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Home: Video University Forums: Marketing & Business:
Expanding Video Montage business

arpedrig
Novice

Aug 3, 2004, 4:02 AM

Post #1 of 4 (2334 views)
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Expanding Video Montage business	Can't Post

I started my small business doing video montages late last year. While I do get some clients, I feel that business is going very slowly no matter how good and aggressive my marketing is (i got a website, i send flyers to neighborhood, advertises in local paper, by the way, i do my own marketing). I just feel there is not enough money in this kind of business just doing montages alone.

So lately, i have thought of planning to offer more services: (1) doing a yearbook on a DVD (i.e. selling services to schools), and/or (2) doing promotional video for small to medium-scale companies. Can someone please advise me on how i should approach this "expansion"? Can i do both #1 and #2? Do i need special script writers for the promo video? any input will be appreciated.

videobear
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Aug 3, 2004, 9:42 AM

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Re: [arpedrig] Expanding Video Montage business [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hal's Video Producer home study course http://videouniversity.com/course.htm is an excellent place to start your research. For some script ideas, check out the "Script Starters" by Steve Yankee, over at http://www.videobusinessadviser.com

Video yearbooks can make money, but they often don't. They are extremely time-consuming. You, or someone else, must get video of key events throughout the school year, plus do student interviews. Also, you'll be in competition with many schools' own yearbook production departments and/or video departments. A video of the graduation ceremony is easier, and may be more profitable. I know one colleague who produces "year in review" videos for the high school basketball team.

Other areas of video in which people have found their niche:
- duplication services
- film transfer to videotape or DVD
- international standards conversion (NTSC to PAL, etc.)
- wedding videography
- dance recitals and/or dance competitions
- body building contests
- martial arts competitions
- gymnastics competitions
- "family history" biographical videos

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

(This post was edited by hlanden on Aug 3, 2004, 11:59 AM)

jamey
Novice

Sep 15, 2004, 12:04 PM

Post #3 of 4 (1977 views)
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Re: [arpedrig] Expanding Video Montage business [In reply to]	Can't Post

I am doing photo montages as well and just entered a bridal expo last weekend. It went well and we got a fair amount of interest. We noticed that the younger brides were not as interested in a "video scrap book" or montage as much as the more mature brides / and the mothers. But, I am wondering if this alone is enough to stay busy with.

Anything else I can share with this experience let me know, and I will let you know the results from the show if we get any business from it.

Postal_Boy
Veteran

Sep 15, 2004, 4:46 PM

Post #4 of 4 (1950 views)
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Re: [videobear] Expanding Video Montage business [In reply to]	Can't Post

Doug is right about yearbooks. I tried to do CD yearbooks back before DVDs were really out there, and it was a really, really tough sell. Needless to say, it didn't go well. Obstacles I ran into were:

"Are you bonded?"
It competes with our yearbook group - that is their only or main source of revenue
We have our own video/audio department working with the yearbook crew that does that

I have a friend that attempted to do this more recently, but he found that he could not keep up with all that needed to be done, and when trying to "outsource" video shooting to students and so forth the video was so bad he didn't dare use it.
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