Posts tagged Maine videographer

The Funny Farm: Fighting for What Matters

0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, Editorial, Mainers, Video

Stories are everywhere—real, human stories about people fighting to find a home, keep one, live their lives, and take care of their families.

I love working with clients who make a real difference. Few organizations have helped change lives the way Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) has. Founded by Seward “Pat” Brewster in 1966, their nonprofit lawyers—working out of six offices across Maine—provide legal advice and represent low-income Mainers. They work with vulnerable populations, renters, Maine tribes, migrant workers, and many others who need a voice.

Each one of PTLA’s clients have stories.

I’m fortunate to be sharing the story of the Funny Farm—a ragtag group of individuals—including addicts, a former convict and an aging Merry Prankster. They’ve built a family by choice, creating a life together in a threadbare collection of buildings on a rural property in Lowell, Maine. Their story is powerful, as profound as the impact that Pine Tree Legal Assistance has had on their sober living community. If you ask the PTLA lawyers, they’ll shrug and say, “It’s what we do”. To the people who get to keep their homes, it’s everything.

I’m honored to tell this story and highlight the important work PTLA is doing in Maine.

 

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Understanding Photographer and Videographer Rates

0 Comments read Blog, Business, Client Work, Industrial, Shop Talk, Tips
Industrial workers
© Brian Fitzgerald

When hiring a photographer or videographer, rates can be confusing. Some photographers don’t provide day rates, while videographers often do. Sometimes you might encounter work-for-hire contracts; other times, you hire someone to create a defined product, such as a 1-2 minute video business profile, priced by the deliverable rather than the time it takes.

To clear up the confusion, here’s a breakdown of some key terms that can help you navigate the hiring process more effectively next time you have a visual project.

Work For Hire (Paying To Own)

What It Is: In a Work For Hire (WFH) arrangement, the client owns the full rights to the visuals from the moment they are created. This is typical when the work is performed by an employee of the company but can apply to independent contractors.

Why It’s Important: The creator relinquishes all ownership and cannot use the work for their portfolio or other purposes without permission. This is crucial for clients who need complete control and ownership of the content, particularly when proprietary or trademarked processes and products are shown. Note that specific legal definitions determine what constitutes WFH, and a contract specifying WFH may not be legally binding if those conditions aren’t met.

Project Rates (Paying For Value)

What It Is: Project rates are a fixed fee agreed upon for the entire scope of work, typically covering pre-production, production, and post-production phases. This is often my preferred pricing method because the focus is on results, not time.

Why It’s Important: This approach ensures a well-defined project scope and clear expectations for both parties. It often leads to more thorough planning and better final results, as the photographer or videographer can focus on specific deliverables. Project rates focus the creative professional on creating the best outcome rather than counting minutes or hours. An experienced photographer may produce the same amount of work as a less-experienced one but in less time. Using a project rate, pricing is based on the end product and rewards the experienced photographer for their efficiency. For my clients, efficiency and minimal disruption to their operations is invaluable.

Product Pricing (Paying For Specific Deliverables)

What It Is: Product pricing refers to a model where the cost is based on the final deliverables rather than the time spent creating them. Examples include a formal business headshot or a 90-second explainer video for a local business.

Why It’s Important: This pricing structure is straightforward and focuses on the value of the end product. Clients pay for the specific images or videos they receive, making it easier to budget and justify.

Day Rates (Paying For Time)

What It Is: Day rates are fees charged by the day (typically 8, 10, or 12 hours), covering the professional’s time on a daily basis regardless of the setups, sessions, or work performed.

Why It’s Important: Day rates might make sense if you value flexibility and budget predictablity, but they encourage scope creep, which can lead to quantity over quality and time over efficiency.

There’s no single “right” way to structure rates. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Knowing the difference between them will help you budget and ensure a smooth, successful project. Your visual professional should also be able to explain these terms and why they recommend a particular rate structure so you can make the best possible decision for you and your project.

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Want to discuss an upcoming visual project or want help telling your visual story?  Let us know!

A Tradition Forged in Iron

0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, Creativity, Industrial, Mainers at Work, On Location, Projects, Video

 

The artists and craftsmen who call Maine home share a cultural heritage with those who have gone before them.  This link to the past is epitomized by Sam Smith, an aptly-named blacksmith who operates several forges across the state as guildmaster of the  Maine Blacksmith’s Guild.

Smith and the guild use and teach 19th-century techniques and practices and have an active apprenticeship program. Smith also teaches and works his trade in Germany and Brazil for months each year.

“Preserving the skill set of working iron by hand and not allowing machines to do the work is my mission,” says Smith.

I spent time with Smith last year as part of a larger project on Maine craftsmen and artists and am happy to be able to show it here.  Smith was crafting a Brazilian Churrasco BBQ knife with a handle made from Peroba wood reclaimed from a 120-year-old home.  

 

Brazilian Churrasco Knife, © Sam Smith

The Business of Life with R.M. Davis

0 Comments read Blog, Business, Client Work, Marketing, On Assignment, Showcase, Video

Home-buying couple

In 2022 I had the opportunity to shoot and produce video footage for a fun campaign for a longtime client, R.M. Davis.  RMD is a financial advisory firm based in Portland with deep roots.  With a 45-year track record of working with wealthy individuals, estates and businesses, they worked with Burgess Advertising & Marketing to create a concept called ‘The Business of Life’.   My job was to create images that illustrated the concept; basically a series of vignettes showing transitional moments like college graduation or building a new home as well as individuals and business owners meeting with financial advisors.  

Here are a few of the final images as used in the campaign.  As is more often the case with my advertising clients, we built the shoots so we could take video footage as well as stills.  This was later incorporated into a Business of Life video.

I think the campaign is a powerful example of people- and client-focused marketing that really works.  

College Graduate

 

Industrial business owner

 

Couple in coastal home

 

Portland Chiropractic Neurology in motion

0 Comments read Blog, Showcase, Video

Last year, Fitzgerald Photo produced a series of videos for Portland Chiropractic Neurology, a Portland, Maine-based clinic providing uniquely comprehensive treatment that addresses underlying neurological causes for many debilitating and chronic ailments. The videos included instructional, how-to videos, patient testimonials and videos for social media campaigns that we rolled out throughout the year.  

I’m happy to share one video in particular that we’ve now released.    The goal was to provide a welcoming introduction to the clinic and staff for use on their website.   This is a great example of what video does so well:  transporting the viewer into a scene while vividly capturing the mood and feel of the clinic and giving a real sense of the patient experience.    

These kinds of video productions give an opportunity to tell stories that connect and inform in a way that augments and enhances the still imagery we continue to create.  See more of our Maine video productions here.   

Showcase: Dove Tail Bats

0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Case Studies, Client Work, Inspirational, Mainers at Work, Showcase, Video

Dove Tail Bats by Fitzgerald Photo

During the past two months I’ve been busy with ongoing projects, especially with video production of work I started before the stay-at-home orders shut things down.

I love the impact of the still image and it’s my primary way of telling stories visually. Often, a crafted campaign built on remarkable still imagery is the most effective and impactful way to tell a story. Other times, a single still image alone isn’t sufficient and that’s when I turn, increasingly, to video storytelling.

I’m excited to release a new video showing Dove Tail Bats founder Paul Lancisi in his manufacturing facility in Shirley Mills, ME. This was part of a photo assignment for Down East Magazine. While I love the portraits I produced for the magazine, I decided to incorporate video as well because it better conveyed the processes that make Dove Tail Bats so special.

I love how Lancisi pivoted from a woodworking business to one that embraces his lifelong passion for baseball. What he and his wife Theresa have created is amazing: a Maine company that crafts beautiful, one-of-a-kind baseball bats sought after by major league hitters and top college athletes. The bats might look great hung on a wall above the fireplace, but—just like Dove Tail Bats—are destined for greater things.

It’s inspiring to be able to show Maine companies doing such remarkable work and and achieving great success far outside of our state.


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Ready to level up your storytelling content with photography, videography and multimedia? Contact Fitzgerald Photo to see if we’re a good fit for your brand or project.