[Mark Suszko]

Sure, Fred, totally understand. But a side note: my panny model has user-selectable compression rates omn the mpeg2 encoding, and withe the built-in signal processing, the VHS dubs it makes in highest-quality mode look damn good, even considering the cross-conversions. Just wanted to mention that as well.

[Mark Suszko]

I have another method I sometimes use; I have a dual-drive VHS/DVD recorder. Pop the VHS into the unit, add black disk, press button. Finalize the DVD, import and transcode to prores using free MPEG STREAMCLIP or VLC, edit as you like.

These combo recorders are cheap to buy new at Walmart or online thru ebay, Amazon, etc. My Panasonic works great. You can find these with and without tuners; the tuner-less ones should be in the 50-dollar range.

[Mark Suszko]

Bravo. Excellent post.

[Mark Suszko]

Wish I could credit the original source, but he said:

“With the right people, a contract is not necessary. With the wrong people, a contract is never enough.”

Still, anything on paper beats nothing at all on paper. The contract is not just about expectations but also about what happens if things go wrong some how.

[Mark Suszko]

Thanks for that; I do still want to be able to use DVDSP which I believe stopped working in the new OS’s long before FCP7 did.

[Mark Suszko]

That looks simple enough, but since I’m kinda doing it in reverse vis-a-vis the article, where do I get a copy of Snow Leopard or whatever, to host the old suite on in the the new partition?

[Mark Suszko]

It’s not so much the length of the finished videos that has much influence on the overall cost. It’s computing the hours it takes to GET TO those few finished minutes, that makes the cost. Even the three “simple” videos will require some time spent in adjusting audio, color correction, creating and placing graphics and titles.

The fastest I ever edited something simple was at a 1:1 time ratio, meaning, if it was an hour long, it took just over an hour to edit. That’s not typical; that’s hack-and-slash news cutting where you’re screening everything in faster than real-time speed using just the JKL and in/out keys on playback and making simple cuts. Ratios of around 4:1, 8:1, or more, are what you could expect to spend on this kind of job you describe, ASSUMING there are no “gotchas” to correct for like bad sound to fix, bad lighting to compensate for, extensive graphics to create from scratch.

So maybe figure an hour each for the “simple” ones, and three hours each for the “complex” ones. Very roughly.

When you have a guess as to the time ratio you’re looking at, multiply total working time by your hourly rate to get a ballpark figure.

[Mark Suszko]

Be it a full-on contract or a deal memo, GET IT IN WRITING UP FRONT.

I recommend payment in thirds, and work doesn’t start until the first third clears the bank. The first “third” needs to cover any of your out of pocket expenses and pay off all the stock fees, crew and rentals. Second “third” is due at the screening of the Director’s cut. Third payment due on delivery of final, approved version.

The client does not get a clean copy without watermarks, until the last third payment clears. Under any circumstances.

You retain the project files, raw footage, and elements as proprietary, they only get the finished product. Get that initialed.

They get two edits: one after the first cut screening, and a second one after that, to cover any last, minor changes. Any more edits or changes are a new contract, separate. Edits to fix mistakes by the producer are free. Edits to fix mistakes by the client such as misspellings of titles or names given, are charged at hourly rate.

You are not liable for continued storage of the product or production assets in post unless agreed in writing and paid for.

Client is liable for continued rights payments on any stock media. A detailed report and schedule will be given.

There is a “kill fee” for terminating the project once begun. The Fee for a cancellation is zero if done at least three business days ahead of the start date. If cancelled within less than three business days, the first third down payment will be retained as the kill fee, to offset expenses and time already committed to the task.

Get in writing the name of the person at the client organization who ultimately will declare if the project is done and accepted. It should probably be the same name as the one that signs the checks.

If you hear this phrase:
“Cut us a deal on this first one, and we’ll make it up on volume with lots more jobs later”
Smile, nod, stand up, and walk out of the room. Best move you can make.

If they tell you your rate is too high, ask them what they want cut from the production to make the budget figure they want. Tailor the production to the resources available, but NEVER drop your rate. If you drop your rate, for any one-time reason, you will be stuck with that lower rate forever, going forward in that market.

A common way for businesses to stiff people like us is to tell you to fill out purchase order paperwork that commits you to a payment term of 2/10/net 30, 60, or even 90 days from delivery and mandates a delivery therefore before you get a payment. They’ll tell you they don’t have a payment mechanism to pay you any other way and that’s what they do for all vendors. That will be a lie. If the plumbing breaks on a Saturday they have a way to pay the plumber on site, I guarantee you. I refuse to deal with those purchase order thingies, but I will offer a 10 percent discount for fast payment within a week. Your best and only leverage with clients is when you have the final clean copy of what they need, and you don’t hand that over without them handing you the check first.

[Mark Suszko]

Also, he may be gruff, but Bob is also a ppl. A ppl prson, even.

[Mark Suszko]

I only occasionally watch “Shark Tank” for amusement, but one thing that stands out on that show is, none of the pitchmen and women like giving up ANY percentage of their business, and this is regarding having true business heavy-hitters bidding on it. That percentage holds all their profit and future security.