P H O T O G R A P H Y , V I D E O G R A P H Y , P H O T O B O O T H S
C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
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day, creating a complete chronology of their
lives before they met through to the day
they begin their lives together as husband
and wife.
In the end, you must know what look
you’re going for and convey your vision
to the videographer. According to Jeremy
Schultz, president of Chicago-based
videographer Imagic Imaging, one of the
biggest mistakes couples make when it
comes to video is “not knowing what they
really want, and asking the videographer to
guess at what they might like.”
If you’re uncertain about the best
approach and you’ve never dealt with a
videographer, ask for advice and take your
time. Just make sure everyone is clear about
your expectations well before the big day
arrives.
FACTOR IN PHOTOS
Depending on where you live, you might
find a studio that offers both photography
and videography. Assuming you like the
work, there are several good reasons to
consider this one-stop-shopping approach.
You’ll have one less vendor to deal with,
and if your still photographer and your
videographer are accustomed to working
together, they won’t get in each other’s way.
Their work will be complementary and
you’ll have a more unified-looking wedding
album and video.
TRUST YOUR GUT
Just as with your photographer, it’s
important that you feel comfortable with
your videographer. Referrals are helpful to
point you in a general direction, but do your
own homework.
“Do not trust someone because it is
a referral. Make your own choice,” says
Schultz. When interviewing candidates, be
sure to find out who will be in charge of
filming your wedding and see samples of
that person’s work. It’s best to see at least
one complete video from start to finish
instead of a “clip reel” of highlights from
many weddings. You want to get the best
idea of what your video will look like, so
ask everyone you interview if they’ve shot
any weddings where your wedding is being
held.
Pay attention to the sound quality and
lighting on the sample videos. No matter
how much or how little you’re spending on
your video, lighting will make or break the
end result. “Video is nothing but lighting
captured on film. Make sure your church
and reception hall are both well-lit during
important events,” says Schultz.
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
Once you’ve decided on what kind of video
you want and who you want to help you
create it, hash out the creative details. Are
there special shots you’ve seen in friends’
videos that you want to include in yours, for
example?
Now is absolutely the perfect time to talk
about music. If you have a special song you’d
like to use, talk to your videographer about
it. Some pieces of music are simply harder
to edit to than others. For that reason, your
videographer may ask you to select from his
or her library of music. Music will play a big
part in your finished product. Get this detail
ironed out early.
Recruit a family member who can help the
crew identify certain people you want to
be sure to include. In the same vein, you
should also see the raw footage of your
wedding and point out any special scenes or
people who are “must-haves” in the finished
product. If you’re interested in owning it, be
sure to ask your videographer if your raw
footage is included in your package, or if it’s
available for an additional fee.
WISE UP ON TECHNOLOGY
There are some basic points about the
technology of video you should know.
Almost all videographers today use
digital cameras, so your main camera
concern should be one camera or two. For
a straight cut, one camera is the norm. If
you’ve decided on a documentary-style
video, two cameras should be required. A
good videographer can capture a lot with
one camera, but they can’t be everywhere
at once. Two-camera shoots allow you to
capture both the main event being filmed
as well as reaction shots, all of which will
be edited together later. For example, with
two cameras, you’ll be able to have one
camera capture your first kiss, while the
other camera captures your mom’s sweet –
probably weepy – smile. One camera or two,
make sure your crew brings along back-up
equipment “I always make sure I have two
cameras recording the same information
in case of equipment or human error,” says
Schultz.
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