VIDEOGRAPHY                

How to choose a Videographer

Once a bride and groom have decided to include a Videographer in their wedding, the question inevitably arises as to whether or not it's wise to ask a friend to do the honors with a camcorder. Unequivocally, unless budget absolutely does not allow it, a professional Videographer is preferable. Your friends and family, if it all possible, should only be guests at your wedding. Asking a friend to take the video, is asking him or her not to fully enjoy and participate in the event. In addition to that, most nonprofessionals are not trained, so you can be quite sure that there will be important details missed.

Here are some guidelines to follow when interviewing, hiring and working with your Videographer.

1. Any professional Videographer should be pleased to meet with you in order to discover your likes and dislikes. In order to catch your mood, your Videographer must know and understand what's important to you and must translate that into what's important to him or her.

An important part of your preliminary discussion with your Videographer is the decision as to whether or not you want behind the scenes videography. Some brides prefer video which is strictly "up-front," in other words, just what a guest might see. Other couples also want to include the moments which go on that most guests are not privy to, such as pre-wedding preparation. These may include such things as the musicians setting up, the floral designer decorating, the guests arriving, and the bride and groom dressing. It's important for you to discuss your wishes and make them really clear to your Videographer, so that there are no misunderstandings and no disappointments.

You may also wish to invite the videographer to your home so that he or she can do some shooting during those special pre-ceremony moments. The Videographers to whom we spoke mentioned several possible downsides to this arrangement.


A. You, the bride must be ready that much sooner. Since time it at such a premium on your wedding day, consider carefully.

B. You will want your Videographer to be at the house of worship at least an hour before you arrive. His/her job will be to speak with the officiant, tape ambiance and decor and establishing footage. He/she may also wish to "radio mike" the groom and tape him, his best man and his ushers, followed by footage of the arrival of the guests and then, the bride!

So if you are using one Videographer, you may wish to discuss the logisitcs of his/her being in more than one location and what footage is of most importance to you. In this vein, you should ask about extra hours, if any, for travel time.

2. Most professional videographers will provide you with a demo tape as an example of their work. What you should be looking for when you review the video is the demeanor of the videographer. Is he or she invasive? Does it look like the videographer is forcing his or her style? Sometimes a smaller company may be more willing to be flexible and so may be preferable to a high-profile company which provides lots of bells and whistles. It's important for you to get the feeling that the videographer whom you hire is more concerned with your wishes than his or her own.

3. A good Videographer must be unobtrusive. Starting with the way he or she dresses (to blend with the rest of your guests) and ending with a non-glaring lighting system, the Videographer should be neither "seen" or "heard."

4. During your interview, ask the Videographer whether or not her or she has taped at the location you have chosen. A Videographer who is familiar with your wedding venue will be more comfortable and, therefore, more likely to get the best possible results.

5. A professional Videographer will have an extensive array of equipment, and at least one trained assistant. Although you may not be personally familiar with much of the nomenclature, this list should give you something to work with when you interview your prospective Videographer:

A. at least one extra camera
B. state-of-the-art digital cameras
C. clip-on mini-microphones
D. special lenses for low-light situations
E. a shotgun microphone
F. digital editing capabilities
G. effects, title and photo insert equipment
Because accidents do happen, will the Videographer have available back-up equipment in the event of equipment glitch?

It's also important to discuss how much tape will be used and what, if anything, will be the fee for additonal tape used.

6. Some Videographers offer what is known as a "Love Story" as a part of their service. These are short movie scenarios which can follow your wedding video on your completed tape. Generally these shorts deal with topics such as how the bride and groom met and any other fun things you might wish to include. It's a pleasant way to reduce some of the stress involved in planning a wedding and is limited only by what your imagination and creativity allow.

PRE-WEDDING IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS
1. Once you have found and hired a Videographer with whom you are comfortable, you may wish to invite him/her to attend and shoot some footage at your rehearsal dinner. This can be a good place for a pretest of sorts, giving the videographer in opportunity to meet some of the key players in your wedding party. Keep in mind that this service will most likely incur an additional fee.

2. If possible, ask a friend, a member of your wedding party, or relative to act is a liaison of sorts to the videographer, just in case there are any unforeseen questions or problems on the day the wedding.

3. You will be responsible for alerting your videographer to any unusual or specific moments you wish to be filmed. You should also let the videographer know, in advance, what if any out-of-the-ordinary occurrences can be anticipated. If, for example, there are feuding family members or special additions to the normal process of the ceremony, it's critical for you and your videographer to know, and be able to prepare for, these eventualities. Forewarned is definitely forearmed!

4.It's prudent to discuss with your videographer whether he or she can plug directly into the DJ's sound system. In that way the music will be recorded and played back just as it was heard on your special day.

5. We know the expression "different strokes for different folks." What one couple may find essential, another may find outrageous and unacceptable. Discuss the level of creativity and the degree to which you are comfortable with your videographer working out of the box. Be specific. Are you comfortable with the videographer shooting from the middle of the dance floor, or would you prefer that he or she shoot from off to the side? How about shooting from the tabletops? Your videographer is committed to following your instructions and your style, but he or she cannot do so without the appropriate direction from you.

6. It's fairly common for videographers to walk from table to table recording comments and greetings from guests. Unfortunately many of us become speechless when a microphone is placed in front of us. An alternative is for the videographer to set out the camera in the entrance way to your reception facility, so that guests may offer greetings when they are most comfortable doing so. There are no "second takes" at any wedding. That makes it all the more important to hire a videographer with whom you can develop a discourse and with whom you can feel totally comfortable. Setting the groundwork for the video which will be shot your wedding is a collaborative effort between the bride, the groom and videographer. A high-level of communication and understanding is imperative. There are no "second takes." Your extra effort in hiring a videographer and setting the ground rules will well be worth your effort.

LET'S TALK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT THE THE FINAL PRODUCT.

1. Couples often make the mistake of assuming that special effects will make their video more interesting. Usually, it's exactly the reverse. Special effects tend to become dated and will probably be a source of embarrassment and discomfort to you in later years. It's best to keep, and to advise your videographer, to follow the age-old rule of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid).

2. Once you have had an opportunity to review the final results, consider giving your parents, wedding party or family members, a "Highlight Video," consisting of the high points (three or four minutes) of your wedding. This is a very personal and not too expensive thank you gift.

3. Keep in mind that your Videographer is a professional and aims to please. If you are planning to take a camcorder on your honeymoon, you might ask your videographer to include several minutes a viewer tape integrated into your wedding tape.

4. When your videographer works on the final video product, there will be many minutes of footage which are edited down. Some brides and grooms purchase the entire footage from the Videographer. The uncut version, although rough, can be a wonderful memento of your special day. The quality of the editing is of primary importance. Insist that the video be shot at the highest available speed.

5. It's important to discuss the fees related to purchasing a "digital master." This master copy should be safely stored (in a vault or safe deposit box) to be used for making copies in the event that something happens to the original.

6.Do you have the option of a photographic/videographic collage?

7.Do you have a choice of background music, where appropriate?

8.Will your Videographer provide title screens?

No question is unimportant. The more details you iron out before, during your interview, the less possibility later of your being disappointed!

IN CONCLUSION . . .

There are no "second takes" at any wedding. That makes it all the more important to hire a Videographer with whom you can develop the discourse and with whom you can feel totally comfortable. Setting the groundwork for the video which will be shot your wedding is a collaborative effort between the bride, the groom and Videographer. A high-level of communication and understanding is imperative. There are no "second takes."

Your extra effort in hiring a Videographer and setting the ground rules will well be worth your effort.