Why not do my DM on Koh Tao?

[LiquidVDO]

Hello,

I know many VDO graphers here on Koh Tao and there are many different companys. They sell the dvd's from 1700 per disc untill 2500,- baht a disc.

Some companys make it cheaper when several people buy the disc.

The fate of a vdographer is that you can make nice money one month and hardly any the next. Nowadays I think some of the companys also have a pool system where they split whatever they make between the vdographers.

Greetz

This it true, prices vary from company to company and there are also differences in the DVDs from just your movie to a fully interactive DVD with lots of extras. The Dive shops are usually taking 20% with instructors also getting commission, taking this into consideration with the cost of Underwater video equipment, a full day of work, office & work permit, legal overheads and the ever more expensive cost of living, the price for the DVDs is an absolute bargain.

Also there was a previous post about a videographer getting paid 500 baht per DVD, there is a company on the the island paying that rate to "interns" or trainees and again that rate varies, we pay more, but working Videographers could expect to earn more than a Divemaster and yes work less and during high season earn more than a lot of instructors. I have also had Underwater video interns, earn more than half their course fee back in two weeks and like everything in life depends on the persons abilities and how they apply themselves.

Koh Tao is becoming a very popular place for underwater video courses, we have had a lot of our past trainees continue working and eventually start their own business in other destinations or pursue their passion and go to University to undertake film studies.

 

[stiggy]

I got a DVD with all the trimmings inc reef documentary in Australia just fun diving.

Cost 25 dollars (560 bht) , the store owned the camera and paid the video guy/girl to work on a salary. From memory they sold to about 80-90% divers and snorkellers

The owner stated it was great advertising and co brand awareness, just to note they also had huge overheads Australian legislation is costly at times.

Store happy, video peeps, happy customers happy.

Most customers want a good dvd of the fun they had some nice fishy /reef footage and a memory of where they where.

 

[LiquidVDO]

Well stiggy I would really like to see both products side by side, for example wine is wine but some bottles are worth more than others. And what type of equipment are they using, our HD rigs, for our daily jobs cost 185,000 baht or in Aussy dollars $6438.00 each, which is not including the Macintosh computers with Apple licensed software, batteries etc. so in short we are using the best and the customers is getting a highly personalized memory of them and not the whole boat.

And as a comparison, my friend went sky diving in Belgium and got a video they're featured in for less than 2 minutes and cost 135 Euro or 5500 baht.

 

[lord khram]

Correct me if I am missing something here, I have collated the following figures from various posts on this thread. My curiosity is getting the better of me now.
Initial investment 185000bt, at 500bt per DVD that is 370 sales to recoup your investment.
Average income per month 5000-10000bt equates to between 18,5 and 37 months work to recoup your investment.
Why on earth would someone want to follow such an occupation?
Had I conducted a piece of business myself that equated to such figures, I most certainly would not be posting it on the internet. Indeed I would be embarassed to let other people know what I had done.

 

[LiquidVDO]

I will correct you, first off there are several companies on Koh Tao, each working in their own way. The cost of a Underwater video course with a two week duration, diving pretty much everyday, using expensive underwater video equipment, editing facility costs with our company 30,000 baht with some companies charging more. This course had been accredited to University Film Study Degrees in Europe.

And the 185000 baht is the cost of a camera and housing to the company, it pays itself off fairy fast actually, I've been running a successful videography business for nearly 10 years. Read the posts again, a video student after finishing their course does a internship to gain more experience and skill, during this period they're filming at several Dive resorts and when they sell souvenir DVDs get paid a percentage of the sale with our company the trainees get more than 500 and normally redeem at least half the course fee it not more. Full time staff make much more, average income for a videographer would range from 20,000 up to 50,000 in high season, which is a lot more than a Dive master earns on Koh Tao.

 

[stiggy]

Side by side, they are equally as good for the market they are intended for.

Ie my mum my nan my friends all liked the dvds they see.

Its great to see professional pride but with that comes a fine balance of making a product that will work in the intended tourist market.Take tao predominatly a budget market for example, if a company was to make a suitible product at a hot price they would surely be selling more.long term making more money and getting the operator they work with more exposure.

In summary customers want a memory recorded yes good quality etc but will not normally pay to star in there own version of blue planet. I have seen countless Video guys and gals work there butt of to be told to expensive at the end, how many move on as they cant survive ?

 

[lord khram]

Read the posts again, a video student after finishing their course does a internship to gain more experience and skill, during this period they're filming at several Dive resorts and when they sell souvenir DVDs get paid a percentage of the sale with our company the trainees get more than 500 and normally redeem at least half the course fee it not more.

Internships within the dive industry seem to me to mean people are paying to work and in return they get some training. But as I have said before re dive guides, if you are charging rates comensurate with a professional videography service, should you be using trainee staff? Personally I think not. as has been suggested in the last post, particularly on KT I would think a low cost version would be much more appropriate, particularly if trainee staff are being used.
Incedentally, you mention divemasters and their small incomes on koh Tao, they want to think themselves lucky, in Pattaya it is quite common for divemasters, even when qualified and in some cases very experienced, to be paying the shop they are working for. In return they get 'free' diving.
The dive industry does have some perculiar ways.

 

[tvh13]

Hi guys, need some advice.


Since I can't really leave before Dec'10-Jan'11 I'm thinking of Koh Tao. On the one hand, I know the diving isn't thàt great overthere (biodiversity), but the place should be good for training in a cool atmosphere & a pretty good chance of work afterwards? So far, I'm considdering Crystal for the DM & Liquid Media for the videography.

Now my question is, are there better places for me to do this & why? I'm open to all other places that have good (or better) diving/training/people/prices/parties/... even outside of thailand or Asia.


Bert

Hey Bert.

I've recently received my DM rating here on Phuket and will take the IE in December.

One aspect to consider is size of the school and who the actual people that are teaching the courses.

I opted for a small Dive shop and now I wish I had chosen differently. The place I studied is run by a couple. So wen they were fighting (often) it was up close and personal (too personal for my liking). The woman started telling me things I just didn't want to know about their relationship (unprofessional).

In retrospect a larger group might have given me more interaction with different people which can be helpful for learning experientially from others "mistakes" and also offer a little more of a buffer.

I think it is great that you are soliciting opinions here. There is so much great about living and diving here please feel free to PM me if you find yourself near Phuket and want to fun dive.

I did my open water in Koh Tao and really enjoyed it there. I like it here in Phuket too. Both are very active dive locations.

Enjoy!

 

[Nikki McAllen]

Don't know if the OP is still reading this thread. Would like to add some benefits of Koh Tao for DM and IDC training.

I think the best thing about KT is easy access to dive sites that are close via boat. Nothing is more than a half hour away. This means shorter days and less fatigue over the months. Even in bad weather you won't experience as much fatigue as you might in many places. This matters a lot when you've got studying/partying to do.

I got the impression they were considering the chance to find work. Be aware: Immigration looks for illegal instructors who stand near a group holding their compass arms in the navigation position. They photograph with a long lens, find you later and take an awful lot of your money if you're not enrolled in an IDC internship. It's just as easy to find the guy with a red lens vidcam. Considering the risk of deportation it's smart to be very careful. If you are foolish and get smart-mouthed you'll wind up in Prison.

It's a matter of Keeping Face.

 

[DevonDiver]

Average income per month 5000-10000bt equates to between 18,5 and 37 months work to recoup your investment.

It's a simular situation for scuba instructors. A large initial investment (IDC, MSDT) with a very slow return.

For the videographers.... it isn't so much a business decision... as a 'lifestyle enabler'. They get to do the job they want, earn money to live and eventually their cameras get paid for.

In the long term, I've seen a few KT videographers go on to develop their careers with more 'artistic' videography at other locations in the world. They counted their time on KT as a lasting 'internship' to gain experience and skill with the camera.

Why on earth would someone want to follow such an occupation?

Diving every day...using the camera...no responsibility for trainee divers...gaining skill and expertise...

If money was the priority, then 99% of scuba professionals would get an office job back at home.