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REPORT ON NEW YORK BACKDROP ON "SONG OF AMERICA"
15th July 1993 We shoot this new backdrop, with rail, on the first formal night on Mondays from 8.30 PM to 11 PM in the lobby outside the main lounge, called the "Can-Can" lounge. Prior to this, from 4.30pm to 8.30pm we shoot portraits with the two blue backdrops, just outside the photo gallery, next door to this "Cancan" lounge, where the Captain's cocktail party takes place. We have to divert the queue to circle around the lobby in order to get passengers to get near the blue backgrounds before entering the cocktail party. This is not always successful, specially when the cruise staff tell the pax to go straight to the captain. We have signs that point to where we want the line to go. We employ the Port Lecturer Tim to direct the traffic. But we still loose a lot of passengers because they all pour in from the top or bottom stairs and see the lounge in front of them and naturally go straight to it, regardless of signs or staff (our guy tells them to go towards the portrait settings, the others tell them to go straight in, friction occurs). We shoot on Blue Portraits 900 negs, two negs each couple = 450 couples = 900 pax get a portrait taken. We loose +500 pax during the cocktail parties. It is not because we shoot too slowly, it is because pax do not get to the backdrops because of the poor line set up: they do not see the backdrops as they arrive at the lounge from the top or bottom stairs. Due to the unavoidable positioning of the two blue backdrops, the photographer cannot move further away from the pax and uses 35 or 40mm focal length to get the subjects in. It is not the best way to get a pleasant perspective and does not flatter our overweight models. After the cocktails parties are over, at 8.30pm, we dismantle the blue sets in the gallery and rebuilt one set, with New York backdrop, in the lobby. We can then catch pax going in and out of the shows, until 11pm. So we make up a little from the "loss" of the cocktail parties: 150 negs =150 pax to the most. Still over 450 pax not "covered". And many shot against the "New-York" are the same as earlier on. We could easily improve that two ways: -By having the two blue backdrops back to back, as is used now, outside the lounge, instead of the gallery. We would definitely get more coverage, but at the risk of aggravating the cruise staff and maybe the captain, because of creating congestion in that lobby. And we would have to shoot very fast. Full clearance from Hotel Manager would have to be obtained before undertaking this move, obviously. -By having a third backdrop in the lobby, the New York one, and maintaining the other two blue ones in the gallery. We have two photogs covering the cocktail party; we can have three backdrops running at the same time, with the other three photogs, since we have Tim at crowd control. This is probably the best solution. It will not annoy any one. It will insure a much better coverage, therefore a lot more money from the first formal 10x8". The only drawback is we need a complete extra set of studio gear : 2 poles, 2 light stands, 2 heads, one power pack, one extension lead, one more Nikkor 35-70mm F2.8 lens (or Mamyas in the future). The other drawback is the lobby backdrop might attract to many pax and saturate. The photog there would then have to send these passengers to the other backdrops in the gallery. Nothing impossible. Full clearance from Hotel Manager would have to be obtained before undertaking this move, obviously. On the next formal night, on Fridays, we shoot "Noon" and "New-York" backdrops, back to back (we only have one pair of auto-poles), from 5.30pm to 11pm. Since we only have one set of rail, the "New York" is without it. I experimented with rail on "New-York": we lost money. The conclusion is very clear and unquestionable: the "moon" wins 10 to one. It is by far the most popular. The comments I hear: -"We leave in New York, it is not exotic". -"The moon is romantic and looks like a cruise souvenir." -"There is a mistake in the order of the famous buildings." The New York backdrop is awkward to shoot: you must avoid a building to stick out of pax 's heads; groups looks bad and lost within the buildings, subjects do not stand out of the background clutter. I experimented with zooming in, with our 35-70mm lens, concentrating on the people's faces, but its still looked bad, as Mr. Davies commented, too. A better approach would be to shoot further away, with a longer (let's say 135mm) lens, to get the back less sharp, emphasizing more the pax. In conclusion: the New York backdrop was a very idea, a good attempt at something new, which could have made a lot of money. I personally like it. But what I like is irrelevant. What matters is what our customers like. And the only way to know that is to do it and monitor the results. We did it, we monitored the results: it is not very popular: Average sales, per cruise, last 6 cruises: Blue: 220 Moon:95 N. York:55 The "New York" is operational for the longest time, two times a week, and is still the least selling. Christian Fournier |
MONEY LOSS during my vacation: WHY? TO: CRUISESHIP PICTURE CO. LTD. FROM: CHRISTIAN FOURNIER, Chief photographer. DATE: October 14th, 1989 A... L... had the 2 best weeks of this last Alaskan season (best revenues in shore excursions and gift shop). He had trained assistants (I had an inexperienced one when he left!) and no 5 stars dilemma. Plus captain Smitterberg decided to pause for the handshakes, which drastically increased the revenue for A... L.... Also I was completely exhausted before my vacation. Yet he lost $2000 each week! It is natural to investigate why, as we can learn a lot from this and use it for other ships, other times! Well, here are some clues: * He never got up at 5 am like I do after every formal night to absorb all the heavy printing and get it ready on the wall on time: probably because he believed Lew Cook who said I was lazy (very poor judgment from Lew Cook, I'd say!). * He did not use my sunset portrait background: probably because Paul Smith hates it, even though it is obvious that using 2 different backgrounds makes more money (pax buy 2 instead of choosing). * He refused to use my portrait camera set up (castors, holder for A12 backs) even though it makes much faster shooting, which is vital. * He was much too slow on shooting portraits (the Captain told me he would stop our portrait sessions if this happens again, which shows very poor judgment on Alan's part: when 600 pax are waiting in line for a portrait before greeting the Captain, you'd better hurry! * He was making the two assistants do all the dining room shots. Dining rooms, on all 15 ships I have been working on, are always the better money maker, even if it is unpleasant and very hard work. So you should always have all the photographers at it. I remember this behaviour from A... L... when I worked with him on the Gallileo, 4 years ago: he hides during dining room shooting! Why did you make him a supervisor? All these are very useful remarks if we want to be an efficient company, and withstand strong competition, and make money. I always write (with a computer) all instructions on my machines and all my schedules are printed everywhere. CHRISTIAN FOURNIER, Chief photographer |
PREVIOUS PHOTOG. ON OCEAN PEARL From: Christian Fournier To: Mr. R.C. Dawson, Cruiseship pictures. July 1991 The Ocean Pearl, in the Far East, had had no supervision for at least one year when I joined. The photographers were very young and very inexperienced They also had no energy to clean up or organize their darkroom and cabin. The work was appallingly bad: no wonder the captains and hotel managers were going berserk. Mainly the prints were bad (see sample enclosed) and the photographers did not have a clue of what to do to improve them, but they bitterly complained that you would not send them their requested (for the last 6 months) spare parts and stores, and that the pursers would not lend them any cash to buy ashore, or get help from the agent. I immediately started cleaning up a full year of tar in the processor. I repaired the drive, the replenisher switches, the temperature control, the agitation pumps, the replenisher pumps and the dryer! I also showed the photographers how to mix chemicals properly. The #2 even admitted that he did not know that rinsing the mixer afterwards was important! I also recalibrated and tuned the printer. The C-41 line was also wrong. I had to buy the usual aquarium heater to sort out the temperature. After all that, I finally got some vibrant colors. The ship's management was very impressed by my craftsmanship. I organized purchases and deliveries in Hong Kong and Singapore, and I found a few spare parts and tools in Japan. After four weeks of very hard work, I now have a decent operation here. Last week I started shooting the tours and I also did quite a bit of photography for the cruise line. The hotel manager offered me a better cabin, which was a relief, for the previous one was a pig sty. Every one on board also appreciates that I speak French, for the line expects more and more French passengers. CHRISTIAN FOURNIER |
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SUPERVISOR POSITION
TO: CRUISESHIP PICTURE CO. LTD. Attn Mr. R. C. DAWSON FROM: CHRISTIAN FOURNIER, Chief photographer. DATE: April 15th, 1989 / revised 28 October 1989 I HAVE LAUNCHED THE PORTRAITS YEARS AGO (against Pat Denton , Tom Long and many others.). I HAVE INCREASED THE TAKINGS ON MANY SHIPS (Starward, Southward, SKYWARD, Ocean Princess, Veracruz, etc......) I HAVE CREATED THE 'BEAR' AND THE 'DANCERS' SHOTS. (guaranteed money makers.) I HAVE SAVED YOU A LOT OF DOLLARS ON YOKOYAMA (neither Paul nor Lew had calculated the full processing times! ). I HAVE PUSHED TO START THE VIDEO AND HAVE SET IT UP EFFICIENTLY. I HAVE SUGGESTED AND SENT YOU SAMPLES OF BETTER 10X8" FOLDERS (which are a great success.) I HAVE INVENTED AND OBTAINED A DIFFERENT PORTRAIT BACKGROUND (another sale increase.) I HAVE SENT YOU SAMPLES OF KEY CHAINS, BADGES, PAPER WEIGHTS 3 YEARS AGO. I TAKE $2000.00 A WEEK MORE THAN YOUR VERY BEST OF ALL #1, ALAN LAKE. I HAVE NEVER HAD, IN MY 91/2 YEARS WITH YOU, A NON OPERATIONAL WEEK. (never any major breakdown, out of stock, sick situations.) I HAVE MADE HUNDREDS OF IMPROVEMENTS (technical, marketing, photographic, paperwork). I HAVE TRAINED OR INFLUENCED MANY OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS TO BETTER STANDARDS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PRODUCTIVITY. I HAVE BUILT UP A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF ALL ASPECTS OF OUR BUSINESS; I AM EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE. I AM A SCIENCE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE, 36 YEARS OLD, AND AN AUTHORITY ON PHOTOGRAPHY. WOULD YOU CONSIDER ME FOR YOUR NEXT MANAGEMENT POSITION ? CHRISTIAN FOURNIER |
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