Moving Memories

Last year at my mother-in-law’s surprise birthday party, we showed a video montage containing a lifetime of photographs. Each of her seven children had selected a dozen photos. The photos were then transferred to a DVD and set to music. With the right equipment and some technological savvy, you can cash in on the ever-growing need to move memories. It was the best present we could have chosen for the birthday girl. In addition, it provided entertainment for the guests, as well.

As technology advances, more and more people are looking for new and improved ways to store and display memories. Transferring photos and VHS home movies to DVD is a relatively easy business to start. Your biggest expense will be your equipment. At the very least, you will need a computer, a digital camera, and a DVD burner. These basics will get you started working from your home. As you learn more about the process, you may wish to add equipment that is more advanced and offer more specialized services, such as adding music, text, graphics, or manipulating the color.

Dee Dee at Kent AudioVisual is a memory mover. She transfers 8 mm film to DVD. With just yellow page advertisement, she’s nearly always booked at least a month in advance. Although the specialized equipment she uses makes her task relatively simple, she keeps updated on the latest changes in technology. Moreover, because she is handling memories from as far back as 1920’s, she must use utmost care with each customer’s keepsakes.

If you choose to work with older film, you will need to educate yourself on care and handling procedures. Film repair and photo restoration are two natural offshoots of the video/photo transfer business. They are specialized areas that require education and experience to perform correctly; however, the potential income may make these specializations worth pursuing.

Just the basic transfer of VHS home movies and photographs will keep you in business. Yellow page advertising will bring in most of your customers. When setting prices, charge a set-up fee and then charge per-photo, per-hour, or per-foot, depending on the project. Collect additional fees for any extra editing or special effects.

The presentation at my mother-in-law’s party was put together with loving care. Viewing decades of family history was a real treat. It was the kind of experience that could be shared at weddings, graduations, anniversaries, reunions, holidays, and even funerals. Marketing event packages for these occasions could help boost your business.

The most important thing in this business is to remember that you are dealing with precious moments in your client’s lives. If those images are destroyed, they are gone for good. You are saving sentiments, so always work with caution.

Owning a video transfer business can be a lot of fun, but it does require some patience, skill, and specific equipment. If you are a people-person who enjoys working with technology, consider moving memories for a living. Before you now it, you could have a future preserving the past.

Resources:

www.signvideo.com/conv-v-to-d.htm

www.pcworld.com/article/id,125517-page,1-c,dvddrivesmedia/article.html

www.howtodothings.com/computers/a3487-how-to-transfer-vhs-to-dvd.html

www.memoriesinhand.com/?gclid=CJzTn8GLkJQCFQqFGgod02yafQ

www.nettapes.com/?gclid=CPzmh8KLkJQCFQx2GgodNiQqgQ