DVD Slide Show Price Opinion

[cevad]

How much would you charge for a DVD slide show of a high school sports team containing just over 500 action and posed photos with basic cross fade transitions and set to popular music? The DVD presentation would run about 45 min.

I was concerned with selling DVDs directly to the parents because after I sold one DVD it would get copied and shared and no one else would buy a copy. So, I offered to sell the boosters 10 copies of the DVD at $50 each and then give them the right to make and sell as many additional copies as they wanted. Also included in this deal is my agreement to sell prints through my website at slightly above cost.

Does this sound like a reasonable deal? Personally, I think it's a bargain for the team considering the time I have spent shooting their games but I would like other's opinions.

Thanks!

[Mike R]

I charge $265 for a 20 minute slide show. That price includes one copy and I allow them to make copies. It's their choice if they want to give them away or sell it as a fund raiser. I had one team which wanted multiple copies to give to the seniors on the team and I charged an additional $30 a copy. The copy was in a DVD case with a nice cover and the label was Light-scribed onto the CD as it was for the original.

At the annual banquets, I let the slide show run in an endless loop for the duration of the banquet, with the music off so people can just look up at it during the course of the banquet and the music doesn't disturb people trying to talk to one another. I have one I'm doing for a softball team and they plan on showing it with audio, before dinner.

Using popular music can lead to trouble such as copyright infringement since you are charging for the slide show. I use music that I had purchased the rights to use. I explain to people that I cannot use popular or requested music because of copyright laws and that the music industry is taking action against people for doing this. All it takes is for one person to file a complaint and you can find yourself faced with heavy fines.
It's not any different than if you saw one of your pictures used without your permission.
I think that 45 minutes is too long for a team slide show. If they want people to pay attention to it, uninterrupted, It's taking 45 minutes away from other things at the banquet. I have had positive feed back on the duration of the show that I put together.

The teams I shoot for usually purchase an enlargement action shot to present to each senior on the team. This is in addition to prints that I sell to parents throughout the seasons. One football team purchased 17 shots (11x14) in addition to some 5x7 prints.
I don't give any kickback to the school or teams, so allowing them to make copies of the slide show (if they want to) is my way of thanking them for the business.