Video Etiquette
Q: If we already have a photographer, do we need a videographer too?
A: It is up to you. A photographer should come first, but video has a completely different feel. Because it's in Real time, and living color-and you can include pictures from your pasts and courtship, music important to you, and guest interviews-a video is a very full and emotional way to preserve your wedding memories.
Q: What should a good videographer include for the price of a package?
A: Whether you choose bare-bones coverage or all the bells and whistles, any videographer should supply the following: backup camera(s), lights, batteries, wireless microphones (if you want them used)-and courtesy to guests. You can also expect interesting shots and creative and entertaining coverage of your day. One of the most important reasons for hiring a professional to videotape your wedding, besides his or her expertise, is the ability to edit a video smoothly. Every package should include at least one edited tape.
Q: Does the couple have any say about how the tape is edited?
A: When you're interviewing videographers, ask about this. Some may let you watch the raw footage( or a Loosely edited reel) and decide what you want left in (the entire ceremony, the wedding party's entrance, the first dance, and so on) or taken out (off-color remarks by guests, friends, and relatives, the bride captured doing embarrassing things). Others may let you give them a general idea of what you want left in and taken out and will do the editing themselves.
Q: Are certain venues more conducive than others to videography?
A: Weddings not held in a house of worship are often better in terms of videography. Outdoor weddings, in a park or backyard, can give the cameraperson more freedom. Weddings held in a banquet hall or hotel allow the videographer to setup in the best locations and get the shots the bride and groom want. Basically the less traditional the setting for the wedding, the more liberty the videographer has.
Courtesy of The Knot via Scripps Media
