Stupidity Level: Epic

[Benny Smyth]

I was informed that a DJ was nice enough to pinch one of my photos and use it on his website. I had a look and started laughing, deciding not to bother sending a threatening email. Why?

Because this photo has my Liteconsole in it. That would be the Liteconsole with my branding plastered all over it. Idiot.

[Nakatomi]

Brilliant! Ask him if he'll help promote other businesses on his website too.

[DJWilson]

Lets hope they don't do a bad job and you name/brand gets caught up in conversation.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I've recently got my PfCO for drone filming and I'm really upping my game on that front. I hadn't really thought about it but the software I've just upgraded to today allows you to put in some pretty nice but subtle watermarks on it (which will also help with branding) and then I read this - a sign?

TBF it would be really easy for someone to pinch one of my videos and just cut the beginning and end then pass it off as their own as it currently stands.

[Nakatomi]

I've recently got my PfCO for drone filming and I'm really upping my game on that front. I hadn't really thought about it but the software I've just upgraded to today allows you to put in some pretty nice but subtle watermarks on it (which will also help with branding) and then I read this - a sign?

TBF it would be really easy for someone to pinch one of my videos and just cut the beginning and end then pass it off as their own as it currently stands.

What I sometimes do on vids I publish online is show a 'bug' in one corner that hopefully isn't obtrusive or small enough to be cropped out. It means I have to pass any clip through a proper video editing program though, which can be a bit of a pain sometimes - but it isn't hard to do. I use Sony Vegas movie Studio for my vids - all you need is an editor that allows you to overlay images on top of video. Here's a decent primer if this is news to you Jim :) https://www.videomaker.com/article/c12/15431-protect-yourself-watermarking-video

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

What I sometimes do on vids I publish online is show a 'bug' in one corner that hopefully isn't obtrusive or small enough to be cropped out. It means I have to pass any clip through a proper video editing program though, which can be a bit of a pain sometimes - but it isn't hard to do. I use Sony Vegas movie Studio for my vids - all you need is an editor that allows you to overlay images on top of video. Here's a decent primer if this is news to you Jim :) https://www.videomaker.com/article/c12/15431-protect-yourself-watermarking-video

I do full blown edited videos so adding one to my template would take seconds

I'd never really considered it to be honest but I'm getting pretty good at really differentiating my videos from the run of the mill- drone footage, cinematic ratio, colour grading etc.. So I'm pretty sure at some point someone will steal one.

I'm not superstitious but this is very coincidental timing.

[Nakatomi]

I do full blown edited videos so adding one to my template would take seconds

I'd never really considered it to be honest but I'm getting pretty good at really differentiating my videos from the run of the mill- drone footage, cinematic ratio, colour grading etc.. So I'm pretty sure at some point someone will steal one.

I'm not superstitious but this is very coincidental timing.

Oops sorry if I was preaching to a convert there ;)

I generally put the bug on its own layer if I bother at all now, then I can render 2 copies - one with bug for online videos & one without for my archive. Come to think, it must be almost new promo video making time..

[Excalibur]

Come to think, it must be almost new promo video making time..

Dear Lord, but this technological age seems to require all sorts of things incidental to playing music. A prospective client asked if I had any videos of myself in action. Up to now I'd dismissed it, but perhaps it's a possibility? :confused:

[Nakatomi]

Dear Lord, but this technological age seems to require all sorts of things incidental to playing music. A prospective client asked if I had any videos of myself in action. Up to now I'd dismissed it, but perhaps it's a possibility? :confused:


Do you not occasionally take videos at your gigs? I try to as much as possible & I've been lucky to catch some amazing dancefloor happenings. My standard contract states that customers give permission for me to take photos & video for promotional purposes but I'll be happy not to if they ask.

I often wonder, when many DJs only post their 'ready to go' pics what customers think. Most of my customers cite the 'evidence' I post as influencing their decision to book so I do it whenever I can.

Deciding what to post, and how to pitch it is still something I'm getting a handle on. I don't want to appear too typical, cheesy or monosyballic. "Oh look John this DJ filled the floor with proud Mary 8 at parties in a row! ".

See also, sometimes we can capture moments our customer will greatly treasure. Be on the lookout ;)


Oh! I should maybe add here;

It doesn't have to look 'pro' in my opinion BUT... Audio if present should be clear & the pictures steady. I see DJs posting distorted, wobbly footage all the time. Often this is a function of the camera they're using. My last phone took lovely looking video but any music louder than a whisper sounded... Well just not like music & not the kind of advert any DJ needs.

[ppentertainments]

Deciding what to post, and how to pitch it is still something I'm getting a handle on. I don't want to appear too typical, cheesy or monosyballic. "Oh look John this DJ filled the floor with proud Mary 8 at parties in a row! ".

No, that DJ is called Chris and fills the floor with Proud Mary, Mr Brightside, Children of the Night and Sweet Caroline.

Guilty as charged :D:D:D:D:D:D

Something I need to try and change as must admit my FB page is getting very repetitive and predictable.

[Nakatomi]

No, that DJ is called Chris and fills the floor with Proud Mary, Mr Brightside, Children of the Night and Sweet Caroline.

Guilty as charged :D:D:D:D:D:D

Something I need to try and change as must admit my FB page is getting very repetitive and predictable.

I sometimes wonder if I'm missing a trick by posting vids of those songs so rarely... I dunno if I dare put a cha cha slide up though :lol:

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

It doesn't have to look 'pro' in my opinion BUT... Audio if present should be clear & the pictures steady. I see DJs posting distorted, wobbly footage all the time. Often this is a function of the camera they're using. My last phone took lovely looking video but any music louder than a whisper sounded... Well just not like music & not the kind of advert any DJ needs.

My brother passed me a gig on the other week as his wife was induced to have twins :beer1:

It was an awards ceremony so no video required (he does video too) but at one stage I dropped a friends remix of Lewis Capaldi and the place erupted so I uploaded a short clip to the local Amp DJ group. When I played it back I couldn't believe how crap the quality on my phone was yet you've got people up here now trying to compete with the kind of stuff my brother and I have been doing with pro grade equipment for years just using their phone.:rolleyes:

There's a reason I go out with more £££s invested in camera gear than music gear these days - it really is a selling point and re: promo videos Peter, I've had people want to book me on account of seeing my suit in the first 10 seconds of my last promo video :D the music, by and large is secondary to the nature of what you're offering at a higher end client imo.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I sometimes wonder if I'm missing a trick by posting vids of those songs so rarely... I dunno if I dare put a cha cha slide up though :lol:

I rarely include clips of those tunes during my videos - I don't do much in the way of line dances anyway but if I am doing one it's lucky if I'll throw in a few seconds of it and I'll get out from behind the booth and make it an action shot. Proud Mary I'll shoot parts of but again, I try to keep it minimal. I don't think for a minute people are sitting watching tonnes of my videos and going "oh his playlists must be the same" but still.

[Nakatomi]

I rarely include clips of those tunes during my videos - I don't do much in the way of line dances anyway but if I am doing one it's lucky if I'll throw in a few seconds of it and I'll get out from behind the booth and make it an action shot. Proud Mary I'll shoot parts of but again, I try to keep it minimal. I don't think for a minute people are sitting watching tonnes of my videos and going "oh his playlists must be the same" but still.

I think if you've seen one crowd cha cha slide or roll down the river you've seen them all. Normally people looking like they're concentrating rather than enjoying themselves in the case of the action dances.

As for quality.. anything is better than nothing usually but obviously the better you go there are returns. I get pretty good footage from my 600D with a 50mm f1.8 lens & my latest phone (Google pixel 3a) does very well to convey any action without additional lighting. The phone upgrade has blown me away actually... It seems to turn anything I shoot from a moving viewpoint into very stable video.

This has now gone so far off topic it could do with its own thread! Sorry Benny ;)