You’ll want to provide your couple with an experience, not just a disc. Enhancing your packaging and providing your couples with a pleasant viewing experience will be something that they won’t soon forget. Put yourself in the couple’s place, what is going to enhance their first viewing experience? Consider adding some popcorn, candy, tissues, or a giftbasket. Anything you can think of that fits the couple and is consistent with your brand. Don’t forget to include a hand-written thank you card.

Comment below and share some of your packaging ideas; things that have worked or not worked with your company in the past.

Thanks for watching!

Mentioned websites:
Great alternatives to standard DVD/Blu-ray cases
jewelboxing.com
loktah.com

Websites for packaging and shipping ideas/solutions
uline.com
packagingsource.com

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

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Giving your clients a digital copy not only creates a convenient off-site back up, it also enables them to share your work more easily. There are tons of online companies that offer custom flash drives, I’ve had great luck with Flashbay & usbmemorydirect.com.

Do you offer digital copies on flash drives or other medium? Feel free to share your experiences by commenting below. The IN[FOCUS] community would  love to hear what works well for you and your company.

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

A clean lens and sensor is crucial! In this blog, Andrew Waite will share some tips on keeping that glass squeaky clean, some of the options available, along with their various pros and cons. Also, what to do if you discover your lens or sensor was dirty AFTER it is too late and you’re already in post. 

Andrew Waite

Supreme Commander of HDM/Lovestruck Films conquering Land, Sea, and Air in the world event filmmaking. Not satisfied with the camera always being no more than 6 feet off the ground, Andrew has pushed his work to new "levels" by incorporating underwater and aerial cinematography into his wedding films.

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Hi there, everyone! Jet Kaiser is here to remind you stay comfortable while you work!

Several years back, when I was first getting my feet wet in the industry, I was looking to save money every chance I got, even if it meant placing time, health & comfort on the back burner. Now that I understand the true value of time this isn’t the case anymore.

We [filmmakers] are the biggest assets to our businesses and we need to treat ourselves right. Sacrificing comfort to save a couple extra bucks is not smart. Our money needs to go where our time is spent.

Most people don’t realize how much time goes into a wedding film. Hours and hours are spent in the same position, starring at pixels during the editing process. How ergonomic is your workstation? Below is a basic list that I’ve conducted to help with setting up your work areas with comfort, health and time in mind.

A big comfy chair.

This is number one. Choose a chair that is comfortable and gives you support. Chairs with armrests that are the same height as your desk helps you eliminate shoulder stress.  I recommend the Ergohuman ME7ERG.

Monitors that are at eye-level.

I’ve seen workstations where the editor has to look up to see the screens (like playing sample video games at Wal-mart). It won’t take long for the editor to develop some nasty neck and back pain. Keeping our monitors at eye level (or slightly below) will help avoid stress in your neck and ensures that we are seeing our images clearly.

Ergonomic Mice.

Luckily there is a nice assortment of ergonomic mice on the market. Be sure to choose a mouse that fits your hand and has plenty of customizable buttons. I have found that Logitech has some great mice for folks with large hands like myself. Your mouse should fill up all the space under your hand.

Wrist support.

This is a big one and is commonly overlooked. Computer gloves and wrist supports keep your wrists at an optimal ergonomic position and helps prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Last year I started using an IMAK computer glove for my mouse hand and it was the best $15 I spent in 2010. Also, when the UPS guys delivers and notices your glove when you answer the door you can tell him that you are training to become a cagefighter. :->

Lighting.

This also commonly overlooked. We moved into our new home studio last year and I designed it so we would be able to eliminate any glare on our screens. I studied how the big studios (Pixar, Industrial Light & Magic, etc.) lit their workspaces and then applied the same principles to our studio. No direct light, only subtle glows.

Shuttles/Controllers.

Whether it is embedded in your editing keyboard or a stand alone like the Contour Design’s ShuttlePro, a shuttle can speed up your editing time all while keeping your hands and fingers in a comfortable position. Check out this post for more information on the ShuttlePro v2.

Have any other helpful ideas regarding ergonomics? Comment below and share your thoughts.

Stay comfy, ya’ll
Jet Kaiser
Jet Kaiser Films

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Still using alkaline batteries in your equipment? Switching to rechargeable NiMH batteries can save your studio lots of money! Also, what about all these different versions of the Canon LP-E6 batteries (used in the 5D mark II, 7d & 60D)? These questions are answered along with more in the video above. Although this video doesn’t answer everything you need to know about these batteries, it does contain some more specific information about them that I’ve learned over the years. Thanks for watching!

Jet Kaiser
Jet Kaiser Films

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Christina and Clay’s Super 8mm Wedding Highlight from Soulbox Productions on Vimeo.

Hi IN[FOCUS] Readers,

This is Dave with Soulbox Productions. Corbin and I have been producing Super 8mm Wedding Highlights for the past 4 years and we want to share with you what we’ve learned in this two part series.

So you just purchased your refurbished super 8mm camera from Du-All Camera and you’re ready to film a wedding, right?…not so fast.

First, you’ll need to make sure you and your camera are ready to go.

Let’s start with the film, since you’ll need some to test your camera. Shooting at 24fps, each cartridge has 3 minutes of footage. We film a highlight using 3 cartridges, but your first time out, you’ll most likely want to use 4. If the Pre-Ceremony and Ceremony are well lit, buy two 200 speed cartridges (one for each – but you can always get two 500 speed and be ok). And assuming the Reception will be in low light, buy two 500 speed cartridges for it. We buy film from our processing company Spectra Film & Video. The price of their 4 pack of film (with processing included) is $259.

If you want to be confident of your camera’s workability on your client’s wedding day, you’ll want to do some tests at home first:

• you’ll need an extra cartridge of 200 speed film
• check to make sure there are no hairs are dust particles where you insert the cartridge (use a toothpick to gently remove any unwanted hairs)
• use measuring tape and measure out 5 feet and place the meter on your camera at 5 and begin filming
• we always like to test our cameras both by their meters and by our eyes to make sure both techniques are in focus (make notes as you test your camera, you don’t want to forget which technique you were trying when your test footage comes back from the lab in a few months)
• don’t forget to test both outside in bright light and at night for low lighting situations (see our post on an inexpensive super 8mm lighting trick)

There is a way around the extra costs and time by doing a home test. You can simply jump right into filming with super 8mm. For Corbin and me, it just so happened that one of our friends was getting married, so we surprised her with the super 8mm highlight. Don’t have a friend getting married anytime soon? Simply ask one of your upcoming clients. However, I would be very cautious about charging a lot (or anything at all) when testing an unproven camera.

Below is our first attempt at a Super 8mm Highlight, testing our camera for our good friends Mike and Misty (please note that Spectra Film & Video did not do the processing).

Misty and Mike’s Super 8mm Wedding Highlight from Soulbox Productions on Vimeo.

Okay, so the footage came back and the camera is ready to go! Well, besides your camera and film, here’s what else you’ll need for your first shoot:

• a bag
• batteries for the camera (and extra batteries)
• a light (unless everything is outside, but even then, it might get rained back inside)
• a belt clip (so you have easy access to the next three items)
• a lens wipe
• a marker (to number your cartridges, so your processing company will give the footage back to you in order, this saves time in post production)
• a small flashlight (so that you can read how much footage you have left during a dark reception)

Corbin and I hope this helps you get ready for your first Super 8mm Highlight. Next up in Part II, a shot list that will help you perfect the Super 8mm Highlight.

Cheers,
Dave and Corb

Dave and Corbin Baxter

Hello In[FOCUS] Reader,

Welcome to the 2nd installment of Organizing Your Workspace!

Our organizing bible is David Allen’s Getting Things Done. He has by far the most in-depth and complete organizational concepts that we were able to find, so much so, it would be the longest post in IN[FOCUS] history if we tried to teach you everything we’ve learned. In part I, Corbin and I shared with you exactly how far we had to go to increase our efficiency by organizing our office and workflow.  Today, this will be more of a teaser for the 3rd and final installment, but also an overview for what you can learn when you read Getting Things Done or listen to the audiobook.

Here are just a few of David Allen’s life-altering strategies and some examples (at the bottom) of how we are implementing them:

The Major Change: Getting Everything Out of Your Head

The Two Key Objectives:

• capturing all things that need to get done out of your mind and into a trusted, logical system
• disciplining yourself to make quick decisions about all the inputs you let into your life, so you’ll always have a plan for next actions that you can implement at any time.

Your Daily To-Do list doesn’t work:

• calendars should be sacred, everything for your day should be able to be completed
• not completing the day’s tasks and having to move them to future dates is unproductive and demoralizing
• the very heart of his Daily Action Management Organization are your calendar and Action Lists

Collecting All Your Life Stuff, So You Can Get It Out Of Your Head:

• every open loop is in your collection, so it’s in your head
• have as few as possible in-baskets, but as many as you need
• empty regularly by reviewing them all

Collection Tools (Your In-Baskets):

• physical in-basket
• paper-based note taking devices
• electronic note taking devices
• recording devices
• email

The above bullet points are the tip of the iceberg from the wealth of knowledge we’ve received from David Allen’s program. Here’s how Corbin and I have implemented it thus far:

• purchased 2nd editing system: MacBook Pro
• bought the latest version of Final Cut Pro Studio and maxed out our RAM for faster editing
• upgraded to Leopard Mac OS
• bought large and small notebooks for more comprehensive note taking
• upgraded our digital calendar and in-basket with Entourage
• organized our GoDaddy email
• said goodbye to our outdated PC and networked our Mac Pro and MacBook Pro with an Airport Extreme
• upgraded our business cell phone with a Verizon EnV Touch
• purchased Quickbooks for easier bookkeeping and bill pay
• hired Donna and her team of We Keep Books for training in Quickbooks and to catch our books up for the year

Our upcoming goals to accomplish a more carefree, efficient life:

• desks with greater workspace and storage capacity
• physical in-baskets
• large paper filing system
• shelving for closet, The Container Store can customize to fit your storage needs

In the third and final entry in this series, we will show you how we executed what we’ve learned from Getting Things Done and how it has benefited our workflow and business!

Dave and Corb, Soulbox

Dave and Corbin Baxter

The importance in packaging

While you shop, do you pay attention to the way products are packaged?  Some scream more loudly for your attention than others.  Some are simple while others are complex.  Branding and packaging should reflect the image that one is trying to create in the market place.  

We are going to discuss the importance of how you deliver your end product to the Bride and Groom.  First impressions are great for booking the wedding, but the impression you deliver at the last stage with your client is a significant part of what will drive them to refer you again and again. 

Our clients are visually driven.  Initially, we focused on the look of the website, business cards and demos, but we didn't create a separate experience for the client when they received their DVD’s. However, after attending Re:Frame in New Orleans, our eyes were opened to this importance. Therefore, we set out on a mission to create a more attractive deliverable.

Inspiration

To find the right packaging, start with some fresh inspiration.  Stay current with styles and design trends by looking through magazines such as Elle, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, or Esquire.  Grab the latest edition of a wedding magazine like WedLuxe, Martha Stewart Weddings, or Bride Magazine.  Go online and peruse the wedding blogs, Weddingbeepro, Stylemepretty, Thebridescafe.   Take special notice of invitations, how they are designed, their colors, shape, and stock.  

Our Packaging

For our packaging, we wanted something that was of higher quality and more aesthetically pleasing than a standard black-plastic dvd case.  We found Jewelboxes (see figure 1 below), and we print images and text directly on the DVD itself (figure 2).   We also provide the couple with a leather DVD case from Art Leather, setting their dvds apart from the rest of their order.

If you subscribe to Rangefinder magazine, there are advertisers that have variations of these cases. 

Beyond cases, we began to pay more attention to the packages as well.  We went to retailers and turned boxes over to discover the manufacturer, and then we would locate that manufacturer through a google search.  We currently use the beautifully designed boxes you see below which we found at www.pfile.com.

Inside the box, we will also place popcorn and chocolate.  Depending on our client’s tastes, we might also put a bottle of wine, bag of gourmet coffee or even a cigar.

As artists, we spend time finding just the right shot with just the right lighting and use just the right music score to ignite as much emotion as possible. Transfer some of that creative ability when you deliver your final product to your client.  Your business should be an experience for them from beginning to the end.

John and Jennifer Moon