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Videographer - Vent!

richnikkirichnikki
First Comment
in Hawaii
Hey Everyone!

I have been so busy wedding planning I haven't posted here in a while! But I just have to vent. =)

We love 10th Letter Media but they are booked on our wedding day! Ahhhh!!! I should have planned our wedding date around them. Haha... just kidding...
Anyway, I have been searching for videographers for weeks now... and I came accross a really rude company I wanted to tell you all about so you don't have to experience this headache.

Anyway we were looking into other options since my first choice was booked... so I found a new company... "Isle Media". They are 'new' so I contacted them regarding wedding information. At first I was impressed by their prompt reply and responsiveness. That was very short lived. To make a long story short... the owner (Alan) decided to show his true colors showed when he started being rude, arrogant, and demeaning. (PM me for the "long version" if you really want to hear my review on them.)

In my desperation to find a videographer, I almost continued my conversation and inquiry with Isle Media. However, fiance was the one who said, "If they want your business they shouldn't be rude to you. If they are being a*!-holes then just look for someone else." Agreed.

I am just glad we didn't sign any contracts.
In conclusion... I have no love for Isle Media.

I guess we are back to square one... still looking for videographers. Ahhhhhh!!!
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Re: Videographer - Vent!

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    NCSUWolfpackNCSUWolfpack
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    edited December 2011
    I'm sorry! That's a bummer! 

    I can make a recommendation...we used Orbito Media out of Honolulu....
    Lead videographer is Mike Orbito...his work is amazing...here is the highlight reel that he did for our wedding in June...

    http://vimeo.com/25921602

    If you are interested, I can give you his contact information...

    Good luck!
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    Tanq&TonicTanq&Tonic
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    WOW!  So sorry to hear that.  You definitely should not have to work with vendors that are rude and demeaning to their clients...you spend way to much money to be treated poorly.  We really liked 10th Letter Media as well. Here are some of the others we looked at...hopefully it helps your search!

    StudioRed (we ended up choosing them)
    Fisheye Studios
    Kai Media
    Colourcraft
    Video 21
    Image Creations
    Crane Media
    Aria

    Good luck!
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    richnikkirichnikki
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wolfpack! Love your wedding! Your videographer did an amazing job... he got all the little wedding details in too =) Please pass his info along.
    Also love your starfish in sand idea... I think I might have to steal that idea for my seating arrangements.
    Fiance loves your video and wants to steal the fan idea for our chairs too.
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    dianalynmdianalynm member
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    edited December 2011
    I'm going to use Supreme Video Productions on Oahu. Mostly because he's a friend of mine that relocated to the islands, but I love his work! So I have no problems with having him.

    Here is his Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/svpstudio
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    jaymers99jaymers99
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    edited December 2011
    Sorry to hear about your experience!  I agree with your fiance...there are tons of other choices out there, so if they don't deserve your business, don't give it to them!

    We used Imaginewurks and we were totally happy with our video.  They were really professional and friendly to deal with as well.  Here's a link to our highlights video: http://www.vimeo.com/9414967.

    I recently went to a wedding that had day-of highlights done by Aria and was totally impressed.  They do really good work too, but I haven't dealt with them personally.  Good luck in your search!
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    SavvyLittleBrideSavvyLittleBride member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Sorry to hear that. You should not be treated that way. We used Prince7Studios, and Princeton was truly great to work with, so friendly, pleasant and professional. He is super creative too. Can't go wrong if you book him.

    HTH
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    NCSUWolfpackNCSUWolfpack
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    edited December 2011
    richnikki! I sent you a PM!
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    maui2011maui2011 member
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    edited December 2011
    I have nothing to add except to say that if a vendor is rude you are doing the right thing by looking elsewhere...we booked ARIA Studios. J. :-)
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    richnikkirichnikki
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    edited December 2011
    Thanks you guys! I've checked out a bunch of them... but there are a few you guys sent that I added to the list. =)
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    islemediahawaiiislemediahawaii member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Dear Everyone, My name is Alan and I am a videographer and the owner of Isle Media.  I’d first like to start off by clearly objecting to Nikki’s accusations.  Isle Media’s model is to be a personalized service that caters to our bride and grooms’ needs.  Nikki sent us an inquiry via email with lots of questions, which I answered in great detail.  She insisted numerous times that we quote her price but I felt that it would be inappropriate to discuss our pricing through email.  It’s not how we’ve ever done business or ever will do business. We are focused on building relationships with our clients and always look forward to phone conversations or in-person meetings.  Nikki objected to both options.  Nikki has described us as "rude" but we have never met or ever talked to her.

    Please read the following email conversations below. 
    Myself in =     blue  Nikki in = pink     I will let you all determine for yourself what went wrong in this situation.   I am sorry Nikki for your frustration, but we wish you the best and that you find some one that works well with you. Alan   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello Nikki, thank you for your inquiry.  I have additional questions before I can provide you your quote.   What time is your wedding, what kind of coverage did you need.  Did you want a same day edit?  What kind of events will you be having at your wedding.  What is your party size? Best is to call to discuss, 398-5320.  Our website is at www.islemediahawaii.com.  Thanks!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Alan, Wedding March 10, 2012.Our wedding party is 4 bridesmaids + 4 groomsmen.We are guesstimating 60-70 guests... so I am assuming at least 2 videographers we would need. We would like covered:The bride/groom prep.A convalidation (catholic church) with just the bride, groom, and parents.A wedding ceremony at 4:00 pm outdoors.A wedding reception immediately following the ceremony.We are guesstimating 8 hrs... we don't necessarily need you for the entire ceremony but for the father/daughter and mother/son dance as well as our first dance would be nice... and a few random dancing. We don't know if we will have any other 'events' at our wedding because we might just take everyone to a luau for a welcome party and have all the entertainment there a few days before. But depending on the price... maybe...We don't need a same day edit since we are getting married at 4 pm and our reception will be immediately after. We would like a 3-5 minute cinematic highlights reel to show  to our family/friends online after the wedding.We would also like an edited DVD of the full ceremony, etc.I hope that information helps you determining a price quote for us. I also have a few questions for you!- What is your turn around time for the highlights reel as well as for the full DVD?- Can we burn the DVDs to give to parents and grandparents or do you charge extra for extra dvds?- I know you recently started the company, but I assume you have done work in the past (your SDE on vimeo looks great btw)... Do you have other examples of your work?- Which photographers have you worked well with? - What type of cameras do you work with? Do you do any of the super 8 stuff? (not necessary but would be cool...)- We have a wedding planner so I might use her suggestions as well... but I noticed your website has some djs/musicians/tahitian dancers available. Can you please send me some information on those?- Do you do all the videography and editing or does someone else shoot and someone else edit?- If we wanted to present our own slideshow during the reception, how much do you charge for set-up/take-down, a cinema screen, and a projector? (not a big deal... we can always get from dj... but just price shopping).- What are some options in terms of package costs? Look forward to hearing from you =) Thanks! Nikki 

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nikki, Answers below, posted in blue.  Thanks for writing so much and in so much detail! Looking forward to hearing from you!Alan  /  398-5320 I also have a few questions for you!- What is your turn around time for the highlights reel as well as for the full DVD?  Same day highlights edit if shown on the same day, will be available within a week.  Otherwise everything will be completed in 2-4 weeks. (we pride ourselves into not holding onto any projects beyond one month) - Can we burn the DVDs to give to parents and grandparents or do you charge extra for extra dvds?  one copy of everything will be provided as part of the package.  additional DVD's are priced at $25/each, but will have custom labeling/packaging, as well as very attractive DVD menus that divide your day into chapters. - I know you recently started the company, but I assume you have done work in the past (your SDE on vimeo looks great btw)... Do you have other examples of your work?  We have only 2 weddings under our belt, but we have about 15 booked weddings for the rest of the year some that include same day edits... 2 weddings in July, 2 in August, 6 in September (6!) and several for 2012.  We are priced competitively and have given out incredible deals in an effort to build our resume and experience as quickly as possible.  Are prices will increase as the quality of our videos increase as well. If you follow our work through the months you will see each event that we post up on our website and vimeo.  We set the bar for ourselves extremely high. - Which photographers have you worked well with?  Isle Media has photography specials and we utilize our own photographer (Ryan Yamada).  All of the wedding pictures were taken by him and the other pictures were taking by another crew member who shoots both video and photography.  We can work with anyone. - What type of cameras do you work with? Do you do any of the super 8 stuff? (not necessary but would be cool...)  We all shoot with Canon DSLR cameras  (we love Canon!, lol) - We have a wedding planner so I might use her suggestions as well... but I noticed your website has some djs/musicians/tahitian dancers available. Can you please send me some information on those?  We are currently expanding our additional services package and have already booked hair/make up contracts to supplement our video/photo package.  We do not currently contract out our partners unless you have an existing booking with Isle Media.  If you are looking for a cost effect strategy to confirm multiple services, the best way, is to do it through us  : )  And yes, we even have a wedding planner on our roster.  Brides love our  "one-stop-shop" business model, and I can assure you that we only recruit the best, most professional and reliable talent if they are going to be an Isle Media Partner. - Do you do all the videography and editing or does someone else shoot and someone else edit?  Our crew of 3 can all shoot video, edit , and two can double as photographers for ultimate versatility.  We do have one designated "Chief" photographer who has a higher level of expertise than us. - If we wanted to present our own slideshow during the reception, how much do you charge for set-up/take-down, a cinema screen, and a projector? (not a big deal... we can always get from dj... but just price shopping).  Please call to discuss. - What are some options in terms of package costs?  Please call to discuss.  Referrals are available upon request (our brides Rave about us)   I appreciate your inquiry with Isle Media.  Being the founder of this company and leading an incredible team through this wild adventure, I can assure that we will be the most affordable media company that offers the highest value you will find on the Island.  More importantly, because we are knew, we have maintained an appreciation for creating quality and beautiful work.  By 2012 we would have even had greater experience in handling wedding events and will be comparable to the leading media companies on Oahu (you know who they are, lol).  Upcoming jobs will be in Lahaina and Lanai (yes, they are flying us out and covering our expenses : )   ) so please keep up with us!      I'd be more than happy to meet in person and go over packages and pricing as well as show you our portfolio work. Thank you!Alan // 398-5320 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Alan, Just wondering if you were able to determine a price quote based on the information I provided regarding our wedding. If you need more information about the event please let me know  Sorry... I forgot to mention we do not live in Hawaii...our only Hawaiian local is the groom's mom. We currently live in Nevada so we wouldn't be able to meet with you beforehand.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nikki, Half of our brides are traveling with families from the mainland and they all have found time to meet us beforehand.  There are contracts and deposits involved, and we will not book you without either, otherwise.   We do not give price quotes via email, period.  But would be more than happy to give a price quote after discussing over the telephone.   Thank you,Alan /  808.398.5320

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hi Alan, I just want to inform you that you did not tell me on the first email that you do NOT give prices via email. You had said you needed more information from me which is why I had sent the rest of the details of what we were looking for via email. Otherwise, you could have saved me the trouble and said prices discussed by phone ONLY and I would have given you a call at that time. We have a wedding planner (as I stated in my previous email) because she can meet and screen the vendors for us beforehand as we are not able to make any more trips to Hawaii anytime between now and March 2012. I was simply replying to your email content that you wanted to meet with us in order to discuss prices.  We already went to Hawaii 3 months ago to find our caterer and book our venue. We understand that there are contracts and deposits required to book vendors. We have already booked our wedding planner, caterer, and venue and have paid them the deposit. I didn't realize inquiring with your company would be so difficult in terms of communication. We will be looking elsewhere for videography services. Nikki
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    dianalynmdianalynm member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    That is kinda rude and passive aggressive to post a personal email conversation publicly...isn't it?
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    maui2011maui2011 member
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    edited December 2011
    Totally agree...this is not the forum for it...not a wise business move. J.
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    nors81nors81 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    wow - I am from NY and would never be able to find the time to travel to Hawaii to just talk to someone about videography for my wedding. I also think it is bad form and immature to post conversation of potential customers on a forum. As it says this videography company is new and looks like they have alot to learn. I would rather have home movies from my flip camera rather than hire someone who would do that on here.
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    surfergurl12159surfergurl12159 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    hello everyone!
    my name is Sophia, my wedding date is in late september and wow this is quite a conversation but i just have to say that even though richnikki had a horrible experience with Isle Media, I think they are the best. communicating with them was not a problem, actually i felt like i was ignoring them sometimes because they are always prompt to reply. i called Alan as soon as i knew i wanted them and it seemed like everything just fell into place. He met with me right away with the wedding planner and we got to work, signed and paid the deposit and i felt so relieved and i could relax. imagine relaxing 2 months before your wedding :)
    Isle Media just filmed our emgagement video 2 weeks ago that will be played at our wedding and we had so much fun, im not an actress but Alan and his crew made it very easy for me to relax and have fun with it.  Alan already showed me the highlights from the video to see if i wanted to add or change anything. i think that is very dedicated.
    They were so helpful and offered so many services to help me, such as a wedding planner and she was no charge because she said she was just new to this but, i think she is a pro. And their tahition dancer services along with hair and make up. it was so convenient.
    I will definitely refer Isle Media to my friends and family and i will use them again for my future baby shower since they do more than just weddings.
    They are a new company and i hope that all this bashing does not ruin anything for them so thats why i had to say something, because i am having a wonderful experience working with them!
    take care!

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    kkl2006kkl2006 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    JUST GOT MARRIED JULY 9, 2011.  HIRED ISLEMEDIA, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE RESULTS!  SUPER FRIENDLY STAFF AND VERY EASY TO WORK WITH.  ALAN AND HIS CREW WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE COOLEST PICTURES AND SHOTS.  VERY TOUCHED AND MOVED!  I DIDN'T GIVE ISLEMEDIA ANY DIRECTION, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER USED A VIDEOGRAPHER.  I PUT MY TRUST IN THEM, AND I'M GLAD I DID.  THEY DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE DVD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!  I'M SO HAPPY! 

    HAD THE BEST TIME FILMING THE ENGAGEMENT VIDEO.  THE EDITING WAS AWESOME, AND WE SHOWED IT DURING THE WEDDING.  WE COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING!  SUCH A GOOD JOB, AND STILL IMPRESSED.  I WATCH THAT DVD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN TOO!

    ALAN IS VERY EASY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AND TALK TO.  HE LISTENS TO YOUR IDEAS, AND GIVES GOOD ADVICE.  HE KEPT IN TOUCH WITH IDEAS HE HAD, AND WHAT HE WANTED TO DO.  I NEVER LOST CONTACT WITH HIM, AND HE EMAILED OR CALLED ME, TO LET ME KNOW THE PROGRESS OF THE ENGAGEMENT VIDEO.   I DEFINATELY WILL USE HIM AGAIN, AND I WANT TO GET MARRIED ALL OVER AGAIN, JUST SO THAT HE'LL DO ANOTHER VIDEO. 

    THANKS ALAN AND THE REST OF THE ISLEMEDIA CREW!  I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CAPTURING ALL THOSE IMPORTANT MOMENTS.  COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

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