Minimalistic Disco

[Raymilkybarkid 0]

Do you offer one of these?

 

Well I have just taken a enquiry for a wedding....BUT.....

 

The Bride said out of the 3 suppliers she had call before they all just wanted to provide a In her words" the minimalistic approach" as it is the in thing at the moment.

 

I asked her what was a minimalisc disco her reply was I'm not sure but I think 2 lights small speakers and a DJ and they still charge the same fee.

This is only the second time I have come across this are they popular?

 

I have got a meeting with her next week to discuss her requirements in more detail.

[Dukesy 0]

I've had clients asking me to avoid using too much Disco Lighting before now, prefering to just have colour changers or ambient uplighting, rather than dancefloor type DMX effects. For a while, the 'subtle' lighting approach was pretty popular amongst my client base during Summer 2009 weddings. But i've never had a client mention a minimum of equipment.

 

In rural Derbyshire, a minimalistic approach is often dictated by the size of the venue. Quaint 17th century halls and olde world inns might be loved by American tourists, but they are a real pain to work in with lighting rigs, having uneven stone floors and 5' 10" high ceilings. Often you find that you have about 10 feet of workspace to work in, yep - very cosy.

[vokf 0]

Nice to see some DJ's are still not listening to clients needs, and hopefully meaning the more attentive DJ's get the work!

 

I'm not charging more or less for gear for a typical party.

 

Some DJ's are going out with booth, 2 speakers and a Wizard on a pole. If the client is happy with that (ie prefers it) then great for the DJ. If that's all they want to offer... then they'll lose work.

 

When we meet/talk to clients, making it clear that we can provide lots of different lighting effect and large/small sound systems -but the price is for our time and expertise does help take the pressure off. If the requirements start getting unreasonable then there are extra charges.

 

Being able to offer either is useful, having photos and getting options during consultation is great. Of course, you you're charging extra for trussing (or less for a T-Bar) then this is a problem.

 

 

 

[gadget 0]

I got one wedding gig where every DJ she seemed to speak to was pushing "Lasers" and "awesome light shows" - She wasn't interested in Lasers or anything like that !

 

A Single wizard imho is a bit too minimal, two (one either side) would be better.

 

Having said that I have done (and do) smaller discos where I just use two datamoons, and a pair of uplighters, and nothing else.

 

Price doesn't change on what kit I use - Unless its beyond the realms of what my deckstand suitably take (about 5 halogen effects is near the overhead limit, 7 would probably fit if I used lighter LED lighting).

 

Its up to the client to decide what they want in terms of Lighting, and is discussed accordingly !

 

Cheers,

 

David

Edited March 4, 2011 by gadget

[Dukesy 0]

Its up to the client to decide what they want in terms of Lighting, and is discussed accordingly !

 

I agree entirely, provided the client knows what they need. Often I find that they want to be advised by the experienced entity that they are talking to, or simply don't give a damn beyond those immortal words 'how much'

 

The danger of giving the client too much responsiblity in critical aspects of rigs, is that they will choose with their wallets rather than their experience or desires, and some clients inevitably end up choosing your cheaper 200w minimalistic set up, and then invite along 500 friends to the large town hall they've booked, and it will be you who looks unprofessional when your system can't cope.

 

Of course this is an extreme example, and can also be avoided, if like Jason, you avoid loading your fee based on what equipment / rig you use, however a lot of Dj's do still use the 'small' / 'standard' / 'premium' / 'Executive' style packages, each with different price tags. Of course, if a DJ uses this tiered approach then if the client, chooses your 'small' rig option and you know full well that it won't cope with their venue, then you'll need to go back and advise them to upgrade accordingly, but then the client may think you are trying to squeeze more cash out of them and charge a higher fee, so you really won't win that one!.

 

Personally, i'm happy to go with what the client requests, provided its a reasonable expectation and it will fit in the venue. But in the majority of cases I still find they are more than happy to leave it up to me when the subject is broached, and in these cases, I take the correct amount of lighting that is suitable for the venue size and the type of function, I also take a sound system that is highly flexible and has plenty of headroom, so that its not running full pelt even at a larger function. One reason why checking out the venue is a must.

[gadget 0]

I agree entirely, provided the client knows what they need. Often I find that they want to be advised by the experienced entity that they are talking to, or simply don't give a damn beyond those immortal words 'how much'

 

Personally, i'm happy to go with what the client requests, provided its a reasonable expectation and it will fit in the venue. But in the majority of cases I still find they are more than happy to leave it up to me when the subject is broached, and in these cases, I take the correct amount of lighting that is suitable for the venue size and the type of function, I also take a sound system that is highly flexible and has plenty of headroom, so that its not running full pelt even at a larger function. One reason why checking out the venue is a must.

 

Being flexible helps. If I've not been to the venue before, I'll often take the sub + full lighting with me, although I think 9/10 times I don't actually need/use the sub...

 

Cheers,

 

David

Edited March 4, 2011 by gadget

[fester 0]

if like Jason, you avoid loading your fee based on what equipment / rig you use, however a lot of Dj's do still use the 'small' / 'standard' / 'premium' / 'Executive' style packages, each with different price tags. Of course, if a DJ uses this tiered approach then if the client, chooses your 'small' rig option and you know full well that it won't cope with their venue, then you'll need to go back and advise them to upgrade accordingly, but then the client may think you are trying to squeeze more cash out of them and charge a higher fee, so you really won't win that one!.

 

I totally agree with this. Personally I hate the whole small/medium/premium business model.

 

When I quote to provide a disco then i'm providing a disco, not an ipod and speakers and everything extra is chargeable. I work on the basis that i'm taking 2 subs/tops, stand, lights, haze etc, if I don't then that's a bonus for me. I make it quite clear that I don't charge extra to supply more kit.

 

Of course I discuss with the customer their individual requirements and as Minty mentioned take into consideration the size of the venue then make a decision on what gear I think I need. The only time I would deviate and have to charge more is if the clients expectations or the size of the job exceed what I would call a "big rig" and I have to hire a bigger van/more equipment.

 

I'm aware of one specialist wedding DJ who uses a 2ft stand, Bose L1 and a single par can. This is my idea of hell and contradicts everything a disco should fundamentally be in my opinion. I would hate to find myself in the situation where a bride asks for minimalist and I find myself in a big room thrashing the pants off 2 small speakers with one par can flashing above my head. I'd be mortified.

 

Personally i've not been asked for the minimalist approach. Certainly i've been asked what kind of lighting I will provide, one bride said she hated "those blue and red dotty things", another wanted a laser, another definitely did not want any lasers but nobody has yet told me that my speakers or setup are too big.