I need a guide here guys!

[pointnshoot]

Hi Guys,

Firstly let me just thank you you all so far for this forum & its super amazing members!, this forum has taken me from total Noob,helped me start to kit up and potentially breaking into the wedding/event/commercial/freelance business!!, but im still way off!!

This is the situation: ( in the UK)

I’m working towards getting some show reels together (and practice), then my site, marketing then push forward! ,sound about right?

I have just had my first real church wedding confirmed (not family) in 10 weeks time. This will be Freebie for them and a show real & testimonial for me!, on the commercial side I will be shooting a promo DVD for a large school to send out in packs, again a freebie for them more show reel for me!, and as I run a business I have many doors to know if I wish on the commercial side.

This is where I need your help!

I’m only running 1 x HV30 Pal, risky I know, but two cams at this stage is a big pill to swallow but I understand the need for two, what do you think?,I have seen an ah-x1 for £1500 second hand?

Not looking to spend crazy amounts, must keep things viable, no point spending 10K up front, I need to balance the risk & reward, until I start getting Return of investment.

1. Kit up! sound I have a H4 with a few (wired) Lavs what is the best wiring and general configuration to make it all work with the HV30?, not sure if lavs are good for the wedding and just use the Rode Vidmic?

2. I’m running Vegas MS 9 pro pack and loving it!, any suggestions on plug-in`s and extra software to consider to beef up my post, would magic bullet work with vagas, or big investment in AE +Vegas pro?

3. 35mm adaptor!!!!, I like the effect but don’t want to be a Shallow DoF shooter all the time, just have the ability to get some shots is fine (the Bride, few shorts and cutaways), was thinking the Handy V5 or just something simple like a basic jag35 so I could put on or remove pretty fast?, what is your recommendations & thoughts?

Any kit recommendations and general pointers I need to know would be very very welcome to help me start this new venture!

Cheers!

[cgbier]

Before you blow any money, build a business plan to see if your venture will work out (and be honest to yourself).
I wouldn't dare to show up with only one camera to a gig. What happens if the cam dies on you? "...uhm, can we reshoot the the wedding after I have my cam fixed?" That'd be your last client.
Don't forget that your wedding client has the notion that when they hire a "professional" - freebie or not - they expect the professional to show up with a "professional" camera (whatever that is). Get that X1 and use the HV as B-roll.

1. Wired lavs? You can plug the groom and hide the H4 somewhere in his tux, but you won't have any control over audio. We are using a Sony wireless. Cost some 500 dollar and is omnidirectional enough to catch groom, bride and priest. Røde Videomic is a big no-no.
2. Get a Mac ;)
3. Don't do that! Weddings are stress and you won't have much time to fiddle around with a DOF adaptor. That money is better spent on audio gear or light.

Check Amazon for books about wedding shooting. It'll help you a lot.

[pointnshoot]

Hi CG,

Thanks for getting back to me.

With regard to the business plan, that’s all it is a plan!, I understand marketing routes, positioning your costs, looking at competition, capital requirement to gage return on investment.

No plan will actually provide success?, It helps sure!, it is more in the execution of the plan backed up by, risk, judgment, luck and hard work, I’m sure you know this and already very successful. I understand your point, however, a wee bit of catch 22 here, can’t do a quality shoot without the right kit, need a good show reel to start your portfolio?, your portfolio will improve experience and hiring equipment is not that viable, of course no point having all the gear & no idea!!, I know I have the creative juices and a love a challenge!, so where indeed do you start?

Point 3: You’re so right!, im just off the mark there, shows my noob status big time!, however the T2i/550D could be a good tool to have and run the HV30 with a T2i?

Don’t do Mac`s im a PC man :)

Got some really good books and looking to get more!

I have a £6000 budges to kit up and get out there to work FOC for a few months and get my show reels in each of my selected service offerings.

[Seo]

Think about coming over to the Mac side. ;)

[pointnshoot]

Think about coming over to the Mac side. ;)

:hv20-smilie77:A tall chap,breathing issues, into S&M clothes and wearing a juicelink around his neck told me once " Never! under estimate the mac-side of the force" !!!!

[pointnshoot]

anyway, HV30 with a T2i as "B" roll,what do you think, this is workable?

[cgbier]

I'd go with the Canon A1 as your main cam for weddings. With 6k pounds of sterling, you should be able to afford both. I doubt that the T2 will hold up to weddings.

Our Wedding kit: 2-4 (depending on the client's wallet) Canon XL1s, two wireless lavaliere (one hot, one backup), a bunch of mics for ambience, heavy duty tripods, 2 Arri light kits, an bunch on-cam lights, and within the four of us about 100 years of experience.

A big part of a business plan is the feasibility study. When I did mine for my photography business, I figured I just could as well apply for food stamps.

Be careful with the FOC road. It is hard to find an exit from it.

[pointnshoot]

Thankyou for the reply CG!

Sound Advise (not audio sound) from a legend!. I look to get what a need out of 3 maybe 4 FOC work.I will take all you have said on board!.

If you dont mind me asking what is your Interpretation of a feasibility study,and can you expand on this please?,just out of intrest in the trip you took.

[jet]

macs and BDs are no go i think,some clients may want Blu Ray they are a HELL of a LOT better then DVDs.

[Seo]

You can author Blu-Ray on Macs.

[jet]

Yes recent so i understand.

[Janke]

Interesting.

What software & hardware would you need to author & burn Blu-Rays on a MacBook (white, 2.4 GHz Core2Duo, FW400, USB) ?

[cgbier]

PnS, the feasibility study is your market research. Will the market carry another videographer? How is your competition doing money-wise? Will you be able to charge what you need to charge to survive? Is your target group able to cough out that money?

A business plan is not only a tool to get money from the bank, but it also (IMHO, mostly) helps you to figure out if you should start that business at all - if your idea is feasible.
Many folks put a lot of effort in the marketing section of their plans without realizing that they are trying to push a product or idea nobody wants/needs/can afford. Doing their homework (market research) first, saves them a lot of time and money.

I don't know if you plan it on a full time base or only as a part-timer to have some extra money (like I do).

[Dr. Benway]

Interesting.

What software & hardware would you need to author & burn Blu-Rays on a MacBook (white, 2.4 GHz Core2Duo, FW400, USB) ?

Some posts from: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=600698

Before wasting the money on an external (or internal) BluRay burner, you should consider using what you already have. Did you know that if you buy the BluRay plug in for Toast you can burn up to 25 minutes of BluRay on a normal DVD disc with any DVD burner? I don't know about you but I don't want to watch a family movie longer then about 10 minutes so that should be plenty. Also consider the cost of media... $10 vs. about .30 cents.

I have a Buffalo external USB 2.0 Blu Ray drive I bought from Circuit City for $249. I have only used it for data Blu Ray disks. It works perfectly with Toast on a Mac Pro running 10.5.5. It is hooked up to a USB hub and has no problems. It less than half the price of Mac=specific external drives, such as from La Cie or OWC, yet has a current 6X Blu Ray write speed. The multitudes of problems others have had trying to put a internal LG drive in a firewire or USB case is not worth the trouble.

simple, osx does not support blu-ray at this time.

Incorrect. OS X does support playback of commercial Blu Ray disks. You can easily and reliably write data to a Blu Ray disk, including a Blu Ray video disk, it you use the right software (Toast, etc.) and have a drive that works - such as the Buffalo external drive I described earlier.

http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/310963/review/mediastation_8x_external_bluray_writer.html

Info about Toast:

Amazon.com: Roxio Toast 10 Titanium: Software

http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/plugin/overview.html

[jet]

Regarding macs and BDs i dont care as i am pc and staying, what i know is my lg BD burner that i fitted in my pc is one thing i would not do without,regarding BDs on dvd discs they are avchd and even pinnacle can burn 35 MINS of hd on a single sided disc and over an hour on a dual layer,but everthing hd i have recorded and edited is on menued BDs as well as tape and external drive though.


http://www.idealo.co.uk/cat/9132/blu-ray-burners.html Various models and prices

[Seo]

Lol, none of those posts were directed to you...