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Home: Video University Forums: Marketing & Business:
Video Senior Portraits

X-photomares
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May 9, 2004, 11:48 PM

Post #1 of 6 (966 views)
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Video Senior Portraits	Can't Post

Has any one ever marketed a "video senior Portrait"? I am a full time still photographer and part time videographer. I was doing a demo tape for me of a senior portrait session when I got an idea to try a "video senior portrait" I interviewed friends,parents and a sister. The video came out awesome!I looked on the internet and nobody offers this that I could find.You can see samples of my lighting set-up at my website
as it is not a plain background but on location photography.I am curious if anybodys attempted this.

X-leea
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May 10, 2004, 12:56 PM

Post #2 of 6 (965 views)
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Re: Video Senior Portraits	Can't Post

: Has any one ever marketed a "video senior Portrait"? I am a full time still photographer and part time videographer. I was doing a demo tape for me of a senior portrait session when I got an idea to try a "video senior portrait" I interviewed friends,parents and a sister. The video came out awesome!I looked on the internet and nobody offers this that I could find.You can see samples of my lighting set-up at my website
: as it is not a plain background but on location photography.I am curious if anybodys attempted this.
Yes and no, we were approached by a local photographer on doing something similar to what you are speaking of,however, convincing the seniors and the parents have been a different story. Would like to speak to you more about it.
Leea

X-Bob_Mares
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May 11, 2004, 2:19 AM

Post #3 of 6 (965 views)
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Re: Video Senior Portraits [In reply to]	Can't Post

Did you actually attempt one? What caused you to stop? I think this is so different and unique that it would be easy to market. How would you and the photographer split the profits? If I were you I would attempt it again just get a few good demos and it should fall in place.
Just e-mail me any time and maybe we can help each other with ideas!
Thanks!
Bob

X-Doug_Graham
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May 12, 2004, 7:58 PM

Post #4 of 6 (965 views)
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Re: Video Senior Portraits [In reply to]	Can't Post

I think it sounds terrific. Get an interview with the senior, maybe some stills from the yearbook and/or activities along with voiceover. Maybe ten to fifteen minutes, on a DVD.
Could be especially good if you got two friends to do their "portraits" together.
Years from now, the parents or the student could look back and see what they thought and felt "way back when".
Bob, I like this idea a lot more than a "video yearbook" or a video of the prom or even the graduation. I'm going to pitch it to a school where I do an annual graduation, and let you know how it goes.
As a photographer, what do you think would be a fair price for a piece like this?
Regards,
Doug Graham

X-photomaresmsn
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May 13, 2004, 1:43 AM

Post #5 of 6 (965 views)
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Re: Video Senior Portraits [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello Mr. Graham,
I wanted to do a demo for my senior portrait session with my TRV950 when I decided to add a little more.My senior sessions run around $225.00 for unlimited clothing and location changes.If I add on this video section with a 10-15 minute DVD. I would charge an additional $150-$175 to add on a "video senior portrait".I advertise on the radio to get the clients also word of mouth is a big part of my marketing. For every 3 refferals that someone gives me I give my clients a free photo shoot.I sometimes ask clients to have a group photo shoot by bringing along 2-3 other people at the same time.I am fast in setting up and tearing down, and to justify the price I tell them most people have a boring senior portrait in front of a plain background. In the age of reality TV and music videos you can be as creative as you would like. You can make this even look like a music video! After I got home I went on the internet expecting to find hundreds of "video senior portrait" sites, but I found none. So figure if you bust out a "video senior portrait" you be probably be the only one doing it in your market. So be prepared for your peers to attempt to copy your success.I have done video for about a year and will open a video website soon. I will have samples of my "video senior portraits" up. As you can see by my website I use lighting very good, and my videos use the same lighting so my subjects pop out of the video!You can utilize your clients videos and photographs but then you will spent hours in editing.Keep me posted on your progress I think you will discover a videographer inside you that you didnt know exsisted!If I shot a video by itself I would charge around $275 and I would press the fact that it is so unique and in the age of reality TV and music videos, I think it would be a "in" thing to do.
Good luck!
Bob

X-photomares
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May 13, 2004, 7:57 AM

Post #6 of 6 (965 views)
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Re: Video Senior Portraits [In reply to]	Can't Post

The greatest way to market this is to tell your prospective clients that the price with go down for them if they can bring or refer more that 5 other people.Use them as your "senior representatives" in their high school. Give them an incentive to recruit for you.I do free photo shoots out of pocket my cost is $25 but I can make up to $300 per refferal.Give them sets of movie tickets teenagers love movies!You will be amazed how this snowball marketing works once it gets going!
Good Luck All,
Bob