| Altamaha Video Productions |
Since the 1860's, when photography first became possible, weddings have been
recorded by still photographers. You've probably looked at the photo albums
which preserve the memory of their parent's wedding. Unanswered by the
photos are questions such as "how did Mom manage that huge train as she
walked down the aisle?" "Was Dad able to bend over in his stiffly starched
shirt?" "Was their first dance as graceful as their dancing today?"
What's missing from these frozen moments of the wedding are the sights, the
sounds and the bustle of activity that only moving images can capture.
Videography has given today's bride and groom the opportunity to have created
a memoir of their wedding, complete with all the sights and sounds of that
most important event in their lives, a memory which can be revisited for years
to come.
Creating a video record of a wedding is a job best left to professionals. "Why
would we want a professionally made wedding video?" ask many brides and
grooms. "Uncle Charlie offered to do it for us for free." As we'll see in the rest
of this article, there is a lot to wedding videography that Uncle Charlie probably
doesn't know about.
Wedding Video Styles:
Wedding videos tend to fall into either the documentary or journalistic and
what might be called the MTV style. Neither is better than the other; they're
just different.
Unlike the still photographer, who carefully poses each picture, the
documentary style videographer records things as they happen. The activities
of the wedding day are captured candidly, and often include moments the bride
and groom never see on their wedding day, being occupied elsewhere.
Videographers who work in the documentary style shoot as much of the
wedding day activities as they can, then select the footage that best creates
the narrative of the wedding.
Videographers who work in the MTV style are more likely to stage couples, like
a movie director arranging a scene. In this regard, the MTV style videographer
is somewhat like the still photographer. Videographers who specialize in the
MTV style are excellent choices for couples who want a "how we met" Love
Story, and who do not mind having the natural flow of the wedding day
interrupted from time to time by requests to pose or perform for the
videographer. Like documentary style videographers, the MTV style professional
will also carefully select (edit) footage to tell the wedding story.
Again, it's not a question of one way being better than another, but rather a
matter of "style" and of personal taste. Be sure you're comfortable with your
videographer's approach before you sign a contract.
Long Form or Short Form?
For many years, wedding videos have documented virtually all of the wedding
day. Often from ninety minutes to two hours in length, so-called "long form"
wedding videos faithfully record every moment of the wedding service, from the
first bridesmaid as she starts down the aisle to the last guest leaving the
church. At the reception, in addition to such traditional events as the first
dances, the toasts, garter and bouquet toss and cake cutting ceremonies, a
great deal of the dancing is recorded and made a part of the finished tape.
Recently, brides have become enthusiastic about shorter finished wedding
videos, tapes that are perhaps 30 to 45 minutes in length. The focus of these
"short form" video tapes is the emotional content of the wedding day.
Instead of showing each bridesmaid walking the full length of the church aisle,
for example, the short form video might have a single reference to the
bridesmaids by showing them clustered around the bride in the dressing room,
the camera lingering for a moment on each as she admires the bride in her
gown and reflects on her own wedding. The exchange of vows and rings and
lighting of the unity candle is shown in its entirety, but choral interludes,
responsive readings and lengthy pastoral commentary is reduced to its essence.
At the reception, the focus of the short form video is more narrowly on the
bride and groom than on the food, the guests and perhaps the antics of the DJ.
The same amount of video is shot for the short form as for the long form, but
the shooting and editing approach is quite different. Videographers working in
the short form emphasize those special moments which are the signature of
the wedding day.
The short form might be said to be poetic, while the long form is epic.
Which form the bride chooses is a matter of personal taste. Discuss these
forms with your wedding videographer. Decide what's right for you.
What cost to expect:
The location of the wedding, the length of coverage and the amount of editing
involved, and the reputation of the videographer combine to determine wedding
video pricing.
Just like housing and food, wedding videography costs more in metropolitan
areas such as New York City, Los Angeles and Seattle, than it does in Fargo or
Eugene.
The length and nature of coverage plays an important role in price: how many
cameras and camera operators will be at your wedding and reception, how long
will they stay and how much editing does the videographer estimate will have
to be done.
The least expensive coverage typically provides one camera and operator
recording the wedding and handing you the tape at the end of the ceremony.
More expensive packages typically include two or more cameras and operators
at the wedding and reception, with editing, titles and music, and perhaps a
photo montage included as well. Videographers may use two or three cameras
to cover a wedding: two or more manned cameras, plus static or remotely
controlled cameras focused on the choir, lectern and congregation. Some might
use even more, depending on the circumstances. The advantage of multiple
cameras and editing is that the videographer is able to combine footage from
each camera into a single visually interesting and exciting record of the
ceremony and reception. This flexibility costs more, but it's worth it!
Prices for wedding videos in the Seattle area vary from as little as $300 to as
much as $3,500 or more, depending on the individual videographer and the
options you choose. Expect to pay more to get the very best.
A good rule of thumb is to be prepared to pay at least as much for your
wedding videographer as you pay for your wedding photographer.
Additional Video Coverage:
Many brides want their wedding video to include features well beyond the basic
coverage of the wedding and reception. These may include a large number of
still photos of your courtship -- a full-blown photo montage -- and the option to
include photos and video footage from the honeymoon (some videographers
will even provide a video camera to take on the honeymoon.) You may also
request coverage of events prior to the wedding, such as the rehearsal and
rehearsal dinner and activities such as the bride and groom dressing, and
perhaps a wedding day brunch.
These are probably extras, or add-ons to the basic wedding day video services,
and add-ons such as these will probably increase the cost of your video, since
the videographer has to do a lot of extra work beyond shooting the wedding
and reception.
Another add-on is the Love Story, which is almost always arranged for
separately. The Love Story can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish, but
since it requires a great deal of shooting and editing time, expect to pay more
than just the cost of the basic package.
For many brides and grooms, the Love Story, which encapsulates the romance
of the courtship, and provides an opportunity for the couple to speak freely of
their love for each other, becomes over time as important as the wedding video.
Finally, you might opt for a first-year retrospective. Roughly a year after the
wedding, you and your spouse, after reviewing their wedding video, speak on
camera of their first year together, and what married life has meant to you.
This may then be edited and placed on the wedding video tape, or given to you
as a stand-alone video, a reminder in later years of the start of a long life
together.
What to ask about:
In buying the services of a wedding videographer it's important to ask the right
questions.
The wedding rehearsal
Start with whether or not the videographer will attend the rehearsal. If your
wedding is to be complicated or nontraditional, it's important that the
videographer knows where everything will be taking place, and who's doing
what. If you feel it's important that the videographer be at your rehearsal,
insist on it. If you feel strongly about it, and he refuses, find another
videographer.
Audio
How will the videographer pick up what is being said by the bride, groom,
officiant, readers and musicians? Most videographers use wireless microphones
placed on the groom and the officiant. An increasing number of videographers
are making use of mini disk recorders placed on the groom and at other
appropriate locations as well. Whatever the equipment, make certain that the
videographer is using microphones located very near where you and your fiancé
will be standing: the nearer the better. No video professional worth hiring will
tell you that he relies on the camera microphone alone to pick up the wedding
ceremony.
Cameras
Find out how many manned cameras will be used to record your ceremony. Will
remotely controlled camera be used?
Manned cameras (a camera with an operator attached) and remotely controlled
cameras provide better coverage of the wedding ceremony than do stationary
cameras, cameras set up on a tripod, focused on a particular part of the venue,
and left unattended. The footage from a stationary camera may be excellent,
but there will be little variety in what it records, since it won't be repositioned
during the ceremony. Manned cameras make for rich visual imagery. Many
videographers make use of both when taping a wedding.
When you hear "I'll use three cameras at your wedding," find out exactly what
the videographer has in mind. Make sure you're getting what you think you're
paying for.
Lights
Most videographers use ambient (available) light to record the wedding
ceremony. The down-side of ambient light is that the quality of the video may
suffer. Candle-lit weddings are a videographer's nightmare! Although today's
high-end cameras are pretty good at delivering good video in low-light
conditions, if there isn't enough light in the venue, the video will look grainy,
the colors flat and washed out, and there's little the videographer can do to
improve it.
A few videographers will suggest the use of supplemental lighting to enhance
the light in a dimly lit venue. Many officiants will not allow supplemental
lighting, so check this out thoroughly if your videographer suggests
supplemental lighting during the ceremony.
You have to decide at what level of brightness the lights in the venue will spoil
the mood of your ceremony. You may not be able to do this until the day of
your wedding rehearsal.
Realize that there's a trade-off here -- whether to have mood lighting and not-
so-hot video, or terrific video and lots of light. Try not to get adversarial about
this. Trust your videographer's judgment about what the video will look like,
then make your decision. Don't be surprised if this decision becomes an item
added to your contract with the videographer. Many videographers use
supplemental lighting of some sort at the reception to insure good coverage of
the toasts, cake cutting and family dances. On-camera lights are very
sophisticated and many have dimmer controls. Well-used camera lights are
relatively unobtrusive: their use often makes the difference between good
video and virtually no video at all.
Here again, discuss this thoroughly with the videographer, and be comfortable
with the answers you get before deciding to hire him.
Turn-around time
How long will it take to get your finished video tape back? 12-16 weeks is not
unreasonable. Each wedding takes the videographer 20-30 hours to edit, and
it's in the editing that the video receives its final artistic form.
Your wedding goes in the production line at the end of the queue, so don't be
too impatient. It's worth a reasonable wait to get a superb video, isn't it.
And remember: you have a responsibility, too. Your videographer can't begin
editing your wedding video until you have provided the still photos, music,
invitations and programs, and anything else you wish to include as part of the
finished tape.
Attire
Find out what the videographers will wear to work. Videographers in tennis
shoes and jeans can spoil everything you have tried to achieve in setting the
tone of your wedding. Attire is negotiable, so don't be afraid to discuss this.
Payment
Ask about the payment structure and whether there are any hidden costs. How
much is the retainer? Under what circumstances is it refundable? Is it part of
the total cost of the wedding video? Does it guarantee the date? When is the
balance due? Decide what you're comfortable with. These conditions may be
negotiable. If you're not comfortable with the financial arrangements, find
another videographer.
Payments are often made in three installments. This is designed to protect
both you and your videographer.
The first payment is the retainer, a portion of the whole -- often a third or a
half -- that guarantees your date. It is usually paid at the time the contract is
signed. With many videographers the retainer in non-refundable.
Your videographer may ask that a second installment be made a week or two
before the wedding. This and the retainer pays for the actual shooting of the
event. You could agree to pay on the day of the wedding -- your guarantee that
the videographer shows up -- but if you forget your checkbook, you run the risk
of winding up without a wedding video. Put the date for this second installment
in your bridal scheduler as soon as you sign the contract. It's your
responsibility to make the payment. The final payment is made when the
videographer delivers your wedding video to you and your husband -- your
guarantee that the work has been done.
Contract
The contract is how you and your videographer communicate. It's where you
come to agreement and record what will happen with regard to your wedding
video. Make sure that everything you want from the videographer and
everything he expects from you is written into the contract. A little piece of
paper that says "I'll shoot your wedding for you, pay me $1500" isn't doing
much communicating.
Take nothing for granted. If there is anything you don't understand, ask for an
explanation and, if necessary, ask to have that clarification written into the
final version of the contract. If there is something you and the videographer
discuss, and it's important to you, have it included in the contract. Six months
later, the day before your wedding, it will serve to remind the videographer and
you that getting pictures of your Aunt Frieda is a "must do."
The contract should include a statement that after the contract is signed,
changes requested by either party must be in writing. Verbal changes have a
way of coming back to haunt you. Looking at samples of the videographer's
work. Don't settle for a demonstration tape!
Demonstration tapes – “demos” -- are made up of examples carefully selected
to impress the viewer. Demo tapes are fine as a starting place, but ask to see
full-length wedding videos that were shot in venues similar to your wedding
site. This will give you a much better idea of how your potential videographer
handles the events of the wedding day.
And don't be surprised if a videographer doesn't have a demo tape.
Videographers know that only after you've met together, and you've seen full
length examples, can you draw any real conclusions about their work and how
they create it.
Audio
Listen to the quality of the sound as you watch wedding tapes. Ask where the
microphone placement was? What you hear on the tape is probably what you
will get on your wedding video as well, unless there were extenuating
circumstances. Asking how the audio for peripheral activity such as scripture
readings and musicians will be captured will assure that your videographer
knows what will be required at your wedding.
Camera Work
If you think you're not knowledgeable enough to judge the quality of the
camera work, imagine that you were invited, but had to miss the wedding. Your
friend, the bride, sent you the wedding video that you are watching. Now ask
yourself whether the video shows you everything that you would like to see, or
whether there is a great deal missing. Is there variety among the shots, or are
they all pretty much alike? Good close-ups, interesting compositions and
angles, good variety among the shots are the hallmarks of a good videographer.
Now look at the camera work in the ceremony again. If almost all of the
ceremony was recorded from the back of the venue, looking at the backs of the
bride and groom, ask why. Maybe the officiant refused to allow cameras
anywhere in the sanctuary: it happens. But maybe the videographer is satisfied
with this kind of coverage, and what you see here is what you can expect to
get.
If you're fortunate enough to see a wedding shot in the venue where your
wedding will take place, you'll see exactly what the problems were that
confronted the videographer. You'll be able to discuss these with the
videographer and perhaps work to overcome them for your wedding video.
Editing
Look at how the video was edited. Here you are considering both the artistry of
the camera work and of the editor. Is there a logical structure to the work:
does it tell the story you would want told? Is there a nice mix of shots: close-
ups, medium shots that show the various members of the wedding party, wide
shots that show the wedding guests watching the ceremony? How are shots
combined to create a rhythm in the video: does the camera stay on one shot
for minutes at a time, or are there cuts and dissolves from one angle to
another, keeping the view fresh and interesting?
Tact and discretion
How has the videographer handled the "special moments" of the wedding:
interviews, unguarded comments picked up on the microphones, "smooching
and hugging" and other displays of affection? If you're embarrassed by this
treatment, be careful. You'll probably get the same treatment in your wedding
video.
Visual quality and equipment
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, look at the visual quality of the videos.
Would you be satisfied if this was your wedding tape? What cameras were
used, and whether the videographer shoots with S-VHS, Hi-8 or digital
equipment is not nearly as important as what the results look like. The same is
true with editing equipment. How the videographer got the finished product --
whether it was linear or digital equipment -- is of far less importance than
what the finished product looks like. In all of this, you're evaluating the
videographer's work against your idea of what you want your wedding video to
look like. If you like what you see, you and the videographer are probably a
good match. What you need to do for your videographers. An informed
videographer is a happy videographer.
Keep in touch with your videographer. Contracts for wedding professionals are
often entered into months before the wedding. Be sure you keep your
videographer advised of such things as the time set for the rehearsal, additions
to the wedding party list and special aspects of the ceremony that you want
covered.
A hungry videographer is a grumpy videographer.
Make sure you and your videographers agree on eating arrangements.
Videographers usually work eight to ten hours on the day of a wedding. They
need to eat if they are to do their best work.
If only one videographer is to shoot your reception, try to arrange that he or
she eats in the same room as the guests, so that he can keep an eye on what
is going on and be ready to capture events on tape at a moment's notice.
Many couples suggest that the videographers go through the buffet line.
However, for a sit-down dinner, where meal costs skyrocket, it's appropriate to
provide sandwiches and coffee. You may even decide that the videographers
should provide their own meal. In this case, make sure everyone understands
where they are to eat, since you probably don't want a brown bag lunch and
can of pop at one of your guest tables.
Remember, it's your wedding, and you're paying for the videographer. Whatever
you decide will be alright, so long as the videographer knows in advance what
to expect.
And finally, always remember
You are the buyer and the videographer is the seller. Have a good idea of the
product you're after, and see if the videographer can provide it. You're looking
for a customized service, and a unique product, your wedding video. Your
videographer is a professional who wants nothing more than to make you
happy through his or her work. Arriving at an understanding of your relative
positions will assure a happy and rewarding working relationship.
recorded by still photographers. You've probably looked at the photo albums
which preserve the memory of their parent's wedding. Unanswered by the
photos are questions such as "how did Mom manage that huge train as she
walked down the aisle?" "Was Dad able to bend over in his stiffly starched
shirt?" "Was their first dance as graceful as their dancing today?"
What's missing from these frozen moments of the wedding are the sights, the
sounds and the bustle of activity that only moving images can capture.
Videography has given today's bride and groom the opportunity to have created
a memoir of their wedding, complete with all the sights and sounds of that
most important event in their lives, a memory which can be revisited for years
to come.
Creating a video record of a wedding is a job best left to professionals. "Why
would we want a professionally made wedding video?" ask many brides and
grooms. "Uncle Charlie offered to do it for us for free." As we'll see in the rest
of this article, there is a lot to wedding videography that Uncle Charlie probably
doesn't know about.
Wedding Video Styles:
Wedding videos tend to fall into either the documentary or journalistic and
what might be called the MTV style. Neither is better than the other; they're
just different.
Unlike the still photographer, who carefully poses each picture, the
documentary style videographer records things as they happen. The activities
of the wedding day are captured candidly, and often include moments the bride
and groom never see on their wedding day, being occupied elsewhere.
Videographers who work in the documentary style shoot as much of the
wedding day activities as they can, then select the footage that best creates
the narrative of the wedding.
Videographers who work in the MTV style are more likely to stage couples, like
a movie director arranging a scene. In this regard, the MTV style videographer
is somewhat like the still photographer. Videographers who specialize in the
MTV style are excellent choices for couples who want a "how we met" Love
Story, and who do not mind having the natural flow of the wedding day
interrupted from time to time by requests to pose or perform for the
videographer. Like documentary style videographers, the MTV style professional
will also carefully select (edit) footage to tell the wedding story.
Again, it's not a question of one way being better than another, but rather a
matter of "style" and of personal taste. Be sure you're comfortable with your
videographer's approach before you sign a contract.
Long Form or Short Form?
For many years, wedding videos have documented virtually all of the wedding
day. Often from ninety minutes to two hours in length, so-called "long form"
wedding videos faithfully record every moment of the wedding service, from the
first bridesmaid as she starts down the aisle to the last guest leaving the
church. At the reception, in addition to such traditional events as the first
dances, the toasts, garter and bouquet toss and cake cutting ceremonies, a
great deal of the dancing is recorded and made a part of the finished tape.
Recently, brides have become enthusiastic about shorter finished wedding
videos, tapes that are perhaps 30 to 45 minutes in length. The focus of these
"short form" video tapes is the emotional content of the wedding day.
Instead of showing each bridesmaid walking the full length of the church aisle,
for example, the short form video might have a single reference to the
bridesmaids by showing them clustered around the bride in the dressing room,
the camera lingering for a moment on each as she admires the bride in her
gown and reflects on her own wedding. The exchange of vows and rings and
lighting of the unity candle is shown in its entirety, but choral interludes,
responsive readings and lengthy pastoral commentary is reduced to its essence.
At the reception, the focus of the short form video is more narrowly on the
bride and groom than on the food, the guests and perhaps the antics of the DJ.
The same amount of video is shot for the short form as for the long form, but
the shooting and editing approach is quite different. Videographers working in
the short form emphasize those special moments which are the signature of
the wedding day.
The short form might be said to be poetic, while the long form is epic.
Which form the bride chooses is a matter of personal taste. Discuss these
forms with your wedding videographer. Decide what's right for you.
What cost to expect:
The location of the wedding, the length of coverage and the amount of editing
involved, and the reputation of the videographer combine to determine wedding
video pricing.
Just like housing and food, wedding videography costs more in metropolitan
areas such as New York City, Los Angeles and Seattle, than it does in Fargo or
Eugene.
The length and nature of coverage plays an important role in price: how many
cameras and camera operators will be at your wedding and reception, how long
will they stay and how much editing does the videographer estimate will have
to be done.
The least expensive coverage typically provides one camera and operator
recording the wedding and handing you the tape at the end of the ceremony.
More expensive packages typically include two or more cameras and operators
at the wedding and reception, with editing, titles and music, and perhaps a
photo montage included as well. Videographers may use two or three cameras
to cover a wedding: two or more manned cameras, plus static or remotely
controlled cameras focused on the choir, lectern and congregation. Some might
use even more, depending on the circumstances. The advantage of multiple
cameras and editing is that the videographer is able to combine footage from
each camera into a single visually interesting and exciting record of the
ceremony and reception. This flexibility costs more, but it's worth it!
Prices for wedding videos in the Seattle area vary from as little as $300 to as
much as $3,500 or more, depending on the individual videographer and the
options you choose. Expect to pay more to get the very best.
A good rule of thumb is to be prepared to pay at least as much for your
wedding videographer as you pay for your wedding photographer.
Additional Video Coverage:
Many brides want their wedding video to include features well beyond the basic
coverage of the wedding and reception. These may include a large number of
still photos of your courtship -- a full-blown photo montage -- and the option to
include photos and video footage from the honeymoon (some videographers
will even provide a video camera to take on the honeymoon.) You may also
request coverage of events prior to the wedding, such as the rehearsal and
rehearsal dinner and activities such as the bride and groom dressing, and
perhaps a wedding day brunch.
These are probably extras, or add-ons to the basic wedding day video services,
and add-ons such as these will probably increase the cost of your video, since
the videographer has to do a lot of extra work beyond shooting the wedding
and reception.
Another add-on is the Love Story, which is almost always arranged for
separately. The Love Story can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish, but
since it requires a great deal of shooting and editing time, expect to pay more
than just the cost of the basic package.
For many brides and grooms, the Love Story, which encapsulates the romance
of the courtship, and provides an opportunity for the couple to speak freely of
their love for each other, becomes over time as important as the wedding video.
Finally, you might opt for a first-year retrospective. Roughly a year after the
wedding, you and your spouse, after reviewing their wedding video, speak on
camera of their first year together, and what married life has meant to you.
This may then be edited and placed on the wedding video tape, or given to you
as a stand-alone video, a reminder in later years of the start of a long life
together.
What to ask about:
In buying the services of a wedding videographer it's important to ask the right
questions.
The wedding rehearsal
Start with whether or not the videographer will attend the rehearsal. If your
wedding is to be complicated or nontraditional, it's important that the
videographer knows where everything will be taking place, and who's doing
what. If you feel it's important that the videographer be at your rehearsal,
insist on it. If you feel strongly about it, and he refuses, find another
videographer.
Audio
How will the videographer pick up what is being said by the bride, groom,
officiant, readers and musicians? Most videographers use wireless microphones
placed on the groom and the officiant. An increasing number of videographers
are making use of mini disk recorders placed on the groom and at other
appropriate locations as well. Whatever the equipment, make certain that the
videographer is using microphones located very near where you and your fiancé
will be standing: the nearer the better. No video professional worth hiring will
tell you that he relies on the camera microphone alone to pick up the wedding
ceremony.
Cameras
Find out how many manned cameras will be used to record your ceremony. Will
remotely controlled camera be used?
Manned cameras (a camera with an operator attached) and remotely controlled
cameras provide better coverage of the wedding ceremony than do stationary
cameras, cameras set up on a tripod, focused on a particular part of the venue,
and left unattended. The footage from a stationary camera may be excellent,
but there will be little variety in what it records, since it won't be repositioned
during the ceremony. Manned cameras make for rich visual imagery. Many
videographers make use of both when taping a wedding.
When you hear "I'll use three cameras at your wedding," find out exactly what
the videographer has in mind. Make sure you're getting what you think you're
paying for.
Lights
Most videographers use ambient (available) light to record the wedding
ceremony. The down-side of ambient light is that the quality of the video may
suffer. Candle-lit weddings are a videographer's nightmare! Although today's
high-end cameras are pretty good at delivering good video in low-light
conditions, if there isn't enough light in the venue, the video will look grainy,
the colors flat and washed out, and there's little the videographer can do to
improve it.
A few videographers will suggest the use of supplemental lighting to enhance
the light in a dimly lit venue. Many officiants will not allow supplemental
lighting, so check this out thoroughly if your videographer suggests
supplemental lighting during the ceremony.
You have to decide at what level of brightness the lights in the venue will spoil
the mood of your ceremony. You may not be able to do this until the day of
your wedding rehearsal.
Realize that there's a trade-off here -- whether to have mood lighting and not-
so-hot video, or terrific video and lots of light. Try not to get adversarial about
this. Trust your videographer's judgment about what the video will look like,
then make your decision. Don't be surprised if this decision becomes an item
added to your contract with the videographer. Many videographers use
supplemental lighting of some sort at the reception to insure good coverage of
the toasts, cake cutting and family dances. On-camera lights are very
sophisticated and many have dimmer controls. Well-used camera lights are
relatively unobtrusive: their use often makes the difference between good
video and virtually no video at all.
Here again, discuss this thoroughly with the videographer, and be comfortable
with the answers you get before deciding to hire him.
Turn-around time
How long will it take to get your finished video tape back? 12-16 weeks is not
unreasonable. Each wedding takes the videographer 20-30 hours to edit, and
it's in the editing that the video receives its final artistic form.
Your wedding goes in the production line at the end of the queue, so don't be
too impatient. It's worth a reasonable wait to get a superb video, isn't it.
And remember: you have a responsibility, too. Your videographer can't begin
editing your wedding video until you have provided the still photos, music,
invitations and programs, and anything else you wish to include as part of the
finished tape.
Attire
Find out what the videographers will wear to work. Videographers in tennis
shoes and jeans can spoil everything you have tried to achieve in setting the
tone of your wedding. Attire is negotiable, so don't be afraid to discuss this.
Payment
Ask about the payment structure and whether there are any hidden costs. How
much is the retainer? Under what circumstances is it refundable? Is it part of
the total cost of the wedding video? Does it guarantee the date? When is the
balance due? Decide what you're comfortable with. These conditions may be
negotiable. If you're not comfortable with the financial arrangements, find
another videographer.
Payments are often made in three installments. This is designed to protect
both you and your videographer.
The first payment is the retainer, a portion of the whole -- often a third or a
half -- that guarantees your date. It is usually paid at the time the contract is
signed. With many videographers the retainer in non-refundable.
Your videographer may ask that a second installment be made a week or two
before the wedding. This and the retainer pays for the actual shooting of the
event. You could agree to pay on the day of the wedding -- your guarantee that
the videographer shows up -- but if you forget your checkbook, you run the risk
of winding up without a wedding video. Put the date for this second installment
in your bridal scheduler as soon as you sign the contract. It's your
responsibility to make the payment. The final payment is made when the
videographer delivers your wedding video to you and your husband -- your
guarantee that the work has been done.
Contract
The contract is how you and your videographer communicate. It's where you
come to agreement and record what will happen with regard to your wedding
video. Make sure that everything you want from the videographer and
everything he expects from you is written into the contract. A little piece of
paper that says "I'll shoot your wedding for you, pay me $1500" isn't doing
much communicating.
Take nothing for granted. If there is anything you don't understand, ask for an
explanation and, if necessary, ask to have that clarification written into the
final version of the contract. If there is something you and the videographer
discuss, and it's important to you, have it included in the contract. Six months
later, the day before your wedding, it will serve to remind the videographer and
you that getting pictures of your Aunt Frieda is a "must do."
The contract should include a statement that after the contract is signed,
changes requested by either party must be in writing. Verbal changes have a
way of coming back to haunt you. Looking at samples of the videographer's
work. Don't settle for a demonstration tape!
Demonstration tapes – “demos” -- are made up of examples carefully selected
to impress the viewer. Demo tapes are fine as a starting place, but ask to see
full-length wedding videos that were shot in venues similar to your wedding
site. This will give you a much better idea of how your potential videographer
handles the events of the wedding day.
And don't be surprised if a videographer doesn't have a demo tape.
Videographers know that only after you've met together, and you've seen full
length examples, can you draw any real conclusions about their work and how
they create it.
Audio
Listen to the quality of the sound as you watch wedding tapes. Ask where the
microphone placement was? What you hear on the tape is probably what you
will get on your wedding video as well, unless there were extenuating
circumstances. Asking how the audio for peripheral activity such as scripture
readings and musicians will be captured will assure that your videographer
knows what will be required at your wedding.
Camera Work
If you think you're not knowledgeable enough to judge the quality of the
camera work, imagine that you were invited, but had to miss the wedding. Your
friend, the bride, sent you the wedding video that you are watching. Now ask
yourself whether the video shows you everything that you would like to see, or
whether there is a great deal missing. Is there variety among the shots, or are
they all pretty much alike? Good close-ups, interesting compositions and
angles, good variety among the shots are the hallmarks of a good videographer.
Now look at the camera work in the ceremony again. If almost all of the
ceremony was recorded from the back of the venue, looking at the backs of the
bride and groom, ask why. Maybe the officiant refused to allow cameras
anywhere in the sanctuary: it happens. But maybe the videographer is satisfied
with this kind of coverage, and what you see here is what you can expect to
get.
If you're fortunate enough to see a wedding shot in the venue where your
wedding will take place, you'll see exactly what the problems were that
confronted the videographer. You'll be able to discuss these with the
videographer and perhaps work to overcome them for your wedding video.
Editing
Look at how the video was edited. Here you are considering both the artistry of
the camera work and of the editor. Is there a logical structure to the work:
does it tell the story you would want told? Is there a nice mix of shots: close-
ups, medium shots that show the various members of the wedding party, wide
shots that show the wedding guests watching the ceremony? How are shots
combined to create a rhythm in the video: does the camera stay on one shot
for minutes at a time, or are there cuts and dissolves from one angle to
another, keeping the view fresh and interesting?
Tact and discretion
How has the videographer handled the "special moments" of the wedding:
interviews, unguarded comments picked up on the microphones, "smooching
and hugging" and other displays of affection? If you're embarrassed by this
treatment, be careful. You'll probably get the same treatment in your wedding
video.
Visual quality and equipment
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, look at the visual quality of the videos.
Would you be satisfied if this was your wedding tape? What cameras were
used, and whether the videographer shoots with S-VHS, Hi-8 or digital
equipment is not nearly as important as what the results look like. The same is
true with editing equipment. How the videographer got the finished product --
whether it was linear or digital equipment -- is of far less importance than
what the finished product looks like. In all of this, you're evaluating the
videographer's work against your idea of what you want your wedding video to
look like. If you like what you see, you and the videographer are probably a
good match. What you need to do for your videographers. An informed
videographer is a happy videographer.
Keep in touch with your videographer. Contracts for wedding professionals are
often entered into months before the wedding. Be sure you keep your
videographer advised of such things as the time set for the rehearsal, additions
to the wedding party list and special aspects of the ceremony that you want
covered.
A hungry videographer is a grumpy videographer.
Make sure you and your videographers agree on eating arrangements.
Videographers usually work eight to ten hours on the day of a wedding. They
need to eat if they are to do their best work.
If only one videographer is to shoot your reception, try to arrange that he or
she eats in the same room as the guests, so that he can keep an eye on what
is going on and be ready to capture events on tape at a moment's notice.
Many couples suggest that the videographers go through the buffet line.
However, for a sit-down dinner, where meal costs skyrocket, it's appropriate to
provide sandwiches and coffee. You may even decide that the videographers
should provide their own meal. In this case, make sure everyone understands
where they are to eat, since you probably don't want a brown bag lunch and
can of pop at one of your guest tables.
Remember, it's your wedding, and you're paying for the videographer. Whatever
you decide will be alright, so long as the videographer knows in advance what
to expect.
And finally, always remember
You are the buyer and the videographer is the seller. Have a good idea of the
product you're after, and see if the videographer can provide it. You're looking
for a customized service, and a unique product, your wedding video. Your
videographer is a professional who wants nothing more than to make you
happy through his or her work. Arriving at an understanding of your relative
positions will assure a happy and rewarding working relationship.
| © 2000 - 2006 by Jack Wolcott (author) and VideOccasions, 2806 129th Ave S.E., Bellevue WA 98005 (425-641-4811) |
| Altamaha Video Productions 2008 |