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Secrets of Professional Wedding Videography
By Rick Phillips

When does coverage begin and end? Do you really need someone videotaping your wedding party being photographed? Though it is a part of the day, most professionals avoid videotaping all but a brief portion of that activity. Experienced professionals understand that more coverage at the reception is generally preferred. What is the overtime rate? Remember that overtime includes not just additional recording but additional editing.

How much videotape will be recorded? How long will the final product be? Why is so much not included? Creating a smoothly flowing finished product generally requires overshooting or repeated recording of elements (for just the "right look"), recording ambient sounds, and just letting the camera roll to get facial expressions/ reaction shots of friends and loved ones, or in anticipation of some event to shortly transpire. Have faith that nothing will be omitted that might add to your satisfaction.

Editing makes the story interesting and enjoyable without your finger on the fast-forward button. This is where documentation of a sacred event and a grand celebration becomes entertainment. You will share your videotape with many friends and relatives. Good editing techniques create a product you will enjoy again and again without making excuses for saving a few dollars.

What is "digital video" and does it really make a difference? Portable video cameras have been available for over thirty years. Each generation has brought advances in image capture and tape formulation. Size, weight, battery life, and recording time have been addressed and the latest advancement to compete with the old standards is digital video (DV). The tape itself is quite small (only 1/4" wide vs. 1/2" wide VHS & BetaCam) so the cameras can be quite small as well.

Digital video was introduced as a consumer format but was so good that manufacturers rushed to design professional level equipment that would utilize it. In the development of new cameras, low-light shooting conditions were addressed, at least partially as a result of influence by the Wedding and Event Videographers Association (WEVA). The other element of the digital realm is the use of computers to edit. All that digital video information is downloaded onto massive computer hard drives. Since the transfer is done digitally, there is virtually no loss in quality.

Individual clips of scenes are created and a soft dissolve or appropriate special effect may be added to polish the final production into a jewel. Sweetening or the layering of music and ambient sound can bring the visuals alive. This type of editing is called non-linear because the work is performed without the encumbrances of a fixed timeline, as is the case with (linear) videotape. The primary drawback is editing usually takes twice as long.

If things go wrong, what protects you? Does the videographer carry liability insurance? How about "Errors and Omissions" insurance? Is the refund policy fair? Event documentation is a field many video professionals choose not pursue. They recognize it as situation where they have little control over what transpires and continually need to be anticipating and reacting to what is going on around them.

Some people with a video camera look at weddings as a way to finance a hobby. A true professional wedding videographer, like your photographer, is the emulation of grace under pressure. He/she also realizes that in such a pressured environment there is potential for technical problems and mistakes to occur. Protection for the client is included then in the service.

So how much should a professionally produced wedding day videotape cost? What is the value of preserving this historic joining of two families for you and future generations to enjoy? Is it worth 10% of your budget, maybe 15%, or only 5%? This is something for you to decide, but please choose a professional and let your friend or relative with a camcorder enjoy the celebration. They should not have to work so hard.

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