From Alan: “When we have conversations with wedding pros around the country, the discussion inevitably turns to their ROI, or Return on Investment. They want a good ROI from their print ads, their online ads, their emails, their direct mail, their social media, their bridal show participation and really everything they do. However, when we ask how you’re tracking your ROI the conversation gets really quiet, really fast.

While there is a small group who really have a handle on it, most either don’t track it at all, or are using the wrong methods and metrics for calculating their ROI. Even if you do know your ROI you still have to decide if it’s good, or bad and make decisions based upon that.

What we covered:

• What is ROI?

• How to measure and track your results

• How to understand if your return is good

• How you can improve your ROI to achieve greater profitability”

Alan Berg

• author

• professional speaker

• small business marketing expert

author of “If your website was an employee, would you fire it?” and “Don’t Paint the House!”

“Alan is a tremendous speaker and an amazing talent. His advice is invaluable. Best seminar I’ve attended all year.”
Damon Dietz, Absolute Media Productions

founder of the Wedding Industry Leaders Conference

Education, coaching and consulting for highly motivated individuals and businesses

alan@alanberg.com

www.alanberg.com

David Perry, of David Perry Films in Utah, will be presenting an evening workshop entitled “Creating Connections That Book Weddings”.  This evening is sponsored by IN[FOCUS].  More info to come.

Joe Taravella, of Studio Vieux Carre in New Orleans, LA, will delve deep into DSLR workflow.  He’ll show us how to simplify shooting with DSLRs, how to choose which camera/lens combinations are right for you, how to use lens filters, how to convert and edit DSLR footage, and ways to incorporate still photos from your DSLR into your workflow.

Please RSVP on the facebook event page.

IN[FOCUS] on Twitter and Facebook

David Perry Twitter and Facebook

Joe Taravella Twitter and Facebook

NJVA Twitter and Facebook

If you are tweeting about this event please include the official hashtag #INFOCUSNJVA

Watch the really cool preview of the IN[FOCUS] event coming in January

Show and Tell

Now’s your chance to show off that latest video related thing you just got over the summer. Dan Strickler will show us his new Sony AVCHD camcorder, the NX5U.

He reports, “I’ve taken it out on 4 jobs so far and I’m very pleased with the results. I think it’s a real winner and has the potential of being very popular with event videographers. It’s a good, solid camera at a modest price.” He’ll give us a tour of the camera and demo some footage on an HD projector. Then Dave Hall will show his Kessler CineSlider, Sachtler FSB 4 carbon fiber tripod and Rode Stereo Videomic (which includes the dead kitten.)

and Anthony Quintano will be showing off the Jag35 Shoulder rig.

Eric Model, Tony Cucci, Julie Conroy and John Karczmit will also be sharing. But we still have time in the schedule for a few more cool, video-related gadgets. So if you recently purchased something that has changed your life as a videographer – okay, maybe it’s not a life-changer, but something you think we ought to know about,don’t keep it a secret, share! Please e-mail Dan Strickler and he’ll fit you in the schedule. If you are intending on coming to the meeting please RSVP either by commenting on this post or RSVP to the event page on facebook

Video Contest!

Anything But a Wedding Video

The September 15th contest will feature any video that is not wedding related; a corporate job, a PR piece, a dance concert, anything that does not include a bride and groom!

Please email Dan Strickler to let us know you plan to enter so we can better schedule the evening.

Because the category is so broad, you will not be comparing the videos to each other but rather judging each on a scale of 1 to 10 on the basis of their artistic and technical merits.

Awards: Gold, Silver, and Bronze will be presented to the top three entries. Winners will be announced at the completion of the NJVA meeting. Awards will be presented at the NJVA holiday party in December.

Important things to know:

* Entrant must be a member in good standing of NJVA for at least one month prior to the competition in order to enter.
* Entries can be up to 5 minutes in length or any 5 minute excerpt of a longer piece.
* It must be taken from a paying job.
* It must be on a DVD.
* One entry per member per competition.
* All entries must be received by 7:30pm on the night of the competition.
* All entries must be given to the competition chairperson at the NJVA front desk.

Bill Kronemyer,  the founder of the NJVA, and one of the pioneers in the event video industry, died in his home on Thursday, August 5th.

Bill started the NJVA group back in 1988 by placing an ad in Videomaker magazine for interested videographers in the northern NJ area. The original four members met informally at Bill’s small apartment in Hawthorne, but soon moved to larger venues when the membership outgrew his apartment. The NJVA became an official non-profit organization in 1994, electing Robert Allen as their first president.

In that same year, Bill moved on to create the PVAA – Professional Videographers Association of America, and it’s monthly magazine, American Videographer. Bill served as both Executive Director, and the magazine’s publisher/editor. It was a slick, information-packed magazine, but only lasted about a year and a half.

Bill was also an active member with the northern NJ chapter of the ITVA (International Television Association), now the MCA-I (Media Communications Association, International), and served as their vice president from 1996 through 1999. He was known and respected for his considerable knowledge in the technical aspects of video production.

Bill owned and operated W.J. Kronemyer, Assoc., specializing in corporate clients; Sharp and Nordstrom, among them. For several years in the late 90′s, Bill was a full-time video editor for Christ Church in Montclair, NJ.

Bill is survived by his brother, Bob and sister Katie, as well as his mother, Kay. There will be an informal gathering of friends and family on August 29th. Email Dave Hall for more information.  There is an on-line obituary and you are invited to sign the virtual guest book.  Click here.

Welcome to the NEW NJVA.ORG!  We are currently undergoing a re-design of our website, so bear with us during the change. Feel free to comment and leave suggestions in the comments section of this post, or email davideo@comcast.net

At the first meeting of 2010, we were honored to have special guest Matt Davis from http://www.lifestagefilms.com. Matt founded Life Stage Films just over 3 years ago. His studio is based in Wilmington, NC. In that time he has become a multi-year WEVA CEA winner, increased his company to 8 staff people, and commands some of the highest rates for wedding video services in North Carolina, all during a recession. He has also launched a video business coaching program for event videographers to help get them on the fest track to owning their business, instead of just working in it. Although he gets much joy from having happy clients, nothing is more rewarding to him that giving back to the video industry and doing his part to make it a  better place to make a living.