in almost every post that i've made in the wedding forum, it starts to boil down to $. is everything in the wedding industry about $? what about art? not everything is about $.

I provide a rough version, then a final. My target, not promise, is to get the rough out 3 weeks after the wedding. I shoot & edit documentary style, so 3 weeks is comfortably reasonable for me.

The rough is for all practical purposes my final except I superimpose a timecode across the bottom, which makes it a lot easier for the couple to pinpoint and discuss with me exact scenes. Also, I suspect the large timecode discourages the couple making their own dups to give away.

I started doing the timecode thing last year after getting several requests for frame grabs -- so they could get photos (albeit lo rez) made of some treasured moments the photog missed. Turned out to be an easy way to generate a bit more revenue.

The final is done within 2 weeks after we discuss and agree on any changes requested.

So, if the couple gets back to me right away that they're happy with the rough, the final + copies are in their hands within a month after the ceremony.

if it was all about money i wouldn't take time to edit right and give them a half-ass edited version in 1-2 weeks. no magic bullet color grading. no custom motion menus, no custom designed and fiery printed cover on glossy 10 point stock, no custom designed and printed disc. no bonus features. no photo montages.

in fact, if it was all about money i'd be a wedding photographer.

then why do people fall back on talking about payments? that's very strange =). all i asked was, the time of delivery of DVD after wedding, as you scan the replies, the responses slowly delve into, $ this $ that. same with my other threads even when i specifically ask people not to talk about $. i should just start a $ thread! =). i realize that $=time, bla bla bla, all those arguments are fine. i'm OK with that. it's just i'm asking about technique/timing/technical stuff, NOT THE MONEY stuff.

TIME IS MONEY

tracking back on the thread i can see where we got derailed. i'm sorry if i added to the distraction.

Payment and Completion of Wedding Project.
 

If you aren't paid in full up front, I'd recomment a quick turn around, while the wedding is still a good memory. Take it from an attorney who does family law, the bloom can leave a marriage very quickly, and payment for video of the wedding may seem less important only a few months after the wedding.

Chris Barcellos

Funny thing about inviting people into a conversation... you can't control how the topic evolves.

How can you believe that $ has nothing to do with time? You say you just did one - did you charge for it? If not, take your time. Did they pay for it in full? If so, put the freebies aside for now.

However, I get the feeling this is this the only one you've got to deal with right now and as you've learned there really is no industry standard as it depends on time available.

My edits include baby/growing up photo montage, couple photo montage, and honeymoon montage along with ceremony and reception.

It still takes 1 to 2 weeks but I am counting from the day the honeymoon pictures arrive at the studio.

It is not half-ass.

But to correct myself the date I count from is when I receive the honeymoon pictures not the date of the wedding.

just in case i haven't already made it clear, i'm not implying anyone's work on this board is half-ass... it takes me 4-6 months to turn things around starting from the date i receive all the assets (pre-production packet, photos). it usually takes me 2-3 weeks once i finally get to it, from start to finish, but because of wedding shoots, backlog edits and other things going on in my life, 4-6 months is the norm.

it's not that i believe $ has NOTHING 2do with time. i just went on a rant about that! =).

but what i want to know is industry standards&practices (SOP/the norm/"the way we do things"). i don't care about the $ aspect of it yet. it's really just a hobby of mine, i do it for pleasure and not $.

Yi Fong Yu, I personally think (and people who are ACTUALLY doing this kind of stuff, feel free to correct me, because I DON'T do weddings, so actually I shouldn't be replying to this thread, but anyhow) most people do this kind of work because of money and not because of the pleasure.
I think many people still have more pleasure making money with shooting and editing movies instead of working in a factory, but I think that most people still do it for that: making money with it.
You can go a bit creative, but I think you are very restricted too because you have to follow what the couple wants and everything, and it has sooo much to do with business (contracts and stuff)...
I think people who really are into making things with digital video are mostly going to make documentaries and indie films, because there you have lots of more creative freedom. That's a more artistic area than wedding videography.
I think also many indie filmmakers are doing this type of work to earn money to be able to put that money into their indie films...

And please, don't think this is an attack on videographers, and I CERTAINLY won't say you guys ain't creative in making those menus and stuff, that's all first rate stuff!
But I think you can't argue that it's another type of creativity then doing an indie movie...?

And as I said: if this reply of me is a complete bullshit reply, that doesn't hold any sense, feel free to correct me, as I don't do wedding videography. I once thought about it, to earn money for my indie films, but then I thought I'm not that good with business things.
And it's also a complete different area with LOTS of responsibilaties (of course as an indie filmmaker, you have those too, but more towards other people who are paying you - the couple) which you should educate in before starting to do weddings.
And maybe I wrote this reply too much from my own point of view (indie filmmaker, not really interested in doing weddings, once thought of it because of earning some money with it to do really creative projects)

that's true matthieu,

on the other hand, as with all industries, there are industry norms. is the conclusion, then, that the "norm" of the wedding industry is that there IS no norm? i should think there is SOME sort of norm. first is the wedding ceremony itself. i mean, there should be one for the wedding video industry to exist. after all, you don't skip the ceremony and just have a reception and that's all! what i'm trying to find out is that some sort of norm, no matter how broad it may appear to be.

i would be one of those people.

i love doing weddings, i love meeting new people, i love being in different places every weekend, and i actually found myself crying at 3 ceremonies i've filmed in 2005 (and i don't know these people), the last one being 12/30.

...but the bottom line is that i'm saving up to shoot a feature.

What I wouldn't give just to holler, "CUT!" at a wedding ceremony. :)