Today I did something I have never done before….edited two complete weddings (the DVDs) in a single day. While to some of you this may not seem like a big deal, to me it is a milestone. I have done back to back edits (meaning on separate days) but never on the same. Unfortunately, there are probably 3 people that read this blog that understand the magnitude of this, two of their names are Clint and Peter. Am I bragging? Absolutely.
The first wedding video I edited 4 years ago took me no less than 100 hours….for one. Think about your job, doing whatever it is you do, for two and a half weeks and cramming it into a 4 hour period, and then doing it again an hour later in another 4 hour period. My mind was spinning when I finished, but I was also very happy.
Keri and Kris, as well as Courtney and Clarence will both have their DVDs (and photos) waiting for them when they arrrive home from their honeymoons. The albums take a few weeks and that is truly beyond my control. I am pleased to say that I am certain there is no one else in the state of Alabama who can edit DVDs this quickly, and if there are more around the country, there arent many. On average they take about 20-30 hours for an experienced editor. The result of my super fast workflow for both photography and video is that that couples are very happy and I get a lot of referals. While my products are of the finest quality, customers are usually more impressed with superior speed in the turn around time (a few days) than anyhing else. While some vendors say they need more time to work on something, I say its really a matter of priority. The end result for me is great too because I never have to “catch” up on my workflow….usually the Tuesday after the wedding I am finished.
Looking back over the last few years I have been editing, I think I have done well over 70 videos, and wow….experience is a fantastic instructor. Everything gets easier with experience. You know how to plan for whats coming, you know where the dangers are. Experience is better than book learning because the consquence of messing up is there, where as with books, if there is an error, its just on paper if you know what I mean. The risk of failure…knowing there can be a price to pay is a great motivator.
