CompuServe Thread

#Video File

4 messages in this thread
#3222From: Stu SweetowFeb 27, 1995 2:00 AM
Looking forward to getting a copy. Sounds familiar. I'be been trying to communicate with other video entrepreneurs, too. tell me more what you do.
#3228From: ALBA-MARIE BESTENIFeb 27, 1995 6:30 AM
Stu: I come from a background in Broadcasting. After graduating from college, I went to work for WABC-TV News in New York for four years. Then I worked for Good Morning America for another 4 years. In 1988 I moved to Miami and started my company, SPECIAL EFX Productions with my cousin Alba-Marie Besteni. We started as a traditional video company shooting anything that would pay the bills. Then in January of 1989 we produced a video entitled "The Inside Story On Wedding Survivial". In it we interviewed just married couples to get their advice on how to plan a stress free wedding. While we didn't have as big a success as Fred Levine had with his Road Construction Ahead series, we did manage to sell enough copies whereby we decided that Special Interest Video was the way to go for us. Since then we've been producing, marketing, and distributing our own SIVs and for a while we were even distributing SIVS for other producers who serviced the same market as us. At present we have 15 titles on the market. Most target video entrepreneurs exclusively. But three in particular, Special Interest Videos; From Concept to Cash", "Direct Mail Success Secrets", and "Major Credit Cards Welcome" have also done well selling to business owners in general. VIDEO FILE, our monthly newsletter began publishing in April of 1989. It started out as a way to keep track of our client base and has grown into a family of about 1500 Video Entrepreneurs monthly. How about you? What's your background? Barb
#3382From: Stu SweetowMar 2, 1995 8:46 AM
I thought that was you. I have your catalog and have considered getting the whole Video File package, but would like to see a sample or two. I suggested an article to a couple of mag editors about video as a business and including info about folks like you who offer unique services to video entrepreneurs. I also want to find a way to hook video business people together and have yet to find an organization willing to collect trade data on our industry. my business, AV Consultants is 12 yrs old. we shoot mostly training tapes for corps, lots of meetings, lots of editing (2 suites) lots of dubbing(a lot with 12 decks). i teach a 12-week class at Univ Calif Extension (will be happy to distribute a one or two page sheet if you have something you want to send me-20 students, new class starts tonite. when i first saw your stuff, i was impressed that someone is tapping the market of video entrepreneurs. howze it going. tell me more,
#3390From: ALBA-MARIE BESTENIMar 2, 1995 9:48 AM
Stu: The business of teaching and motivating video entrepreneurs is going very well, thank God. It's been an uphill battle, however, mostly because video folks are naturally creative… and they leave the business side of their businesses on the back burner until they feel they have all the equipment necessary to get going. Our philosophy is that you concentrate on the business first, then build your equipment arsenal. After all, if you've got lots of great equipment but no clients to use it on, then how the heck are you going to pay for it? Helping video entrepreneurs switch their focus from the creative side to the business side has been our toughest challenge. But we've persisted, and it's paid off. Hey, I'd love to be part of any article you may write about this business. I've got many great stories to share and would love to share them with you. Barb