March « 2009 « IN[FOCUS]

03.29.09

Everything you ever wanted to know about Jen & Liz of FTP

Ok, maybe not eeeeverything. But we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves, tell you a little bit about what has gotten us to where we are and what you can expect to see from us here.

Believe it or not we've been best friends since 7th grade, and at this point we joke that we are like an old married couple. Liz has a background in business and I (Jen) had a background in fine arts & got my video training as a Video Production Documentation specialist in the Air Force. We started this business when we were new moms with more than enough on our plates, and this is actually the first time since the biz's inception that one of us hasn't been pregnant. (You should've seen us using a huge belly to stabilize the camera!) So it's been 4 years since our first wedding and one thing we can tell you for sure is we didn't get where we are today by taking the easy road.

You'll see in our posts that we prefer to tell it like it is. We don't see how sugar coating anything will help you, so let's start to get real. Get real about who you are, who you want to be and where you want your business to be. This is going to take hard work and an open mind. We can't promise that after reading our posts you'll shoot 100 weddings and you'll be making millions. But we can promise you this…what we share worked for us!

So roll up your sleeves, throw out your old way of thinking, and read on! (and leave comments…share the love!)

Much love,

Jen & Liz, FTP

We thought we'd leave you all with a laugh…

Posted in Introducing the Bloggers

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03.28.09

Promo Vid-e-o

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Ron Dawson of Dare Dreamer Media inspired the crowds about creating promo videos for fellow wedding vendors at Video 08 in Orlando, and we're going to talk about how we've gone about working this money making venture into our business plan.

First lets talk about a promo we shot for Brittany Blando of BKB Photography here in Boston (click on image above – If you don't have access to the video theater already, register for free below to get the username and password):

This is one of the first promos we had done and it has done wonders to help build this other side of our business. Wedding vendors, along with the rest of the world are slowly realizing that they really need to have a video presence on their websites to stay ahead of the pack. WOOHOO for us, right?? Because the movement toward a video rich website has been slow moving, this is the perfect time to get the word out to your vendor friends that you are ready and able to do promo videos for them.

Start with a few vendors that you work with regularly and talk to them about how you can help them out. This is a great opportunity to do something nice for a vendor that has sent referrals your way, or a great way to get some hot new headshots on the cheap. Shoot a few promos this way, as "favors" and get some work that you can then use to show off. The next step will take some work but will pay off big time. Send out a mass email to all the vendors in your area with the videos embedded so they can see and convince them that they cannot live with out a promo. Become the "go-to" video guru for all the vendors in your area overnight!

Now go to work!

Jen & Liz, Fairytale Productions & ftpmedia

Posted in Marketing

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03.27.09

Who are you, really???

Do you remember being a teenager and facing this question? Who are you? What do you want to be? Who do you want to be? Well, now that you've outlived pimples and school dances, does this mean that you have all the answers? If you're like most of us, if you dig deep enough, the answer is probably "no."

At least you know you are not alone, and now is as good a time as any to carve out your space in this world and in this industry. It's scary, risky even, to let the world see you, the real you.

One of our fav photogs, Jasmine Star, is famous for saying "I'd rather fail at something I love than succeed at something I hate". I'm sure others have said that, but it really hit home when we heard it cross her lips. We love her work, she speaks at conferences all over the country, she is uber successful, and let me tell you…Jasmine Star IS her brand. So how do you translate what Jasmine has been able to do in her business & what we have done in ours to what YOU can do in yours??

1. Be honest with yourself. Do you love what you do? How can you hope to sell love to a bride if you don't have love in your heart for what you do? We would do what we do for free, and many times we have. We love it that much! Would you rather fail at something else over succeeding at what you're currently doing?

2. Be your style. When you watch a smattering of videographers in the industry you will find that you gravitate to a certain type of video, whether it is Traditionally Cinematic like the Von Lankens, or what we call New School Cinematic like Ray Roman Films or New Doc Style like Jones or JMag…what if YOU invented your new style??? Know the movers and shakers of the industry like you know the back of your hand, but build your work with their influence rather than copying their work entirely.

3. Be willing to WORK! This is the first time in our 3 1/2 years in business that neither of us (Jen & Liz)is pregnant. We have kids and husbands and all the responsibilities that go along with them, yet we still find time to work diligently in our business. When you love what you do, it never feels like work. So work hard, and work consistently. You WILL see results.

4. Be a stylish marketer: In your mind's eye, picture what you present in your marketing. Then, take a look at Cosmopolitan magazine. Do you think that your marketing appeals to the Cosmo reader? For the majority of us, that is our demographic! Are you branding yourself effectively to appeal to the 20something bride that has money to spend on wedding video?? What is that brides first impression of you and your company?? Be HONEST! Below is an image from our 2008 ad campaign. Hot right??

5. Be a networker! We would never be where we are now if we didn't swallow our fears and introduce ourselves to big names out there. Do everything you can to make sure people recognize your name. Wedding planners, photographers, magazine editors, tv producers…the sky is the limit…you never know from where your next big break will come!

We are the exclusive production company for Ines Del Mar Weddings, a national wedding magazine. Ines Del Mar flies us all over the country to shoot promos for every one of their photo shoots (think Puerto Rico in May…Ole'…see video at top)! How did we land that gig? All we did was send their Editor-in-Chief one of our online newsletters. She checked us out, made contact, and the rest is history!

———————

We want you to start thinking differently about yourself & your company. Over the coming months, we'll explain in greater depth some of the topics we've brought up today, so stay tuned.

Check out our website, www.ftpweddings.com, to see how we have have branded ourselves and how we create a very personalized, custom experience for all our brides.

Share the love and comment often. Lets talk about what it means to turn your company from one that blends in with the crowd into one that stands out. Imagine brides flocking to you instead of you chasing them!

Much Love…

Jen Boys & Liz Whitten,Fairytale Productions & FTP Media

Posted in Behind the Scenes

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03.17.09

Vendor Promo by Jen Boys

Ron Dawson of Dare Dreamer Media inspired the crowds about creating promo videos for fellow wedding vendors at Video 08 in Orlando, and we’re going to talk about how we’ve gone about working this money making venture into our business plan.

First lets talk about a promo we shot for Brittany Blando of BKB Photography here in Boston (click on image above – If you don’t have access to the video theater already, register for free below to get the username and password):

Start with a few vendors that you work with regularly and talk to them about how you can help them out. This is a great opportunity to do something nice for a vendor that has sent referrals your way, or a great way to get some hot new headshots on the cheap. Shoot a few promos this way, as “favors” and get some work that you can then use to show off. The next step will take some work but will pay off big time. Send out a mass email to all the vendors in your area with the videos embedded so they can see and convince them that they cannot live with out a promo. Become the “go-to” video guru for all the vendors in your area overnight!

Now go to work!

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Jen & Liz, Fairytale Productions & ftpmedia

Posted in Theater

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