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RSD Special user Toronto, Ontario 534 Posts |
If you are a performing hypnotist and you are not taping your show for BOR sales you are making a big mistake.
I currently tape my all my shows. I set up a handycam, record it to the cam. Customers then place their orders after the show. I go home, rip it to dvd, and then mail it to the customers. The whole process I find is time consuming. I want to switch methods and I need your help. I want to do everything on site. I want customers to walk out of my showroom with a dvd in hand. The only obstacle to this is time. It takes time to rip, and burn. I don't want customers waiting around for 30 mins to get their product. What do you use? What suggestions do you have for me? |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
This has been done for decades with VHS technology. Having racks of them. I tell you what though, I have done and do 6 shows a week and do not set up and worry about giving them to people on site. It is very costly and it is VERY bulky.
There are multiple online solutions where you upload the edited DVD, the artwork and they ship them out for you after duplication for less than $3 including postage. Wanna know a secret? I have never lost a sale because of not having them on hand. Not one. Reason? Think about WHY they are purchasing the DVD in the first place. This is NOT an impuse buy, this is someting they are buying simply because Uncle Fred was acting like he was. You will not sell any extra by doing it on site.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
Shane Masters Regular user Columbus, OH 157 Posts |
Agree with Danny. If you absolutely positively have to, and want to make it an option for people to walk out of there with media that night,you may give them the option to buy it on thumb drive.
You can pickup 1 and 2 GB thumb drives fairly cheap...and of course sell it as an upcharge for the convenience factor. Just dump the show on your hard drive and copy it right to the thumb drive would only a take a minute or so.-Shane
The Cerebral Assassin
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Shrubsole Inner circle Kent, England 2455 Posts |
I agree with Dannydoyle, they either want a memento of your show because they or someone they know is on it and at a long shot they are a massive fan of your work and will buy it no matter what. It's not an impulse buy.
The same with wedding videos. whilst some many rush out a copy for relatives to buy by the time last orders have been called, but they usually take orders. Technology wise it is possible but costly. Banks of DVD recorders directly fed form your camera. But why spend that money for a second rate DVD with no titles or editing? Also, who is going to do all of this? You really need another person to run such an operation or you will be setting the camera going, hope that is records OK and get on with your act. Then rush off stage, out the front, check the recording and stuff the DVDs in cases, all before people exit the building! Rushed and unprofessional DVDs are the only result of this. Quietly take orders and even announce at the end that should anyone want a copy of tonight's show then they can get it via your web site printed on the ticket. (You can also take orders there and then) That way you have time to actually do the basics of adding titles and basic editing. You could even use two cameras for an even more professional job. I don't think people are put off by having to wait as everything nowadays have a release date and people are used to that. They can also understand the process involved and understand that you can't just produce 50 DVDs like that as people with computers do their own burning and know what's involved. You could also tell them that clips of tonight show will be up on your website tomorrow so they check it out and then they may place an order.
Winner of the Dumbringer Award for total incompetence. (All years)
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
This is kind of interesting because I find myself normally agreeing with Danny, but I have found the opposite to be true in several markets across the board. I feel it is an impulse buy for the most part. Yes, there are always the handful who will buy a DVD just because they or someone they know was in the show. The other scenario is when another hypnotist, magician or someone who is so enthralled with what they just saw buys one because of their personal interest in it.
Other than that I feel it's more of an impulse buy. I have found this to be true in comedy clubs, theater shows, high school and colleges and corporate events. If they don't buy right there after the show in the moment, rarely will they buy at all. Yes, I have ordering via my web site, sometimes even the venues web site, perhaps the gift shop in a resort or theater, they can take an order form and send it in, etc. but only a few orders will trickle in. Oh yes, they will take an order form (sometimes 15-40 may be taken following a performance but usually only three or four orders will actually be received). So I feel if they don't buy right after the show in the moment, there is only a slim chance they will buy at all. I feel this is because of the immediate impulse, the seeing many people making a dash for my merchandise table, them talking to a volunteer who only remembers bits an pieces of what they did, and of course just being caught up in a great performances... oh and the alcohol factor also surely comes into play too. For resorts, vacation and tourist areas, they may be a bit more freely with unexpected, whimsical purchases, but I still fell it's more impulsive. Interesting perspectives though. I've also done the bit of busting my butt to have them available on-site immediately following the show. As Danny said, I used to travel with two tall flight case racks of vcrs that we recorded in real time fed directly from the camera and audio board, but since going to dvd it's been more difficult. I have a high-speed dubber, but it still takes 25-45 minutes, which often times was prohibitive when doing two shows back to back with the venue needing to turnover the room quickly. I feared sales would drop if I went to an ordering system, but to my surprise at the time, it made absolutely no difference. Actually one of the benefits it allowed me was to remain in front of them with top of mind awareness for a longer period of time after the show, as they received the dvd in the mail. It also allowed be to build my mailing list much more and include promotional offers and upsells in with each order sent, creating many more opportunities than I had even expected. Also I can do post-production, editing and include other promotional things on the dvd. It's so nice to be able to travel more lightly, and make greater returns, while enjoying the additional opportunities. |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Well it is easy to solve. IF they are buying it as an impulse, then sell them a very well edited scored and very cool looking copy of a basic show. If it is an impulse buy and they don't give a hoot who is on the DVD, then it will make no difference to them that it is a different show.
Unless you are telling me they have an "impusle" to buy THAT SPACIFIC show! At comedy clubs, (I did 10 years of them in the US.) the problem you run into is that selling them after the show while they are trying to "turn the room". Sometimes on Saturday and Friday 3 shows. Having them wait 45 minutes is out of the question. The real problem I have with it is that the DVD they end up with on site is pretty sub standard. It is what it is, BUT I would rather sacrafice a sale or two (which I doubt is happening) and simply mail them. They can be edited better, they can be packaged better and it all round works out better. I don't sell them at corporate events. If someone wants one or asks then sure but I charge WAY too much for a corporate show to be hawking stuff to them. I simply make one copy and tell the audience that the guy who hired me has them to duplicate them. I don't want the look of hawking things to a corporate client ever. The thing is THEY DO buy right after the show! They don't get it till later but they can still impulse buy. Unless you are dealing with a 12 year old they don't mind. And again with theater shows I would rather sacrafice ALL the sales than to give out what comes from a BOR editing process. Plus often people don't have the time to wait arround for 35 or so minutes. They are busy and want to move along. Why hold them up when they can go on about the night and have it sent? There really is no need. I have in 14 years of doing it this way had nobody walk away from me saying no thank you.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
Shrubsole Inner circle Kent, England 2455 Posts |
Of course you can do it if you want the cost and effort, but would it be worth it?
You could stay simple and use a computer to burn to multiple DVD burners (say 10) and be selling them whilst the next 10 are 'cooking'. And if you are doing that all on your own then good luck! You can get camcorders that record straight to DVD or memory card and use that as your master in the computer to burn to your multiple burners. Then you can go into silly amounts of money with a small team mastering and editing on the fly. So really it would have to boil down to: Is it worth the effort? We'd all like Copperfield's sound, lighting and video rigs, but there is only so much you can get in a estate car!
Winner of the Dumbringer Award for total incompetence. (All years)
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Yep, I agree with Danny, and yes what I meant was an impulse to buy that specific show, at that time, in that moment. It seems like all of us have had to consider the options and their pros and cons. I agree too that I don't think I've ever lost any sales due to the mailing of the dvd as opposed to having them in hand. In reality I don't think people even expect to have them in hand the night of the event, unless of course you are also selling a generic pre-produced dvd too.
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bahamagician Regular user 137 Posts |
Hi Danny,
If you don't mind me asking, would you be willing to reveal the online service that you referred to? I'm very interested. Thanks. -Chris |
bahamagician Regular user 137 Posts |
So, I'm guessing that's a no?
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