're willing to do just about anything that your customer asks of you with a smile. You will win out over others in the business, and "make it" so to speak.

Just my 2 cents.

Dave

I think one of my clients who'se in a slightly different side of the game summed it up very nicely, "we're not competing for clients, we're competing with the client's secretary".
Bob.

Yup! - That's part of it too. - G

"we're not competing for clients, we're competing with the client's secretary".

I'm not sure I can agree with that. If that's all the quality the potential client wants, then that's no competition at all. If the potential client is happy with something that looks homemade and amateurish and that's all he's willing to pay for, then that's all he's going to get. That being the case, he was never a "qualified" potention client to begin with.

Just because you own the equipment, that doesn't mean you're qualified to use it!

It sounds very easy when described like "big production houses being put out of business by kids with pirated software". But you may just as well say "fat, tired, uninspired old farts, using the flag 'professional' as a pillow for their empty heads, are outperformed and outbusinessed by young, talented individuals with great ideas and current software".

The fact - or rather the assumption - that many of them use pirated software does not even begin to explain why they attract business. But the fact that they work from home and put in more hours than they charge does. And they do produce something the clients want. There's the challenge for any of us - whichever category we belong to. To offer something just as sexy, but with greater security (or longevity or both), and to communicate the fact that that's what we do.
Tor

We all assume that it's the 'creative' part that matters. Well yes in many productions that matter a hell of a lot but talking heads and 'logging' conferences and meetings etc were the things that kept a lot of businesses going. Today anyone with a camera, tripod and half a brain can do this.
Well except for one thing, the audio side of it, no camcorder can or ever will do a decent job of picking up the sound for these events. Thats the first thing I highlight to any potential client, 'the only difference between what I can do and what your mailroom guy can do is you'll be able to hear what the MD is saying'.
Bob.

Audi is a very good point here.
But I'd like to point out that by "creative" I don't mean bells and whistles. Creative would just as soon be when someone edits what the talking heads say in such a way that it builds something instead of just dragging along.
Tor

Bob, - "We all assume that it's the 'creative' part that matters. " do we? Who is this WE anyway? - Hey, if it aint in the cammie/deck/tape then wotz the point? Equally, well captured video/aduio lacking the application of creativity [ viz Torsie above ] will be stolid, boring, predictable and uninspring.

However, why the locking of horns around on one or the other? Technical<>Creativity. Why?

"We all assume that it's the 'creative' part that matters." - not me PAL, not me!

In fact . .. a lot of creative technology OFTEN - maybe always! - assists the manipulation of post work. AND having an idea while shooting can OFTEN provide a substantial part of the life and vigour within the edit!

Best regards,

Grazie

Yip,
stolid, boring, predictable is what used to pay a lot of wages!
We hire out a LOT of kit for these corporate gigs (less these days the boss has his own camcorder). First issue is explaining to them that they'll have to dub it to either VHS or DVD. Then you say "we could edit it for you", not interested. So I offer to make it into a DVD for them, do they want a menu even, nope, so we go from MiniDV tape straight to DVD using a set top recorder and they complain that was too much trouble and cost. Hells bells, I've had them ask me if they could HIRE a tape!
As someone who used to work for a large Sydney production house (went from 35 staff to bust in 2 years) once said to me about the kid from the mail room taking their work away from them, "if they have to shoot the GM standing up against a wall you'd at least think they'd move him so he doesn't have a light switch coming out his ear".
Just read between the lines of the 'leake'; story about ABC and Vegas 6, note the bit about how thanks to Vegas media no longer has to be sent to other departments e.g. graphics, audio, composits are now done by the editor. Ultimately jobs go and those that are left work under more pressure and need more skills. More people creating doesn't mean more creativity.
Bob.

Bob, true!

Grazie

and that (hope) is what keeps us going on... year after year....

beautifuly put farss

Ongoing thing, this; driven by technology or artistic development - sometimes both. What do you think the megarock stars (Rick Wakeman, to mention but a few) said when Sex Pistols and other punk bands started dominating the scene? The same old pathetic claim that was said about Hank Williams a thousand years before: They only know three chords! Even the Beatles were met with the same attitude (here today, gone tomorrow) from established bandleaders. Now it's easy to see the quality (and the heritage) of what the Beatles brought along. Buddy Holly was a musical genius. But his position was largely due to him 'inventing' the four-piece band setup, which in turn was made possible by the development of the electric guitar. I'm sure this was all very threatening to the current band leaders who travelled with 10-15 piece bands and a girl singer.

Where should we set our foot down? When do we say ENOUGH of this technological and artistic development? When our own jobs are one the line?

In time we will be able to see clearly the benefits of video production and editing equipment being available almost on a household basis. Remember the Rodney King case? All the riots it triggered? We wouldn't have known about it if that cheap video camera hadn't been there in the first place.

A lot of companies and institutions are having videos made today, who would not have considered it if they had to go to a big (expensive) production house. All right, so the tea-ladies and office-boys are making the first video for some of them. I doubt they will make the second and third. The pressure is on though, for everyone to make better things cheaper. Why else would technology develop?

The typographers tried to stall the future and they lost it all. The beauty and the power of the written word was weakened by that.

The video industry will take a few more shakedowns I'm sure, much like the graphic industry has. I hope it will fight for the preservation of its aquired collective knowledge and great aesthetics. I hope it will fight for the authority and wonderfulness of the moving image, instead of stubbornly struggle for its jobs.
Tor

Tor, well said. The truth remains, regardless of the tools or the medium, it takes talent. Perhaps everyone will have the tools, but not everyone will have the talent.

JUMP CUT

Many rocks. Few sculptors.
Much paint. Few painters.
More words. Few poets.
Full access. No worries.
No scarcity in abundance.

Democracy encircles our creativity.
Equal is good if the subject is rights.
Unequal is the reality if the object is art.
Business is blinding.
Jump cut to the real.

Tim Robertson