The Bottom Line

[Stoney3K]

One of the big problems here is that customers will want a LOT for LITTLE. (Preferably, even for free). I mean, try to explain to one of your clients why your show is worth $1000 while the neighbour's nephew can also give him a 'laser show' with double the power (a 1W Chinese eBay RGB projector versus your 500mW 473/532/642), for $100 on show day.

Corporate clients have less trouble paying more for a better quality show, so if you want to do things right, doing corporate presentations will get you more jobs than the mobile DJ who needs a laser at some wedding or birthday party.

Obviously, it would be impossible to kick all of the 'newbies' off the market, and unethical as well, because everybody started out with little budget and simple projects. But the least we an do is educate new people in the industry on how to create safe and impressive shows, instead of offering 'laser shows' on a 100mW Laserworld DMX projector.

[masterpj]

One of the big problems here is that customers will want a LOT for LITTLE. (Preferably, even for free). I mean, try to explain to one of your clients why your show is worth $1000 while the neighbour's nephew can also give him a 'laser show' with double the power (a 1W Chinese eBay RGB projector versus your 500mW 473/532/642), for $100 on show day.

Corporate clients have less trouble paying more for a better quality show, so if you want to do things right, doing corporate presentations will get you more jobs than the mobile DJ who needs a laser at some wedding or birthday party.

Obviously, it would be impossible to kick all of the 'newbies' off the market, and unethical as well, because everybody started out with little budget and simple projects. But the least we an do is educate new people in the industry on how to create safe and impressive shows, instead of offering 'laser shows' on a 100mW Laserworld DMX projector.

Record a performance, a couple or preferrably most of them.
Show those to the client and with a good recording and a good put up show, you might convince him.

It all comes to the point where you prove that you are worth that money, and like others said. start high or do a standard price, saves you the negotiating and ensures you get your pay.

[Stoney3K]

Record a performance, a couple or preferrably most of them.
Show those to the client and with a good recording and a good put up show, you might convince him.

I agree that that will work, but to record a performance to advertise with, you need to get performances in the first place.

That is, if you want to work by the book, whereas the $100-laser-show-offering-DJ's might even go as far as advertise with someone else's images and clips, and just steal the gigs from you.

[masterpj]

I got an idea: first increase to a high price, as if it is your normal price.
Then make a sort of fake discount and advertise that.
For example your local newspaper.
If people see discount on lasershows, then they might think it's affordable.
(which it is)
as when most people hear about lasershows, they think that renting it in the first place is extremely expensive.

It is not cheap off course, but often less then most people expect.



About those Dj's with fake pictures and clips...
If he claims those are his performances, then you can call it fraud.

Fraud is against the law.

[Shawnb]

I my self wont set the alarm clock for less than $1500.00 Never undervalue yourself it WILL come back to haunt you (charity work excluded) Provide the BEST QUALITY for a fair price, Yes there will always be some one who is willing to do it for less but the Quality suffers and in the end Clients find out they get what they pay-for. ive been told many many times by my clients that they can find it cheeper but no one else could to the shows to the Quality we provide. (not just lasers lol , Lights, Audio, Projection , lasers and event planning) My clients know they can pick up the phone give us a budget tell us about the event then not have to worry about anything and that kind of service will let you stand out above the rest and will allow you to get PAID for your work without hassel or haggel

[Doc]

I my self wont set the alarm clock for less than $1500.00 Never undervalue yourself it WILL come back to haunt you (charity work excluded) Provide the BEST QUALITY for a fair price, Yes there will always be some one who is willing to do it for less but the Quality suffers and in the end Clients find out they get what they pay-for. ive been told many many times by my clients that they can find it cheeper but no one else could to the shows to the Quality we provide. (not just lasers lol , Lights, Audio, Projection , lasers and event planning) My clients know they can pick up the phone give us a budget tell us about the event then not have to worry about anything and that kind of service will let you stand out above the rest and will allow you to get PAID for your work without hassel or haggel

I agree, I don't take the job if the price isn't right. But when they don't try to take the piss I try to give more than expected; give them 2 projectors instead of 1 or 3 instead of 2. This generally goes down well and gives the client a feeling of value for money.

[QUAZAR]

I my self wont set the alarm clock for less than $1500.00

That reminds me of a girl I knew rather well some years ago.

[Stoney3K]

I agree, I don't take the job if the price isn't right. But when they don't try to take the piss I try to give more than expected; give them 2 projectors instead of 1 or 3 instead of 2. This generally goes down well and gives the client a feeling of value for money.

Going the extra mile usually creates some goodwill, and will make sure you're in a good position to bargain.

OTOH, there are quite a few different sets of markets here. On one hand, you have the mobile wedding DJ who just wants 'pretty laser beams' for his parties and will never plonk down $1500 to hire a projector with controller and operator. Instead, he will be happy with the guy who lends him a $500 Laserworld DMX projector for $75 a gig.

That's usually not where the 'laser show industry' market is, however. How much the $75-a-gig-projector-rentals want it to, it is NOT a laser show. It might be a projector which throws some pretty (and possibly unsafe) beams into the audience, it may work with lasers, but it's not a laser SHOW. Still, it can give us a bad reputation as serious people who want to keep the laser display business a quality field of work.

The real 'laser shows' will be the gigs with either multiple projectors controlled live at a dance or music performance, or the carefully prepared theatrical presentations for the launch of new companies and products. The keyword here is 'preparation', and that's where all the time (and money) goes. Anyone can buy a $2k flight case loaded with some projector and plop it on a roof, but creating shows means knowing what you're doing and what the dramatic effect of a certain animation or beam can be on the audience. Creating shows is an art, hanging up laser projectors is simple builder's work.

Explaining something like this to customers IS hard. When someone asks 'Why the %!@# do you want $2000 a show when a new projector is worth just as much?', they probably don't understand the time and effort put into a laser display in the first place. Neither does the kid next door who rents his stuff for $75 a gig and doesn't care about it.

Then again, do we really want to cater for the $75-a-laser-a-gig, $350-for-a-mobile-DJ market segment?

[Doc]

Then again, do we really want to cater for the $75-a-laser-a-gig, $350-for-a-mobile-DJ market segment?

No, I'll stay at home and scratch my balls, it will be more rewarding.

[smokeAndMirrors]

Explaining something like this to customers IS hard. When someone asks 'Why the %!@# do you want $2000 a show when a new projector is worth just as much?', they probably don't understand the time and effort put into a laser display in the first place. Neither does the kid next door who rents his stuff for $75 a gig and doesn't care about it.

I work with musicians (this isn't just a show synced to some gawdawful "dance" music written by drug-addled philistines with a sequencer that makes bleeps and thuds for four hours solid). They invest every bit as much money in their gear as I do, and their job is considerably harder than mine. So I'm afraid the stuff above is just going to look really patronising and superior, frankly, when they are coming away with £100 for a gig (just as patronising as my critique of dance music above, in fact).