Friday, January 14, 2005

Having Your Wedding Video Produced

You may not realize it now, or even think it's important to preserve your wedding day events on video. And, if you do, you may not think it is important to spend money for a professionally produced wedding video, opting instead to allow a friend, relative or guest provide that service at no charge.
Arguments for having a professionally produced wedding video can be found everywhere, and the specific points for doing so are often redundant to the brink of nausea.
Sadly, solid arguments for having a professionally produced wedding video are rarely given on the countless web sites for brides seeking information regarding professional services.
The photographers and their products are ALWAYS mentioned, but video production rarely gets the same degree of positive nodding. Why?
Doesn't matter.
What matters is that a family member, friend or guest isn't going to get the important elements of your event simply because they are not professionally committed to doing so. They want, and rightly so, to be a part of the celebration, the event. None of these groups will EVER provide a clean, audible, solidly produced and edited representation of the day. In addition, they rarely have the necessary equipment for professional acquisition, editing or production.
The cheap route isn't always the way to go either, although it usually will provide something a step or two above what you can expect for free. Many people just starting out in the wedding and event video production business will at least provide audio enforcement, stable camera work via tripods or other stabilization, and are often professionally committed to providing a better product than friends, family or guests. They are not a part of your celebration, thus they are usually less distracted.
Experienced professionals, provided samples of work uphold their claims to quality and experience, are usually worth consideration and the expense to hire them. Why?
They have redundant equipment and assistance to ensure production quality even in the most negative of conditions. They are usually prepared for contingencies - spare batteries and alternate power sources, backup camera gear, extra audio batteries, mics and bulbs for lighting equipment.
Rare is the bride who opts out on a professionally produced wedding video and later upholds that decision. Rare is the bride who takes the same degree of interest in selection of a professional video producer as she does the photographer, who invests equally between the two, and later regrets the investment of time and effort, and cost.
Those who do not have a professional service provider produce their wedding video usually come to regret it; those who do don't!

2 comments:

Jeff Whitley said...

Earl,

What would be your recommendations on say micing the bride and groom and minister? Just th minister with wireless lav.? Going to that extent, I would at least want to try and get some audio from B&G.

Earl Chessher said...

Most of the time you are going to get better cooperation from the groom and/or bride than from the minister.
If they are not already miked with the house sound, those who have not joined the amplified ministry shy away from being wired for sound in my experience.
I now mic the groom, and where the bride will cooperate, I have a white lav system I use (paint, White-Out and white tape. Brides most often do not want to be miked either though.
I have recently added a bunch of Zoom H2 digital recorders to my arsenal and they have been life savers. There are occasionally problems with placement, but for the most part they have done an outstanding job for me, and are easy to improvise with using wired hideaways, etc.
Who are you, Jeff?