[Nick Griffin]

If this is a recurring problem, which it sounds like it is, I suggest that you devise a “check list” of items that the client needs to supply. Approach it from the standpoint of being helpful. You might also supply the list with things like production music already checked off provided you have a library of music from which they can choose. (At a reduced rate and preferably in another room.)

Make this check list part of your estimate and clearly state clearly and in large type that if the client knows that parts are missing they can postpone on 48 hours notice at no charge. This is also a back door way of saying that sessions not postponed or cancelled WILL incur a cancellation charge.

Hope these ideas are of some help. Remember if you let them get away with dumb stuff, or pull their irons out of the fire on a frequent basis, you’re just reinforcing their bad behavior.

[Nick Griffin]

One of my favorite quotes, as well as the way I attempt to run my business.

“You remember the quality long after you forget the price”

-Ed Sabol

[Nick Griffin]

Stephen-
One thing you may be missing here is the fact that you don’t need ANY monkey, you need a TRAINED monkey with a trainer. You may think that all you want the monkey to do is pick up a phone or punch away at a keyboard (if I’m following your concept), but without a controlled situation you could wait DAYS for those simple things to happen. You also want an animal that’s trained to stay put.

Think of it like the difference between using friends and other amateurs versus professional actors. Sure actors cost more but, in the long run, they end up costing much less because they know how to do things and take direction.

[Nick Griffin]

WOW, are you entering a world of complication and hassle, or what?? We have a client who wanted one monkey for their trade show booth and the hoops we were given to jump through were unreal. INCLUDING… having a specified “relief area” for the monkey. Oh, and we had to fly in the monkey and his trainer from Florida and pay for meals and lodging for both.

I’ve asked my partner who was handling this to chime in here and let you know just how much of a hole you are digging for yourself.

Best advice: go to where a trained monkey is, rent a green screen studio that will enable you to take one monkey and clone him in different positions and places and be prepared for this to be one of the most expensive shoots you’ve EVER contemplated. Or… get a new idea.

[Nick Griffin]

[Mark Suszko] “disambiguation”

Now THAT’s a big word, Mark.

And Walter, the part that I see as being somewhat negative, and yes potentially brilliant, is giving people an activity which takes them away from watching a competitor’s spot.

[Nick Griffin]

[Mark Suszko] “I can’t say just exactly why, it may be something subliminal, but I think I prefer FOX’s Superbowl camera coverage and direction, over NBC’s.”

Personally I think that, in tech terms, CBS does the best job. Fox seems to miss some first downs because the commercial breaks are too long.

As to NBC’s tech- one of the trade magazines, I believe Broadcasting & Cable, said that they were using 46 (forty-six!) 4k cameras for the broadcast. Now why, would you ask, would they shoot in 4K when there presently is no way to broadcast 4k? My best guess is that the cameramen framed up HD in the middle of their viewfinders for the live stuff and, I believe I saw a few instances where, in a playback, the TD or playback operator slid to another portion of the 4k frame to show action that was otherwise missed. But this is just speculation and perhaps someone who was involved could chime in.

[Nick Griffin]

[Mark Suszko] “It might be that I’m not wired for Surround at home, but it was hard to hear Katy’s lead vocals over too much ambience.”

We are wired with surround sound and you didn’t miss a thing, Mark. When I commented that Katy’s mic was too low in the mix my 20 year old daughter pointed out, in her humble opinion, that was a deliberate decision. SuperBowl half time shows are always WAAAAY over the top, trying to cram WAAAAY to much into the allotted time. The was certainly no exception.

If there was one major theme throughout too many of the spots it was sentimentality. Too much just minimizes it’s effectiveness everywhere.

[Nick Griffin]

Brian Cranston’s “Say my name” for Esurance was the best spot for me because it was one of the very few complete surprises. Then again, as Stephen Colbert once said, “A new study has shown that over 80% of its users do not become addicted to meth. The same can’t be said for viewers of Breaking Bad.”

[Nick Griffin]

Any opinions on which brand(s) of jump/stick/USB drives are the most reliable?

We’ve been using, what I assume to be, the high end Lexar drives and yes, re-formatting them before using them.

We’ve also seen failures with, again what I assume to be, the cheap drives that are used as give-aways at trade shows.

So, in the opinions of this esteemed group any brands you recommend for and/or against?

[Nick Griffin]

I have to agree with Todd. The days of people wanting anything on a non-data DVD, especially a chapterized DVD, which takes some time and effort to create, seem to be rapidly drawing to a close.

Just a few weeks ago I asked the marketing manager at a client company if they wanted, the 7 short videos we’d done for their website, as a DVD. I was greeted with a quizzical look of, “Why would we want THAT?” Then her question back, “Can’t you just give them to us on a jump drive?”

The thing I’ve gotten the best response on in the past couple of years is asking if they want their video distilled into a format playable on their iPads. That’s a hit as I point out that in a sales call it is much easier and less awkward to hand a customer an iPad than it is to hold open a laptop for them.