FAQ's

Yes, this seems like a very "wordy" section, but we take pride in educating people so they may make the best choices for themselves. For any questions or further explanations about the answers here, please contact us. We would be happy to take the time to help you!

Q: "How much will it cost me to have a video done?"

A: "Video" has come to mean "anything we can put up on YouTube". But that is not necessarily "video" work. That can be a motion graphic, a Flash video, or actual video work where we physically come to your business to film activity or do an interview. It can be a combination of these elements. This is why we do not have a flat rate for a "Video". Video rates are a bit higher than Flash animation and motion graphics because there is a "day rate" involved if we shoot the video ourselves. Ours is $400 a day. That includes lights, microphones, and two cameras. All other charges are explained in great detail, and once we know exactly what your project is, we will give you a quote with a breakdown of the services that will be provided. You can then either proceed to go forward with the project or decline. Yes, that is before you have spent any money. People we have dealt with like this approach, because it makes them feel like they are a part of the process, and in the end, they know they are not going to be hit with any hidden charges. What we quote is what you pay. We usually require half of the payment and a signed contract before any work is performed.

Q: How much is it going to cost to have a website built?

A: Most other designers will just answer "They can be anywhere from $3000 to $50,000." Now, if you just wanted one page, would you choke on your drink hearing that price? We actually had one client who did, thus the example. We have other questions we ask: Do you want just one static web page? Do you want multiple pages? Are you going to require having a site that you need to update frequently? Are only parts of the site going to require updates? These questions all have a reflection on the final quote. We can tell you that for us, a static web page costs $450 from start to finish. That is the simplest web page there is to do, so no need to choke on anything. From there, things can get complicated, but we will try to help you make the best decisions for yourself and your budget. Really. We want you to be satisfied. What you have to understand is that we believe that a good reputation is the cheapest form of advertising. We may not work for free, but we don't want to clean you out either. We also want to give you something you want. Sometimes you can do with less in order to be just as competitive, and we have been known to knock out some things that might have made us much more money, but would not have been necessary for the customer. We don't believe in up-selling...We believe in right-selling.

Q: "I asked some guys to do a web site/video for us two years ago, and they still aren't done. We already gave them money to work on it, and we can't seem to get in contact with them. How will we know you all won't do the same thing?"

A: Unfortunately, we hear this all too often in our field. The sad thing about design and videography is that anyone who has Photoshop or Dreamweaver or know how to manipulate a WordPress template thinks they are a designer. Once they agree to do something, and actually have to present a product, they realize it is a different story. We are not saying you have been scammed, although you might have, but we are saying that with all of the tools at the public's disposal these days, it has made people believe that "anyone can do it". But like an old man once told me, "Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should!" Very valid. Did you sign a contract with this person or group? Did you ask for references? When asked, did they offer any? These are things you can do for your protection, and yes, you can even do them with us. We sign contracts. It protects us as well as yourself. If you ask us for references, we will provide them. They will be people we have done work for, who have paid for their work, and will give you an honest assessment of how we are. We have nothing to hide. No one who is a professional should have anything to hide.

Q: "I have a video camera with video editing software. Why should I hire you guys to do this for me?"

A: Actually, we strongly encourage you to do this to find out why. With technology today, when people actually finish a project like a video, they often acquire the disease of "Look-What-I-Did-itus". Yes, technology is amazing, and the things we can do with it are amazing. But in business, being amazed at what we were able to do with technology is not going to impress other people who are able to do the exact same thing. This is the difference between going to see a Steven Spielberg movie and watching someone do a video blog on YouTube. Now, go shoot your video. Then look at your competition's videos. Being able to do a viewable home video of one's vacation does not fare well in business. Is your video getting across the message you want? Remember, you are invested in your company, so you will watch it to the end. It's amazing to you. It's your livelihood. Now, have other people not invested in your company watch your video. Do they understand what you do and who you are in the first 30 seconds? Are they having to turn the volume up and down during the presentation? Are they saying it takes too long? Do they look bored? Remember, a bad first impression is something that could take you months to make up for. Are you willing to take that chance with your business? How much money does that cost? Businesses are always trying to cut costs, and creative is usually the first thing to go. However, the leaders always know that you need to spend money to make money. Fortunately, with us you won't have to pay as much as the "big boys" did, you will have something people will want to watch, and you will have viewers understanding who you are. Now you may note that on YouTube, there are many "in-house" videos being done at the company level. Now look at how many views they are getting. You can be doing better than that, trust us.

Q: "Am I wrong, but are you two different companies working together?"

A: This site can actually be a little confusing, because for some things it seems like we are referring you to another site for some of the services we offer. That other site is DMC Creative Solutions. You will then note that it seems like the same two guys. Yet, we are not separate companies at all. We are one and the same! Here is why we did it this way. People, in general, have a hard time understanding when artist's are diverse. When they are in a hurry looking for an online solution, they take one look at a site and decide if this is anywhere near the solution they are looking for. If it isn't, then they go to find another site. With us, we are extremely diverse, so we can either go "artsy-fartsy" or we can do the clean, corporate look. So in order to rectify the confusion, and to showcase our diversity, we established two different sites with two different names. Philly Puddy being for the "artsy-fartsy" crowd, and DMC Creative Solutions which appeals to the more business-minded crowd. We are actually both the same business. This is just how we display our business model.