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And THIS is why our profession needs licensing and regulation. Anybody can say they’re a Video Pro. One’s Wedding Day is very important. Video should be a Profession
There is a consumer advocacy column called THE HAGGLER, in the New York Times, this is from last Sunday’s edition. PASS THE WORD.
Two years ago, I hired Brian Kelly Multimedia LLC in Greenville S.C., to videotape my daughter’s wedding. We paid half the cost up front, and paid the rest on Oct. 11, 2015, a total of $1,700.
Brian filmed both the wedding and the reception. He told us we would have a copy of the video in six months or less. We have never seen a frame of it. I’ve called him a number of times and written emails. He replied to one of those emails, in April of last year, telling me that he would send the tape in three weeks. That was the last time I heard from him.
This wedding was very special to us. My daughter, Kellie, is my only child. If you can help us resolve this issue we would really appreciate it.
Jeannine Heath Hendersonville, N.C.
A. What do we know about Brian Kelly? Well, if we are to believe his company’s website, he is a self-effacing type who is very reluctant to brag about himself, even on the About Us page, a place where bragging is kind of required.
“I am much more comfortable telling other people’s stories rather than my own,” he writes. “And maybe that is my story. Quite simply, I enjoy capturing the things that only happen once, and telling the story of the couple through video.”
Next to this testimonial there is a photograph of a middle-aged guy with dark hair, grinning the way a teddy bear would if teddy bears could grin. Everything about the image says, “You can definitely trust me because I’m very sensitive and friendly.”
That said, we also know that the Upstate South Carolina chapter of the Better Business Bureau recently issued an alert about Brian Kelly Multimedia, titled “Customers Regret Saying I Do With Local Company.” Part of it reads, “Consumers confirm that the company is responsive leading up to the event, and the problems begin to arise once the company asks for the second installment of their fee.” The B.B.B. gives the company an F rating.
In addition, records show that Mr. Kelly has filed for bankruptcy on several occasions.
We know a bit more. The profile picture on his Facebook page shows him holding a beer while wearing a T-shirt that reads “Hold My Beer.” According to the bio on that page, he once worked at Long John Silver’s Seafood Shoppe, and was promoted through its nautically themed ranks from “Seaman Apprentice” to “First Mate.”
And that is about all we know. Because the Haggler’s attempts to reach Mr. Kelly, whose website suggests that the company is still booking new business, failed to produce any response. A call to his home number was answered by a woman who said that Mr. Kelly was busy but would return the call.
He never did.
It has been a while since a company/business owner has cold-shouldered the Haggler, and it will come as no surprise that he disapproves of this tactic. There is something especially terrible about this case because no one other than Mr. Kelly was on hand to videotape the wedding of Ms. Heath’s daughter. All she wants, at this point, is the raw footage of the event. Even if Mr. Kelly is having financial troubles, surely he could mail a disc or two of uncut video.
The Haggler hoped to propose a very simple plan to Mr. Kelly: Send Ms. Heath the tape of her daughter’s wedding, and — if it really is the tape of the wedding — she’ll drop any claims to the polished and carefully edited production that was promised.
But it’s hard to suggest a plan to a person who won’t return your calls. So the Haggler will keep trying. (As noted before, he has nothing better to do.) Check this space in two weeks. With any luck, there will be some happy news to report.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com -
4 Replies
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Well…. I’m not too big on rampant regulation, myself.
I DO feel for this customer, feel bad for the lady and hope she does eventually get her daughter’s wedding video.
BUT… I do have a little bit of “buyer beware” vibe going on…
I checked out Brian Kelly’s website, which is just gawd awful… it looks like a canned template site that he has shoehorned pieces into (and not in a good way). And it has virtually nothing resembling anything like a portfolio section or any samples of his work at all. What so-called media company would do that? The only embedded video seems to be a self-promotion animated piece, which is obviously either a canned piece or a purchased After Effects template that was customized with a graphic layer.
He does have a YouTube channel… but I stopped watching after scanning three of the videos because they were so painfully bad.
So, as I said, I’m sorry for the lady… but why did she hire this joker in the first place? I think it behooves a customer to do at least the most basic bit of research when hiring an expensive service (although his rate was pretty cheap).
Still, I hope she gets her video. I’m not sure how our industry could be regulated, though. What would we have, the cinematographic equivalent of “passing the bar”? Plus, looking good on paper doesn’t correspond to actually doing good work. In two decades in the biz I have made many internet friends, acquaintances, and colleagues… and I do check out their work. Although it is fortunately not the rule, I have to admit that I’m met a number of people on line through the years that seemed sharp as a tack, super knowledgeable, first-class experts in our industry. Then I’ll watch their reels. Sad to say, some of them are just laughably bad. Conversely, I’m sometimes surprised by people who don’t seem like they are the sharpest knife in the drawer by a long shot… but do really beautiful work.
I guess the Brian Kellys of the world talk a good enough game to get some people to part with their money… without checking the work. Sad.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Well Todd, what I meant by “regulation” is Capital Punishment. A pruning of the herd so to speak.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com -
Certainly this guy should be sued by these folks, maybe a lawyer could pull the footage out of him ,but it seems unlikely they will ever see their video. I agree that there is some fault to lay at the feet of the customer, as they should have met with him, viewed his videos and really compared him to other competition in the area. Does he have a business address that they could have gone to see? Did they try and check out one or two references? That likely would have shown them that he wasn’t competitive. There are unscrupulous people in every industry, and it requires some diligence to protect oneself from them. I doubt that any further regulation from the state or the feds or some government sign of approval would be of value. If they are near a big city , Angie’s List seems to a job about knowing the business.
Al
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There’s remedy under most established law for cases like this already, but what would probably help more is the use of third-party rating of the provider’s reels. If you go to a big site like TheKnot.com, you’ll find they list wedding videographers with a combination of ratings for cost as well as multiple “stars” and referrals. Independent verification or rating is something a legit videographer could point to on their site.
It would have to be a free service: there is too much potential for hi-jinks if you have to pay to get reviewed.
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