What is your preschool charging for nativity videos/dvds?

[Helgand]

My dd's preschool is charging £8 for nativity videos and £13 for dvds which you have to order and pay for the day before the performance... what is yours charging?

havent been told yet but last year it was £5 for a dvd.

I have never heard of this before. My pre-school doesn't take videos, you can take your own if you want.

nothing, we can take our own

scholl otoh, screw us into the floor. I took a photo of dd after the performance. It's enough.

Only have experience at infant and Junior schools, they charge £10 per DVD - pay after performance. Photos can be taken at end of performance only, not during. No filming allowed at all.

It works ok and the kids don't get flustered and enjoy it.

Wow our school is a bargain - only £3. I think it's a great idea, means parents can enjoy the experience, not be worrying about filming it.

£6 for a video, £9 for a DVD, or £12 for two plays on one DVD for those with two children in different years. They record the dress rehearsal, so they can retake the bits they fluff, and the kids aren't stressed out or too busy waving at Mummy to remember their lines.

Not preschool, but DD's prep school are charging £16.50 a copy.

Wow, what a con!

Luckily our infant and junior schools have always allowed individuals to film.

Being 2 ticket only affairs they know that only close relatives will be in the audience.

Surely the trouble with having to buy the recording is that it would be focussed on the main characters and not on your child in the back row of the choir. When you do it yourself, if you are anything like us, the camera is on your own children practically for the whole production. Who wants to pay to watch other people's children?

Ours is £15 for the dvd. Both dress rehearsal and actual performance are recorded and they go round and record the classrooms as they get ready etc, so lots of stuff that you wouldn't have got. It is done professionally so yes, you do see the whole perfomance including the back row!
Yes, it is a rip-off but it is at least a vaguely decent quality of product.

Oh Blimey - ours tops yours - £15 for a vid and £18 for a DVD !!!

We were thinking of starting a black market of knowck off copies ! Wouldn't mind SO much - but the day they were filming dd fell over in her dance !!

The day they weren';t filming tow others fell over but my dd didn;t !

Never heard of such a thing - sound like a rip-off to me. How many parents actually buy them?

When say pre-school do you mean a private nursery or playgroup?

DP does this professionally but with copy protection on, at DS1s preschool as far as i know you are allowed to film your own child but the option is there for pro recordings.

In all fairness its usually CD's that DP does (xmas carols concerts, brass band etc etc) and the DVDs are not that frequent and usually end of school year. He hasn't been doing it long so i will keep checking this thread!

As I said in earlier post, infants and Juniors charge £10 per DVD.

mumofmonsters Most of the funds rasised go to the PTA association. They person who does the DVD's covers his costs, the rest goes to the school.

Primary School raises loads of money for kids to have extra things in school. So I don't mind, ie interactive whiteboards, sunshades in the playyground, school discos etc.

Fo the filming they don't just focus on the main parts. Its not a TV show. One DVD filmed for each year, with all the kids on it from walking in to the hall to siting and playing instruments. Filmed on 2 days (2 performances) so they make sure everyone is in it.

5 classes in each year so and average of 145 kids on a small stage and in area in front of stage. Not every one buys one of course.

We only get 2 seats allocated per child.

Memories are kept in your heart forever, they dont have to be captured on film.

Interesting to read the wide range of charges. The preschool I refer to is a relatively small community based not-for-profit business. As this is DD1s first nativity I didn't really know what was normal, but did raise an eyebrow or two when I saw the charges, especially at having to order pre-performance - what if she's ill on the day?!! I don't know the details, whether it's professionally recorded or not and whether parents can also record. However, I have expressly stated on her registration form that DD1 to only be in photos for staff folders for their NVQs etc (decision based on horrid experience where friend's dh prosecuted for making unsavoury images and 2 week wait for police to tell us if DD1 was on any of the pics - say no more!), so not feeling v comfortable that anyone can buy a copy of the performance - brings up v difficult issues for us as a family .

I think pre-ordering is not fair and would raise with school as it is true if child is off - or doesn't want to perform on the day. Maybe with backing of some other likeminded mums you could approach the school about this.

Sorry to hear of bad experience. How horrid.

As you say it is your DDs first nativity and it would be a shame for DD not to be able to participate with her friends. She won't be able to understand your concerns at such a young age.

Maybe this is why now some schools only allow one professional person (not all audience) to film it ! Who knows !

My DD go to a state school so money raised is not for profit to the business but goes towards things for the children. The Parent Teachers Association (PTA) decide and parents are asked for their views. Very big school, very well run.

Good luck with whatever you chosse to do.

We have to give permission for the performance to be recorded. This is a child protection issue. Personally I hate when everyone records as it spoils the experience for others. At our pre school a dad who is an enthusiastic amateur does it, at school it was professional and I think the cost was nearly £20. To be honest I never buy them as I know it wouldn't get watched.

my sons nursery is recording it then the parents can watch it at school on another day and the parents arent allowed to watch! but as there only 3 years old it probaly would be a bit much with loads of mums and dads watching. Also we are not allowed to buy copies because of child protection!

Well, had dress rehearsal this afternoon and DD1 was only child to refuse to go up to the front, sat beside me instead, looking very sweet in her snowflake costume. Friday will probably just be the same so I am definitely not pre-ordering the recording and can organise myself to address the child protection issue for next year as there is little chance she will get recorded this year! Fascinating to read all the different posts - thank you.