Question Regarding Custom Videos

[Regisblb]

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[Fred588]

My opnion, as a producer (and I have not done any custom jobs as yet) is that this should be a matter for negotiation BEFORE and agreement is made. Further, an agreement should probably include coverage of what to do in the event some portion of a project cannot be completed, or else leave room for some discretion. Obviously, there are things that can go wrong during production, such as bad weather, a malfunctioning camera or microphone, and so on. These can result in a complete loss of a scene. Its complicated, which is why mopst producers I know are very reluctant to accept custom work, especially if it is very specific as to detail.

[dlodoski]

For reasons Fred alluded to, I only do 'customs' (and I use that term loosely) that are open-ended both in terms of outcome and edit/release scheduling.

That's not to say that it's a bad arrangement. Most fetish producers charge a minimum of $500 for a custom scene, and often in the $1000 range. With the way I do it, you can get one done for the cost of wardrobe, a bit of luck and plenty of patience. That's assuming, of course, that I would take it on.

So as far as your specific question goes, it could range from three weeks to two years, give or take a few days.

[Fred588]

To follow up what Dave has said, we HAVE done one or two customs of th type Dave has described. To be specific, the customer supplied the wardrobe and/or any very specific prop needs, and we used it in a couple of scenes. However, the "custom" request was open-ended with respect to the scene content.

[Robert]

Quick question for any of you who have commissioned a custom video, or for any producers who have made them: What do you think is a reasonable length of time between when the video is shot and when it's delivered?

Trying to do a little straw poll here ... thanks!

One thing not covered yet is who is to own the copyright. If you want to buy the rights to it, it will cost much more then just supplying costumes or props to cover the royalties that could have been made if it was released by the producer to the general community.

Robert

[Nessie]

Quick question for any of you who have commissioned a custom video, or for any producers who have made them: What do you think is a reasonable length of time between when the video is shot and when it's delivered?

Trying to do a little straw poll here ... thanks!

I've had a few requests for custom videos, mostly since joining UMD (so I think it's mostly those guys). I've been afraid to go there. My day job is in a field where literally everything is custom in some way. I know just how bad the bad can get.

Since it's "custom", though, I'd say that the answer to your question...how long between order time and delivery... has no definite answer.

What did the customer order?

If Nature cooperates, and I went out to my bog and nailed the scene alone with my tripod in half an hour, and was able to deliver electronically, turnaround time could be as short as a week. DVDs need to be mailed. If Nature doesn't cooperate, I can only shoot on weekends. So if it rains, I lose that week. If I need models (okay, I don't hire models as of now but if I did, ya know), that factors...you can only shoot when they can be there...and so do props, costuming, prep time and difficulty of the script.

Custom scenes do not take longer than scenes of similar complexity that are not custom, though. My full-length DVDs carried by MPV and Fred took around six months to produce from shoot to market. Less really...Fred was pretty fast.

So, I'd say that if the custom scene is a full-length DVD and six months have passed, and it's been paid for, and it's not here yet, it's time to suspect a problem. Actually, it should be faster than that for only one scene but remember...I don't know was ordered.

No matter what a project is or where it's at in production, the producer should keep the customer updated as to its progress when they are asked to do so. If they repeatedly do not answer your e-mails, that is a red flag.

Nessie

[Chimerix]

I'm finding that the time element is subject to continual re-negotiation!