The Video Business

[jaegersing]

There isn't a need to 'walk away'. Those of us who are serious & depend upon our craft to make a living, should consider approaching the authorities to implement an Industry Standard in Fees and or Charges. Because if Consultation charges for Doctors can be standardized, I don't see why our charges cannot?
Then, If schools and educational institutes are teaching people how to make a living in Video Production, the MOE should wake up their ideas to see the damages the fries they released into the market have done, and are still doing. Otherwise, they are just as guilty of introducing a Disease into the Video Production and Film Making industry of Singapore.

The reason for standardising doctors charges is to keep healthcare affordable, not to keep prices high. Healthcare is seen as an essential service, and much as I am passionate about videography, I don't think it is quite in that category. Under your proposed system, the higher end video production companies would also have to charge the standard rates, which would be totally unreasonable.

Wow, you really expect the government to protect your market share? I think you really need to look for other ways to beat the competition. If they undercut you on pricing, then try to offer better services and/or higher product quality. Advertise your services and target more affluent customers who are willing to pay for quality. Try to create a unique identity and brand image for your business. Or go into another business. Nobody owes you a living.

 

[Jemhadar]

Well said Richard.

 

[movimom]

The reason for standardising doctors charges is to keep healthcare affordable, not to keep prices high. Healthcare is seen as an essential service, and much as I am passionate about videography, I don't think it is quite in that category. Under your proposed system, the higher end video production companies would also have to charge the standard rates, which would be totally unreasonable.

Wow, you really expect the government to protect your market share? I think you really need to look for other ways to beat the competition. If they undercut you on pricing, then try to offer better services and/or higher product quality. Advertise your services and target more affluent customers who are willing to pay for quality. Try to create a unique identity and brand image for your business. Or go into another business. Nobody owes you a living.

I understand your viewpoints, but if Price Wars are allowed to go unchecked, soon no one would find it profitable in this arena. I mean look at Taxis; there are countless cab companies now - and ever fewer passengers. Sure no one owes nobody a living, but the government sure as hell should care for the end results of what they sow. Otherwise, more and more local setups will either uproot to grow better elsewhere or give up altogether to the point where this service has to be imported.

 

[hotwork77]

I understand your viewpoints, but if Price Wars are allowed to go unchecked, soon no one would find it profitable in this arena. I mean look at Taxis; there are countless cab companies now - and ever fewer passengers. Sure no one owes nobody a living, but the government sure as hell should care for the end results of what they sow. Otherwise, more and more local setups will either uproot to grow better elsewhere or give up altogether to the point where this service has to be imported.

You're right somewhat. When I found it no longer profitable to continue doing it because the barrier to entry is so low nowadays, I gave up or else the continued operation will eat into my finances in the long term.

Don't forget that to beat those guys who offer cheap services is to offer higher value products. But higher value products come at a cost which the cheapskate clients might not appreciate and will not be willing to pay. Anyways, we don't die die just do videography as a business. There's always complementary services that are just as profitable.

Just look at wedding videography, there are so many people offering it. Once upon a time their services cost $3-4K. Today it is only about $800 - $1K after factoring inflation. How to feed your family on that money. Kids who freelance charges $500 cos they got no overheads, no families to feed etc. Who the clients gonna take? The answer is obvious. After a few months, the kids graduate from school and give up the freelance. Then what? New kids to take over?

For the goverment to step in and control the market? Nah I don't think so.

 

[movimom]

You're right somewhat. When I found it no longer profitable to continue doing it because the barrier to entry is so low nowadays, I gave up or else the continued operation will eat into my finances in the long term.

Don't forget that to beat those guys who offer cheap services is to offer higher value products. But higher value products come at a cost which the cheapskate clients might not appreciate and will not be willing to pay. Anyways, we don't die die just do videography as a business. There's always complementary services that are just as profitable.

Just look at wedding videography, there are so many people offering it. Once upon a time their services cost $3-4K. Today it is only about $800 - $1K after factoring inflation. How to feed your family on that money. Kids who freelance charges $500 cos they got no overheads, no families to feed etc. Who the clients gonna take? The answer is obvious. After a few months, the kids graduate from school and give up the freelance. Then what? New kids to take over?

For the goverment to step in and control the market? Nah I don't think so.

THIS is precisely the 'disease' I'm talking about. They mess around just for their transient-interest, butcher the market prices to hell, then leave for greener pastures. Next come another freshie to continue the butchering. I mean, sure we should cultivate & nurture local talents, but inculcate some sense of respect into them for whatever Industry they're considering to take up. This should be the responsibility of Schools and Educational Institutes. I feel that a lot of our local issues stems from the way our administrators run things in general.
It's quite simple to solve this issue; stipulate that anyone offering such services, be Certified & in possession of a recognized Certificate in this industry. This will ensure they will not undercut, undercharge - or worse, offer FREE services because they will have to spend a fortune completing a full time course in Digital Video Production of sorts. Otherwise, these young hearts have no sense of respect or value of a craft.

 

[hotwork77]

THIS is precisely the 'disease' I'm talking about. They mess around just for their transient-interest, butcher the market prices to hell, then leave for greener pastures. Next come another freshie to continue the butchering. I mean, sure we should cultivate & nurture local talents, but inculcate some sense of respect into them for whatever Industry they're considering to take up. This should be the responsibility of Schools and Educational Institutes. I feel that a lot of our local issues stems from the way our administrators run things in general.
It's quite simple to solve this issue; stipulate that anyone offering such services, be Certified & in possession of a recognized Certificate in this industry. This will ensure they will not undercut, undercharge - or worse, offer FREE services because they will have to spend a fortune completing a full time course in Digital Video Production of sorts. Otherwise, these young hearts have no sense of respect or value of a craft.

I do admit that there are people out there struggling very hard from project to project. I know because I was there before. This "disease" you talk about is evident in every market and in every trade. The point is you got to rise above others fast enough or else the vultures comes in and pick you apart.

In those years I encountered a lot of kids from Poly who were studying Mass Comm or Media Studies and then moonlight as wedding videographers for $500 a project. I was charging $3K then but eventually cannot survive this type of onslaught. I sold the business to my partners but in the end they also close shop. I am now happily in my core Engineering business cos I know I'm master of my own domain and the barrier to entry is so darn high that there are not many competitors for the things I do.

 

[jhansolo]

It's quite simple to solve this issue; stipulate that anyone offering such services, be Certified & in possession of a recognized Certificate in this industry. This will ensure they will not undercut, undercharge - or worse, offer FREE services because they will have to spend a fortune completing a full time course in Digital Video Production of sorts. Otherwise, these young hearts have no sense of respect or value of a craft.

A course will not mean a thing to the art or any art form. The problem is consumers are not educated and do not care. What is the value difference of 3K wedding coverage as compared to $500? Those that go with $500 don't care, so they think that $500 is just lovely as they will not bother. It is too expensive already as they will only watch it once and will not go back to it.

Those that are convinced 3K is well worth especially when they are going to celebrate their silver and extract clips from that as a walk down memory lane.

Balancing commercial value and art is an art by itself. A lousy salesman cuts prices. A good saleman over-sell on the value.

 

[William2010]

Keep on shooting, always improve on what you have and it'll all be good!


What do you guys think about my short film here: http://vimeo.com/613069

Pretty cool film here bro! You guys definitely got budget for a student film like this! But gun shot flares could have been cleaner and I'm guessing you guys shot in interlace rather than progressive cuz it is quite obvious that the video has some interlacing problems. Well, some credibility shots could have been better cuz the glass panels were still intact after a shootout at the office.

Overall, this film is quite a cool one. Good job!

 

[alternus]

Interesting development as I reread this post...

I feel that it is a free market. No one can or should stop new entrants who charge low. Most likely the couples they serve with low prices are those who cannot afford videography that costs more than 1K anyway (assuming that every service provider's prices are known to every client -- perfect economy). It shouldn't hurt the full-timers much. I also believe the newbies envy and look up to the the full-timers who can charge a sustainable price. They are on their way up, why see them as a disease?

And if the new blood is mass-producing equally high quality works at a low cost, then all full-timers should re-look at our own businesses. Is the value in our works justifiable for the value we are charging? Are we charging too much? Are the weeks of post-production for each project warranted? Or can 2 days of editing satisfy the client? If my business goes dead tmr due to new entrants, I think its just natural selection taking place. (I must have been sitting there like a Twa Peh Kong for too long!)

While the passionate part-timers think "Art", full-timers got to think "business" to stay in the game. In fact, I thank talented new comers who gives us the awakening call now and then. If not, (who knows) I may become a dinosaur in 2-3 yrs...

 

[Pino1969]

Interesting development as I reread this post...

I feel that it is a free market. No one can or should stop new entrants who charge low. Most likely the couples they serve with low prices are those who cannot afford videography that costs more than 1K anyway (assuming that every service provider's prices are known to every client -- perfect economy). It shouldn't hurt the full-timers much. I also believe the newbies envy and look up to the the full-timers who can charge a sustainable price. They are on their way up, why see them as a disease?

And if the new blood is mass-producing equally high quality works at a low cost, then all full-timers should re-look at our own businesses. Is the value in our works justifiable for the value we are charging? Are we charging too much? Are the weeks of post-production for each project warranted? Or can 2 days of editing satisfy the client? If my business goes dead tmr due to new entrants, I think its just natural selection taking place. (I must have been sitting there like a Twa Peh Kong for too long!)

While the passionate part-timers think "Art", full-timers got to think "business" to stay in the game. In fact, I thank talented new comers who gives us the awakening call now and then. If not, (who knows) I may become a dinosaur in 2-3 yrs...

Alternus agree with you on this.:thumbsup:
To movimom, I have read your message and think that I need to raise some points for you:
- we can't be comparing ourselves videographer to doctors because they are saving ppl's life, it is life and death matter so standard charge to be implement; imagine patient have no money and delay their treatment by spending time to find a cheaper doctor, it will cost them regret for the rest of their life.
But for videographers, will the customer cancel off their marriage because they couldn't afford to pay a videographer?
- you wanted authority to step in and control the charges for services provided, but can you ensure the quality to be provide to client are all the same? Same charges could be of different quality, and not all people interpret the same 'industry standard'. Some clients prefer their videos to be plan and simple and some prefer flashy stuffs, can you say what should our government looking at if they were to quantify our industry charges?
- You need all media people in this industry to be with certs and in possession of a recognized certs......I believe you are one who posses this certs and can safely say it. Let me tell you about myself, I am a videographer/editor(for all events like wedding/commercial) for 5 years and I don't have any what you called certificates, I self learn my video shoot and edit and for a start I charged $400 until recently $980 for a wedding day(without express), initially most of my clients are through recommendations and right now it is half recommendation and half through my website. I am proud of what I have achieve now because I am not shy to talk to you people who studied the related courses because I know what you are talking about; I have network with people who are in production company and work with them even though I don't not earn any certs. I do however believe there are many people out there who self learn and maybe more successful than me, do you think a certs weigh more importance than a person's work performance?
- You mentioned young hearts who want to work for cheap, but you forgotten about older people who learn video late. I have my videography business after my 30's, consider stretching your disqualification to a wider range of age please
- Lastly, and most important...Singaporean are known to be a pampered child to let government come into control of certain sector if they want things to work their way, you agree? Taking example of property sector, due to some bad agents who tarnish the image, Government recently new implementation for all real estate agents is that all are registered under CEA and need to pay yearly agent license fees of $246.10(which previously agents DO NOT have to pay to agency or any Government body), this maybe an insubstantial amount for a property agent but you consider there are over 20,000 qualified agents out there, you work out the calculation. And what is this fund for? More like a subsidizing CEA for being a governing body fund. Think.....if this videography business were to standardize.....how much you think our garment is going to collect videographer license fee per year? How many videographers are there exactly in Singapore? 2000? 3000? And how much they need to collect in order to sustain their dept yearly?

Just my humble opinion.