There are great wedding video professionals out there, but you'll have to dig them up with a little effort. And since the videographer or camera person you hire to film and capture your wedding has such an important role to play, you need to choose a professional who will deliver a high-quality product.
As always, ask around your town or on local message boards for referrals and recommendations. Alternatively, you could also ask your wedding photographer if they know of any hot prospects or well-known videographers in your home area.
Ideally, you want someone who is in your price range, with whom you get along, is comfortable filming in the style or genre that you'd like and has a positive reputation. But, how do you find that person?
You can start by asking for referrals or dragging out your area wedding directory, but be prepared to sift through a pile of wedding video pros. And once you've come up with a short list, you'll have to start conducting interviews. To make sure you get the most from each interview, read on for a list of recommended questions to ask any prospective wedding videographer.
Do you have a demo tape or examples of your past work?
By watching a demo reel or an example of their past work, you can evaluate both their filming skills and ability to tell a captivating story that you'll want to watch again and again. To assess their technical abilities, ask yourself if the footage is easy to see or dark and hard to make out? Do people look natural or do they look white and washed out? Can you hear what people are saying or is the audio fuzzy and hard to make out?
When reviewing their story-telling ability, you should be asking yourself if their demo reel is actually interesting to watch? Are you compelled or just bored? How are the quotes from friends and family?
Can you give me an example of how you'd interview family members?
You want a videographer who has great people skills and will be able to pull out fantastic interviews with your guest. You don't want someone with an overbearing personality who's going to annoy your family members and put more focus on the video than the actual enjoyment of your loved ones.
By asking them for a demonstration of their interview skills and strategies, you'll get a clear picture of how they manage both themselves and other people.
Tell me about your equipment and whether you bring backup gear?
Stay away from videographers who are still packing outdated VHS or 8mm cameras from the early 80s. You want a person who's invested in good equipment and always carries back up gear in case of a failed battery or defective tape.
Look for a wedding video professional who packs either a professional Hi-8 camera, which are great in low-light conditions, or an S-VHS professional camera. Both have professional controls but are well-suited to the low-light and candid conditions of wedding videography. About
The Author...
For great information on wedding preparation tips, see weddingpreptips.com, a popular site providing helpful pre-wedding insights, such as finding a Cincinnati wedding DJ, California yacht weddings, and many more!
Read More From Trevor Price
|
