The Wedding Professional's Podcast - Episode Twelve - From Childhood Passion to Business Success: Amrit Natt and the World of Event Special Effects at Mist-FX

Ever dreamed of transforming your childhood passion into a thriving business? Meet Amrit Natt, a young entrepreneur who did exactly that. Starting off as an AV enthusiast helping his dad in his visual screen business, Amrit's journey to owning Mist-FX, a successful special effects company, is as riveting as it gets. His evolution from supplying plasmas and projectors to delivering sparkly, smoky effects, and confetti for weddings and events is not just inspiring but a testament to his passion and determination.

Safety comes first, and Amrit is no stranger to this mantra. Walk with us as we navigate the crucial safety protocols and paperwork that Mist-FX adheres to before any event. From risk assessments and material safety data sheets to understanding the hazards of using SFX like pyro and sparklers, this episode covers it all. Hear firsthand from Amrit about the repercussions of ignoring these safety procedures, offering a sobering reminder of the responsibility that accompanies the glitz and glamour of the special effects business.

The personal touch and family dynamics at Mist-FX sets it apart. Discover how they've carved a unique niche within both English and Asian weddings, and the competitive theater show market. Listen in as Amrit shares his ambitious plans for his business and his creative approach to business growth through social media and word of mouth. Wrapping up the episode, Amrit delves into his work-life balance, the seasonal demands of the industry, and his future aspirations. So, tune in for an insightful look into the world of event special effects, the journey of a successful entrepreneur, and the importance of safety in the industry.

See Amrit's journey on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mist_fx/?hl=en-gb

Transcript

Andy: 0:01

Hello and welcome along. It's Andy, your host on this here podcast. So here we go. It's episode 12 of the wedding professionals podcast, and I'm in the sleepy hamlet of Dudley in the West Midlands which seems to be serviced by 18 motorways and 400 dual carriageways, and then, when you get here, it's horrible.

Andy: 0:23

No, it's a really nice place. We're in a very anonymous unit in the heart of Dudley and my guest today is the one and only Amrit Natt from Mist-FX. Welcome, Amrit, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. I'm glad we could finally get to it and get it done. No, it's taken a two hour drive to get it, but it's going to be worth it, i'm sure. And also, listeners, if you hear the sounds of chewing through this, it's because he's very kindly provided chips and pizza and all good hospitality. Take note, kudos, i only got a bottle of water there, so Amrit , so you supply all the sparkly, smoky effects and also the confetti of which my flight cases are now full of after last weekend's wedding with Kikli and for Aman and Kiran. So now the thing is, though I've known you probably for eight, nine, 10 years, perhaps, when it was the new Bingley Hall and you were there with JP Techs.

Amrit: 1:31

So talk to me about that time. So well, from the time I knew you, I was sort of just concentrating on AV, just working for AV companies, one of them being JP Techs with Paul. But obviously I started off before that when I was about 10 years old, so we're talking 14 years ago.

Andy: 1:49

Really.

Amrit: 1:50

Yeah, so my family used to provide sort of visual screens for weddings. So your plasmas, your projectors, your video curtain, your video wall, things like that, okay, so that's where it started. So when I was about eight, nine years old, i just used to go out on the road with my dad and just spent time with him. So I just used to be there just handing him a cable or passing things, and I slowly started to sort of get more into it. And when I was about 10 years old, i started picking up how it all works. This is what this does. How this works is how we put things up, and probably by about the age of sort of 12, 13, you know, sort of going out on my own, jumping in the vans with DJs with the kit in the back, going out there and setting up the screens for them and things like that. So that's where I sort of originally started.

Andy: 2:35

So talk to me about your dad's business then, because I wasn't aware of any of that.

Amrit: 2:38

Yeah, So that was like years ago now. They sort of finished it. Now They sort of they just got tied with it all. But yeah, so we used to. So obviously now you see, like a lot of the DJs doing it, but before the DJs would just turn up with their sound and their lights, and then we turn up with the sort of plasmas and the projectors And that's that involved them, and video curtains came out and video cloths, And then from that they went to the LED video walls which every single wedding has nowadays. So, yeah, I started off with that. So that's how I started off with it just concentrating on that sort of stuff and just going out and doing that.

Andy: 3:11

Brilliant. So when I met you at Bingley Hall, then you would just sub in for Paul, or Yeah?

Amrit: 3:18

so we started off subbing to Paul.

Andy: 3:19

Speak out to Paul, by the way, if you're listening, which he won't be, but if he is hi, paul.

Amrit: 3:24

So yeah, we started subbing to Paul and that's how I met him. And then that's when I sort of started to get interested in the AV side of things the lighting and the audio and I just video. Suddenly I started working for him for some time. Then I sort of started getting into the sort of AV side of things And then I sort of started freelancing for sort of other old shows as well, but mainly sort of just with Paul because he was quite busy at the time. So yeah, so that's what I was doing at the time and I met you as the AV.

Andy: 3:52

Yeah, yeah, Okay. Now we're currently sat in a unit in Dudley and it's on, for there are cables hanging up, there's pipes hanging up, there's flight cases, millions of flight cases well millions. that's my exaggeration, but there's quite a few flight cases and bits and pieces, So you're obviously really well established now. I mean, I think everybody in the business knows you anyway. But how did you get to be this size? Because this is super impressive in here.

Amrit: 4:23

Yeah.

Amrit: 4:23

So I was like, even to this day I sort of pinch myself and think, wow, like it's. I never really realized how much kit we actually have until I sort of like walk in here and I'm like, wow, like we've got a lot going out on this weekend, but yet there's still quite a lot of kids still left. So back in 2015, someone showed me a video of the CO2 guns and I saw it and I was like, hey, they would probably work quite well on weddings, like because a wedding is a party and it might work. So there was a guy I knew on Facebook who's also called Andy. He did like sort of special effects and lasers. And I messaged him and I was like, hey, like I'm interested in buying these CO2 guns. First, i like as soon as I saw this video, i did my research on them, saw what they were about, how they work and things like that and all the sort of implications behind it and all the safety. And then I messaged him, was like, oh, hey, i've seen these CO2 guns is something you can source for me. And he was like, yeah, i can get it for you. And that's how it started really.

Amrit: 5:26

And now sort of Andy's become like a really, really good friend of mine or somebody I look up to quite a lot and he's quite big within the effects industry And even to this day he still helps me out whenever I phone him. You know he can. He always offers me advice and things like that. And then it started picking up for us with just these two pairs of CO2 guns. You know, me and Dad would jump in the car with like two CO2 bottles in the back and we tried to rig gig and set them up and stuff like that. And then they sort of started getting busy and busier And then I ended up investing in some like sort of a better brand version, because it was going so well And I was like, oh, like, these are sort of like a cheaper version.

Amrit: 6:02

So I was like you know, i was like let's get like some better ones now. So ended up buying some better versions of them. And then at Bingley Hall we used to hire a low fog machine quite a bit in, but he'd sort of drop the machine off and we'd have to set up and stuff like that. And I was like this isn't too bad. And I was like there's nobody in the Asian wedding industry or the wedding industry that specializes in just this service, because a few DJs at the time that had a dress machine and they would offer it with their services, but not every DJ had that. And I was like, hey, like there's a gap here in the market And I thought, well, let's look into it. So I looked at the price of this machine and like it was quite a lot.

Amrit: 6:43

And I was like hmm, for like, and at the time I was 17. Now I think, Yeah, I was about 17 at the time And I was like it's quite a lot of money, This is okay.

Andy: 6:53

How much? how much money I?

Amrit: 6:55

think at the time it was roughly around about the £4,000 mark. Wow Yeah. And I was like it's quite a lot. And I saved up my money and I thought let's just see what happens. Like you'll only know until you actually do it what's going to happen. So I ended up buying it and it turned up. And the first thing I did when it turned up I remember by this time I was driving I literally got the box turned up at home and I went to see if it would fit in my car, because, like, if this doesn't fit in my car, i was like there's no point me having it because I can't do anything with it then. So I had a Ford Fiesta, put the seats down and I got it all in and I was like perfect, like I can do this now in my car. So I drive around to gigs in my car.

Amrit: 7:35

My first gig was in Ruislip in London. That was my first ever gig. I remember that That's a bit of a slog from here, isn't it? Yeah, so that was my first ever gig with this little fog machine. And then like things like picking up more and more and more, the more we advertised it And because sort of people had known me anyway in the industry for the last you know sort of six odd years. I sort of said to them I look, i do dry ice now, let me know. And then it just sort of got busy and busier And we were in Milo Carter one day, me and the family and my brother was like look, this is actually picking up now you need to think of a name of it.

Andy: 8:11

Yeah, i was going to ask you about that, where the name came from.

Amrit: 8:13

Yeah. So we was in Miller and Carter and he was like you need to think of a name of it. So we all sort of took your names in And then he just said, and I was like. He was like you know, he was like when the law fog comes out, it's you know, it looks like mist and the CO2 guns , and I was like yeah all right, that works, let's just do it. And that's how was born was in 2015. It was the name came out.

Andy: 8:38

Yeah, so 2015,. The name came out Very good And here we are, eight years later and you're the man in the effects business And, of course, it's not just the weddings either, because you're doing you know, i see any Facebook and stuff you're doing full blown concerts with musicians and stuff.

Amrit: 8:55

Yeah. So I think it was just before COVID it sort of started off for us where we'd started doing. Um, i did that sort of my first. I think my first big gig was at Brixton Academy. Um, someone said to me look, hey, someone's dropped out, can you do it? And I was like I don't know.

Amrit: 9:11

And then someone said to me the goals, look, the only way you're going to get bigger is if you jump at the deep end. And I was like forget it, let's just do it and see what happens And touch would. Luckily it went well in the end and everybody was like really surprised and um, and the client was happy, things like that. And I was like you know what I was like I can actually do this.

Andy: 9:28

The thing is with places like Brixton Academy. Um, you know, there there are ways in theaters that perhaps wedding DJs don't actually know about that things have to be done in a certain way, and safety procedures and protocols have to be adhered to. So where did you learn all that sort of side of it?

Amrit: 9:46

That was um. It was mainly. I sort of picked that up quite a lot from um to my really good friends. One was Andy who helped me start off um, i freelance for him a fair bit, um, and I sort of picked up things like that. And the other one was a good friend of mine called George. Um said him again I freelance for him and he sort of showed me the way. He's like look, this is how, because we know we need to do things safely, but it was applying it in a different purpose, like for weddings we do it in a safe manner, but in the bigger venues they like things done certain ways, yeah, and it was adapting to that. So we knew how to do things safely, but it was adapting it to this large scale event.

Andy: 10:24

Okay, and do you have to? for a theater, for instance, like Brixton Academy, do you have to submit a paperwork and show that you're safe, or Yeah?

Amrit: 10:32

So what happens is, um, before every gig it's usually they usually like it two weeks beforehand Um, we sort of submit them a Dropbox link where they have like a full. There's like three folders. There's one which basically says who we are and what we're doing, and just a document about the actual show itself. The next folder is full of the risk assessment. So you'll have one for your love fog, your sparklers, your flames, your power, your confetti, and obviously they've got to then review it. And if they're happy with it, they'll say, yep, come in on issue. They're not happy with it, they can just turn around and say no, or can this be changed. And the next folder is basically called a material safety data sheet, okay, which just basically says what the material is that we're using and how it can be safe and what the hazards of that material and if he needs extinguishing, things like that. Basically, that's, that's what they get, okay.

Andy: 11:25

But you don't. You don't have anything that's um can catch fire. I mean, CO2 can't catch fire, can it? Yeah, so CO2 can't catch fire.

Amrit: 11:39

CO2 is actually an extinguisher, but what can catch fire is like the flames that we use Um cause that uses gas. So if there's a gas leak and you don't detect it, there is a massive risk of that catching fire. Pyro that we use, that can also catch fire. Or if the pyro wasn't to fire in the way it's attended to, it can sort of fire out sideways or like sort of explode, so to say. And if somebody's too close to it when you fired it, that can be quite catch traffic. That's why we have sort of safety distances, okay, same as sparklers. They can catch fire because obviously it's because it's so hot. And if you use, like some people use, other cheaper machines which won't stop heating up, and they'll heat up and then the powder will get too hot and the whole unit will catch fire. And there has been instances like that that I've heard All. There's been quite a few um where you've had a lot of fire, a few um where DJs have put them too close to the plastic decor that we have nowadays Yeah.

Amrit: 12:38

And unfortunately not all decor companies use flame retardant draping or decor Okay. So I've had a few phone calls where people have been like oh it's caught fire and I thought they were cold And I'm like they're not actually cold. If you have a look at a heat map, you'll see that the first few inches are burning hot because the powder gets heated up to, you know, hundred and fifty five degrees. So they're not exactly cold.

Andy: 13:02

No.

Amrit: 13:03

So there are things that can catch fire And that's why, um, a lot of venues are picky with the paperwork, especially with SFX, because it is just so dangerous, even if it's like a CO2 jet, because if someone's too close to it and it gets fired, it can, you know, cause a serious cold burn to someone.

Andy: 13:20

And those venues are quite right, i suppose, to to study the paperwork and make sure everything's um, everything's safe and uh and proper. Um, that must take up a huge amount of your time just doing paperwork, crossing T's, dotting eyes and making sure everything's right. Yeah, massively.

Amrit: 13:37

Um, because a lot of the time with SFX as well, it's always last minute, So it's like people be like, Oh, we've got this much budget left, Let's do you know we can afford the SFX now.

Amrit: 13:48

So, like we've had it before where it's been like four days before an event or five days before an event And we're already on gigs already And they're like we need the paperwork and they want it by 2pm. in your life, oh, i'm here setting up like right. So there has been quite a few instances where we've had to sort of just push and quickly get the paperwork done. And it's not something that you can do quickly. It's. you know we have got templates, but everything but there's a it's not the exact same template. It's sort of things change for every single event. placement of kit.

Andy: 14:19

I was just saying every venue is different, every setup is different, exactly.

Amrit: 14:23

So it's not like a template that we can. We can go copy paste, that's it done, and you're doing 10 minutes Usually for like a standard show where you've got a bit of confetti, a bit of flames, a bit of CO2. It could take about an hour just to sort of do that.

Andy: 14:35

Oh, right, at least yeah, so it's about time you took on a secretary then to do this. So, yeah, look on LinkedIn folks for the, for the job coming up that Amrit's going to post Right. So on the subject of confetti, because you mentioned it there, this last weekend how many kilos of confetti did you spray all over us? 14 kilos, 14 kilos.

Amrit: 14:56

Yeah. So there was 14 kilos of paper rectangular 55 by 70 mil confetti.

Andy: 15:02

Now it makes me laugh that you know how many millimeters.

Amrit: 15:04

Yes, this one, you laugh actually So um, in one kilo of the paper rectangles there's 100,000 pieces of those little rectangles, Wow. So you do like it, it felt like it as well. Yeah, so it's like 100,000 tons by 14 is whatever that is, yeah, quite a lot.

Andy: 15:23

So anybody that sees the uh, sees the video from Amrit's wedding, you'll know what that was all about, And we had two blasts of that.

Amrit: 15:31

Yeah. Yes, there was two cues of that. The first cue was like three kilos per size, so six kilos coming out. And then the second lot was four kilos of size.

Andy: 15:39

Okay, eight kilos coming out. The one downside of confetti, i have to say, is kids at weddings. they would then want to throw themselves on the dance floor, pick it up and scoop it up and then throw it in the air. Yeah.

Amrit: 15:50

And we saw a lot of that generally.

Andy: 15:52

I was tripping over children for the next, for the next two hours while trying to operate the crane. Um, what's the um? what's the next big thing that you think is coming? FX wise.

Amrit: 16:05

Um, it's really really hard to say, because in weddings there's only so much you can do because it's venues aren't big venues, aren't arenas Like this.

Amrit: 16:16

Wedding venues aren't arenas whereby you can do literally anything you want, like flames couldn't Yeah, you couldn't do a flame wedding Okay, you could, or it'd have to be quite small and it'd have to be in such a controlled area where the guests are all seated and there's enough space and things like that. But it's very rare to get that. Um, i reckon a lot of people would like this confetti. So, like people are so used to that one twisty canon that you get during a gig, you know the DJ comes along, pops it off. People have been so used to that and now people have seen this much confetti come out. I feel like quite a few people are going to be asking for this, like we've already had like sort of five, six people from that video ask oh, come here. This is sad.

Andy: 16:59

Well, it just I mean for the group photo that we did at the beginning of the second half. That just made it look epic. Yeah, you know, for still photography, i'm sure, as well as, uh, as well as the video, um, and it really did enhance that moment, you know, in a major way, and I'm sure um Jazzy B felt the same way It was just like well, look at me, I'm great. Look at all this confetti.

Amrit: 17:23

It's fantastic, yeah, so I think that will probably be the next. Not a big thing, but I think that will be the next thing. Um, the other thing is sort of where the powers come down from the top, yeah. Um that'll sort of be the next thing to do. We've we've done um quite a few times, but again, it's just which, the select venues where you can do it, yeah.

Andy: 17:44

So you need the height and guessing and the rigging as well. Yeah, So it's. it's very difficult on what the next thing is for weddings, maybe something bespoke.

Amrit: 17:53

So, uh, speak to someone in the weekend and we'll sort of talk about where you sort of make like a head table set and you have sort of the low fog coming out of that onto the dance floor So it sort of comes out from the stage. Oh right, okay, over the stage comes down and onto the dance. Yeah, that's sort of those sort of things I want to do, but it's just sort of finding the clients I want to do It and things like that.

Andy: 18:15

Those? um. Getting back to the confetti again, what sort of money if I wanted to go and buy a confetti cannon and you had two there the other night. What sort of money do they run out?

Amrit: 18:27

So I think the trade price on them, i think they retail each unit at about three grand a unit Wow, so it was two there, so that's six grand at a retail price.

Andy: 18:40

So you've got a fair amount of money tied up in equipment. Yeah, and as we were, as I was arriving today, there was a guy dropping off another low fog machine which and you were sort of saying oh yeah, it's been out on dry hire And I didn't even know you did that. So you're supplying other other production houses and things as well.

Amrit: 19:01

Yeah. So like not every company, like ourselves, we don't stock every single item. Sfx was in the market and not many companies do that, so a lot of people do have to dry hire things in. So we have quite a few clients where they'll be like, hey, we need you know some sparklers for this weekend or whatever for this week. And those guys they sort of email me, say, hey, we need you know the MDG unit for these dates and this many weeks. And it's wicked because they literally just come pick it up, take it away and bring it back And that's it done. It's easy money, but it's also stressful because you don't know how that unit's going to come back.

Andy: 19:38

Yeah, how has been treated?

Amrit: 19:39

Yeah, That's the biggest risk with dry hire. It's wicked easy money, but you don't know how it's going to be treated.

Amrit: 19:46

Has there any been any horror stories with stuff coming back completely broken or We've had it before where a hose has been threaded, which wasn't too much of a biggie. Apart from that touch word, i think we've been quite lucky. We had one the other day where a cable was stuck in the back of a unit. Yes, i think touch word, we've actually been all right with things like that, but we only sort of dry hired to sort of people that we know and we can trust. Okay, because then at the end of the day we then have to take this kit back out to another event.

Andy: 20:14

Yeah, So it's possibly on the same day. So if it's going back in the morning it could be going out that.

Amrit: 20:19

Yes, you've got to trust them and make sure that everything's Yeah sure.

Andy: 20:25

Hi everyone, sorry to break in on this conversation with Amrit, which I really enjoyed recording. It's fun, it's always nice to see him And I think he's got interesting stories to tell. So, anyway, i'm here with the begging bowl again And I just like to say, if you're listening and you're enjoying what I'm doing and what I'm trying to achieve with this podcast, the biggest way you can help and support is to share it out, let other people see it on social media and let's spread the word. It's available on virtually every single platform now, yes, even Apple, thank you. So please, you know, let's get the word out there. And now, having boarded with that for 30 seconds, it's back to Amrit and Mr effects. Thanks a lot, and it's a family business, isn't it? As your sister still involved in the?

Amrit: 21:24

Yes, yes on. My brother used to take his Mrs out and then she started picking up and she really enjoyed it and she went out, like from the most of last, i think, sort of near enough, every single weekend from March to sort of October last year She was out. Yeah, she did a wicked job. She take a bit of a backseat from me now, which is a shame, but yeah, my brother still helps out on the weekends. My dad does even like sort of during the week, but we need sort of things sort of now, and then I've got my little cousin on board as well And it's. It's great, because they sort of share the same passion that I do. So they make sure every single little thing is perfect.

Andy: 22:03

And of course, they've got their invested in making sure that stuff is looked after and taken care of, whereas an employee wouldn't necessarily that as before and just chugging in there.

Amrit: 22:14

Precisely that. Yeah, like. So we use quite a lot of freelance as well and sort of the biggest shows, and we're lucky enough, unfortunately, that we've got a good base of freelancers who are really good friends and they look after things like this everyone as well. But I have seen instances where other freelancers have been like, oh you know, we don't really care. It's like I just took it in and that's why I'm quite lucky that I've got the family involved and you know they're turning up on gig, on time to gigs and treat everybody with respect and making sure the job is done, it's done properly.

Andy: 22:42

Yeah, and, and it is, i think, you universally respected, I think, in the, in the industry. So are you where you want to be within the industry? Do you have ambitions to take it bigger? Could you take it bigger?

Amrit: 22:57

In terms of are we talking SFX industry or the wedding industry?

Andy: 23:01

Well, the SFX industry, really, because, like you say, you're not just tied to weddings, are you You're doing? what's your percentage actually of weddings versus?

Amrit: 23:10

other stuff. I would probably say at the minute 50-50.

Andy: 23:16

Okay.

Amrit: 23:17

I reckon sort of 50% of our work is weddings Asian and English and 50% is sort of the other market.

Andy: 23:25

Hold on rewind. You're doing English weddings as well, Oh yeah, So English clients are buying SFX. No come on.

Amrit: 23:31

Yeah, so there's a group of venues that we do. There's like there's two that are local and there's two that are further away up in Stoke, and I think we sort of did one event in there once and they sort of saw it and were like, hey, we love this and can we sort of advertise you in our brochures when we give couples? And I was like yeah, of course, and then like obviously, english weddings have never seen this before, so it's really really popular, sort of the sparklers and the little plug.

Amrit: 24:02

Mainly the sparklers, which they like quite a lot. See, we've been doing quite a lot of English weddings as well And I love it because we literally turn up at like 6pm ready for the turnaround And we're out of there while it caught up at state And it's wicked, and the latest that everyone is by like 10, 15 minutes Resonation wedding it's like at least an hour.

Andy: 24:24

And white English guests always listen to the DJ and sit down when they're told They stand up when they're told And things generally run to time, which is refreshing. So are you ever tasked with sort of creating It? does a client come to you and say look, you know, I've got five grand to spend. Do what you want. Or do they come to you and they say I really just like the sparklers, just give me more sparklers, more sparklers, or how do you? how does that work?

Amrit: 24:55

It's a bit of both. So we've had like some sort of corporate awards and things like that, where they'll say, hey, the budget is this much and we just want, we just want to make sure that we celebrate the awards And that's it. So I'm like cool, so for that budget we can do a bit of this bit of this bit of this and mix it up and do this effect for this award And then this one and then this one. So we do get clients that will say, yeah, here's our budget, this is what we want. With wedding clients they'll say, hey, i've seen a video of this, can you do this? And then they see another video and say, hey, come here this one. And they say, hey, i've seen that video as well. Come here this one. Like on Monday or Tuesday I had a client for me say, hey, i saw that confetti that you did on your story. Can we add that to our wedding as well? And I was like well, yeah, sure, Something here.

Andy: 25:40

The price of like yeah, Just ring that in there too.

Amrit: 25:48

And then with this sort of arena stuff, artists and things like that, we just get like a rider. So the production company will send us a ride and say, hey, this is their rider, this is what they want. And then we just quote on it. If the promoters got the budget, great, if not, they'll cut things back and say, right, we don't want this. They want at least to make sure that they have some CO2. So, yeah, it's all different.

Andy: 26:09

How much competition, like for those you know with big theater shows or whatever. How much competition have you got in that realm? I've got no idea how many companies there are doing effects.

Amrit: 26:23

There isn't many companies on that side of thing that just specialise in SFX. Now there's no sort of you've got like really small companies that couldn't handle sort of an arena gig, and then you've got the big ones who discharge way too much for the size of show. It is like with a lot of the sort of smaller artists who can sell an arena but not sort of sell out an arena. But they can sell tickets in an arena. They don't have the big budgets to spend on effects of the sort of bigger companies aren't in the right price bracket for it, whereas we sort of found ourselves to be like one of few of the middle sized SFX companies that can deal with the shows and be within their budget Not nothing too cheap, but obviously the bigger companies charge a higher premium because they can.

Amrit: 27:15

Yeah, because they don't really want to get involved in the smaller show. So, finally, we're not getting much competition because you're either massive or you're small and we're sort of finding ourselves in the middle and there's only sort of like a few companies that are in the middle. But it's also sort of we're still getting our name in that market now, and if MissedFX was to carry on growing and you found yourself as one of the big boys.

Andy: 27:43

How would you be pricing at that point? Would you be pricing along, you know, along their lines, or would you stick where you are? Do you think?

Amrit: 27:50

I, it's a tough one. Yeah, i probably would be pricing it more, because if you can price yourself a high price bracket, why not? It's simply a cameraman. You've got like a cameraman which charge quite a high premium and then you've got a cameraman which charge a medium premium and I've heard like Some of the differences between the two. And they charge a premium because they can and people will book them regardless of that. Yeah, because people want that specific person to film their wedding. Yeah, and it's. It's the sort of same with. That is like if somebody wants you specifically do the sfx, then you can say well, if you want us to do it, this is what the price is gonna be. Or is it the minute? because obviously We are still going up against other people. It is like you don't want to price yourself out too much Where you're still trying to establish your name within that market.

Amrit: 28:42

Yeah, Um.

Andy: 28:44

I would imagine your job is fun. Is it fun? I think it's fun. It's fun, it looks like fun.

Amrit: 28:50

It's fun when everything goes off and it works. It's not the stress before it goes off isn't fun because it's like you can do as many tests as you want But you don't know, until you're actually in that live moment, whether it's gonna work or not.

Andy: 29:07

Is that why? because I remember you've said to me in the past because I was teasing you about having wireless Yeah, so, and so company has wireless. Why haven't you got wireless? and you were saying, because you can't trust it a hundred percent Yeah exactly Let's remember me started off like the sparklers they.

Amrit: 29:25

They were wireless, where they were powered by sort of normal wide power, but the symptom was wireless and we were finding that sometimes, when you're trying to trigger them all, one might not turn on, or one might not turn off and You don't want some balance to whatever on camera, exactly and with the first dance.

Amrit: 29:43

you can't, you can't go back, you can't say the couple Hey, we're gonna do that again, nope. So Well, too fair. We've had it once where a couple have gone. We need to do that first time skin because it was the wrong first-hand song. We literally packed everything up. We were waiting for the second half and then, during main course, the DJ comes over and says hey, we're gonna do the first. That's again I said.

Andy: 30:03

I was like you're pulling my leg.

Amrit: 30:04

I was like yeah, yeah, i was like, if it's packed up now, but no, no, and being serious, we've played the wrong song. We need to do it again. I was like, okay, that's the only time we've ever had a second chance.

Andy: 30:13

Well, I thought that's good.

Amrit: 30:15

But yeah, because you've only got that one time to do it. It's it's just so stressful, but when it all goes off, it's wicked and it's so satisfying.

Andy: 30:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah and I would imagine you've got, you've gained. So, as myself, when I look around at all the friends that have made in the industry I mean, when it's great, isn't it? what we do is just great.

Amrit: 30:35

There's. There's not many jobs where you can wake up and look forward to working with the people you're gonna work with. True, it's like when we know we're working with certain DJs or certain deco companies or certain cameramen as well, you're like, yeah, you know, i can't wait to see that per state, we're gonna have a right laugh and Because we do every time we see each other.

Amrit: 30:53

We have a right, or would laugh and giggle, um, and we get the job done. And there's not many jobs where you can do that, where you wake up and you're like, are we gonna have a good laugh today? But, get the job done as well.

Andy: 31:03

Yeah, and I think, i think we're in a really privileged position.

Amrit: 31:07

That's one of the things I love about the wedding industry and One of the reasons why I wouldn't want to solely rely on the big shows, because the weddings are The fun bit of yeah, yeah, i suppose the other shows are just business, business business.

Amrit: 31:22

Precisely that, like, i think there was about three weeks in a role where I hadn't done a wedding and the other guys had been Not doing weddings and then after a bit, when I went to go do a wedding, i was like I've actually missed this of seeing everybody, seeing the familiar faces, catching up with everybody having a right laugh and things like that. I really missed that. So that's one thing that I love about the weddings, which probably one of the reasons why I don't sort of get out of the wedding game.

Andy: 31:46

Yeah, So that's. that's very interesting. Did you actually have any sort of goal in mind when you started doing this? Did you sort of have any vision that 10 years down the road you'd be doing in X or Y, or is it just as it happens?

Amrit: 32:01

I think when I first started it off, it was just sort of. It was just sort of like another thing to do, not another thing to do, but it was just something that I found interesting, Yeah, And I didn't have any goals for at the time. I just thought, yeah, you know, the odd weekend I'll go out and do a gig or whatever.

Amrit: 32:26

And like I remember, like I think, one of the years I remember when it was maybe like 2017 or 2018 or I was writing all the dates down on a piece of paper that I had for the year And I was like Hey, i was like we've got like 24 gigs for the whole year. I was like that's sick. And then my brother was like your target is to get to 50 for the year And I was like nah, i was like no way. I was like we're not going to do that. Like maybe 30. I think we end up doing something like must have been like 70 or something like that. And I was like, well, i was like to me that was mental. I was like, well, i was like I never thought that would happen And at the time I was just storing the things at home. So I had like the one little fog machine and the guns and some gas bottles.

Andy: 33:07

That's going to make your hallway interesting when you walk in your friend or you're tripping over there.

Amrit: 33:13

So they were just at home. And then I went to college one day and I came back and I was like I was in the house and I was just normal, and then my mom was like get this stuff out of the house. Pretty much. Well, she goes if you don't notice anything. And I went, what She was? like, i have a look around. I went, i went to the other one was like.

Andy: 33:35

I was like Hey, where's my stuff?

Amrit: 33:36

gone And then she was like, oh, we've got you a small storage unit, and I was like what? And then she was like, yeah, and then that's, and that was some years back now, and that was how we sort of got this place, that's nice, that was nice, and then like yeah, And then like on one hand, it's nice because she was thinking about you.

Andy: 33:54

On the other hand, it's just like get this crap out of my Yeah, and I'm like crap.

Amrit: 33:59

I'm like crap. I've got to pay a unit right now. Like Danny, i'm getting like expenses.

Andy: 34:06

So she got you the unit, but she wasn't going to pay the rent for it.

Amrit: 34:08

Yeah, she was like we've done the first, like two or three months, because you can do the rest of the man All right. All right, i'll do that, yeah, yeah.

Andy: 34:16

Yeah, earlier on you were saying you picked up a couple of clients when they'd seen the reel from last weekend's wedding. I'm sorry, listeners, for keep referring back to one wedding, but it was, it was outstanding. So those clients you posted a bit of video of off your phone or whatever.

Amrit: 34:36

Yeah, it was just what people put in their stories and we'd reposted it And, obviously, like a lot of people were like Hey, when you do it, we want to take a video. Okay, So they've taken a video, they put it on the story and then we just reposted it and put it up on our own things. And then two or three of our DJ clients saw it and were like Hey, we've got this kick next weekend. Can we add it to this one? How much is it going to be? And I had, like a normal client Was like Oh, I saw that on your Instagram can be added to our wedding.

Andy: 35:06

So this is how you're going to get most of your business, then, because it's such a visual thing, isn't it? And you can do outstanding videos, and cameraman like myself can help you for a small fee.

Amrit: 35:19

It's one of them. Yeah, it's one of them where, obviously, like the camera and we'll take a video or whatever we stay videos of it. And obviously when we started to put it up on Instagram and promote it and we'd sponsor it and people would see and DM us and say, hey, because back when obviously we started to be doing the low father and the sparklers came out and the guns come out, not many people had seen it. So it was like you'd see through Instagram and you'd use hashtags and things like that And then they'd see it. But now most of the clients have seen it all already on weddings. They're like they already know what they want. They're like, oh Hey, i've been to a wedding and I've seen the dryers and the full sparklers. Can we have a price on that?

Amrit: 36:01

But so before we used to do a lot of trade and retail. We're not retail but direct customers. Now we mainly stick to sort of like 95% just trade clients And the other 5% are where they've spoke to a trade client and they've just said here's their number, just deal with it directly. Just because we found that now we don't have enough time to be able to deal with direct clients. They want to see videos. They want to know about the product. But we just but I just don't have enough time to juggle dealing with them and then doing this, update activities, as well as well, just again, it sounds like.

Andy: 36:42

It sounds like you need a secretary Personal assistance.

Amrit: 36:48

A lot of people have said that, but for me it's. I really enjoy doing every little thing. So dealing with every aspect of every aspect. So like dealing with the clients. you know, when they what's happening with the DM and the things like that, i like to speak to them myself So they get they get that personal touch. I like dealing with that. They come into the unit, prep and equipment, cleaning equipment, testing the equipment to then obviously going out to the gigs and then doing the sort of back office admin with that, doing the paperwork, sending out invoices and quotes. I like to do it all myself just because people then get that personal touch from us and they don't get that commercial feel.

Andy: 37:28

Yeah, doesn't leave you much for a personal life, though, does it, although I have seen you, you know, getting off on holiday here and there.

Amrit: 37:34

Yeah, you're right, it doesn't leave much for a personal life, but I think because I enjoy it so much, it doesn't bother me so much. There has been times where it has bothered me a lot And I'm like I'm fed up with this, i've had enough, i'm selling up. There's been many times. Oh, really, There's been many many times where I've said forget it, i'm just going to say it all, that's it, and one day everything's gone.

Andy: 37:59

But what would you do if you did?

Amrit: 38:02

Generally, i don't know. I always wanted to be a pilot, so I think I'd probably become a pilot.

Andy: 38:07

Okay, yeah, i think you can just do that. You just go and fly for easy jets, easy.

Amrit: 38:15

I think I'd try and get like my pilot license or something, because before I started this, when I was in high school, i did really want to become a pilot, but I think it was just the amount of money it cost to do it. It just put me off massively And it's very expensive.

Andy: 38:30

So, yeah, what's the? this is one of those recurring questions that comes up for everybody. But when was the moment that you thought to yourself at the end of a job or wedding or a stadium or whatever, where you sort of thought to yourself that's it, we've arrived, this is the big time now.

Amrit: 38:50

As in what, when we first started doing the big gigs or whenever?

Andy: 38:54

when was the? when was the one time where you sort of got in the van at the end of the night and just felt absolute pride for what you've done and felt that this you know you were now legitimately?

Amrit: 39:07

proper, that would have been last year in March when we did the AP Dylan tour. Okay, that for me was Probably my biggest show to date maybe Not in terms of I think in yeah, because obviously it was a tour and I Probably say that's probably one of my biggest ones to date so far, with the amount of equipment that we put on it And for the amount of days it was. I I'd probably say that It's potentially up there with one of the biggest ones you do. And I think that was it because it was such a big gig and it was such a big Indian artist and Everything went so smoothly and so well and everybody was happy with it. So I think that for me, after those sort of six dates that we did it, i think from then I was like, okay, this is like, this is now finally put us on on the map, the map.

Andy: 40:02

Yeah.

Amrit: 40:04

Yes, i reckon it'd probably be that gig and it's one that I've sort of always Looked back on, and so I've got like the professional pictures printed out and put up on the wall and things like that in the office at home and I think, yeah, that was definitely the gig that I'm probably most proudest of, and Afterwards I was like, yeah, you know what this is, this is something now. Yeah, this is something now.

Andy: 40:26

And we sort of touched on it there. But your work-life balance isn't to work. Life balance is work, work balance.

Amrit: 40:34

It's a like It depends on the season, like you know. Like this sort of summertime from sort of March to end of October, is where we're sort of pretty much busy, yeah, flat out from November, december, Jan and Feb. It's sort of like Jan's completely usually quiet. We don't really do much in turn. I'm quite glad of that. December we do quite a lot of Christmas parties, but sort of November time and things like that is where things are quiet and down and You sort of start to wind down a little bit to use that time to service equipment, and you know.

Andy: 41:10

We're sure it's in tip-top, or are you constantly at that anyway?

Amrit: 41:13

We're constantly at that anyway. I think those are times where we sort of look at like what needs to be sold on, what needs to be moved on, okay, what needs to be changed, what sort of cases looking a bit better now, what needs to. That's when we sort of do like a turnaround, but in terms of sort of servicing kit, like sort of every Every time before the sparks go out, they get sort of blown out and tested, and then every sort of two, three weeks We sort of open it up, blow out the insides and give it a quick, deep clean.

Andy: 41:40

So have you ever Sat and watched a video and thought, oh, that's a new effects that I've not seen before and we ought to get into that?

Amrit: 41:50

Yeah. So I've seen videos and stuff like that before from So the big festivals and concerts where I've seen it and I'm like oh, wow, that looks phenomenal, and like we've had it, where People have sent us videos and they've said hey, can you do this? and I'm like you know.

Amrit: 42:05

I haven't seen this before and I've sent a few my mates and they're like oh yeah, this is such and such and this is who supplies it and That's the product. Basically, yeah, that has been times where people have sent us videos and We've sort of that's, when we've sort of found out about product always sort of seen a video of like I don't know like a massive SFS company doing a job at download or glass can bring things like that And I'm like, oh shit you know I haven't seen that before.

Amrit: 42:33

That looks wicked. That would. But then it's just having the jobs There to apply that to oh, okay.

Amrit: 42:41

So, in terms of inspires me, there is like a really good like two good friends of mine who were in partnership, one of which helped me start, which was Andy, and I used to sort of see him sort of every week last year to Get extra kit off him and things like that, and I recently did a tour for him. They inspire me quite a lot of sort of gold and I look at a unit and be like I like this is like the way they would do things and the way they would do things I'd apply to the way we do things and Things like that. So, yeah, i think they sort of really inspired me to sort of Sort of keep going and just sort of, yeah, just something to look up to.

Amrit: 43:21

Yeah yeah, yeah something to look up to. It's nice to have that Inspiration there.

Andy: 43:27

Yeah, any Unfulfilled. I mean I suppose you want to do glass and brood here, um.

Amrit: 43:36

Yeah, I think I'd love to do glass and brood. We've done like quite a few of the festivals recently And they've been really good. I Don't know if I've got anything on my bucket list. No, I think I had the otorino my bucket list and we're doing that in August to it's gonna be really good. Who's that for? it's for an afro beats artists called a shaké. Hmm, we did his last set of shawls back in December when he did a tour, but that was unfortunate the day that the instant happened at Brixton.

Amrit: 44:09

Oh, yeah, Yeah so we were down that day, so that's gonna be a really good shot. O2 and I Think I would love to do like a glass to bring, something like that. I've done leaves ready before. Yeah, i think I'd like to do glass and we just say I've done glass to bring it does give you a sort of privileged access as well to all areas.

Andy: 44:28

Doesn't that to? Yeah, I know it's very good to.

Amrit: 44:37

Yes, i like when we did, when I did leaves readying With a good friend of mine. They were providing for the artist, so we were allowed into the artist village and Obviously we had all like good catering and things like that and makes a difference. Oh, it was wicked, yeah, we had, yeah, and we had, i think, steak for lunch and things like that and like burgers for snacks after like 9, 10 o'clock. It was wicked.

Andy: 45:06

So. So I think we're at the point where I asked the final question. Do you know what the final question is?

Amrit: 45:13

No see, this is when I discovered.

Andy: 45:18

It's been, sometimes it's Was so my final question is if I could give you, if I could furnish you with The knowledge and the tools and the wherewithal to do any other job within the wedding industry, what would you do?

Amrit: 45:33

Oh, definitely not a deco, it's just too messy range cushions for a little. It's not that, it's just the amount of mess there is and the amount of Crab you have to deal with. Like you've got to make sure you've got all these sort of candle holders, then you gotta make sure you got the candles for them, then you gotta make sure you got the water for them, then you're gonna make sure you got a light to light the candles with.

Andy: 46:00

And somebody to operate the.

Amrit: 46:04

So definitely not a deck all like hats up to the decor industry, the guys that do deck.

Amrit: 46:09

All they put in a right shift, so fair play to them. Djing, um, i don't think I do DJing. I think Katerin, but as a, as a like, how at all does it? where he's sort of at the top of the chain and He does interesting, just because I like food so much, as you can tell. So that's probably the other.

Amrit: 46:34

Because I see it with like a lot of catering companies where I'm not gonna name names but like where they'll have like a big budget client and they'll still do the same old food And I'm like, yeah, hey, come on, man, like you're at the door test and now you're at the Savoy, do something different. Yeah, don't do the same old thing you do every single week. And Good is that? a good example of that is Burnti from prestige, when he has sort of Different clients coming in who want different things, he'll create a whole different new dish out of nowhere And you're like, and you taste it and you're like this shouldn't work, but this works and it goes on. A treat, a wedding. So I think I'd like to do that. Brilliant, how about yourself?

Andy: 47:19

Any other job photographer, because you can just rock up with one.

Amrit: 47:24

You just rock up with one bag.

Andy: 47:27

Where is sexy hat? I put a pair of sunglasses on, look cool straight around the place a bit.

Amrit: 47:35

Yeah, shoot some photos in my home photos and go home. No heavy lifting job And still people suck. Its Pardon, still people suck. It's to charge things. Have you got a socket? I'm fully.

Andy: 47:50

Oh yeah, you're fully equipped. I'm fully DC, ac, DC. So listen, amrit, thank you very, very much for Waiting your time. Thank you for the pizza. Thank you for the coke that I can't drink. Yeah, you didn't get zero, oh sorry.

Amrit: 48:08

I'll do better next time you will, and.

Andy: 48:13

Thank you for listening, everybody, and we'll see you on the next episode of the wedding professionals podcast. Bye, y'all, say bye, bye guys. So there we go. Really nice conversation with Amrit. Really enjoyed going down to Dudley and recording that one. So I hope you enjoyed the conversation too. If you did, you know I'm gonna say please share the podcast, get on socials and share it out there And let's get the word out and about. That's it for this one. Thanks for listening, thanks for sticking with it. Appreciate your support, appreciate your help. Thank you very, very much and I will see you on the next episode of the wedding professionals podcast. Thanks very much, bye, bye You.