Falling market?

[vjrei]

Ok, I was doing good until people started to copy my work. I mean, doing the "same" stuff from a dvd player only and charging way less. No interaction with music and clients are fine with that so far.

So, I was charging 6K $ lets say, then I started to offer solutions for $4K and now I have people offering visuals from a DVD for 1K or even less.

I mean, I am taking the equivalent to $ so you can have a reference but the actual amount in Venezuelan currency is less. 1K si around $300 actually and 6K $2000.

So, 60% of what I can do is replaced by a DVD player in their eyes. Only technical direction is what could keep me alive but once I resolve a problem for a company they learn and they start to do it themselves.

I have to move like a fish in the water now to resolve the issues and see how I can sell myself and still having a life out of this. I do not know to do anything else. At least I have my savings. Let see but things does not look good for VJing so far here in Caracas.

[bryandod]

Maybe you should consider offering a DVD service for $1K. How easy would it be for you to make a dvd at the house. If your customers don't care about beat synchronization, this should please them. i understand it sucks, but $1K for an hours work is worth doing.

[Rovastar]

To be honest Rei I think you have been very lucky so far. Many of us have been going through what you are going through now years and years ago.
Now the realities are catching up with you.

You now have to show them why they should want you, explain what you give and otehrs don't ,etc.

[hookturn]

You need to tell them about the:

Features you can add into the club
The advantages of having such an install
And finally the benefits to them as a club.

If you can do this well they will buy form you.

Its the foundations of a salesmans pitch.

[vjrei]

Well, is part of the evolution of the market, I think Hollywood has the same concern as me with movie piracy (just to give an analogy).

I was doing my homework today, asking every one and I noticed something that I forgot. There is a level in the production market where everything is basically low end, I mean, some one just told me there are many VJs around, he couldn't name one and I know basically everybody who can be competitive to me. This same person told me (regarding a party in particular) that the visuals are not the most important part of the show and they would need me just to develop a custom intro for a DJ. I mean, I have been on this for about 6 years now and there are tons of aspects to consider, specially now that I am doing "lighting" with the screens. Any way, this person has little clue or is negociating the VJ part behind my backs (this person runs the lasers).

But, I went to my club and there is an event with History channel on thursday and I was talking with the advertising company who is developing the event and they do not know any VJ actually, only me. And this people is in a actual corporate level.

In other words, it depends where I am moving. Corporate are a pain but that is my field and I am in that level where everyone else drop the ball.

So, time to move the machinery higher where they do not have time to deal with unexperience people, need problem resolvers and specially some one that speak english. Because that is something else... many of the providers do not know how to set up their equipment because they do not read the manuals, they do not speak english. A friend of mine told me the other day "there was this cool new T-Bar in BH Photo for the V4 where you could fade from one side to the other" I told him... if you read your manual you could see you can unscrew yours and turn it around, that si not a feature, that is a T-bar in case you brake yours. Those kind of things I find here.

Well, lets keep fighting, one thing is to reach the top and another one to still on top, I have been repeating that to myself several times already today.