Video Verdicts - Post By Post

POST BY POST
Micro Video Distribution

Weddings. We have all enjoyed them. But when you have to cut corners by asking a relative to videotape instead of a professional videographer, you may have ample reason to dread them more than the average newlyweds. So, you grab you brand-spanking new camcorder with all the bells and whistles, video lights, etc. and drop it into your brother's hands. He gets great shots of the beaming bride and the antsy groom, and all those crying relatives. The kids look precious in their tiny tuxes and spring dresses, and the vows are a sight to behold. Interviews of what everyone has been doing for the past twenty years are peppered in and out of your tape and someone asks you if they can get a copy. "Sure," your brother says re-assuredly, it won't take much to dupe a copy from your camcorder onto your VCR. Next thing you know, the word is getting around ... like wildfire. And grandmothers, aunts, and old piano teachers are coming up wanting to know how they can buy a copy of your video documentary. The girl who planned EVERYTHING at school, and is running the show at the reception, suggests a production meeting to discuss a retrospective piece on the happy couple for the video. The Best Man, who also does the sports cast at KAIR TV-99, says he can get old video footage of the groom's football games and other sports events for the "jock" section of the tape.

It's suddenly become a monster before the end of the night; you have 300 orders for a tape that covers the entire history right up to engagement, the nuptials and even the honeymoon. (Well, maybe not the honeymoon). So much for copying your raw footage Now, it's for the whole family, and most are willing to pay for it. And that could mean paying off the VISA bill for the honeymoon a lot earlier then expected.

So, how do you meld all these scenes together? The wedding video project has gone far beyond spending a couple of hours copying your tape from one VCR to another. Taking this approach would take two to three times longer for barely a fraction of the quality. So, after you get back from that lovely honeymoon in Waikiki and have sent "thank yous" for all the wedding gifts, your next step is "to let your fingers do the walking" by checking the phone book for post production video facilities that rent out edit bays by the hour. These can also be found available through the local television station or the cable company. The equipment there is industrial grade and can handle a lot more than the commercial variety located in your home. However, those can be pretty cost prohibitive. Editing your raw footage into a beautiful document of your love can be an ideal alternative for those who are looking to turn a profit from the tapes that they make but not if they spend more than they did on their wedding for editing time.

Odds are, if you're on a budget, you have to deal with the initial out of pocket expenses and the time it takes to actually morph your video into the polished and professional-looking program your potential viewers expect: That means wipes, blends, fades, music and titles. If you can invest a few hours looking through your "raw footage" to pick the best scenes for the project, the best option for your situation might well be the various mail order post production facilities available around the country. Many of these offer a variety of services ranging from duplication, foreign video conversions, editing with both music and titles, and finally, labeling, packaging, and mailing, and at a very affordable price. Let's analyze these, one-step at a time.

The very first step to getting the video together, is to start with the yellow pages and see if any of the facilities are within you regional area. Odds are there are a few within a scant couple of hours from your home, or within a few days postage (overnight if you are rushed). Around the country there are several fine facilities that handle both commercial, industrial, and consumer video. And, by making a few phone calls, you can find the finest quality for even the most modest of budgets.

Make sure to ask questions. Find out how long they have been in business, what kind of equipment they use, the quality of tape they prefer and what services they offer. Some offer a wide array of services including mail order editing. This is a relatively new option to the videomaker which allows the customer to send a tape with a list of shots desired and how they'd like to line them up. Also, ask if they will send you evaluation copies to check against your own list of shots and to make sure its up to your own personal standards.

Transfer Creative Video, of Rochester New York, is one such facility. They offer Network quality graphics and backgrounds for a cost much less ABC would charge you.

Abel Video of Portland Oregon, uses a "window dub" format to edit directly from the client's preferred list and can work off any format including 8mm, hi8, VHS, and SVHS.

Another company that uses this "armchair editing" method, is Primecut Video of St. Mary's, Ohio. They send you a "master tape window dub" to select your specific edit points. You simply chose the time-coded numbers that correspond to the beginning and end of the scenes and write them down on the forms provided. These are programmed into a computer that edits the piece within two to five hours. At about $50.00 per hour you get precisely edited transitions and effects. For a professional look, the money is well-spent.

Then there is The Photo Shop, in Springfield, Missouri, that uses the newest method available to the videomaker ... desktop video. Armed with an Amiga 3000 and 14 megabytes of memory, TPS provides what they call "titles with imagination". This includes custom animations and logos for as little as $135.00.

At Davkore, time-based correction is employed for the highest quality in all of their video work and they have employees who inspect each job for quality control.

Audiovision, in New Jersey, believes the average mail order production requires five to ten hours to edit and they have geared their service to this average with an affordable $35 - $50 per hour. They specialize in "wedding edit" and use order forms to custom order your effects piecemeal with rates depending on how complex the project and the type of special effects desired. They can work with all the consumer formats so there is no need to convert. The Amiga is used to make titles and graphics along with a $15,000 digital effects generator for broadcast quality wipes, zooms, and rotations.

Mirror Image of Newark, CA, uses the Sony Industrial DME 450 to perform hundreds of digital effects and can operate in any video format.

As you can see, if you budget yourself well, you can spend a few hours choosing the best shots, then let a professional tighten it up in the editing, you can get out of there for around $150-250. With special effects and music, the price is not that much more.

Now that you have gotten the film together, you'll need to have them duplicated and for our reunion project, that means 300 times. AND SO ON, AND SO ON. Although most of these companies can handle the duplicating in one shot, there are many companies that specialize in it. They use state of the art commercial VCRs and also have individual quality control. This specialization can result in quicker turnarounds, better quality, and lower prices. in fact, depending on the quality of duplication needed, some costs actually get down to nearly the cost of the tape itself.

But there's a danger here that needs to be addressed as price usually sacrifices quality. It's always a good idea to inquire as to the type and quality of tape any of the video services use. This is key since an inferior grade of tape can potentially damage the heads of a VCR and the last thing anyone needs is a class-action lawsuit from ex-classmates over the damage of a trip down memory lane. It doesn't take much effort to ask a question or two before signing on the dotted line.

Another great feature that some of these duplication houses have is labeling, packaging and some even have direct mail service. And, like the editing services, some may even send you an evaluation copy before sending out the whole order so that all is in order.

Few video orders can go without at least a few requests for foreign conversions. Family and friends living outside the states enjoy reliving old memories as much as those at home, but can suffer from living in a country that is not on the American/Canadian standard which is called NTSC. Other video standards include PAL (United Kingdom) and SEACAM (Europe) and Mesecam (Middle East). According to the people at Advancement International of Aurora, Ohio, it's important that if your going to send copies your videos overseas that you have them converted before you send them. The trouble and cost of conversion in foreign countries makes the gift of a video tape already converted a real pleasure on the receiving end.

A.I.V. can convert up to 3 hours for around twenty three dollars and offers a 24 hour turn around. Additional hours are an extra charge.

Western Media of Westlake, California does an excellent job on all video types and formats.

With any story on mail order services, it is always a good ideas to review common sense procedures and your rights as a mail order customer. As we have discussed earlier, it never hurts to shop around by making a few phone calls and taking the effort to ask a few key questions to decide what facility will best suit your budget and your needs. It is also prudent to send a master duplicate, rather than your original footage. Should anything happen to the shipment or during any step of the process, the original footage can always be accessed for another master dupe.

Insure all shipments. A few dollars more can bring peace of mind against the unknown element of postal surprise. Certified mail, return receipt requested postage will also give the sender the benefit of a record of receipt.

And when shipping your tapes, it is best to pack in plastic boxes or bubble lined envelopes. The dust-lined variety can rip and contaminate the cassette, damaging your footage.

Above all, whenever dealing with a mail order concern, be very familiar with your rights. Yes, you do have them. These rights not only protect you, but enable you to do business from a position of authority as the consumer. GET TO KNOW THEM. They clear up misunderstandings, and provide a basis for arbitration in lieu of any problems where no compromise can be held.

In the end, it all comes down to protecting yourself and the most memorable day of your life.

Copyright © 2002 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
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Revised: October 15, 2002 02:42 PM Pacific Time.