How do I shorten dance lines?

[Roy Mullin]

We've been hired for Homecoming at a new school and they want us to do SOMETHING to eliminate the long wait in line. In the past we've tried to hand out order forms ahead of proms and such but the kids never fill them out. They wait till dance night.

I remember sometime this past year someone posted an idea about assigning photo times but I don't remember how it worked. If anyone has any ideas I'd be extremely grateful

Barbara

PS dance is at the end of the month

[Llew Wenzel]

One thing we did which helped was to have the coordinator post a sign up sheet, we scheduled them 3 couples every 5 minutes, that helped but I found that they seemed to like hanging out in line.
Also more staff might speed things up. If them filling out the forms is slowing things up have a couple of tables set up where 5 or 6 at a time can be filling them out.

[Cliff Roehn]

We have tried having the DJ call the couples down by table number and when they didnt have assigned seating, we had the called down by ticket number. But you know kids, they move when they feel like it and as Llew said they like to hang with their friends in line.

[Russell Cobb]

Here's how we handle dances and it really works,

First use 3 part order forms appx 4x5

set up a table a few feet away from photog with order forms and pens.

Place another table a little closer with at least 2 people taking money, have them mark forms with a simple code and Keep bottom copy of form (for checking money later) then have them send couples to photog and give other 2 receipts to photog.Tell money takers not to handle any couple that has not filled out a form.

Photog writes a frame number on receipt and keeps top copy and gives 2nd copy to couple

Here is where I save a lot of time.

Photog then sends couple to poser and they pose while photog frames and focuses and as soon as poser is finished shoot, ready for next couple

I have been doing it this way for years I can and do shoot up to 300 couples in 4 hours using this system.If it looks like we are going to shoot more than this we set up 2 identical bkgs with a photog and poser on each

By having the different stages they are not all jumbled up.

Making them fill out forms before they can pay saves a lot of time waiting on them to make up their minds.

I have found that the photog knows best what frame he-she is on and saves on mistakes.

If you shoot film put the order forms and that roll of film in a envelope when you change film.

If you shoot digital then make sure you have enough cards for the evening and do the same.

I shoot digital and would never get through if I did like some say and show them on screen .

I know that there is many ways to skin the cat but this is what works best for me

Russell

[Roy Mullin]

THANKS GUYS! Some really great ideas, I will be using several of them. Llew, I especially like the signup sheet. If we can pull this off without kids waiting in line forever we will be a shoo-in for Prom. I LOVE this 4um
Barbara

[David Humphrey]

Barb,

You haven't told me how many students or couples are going to be at this event so I'll give you a run down of our operation.

50 - 150 couples: 1 - background, 2 - cashiers, 1-log attendant, 1- floater (for bathroom breaks) 1-poser, 1-photographer


175 - 300 couples: 2 - backgrounds, 3-cashiers, 2-log attendants, 1-floater, 2-posers, 2-photographers

350 - 500 couples - Call somebody else! LOL!!

We usually photograph the larger schools in our area and with this set up we usually photograph 250 - 300 couples in right around 2.5 hours. The kids in our area come in at such staggered times that seldom does anybody wait longer than 15 minutes in line.

One of our biggest selling points that we use when making our presentation is that "We understand why you are here, and it isn't to spend your night standing in line waiting to get your picture taken." We also tell them that normal delivery time is usually ten days. (We use Michigan Photo - www.michiganphoto.com) By the time they have heard this they are ready to sign the contract, assuming that it's a new school for us.

I'll admit that up until a few years ago I thought that this type of photography was beneath me. But after I consented to do a Prom for my daughter's school and realized that we made over $7k net for less than three hours of shooting my thoughts changed instantly!

My labor costs typically run around $1k for an event but I never have a problem finding people to staff the event.

HTH

Dave