Got camcorder? Make $ on DIY topics
Hudson Valley Carpenter
| Posted in General Discussion on
My next door neighbor is a video pro who earns a pretty good living shooting very brief how-to subjects. One of the web sites is www.expertvillage.com .
According to the web site, they pay film makers an average of $300 for a few minutes description of simple DIY projects, like painting a window or planting a bush.
Edited 7/27/2008 3:33 am by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Replies
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Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
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Fricking how to survive a Zombie attack is already spoken for.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/72206_zombie-attack-about.htm
I'm moving to the country, I'm gonna eat a lot of Peaches. Aug. 8,9,10th Follow me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19McuaPKjI8
That just shows how dangerous it is to get DIY information off the internet. That's why on JLC's site you have to prove you are a pro before posting about zombies
If painting a window and planting a bush are already spoken for, I'll do watching TV and eating a snack if it's still up for grabs.
Edited 7/24/2008 10:37 pm ET by fingersandtoes
I'll do watching TV and eating a snack if it's still up for grabs.
Just a guess but I'd say that subject has been pretty well covered in most households.
I'd imagine that there are lots of skill sets which haven't been touched yet. My neighbor has done a number of videos on painting and small landscaping jobs. That's why I used them as examples.
Jokes aside, hanging Hardiplank, drywall taping and coping with a grinder would be popular topics based on the number of times they come up here.
From the web site, looks like it'd be pretty easy to propose a topic, see if they're interested in paying for it.
Seems to me like something a skilled person could do in less than an hour, while he/she is at work. It just requires a tripod for the camcorder and the ability to describe what's being done while doing it.
Do one each week, as new subject matter comes up, edit them on the computer in the evening and pick up an extra $300 for your trouble.
I've briefly watched my neighbor doing a couple of them with tradepeople, out in his front yard. It's all simple and low key.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/876_snapdragons.htm
This is one series that he shot with a gardener, each of them about one minute long.
Edited 7/27/2008 3:35 am by Hudson Valley Carpenter
I could do one on how to %^^&* up a perfectly good concrete pour
I could do one on how to %^^&* up a perfectly good concrete pour
As Shakespeare said, "How do I phuck thee up? Let me count the ways".
I'd be curious to know how the hourly rate shakes down. How many hours of video go into a 30 second TV spot?"It depends on the situation..."
I think it depends on how comfortable the "talent" is with his/her subject. The videos I linked were scripted and required multiple takes to get the lines and action correct and in sync.
A person who has prior experience, instructing others on how to handle a particular aspect of an installation, shouldn't need more than a couple of attempts to get it on tape.
I'd suggest that you spend some time watching a number of the videos on this site, to get an idea of how much work is involved.
I'm pretty sure that the 14 segments on snap dragons were shot in a couple of hours, then edited over a week or so in the evening. Even though my neighbor has an impressive editing setup, it can all be done on almost any computer with very inexpensive software.
I'd suggest that you spend some time watching a number of the videos on this site, to get an idea of how much work is involved.
Good suggestion. I've never seen it (I'm on dial-up), but I can tell you how long it took to make the FHB video of me explaining how to reconfigure cabinet door router bit sets to cut window rails and stiles.
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The shooting took about an hour and a half. I believe the final video runs about 4 or 5 minutes (but if someone on high-speed can watch it and correct me, please do).
And it took about six months to edit and get it up on the site. Apparently, it got produced and somebody forgot to upload it till I asked where it was half a year later. LOL.
My educated guess is that the actual editing time required was a minimum of two or three hours.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Sounds consistent with what I've learned from talking with my neighbor.
For example, he shot all fourteen of those one minute videos on the snap dragons over about four or five hours. He then spent maybe twice that time in his editing room, putting each of them together.
I've worked with basic video editing software on my computer, cutting my own home videos, then adding voice over and music to them. It's pretty simple, even the first time through.
And that's all they want for their web site, good quality video of useful DIY topics from professional tradespeople who can talk and work at the same time.
Edited 7/27/2008 3:40 am by Hudson Valley Carpenter
How about attic ventilation?And maybe the black diamonds on the tape measures ???(-:
Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.
expertvillage you say? I think Tim Carter already has this
category well covered on YouTube as AskTheBuilder
http://www.youtube.com/user/AsktheBuilder?ob=1
I don't doubt that there are other good sources. My only point here is to offer a way for some of our experts to improve their income.
There are always a few BTers who are looking for new business opportunities. This one may fit someone's background nicely.
My point is "why would you want to set up shop in an unknown
place like that when there's Youtube?" And if you are going to reinvent yourself as a video presenter on
Youtube, which is what Tim Carter has dedicated himself to doing,
then you are going to be competing with Tim, and he's already got
a head start of some 250 very good videos.If you can beat Tim, then power to you. I will be the first one to
subscribe to your channel.
Edited 7/25/2008 9:39 pm by talkingdog
I think you're missing something here. I'm simply pointing out this opportunity to anyone on BT who's interested in making some extra money and has some basic experience at shooting and editing home videos.
My neighbor has been making a good living with this and other similar web based videos for the last two years. There's no subscription required to watch them.
If you have a better deal to present, I'd be glad to hear about it.
I've watched a lot of expert village videos on Youtube. I had no idea they were getting paid to do them. Hmm.
I'm moving to the country, I'm gonna eat a lot of Peaches. Aug. 8,9,10th Follow me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19McuaPKjI8
I was emailed a while ago about doing those videos.
It's not $300 per video. It's $300 for a series of videos, they actually pay $20 per 3-minute video. So your friend would have received $300 for his entire series of 15 videos on snap dragons.
Mongo
So your friend would have received $300 for his entire series of 15 videos on snap dragons.
Doesn't fit with the scale of his investment or what it costs to live here.
I'll Email him, tell him about this thread and see if he wants to provide some better information about the money.
It's possible they changed their payment schedule, or that I simply misinterpreted the info that I was sent way back when.
Okay, did a quick look-see on their website, here's what I found. I edited it down a bit for brevity:
"What is an example of a Demand Studios assignment?
A Demand Studios assignment is a collection of up to 30 videos within a specific category that a filmmaker may produce with a single expert in a single location. All individual videos within a series are required to be 1-3 minutes in length and answer one specific how to question.
Assignments created by Demand Studios will be under the Available Assignments link. These assignments will consist of up to 30 individual titles and come with pre-determined Production Guidelines, usually detailing the qualifications of the expert and location that you need to find.
How much do I get paid per assignment?
On average, you can expect to receive $300-$600 per assignment. The payment amount is based on the number of 1-3 minute videos created, at a rate of $20 per video."
The way I read that is that it's pretty much the same as the info they sent me. An "assignment" is a series of 15-30 videos. You get paid $20 per video, or $300-$600 per "assignment" of 15-30 videos. Those prices might still make it attractive for some folk to get involved, but $20 per clip is a far cry from $300 per clip. At $300 per clip I might have even been tempted to start taking acting lessons. <!---->
Mongo<!---->
Yea, I probably wouldn't do it at those rates either, unless I got the editing process down to the point where I could turn out a series in a few hours.
Anyway, I wrote him an Email earlier, asking about the money so I'll let you know what he says, if anything.
It may be that he just shoots these EV series as something to fill in between better paying gigs. He also works with realtors, doing virtual tours of expensive homes. Some other web based comedy videos too. I haven't kept up with it.
FWIW, basic digital camcorders and digital editing software are very simple to use and give excellent results. There's a learning curve but it's not much trouble.
I shoot with a Sony digital 8 camcorder which transfers directly to my computer's hard drive via firewire. Then it's easy to pull up and edit, modifying color and light, adding voice over and music.
If your neighbors income from making these videos doesn't seem to match your area maybe he has a side business you know nothing of?
Well he does have a small studio built into his garage so ya never know.
maybe you could become a star as well <g>
Noooo thanks... :-)