This FAQ exists to help you learn what is important in a video. Most likely this is the only video you will ever have commissioned, so you are not expected to know every detail of what you want and are looking for. For this, you depend on your chosen video professional and the following questions and answers should be helpful. Good luck and congratulations on your committment!
Why hire a professional videographer vs. "Uncle Charlie?"
The simple reason is that we possess professional level video cameras, wired/wireless microphones, lighting, tripods, and various other peripherals required to capture the best video and audio possible. While Uncle Charlie is very kind for offering to do your video, he often suffers from the shakes, low audio quality, intrusive presence, and poor exposure. We exist so your guests can be guests. Video is our profession and your finished DVD will show that.
Surveys have shown that contemporary brides place a high value on video and consider it an excellent investment that will be cherished for generations.
What is the difference between a Videographer vs. Photographer?
Ideally, you would want to have both as neither can replace the other. While photography captures the moment, videography captures the day. You can relive the emotion, hear special wishes from family and friends, hear the sweet whispers to each other during the ceremony, and let your children share in the creation of your union long after the day of your wedding.
Most photographers require the use of flashes (if allowed) during the ceremony. Video, on the other hand, does not require any special lighting as the latest cameras have excellent low light capabilities. Photographers also tend to move around (if allowed) during the ceremony, while the best video is captured by staying still having chosen an optimal place from the beginning.
What should I look for in a videographer?
Like any profession, videography requires experience, politeness, a properly setup business, flexibility, and a willingness to work with the couple, within the constraints of the locations to coordinate the successful capture of the day. All this must be accomplished while minimizing felt presence (intrusiveness).
Beyond people skills, a videographer requires up to date equipment including 3-chip cameras, wireless microphones, lighting, tripods, digital editing workstations, decks, and various other peripherals to produce the highest quality video. They should also be able to answer technical and non-technical questions to your satisfaction.
You should also request a full demo video to view at your liesure. Not a streamlined short showing the best scenes, but rather a finished product that was delivered to a couple. This will give you the best idea of the quality of shooting, editing, and DVD mastering.
What is the real difference between videographers?
When you get past all the technical aspects of what it takes to capture and produce a final edited DVD of your special day, most videographers use pretty similar equipment that do similar things, just under different name brands. The real difference is the "style" of the videographer.
Much in the same way different artist painters have different painting techniques that can be recognized by brush stroke styles, a videographer developes their own style of capture, editing and production. So when comparing videographers, beyond the basic hardware requirements, ask if you like their style. Does the energy, the emotion of the final video capture the day?
When you view the sample video, do not judge it by "where" it was taken as wedding budgets and tastes vary widely, judge it by how well it captures the essence of the subject at hand. How it makes you feel and will make you feel when you watch it year after year, picking out details you missed as you view it again and again.
This is a day full of emotion, celebrating a life-long union, so be sure your videographer(s) can carry the emotion in the final video and don't trip on purely aesthetic values and you'll probably get a much more satisfying video.
Can we build our own "packages?"
Absolutely! The listed packages are simply a starting point to put together the best grouping of services to cover your special day. If you find none of the displayed packages work for you, we'd love to discuss creating a custom package to fit your requirements, vision, and/or budget.
We work with many newlyweds and are flexible to help you achieve your goals. As they say, if you don't ask you don't get...
Is video intrusive?
Really it comes down to the operator and what equipment they use. Currently, there are wireless microphones, on camera lighting (if necessary and permitted), cameras which can operate in relatively low light and are compact in size. Generally a videographer should not have to move around during the ceremony and should have set enough time before hand to scout out the best locations to setup. Ideally they should attend the rehearsal if possible.