Why Not Take Dr. Bill Home With You?

[drbill]

I wonder if many of the other DVDs that people watch only once are largely filled with beautiful scenes but not a lot of information on the species involved? My DVDs are narrated with as much factual information as my team of researchers (me, myself and I) can ferret out. There is certainly too much to absorb in one viewing (even for me, and I wrote the scripts!).

One could look at them as reference books on each group of species rather than just a lot of "nice" video. Of course divers in other parts of the country may be less interested in what's in our kelp forests here, but I've found my best customers are some of the most "serious" divers in our waters... the ones that really want to learn about the species and ecosystems instead of just feeling the "AWE" (which isn't bad either).

 

[mike_s]

when is your episode of "Dr Bill Gone Wild!" coming out?

 

[gcbryan]

UW videos in general are interesting but I don't own any, don't have a DVD or iPod and I'm wondering how many videos you've paid for?

We may not be your market. We are divers and see these things firsthand. Also, even though I know you've said your market is cable in which case they not us are your market but if it were us wouldn't it have been better to ask these questions (market research) before shooting all of your video?

I may spend years collecting butterflies and have a scholarly collection but after all the work wouldn't be the best time to find out that not many people will buy butterfly collections.

I'm sure you will do well with your videos I'm just throwing out a few points as your seemed to want some feedback.

 

[Tigerman]

This is why I dont buy your DVDs;
Physical media needs to be shipped and Im on the wrong continent.
Another thing is that physical media is dying. The internet can now deliver a movie to me in 15-30 minutes while good old snailmail distribution even within the same part of the country would use 2 days to deliver (or from another continent minimum a week and probably huge shipping costs). Unless I really want the extra material or Im sure the box isnt just going to sit and collect dust for all eternity, I really cant be bothered with the physical media. It takes up shelf-space that Im pretty much all out of as well, what I have left of that I have to save for the rest of The Simpsons collectors edition boxes

Another huge upside to digital media rather than physical is the fact that its already in a format that enable me to bring 10s or even 100s of movies and DVDs with me wherever I bring my laptop.

 

[drbill]

Actually I've paid for a number of UW videos from areas I traveled to, largely so I could have a record of the marine life there in the days before I started filming on my trips. I've also bought DVDs of local stuff just to see how others handled it. But you have a point, I have not watched most of them more than once.

I'm always surprised that divers say they see these things firsthand, yet many when viewing my footage on DVDs or during my talks really had little idea WHAT they were seeing. I've had a number of divers who purchased my first DVD say it gave them a lot of new insight into things they never realized they were seeing.

I knew my market from the beginning, but did expect the DVD sales to be a bit more brisk. But maybe "it's the economy, stupid" applies here.

Good point on the changing delivery systems for video material, Tigerman. That is one reason I put out the data DVD with all the episodes in iPod format. Much easier than downloading all 27 (soon to be 28) of the existing episodes.

 

[fairybasslet]

"Munching & Mating in the Macrocystis" episodes

I'll admit that I haven't watched the sample episodes yet, but for me, a title like this reminds me of sore breasts when nursing.

 

[drbill]

Um, Ellen... must admit that sore breasts are not something I can personally relate to (unless I've caused them!).

 

[FrankPro1]

I voted "they are too expensive for me since I earn minimum wage (recommend a price point at which you'd buy)". While I do earn more then minimum wage, the rising price of living here in Southern California as a College student leaves very little cash for entertainment. The latter half of this year I've become insanely addicted to underwater photography and diving in general, so it seems that every bit of extra cash I get ends up being dedicated towards another piece of gear or diving trip somewhere.

I should be your main consuming audience. My small circle of "diving" friends are constantly complaining how underwater nature shows seen on television are always focused on some far off tropical environment. I'm not saying bright florescent fish scattered over lush coral reef systems in crystal clear water isn't appealing, but our local California waters can be just as spectacular. The BBC planet earth episode "Shallow Seas" has a 3-5min snippet of footage showing the kelp forest. The whole scene is time lapse photography of some invertebrates chasing themselves around a rocky reef and a quick shot of a lush kelp bed. Talk about a tease! There is so much more to our local waters and to just focus on a couple sunflower stars chasing down brittle stars for food is pathetic. Another BBC documentary series "Blue Planet" had a somewhat more in depth picture of our local waters in their Temperate Seas episode but still so much left out. Out of all the underwater shows that I've seen only an infinitesimal amount of footage has been in non-tropical waters.

30 bucks isn't really too much to ask for an hour long vid, especially since your product is a very rare one. As soon as I get myself out of school and making some decent dough, I'll be the first to throw down and buy up your whole collection. Until then, maybe make it 30 bucks out the door? Or drop it down to 20-25bucks plus shipping and tax? I hate to even say this. Since I believe your product is worth so much more then that, but for someone in my financial situation, every penny saved gets me that closer to a 2nd strobe. Or wide angle lens. Or Subsee Diopter. Or, Or, Or... this list goes on.

 

[Brewski]

Honestly I would watch them once and then put them on the shelf. Besides until now I didn't even know they existed.

AND I'd rather be diving than watching diving.

 

[TSandM]

It seems like a lot of answers have to do with the idea that these are DVDs one would watch once, and people don't want to invest the money to do that. Have you thought about some kind of rental scheme, like what Netflix does? Rent the DVD, get it mailed to you, you're charged rental, and if you don't return it within 30 days, you get charged the purchase price? That kind of a deal (or an online download) would tempt me -- there are enough species overlaps between SoCal and the PNW to make it interesting, and I also dive Monterey and LA from time to time.