Offering Video with music to customers

add-video-music-slide-show

A competitor in the area has introduced a new product video of real estate.  I believe they use a gimble made for a cell phone that costs between $500-$700.  They take the footage, apply music, and publish it on Utube.  When you click on the item it plays in enlarged form for the prospect to view. I will forward the announcement via e-mail.

I am thinking of doing the same thing, and this would also be great for wedding photographers as a service to their customer as well.
  1.  I can buy a very nice gimble from B&H to use my Canon cameras for about $1500.  Using constant lights on the rig, I think I can improve the quality and transitions from low light to brightly lit rooms.
  2. What resolution size would you use for the video?
  3. Where could I obtain royalty free music to add to the footage?
  4. What are the mechanics of uploading to Utube?
  5. I used to have a big web service whereby I could store URL data to give to my customers.  My service with GoDaddy does not offer this.  Will the new website that you will be helping us construct with your marketing program allow us to store video?
  6. If not, how do you post your tutorial programs to Utube?
  7. Can the Utube video be protected to designated viewers only?
Any help or guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  By offering photos with a small video in a competitive package, I think I could really have something of value.
Thank you,
Brent

5 Responses

  1. Kerry Allan
    Video or stills set to music in a slide show has been a large part of my photography business for a long time. I started doing slide shows with music for my weddings way back in about 2003 using a product called pics2exe. Over time we started doing fusion wedding photography where we added video snippets in with the stills. Today, I use it for everything - pretty much every single shoot I do and I use a service called Animoto. Probably the best slide show creator ever. (animoto.com) However, if I was shooting weddings or real estate like you do, I'd be buying a drone like the Phantom 4 in a heartbeat. If fact I'm thinking of getting it for outdoor families and even boudoir. There's a new one that's even smaller made by the same company but I can't think of the name right now. These drones take 4K video with image stabilization built right in. Phenomenal! Gimbals or steady cam holders for DSLR has been a real challenge for me. I finally gave up on the one I had. About $800 and never got the technique down. Maybe others have had better luck. For resolution today you go hi-def and ignore everything else. 1920x1080 for sure. In video you can always res down but you can't res up. But even better today is 4K. Now NOBODY plays 4K. But the deal is you shoot in 4K and res it down to 1920x1080. This gives you tons of edition power you don't get in any other way. Royalty free music can be added in a few ways. If you go with a service like Animoto, they have a library of music you're free to use on your shows. YouTube also has access to music but I think you have to be a creator studio member to access it. (Which is free as well). Other option is to buy music thru a service like Audio Jungle or triplescoopmusic.com I use both youTube and Vimeo for my videos, Photography Schoolhouse now goes thru youTube and my client work goes thru Animoto or Vimeo. With Vimeo, it's easy to control access to your show right down to a special password protection feature. With Animoto, I download a HD file after the show renders then play it for my clients at the viewing session on computer. To upload to Vimeo or youTube, you probably want to produce you show as an MP4 file. They both will take other formats, but MP4 is an excellent format for the web. That means you have to learn to use editing software of some sort. With Animoto, you just use their online system to produce the show. Much easier. Yes, you new site will have the ability to store and present video files. But a better way is to upload the show to youTube or Vimeo, make the show private, then use their embed codes to put the show into your website. This means you can use the site to control access. youTube does have a privacy setting, but I think Vimeo's is better. youTube is free, Vimeo is like $10/mth for their paid package. I think they have a free tier as well. With this sort of content, you should be able to move your pricing up. Kerry
    • Brent Rowlett
      After days of reading, I am sharing the following for people producing videos with music. First the DJI Gimbles and Drones are rated some of the best on the market. iPhone introduced Optical Image Stabilization with the 6S model iPhone. Unfortunately there is no way to turn off this feature which conflicts with the OIS Gimble with Bluetooth ap, causing jerking at times with the video capture. 1. So I purchased the iPhone 6 which has a faster processor and faster auto focus with OIS to conflict with the Gimble. I tried the video with the 5S, but it takes a while for the phone to focus when panning or moving which is not acceptable. 2. One of these music service switched me to "Premium Beat"...the music is excellent but expensive--$49/song. They say you cannot use this music to sell product, but I am going to put them on the real estate walk thrus which have no sale price. 3. I like the Vimeo product. 33 minutes of HD video was 1GB, so I am thinking the "Plus" product for $60 annually and 5 GB storage monthly would do just fine. There is really no direction how to use the service, so I am assuming that I upload a MP4 produced video and the program will give me a link to give to the agents. 4. And finally I had to buy a 2X wide angle lens for the phone to achieve the equivalent of a 17mm lens--$89.00 at B&H. So $299 for the Gimble, $304 for the iPhone 6, $89 for the wide angle lens, $100 for two songs, $60 for Vimeo storage and I am in business. I have several listings coming up that agents have expressed a desire to order video if it is priced right.
      • Brent Rowlett
        The iPhone 6 does NOT have OIS. The 6S, 7 & 7S phones have OIS which conflicts with Gimble technology and cannot be turned off.
  2. Brent Rowlett
    DJI Osmo Gimble for sale at B&H for $299 seems to be a nice stabilization unit for the smart phone. This might be the cheapest way to go to get adequate video of properties shake free as I walk through the homes. If I can find out the mechanics of posting to Utube and allow the agents to retrieve the link and post them, I might be able to add additional income to my orders.
  3. Brent Rowlett
    I love the Animoto product ever since you introduced it in Fusion photography. The competitor service that I sent you charges just $95/home. I have produced several shows with the I-Movie product...basic, but it does the job and is fairly easy to use allowing me to make title slides and ending slides which may be all that I need. Thank you for the information, and I have to get to work with your information.

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