What’s New at the PVNB?

Our new web site

Custom designed and developed by the wonderful team at doubleswirl, our new web site is modern, accessible, eye-catching and most importantly, functional! The site far exceeded our expectations, and truly was a bargain. Please visit and support doubleswirl, so they can provide you with the same wonderful service that they provided the PVNB.

Upcoming Meeting Announcements:
  • Tuesday, September 8, 2009
  • 7:00pm to 9:30pm
  • Location: Creative Light Productions, Rohnert Park
  • Cost: Free.
  • “Managing Client Projects”
  • This meeting will be primarily a roundtable discussion on issues to consider when a media production service provider (like ourselves) is asked by a prospective client the question, "How much will it cost?"
  • Aspects of considering an answer to the question may include the following (plus any other discussion points on this topic that members pose during the meeting):
    • What is the sequence of steps or thought process you use to price a job?
    • How do you price a job that may have unfamiliar elements?
    • What have you learned from jobs that have cost you more than they were worth?
    • Does the consideration of what other vendors would likely charge come into play?
    • How do you ensure against being taken advantage of by “project feature creep” when you are operating on a pre-agreed price?
    • How do you tactfully negotiate a higher price when the client pushes for expanded services with the expectation that you should just include it? For example:
    • How do you respond when, after agreeing to a price for 4x3 SD, the client asks if it can be shot in HD or widescreen?
    • Are you dealing with any aspects of producing work in HD yet? How are you pricing it?
    • During these recessionary times does it make sense to lower your price to get work?
    • When do you provide work for free in the hopes of getting paid work? Has this strategy ever worked for you? Under what conditions?
  • We hope that this type of discussion, drawing from the variety of our members’ experiences, could prove invaluable to our survival in continuing to do this kind of work.
  • Of course, time permitting, we will also like to:
    • View any current member’s completed project samples that they would like to share - either for feedback, or just letting us all know what you’ve been up to.
    • Also, let’s try to find a few minutes to get your current thinking on whether to expand the website’s functionality — and specifically what we’d like to add.
    • And, we would also like to get some feedback on some of the ideas the steering committee is considering for future meeting topics.
  • Show and Tell: Bring some recent work on DVD to share (5 minute max, please.)
  • Cookies and soft drinks will be provided by PVNB for its members.