I just had an idea for a pool-related venture...

ScottW

ScottW

Fo' shizzle!
Silver Member
...nothing major, but something more along the lines of a bit of cash-on-the-side, and I'd like to hear opinions.

I've been trying to improve my game of late, and have been pondering getting a camcorder with a tripod, and setting it up to tape myself while practicing or during matches (league, tournament if allowed).

Then I thought - maybe other folks would like the same thing. Maybe other folks would be willing to pay to have their match(es) recorded, and then get them a DVD of the recording. The idea is to have this as a training tool - to watch yourself play, and to spot issues with how you're playing and work toward correcting them, not so much to just have a recording of the match.

Think of it kinda like the photography services at ski resorts - you go cruising by some guy with a camera and a sign that says "Roll ###". You can later go down to the photo service's office, tell'em what roll your photo is on, and buy a copy.

Thoughts?
 
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Easy to do enough to do, but not easy to do well. Not inexpensive to do well, either.
 
Do the words "Video Analysys" ring a bell.
Shoot the tape and let them critique their selves.
Good way to go!
Purdman
 
Purdman said:
Do the words "Video Analysys" ring a bell.
Shoot the tape and let them critique their selves.
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That's pretty much the idea - I know I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell most folks what they're doing wrong - I still have trouble figuring out what *I* do wrong :) I just look at this idea as a way to provide a tool for folks to kinda self-diagnose things.

Though you now give me another idea... which is, to get someone who *does* know what they're talking about involved, and to have them watch the video and merge their verbal commentary over it - for an added fee, of course.
 
Video cameras are cheap and video can be copied to DVDs. Perhaps top instructors could analyse play on DVDs and respond by e-mail with video clips of proper technique.

Instead of instructors travelling around or setting up permanent instruction facilities, it could be done by snail mail and email.:D
 
Getting instructors to watch a video, record an audio commentary and merging the two, still isn't nearly as good as taking a class with an instructor face-to-face, though. I don't see such a thing putting schools/clinics out of business. I'm thinking of it more as an interim step - somewhere between absolutely no help, and taking a clinic or hiring a coach.
 
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well to me the biggest problem is going to be the cost for you, unless im missing something. I mean sure you can do it local, if you have enough pool players there, then it could go fine, but when you get into any type of travel expense, plus figuring your time, then it would prob be cheaper for the pool player to just get his own camcorder and do it himself versus paying you and making it worth your while. The video analysis might not be a bad idea though.........set up a format that pool players would follow........shoot so many shots certain ways with the camera in certain positions.....then they send in their video to someone to be analyzed. I dont know if it would be cost effective to someone to video themselves and send it in, versus them just going to an instructor who uses video as part of their instruction, which it seems alot are doing these days.
 
Scaramouche said:
Video cameras are cheap and video can be copied to DVDs. Perhaps top instructors could analyse play on DVDs and respond by e-mail with video clips of proper technique.

Instead of instructors travelling around or setting up permanent instruction facilities, it could be done by snail mail and email.:D
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I currently offer this to players that don't have the time to travel.

http://www.zimsrack.com/Lessons.html

Great minds think alike!
Zim
 
Scaramouche said:
Video cameras are cheap and video can be copied to DVDs. Perhaps top instructors could analyse play on DVDs and respond by e-mail with video clips of proper technique.

Instead of instructors travelling around or setting up permanent instruction facilities, it could be done by snail mail and email.:D
Click to expand...

A few notes...

First, I said it's tough to do well, and by that I meant to get a good angle, good lighting, etc. I stand by that.

I just started a column at a site I have that basically does this for golfers. You can read the intro column here and preview the first article here. I imagine it's similar to what you'd do. We don't include the actual video on the site, but we show still frames with lines and whatnot drawn on the picture.
 
scottycoyote said:
well to me the biggest problem is going to be the cost for you, unless im missing something. I mean sure you can do it local, if you have enough pool players there, then it could go fine, but when you get into any type of travel expense, plus figuring your time, then it would prob be cheaper for the pool player to just get his own camcorder and do it himself versus paying you and making it worth your while. The video analysis might not be a bad idea though.........set up a format that pool players would follow........shoot so many shots certain ways with the camera in certain positions.....then they send in their video to someone to be analyzed. I dont know if it would be cost effective to someone to video themselves and send it in, versus them just going to an instructor who uses video as part of their instruction, which it seems alot are doing these days.
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Well I'm definitely thinking of this as local-only initially - and more like, doing it at either a) tournaments I'm playing in, and can either film matches while I'm not playing, or rope a friend into filming while I do, or b)
tournaments I'm not playing in, and can devote my time to just filming. I could even do it outside of that, on like an appointment basis - show up at someone's league night, or just some pool room and film the person shooting around.

The trick is, it's tough to film yourself - and not everyone's got a camera and someone to use it while they shoot. *shrug*
 
ScottW said:
Well I'm definitely thinking of this as local-only initially - and more like, doing it at either a) tournaments I'm playing in, and can either film matches while I'm not playing, or rope a friend into filming while I do, or b)
tournaments I'm not playing in, and can devote my time to just filming. I could even do it outside of that, on like an appointment basis - show up at someone's league night, or just some pool room and film the person shooting around.

The trick is, it's tough to film yourself - and not everyone's got a camera and someone to use it while they shoot. *shrug*
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oh i agree with you 100%, setting up and stuff is a pain and having someone all set up and knowing what theyre doing would be a huge plus, i guess its the accountant in me coming out when i look at a business venture lol. On a limited scale i think it would do fine, if you could look at the tape and show the person what they are doing and doing wrong would be where it really would be worth the money. I know at the school i went to they video'd you in a bunch of different setups, and then the instructor would replay it for you, taking a dry erase pen and outline things like your elbow and head on the monitor, then play the video and you could see what you were moving or not. The thing is, we were working thru a 3day course, and it was a gradual process of video and instruction and drills to slowly get to as good a stroke as you could for that person. I dont know if you can video them and then watch it and say........"you're heads coming up" or "your arm isnt perpendicular to the floor" and really make it work for them. I think there is no substitute for seeing what you are doing wrong on video, but being able to give the person some type of structure to fix it will be tricky without some type of lesson situation imho.
 
Or....take the footage, upload it to a website, then give everyone here the link, and we all can shred someones game and help them fix it!:D

It would take some courage to put your game on display like that!

Gerry
 
Here's how it could be done.

Select market area - pick a popular pool room. Set up a ceiling mount or two on a single table with proper angles good for photography.

Player makes a reservation for video instruction, reports to the room, and has the match recorded.

An expert instructor later reviews the video and comments on shot selection, strategy, form, etc. - asseses game and makes recommendations for drills and practice sessions.

I've noticed that instructors can pick up a lot from video. Pool room and instructor get cuts and it offers them additional exposure, services, and advertising.

Chris
 
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People do a lot of stuff as a hobby and then it turns into a business. Most of the time it is so simple others laugh. Like any business it will take a lot of time and work. Promotion is the thing that will take up most of your time. Try it. You will not be out of much money as far as what some businesses need to start up.
 
TATE said:
Here's how it could be done.

Select market area - pick a popular pool room. Set up a ceiling mount or two on a single table with proper angles good for photography.

Player makes a reservation for video instruction, reports to the room, and has the match recorded.
Click to expand...

My current plan, at least starting out, is to just show up at some local decent-sized events, drop some fliers around. Let someone hire me on the spot, and I film them playing a *real* match - not one that they know they're playing just for the camera. I figure, the more real-world the footage is, the more normal the player will shoot - and the more likely whatever problems they have with their game will show up.

Plus, I plan on basically walking around with the camera, to get different angles on the player as he's shooting - which wouldn't work well with mounted cameras (especially mounted up higher).

Heh, I mentioned this to a league teammate of mine and he's all gung-ho on it, as far as getting out *his* camera and helping out (i.e. being able to film two matches at once, or one guy from two angles at once). :D
 
I like the idea, but commentary from an instructor would be helpful. The three that come to my mind are Bob Jewett, Scott Lee, and Randy Gottleicher - all three very credible, accomplished instructors.

Chris
 
TATE said:
I like the idea, but commentary from an instructor would be helpful. The three that come to my mind are Bob Jewett, Scott Lee, and Randy Gottleicher - all three very credible, accomplished instructors.
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Indeed - if you see my earlier posts in the thread, that's also in the plan - to find some instructors I could send a client's vid to, have them record an audio commentary to send back to me, merge it up and burn the DVD for the client.

The main issue there is finding good instructors who are a) willing to participate and b) those who are set up with proper audio gear to do the recording :) Oh, and c) finding clients willing to pay the extra $$$ for the instructor analysis/commentary.
 
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