What's your story?

[chantal012]

Wow... reading all your stories was very inspiring...and I could actually see myself in many of them!
So here I go...

I started doing Photo slideshows in 2002 I believe. I was doing them in Powerpoint... a long, long way from PSG!

I found out early that I had a way with these... I could do this for hours at a time...and not see the time go by... It was pure BLISS. I soon found out that I had a special ability to pick the right songs with the right moments along with the right pictures/transitions. I made people cry and laugh with my first show....and remember - it was done with Powerpoint!!

Then I found out about Windows Movie Maker - the free software we all have! Wow, I was all excited about what I could do with it... I started making some for family & friends and even just for my own fun!

Then I got PhotoStory from Microsoft! Even better!!

I found out about PSG.. I believe in 2008. I downloaded a trial version... couldn't quite get myself to actually purchase the software... I wanted to do this as a side business (as I work full-time)...but I believe the timing in my life wasn't right.

I did my first official show in PSG last month... Sweet Sixteen theme! I was like a little kid...I mean, the things I can do...and the things I WANT to do... I also have Photoshop... I need to get back into it, learn what I can do with Photoshop & PSG...

My business is being launched this Spring - Imagia Productions has been registered in Canada last month.
I've been working on my logo and my website. I'm hoping to be up & running by end of March.

I found myself postponing time & time again...and I believe we all need to start somewhere...and here is where I'm starting!
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."- Martin Luther King

I'm a bit sad to hear everyone saying that you can't make a lot of money with this type of business... I see it totally differently...you can do SO MUCH !! May it be for personal or business related use... I mean... the sky is the limit!
I get new ideas daily!!

Anyhow...hopefully my dream will turn out the way I intend it to be...
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought" - Buddha

Thank you for reading my story!!

[bellzerr]

Chantal -
You go girl! Very inspiring. I too am planning to launch a spare time business and have faced many delays since I'm also working a regular full-time job. You've rekindled my enthusiasm to make it happen sooner rather than later. I'm already in agreement to not be put off by concerns of the profit potential. There are so many potential markets that it seems I can certainly find a niche that suits me. Best wishes for your endeavors. Be sure to keep us up to date with your progress.
Mark

[bellzerr]

Chantal -
Don't forget your domain registration. if you're planning on imagiaproductions.com you should grab it now while it's still available. Even if you've registered a different domain name, you might give thought to paying a few bucks more for this one as well since it matches the company name you mentioned. You can always point domain-name-A to domain-name-B so multiple sites land on the same web page.
Just a thought...
Mark

[dvdsbybetsy]

Hello all...
I wanted to tell everyone how much I enjoyed reading your posts. Here's my story...
After a twenty year career in advertising I quit my job and decided to start my own business.
For years I had worked with graphic artisit during the design and layout of many print products that
I represented. Needless to say after twenty years I was burned out.
My first show was for my Parents 50th Anniversary, seven years ago. I can't really remember the program I used, what I do remember is after the Party I had three requests for slideshows.
Word of mouth traveled and within six months I was up and running. I named my company Dvd's By Betsy...I thought it would be easy for people to remember since my name is Betsy!
I finally developed a website and was amazed at the amount of business I received from my site.
My business has flourished, mainly because of the "word of mouth" I have received. I have done business as far as India and right in my own backyard...that would be OHIO. I would say that 80% of my business is out of town, of that 80% - 40% of those jobs have come from referral.
I love working with people and hearing their life stories. One of the most rewarding jobs I have ever done was for a man in Hospice, after viewing his show he looked at his wife and said, "Wow, honey...it's been a good ride."
He died the next day.
I usually have three-four jobs going each month...some are life bios which are very time consuming. With the bios I scan, restore and the prepare an outline for the customer. We then review and they tell me their life story...I then edit the audio and combine it with video and stills...again, what a rewarding video to create.
I wake up each morning and thank God for my business, I love what I do...I have found my passion.
So that is my story, I am able to support myself and my children while loving what I do. I am one lucky girl!
Betsy

[bellzerr]

Betsy,
Welcome to the forum. What a great story! You business success will be encouraging to many here in the forum who aspire to develop a business of producing shows. I love the idea of using audio interviews in the soundtrack of your productions. It's also encouraging to hear that your web site attracts clients for you. I hope you'll continue to share your success stories and information on what works for your in the business of show production.
Mark

[BarbaraC]

Betsy, it's wonderful knowing that people can truly succeed in the slide-show business. Success isn't, of course, measured in dollars since there's hardly a way to become rich and famous in this line of work, but it's definitely measured in number of clients and even more so in satisfaction.

Of everything you said, the most poignant is the description of the man in hospice. It's as if you helped ease his way. You must have felt a strange combination of both sadness and happiness.

Barbara

[bellzerr]

Barbara,
You are so right about the measure of success. I did a 65th Wedding Anniversary show for a friend last year (for her parents). Her mom said that her dad watched it over and over, like he was "some kind of movie star." He died about 3 months after their anniversary and both his wife and daughter (my friend) have expressed endless gratitude for providing the joy of that show with all the photos of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mark

[debngar]

-snip-

One of the most rewarding jobs I have ever done was for a man in Hospice, after viewing his show he looked at his wife and said, "Wow, honey...it's been a good ride."
He died the next day.-snip-
Betsy

If that doesn't put a lump in a person's throat.... and definitely a bittersweet moment for them! Thanks for sharing your story Betsy.

[Julie B]

Well, here goes.............I'm a retired certified professional dog trainer due to a broken shoulder, and last year when I purchased the Gold version I did some slideshows for parents of HS seniors to use at their graduation parties. Since then I've had numerous requests to do more. I also plan on doing this as a business in my retirement to bring in some extra $$$$$!! Now that I've upgraded to Producer I feel like I'm starting all over again, but I'm having a blast!!

[bellzerr]

Welcome Julie! Thanks for jumping in to share your ProShow story.
Retired dog trainer, huh? Maybe you good give me some tips for my "boys" as posted in my show, "My Three Sons." To say they pretty much rule the household would not be an understatement.
Glad to have you aboard.
Mark

[Julie B]

Mark,
Thanks for the welcome! Your sons are quite adorable!! Nice slideshow and I like the glowing effect around the pics! We can barter..........you give me tips, I will give you tips!! lol!! Even trade? I wish this was as easy as training a dog!!!

[bellzerr]

The glowing effect around the pics was just part of the slide style I used. Slide styles are available for sale on the Photodex site as well as by several members here at the forum. You might even find some freebies around.
Mark

[Tucker's Mom]

I have been a freelance photographer and graphic artist for quite a good while. When my husband retired, he decided to retire me too. I agreed but with some conditions which i will not discuss here. I missed my work and the travelling involved and the adrenalin that comes with the job and having clients (bosses telling me how to do my work... ) Two years ago I started making presentations for Christmas. I failed dismally so I ended up doing a newsletter to send to everybody. In between graphic and photography jobs, I never really followed up on this presentation stuff and just use Powerpoint to get it over and done it. Since then I had been looking for something to translate my powerpoint presentations to an executable that will exactly timed my music to each frame. Apparently, I haven't found it.

Three days ago, I went to DPS (Digital Photography School) forum and saw that many of them have been using ProShow Gold. I bought the full version after trying it for a few hours. I have been trying to configure how to use it since. I had already finished my framings and photos and images and ready to burn but it doesn't seem to work. I got an error each time I output it to a media (DVD, CD autorun...etc.) I have wasted quite a few disc too, I might say.

Hopefully if and when I get this software to work, i will be able to do some nicer presentation for my husband's club activities and some other jobs here and then. This is my story and I am sticking to it. At the moment, I am a disappointed puppy.

[BarbaraC]

Welcome to the forum, Tucker's Mom. (Surely, that isn't what your friends call you? ) You do realize that you've left us all wondering what the conditions of retirement were, don't you? Perhaps we women might be particularly interested.

Your problems in burning DVD's aren't all that unusual. A good many of us here use a method that bypasses ProShow, opting to create an ISO file of the show, then using third-party software to burn the ISO to disk. Quite a few use the free ImgBurn to do this, and I can vouch for it working quite well. Do a search of the forum for "ISO", and you'll probably find everything you need to know in order to successfully burn a DVD.

Barbara

[Tucker's Mom]

Thanks for the welcome, Barbara. Yes, I am a Tucker's Mom. 'Used to be a Lennix's Mom, then JJ mom, then Coopers' Mom and now a Tucker's Mom. Lennix, Cooper and Tucker are Rottweilers I got as weeks old. JJ was a German Shepherd. We lost JJ (16 going on 17 years old) nearly two years ago. Then a few months later, we lost Coopers. He developed canine renal failure and it was really very hard for hubby so I went on a looking-for-another-rottie campaign a few weeks later and found Tucker, a mangy, full-of-worms, very active, flea-ridden, 6-weeks-old, in a Rottweiler rescue in Dallas, Texas. We flew to get him immediately and contacted our vet to give him a thorough check-up. He is now a 110-lb year and 2 months almost monster biggie whimp. Well, he is well behind in the brains department compared to our other doggies but he is connected to my husband's umbilical cord now so as much as I do not want to change him for a new model, we are stuck with him.

Conditions of retirement?? Easy...I just make a few rules at the start and change my rules as I go along and before he knows it, my conditions will be as long as forever. But he doesn't know that...I just make him think it is his idea so it will make him look smart. Bottom line is that you gotta know your husband well enough to know when you can twist his arms and when to let go so you can be his good wife again, better than when you were his yesterday's bride. Two things I get to do, when I am bored I get to fly and/or drive somewhere anytime I want to and because of his connections, I can get a job or two to keep me busy at times I want to, and earn money in the process. I enjoy working and keeping busy and no amount of toys or new dress or new shoes can compensate when I am bored. I just want a job to do, something I can finish and feel proud of. Don't we all want this?

And oh...Barb...thanks for the hint on the ISO thingie...I will get onto it as soon as I can. I may have to copy and paste some message in my word processor so I can follow through but I will be OK...thanks again for your reply.

Izzie.