When it comes to duplicating sales cassettes and corporate videos, or replicating the latest training CD, you can almost always get what you need locally. In fact, there are so many options for duplicating media in Atlanta, finding the right solution can take about as long as the copying process.
Securing a rock—bottom price is most probably management's prime concern, but don't forget audience expectations, convenience, drop-dead dates, and delivery. Media specialists emphasize that a cheaper price can always be found, but you may be sacrificing quality and spending more of your time checking the results.
"It is about the whole project more than just the product," stresses Scott Sarubbi, Operations Manager for Sound Video, a duplication company that has been operating in Atlanta for the past twenty years.
Before you start comparing per tape/CD costs, weigh the importance of access to various formats, screen clarity, audio levels, packaging details, tight deadlines, efficient order fulfillment, shipping methods, and warehousing capabilities. Industry veteran Glen Martin, Director of Sales & Marketing for Video Tape Associates (VTA), points out that, "All the money spent to create the product is worthless if a tape is not there on time, or if the specs are not right"
For a few tapes of an annual conference keynote speaker that is sent gratis to an industry associate, let price and convenience determine the duplicator. But if a raise, or your career, is riding on that video news release (VNR) getting air-play around the globe by next Friday, you'd better get it right.
Think It Over
There is no doubt that the job of deciding who should duplicate your media project will be much easier if you do your homework. (OK, let's face it, the entire project will run smoother if you've done the right research and correctly chosen the message, medium, and audience. Oops, that's a separate article you've hopefully already read).
Advance planning will help translate that fabulous master tape, or disc, you are going to have in your hot little hand any day now, into 1200 slick-looking copies that clients can't wait to load into the corresponding player, or drive.
Don Reggio, Regional Sales Manager with Vaughn Communications, recommends shopping for the "breadth of services" needed for upcoming projects. Video Copy Services’ President, Tim Harris concurs, "Look for a multi-faceted company."
Multi-faceted doesn't necessarily mean the local facility handles each and every tape or CD from start to finish, but that they have the knowledge and strategic alliances to manage project additions and/or changes that often emerge once the smoke clears. Small shops that have been around for a while are pretty savvy about how to compete with the big guns, or work with them to benefit a client. Post—production houses frequently shift larger duplication projects to local facilities specializing in high—volume orders.
Don Blank, Senior Director of TV, Photography & Technology Communications for Georgia-Pacific Corporation, stresses that, "It is all about relationships." Although G—P has the equipment to handle much of its duplication needs internally, Blank does farm out large runs (over 500 copies) to Atlanta Duplication, now home to a former G-P engineer. "They understand our quality and timeline needs, and provide good competitive pricing," according to Blank.
Often called a commodity service, duplicators live and die by whether or not they can keep machinery humming. It shouldn’t be assumed equipment will be available when your master is ready, particularly if your project coincides with the entertainment industry's pre—Christmas duplicating/replicating rush, which can start as early as late summer.
Reggio recommends taking the "critical path" approach to scheduling a slot for your duplication project well before approval choke points. "There is always the illusion that we've got time," explains Reggio. "But we are the last link in the chain, and any days built-in are gone. By the time we get the master, it is a tight time-frame."
Only regular customers should expect a voluminous one day rush job to be accepted and completed, and even then not too frequently. "Five million dollars worth of business can't change the laws of nature," laughs Reggio. "There are only so many hours in the day, and machinery can only produce so many copies in a set time."
When the master is almost a "fait accompli," and you're working on lining up a reputable duplicator, is it time to relax? Not yet.
"There is so much focus on producing a master that people forget about back-end graphics and packaging," remarks David Heslim, president of Media Group, an Atlanta grown multi-media brokerage firm. "When the master is ready, the duplicator needs the specs for the label and sleeve designs. For instance, have you already determined if a 4-color label is worth the extra price over 2-color for this project, and what type of case will be used, and how does that affect shipping plans? Folks are caught dumbfounded."
Most duplication facilities are capable of producing, or procuring, any size/type label and packaging. Some even employ in-house graphic artists to assist with designs.
While most of us are familiar with the standard cassette tape box (called a Norelco by those in the know), cardboard video sleeves, the hard plastic and vinyl video cases (think Disney), and hard plastic CD cases (named Jewel cases, no relation to a certain popular singer), there are plenty of other options, You can ask duplicators about: poly tape boxes that are more suitable for mailings; binders that hold 6 or 12 cassettes, or maybe 1 cassette and 1 video; Q packs for CD’s (favored by radio stations), and other packaging tailored to particular projects and delivery methods.
It Can't hurt to Ask
"Duplication is not a science. It is all about service," explains Michael Schwartz, principal of Group Communications, an industrial production company operating in Atlanta for the past fifteen years.
Start your search by asking production people like Schwartz, industry friends, agency pros and marketing affiliates, on whom they rely. Remember that large corporations, commercial production crews, and agencies often work with vendors who handle other aspects of their business (such as supplying editing suites and scheduling satellite broadcasts). Be sure to ask why a particular company is preferred.
Surf the web for vendors; Vaughn and other companies with Atlanta facilities maintain sites that describe their capabilities. There is even a "name your own price" site called QuoteIT.com. Be warned however, a QuoteIT’s spokesperson, Quicklab Multimedia's Marc Bennett, concedes that, "More often than not we meet a reasonable price, but it is like buying a car. There is always someone who will offer $1,000 when they know they will end up paying $2,500, fair market value."
There are times when brokers and even homegrown Atlanta companies direct projects to out-of-state locations. It can be necessary when filling large orders, completing promised projects for several customers when a late master collides with the next scheduled job, breaking into a new technology like DVD, and ensuring myriad, cost-efficient shipments to one specific area (where there happens to be a competent duplication house).
However, sending an entire copying project to a distant facility based on mere phone contact or e-mail promises can contribute to unnecessary coordination snags, time lags, and costs. Just sending the master is more complicated (sorry, transmitting via the Internet is not yet reliable). Plus, Sarubbi warns, "With changing rates, shipping is often a major part of the total expense." If the bulk of a project is Atlanta-bound, it makes sense to shop locally.
Seventeen Questions
Armed with your list of recommendations, begin calling duplicators long before you are ready to hand over that precious master. Find out:
Of course, most duplication projects do not involve all of the special services mentioned above. Be prepared to answer questions on what conditions could be critical to the successful completion of your job.
Stan Lester, regional sales manager for American Sound & Video, recommends having, "the quantity needed, program length, and ideas about packaging on the tip of your tongue."
Don’t be embarrassed if your project involves lagging-edge technology like audiotapes, VHS tapes, and floppy discs. They may not be as hip as DVD, but they can be played on common equipment and provide excellent reach in both consumer and business markets. These mediums are still a main source of revenue for most duplication shops.
With staff comprised of production survivors, technical experts, engineers, ex-network employees, media buffs, and marketing pros, you are likely to get some useful, free advice on how to cut costs or improve quality as you describe your particular project. Don't pass up invitations for facility tours; they will not only help you select a service provider, but will also give you a free short course in the duplication process, packaging options, warehousing systems, and shipping capabilities.
Wishin' and Hopin'
If you are not lucky enough to have an acquaintance jump ship to a duplication house, plan on spending time developing rapport with the sales staff, customer service reps, traffic managers, and technical specialists handling your account.
Make sure you know exactly who to call in an emergency. According to VTA's Post Production Sales Manager Jackie Jusko-Dillard, all staffers are required to wear pagers at all times. If your VNR needs to be aired tomorrow, problems need immediate attention.
Mary Ackerly, the Director of Public Relations for Agnes Scott College, points out that another option is to let the production company bringing your vision to life also oversee duplication. For large runs of videos and CD’s, she negotiates up front with the production house and guarantees their involvement throughout the entire project.
Hooked on a Feeling
Remember the first time you had to determine which printing rep to use for a critical brochure? Finding the right vendor to handle a particular duplication project is similar. You wouldn't take your annual report printing to the around-the-corner copying shop. Think twice before asking the person who transferred your mom's old home movies to duplicate several thousand training videos in various formats. Also, remember that you do not want to hear management carping about per tape costs for the next year, so take the time to compare vendor bids.
While copying VHS tapes is a "saturated market," according to Bruce Ellsworth, a six-year sales veteran with Amitrace Video, it "boils down to customer service and getting what you want." When duplicating CD’s and emerging media, it often pays to let experienced professionals guide you through the process.
"I've seen people keeping horrendous hours," explains Reggio, "doing so much research trying to become an expert on a CD project that they are not doing any of their other work. It is not necessary to know overnight how all the pieces fit together; it is important to find who can get the job done."
There are plenty of duplication experts in Atlanta eager to save you from yourself, take advantage of them!
While it is possible to duplicate audiotapes, videotapes, and CD’s, it is not possible to replicate audio and videotapes. Replication involves creating the media (mold injecting CD or DVD discs) at the same time that the information is being copied from the master.
You Did What?
All the experts agree: resist any temptation to produce labels on an in-house, ink-jet printer in the wee hours to save a few bucks (it usually doesn't). Likewise, don’t request generic labels from a printing company, crack and peel labels slow down the packaging process.
Don’t let your true master tape or disc out of your sight; request several sub-masters to prevent bizarre mishaps to the original.
If your do-or-die project gets WAY behind schedule, explore satellite feeds and digi-system solutions rather than frantically delivering video, and then trying to catch up with show producers to see if it arrived in time.
Plenty of media projects have been hand carried to their final destinations.
DVD-Here or Hype?
Whether DVD is here to stay is dependant on with whom you speak. Even companies investing tens of millions of dollars on the future of DVD have published press releases noting that "facilities geared up for DVD haven't yet done significant volume of product.
But the promise of DVD, a type of digital data disc that holds up to 26 times more information than a CD, is so appealing that just about everyone working in current media forms agrees: DVD is simply a few years away from becoming widely accepted.
Meanwhile, there is the problem of DVD’s (and the machinery to replicate them) actually being available at a near-affordable price. According to David Bloom, president of Moving Images, a local company formed to produce content on DVD, "The set-up charge for replicating is high, $1,500 to $3,000. You have to create an absolutely flawless glass master."
DVD aficionados brag that the picture detail is purer than VHS, and the sound more powerful. Plus, viewers can move instantly from one scene to another, just like on music CD’s.
It is this feature that has already made DVD’s a popular choice for kiosks within museums and other institutions. Ted Stout, owner of Can Do Productions, is confident that the interactive nature of DVD will soon make it a popular presentation vehicle for corporate clients.
Another DVD selling point, according to Bloom, is that DVD’s life span is much greater than that of magnetic tape which degrades over time and with each play. DVD presents yet another opportunity for recycling existing corporate video to a fresher medium.
Most new computers are already shipping with DVD drives (with prices typically less than $200 more than last year's DVD—less models).