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General Q&A

Lesson 11 from: The Art of Wedding Filmmaking

Alfio Stuto

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Lesson Info

11. General Q&A

Lesson Info

General Q&A

We have a couple questions on managing client expectations, so one in particular is how before the wedding you schedule milestones leading up to the wedding so how can you schedule how you're goingto set up the interview? What air the client meeting milestones leading up to the wedding? So if I have this correct we if they opted for the interview part of the pre wedding we you know, obviously we will send out an email explain look att this stage we're going teo organize all recommend suggest the location for you so they were in there in the loop for starters and then once you've established that, then I send them hope a mentoring the question right best in the mountain, the with the questionnaire and we is that is that my asking question, right? Keep them in the loop in terms of what, what you're doing and and what kind of questions you wanna ask them, right? And how basically how do you interact with them from the inquiry? If you could just kind of go over that flow again quick summer...

shorts as a quick summary from the moment they inquire way obviously establish we make it very clear what we're all about but also make a connection in terms of this story so you should interest you need to show interest because you want to do that because otherwise, you know doing your work any justice right? Once you've done that they come in the studio you obviously break the ice and find that a little about themselves and then once you've done that you go through the packages and you go through how you can customize your packages and then then the awesome part they were booked and that's a partial missed when they book that's another like milestone thatyou can highlight and thank them sincerely thank you for trusting you for trusting you to capture their day you know, this is something really, really special for them we're not dealing with actors their heart they're hiring you to capture this really really intimate and personal event you should be bloody grateful I am and at the same time obviously you know you're doing them a service so it's a business friend it is a business transaction but the brain trust in you and I think it's important that I know they appreciate this you thank them and you show them like you're excited, you know? So that's a milestone that's important once you've done that so critical not so once you've done that they've booked you've thanked them, you've gone through everything you've customized, you worked that basically what we're going to book and go for in terms of packages and you again you thank them but then once they booked it's very easy just to kind of go well you forget about them and you know it in contact and then you come to the wedding like two weeks before and you've got this massive like like a chunk of time where you have no connection, no contact and it's during that time we're looking at milestones say it's so critical and during this time do you need to like it doesn't have to be like multiple catch up like every week, but you know it could be quick frankel any thinking hard men to do all this, you know what you do is you just have it in your calendar every time you get a booking, you just schedule you can actually schedule it we've just lettuce and shake you we're still developing howto like maximum chic you, but from reading about it you can organize reminders you can also do that with like a calendar it's just a little bit more manual, so you just actually need to go in and maybe go a month later or two months later give a quick phone call doesn't hurt doesn't take long and an email she should have like maybe a phone call what I do I have a female and then usually like as we get even closer a phone call saying, hey, we're coming closer now to how you doing, you know, has a a a good, you know, forget about it I get this thing and break out the manhattan voice, I don't know what it is, sorry, and you speak to them and you go hey, hey going break, you know, just find out how they are and then, you know, it's coming up so we need to if they haven't organized a pre wedding shoot, you just we need to catch up again, like in person so we can make sure that we're very clear off the wedding schedule. And then you could tell me more about your story because, you know, I'm sure there's a lot more you want to share with me, and then that way I can be more specific in how we shoot so yeah, let's set up a time and they set up a time send an email as a confirmation everything should be in writing in terms of like appointments. I have a makeup, make it like making appointment with someone with a couple over the phone and then put in a diary, send them an email like you could over the phone like, just say, look, okay, let's organize for wednesday the twenty fifth or whatever, but then after that, send them in because when things aaron riding people would then be more inclined to put a reminder and you will as well you have it there that's so important so just follow ups that was a great overview of how you work with the client and then what is the timeline for that? So how far out from a wedding with this whole process start? Sure. So let's look because it's very some people book you like three months out most couple who took you a year out so let's look at a year as an example so they book you here before the wedding they booked you? I would usually you could even like leaves for like three months listen there's no broader wrong but maybe three months and you could send an email that's what I do usually three, four months hey, how you doing? Just thought I'd drop a line and see how you're going if I actually genuinely I actually offer help like is any advice iq in? You're planning your preparation because I've been involved with weddings for she used now I would love to, like offer some advice, you know, so just say look eyes than anything I could assist you with. Maybe you could ask me of my advice in something on dh then just a quick question you're good, I'm so excited we are getting closer simple yuhi could you could sit up like a mini template, but I kind of can't tend to avoid that because I just like to be very personal it's just made but then some people say well, if you're booking x amount and it's a lot of different couples but I just see the value in just taking the two minutes that it takes just write something that's personal and then after that you know I would follow it up with a phone call maybe another three or four months later three months later you don't actually have to do multiple it could be even just one or two throughout the whole year as long as they've got some sort of super busy they're really busy as long as they've got some sort of contact thread two years, so maybe three months and another like four months and then your booking you want a book in a time well in advance like like maybe six weeks out of the wedding to do your final consultation just like a rap just make sure that you have a ll the right information the address off venue, the timing because what happens is that I found ever time throughout the year there schedule kind of ships a little bit so that's another reason why you want to be prepared and not just kind of making feel like special but you want to pay up today with what's going on so yes it's book it's pretty straight forward is nothing really to it's just a little commitment tlc a little bit a lot of listening, a lot of a lot of listening and I first guys you know it's like what was that? But yeah, a lot of listening paying attention and just be yourself, all of you, all of you watching have different personalities use your personality like that is your ticket that is like your your it wasn't safe weapon sort of but that that is your your thing like that's what you should be focusing on is that you all have an identity and a personality and use that to your advantage because that will shine that will shine not like because you're a super cinematographer or you're with that silence and you can, you know, show you croft in a cool way know what's really cool is your personality and everyone's different iran's like maybe a little bit like on the quiet side, but you may want to like, you know you can you can look for things that you find connection with and talk about those things small talk yeah, the question so this is two questions actually it's four questions so just bear with me just like you like to do the group questions. All right? This isn't questions from kobe who asked who says video is so different from photo can you break down what is expected to be covered in its entirety and what is okay to be covered in bits and pieces? So they say they're totally clueless they go on. I struggled to understand if you're expected to cover every minute of the day, and how do you deliver the final project product in several smaller videos or in one video, all flowing together and then bear with me? Ingrid mexican says hi from mexico city I have a question about the final duration of the video because here in mexico all the people want is like a two hour video that runs on with all the ceremony. But how long is the actual video that you that's a really they're really, really good quick questions because they come up all the time couples, I would say that, you know, it all depends on how you position yourself, and I know that's easier said than done, and I speak from experience where it can be quite tricky to, I guess, offer things that fit for you that what you wanted to I mean, when we're looking at winning cinema, this style it's, not about coverage, so there are couples out there that some couples, they that is really important and actually see the other as important, they appreciate it, but they really just want all the coverage and in that aspect in that example, then they're just not the right fit you know, so you just need to be very clear you just you need to be very sure about what you're offering and just be confident about that because there is a market out there there are there are couples out there enough couples to share around you don't have to basically just get every couple because you think what I need the business I can assure you of that because it's about educating them again I stress it's not it's not the easiest thing it's easier said than done but if you educate your couple and you take the time to um you know position yourself then that's your ticket to ask the question what you be offering in terms of like the length that a that comes down to how you position yourself but you need to give a reason our films and highlight films and generally around five that's seven, sixty minutes give or take but I don't just say it six minutes or seven minutes that's it I give them a reason, you know, I explain to them that look in terms of a highlights film, any terms of like covering, you know, catching your waiting you know, for like ten hours or for the whole day then that is the wi fi nding experience that that works for us you can also do you can also offer which way you can also offer is ten minutes, ten minutes features where they're like a little bit of a stretch off the highlights where they have they're still very engaging I don't have any examples but it's something that we would like to incorporate a cz well and offer but they're like adding more moments so it's more like a documentary type moments that are engaging still but it allows it's just a different style of like delivering the film so you just need to be firstly danced the question position yourself how you want, what you want to do we offer the ceremony and speeches in full we'll toast way just find, you know, experience that that's something that the couples really require and we're happy to give that we don't find that that as a deterrent to ask creating this engaging in a murder film because when we're creating the phone we'll go through it in the editing process we need to sink it all up so you kind of already have done that it's part of it they actually they're not really paying they're paying you for you your your service, your craft that's what they're paying for you you know I mean that you need to get that you need to have that mentality that's what they're paying for s o just be very clear in terms of what you're offering what you want offer on dh to answer the what's the name of the person from mexico new mexico ingrid ingrid mentioned that they want the two how a coverage film and we get the same in australia like a lot of them like oh like can't be longer have it it can't be longer you know get that sometimes and again what I would say to ingrid and anyone that obviously want to know this information is just it's basic comes into educating your couples but you know we don't leave in an ideal world so sometimes they don't see that but that's what you should be any for educating them and position yourself the way you need to position yourself so I'll feel there there's a lot of questions coming about pricing so I just wanted to let everyone at home know that we're going to be getting into that I'm not sure if it's tomorrow or day three but we are going to be going over that yes we are but I think because they want to touch on that we can touch on a little bit because it's one of the topics that it's nice to get interaction from because everyone it's very subjective itjust depends varies well the question was from lm photo tampa who said how do you set up your pricing and most importantly how do you explain your pricing to your couples so when we sit down with them we go through the pricing unless they ask when we get through the package we explain to them that this pricey for the package signature and main package is basically they're designed in order to capture your your day and your story to maximize that basically and if they do question the price basically we you know you bet you paying for our craft and aircraft is something that we've developed for many many years and saying that we absolutely love what we do so you're investing in that's the world should be using because they are its enemies it is an investment all right because it's something that they're goingto appreciate and treasure for for many many years for for generations that's the idea so two two if they do if I'm entering the question correctly if they're asking about the pricing and and everything you know that's the explain to them that it's it's kraft um and it's what they're paying for but I generally don't get a lot of those questions unless they are in a particular budget sometimes I make it like you know this is something you can do is there something that you can work out and there's nothing wrong with packaging something for them in a sense that you offering a little special what I would recommend that you don't do is give discounts what I would do is you can probably like office certain things and no charge I just find that unless you have a specific reason like I just feel that you're kind of lauren here you felt that you kind of like lowering the value ofthe what you're doing by focusing on the price but sometimes if there's an incentive like they may have come through a photographer right hey look, we really value the fact that you have been recommended by this photographer that look as a courtesy we will give you that little extra coverage or maybe one because you wanted to know you want to do three wedding pre wedding seems like I will give you one for free because you come through a recommendation and that's that's awesome we appreciate that so any time you're you're giving an offer like a special off, you need to give him a reason because it adds value to what you're doing and I find that works for me and works for us they can appreciate that and the extra excited because they they know that it's genuine it's not just like I'll just give you like a few tv days or I'll just give you like that for free they give him a reason because they've actually they want that point kind of offering something that they probably don't see the value in it and that comes down to like sitting down with them and and knowing what they require if you don't do that then you can give them the right you can't offer the right things in terms of for them to appreciate. And I just wanted to tell everyone at home that there is a pricing. Pdf that's, including the bonus materials that comes with the purchase of the course. Yeah, I mean, just a warning. But I'll give you more a little more detail, given, like, a bit of like direction. In terms of I mean, everyone will have their own kind of package set up. That would work for them. But hopefully that can give them a bit of an idea, and maybe some inspiration to sitting up there. Your packaging, pricing in details.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

4 aspects to killer shots.pdf
Bon Journo_pricing guide.pdf
Ceremony floor plan-one cam op.pdf
Ceremony floor plan_2 cam.pdf
Couple Questionnaire.pdf
Interview shoot-floor plan.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

user 62b97f
 

Excellent workshop! Worth every penny! Alfio really knows his stuff and is very inspiring. This class made my work look MUCH better. I would recommend this class to all my freinds. Cheers!

Trish Lloyd
 

This "class" is AMAZING. So much information packed into the hours! Alfio is a relaxed and fun "instructor" that you can tell has a lot of passion for what he does. Worth watching for sure!

Student Work

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