[Ned Miller]

Good ideas Walter. I need to keep in touch better, never been much of a shmoozer though. I see my Marketing Director every morning when I shave- in the mirror.

Best,

Ned

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

I am not one to address the communications issue, I have a lifelong affliction with Foot in Mouth Disease and Blunt Midwestern Speak, however, as a one man band like yourself running his own micro business for 33 years I can address Contracts and Trust issues. Collecting is something I spend hours on every month.

First off, usually the entities we provide our services to are too large to sue and we are too small to sue. It helps to be incorporated just in case you are sued, you can protect your personal assets but that’s for another discussion. I have been to Illinois Small Claims Court three times. It’s similar to those court shows you see on TV. Masses of the Unwashed, similar to Traffic Court. Any project under $10,000 or so will be eaten up by attorneys fees trying to get your “contract” enforced so what’s the point?

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/small-claims-suits-how-much-30031.html

Walter Biscardi and other owners of large places working with big budgets are a different story. What we micro business types call a contract an attorney would probably describe as a Letter of Agreement. When the judge calls your name and case number and you waddle up to the bench they grumble: “Let’s see the paperwork”. What they mean is a real contract, written up by a real contract attorney, within that state’s statutes, that the bastard can’t squeak out of, PLUS proof that they did break the contract. None of the He Said/She Said stuff you see on the TV shows. Most of us don’t have a real contract attorney (not your brother-in-law real estate lawyer) write up our contracts. I work for large corporations a lot and my contacts usually aren’t authorized to sign a contract so it would be bumped over to “Legal”, take forever, and then come back to me with “mark ups”. So I am more of a handshake guy and I believe I have an innate sense of who to trust. If you don’t trust them don’t work for them because your “contract” won’t get you your money…

So in sum, beside the communication and contract issue, what I would have done when I sensed the the hesitation/confusion on the (meaningless) contract signing, I would have used my 100% Fail Safe favorite technique:

BILL HALF UP FRONT ON PAYPAL!

That way you have taken away their excuse. Everyone knows PayPal. Everyone has an account. When they say “Do you accept credit cards?” or “Can we send you the check in X days?”, whatever, I just politely say PayPal is easier for me. Keep it simple, half up front, then you get the WATERMARKED version, approve it, send the second half, then you get the final. If they are a repeat client it is an insult I have found to insist on that unless you don’t trust them.

Good luck!

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

I have two kids in their late twenties. Seems that it is easier to quit and get a new job for more pay then to expect a raise at one’s current employer. Perhaps that’s the reason for the high turnover?

In the good old betacam days I had a custom label made and on the spine of the tapes it said in red: Ned Miller -Chicago Based Videographer and my phone number. That acted as a reminder so if someone said, “Who was the DP we used in Chicago a couple of years ago?” I was top of mind. Also with a blah, common last name like Miller you have to remind people.

Over the years I had strong loyalty from the older crowd who knew how much could go wrong with video production, especially with live events, filming the CEO, challenging venues, etc. But let’s face it, video is now seen as a commodity, so I think the new people (younger ones) just say, “Get a video guy in Chicago for next week, and keep it under $X”.

I am on Mac and ever since ACT stopped making a Mac version I have not found a CRM I liked. Also, as a shooter I am out and about most of the time so keeping track of client migration isn’t easy. One technique I know I need to follow is just look at the past two years and figure out who has conferences, trade shows, festivals, etc. that need video within the next couple of months. Then call, if my client is “gone” then I can start re-establishing myself. I posted this because when trying to clear the hard drives I discovered an inordinate amount of clients in their late twenties/early thirties as “gone”. Been doing this a long time and have never seen such turnover unless it was a bloodbath at the start of a nasty recession. So in sum, I think this is the new way to get a raise: Leave your current employer for greener pastures. Hopefully where they land they will still need video.

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

As I recall, I was told it’s illegal to POINT the gun at someone.

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

Thanks! Right now I am doing a lengthy render so I can’t get at those controls. I figured there must be something better than just B & C.

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

Sorry Greg, damn you were in my spam folder! I have added you to my address book, sorry.

When I hire VO people and I am not physically supervising I make sure they time it to the video segment. In terms of translation services I avoid the ones that do not have a track record in video. This Somali has been hard because there are so few to choose from.

I will keep you in mind for the upcoming Mandarin this fall.

Best regards,

Ned

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

Hey Nick,

Seems I am going with Mark Everson. Thanks for the referral. I mentioned you sent me.

Best,

Ned

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

I don’t know the answer although I have shot a lot of feature length docs. However my advice to you is:

WATERMARK THE PREVIEW COPIES!

Best,

Ned

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

Write me at ned (AT) nedmiller.com although yesterday I think I found a Somali resource. I will need Mandarin next up.

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com

[Ned Miller]

My Dearest Gregory,

Please re-read the original post. I did not say I was going to use cabbies, I said a response from my CL ad had suggested such a solution.

Secondly, when dealing with voices from the Third World, if you don’t try their radio stations you’re a fool, I’m not saying you’re a fool, I’m saying if you don’t use their radio stations to find voice over people then you are a fool. As elsewhere throughout the world the best voices will try to making a living using their pipes, which often is in the radio biz.

Case study: Last winter I had to do a version in Malay. The first thing I did was googilize all the major radio stations in Kuala Lumpur (a 13 hour difference) and send emails asking what DJs would like to make a few bucks. The caveat was they had to watch the English cut of the video out of the corner of their eye while they laid down the tracks. I’m sure they pocketed the studio fee and just used the station’s booth after hours. Worked perfect! Had I gone through the normal channels of a service that did the translation finding the VO talent who knows what I would have gotten, plus imagine their mark up.

So in sum, if you need good voice over talent, especially of the developing nation variety, the absolute first place you should contact are the radio stations in their capitol city. I have done that MANY times.

Ned

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com