I hear a lot of people claim they live in the moment. When I hear this I often wonder if they really know what they are talking about - live in the moment...
...life for the moment.
What moment?
And, after the "moment" is that it? The moment never to be revisited or called to mind? Never to have a high enough value that it is worth recalling, remembering, reliving?
The ice sculpture soon melts, gone forever. Unless, of course, it was captured on film or memory chip, or videotape.
On film that sculpture can be captured forever in all its frozen glory. Its once wonderful, glistening detail can be reaffirmed at a glance...
...a memory of what once was and is no more.
Another photo can freeze the results of its demise, capturing virtually forever that melted masterpiece's remains - what was and is no more, but for the photograph, the memory.
Yes, photography captures the moment doesn't it?
But video, ah yes, video captures the event, the passage, the occurrence, the story like nothing photography could hope to achieve. The video of that melting ice sculpture can be long, excruciatingly boring; like real time.
Or, in the hands of a talented editor, the passage of time, while depicting the painful passage from reflective, diamond-like art to nothing more than a puddle awaiting the cleanup crew, can be a beautiful thing. There's a story here. Is the story of the ice sculpture reflective of the story of the marriage celebration where it gave its life?
Like the sculpture, will the wedding and reception that followed, the marriage that resulted, soon melt away into nothing?
A pause for thought, huh?
Can the photographs do that? After a fashion. Say, one of the sculpture's delivery - solid, hard, defined. Another of the sculpture sweating out its midlife, rivulets cutting lines into its once solid facade. Then a photo of its half-life, less than it was, still showing some of what it must have been, a series of moments rapidly fading. A final photo of the puddle, nothing to reflect on what that shapeless body of water had once been.
Sure, photos can do that, leaving much of it to the mind to recall.
But video, ah yes, video captures every moment, every fading of reflective glory. It conveys passage of time in a reality show. The drops move, the ice diminishes, the shape of things change until there remains only that body of water. Music enhances, highlights the event, underscoring a change from something to nothing.
What do most care?
They, after all, live for the moment, in the moment.
Like the marriage.
Life would, then, have to be a series of moments to live for, live in. Something a mere photograph cannot convey, provide.
Video is more about life, what it was, what it is, what it has become.
It is more artistic than a painting, more reminiscent than a photograph.
After the event, the video remains.
But what of the ice sculpture? the wedding? the marriage?
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Good, Fast and Cheap
The best you can hope for is two out of three.
Take video production for example. Independent wedding and event video producers are all over the board with this one. Are the majority of them good? Probably, but that is subjective and from the perspective of the service provider, the client and/or her relatives and friends.
There are a lot of cheap video services providers out there. The technology is certainly affordable, providing a great starting point for newbies. Working out of home generates low overhead, start up costs...and that's good to a degree. Inexpensive is a relative term. It sounds a bit better than "cheap" still giving the impression that a video service provider who is "inexpensive" might be somewhat more credible than one who is cheap. To a certain extent, unfortunately, you do get what you pay for.
Fast. What's that? What's fast? One or two months? Less than one month? Two, three weeks? Ten days? The fewer days spent on editing a video product, depending on length, complexity and content, can result in omission of quality. A lot depends on what the service provider charges. What equipment, technology, creative resources does she have at her disposal? Today's tools can help be fast, and good, but it isn't likely your service provider will be cheap.
There are a few things you must do whatever your budget may be for video production.
• Set your budget, but make an effort to be flexible a few hundred dollars either way
• Make it a point to interview a minimum of five video production services providers
• Make every effort to obtain a minimum of two of them via references from people you know and trust
• Do preview samples of their work
• Do follow up on references: liked work, liked the people, performed as promised, any surprises good or bad
• Do establish how long (how many weddings or events actually produced) they've been in business
• All else being equal, what are your instincts telling you - run? Are you comfortable? Do you like them?
• Good instincts, a comfortable, agreeable feeling is one thing, but is she going to be there behind the camera
• You might have 12 months to get everything locked down, but give yourself more than a couple of months
• Wait til the last minute and availability (see above) diminishes, potential for making a bad call increases
• Whatever the promises - get it in writing. For your own protection you simply must get a definitive agreement
Follow the above suggestions and you might just be able to find a video services provider who is affordable (based on your flexible budget) - avoid "cheap"; fast - anything under four weeks can be considered so; and good - you saw their work, right? They've been in business for a few years, produced several similar events - right? The references were positive, you did contact them, right?
Keep in mind that while there certainly is an abundance of talented individuals out there who started producing yesterday, experience plays a major role in the positive outcome of a video production. People who have been in business for a few years, with a number of productions under their belts, tend to understand Murphy's Law that if anything can go wrong it will. They are prepared for equipment failure, with sufficient backup resources to get the job done, and get it done professionally.
You will pay for that experience but, more than talent, looks, production samples, production content, contract inclusions, or even personality, the premium for experience will be the single most significant portion of your investment in a professional video services provider.
Take video production for example. Independent wedding and event video producers are all over the board with this one. Are the majority of them good? Probably, but that is subjective and from the perspective of the service provider, the client and/or her relatives and friends.
There are a lot of cheap video services providers out there. The technology is certainly affordable, providing a great starting point for newbies. Working out of home generates low overhead, start up costs...and that's good to a degree. Inexpensive is a relative term. It sounds a bit better than "cheap" still giving the impression that a video service provider who is "inexpensive" might be somewhat more credible than one who is cheap. To a certain extent, unfortunately, you do get what you pay for.
Fast. What's that? What's fast? One or two months? Less than one month? Two, three weeks? Ten days? The fewer days spent on editing a video product, depending on length, complexity and content, can result in omission of quality. A lot depends on what the service provider charges. What equipment, technology, creative resources does she have at her disposal? Today's tools can help be fast, and good, but it isn't likely your service provider will be cheap.
There are a few things you must do whatever your budget may be for video production.
• Set your budget, but make an effort to be flexible a few hundred dollars either way
• Make it a point to interview a minimum of five video production services providers
• Make every effort to obtain a minimum of two of them via references from people you know and trust
• Do preview samples of their work
• Do follow up on references: liked work, liked the people, performed as promised, any surprises good or bad
• Do establish how long (how many weddings or events actually produced) they've been in business
• All else being equal, what are your instincts telling you - run? Are you comfortable? Do you like them?
• Good instincts, a comfortable, agreeable feeling is one thing, but is she going to be there behind the camera
• You might have 12 months to get everything locked down, but give yourself more than a couple of months
• Wait til the last minute and availability (see above) diminishes, potential for making a bad call increases
• Whatever the promises - get it in writing. For your own protection you simply must get a definitive agreement
Follow the above suggestions and you might just be able to find a video services provider who is affordable (based on your flexible budget) - avoid "cheap"; fast - anything under four weeks can be considered so; and good - you saw their work, right? They've been in business for a few years, produced several similar events - right? The references were positive, you did contact them, right?
Keep in mind that while there certainly is an abundance of talented individuals out there who started producing yesterday, experience plays a major role in the positive outcome of a video production. People who have been in business for a few years, with a number of productions under their belts, tend to understand Murphy's Law that if anything can go wrong it will. They are prepared for equipment failure, with sufficient backup resources to get the job done, and get it done professionally.
You will pay for that experience but, more than talent, looks, production samples, production content, contract inclusions, or even personality, the premium for experience will be the single most significant portion of your investment in a professional video services provider.
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!
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!
Friday, December 31, 2004
Special Service for Armed Forces
NOTE: The following has been taken down from its original source. However, after some recent (February 5, 2007) discussion with others in the independent professional wedding and event video production industry it is possible that another resource for this worthwhile program will develop.
A member of the Wedding and Event Videographers Association (WEVA) recently posted something I thought might be of interest, not only to those in the video production business, but those members of our armed forces, and their families who could benefit from this program.
Get in touch with Perry Hillis, info@hillcoservices.com, 706-935-5543, for more information.
Hillis' Operation Bedtime Story (www.operationbedtimestory.com) project offers one free DVD or VHS video of anyone actively serving in the military reading stories to the camera. This, says Hillis, will allow their families to have something to remember them by when they cannot be present.
Hillis, and participating video producers across the country, are providing this service free of charge as a way "to show support for our troops," says Hillis. "I know if I had to be away from my family, with the possibility of not returning home alive, I would appreciate something like this."
The product is created by connecting the video camera to a DVD or VHS recorder and burning the video in real time as the participant is reading from a book, diary, journal, or other reading resource. There is no editing involved as the project is based on reality, not creativity. "They will leave with their video in hand," says Hillis.
Hillis, limited to doing this in the Chattanooga, TN area, has posted on the WEVA members forum web site, offering other members the opportunity to extend this project into their service areas. If there is enough response and interest from both people in the service and video producers across the country, "I will buy a domain name so that people can find a local videographer to read to," Hillis concluded.
Perry Hillis
info@hillcoservices.com
706-935-5543
A member of the Wedding and Event Videographers Association (WEVA) recently posted something I thought might be of interest, not only to those in the video production business, but those members of our armed forces, and their families who could benefit from this program.
Get in touch with Perry Hillis, info@hillcoservices.com, 706-935-5543, for more information.
Hillis' Operation Bedtime Story (www.operationbedtimestory.com) project offers one free DVD or VHS video of anyone actively serving in the military reading stories to the camera. This, says Hillis, will allow their families to have something to remember them by when they cannot be present.
Hillis, and participating video producers across the country, are providing this service free of charge as a way "to show support for our troops," says Hillis. "I know if I had to be away from my family, with the possibility of not returning home alive, I would appreciate something like this."
The product is created by connecting the video camera to a DVD or VHS recorder and burning the video in real time as the participant is reading from a book, diary, journal, or other reading resource. There is no editing involved as the project is based on reality, not creativity. "They will leave with their video in hand," says Hillis.
Hillis, limited to doing this in the Chattanooga, TN area, has posted on the WEVA members forum web site, offering other members the opportunity to extend this project into their service areas. If there is enough response and interest from both people in the service and video producers across the country, "I will buy a domain name so that people can find a local videographer to read to," Hillis concluded.
Perry Hillis
info@hillcoservices.com
706-935-5543
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Memories Get Trashed
Maybe it was the Coca-Cola Classic Young Movie Maker series that played some time back at theaters during the preview "advertainment" segment.
While most everyone else is waiting in line for the popcorn, drink, candy, hot dog and/or pretzel that will triple their out-of-pocket entertainment experience, I can usually be found actually watching not only the "advertainments", but even those boring movie history questions inserted between local, homegrown business advertisement movie billboards - slides, actually.
But I'm pretty sure it was the current Young Movie Maker reel that captured my awareness. That, and the fact that I am a full time professional commercial, wedding and event video producer.
In the Young Movie Maker reel the scenario is that an older woman is cleaning out her closet? basement? and comes across an old reel of movie film. She tosses it, probably because she doesn't have anything to project it.
Or, she hasn't thought (doesn't know) about people like me who provide (sometimes for a reasonable price) services transferring film, old videotape formats and images-photos-mementos-graphics and other stuff to the current storage medium. The current medium is DVD, although some are still transferring home movies and stuff to videotape.
Anyway, for whatever reason she tosses the old reel of film. Then we see a dumpster diver digging it out, other characters come into play and in a series of disconnected events the film winds up spilled and spooling around a bicycle wheel sprocket with the sun shining "just so" through a Coca-Cola bottle in the street and onto the side of a perfectly parked, perfectly flat, perfectly reflective, white delivery truck.
The older woman is looking out her window to see such commotion, and everyone freezes into an awed Kodak Moment while the nostalgic scenes play out on the side of that truck.
For someone who makes a living helping others preserve such memories, that was one of the most wonderful cinematic experiences I've ever enjoyed. It blew me away.
Maybe it was that recollection that caused me to notice some old reels and videotapes in a trash can as I was walking a neighborhood. I am not by nature a dumpster diver. I rarely, if ever, shop yard/garage sales...
...Wal*Mart is about as cheap as I'll go.
But there were those moments from the past, probably some person's memories carelessly discarded. Maybe not. But, there they were. I'm seeing that emotionally charged Young Movie Maker segment. So I took them. I am going to play and review what I can. If they are commercial rejects then I'll toss them again.
But! If they are not! If they are someone's memories...
...I'll likely see if I can find an address. A name. I'll put what looks right onto a DVD and mail or hand deliver a sample of it. If they don't want to pay for it, depending on how I read the circumstances, judge their reaction, I might just give it to them anyway.
If THAT happens, I'm going to want an interview on video, or an article for a magazine.
While most everyone else is waiting in line for the popcorn, drink, candy, hot dog and/or pretzel that will triple their out-of-pocket entertainment experience, I can usually be found actually watching not only the "advertainments", but even those boring movie history questions inserted between local, homegrown business advertisement movie billboards - slides, actually.
But I'm pretty sure it was the current Young Movie Maker reel that captured my awareness. That, and the fact that I am a full time professional commercial, wedding and event video producer.
In the Young Movie Maker reel the scenario is that an older woman is cleaning out her closet? basement? and comes across an old reel of movie film. She tosses it, probably because she doesn't have anything to project it.
Or, she hasn't thought (doesn't know) about people like me who provide (sometimes for a reasonable price) services transferring film, old videotape formats and images-photos-mementos-graphics and other stuff to the current storage medium. The current medium is DVD, although some are still transferring home movies and stuff to videotape.
Anyway, for whatever reason she tosses the old reel of film. Then we see a dumpster diver digging it out, other characters come into play and in a series of disconnected events the film winds up spilled and spooling around a bicycle wheel sprocket with the sun shining "just so" through a Coca-Cola bottle in the street and onto the side of a perfectly parked, perfectly flat, perfectly reflective, white delivery truck.
The older woman is looking out her window to see such commotion, and everyone freezes into an awed Kodak Moment while the nostalgic scenes play out on the side of that truck.
For someone who makes a living helping others preserve such memories, that was one of the most wonderful cinematic experiences I've ever enjoyed. It blew me away.
Maybe it was that recollection that caused me to notice some old reels and videotapes in a trash can as I was walking a neighborhood. I am not by nature a dumpster diver. I rarely, if ever, shop yard/garage sales...
...Wal*Mart is about as cheap as I'll go.
But there were those moments from the past, probably some person's memories carelessly discarded. Maybe not. But, there they were. I'm seeing that emotionally charged Young Movie Maker segment. So I took them. I am going to play and review what I can. If they are commercial rejects then I'll toss them again.
But! If they are not! If they are someone's memories...
...I'll likely see if I can find an address. A name. I'll put what looks right onto a DVD and mail or hand deliver a sample of it. If they don't want to pay for it, depending on how I read the circumstances, judge their reaction, I might just give it to them anyway.
If THAT happens, I'm going to want an interview on video, or an article for a magazine.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Long Term Loan
Nearly 15 years ago a guy approached me as I was making an ATM withdrawal. It was during the holiday season.
He presented me with a pretty good story - nothing I had not heard before, but pretty good nonetheless. Being a writer, a journalist, a wannabe fiction novelist, I enjoyed the story, doubtful as I was.
I made him a deal. I gave him a twenty dollar bill and told him it wasn't a loan, simply a gift. "But," I told him, "if you really want to improve my attitude toward people in general, people with really good stories specifically, here's my post office box number. When you get situated, overcome your problems, if you return that twenty dollar bill you will have proven more to me than I am currently able to believe about people in general."
I've not ever really forgotten the incident, but I certainly had not been dwelling on it. I love a lot of people and a lot of people continue to disappoint me.
But somebody recently sent me a wrinkled twenty dollar bill in an envelope with no return address. I could not read the badly applied cancellation mark. I'm going to keep the twenty. Was it that guy? I'll never know, but he sure got even with me.
Now I don't know if I should work to improve my attitude toward people in general, or just those who have a good story.
He presented me with a pretty good story - nothing I had not heard before, but pretty good nonetheless. Being a writer, a journalist, a wannabe fiction novelist, I enjoyed the story, doubtful as I was.
I made him a deal. I gave him a twenty dollar bill and told him it wasn't a loan, simply a gift. "But," I told him, "if you really want to improve my attitude toward people in general, people with really good stories specifically, here's my post office box number. When you get situated, overcome your problems, if you return that twenty dollar bill you will have proven more to me than I am currently able to believe about people in general."
I've not ever really forgotten the incident, but I certainly had not been dwelling on it. I love a lot of people and a lot of people continue to disappoint me.
But somebody recently sent me a wrinkled twenty dollar bill in an envelope with no return address. I could not read the badly applied cancellation mark. I'm going to keep the twenty. Was it that guy? I'll never know, but he sure got even with me.
Now I don't know if I should work to improve my attitude toward people in general, or just those who have a good story.
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