I couldn’t have said any of that better myself. Thanks for sharing Jonathan.

Honestly, I didn’t know it was that serious until we had the meet and greet. I think if I had it to do over again, I would be even more clear than I already was that I am who I am. And let them know if they want me to drastically change – I’m not their guy. I love trying new styles but I can’t have a client ask repeatedly for me to watch the same videos over and over to emulate them. And to be completely honest – the my style is quite similar. Just one of my videos was a bit up beat and playful instead of romantic – but that was how the couple was – fun loving and quirky.

However, I may have considered when the last email came just before the shoot – I may have said clearly yet nicely- I am my self and if that isn;t what you want then please hire someone else.

It is all about managing expectations and being clear up front with what is going on. That way you can see any issues before they happen. Sometimes, nonetheless, you are forced or chose to take jobs that you might reject otherwise to pay the bills.

But again, it was a great experience and the video turned out beautifully. At least I think so 😉

That’s a bummer. Glad the experience was great overall. Would you take a job like that again in the future though? What were the lessons learned for you, if any? If you don’t mind sharing of course.

We are are both in the exact same price range. The other filmmaker was booked on the day they needed the shoot. I was called in 2 weeks before the event. And he even referred her to me. It was a great experience but was definitely stressful because I had to ask myself What would this other guy do – instead of what would I do…

THanks for the comment Jonathan. You’re point about clients doing their research is a great one. When you’re meeting with a prospect, all around it should be about mutual info-gathering. As far as your client who kept asking you to make your video look like the other guys, was it a case where the other guy was way more expensive? Why not just hire him/her?

On the flip side – a note for clients to get to know who you are hiring. I had someone recently who kept pointing me to another filmmaker in the area saying they wanted a video just like theirs and not like mine. This happened even up until the night before the shoot. It hurt because they hired me to do the job, not him. I love the other filmmakers work but its unrealistic to ask someone you are hiring to do exactly the same work as another and limits the creative process. It also shows you have little faith in their ability to create something special and unique to your needs.

Thanks so much for the inspirational and though-provoking blogs Ron!