Compared to photography, wedding video production is a relatively young industry. You probably remember when you were a kid looking at your mom & dad's wedding album and imagining what it would be like to be a bride someday. Now that your wedding day is here, you want to have pictures like your parents did. You already have in your mind what you're looking for from a wedding photographer because you've seen what wedding pictures can be. However, there's a pretty good chance your parent's didn't have a wedding video and if they did, it's probably on 8mm film and you have to drag out your projector to watch it. Everything is out of focus and there's no sound except for the clicking of the projector -- not a really enjoyable experience.
However, wedding videography today has come a long way and many wedding videos that are being produced today can rival the quality and emotional essence of a major Hollywood motion picture. A true professional wedding videographer knows how to capture your wedding day and turn it into a Hollywood quality movie that you'll want to watch over and over again for years to come. Then, when your children grow up, they will want to watch it with you.
So how do you make sure you find a good wedding videographer? In this article, I'll give you 5 quick and easy things to look for to make sure you get the best possible video for your money.
- Personality - When you're interviewing potential videographers, try to listen to the enthusiasm in their voice. If they get excited talking to you about your wedding, they're probably passionate about their job and will do good work for you. As your talking, see if you get excited right back. A good rapport with your wedding videographer will make for a better wedding video.
- Quality of their work - Make sure you get a demo of their work. The demo should show off a variety of venues, shooting styles and lighting conditions. A quick tip: watch the video twice. The first time you watch it, turn the sound down so that you can look at the technical aspects of the video. You want to look for what a video will look like outside (if you're having an outdoor wedding) or during the dancing when the lights are turned down real low. If you see a lot of shaky camera work or zooms in and out then that's the sign of an amateur videographer. Look for any cheesy transitions between scenes or title work. There's a reason you never see a page turn transition or a star wipe transition in a Hollywood movie. Once you've evaluated the video for technical merit, turn the sound back up and watch it again for emotional impact. You want to listen to the music and make sure the video is timed well with the music and that the music draws you into the moment emotionally.
- Equipment - A professional will never come to a wedding with only one camera. Find out how many cameras are used throughout the day (both during the ceremony and the reception) and how many they take with them. it's not uncommon to take more cameras than are used. Also ask about audio equipment and how they plan to capture the vows, readings, toasts, etc. Video is more than just a visual presentation -- a quality wedding video will also capture quality audio as well.
- Staff - Find out how many people will be attending your wedding. A professional videographer can do the job solo but it's very difficult. If the videographer says that he works solo then pay particular attention to the quality of the demo and ask how certain shots were done if he was the only videographer there.
- Cost - A quality wedding video produced by a professional videographer can be expensive. Make sure that you find the best quality of video that you can afford on your budget. Selecting your photographer and videographer early on can be a huge advantage because you know that whatever you spend on other things will be captured forever. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, what's more important, remembering every detail of my wedding 20 years from now or chair covers?
Steve Bailey is a professional wedding videographer with almost ten years experience and is the owner of Memories Forever Video Productions based out of Delaware. If you're interested in finding out more about wedding video production check out their blog at http://blog.memoriesforevervideo.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_L_Bailey
