Is Videography important???
 

Hi All

I need to pick your brains for some "bride education"

Here, the services of a wedding videographer is a long way down on the bride's priority list and more often than not, when those on a strict budget get to "wedding video" the money has run out. However, I truely think that brides have a misconception on the importance of video and tend to still give their wedding photos top priority.

What would YOU say to a bride when stressing the importance of having a wedding video??? "A wedding video is extremely important for your special day because........"????

Chris

(i read this from some article somewhere..)

"...without video the vows you made to each other, the first dance, the speeches, and the whole wedding day can never be seen or heard again, they will only exist in your head/mind.."


What we actually tell them..

" You have the chance to recapture the moments from your wedding day as they happened; the sights and sounds in a high quality video. With today's technology this is much cheaper and easier to accomplish.."

Kren
Vertical Video Works | www.verticalvideoworks.com

How about the ability to pop in a DVD and watch your father walk you down the aisle, hear his voice, etc., long after he's gone. It may be the only footage you'll ever see of your beloved grandmother dancing, etc, etc...

Also, so much happens on the wedding day that the bride will never see except for the video. The entire groom preparation section, for example. Anything that happens out of her sight or hearing. Or guests expressing their testimonials. The look in the groom's eyes when he first sees her at the top of the aisle.

There's just so much she'll miss not having the video.

Kren, you illustrated a part of the problem very well. The reasons for a wedding video need to be defined in emotional terms. People need to 'feel' the reasons they should have a wedding video. That's much more powerful than just 'understanding' why.

One thing that helps the 'feeling' is a sample video. I suspect some people visualize the shabby Uncle Charlie type of video when they think about a wedding video. They may well have never seen anything else and as a result they aren't interested. This is something that you can't explain away with words; you need to show them examples.

Also, stating that this is probably the only time in their lives where just about every family member and friend will be there is another key point. It's the biggest party of their life and having it on video is a great way to preserve the sights and sounds as they actually happened.

I think its the same the world over but photography is seen as a tradition as much as the dress, cake and venue.

Often so much so that people do spend the majority of their budget on the photo and we hear it all the time "We dont have much money left as the photographer was quite expensive, can you do us a discount". Makes you feel great doesnt it.

We never try and convince people to go for us over photo. Far from it. I think both records are needed. Photos can be more convenient to look at that a DVD and most people have the expectation that a wedding will have photos. Parents especially.

The best thing is to show them what they would miss by not having a video. We show all our brides a full video and often it results in tears... at someone elses wedding! Which is great.

They see the father walking down the aisle, the speeches, the funny actions the guests made or in one case the reading in the church where the usher walked around the church delivering a monologue type reading.

There are many in our industry offering rock bottom pricing and often work to match. They do a lot of work, possibly 3 times more weddings a year than many of the fine people on DVInfo. They therefore get more exposure and this is what brides see. This is what brides expect of a wedding video.

How many of you have had people say "Wow, we didnt realise wedding videos look like this!" Thats the problem. Its all well and good you knowing you can produce excellent work, but while brides feel that a wedding video is straight out of the 80's it affects us all.

Were on a massive mission at the moment to change the way people think. Were attending wedding fayres, not with the aim to take bookings but just to show people whats possible now. Were by no means the tops, but its a start.

We need to get people to think differently. Brides and videographers alike.

Chris, show them your work. Show them how they can make a connection to that video, a connection and a feeling you cant get from a photo.

Couples have come to me wanting me to photograph their wedding day. We talk places, prices and packages, that sort of thing. I say that my speciality is wedding films but they often say Uncle George has a camcorder and has offered to film us through the day.

When they leave I press a wedding DVD into their hands. Bin, burn, bend or bury it I say, but have a quick zip through it. If nothing else it might give you ideas for your Ma's outfit, the candles, magician, music and 101 other things you'll have to arrange.

This is the clincher. A freebie that offers to help them, no pressure. The chance to show them what you love doing, and do so well. The chance for them to think that actually, Uncle George would be better off taking the stills and tom can turn us into film stars.

Half the problem is the use of the words video and videographer.

Photography is an art form. So is film making. It's what we see in movies.

Videographing? Isn't that like recording presentations or something? Video - isn't that what you see on YouTube (insert embarrassing incident). Oh yes, that world tour video that the Jones made us watch after their dinner party that went on and on and on. That was a video.

What do you want on your wedding day: art or videography?

It's a presentational issue.

Funny that the best wedding videos look like films - made by videographers. No wonder people get confused.

Its for this reason we call ourselves filmmakers. Is it pretencious? Who cares, its marketing and helps people relate that what we do is not the typical wedding video.

You ask any couple what instantly springs to mind when you say wedding videographer. One thing they think of is big camera with a huge fuzzy microphone and so few want that at their wedding. Not because of how it looks but because of what they associate that with. You ask them what they think of filmmaker and most have no idea, its a new word. So you can define what that is.

Now Im not saying everyone should just change their title to filmmaker. First problem is no one is looking for this in google so it will do your SEO no favours.

Were filmmakers, who make wedding films and all the couple need to know about the camera is its awesome and helps us film their day. Once you start telling them about the specs and the CCD's its too much.

Hi Danny (and everyone else)

This raises some very good points and "profession" is also a big consideration.

They say give a dog a bad name and........!! Perhaps that we should be filmmakers ... or DVD producers???? I do try and avoid the word "camcorder" at all times which automatically paints a picture of Uncle Joe waving a tiny Handycam around.

Videographer is a tongue-twisting word just for starters but "film maker" normally has immediate links to Hollywood which would be good for business. Has anyone else have any clever ideas for "re-naming" our profession???

and yes, Danny, clients always get a DVD from me..that way they know exactly what they are getting and you also are assured of not having those "...but we thought that ......." comments.

Unfortunately photography is a tradition now..it's been around a long time and it's part of a wedding. I always try to show the couple, as suggested, what they will miss not having a wedding video (sorry..wedding film) but quite often they have already flattened their budget!!

Chris

This is a great line. I use it as well. I mean, the bridge and groom will usually have a couple hundred guests flying in from around the country and the world, to be at this moment in their lives. This has never happened before in their lives.

And also, I remind them that after the wedding, all that is left is the photos and video. That's it. The reception site, limo, dj, flowers, hair style, makeup, almost everything won't exist anymore. But they can pop in the DVD and remember how perfect everything was on their special day.

Only in the west?
 

I think it is more of a "cultural thing". As I have mentioned in the past, Video is as of equal importance to photography back in the Philippines. It is like an "insult" to the parents of the Bride if there is no videography during the wedding. They even offer to pay for it if push comes to shove. Maybe it is because Filipinos are avid movie goers and soap opera addicts? Same as India and Taiwan although I don't know how what the heirachy is in this 2 countries.

My 2 cents

I agree with this completely. The photographer is the 'engine' of the day. They set the formals, they dictate the couple walking around to do intimate shots etc. We follow them and work 'with' them, not against them.

We've had this so many times too. This is what sells video better than anything else.

Right again. There are so many bottom feeders and they are giving the wedding video industry a bad name.

You could have read my mind so many times with this post. We also do wedding fairs and I've lost count of the number of brides that have initially dismissed the idea of a wedding video simply because they've seen what the bottom feeder competition have to offer and assume that is what all wedding videos are about. We have people around us offering weddings for £250 this week. Come on guys, how sustainable is that? Turn up with a consumer camcorder from Jessops and shoot a wedding? Shakey footage, a sea-sick bride, capture the carpet, the ceiling, pans of the windows and the sound of shuffling guest feet in a single shot? I don't think so! This is what we have to convince people we "don't" do before they are willing to change their minds.

It's nice to see their jaw drop and a tear appear in their eye when they realise there is more to a wedding video than they've seen at other fairs, but of course their price expectations have often already been set by the crap footage that is out there, and now you have the job of talking them up to something a little more reasonable.
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How can I convince her how important a video is if she never contacts me? Many of my photographer friends say most of their weddings don't even have a videographer. Somehow we, as a group have to advertise how important a wedding video is. We need to reach out to the brides who aren't considering us and educate them on how good a video can be.

Michael, here is a link you could use to show your brides how sorry they will be if they don't hire a professional videographer YouTube - One Regret from Our Wedding

Hey Michael. If they are my bride, they already know how important a video is. My point is how do we educate the brides that aren't considering video?

I have a video of the day my daughter was born. I also have a whole lot of photos of that day. But only the video allows me to replay the first words I ever spoke to her. The days following her birth were such a blur from lack of sleep, that until I watched the video, I had no recollection of what I said.

I don't watch the video every day, but I'm so glad I have it. I think the same goes for wedding videos. The first time you watch it, you'll be so glad you got one.

They're beginning to educate themselves Michael. Ten years ago a Bride would ask "do I need a Wedding Video" on a Bridal Forum and 99% of the replies would be in the negative. If she posts that question today the majority of the replies would be positive. They are seeing what is out there via the Internet and realising wedding videos don't have to be bland documentary style, don't have to feature shaky camera work with muffled sound and don't have to feature the Brides Head cut in half at the top of the screen :) The buzz created by the Australian Wedding filmed by the Still Motion crew on Australian bridal Forums was so gratifying to witness..I think they all consider it now, 10 years ago it never even really rated a second thought. If your work is good enough you will get Brides wanting it now. Times are changing mate and it's all for the better.

From someone who just got married last summer, I was working on a budget. My husband and I were paying for the wedding for the most part from our own pockets. There was no question that I wanted a videographer, but couldn't afford to pay 1-2K for a video. I wanted to, but couldn't. Same for photographs. I ended up finding a videographer from Craigslist who was willing to to shoot my wedding, an all day event, and all I asked him was for raw footage of mpeg files. He charged me $500. That was good enough for me, because I was going to edit it myself to save the money. The one thing I wish he had was an HD camcorder, otherwise it worked out.

So did I think that capturing this once in a lifetime moment that can never be duplicated was important? Absolutely. It was high on my priority list. No one had to convince me. But I had to do what made sense for me at the time financially. And I'm sure these discount videographers hurt the business for everyone else, but in my case, I basically paid the guy about 40/Hr just to shoot the wedding/reception and then transfer it on to a DVD. So I agree, discounts are ok, if you reduce the service you're providing. Not the quality, but the quantity.

Funny that I noticed this thread - I just received a thank-you email from my customers which clearly confirms why we are needed:

"I have to tell you that I've watched the video once, but my wife, I'm not sure, at least few times. I was never convinced about wedding videos before, but after watching ours I changed my mind. It is really worth it to have it done. Pictures are beautiful but they cannot show motion and the most important sounds and music."

I'd like to expand on this topic: What do you tell a bride that says she can't afford you, but she has never seen your work? I think that once they do see my work, the will be able to find the money to afford me.

Hi Michael

The more important thing is to try and educate brides to place wedding video closer to the top of the priority list rather than down near the bottom. For some reason we tend to be way down the list and by the time the bride has booked an expensive venue, an over-priced photographer and the limos etc etc she finds she has precious little left in her budget for the "less important" things and unfortunately video tends to be in that category for a lot of brides. I think that the bride is truely genuine when she says that she cannot afford a video BUT if she had us up there alongside the photographer then we would be up the priority list when she still has some money to spend. For the educated brides who realise that video IS important, they normally don't have a budget issue.

I was very pleased to book a couple last week who announced to me that a wedding video is essential but she couldn't afford a photographer so will just get a family member to shoot a few shots. That's the sort of situation we really need with all brides!!

Chris

Chris,

It happened to me too. I did video by myself - without photog. In such situations I also don't mind helping them out and grabbing ones camera and take pics of the whole family - I don't need to film everything, and they're happy that they have all their guests in pictures :-)

Hi Lucas

It's great to see that some brides think that the video is more important !! In fact, since I won't be doing too much after the congratulations after the ceremony, I'll probably grab my still cam and do some group shots of the family at the Church ... Some brides are getting it right!!

Chris