Minor moral question.

I recently shot a music video for a bluegrass band. The shoot went very well, the band was super nice and willing to do anything to get the video shot. When I presented them with the rough cut of the video they loved it and were super stoked.

Fast forward to a few days later, just before their cd release party where they plan to unveil the video. Apparently they have shown the video to a few people, that helped in the making of the video who wanted to know why their part in the video was downplayed or omitted from the final cut.

The band calls me wanting to know if I can make a few changes to the video to include some of what was originally cut from the video. I take the line that it is their video and say I will try to re-cut a few sections of the video to include some of the omitted scenes.

I quickly re-cut the video so that I could get it to them in a timely manor, they like the new cut as well and are very gracious. My only problem is that in my opinion the second edit is not as strong visually as the first, and I had planned on using the video for promotional purposes on my personal website which is covered in the contract and the band has no problem with.

I guess my question is should I use my original cut which I feel is stronger but doesn't represent the finished version that the band is going to publish or should I use the new version that I feel is slightly weaker but is what the band will be showing to their fanbase?

If they are happy then you have done your job well. Next time, when you know what is expected, you can try to please both your artistic desires and their taste. Take is as a learning experience.

Would labeling the one on your website "Director's Cut" solve your problem?

If you can please post it on Youtube or Vimeo, we'd like to see it.

IMO what you describe sounds like a normal part of the client feedback process to get to the result they are happy with. I would recommend if you are showing the video as a whole it should be shown "as approved" by the client but feel free to cut together any clips you want for your own showreel or promo purposes.

My day job is in the production of CGI trailers for computer games, the first cut rarely looks anything like the finished product, client feedback is an integral and unavoidable part of the process of image creation, rounds and rounds of feedback and discussion are completely normal . From that point of view a couple of changes they requested seems pretty minor to me and sounds like a job well done!

Thanks for all of the feedback guys and I will be sure to post the video as soon as the band has done their official release. My problem was never with having a client give me feedback on how to improve the video, that is totally normal and expected. Its more that everyone agreed that the original cut was awesome, and that the changes requested were more along the lines of "hey uncle jimmy came out to help with the video and wants to know why he was only in the video for 6 seconds, could you use Kore shots of uncle jimmy?" And that this happened a. couple of times.

I do think it seems more honest to post the final cut of the video and I that is what I will most likely do. Just seems a waste not to show what both myself and my lead contact from the group thought was the visually stronger video. I like the idea of having a directors cut maybe I will post them both this way.

Your clients needs and yours will not always be the same. I would have no issue using a "Director's Cut" version of the video on my own website or portfolio.

Yes ,release both versions.
Word of mouth from happy "customers" should get a foot through the door and talking to customers about their wants should help.
Well done

Thanks guys appreciate the help I'm going to post up both videos. They said the CD premiere went. very well.

For everyone who wanted to see the video

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=2wWQ3qmeDr0

That is an excellent video with great production. I'm sure your client was really happy with the results! A few titles would help viewers remember the name of the band, song title, website, and director credit.

Well conceived, shot, and composed! When can we see the "Making Of" documentary? Were any of those people professional actors? How did you get all the children to do their parts and look natural? Were smocks made up for the girls, or do kids still dress that way in rural Kentucky?

Sounds a bit like one of my customers preferring a B&W and me preferring a color version of the same photo. I have no qualms showing the color version on my website/portfolio. Same goes for showing images they didn't choose as final selections. As long as it's your work I don't see how it matters what you show vs what you deliver to people.

sspellman wrote in post #16378747
That is an excellent video with great production. I'm sure your client was really happy with the results! A few titles would help viewers remember the name of the band, song title, website, and director credit.

Thanks! On the official version I gave to the band it had the credits/title on there never even noticed that was missing from the youtube version.

OhLook wrote in post #16381801
Well conceived, shot, and composed! When can we see the "Making Of" documentary? Were any of those people professional actors? How did you get all the children to do their parts and look natural? Were smocks made up for the girls, or do kids still dress that way in rural Kentucky?

Thanks I'm glad everyone seems to be digging the video. No one on set was a professional actor and the only person that had any acting experience before hand was Gabe (the kid who played the lead role) he had been in a couple of school plays before. The dresses were all hand made for the girls. Brian's (the singer) grandmother made all of the dresses out of old feed sacks that she had around her house, it was something her grandmother taught her to do as a kid in Appalachian Kentucky during the great depression.

Edit: Forgot to answer the question about the kids. I shot a butt ton of footage when all of the kids were together and got to pick and choose the best shots. It helped a whole lot that Gabe and two of the older girls were really into being in a music video so they did everything in their power to coral the younger kids.

cdifoto wrote in post #16381829
Sounds a bit like one of my customers preferring a B&W and me preferring a color version of the same photo. I have no qualms showing the color version on my website/portfolio. Same goes for showing images they didn't choose as final selections. As long as it's your work I don't see how it matters what you show vs what you deliver to people.

Thanks!

That is a killer video. I'm sure they were very happy!

Thanks! I appreciate it! I'm working with another band starting this month they will be doing cover songs releasing one a month and I am so pumped to get to do another music video!