Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Saw a post like this a few years old. Figured I'd see if anyone is currently or starting to offer this? Just shooting with a single camera and giving back only a short story highlight video? No full ceremony, no full toasts, no full 1st dance, etc.

I thought about doing this cause its alot less editing work as putting together the long 'doc' cut and burning everything has always taken alot of my time. Also figured it would be a bit easier of a shoot day and enable me to focus on making a short story rather than worrying about capturing everything.

If anyone is doing this, is there anything you include to sweeten the deal but not take up too much more time? Giving raw footage? Giving audio of toasts or ceremony back with just picture slideshow over it?

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Travis,
In my experience, putting a long form together is about the easiest part. I look at having to shoot all day with multiple cameras and all the audio just to get a highlight, and the edit for a short form is considerably harder and more time consuming because you have to find a story element. You should definately try it and let us know how it is. I would be very interested.
Bill

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

I can't remember who it was, but some one posted here not too long back that they were going to offer only highlights but give the couple the raw footage for the ceremony & speeches on HDD for them to either edit themselves or get someone else to edit.

I think I'd have a hard time selling that.

Besides, unless all you are doing is a simple music video, you're as Bill said, still going to have to trawl through the ceremony and speeches looking for the story elements to use in the highlights video.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

I just got a call the other day from a potential client about doing a short form edit. While I used to do that as a matter of course, I haven't done one for a few years and had to think back to the amount of edting time it consumed. Yeah, you still are spending your day with them, you're still shooting the same amount of footage but the edit! Wowza! i gave them a couple of names of people in the area that I know do short form and said no thanks I'd rather not. Too much edit time, too many ways for the client to come back and give grief to you. "hey why didn't you use XXX instead of YYY?" even though the service agreement states very clearly I have editors descretion. There are a lot of ways for it to go bad, I'll just keep doing my doco style, make a decent amount of money doing it and move on to the next one.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Obviously it has to depend on if there is a demand for it or not. While a highlight video is a great promotional piece, I'm constantly getting asked "our video will be more than 5 minutes long, won't it?" I don't think a highlight-only would fly, at least not with our customers.

And I agree with what's already been said, about having to shoot the whole day, dredge through looking for the right footage, putting all the work into it. I find that while the highlight video is usually my favorite result of the video, it is also my least favorite to work on. :-)

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

When I shoot weddings, it depends on the package. Most of the time I only give them a 6-10 minute highlight video.

If they're paying more, I give them about a 15-20 minute film on DVD plus I add the full ceremony as a separate element on their DVD.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

So what is the price differential on these? Is is 1.5x? 2x? 4x?

With the first one, don't you ever get people coming back asking where the rest of it is?

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

we started out offering only shorter form videos, but quickly found that folks loved having both (or three) cuts.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

For the last three weddings I've done, they have been 7 minute highlights. I've booked quite a few more weddings this summer which will be highlight only (one couple wants the ceremony and speeches but it will be a straight recording, no cuts, however it will cost extra)

Right now I charge $1200 for a 7-10 minute highlight/music video with some speeches overlaid. Another company in the city charges upwards of $2500 for a 15 minute video, similar style. Everyone I have talked to understands that although it's only 7 minutes, I pack in every piece of the wedding that is worth seeing, and they watch it over and over again instead of just having a one hour video that you keep for 20 years and watch twice.

The reason I'm used to this is because I started doing event video, and those are two minutes long but have literally hundreds of cuts. For example,


(I post this in the sample clips already but o well haha)

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Can you post a 7 minute highlights?

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

I deliver doco style video and do also 6-10 min highlights. My experience is it takes me almost the same time to edit full length ceremony and speeches as to do only the highligts. Editing time depends on the amount of material you have. I try to capture all the speeches in order to do a great and meaningful highlights with good soundbites to select. The importance of sound is very high and one never know when the "key line" will be spoken. I have seen highlights with only musicbeds and no live audio and that is a lot less work to do but not as enjoyful to see.
Edit a doco style video is less demanding and involves to tell a story in chronological order. Highlight video often starts with a soundbite from the ceremony with timeshifing approach also with a storyline, and can be very timecomsuming to get it all in it right place.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

We should be cautious not to price based on length but on time spent. My packages are less expensive for the longer cuts and more for the short. Mainly because the short film as we call it takes 2-3 times as long as the straight cut. For an 8-12 minute short it can take upwards of 20 hrs to get it right. That's where the expense comes in, not in the length. We also offer with that a straight cut ceremony and reception with events only.
Bill

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Here' a 7 min highlight, no speech audio for this one but the next one will have speeches/vows

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

This would totally NOT fly with the clients here in Washington. Though they all love to watch that highlights video to show everyone, they always want main events during that day like the ceremony, cake cutting, first look, toasts, and flower/garter toss in it's entirety.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Tyler it sure is pretty. I can see why you can sell this for $1200. I would push to find out how far you can go with it. I imagine a lot higher. If you could add a storytelling aspect to the prettyness, you could make something that could demand whatever you'd like to charge. It also seems like you have a particular kind of bride there, and that helps tremendously. Good luck with this. It will be good to see you develop.
Bill

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

We offer a highlights only package. Prices start at £1750 for a 4-5 minutes highlights film and its proved quite popular here in the UK.

Dont think that no one will book it because your current clients want something longer. Remember, it will attract a different client, the ones who want something shorter.

Our full films are 15-20 minutes long. We dont offer long form features.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

How do your clients for the shorter films typically find you (especially those who don't come in by referrals)?

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

I don't think that a highlights video shot with a single camera is going to work. For a highlights video to be satisfying & acceptable you really need multiple camera angles.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

It actually can work. If people are more accustomed to shooting multiple cameras from the beginning I would advise against 1 camcorder. I film 28+ quinceaneras a year with 1 camcorder and a couple weddings thrown in the mix and it's just as easy to make a powerful impact on a wedding highlight only with 1 cam. Again I'm already use to shooting 1 camcorder, if I was used to shooting 2 cams I probably wouldn't do it unless I can develop a system where the 2nd angle is not needed. Takes time.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Google, wedding blogs and recommendations from photographers, past clients etc.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

I've only shot highlights with one camera, and it's work really well actually. look at the video I posted on the page just before this

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Tyler that looks great. I think that I was being a bit blinkered & just thinking about the way that I work when considering that a single camera wouldn't work for a highlights video. I assume that you are using a DSLR from the look of the images & shallow DoF. There is also lots of lovely fluid movement which I assume is a Merlin or Glidecam. Could you discuss your equipment list?

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Those are some smooth moves Tyler. And kudos for covering with just one cam, you must've ran a lot... how's your back?
The overuse of the steadycam shot sort of gave me motion sickness... might put some still cuts in between some shots.

Back to the original question, it seems like Ray Roman offers highlights/story driven film only as initial product (from listening to his interview on Xing 180) and if couples want official parts of the day, they'll have to pay for it. He compares it to how couples only get an album from a photographer and if they want additional photos from the day, then they'll get charged for it. Of course, I'm no Ray, so I don't have that kind of power on my couples yet ;-)

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Thanks for the discussion guys. And Tyler thanks for sharing your experience with this so far.

I think there is a market out there for it, but its more with the 'untraditional' couples. Alot of the couples I work with shudder at the thought of an hour long video and only want the main product 20 minutes max.

I originally offered a highlight video as I had a few couples come to me that were having simple weddings (dinner with family and bon fire on beach). But it was also to put my normal package in the middle so I had a low - mid - high with the intent to sell the mid all the time.

With regard to shooting with one-camera, that is totally possible. The highlight videos I create now are usually with one camera. I have a 2nd shooter but I rarely dig into their footage unless there is something that I missed or told them to get cause I was tied up. The only exception would be ceremony having a few angles is nice, but that can easily be solved with creative editing.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Have to agree with the first response. Edit time for the Service is about two hours, edit time for speeches is less than an hour. Edit time for 5minute highlights is about an hour per minute if your lucky.

It still doesnt make sense to me how it takes that long but it does!

So for the extra money of a full package, I'm happy enough to do the full coverage.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

nice work tyler. i think your video shows that a wedding can be covered by one camera (i've been doing a different type of one camera wedding for years). i think it's a case of knowing what you are capable of doing and being able to sell that to your client. i try to offer all types of filming styles. if my client only wants 7 mins of glamour shots, then great. if they want doc style with 2 cams, great.
tyler, what camera and stablizer did you use? a guess you are shooting in 720p (if it's a canon). there are wee patches of moire for the pixel peepers but i imagine that your clients haven't noticed and are thrilled with the video. i was previously worry about using 720 on a dslr because of the moire but i'm begining to believe that it's not really a problem in most cases.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

+1 that it's not only possible, it's plenty marketable.

the one man highlight videos i do, i do for clients who have one word in mind: Fun

this particular client did also want a simple long form, so i gave them pricing to bring in a second videographer, and that was that

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Travis!

I fall a little in the middle of everyone else here, my main product is a 15 minuteish highlight. I offer the full ceremony and speeches on a separate DVD, but they're far from the main deal. I've basically shot all the weddings so far by myself, with the exception of having a second person run a second camera during the ceremony. I did do one where I ran 2 cameras the whole wedding myself though.

I find most people like this time frame a lot, as it isnt so highlightish they feel like they're missing stuff, but it isnt so long you want to skip to the end halfway through. Contentwise once they do the full ceremony and speeches on a separate DVD you're giving probably 45-60 minutes of content, the speeches and ceremony are cake to put out though.

I don't offer the ability to make a 1-2 hour long full doc edit, so I guess you could say that I only offer highlights.

Example of a 15 minute highlight.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

We're very new but, so far, I've been creating 2 or 3 videos to deliver: 20-30 minutes; 10-12 minutes, but still with B&G and maybe parents in mind; and the 5 minute highlight for online. I simply start with the longer and end up with the shorter.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Hi guys, amazingly I have only just discovered this forum, although as one of my hobbies is 3d video and photography, I belong to some other forums.

I have been a wedding videographer since 1986 and have always produced full length video docs. I specialise in low profile unobtrusive fly on the wall coverage and usually work very quickly with one camera, but can work with two or three if circumstances make it desirable. My wife is also a very accomplished wedding videographer so we can take on two weddings if needed, or an instant 2nd camera person.

I have occasionally edited a highlights video as an extra for a client, but have never offered it as a separate package. My clients invariably expect to have all of the ceremony and speeches included, although I have to say that at our last wedding show in January this year, we were asked by two couples whether we would make them a highlights version if they wanted one. 60% of our wedding work comes from direct or indirect recommendation, so presumably we are dictated to by our history to a large extent.

I hadn't really considered offering a short video as the main product, but reading this thread has given me food for thought.

Roger

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Yo Bourcier

I actually just sold one of these highlight packages to someone. They were really looking for more of the creative story piece and willing to give up full coverage. I told them I'd give them the raw footage (or *good* raw footage). But said I won't have complete ceremony, 1st dance, toasts and she said she'd just have a friend do it and that was fine with them. Then obviously I'd be running really good audio the whole time - which she actually said was really important to her cause she's seen so many wedding videos with horrible audio. So she was pretty happy when I told her how many audio sources and mic's I run. They're getting educated, cool to see.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

I offer a single priced package:

2-minute trailer
12-15-minute short form/Highlights
Running Footage (ceremony, speeches, candid footage) also available on DVDs, maybe 60-80 mm.

The Trailer and the Short Form Highlights are what the couple will undoubtedly watch most and share with friends; but they also love having the other footage there on their disc. (I've edited it while creating the Highlights, so why not share it with them....)

1 Camera is used for 99% of Trailer/Highlights (all respect to Nigel). 2nd Camera mainly for Running Ceremony footage.

Re: Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?
 

Garrgh Tim, I thought I was the only one offering that in Mass :P

You could always MagicLantern a t3i and leave it on a tripod during the whole ceremony just to have that coverage for a full version, pretty cheap to enact.