Tips on Videography by Take One Produstions

March 15, 2015

Thinking about having a professional videographer for your wedding…great idea!   Here are some great considerations and tips Doug Lewis, from Take One Productions has written out.  When you are thinking about having a video to memorialize your big day…take these ideas to heart!

Most couples don’t think they need a wedding film, They already have a photographer and their friends and family are taking pictures and video. They think a videographer is just another expense, that they’ll have a huge camera in their face and their guest’s faces. Or maybe they’ve sat through friend’s videos and winced at the bad music, long – winded speeches and never ending running time.

 

The art of videography or cinematography has experienced a revolution in the past few years. Long gone are the days of big cameras and boring videos. Today’s filmmakers are using the latest technology and story telling techniques to create stunning wedding films that allow the couple to re-live all the emotions, the actions, and the reactions of their wedding day forever. Many filmmakers shoot on cameras similar to a photographers camera, but are using it in a totally different fashion. There are also several new tools available to filmmakers to provide Hollywood style special effects. Some of these are stabilizers, (GlideCam, Movi, Ronin) Jibs, (which move the camera up and down for sweeping cinematic style shots) sliders, and drones for aerial shots. With all this Hollywood style effects available, the production quality of wedding films has increased exponentionally, however, the most important thing that couples can look for in a wedding filmmaker is “Do they connect on an emotional level?” “Can they tell the story of the day?” “Can they make you feel all the emotions a couple experiences on their wedding day?”All the special effects, drones, sliders, and Movi’s won’t make a difference if the story of the day isn’t told. Anyone can take video clips, set them to a music bed and make a montage, but it takes a true filmmaker to tell the story and re-create the emotions of the day. Nothing can compare to re-living the emotions and feelings of the most important day of your life.

 

So what should a couple look for in a filmmaker? First, as with any vendor, ask your friends who might have had a wedding film done for their wedding. Ask to see it. See if you can follow the story of the day.

 

Second, do your research, check various wedding websites, read reviews, watch samples online. As with photographers, there are many choices and many different styles. Each filmmaker will have a unique style and make sure it matches with what you want from a wedding film. Some Filmmakers are more classic with a slower paced wedding film other are quicker and more contemporary, some are even a little edgy. It all comes down to how the couple wants to re-live the memories of their wedding day.

 

Third: Ask Questions. Chances are a couple hasn’t shopped for a wedding filmmaker before. Here are some FAQ’s

 

  1. Can we see a full length film? (Most important!!! Every Filmmaker has a different style and most samples on websites are just quick eye candy pieces. Know what your filmmakers style is, just like a photographer. Pay attention to the audio, look at the color of the film and most importantly does it make an emotional connection with you?
  2. Do we get to pick our own music? (Big one here…Most filmmakers will welcome your input and find out what kind of music you like and use similar artists to create the mood and feel of your film, but be aware most filmmakers will use licensed music from online resources. Legally we cannot use that John Legend song without securing rights, which is very expensive)
  3. How long does it take to get our wedding film back? (This can be all over the board. Industry average is about 12-14 weeks. Check with your filmmaker about turn around time)
  4. Why is my wedding film only 15-20 minutes long when you are there for 8-10 hours on the wedding day?

 

Hollywood spends 9-12 months to film and prepare for a 1.5-2 hour feature length film. Imagine ALL that footage they whittle down to create a compelling story, that’s entertaining and convenient to watch. Wedding Filmmakers do the same thing! Only we only have 9 hours to make the magic happen. No second takes at a wedding. 🙂

  1. Do you offer Photography as well? We feel that photography and videography are equally important. Because of that, we just want to focus on what we do best, telling stories of wedding days with our video cameras. We let the photographers do what they do best, and work so well with them that you won’t even notice. We feel that the majority of studios that offer both services, or even DJ companies that offer videography, can’t really focus 100% on doing the best job they can for both services. We don’t want to water down your video or photo experience by trying to offer both.

 

When considering a wedding filmmaker, couples should budget the same about for a wedding film as they do for their wedding photographer. Average Rates in Jacksonville for a quality wedding filmmaker range from $2500 to $5000 Also, book your wedding film early as popular dates fill up quickly. In closing, there is some amazing work done by some amazing filmmakers, but do your homework and look for the filmmaker that fits your style. Remember, flowers and décor can transform a plain room into amazing scenery but it will only last one day, the cake will be eaten by the end of the night, the music stops playing and the venue will have another bride dancing her first dance tomorrow. A wedding film will make you laugh, cry and relive all the moments from your wedding day. You will be able to show your children and grandchildren what your wedding day was really like. Think about it and think about what that is worth to you?

– Doug Lews, Take One Productions

 

 

 

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