Now you have selected a wedding venue, and we hope you selected a beautiful castle wedding you need to pick a wedding videographer to capture those memories. Sounds simple, but when you get stuck into it, your preference for the style and equipment must both be determined, as well as any extras that may be offered and it can get quite tricky.
Video production is one of the most sought after services of today. This kind of services has done well for wedding celebrations. Moments that you have not seen in your wedding, reactions and emotions are well captured because of the different arts applied in video production.
Modern technology has advanced the quality of the equipment dramatically and the end product is often a lavish, well edited and professional product that you will be both proud of and keen to view again and again.
Be sure to look at samples to see how steady the footage is, how well things are centered, what is captured and highlighted, and what the overall impression is. A good videographer will be able to pan and zoom smoothly and seamlessly, and can avoid any sudden movements.
A few good samples should be enough to get a sense of their style and professionalism. Be especially aware of companies that over-use effects – this can often be to compensate for poor camerawork and stylistically your video could look very dated within a few years.
Sample DVDs will give you the truest sense of what you can expect from a videographer and you shouldn’t book them unless you are satisfied with this.
Any established videographer will be able to send you at least 2 complete for your appraisal that are relevant to your type of event.
The commonest weakness in ‘home video’ is the cameraperson constantly panning the camera left to right and back again, zooming in and out, all in one shot, from one location. Zooming and panning should be very rarely used. Instead ask them to take a series of static shots, from a variety of angles (following the 30° rule) and without breaking the 180° rule.
You must read the small print of the contract in order to determine exactly what you will get for your cash as this does vary greatly, but on the whole you can expect the presence of a skilled and qualified videographer at your ceremony and your Reception, with a fully edited and professional movie supplied on the format of your choice.
The format will greatly affect the video quality, and the quality of any copies that are made, so keep that in mind. Here again, a good camera will only allow the best format to maintain the integrity of the camera.
Anyone operating a professional wedding video service should have Public Liability Insurance, even though they are not legally bound to do so. They should also have the appropriate copyright licences to record the wedding service and any other copyright material that is included in the video.
The wedding videography industry for example is relatively young and there is a huge variation in the way people operate. You could easily find your wedding day turned into a movie set as your videographer orders guests where to stand and how to ‘act’ for the camera. Whilst it is appropriate for a photographer to guide guests for formal shots, for a videographer to do this will only result in a contrived ‘home movie’.
If you can arrange to meet the videographer in person to assess their professionalism, interest and commitment to producing your film project. This is also the best time to ask questions about their experience, working methods and what is included in the price (see separate notes). If a meeting in person isn’t possible due to distance or timing, then you should at least have a chat over the phone.
Most importantly on the day enjoy yourself and let the wedding videographer do his job. Hopefully you did your research and selected a good one – so trust him and try to forget that he is there and enjoy your wedding day. If you selected a french castle wedding you will have a magnificent back drop for your wedding video. We hope you have a fantastic wedding chateau.