[John Nelson]

Thank Goodness! And I can let them down, and not vice versa!

[John Nelson]

Many thanks for all the inputs and suggestions. It’s all the common sense stuff I learned, way back when, and promptly stopped using, either because I thought I knew it all, or, just forgot (we old f***s tend to do that more frequently than we used to…). In this small town, like many of the other small towns around, folks tend to hold their cash cards pretty close to their vests, hoping somebody’s going to come along and say: “That’s all right, I’ll do it for FREE!” I recently produced a DVD of a dance recital and was able to just about break even by offering: “BUY TWO, GET ONE, FREE!” Course, by the time I bought all that ink, a duplicator, jewel cases and DVD’s, plus two weeks worth of chasing them around for their checks and deliveries, well, you can guess where my profit margins went… I think I wrote earlier, the TV and cable stations are freebies in the production market as long as they buy, I think it’s down to, a couple hundred in ROS time. Most of what is around here are oil guys, dairies and aliens (the little green kind from Uranus). Thought about setting up something for tourists whereby they are keyed over some kind of alien chase/war/abduction//// and have them walk away with a DVD. Logistics prevent that immediate turnaround and I don’t think they’ll want to wait, since, if you’ve seen one alien, you’ve seem ’em all…

Anyway, I’ve droned on long enough. Have the brochures, cards, demos, am doing the face time, follow ups, thank you cards following a meeting, spec spots, baby kissing (and other anatomy parts), car washing, valet parking at parties and the list goes on. Haven’t done much schmoozing since drinks and dinner bills mount up faster and fatter than my waistline…

Come to think of it, being a friendly neighborhood undertaker doesn’t sound half bad; I could produce one of those memorial pieces that are becoming all the rage nowdays, right?

Thanks again,
John

[John Nelson]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the input and will ‘take heed’ so as not to cast my ROS’s into the masses, expecting massive ROI’s (may I quote you on that?) at the end of the rainbow…

One would think that spending as many years as a videot as I have, something would sink in. Apparently not, since yours, Nicks and ‘MYOB’s are tennants, tried and true. Following that train, I should, by now, be retired, playing 18 holes somewhere nice and have beverages on the 19th with friends of a similar ilk. It was somebody much smarter than me who said something about repeating history for being a dumb *** and not listening the first time…

Ahh well, I still love the business and will endevour to ‘Keep on Keepin on’ til that last production job calls me home and I can hang up my headphones….

Thanks again. You and all the other Cow-m’rads are terrific!
John

Oh, in case you didn’t know, it’s What’s In It For Me :}

[John Nelson]

Great advice, Kristopher,

I know it’s a lot of trial and error and I have done some targeting with DVD’s, as suggested by Nick and have used a lot of shoe leather and bruised knuckles knocking on doors but picking others’ brains about this stuff helps a bunch, especially after one of those weeks that doesn’t turn out as rosey as others.

Electronic media for weddings, parties and the like should be more rewarding than promoting corporate videos. I especially like your idea of sending them to my web site and getting their addresses.

Thanks again. And if you or anyone else care to chime in on other suggestions, I’ve got some aliens here in Roswell I’m trying to ‘alien-ate’ elsewhere :} Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope, er, jiffy bag and I’ll fill ‘er up!

John

[John Nelson]

Thanks Nick,

I’ll give it a shot.

[John Nelson]

Thanks Noah, and, no, it is no longer under warranty…

[John Nelson]

I really appreciate your quick responses. Yes, I do use, and have always, the Panasonic master series tapes. The last batch I bought were 83 minutes as I was shooting a lengthy performance of the Nutcracker ballet. Parents can be very troublesome if you don’t get little Suzie doing her special dance…

So, any other thoughts on why the takeup and supply locks would have been acting up? Other than me doing my own house cleaning, of course. Think I may have bent something?

I’ve cleaned many a tape head over the years and try to be extra careful on this guy, especially since the gap is so tiny. I had the picture from Barry Greene at my side whilst probing and swabbing.

I remember well buying beta and quad tapes, among others so, you’re right, 5 or 6 bucks is really a bargain. But, then again, I’m cheap!

Thanks again!

[John Nelson]

After two tapes trashed it seems to be working well… Thanks for your thoughts and thoughts…

[John Nelson]

Don’t know what I could have: bent, spindled or mutilated while cleaning but promise to eat all my spinach if anyone has an answer. Also hit the reset button. Ran a few tests by recording further in on the tape and it looked fine but beginning of tape is trashed. Will run another tape from the beginning, but those DVM83 tapes are getting costly; this is the second one…

[John Nelson]

Thanks Mike,

It turned out to be the preferrences thing again. Should have guessed it but, sometimes, my senior moments occur more frequently more frequently than at other times. :}