Ned Miller
3
COW Coins
Forum Replies Created
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Sorry to see Larry Jordan close. There’s never an edit session where I don’t need to Google the answer to a problem I’m having with FCP, Larry often came up and he was my default click. However, I always got my answers before needing to subscribe. I don’t know how you can monetize training unless the person wants to deep dive and really learn, such as with MixingLight. There are too many free alternatives.
This interwebby thing is a double edge sword in terms of revenue. Back in the day I used to make good money selling “how to” videos, sold on VHS of many subjects, sold mainly through classifieds in the back of paper magazines and 60 second spots, from How to Groom Your Golden Retriever, pin striping your car, to various fishing techniques, etc. Before this field became so crowded it was easier to have a given subject matter to yourself and make money on it.
BTW, I get Lynda for free through my local library membership!
Thanks Larry!
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Thanks for your reply Shane, I always read your posts.
FCP7 without the 2nd monitor is still crashing on the iMac so my plan is, once all these FCP7 editing gigs are done in a few weeks:
• On my 27″ iMac I will have the Apple Store do a clean wipe, install El Capitan and force myself to learn X or Premiere.
• On my Mac Pro 2008 Tower I’ll have the Apple Store wipe it (2×2.8 GHz Quad Core Intel Xeon, 6 GB 800 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB) and that will become my FCP7 system to re-edit older projects, and you are suggesting I have them install (if they agree to do it) OS 10.6.8. which was called Snow Leopard?
That’s my plan going forward, the tower will be for 7 and transfers and my iMac will bring me up to date with FCPX and/or Premiere.
Thanks!
Ned
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
When I first started my career my mentor taught me this valuable axiom: “You can never win an argument with a client”. I took that as meaning even if I’m right I lose, so when you push back hard it’s the same as concluding you’ll no longer do business with them again. In my case, it’s usually the collection of my payment rather than the rights issue.
I have been in Small Claims Court about a half dozen times over the years and the first thing the judge says when the two parties approach the bench is, “Let’s see your paperwork”. What we on this forum call a “contract” is laughed at by a real attorney, but in Small Claims Court there’s more leeway. It more resembles these TV judges’ shows rather than a real trial, so our Letters of Agreement are often used as a guideline. That’s been my impression.
In sum, I always felt I am too small to sue, they are too big to sue, so having a contract where I know I am “in the right” is meaningless because I don’t want to pay a dime to an attorney to go into litigation. If you don’t have a very close relative who is an attorney, this rights stuff is meaningless to me. Just give them what they want and be known as someone who is easy to do business with. Clients come and go, let some of them go…
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Thanks Bob. So the current doesn’t matter? I thought it was an inner pin thing and that could blow the supply. So you’re saying any of my Lacie 12v can do it, right?
Thanks,
Ned
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
I have been doing a lot of email marketing in January, I’m slow due to cancellations and the loss of a major client who always had work at this time of year, so I plant seeds with emails and sooner or later something good pops up, usually when there is a problem with their current video resources. All my tricks I learned from sales account executives.
First off, a company of 10-20 employees is not a “bigger company” as you wrote, there’s usually not a CEO, rather, there’s an owner/president, usually with someone titled a Creative Director. You should email almost everyone besides account execs, in-house artists, social media nerds and admins. If possible personalize the greeting with their name although I realize that’s often laborious. Also, you skirt around the Can Spam act by having their name and including your address. By starting the email with their name the person has to make a millisecond decision as to whether they know you and have to read it, so if your next sentence is compelling you can equate it to the bobber bobbing when you’re fishing. Also, by staying local you attract more interest. Clients prefer local vendors.
Avoid an agency that has someone in-house who does video. Your email should have benefits of using your services listed but most importantly it should have a Call To Action such as “Please call at your convenience to arrange an introductory meeting where I can explain in detail how blah, blah, blah.” You can email me personally an example of what you’re doing to ned AT nedmiller.com
DO NOT CALL ANYONE ANYMORE! I used to cold call for decades but now it is considered an intrusion. You can call clients who haven’t used you in a while but strangers resent the interruption.
When dealing with marketing execs in larger companies go for Managers and Directors. VPs are too high up to bother with which video producer to use and people with titles of Associate and Coordinator don’t have decision making power, however, sometimes they are what I call “collectors” for their bosses such as, “Find me a few names in Chicago who can shoot such and such next week for no more than $X”.
Customize the email so if you”re hitting up Marketing types that day you make it look like you’re a marketing video specialist and the same thing for PR, HR, Corp Comm, Live Events, Conferences, etc. Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search function with a Premium Account and collect names with their company, then use a service such as Lead411, Lead Ferret, Zoom Info, Joe’s Data, etc. to get their email address if you can’t find it after a two minute Google search. If I can’t find their email after two minutes I color code it and then when I am on one of the services, and some can be used for FREE if you learn on YT, then I will uncover their email address. It takes a while to get good at this but is worth it.
In sum, cold email has only worked for me when my email came at the exact right time, usually when their main video person is booked, blew the deadline, went over budget, no one can remember his name, etc. and then BAM! I get a call or email asking about availability and rates. So it’s a numbers game, send out nice emails that are short and informative as to your benefits, definitely have the word Video in the subject line so when they go into panic mode and search for your email a couple of months later they can find you. On a slow day I can do 50-70 which includes a lunch hour.
I usually get a dozen positive response in a week, who will email me back saying they have saved my info “for future consideration”, then I color code their email for periodic follow up. I get several jobs a year from cold emailing plus it makes it feel like I’m doing something instead of hanging around the dog park.
P.S. When hitting up decent size local companies I only go after these three specific industries which I know have tons of money to pour into marketing and LOVE TO USE VIDEO: anything involving any aspect of HEALTHCARE, FINANCIAL SERVICES and SOFTWARE, although the problem with the latter is that they have so many in-house tech geeks they try to DIY with video.
Good luck
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
You too Nick and everyone here. Hoping for a more profitable 2016!
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Good luck Nick! Sorry for your loss. Hope you received proper compensation from your insurance carrier.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Wow, that was my post for a year and a half ago. Her name is really Elizabeth Rios, that last name in Spanish means Rivers:
https://www.quora.com/profile/Elizabeth-R%C3%ADos
She is possibly an employee or a blogger who is paid to shill for the company, quite common in many industries. Looks like she’s still in journalism school.
By the way, I recently was doing documentary at a major trade show for the futures industry and stopped at every booth with a pro looking video, mainly to scarf up free pens and keychains. I’d say 80% of the videos were high quality stock footage with great text treatment. A great savings over hiring us to do the traditional corporate sales video. Oh well…
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
I have one kid in conservation and another in environmentalism, we made the mistake of encouraging them to follow their bliss. Good recipe for being broke since everyone else their age is trying the same fields. Here’s a book that explains it all clearly: Do What You Love: And Other Lies About Success and Happiness
https://www.amazon.com/Do-What-You-Love-Happiness/dp/1941393470
I learned from this book that there’s a new term in economics called Hope Labor, where the young person does slave wage or intern work in “the hope” of getting a real job.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Hi Juan,
I also use Hightail but here’s the problem: Your DPs’ upload speed at his place. 93GB is huge and will take quite awhile, many residential connections would time him out. I’m with Comcast and mine would. He should do a speed test at:
and make sure he is getting the absolute highest upload rate his provider is charging him for. He should not use his wifi, rather, he should get his computer closer to his router and use a ethernet cable. He should also turn off all other devices that are hooked into his wifi. That file is so huge it would be best if he could do it in chunks. There’s a service called Signiant’s Media Shuttle that claims to do it seamlessly:
https://www.tvtechnology.com/equipment/0005/snippies-gets-fast-turnaround-with-signiant/276933
Something that huge he should just ship you the hard drive.
P.S. Everyone should do the speed test above several times a year. Very good chance your speeds are less than what you are paying for! You can then complain to your provider and get better speed or at least a refund. Often it is a matter of getting firmware updates for the router. Try it.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com