All newlyweds want to get a beautiful wedding movie or video. After all, they are kept all their life, repeatedly showing them to relatives and friends, and then to children and grandchildren.
Therefore, it is very important to find a competent videographer who can shoot and then edit the video of the birthday of the family. In this post we will look at everything there is to know about a videographer and wedding videography.
Why is it important to hire a professional videographer?
Quite often, relatives and friends, having learned about the planned wedding, offer the newlyweds to independently make a video of the celebration or the services of friends who have a good camera.
This option will cost a young couple less than ordering a professional operator, also called a videographer.
But, choosing a non-professional as a videographer for a wedding has several disadvantages:
- Lack of experience in shooting weddings often leads to the fact that not all important moments of the celebration are filmed, and not the most successful angles are chosen for the filmed rituals.
- The use of a non-professional camera and the lack of a tripod and other special equipment, quite often, leads to the creation of what is called in a professional language, shaking video, which is quite difficult to watch.
- Amateur editing rarely delights with the video watched.
In addition, a friend who takes pictures of your celebration all the time will not have fun with everyone, and while taking pictures from time to time, he will miss many important moments, the main day in the life of the newlyweds.
Having saved once on a wedding video, you will regret your decision all your life, ending up with a movie you didn’t like.
After all, you will not re-arrange the wedding to take pictures of everything beautifully. Therefore, it is necessary to make every effort and spare no time in finding a professional operator with high-quality equipment for shooting and editing, as well as a sufficient amount of knowledge, skills, and experience.
Important points in choosing a videographer
You need to look for a good videographer no later than 1-2 months before the celebration, and ideally even earlier. Having the opportunity, it is better to hire 2 operators, then you will get a more interesting film and you will not have to delay some of the ceremonies. One videographer will film the morning getting ready for the bride, and the other for the groom.
At the ransom, one videographer will shoot funny contests, and the other is waiting for the bride to meet her future spouse. While one professional is filming the walk of the newly-made spouses, the second goes with his parents to the banquet hall, prepares a comic interview with the guests, and also removes the last preparations before meeting the heroes of the occasion.
It is better to hire videographers with similar equipment, and who have already worked in pairs. It is much easier for them to find a common language, and the result is a harmonious and interesting film that covers many details of a new family’s birthday. When choosing a videographer for a wedding, you need to pay attention to the many different points described below.
It is equally important how he behaves with you. If you easily found a common language with him, and he shows sympathy for you, then posing in front of him will be easy and comfortable.
Indeed, there are many staged shots in the film – the morning gathering of the newlyweds before the ransom ceremony, a walk after the wedding ceremony, etc.
Reviews
Before ordering for the wedding of the operator, be sure to check the reviews about his work. A good specialist has a lot of reviews and all are positive. Even when you have been advised by acquaintances, friends, or relatives of a videographer, do not be too lazy to clarify what his reviews are. Type the phone numbers of the videographer or the address of his website into the search, and you can read the reviews of former clients.
Portfolio
A professional videographer always has a portfolio with examples of work. Make sure to take the time to meet in person. At the meeting, ask me to show you the work from the portfolio. If you were refused under some pretext to show previously filmed weddings, then look for another specialist. After all, only the beginner does not have video work.
Quite often, videographers show their potential clients cuts from different weddings. Such a composite video does not provide enough information about the films of a particular specialist. The fact is that over 5-10 years of work, a sufficient number of successful episodes accumulate. Ask me to show you some of the films in full. Only in this way, you will appreciate the work of the videographer and his editing style.
If you want to save time, you can independently skip the video or movie whenever you want. As you watch movies, pay attention to whether they are different from each other. If they are all removed, and then mounted according to one scenario, then the operator works according to the template and is not interested in the wishes of the customers. Your movie will turn out the same.
If you want to get your hands on an original and beautiful wedding film, look for a specialist who knows how to show imagination in the wedding direction. The following points are considered indicators of professionalism:
- The film is filled with emotions, manifested by bright or subtle smiles, tears of happiness, expressions of delight, etc. Only a professional is capable of capturing such moments.
- Different angles were selected in the work. The frames in the film should alternate, for example, general, large and medium. In the video, made in one angle, it will not last long and fall asleep.
- Correction of picture and sound has been done. After high-quality editing, all frames were selected to the beat of the sounding background music. Of course, the music is ordered by the newlyweds, but the videographer is responsible for the beautiful combination of music and events taking place in the frame.
- The film is not overloaded with special effects. Footage – ready-made frames used in the editing of the wedding video should be present in the film without fail, but if there are too many of them, the viewer is distracted from the main events of the celebration.
Only taking into account all the indicated points, a harmonious result is obtained that causes positive emotions.
Equipment
Before signing a contract with a videographer, be sure to ask what kind of video camera he plans to use to capture your wedding. They are professional and amateur. Choose a professional camera that supports FULL HD recording. It provides a much better picture when shooting from different angles.
In addition to the camera, the operator must have different stabilization systems: shoulder RIGs, Steadicams, monopods, etc. Without them, it will not be possible to shoot a high-quality wedding film. A videographer needs a tripod to make a high-quality banquet.
In addition, additional lighting devices are required. It is not realistic to record clear sound during the celebration without using special equipment, for example, an audio recorder.
Be sure to check with what programs the specialist makes the film editing. Professionals use special video editing software to produce high-quality films. These include Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere.
If the applicant, for the filming of your celebration, does not use such programs for editing, then, most likely, he studied video editing on his own and does not have the professional skills to get a high-quality result.
A professional operator using these programs will understand that the newlyweds have the knowledge of creating high-quality video works, and will treat the order with greater responsibility.
Prices
The videographer is filming the wedding from the morning gathering of the newlyweds until the very end of the celebration, which takes place well after midnight. Then, from the many hours of footage, he mounts a beautiful film or clip.
Accordingly, a high-quality wedding video cannot cost little.
Analyze the cost of work of different videographers at a wedding in your city and determine the average price range.
You should be alarmed by the offers of those operators asking for their services below the average price. Usually, beginners do this. An experienced videographer always knows the value of his work and does not adhere to a price policy below the average range. Be prepared for the services of a professional videographer to cost approximately 10-15% of the total celebration budget.
If at a personal meeting you liked the work of a videographer and you feel comfortable in his company, then agree. So you get the guarantee that you have booked a specialist for the wedding date. Be sure to chat with him before the celebration. Tell us which video you would like to receive. Knowing the preferences of the customers, it is much easier for the operator to edit the film that delights them.
Outcomes
If you want to replenish your family archive with a high-quality wedding video or film, you need to start looking for a professional videographer in advance.
When you see your favorite wedding video from friends, acquaintances, or on the Internet, check the operator’s details and view reviews of his work. When there are a lot of reviews and they are good, then make an appointment.
When meeting in person, be sure to look at several works from the portfolio and specify what kind of equipment he has and what editing programs he uses.
If you liked everything and are satisfied with the price, then conclude a contract. Following the described algorithm, you will end up with a beautiful video of the celebration. We wish you your dream wedding!
Eric Cameron is a passionate relationship coach and counselor with a focus on helping couples reconnect and build strong and lasting relationships. He has years of experience working with couples and helping them to understand the intricacies of healthy relationships. He also provides guidance on how to maintain a healthy relationship and deal with difficult topics. Eric’s approach is tailored specifically to the couple’s needs and he has a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon.