Our next DVD - thoughts please!

[snapperharmer]

Hi everyone,

I make the Minifilms DVDs with Ian Stent (I film and edit them and design the website, while Ian does the journalism bit - finding the cars and presenting the films). Hope you'll excuse me crashing your forum (I'm going to post on some other Mini sites as well) but we'd love to get some feedback from you guys about what we do next...

We love doing the track DVDs with Bill, but to be honest they cost a fortune to make and the technical films we make are consistently good sellers (the engine build with Bill Sollis, Z-cars, and the Watson's VTEC conversion etc). We've been leaning towards doing a tech film, but there are so many potential subjects!

The track DVDs are where we started, but we're going to have to nail the subject matter on the head if we're to sell enough to make it viable because of the production costs, and the risk of rain which can really spoil the party when we're filming over two days.

So, what would you like to see? Action? Technical? Something new altogether?

We're a tiny company and in the current climate really can't afford to make mistakes, so any feedback here really will go into making a product you want to see and we can sell!

Get posting - even the mad ideas might be the best ones!

Thanks for your help in advance.

Paul

[minimadmotorman]

How about a bit of both??

Show some brief technical sections then show it being put to use on the tarmac.

Perhaps showcase some of the more interesting a-series developments out there.

16v BMW heads, Supercharged, Turbocharged, EFI.

I would dare say a few go faster companies out there would be more than willing to help if it get them some publicity.

If you have already done something like this then send me to the shop and I will buy one!

[snapperharmer]

Thanks for that!

We've just done one that covers lots of a-series variations, going right back to the original Cooper S up to some barkingly mad modern stuff.

We were thinking about doing a series of short films about certain popular upgrades (suspension, brakes etc) and selling them as part of a series. Would something like that be of interest? Of course we'd have to pick 5 to 10 topics, but that's where this feedback comes in!

Paul

[minimadmotorman]

That sounds like a good option to me.

Different degrees of suspension upgrades would be good too. Ranging from uprated dampers to coil-overs and rear beam setups while visiting all the stops on the way. (hi-lo's,red dots,adjusable camber/castor etc,rose jointed setups etc)

Brakes (same as above) drums to 6pots and rear discs etc.

Perhaps safety systems? cages, harnesses seats.

weight reduction?

[snapperharmer]

Like all those. I'm meeting Ian on Friday and will take them along with me. I suspect it's the way we're going; short and sharp and under a tenner.

Keep your eyes on the site BTW - I'm going to post up some full in-car laps with Bill just as a freebie teaser. Maybe even today. I'll let y'all know.

Paul

[snapperharmer]

By way of saying thanks for your help (although I hope we get some more suggestions) I've just uploaded an unedited clip of Bill Sollis driving Llandow in a 208bhp a-series for your pleasure...

http://www.minifilms.co.uk/llandowlap.html

Hope you enjoy it!

Paul

[minimadmotorman]

Is that Nic Rizzardini's car?

[snapperharmer]

I don't actually know - that's me poking my head into the car at the end of the film. It's all I can do to remember what the cars are when I'm editing the films! I'll find out though...

[DanGT]

How about following a mini from build to race for a year, you could do one dvd for each diffrent catagory mighty minis seven etc. The organises may even sponcer you to help promote the catagory and give people an ider of how to start.

[mooncat]

Why not do a restoration based DVD showing body work restoration from basic stuff, front end repairs, to full restoration inc floors and some more tricky procedures, as being a Mini restorer I find I am undoing loads of unneccesary repairs that if done properly the first time would save time and money for the owner, and with the DVD it would show what a proper shell should look like and the customer wouldnt buy a shed in the future. 8-) just my tuppence worth. cheers Keith

[FWDRacer]

A Resto DVD is great idea.

There are so many bodge jobs on sale - if everyone new 'how to' do it properly and had a visual guide it would be act as a educational DVD. It would aid as a buyer guide too, as to what to look for.

If you need to film a 'work in process' and fancy sharing some of the restoration costs I have just a suitable basket case

Drop me a pm if interested.

[minimadmotorman]

Snapperhammer.

Just had confirmation that it is indeed Nic's car.

Apparently Nic wasn't happy with the car that day either. He had been having some brake feel problems and some handling issues to boot. And apparently it was also only on low boost when Bill was driving!

[snapperharmer]

It's always difficult on the day - people are kind enough to bring their cars along for Bill to drive (although we do insure them I hasten to add) which is a big ask, and then something's not quite right and there's no way to fix it. Of course we don't get the footage we'd have liked, but the owners are really gutted.

Big progress meeting for the business tomorrow, so I'll post back with our ideas. Thanks again for you input, really appreciated.

Cheers,

Paul

[Cooper1999]

How about a 'how to port your own head'?





Guess what I'm doing at the minute (I know Vizard has done the book, but a picture paints a thousand words, and all that).

[snapperharmer]

Well we had the big meeting last week and apart from deciding to spend far too much money on marketing materials (pens, t-shirts, carrier bags and even flag would you believe?) we've decided to make the first of our series of "short tech" DVDs on welding! Oh the glamour of it all...

But I think it'll be a good starting point. We'll cover everything from start to finish and do it with an expert in the field. 45 minutes minimum, under a tenner, job done!

Oh - and see you all at L2B next week?

Paul

[CooperS]

snapperharmer said:

Well we had the big meeting last week and apart from deciding to spend far too much money on marketing materials (pens, t-shirts, carrier bags and even flag would you believe?) we've decided to make the first of our series of "short tech" DVDs on welding! Oh the glamour of it all...

But I think it'll be a good starting point. We'll cover everything from start to finish and do it with an expert in the field. 45 minutes minimum, under a tenner, job done!

Oh - and see you all at L2B next week?

Paul

I think that’s a great idea, im trying to persuade myself to get back into mini's (so will be there at L2B) and the biggest cost last time was body work repair.

Engines and components im fine with its how to stick the shell together that flummoxes me.

Good Work!