Russell McMahon wrote:
>>> 1. What is the amount you been quoted for this work?
>>>       
>
> Very reasonable.
>
>   
>>> 2. What is the amount you are willing to pay?
>>>       
>
> Totally unreasonably low ;-)
>
>
>   
>> Also, the process is divided into two parts:
>> 1. Creating the DVD image from the source material (authoring)
>> 2. Duplicating the DVDs from the image.
>> You're not clear if you need help on #1 or not.
>>     
>
> I would provide a DVDR containing a completed product which I wanted 
> copies of.
> This could eg be copied by a bulk DVD copier.
>
> I am aware that my hopes are unreasonable.
> It's not vastly important in this case but it sets a precedent for 
> future similar tasks.
>
> Multiply all prices by 0.75 to get $US
> Prices include local GST tax of 12.5%
>
> Media cost for a DVD-R in a 'wedding cake' 100 pack is $NZ0.54 for 
> Imation brand white inkjet printable.
> Paper sleeves add 2.5 cents more.
>
> Cost of copying to DVD-R in 300 volume has been quoted at $NZ2.36 each
> Difference per copy is about $1.80 or for 300 is over $500.
>
> These are photos for a school ball for which I'll be taking the 
> photos.
> This is not my day job :-)
> Photography is an obsess... er hobby and it is nice for it 
> occasionally to make some money to keep my wife happy with my 
> purchases - and I also like it to be self funding.
> Most things I take photos of don't pay anything for the privilege.
> It's also nice to be paid something for something which one might 
> happily do for free, depending on time and other priorities.
> The time spent per $ earned is less important than the absolute $ 
> earned.
> In this case my aim is to clear $1,000 after all expenses taxes etc 
> and in return give all students a DVD of most of the photos.
> By any normal standards that's a small sum for the work which will be 
> involved, firstly in taking the photos and then in preparing a DVD.
>
> We're working on a school website 'pre-viewing and right of veto' 
> arrangement prior to the DVD being made to satisfy local privacy 
> concerns.
> That adds some extra work.
> Overall this gives the students a far far far better deal than 
> previously - they can each print unlimited photos of their choice at 
> photo site rates.
>
> They are adding the cost of the DVD to the ball ticket cost.
> The cost is fixed and 'rather low'.
> I need to minimise production cost to make my desired net profit.
> So ...
>
> I will also be offering inkjet printed A4 prints at say $5 for those 
> who are interested.
> With CIS ink and cheap but good paper that's mostly profit (plus 
> labour plus printer amortisation plus ...)
>
> So. OK.
> Cough.
> The DVD return to me is $NZ5.
> $4.55 after GST :-(
> 300 sales takes $3.33 of that for my target $1000.
> That leaves $1.22 for ALL other expenses (not counting profit from 
> prints).
> Less than $1.22 would be highly desirable.
> Sales may be as high as 350. And may not.
>
> I could have said $7.50 / DVD and we'd be home by now, but I didn't, 
> and ... .
> Next time.
>
> I'd be happy to do it on a couple of PCs here over a week if I can 
> find a suitably trained monkey to swap disks. (Any other suitably 
> trained animal that would work for peanuts would do).
>
>   
I'm sure you have enough bits in your junk box to rig up some sort of
automated copying type doohickey.
a screw thread type vertical lifting mechanism, an air powered sucker
and a worm drive type rotary table.

put blanks on the left, cd drive in the middle, output spindle/basket on
the right.

come down, till microswitch trips, activate sucker
raise up, rotate to over the cd tray, come down a fixed amount (another
micro switch?) and release air.
tell PC to burn, when done pick cd up and keep rotating till you drop it.
2 motor drives, should be achievable with 3A controllers.

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