In the future I am possibly thinking of producing a 2 hour retouching DVD that goes over step by step how to get that great "Dior Look" to retouching portraits. It would start out with the basics and go all the way to advanced.

It would cover enhancing photos, skin blemish removal, smoothing skin, how to get those sexy shadows, retouching eyes, lip enhancement, makeup application with Photoshop, and getting that sexy color balance like you see in the magazines etc etc. I would be sharing 15 years of retouching experience on the lessons in Photoshop.

I already have a written tutorial on the subject here in the forums - but several individuals have asked for a full video-step by step version. "Getting that That Dior Look" http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/rp-tutorials/12475-soft-dior-look-portraits.html

Its going to easily take me 20 to 30 hours to produce this video if I do it well.

I was wondering if you all thought there might be a market out there for it???

Any comments - pro or con?

Im thinking individuals in this community would have some idea of the market acceptance of something like this. I enjoy retouching - but I dont know too much about marketplaces and how to judge a potential market. It would be a big undertaking - so I thought id ask for some advice here first.

Thanks

Ray12

Sorry i don't know the market but I know all of us here would enjoy watching it :classic:

There a quite a few people out there that sell actions from their website using PayPal. You maybe able to do this but make sure the file size is manageable.

From reading photoshop forums, I think there are a lot of people who want to learn how to do that kind of image editing. Now, they are getting advice and techniques from all over the web. It would be nice to have it all in one package.

I think generally people are reluctant to part with money, but then there is the instant gratification issue which is being sought so maybe a market based on the instant gratification issue and video is much more visually understandable most of the time

A big factor will be price. Price it too high and you will knock yourself out of the market. Send a PM to Trimoon or visit his web page (http://www.trimoon.com/). He is a member here that has developed a few excellent CD/DVDs tutorials. He probably can give you some excellent advice too.

Thanks all for your input. I appreciate it.

My initial thought was to do a 1.5 hour DVD in segments - like balancing the skin, retouching blemishes, smoothing skin - and then stuff on lip gloss look, eyelashes, womens makeup in photoshop, retouching eyes and hair etc. and then final color balancing.

I wonder if It should be on the web instead? The same software I use to make DVD video can also output to flash movies it seems. The file size could ending up being 25 megs a clip though.

What about a tolerance for price? If I showed ALL the glamour retouching steps involved, some extra tips for good results - and then some Photoshop tricks...what kind of range of price would be a smart thing I wonder? Everyone is different. What ballpark would we be in??

Thanks for your ideas - I might know Photoshop well - but that doesnt mean I have a good feel for the marketing and business side of something like this.

Thanks.

Ray12

Well, I would think something in the $39.99 to $49.99 range would fit. Low enough to fit into most anyone's budget but still enough for you to make a decent profit off your time. I would certainly buy it if it were in this range.

well, to me this is to expensive! I can buy the whole Glitterguru book for around 30$ with shipping included! If you sell this as a streaming movie you will end up very expensive in the range of 39-49$...think about other movies out there.

Take lynda.com...look at their site. don't sell it all in one dvd or movie. That will give you a seller to customer stop, IF you sell all the stuff in one package!

if you sell retouching in one pack, balancing in one pack and other stuff in another pack, then the price around 10-15dollars seems better for each product! but still it's abit high!

the tip is to give the customer a chance to come back and buy more...then you have a biz that is living and breathing, and a steady income. in each movie always explain what other packs the customer can buy that has to do with the same area of retouching.


God luck!


Gerry

OH, if you're gonna use models in these movies use dior lookalike settings, models, lighting...it will look more pro and the customer can relate to the lessons more as well...



Good luck!

These are GREAT ideas to keep in mind. Thank you.

One of the ideas I found especially intriguing is the idea to have multiple items for sale. Im working on retouching hair - and have a library of hair brushes - or eyelash brushes - or samples of the different kinds of skin from the 7 areas of a face. That is a great idea. It doesnt have to be totally expensive - just enough to be within reach. Great ideas - thank you.

Any other great ideas?

Should I break the 2 hour DVD on magazine retouching into several parts? Like image balance and equalizing skin tones - and then adding light and shadow and skin texture - and then final touches like eye and lip makeup and final coloration? Would some prefer this sectional approach? - or would the whole process on one DVd be the best? Im thinking I should break it up into chapters so you can get to different subject areas on the DVD. But what I think im hearing is break the material down into several lower priced products.

Ray

I don't know about anybody else but i would prefer it all on one DVD. It's a pain when it's seperated because if you are working on a picture but want to use the DVD as a reference you only have to put in one DVD not go back and forth among several.

Thanks all for your great advice!!

Im going to do it. Im going to make up the 2 hour high end DVD on how to use Photoshop to do glamour / Dior retouching. The tutorial will go from basic Photoshop necessities to very advanced retouching and electronic correction and makeup. Im thinking of having a companion CD available at a lesser price maybe that has paint brushes for eyelashes, hair retouching strands, hair colors and textures, lip glosses, eye glints, eye shadow and foundation colors, and Dior color palettes. I'll try to make the price toward the lower end on the Brushes CD.

Here is the Next question I really need help with ----

How would I introduce it when its ready? Maybe early summer.

What do retouching people read for training products like this?

Where would you have been looking when you first found this DVD?

Does this site take advertisements? Are there other sites I dont know about?

Would you buy it from Photoshop User Magazine? Photography magazines? Where would you expect to find this DVD when it comes out?

Thanks again for your marvelous ideas - I appreciate the wisdom.

Ray12

:right: Do you want to put your favorite dvd and video onto your ipod ?
It is easy ,just download a software to help you at http://www.oursdownload.com/convert-DVD-video-to-iPod-video.html

ray12,

Your idea is worth pursuing. I would suggest that you choose a group on individuals, with different levels of retouching knowledge, to critique and review your video before you mass produce the final product. You certainly want positive feedback once the video goes on sale.

Be careful about how you name your product. Dior® owns numerous registered trademarks internationally and such references in your product name or within its contents would definitely be looked upon as infringement. Just a suggestion.

Skydog and Niagragirl,

Great suggestions - thank you both for mentioning them.

I would have concentrated on content and probably missed covering these bases. Thanks Again.

Ray12