Promotional Video Production Boston, MA – Tannervideos.com

Photo by Mirza Causevic of Afterfade Photography

 
It takes some careful thought and attention to detail to make sure you find the right videographer to capture your wedding. Many people make careless mistakes when hiring a wedding videographer that quickly turn into wedding day regrets and leave them wishing they had made time for more careful planning – Remember, you only get one shot at planning your wedding day! Here are some essential things to remember when hiring a videographer to film your wedding. You’ll find plenty of helpful tips, strategies, and advice throughout this article so you may want to take some notes to use when seeking out a videographer for your own wedding.
 

Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute

 
Good videographers are typically booked about a year in advance so waiting until the last minute to hire someone to capture your wedding is something you definitely want to avoid. You don’t want to find yourself scouring craigslist at the last minute only to spend good money on someone without a legitimate business, presentable website, or the necessary filming and editing skills it takes to deliver the type of wedding video that you’re looking for. You should start your research well in advance so you can take the time to research potential videographers. What are some things to look for when scouting for a videographer? A good videographer will have a professional looking website that proudly displays samples of their work along with genuine testimonials from past clients.  There should also be a bio somewhere on their website where you can read about their business and an overview of their professional experience. Another key thing to look for when researching a videographer is a connection to the community through social media. A good sign of a legitimate videographer is one that proudly displays a Facebook page for their business right on their website. Visiting a potential videographer’s Facebook page is a particularly effective research strategy because these pages are often a goldmine of information that will save you boatloads of time by telling you exactly what the people behind the business are all about very quickly. If well managed, Facebook pages can be a treasure trove of additional work samples, real client reviews, genuine customer feedback and a good way to find out if a business is endorsed by the community. The reviews you find here are probably the most valuable since they were published to a public forum by the customers and clients themselves. In my opinion, when it comes to validity, these reviews trump the paraphrased versions that may end up on a videographer’s website filed under ‘testimonials’ if they happen to be glowing enough.
 
If a videographer is displaying a Facebook page, there’s a good chance they might also be displaying a Twitter feed or a blog too. Check out their recent posting activity and look at what they’re tweeting/writing/blogging about. If their posts reflect that they’re busy with projects and you can see that they regularly go out of their way to share useful articles, technology reviews or other interesting industry-related information, you know you have found a good videographer. Posts of this nature suggest that the videographer is likely to be a motivated and professional industry expert who is passionate about his or her career. See? Don’t you feel better about submitting an inquiry now that you know so much about this videographer? If you wait until the last minute to start your research, you’ll end up rushing through the process, you won’t have enough time to research carefully, and you could miss out on the luxury of feeling confident in who you have hired to cover your wedding day.
 
Lastly, it’s important to remember that this videographer will be present at your wedding so make sure you find someone who will come prepared, act professional and look the part. I attended a black tie wedding this past summer and cringed when I saw that the videographer was wearing jeans and what looked to me like a fisherman’s vest where he kept “necessary” equipment stuffed in the pockets.  I was trained to dress appropriately when covering a formal wedding. A professional videographer will dress the part and should not look as though he has just returned from a camping trip because your wedding is far more special than that.  You want to know who will be attending your wedding in advance so taking the time to plan in advance is key. If you make time to do careful research, you can be confident that you’ll be comfortable with the videographer that you’ve hired for your wedding.
 

Don’t Cut Corners To Cut Costs

 
Avoid cutting costs when planning for your wedding video. Instead of thinking of your wedding video as yet another expense, you should think of it as an investment. Carefully planning your budget ahead of time and then shopping around for the video services in your price range that provide the most value is definitely the way to go. Being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to settle for some college kid with a cool video camera, but not a clue how to use it.  More importantly, do not have a friend or relative cover the event unless they do videography for a living.  Your friend or relative may have an awesome new HD camera but if they are in line at the bar waiting for a drink instead of being where they should be, they are definitely going to miss something very important. I have seen many couples put themselves into predicaments by trying to cut corners like this. The main reason is experience.  An experienced wedding videographer knows exactly where to be before something important happens. This is not only because they have been to so many weddings, but also because they are professionals and know how to communicate with other vendors covering your event (the DJ, band, MC, photographer, event coordinator, etc.) at the beginning of the day and throughout to make sure they stay in sync and have every important detail covered.
 
Another thing to note is that a professional videographer is much more than a fancy video camera. Good videographers have professional audio equipment to capture high-quality sound, so even if your friend or relative has a great camera, chances are they do not have wireless and shotgun microphones to attach to it.  Finally, unless you’re just looking for hours of un-cut streaming party footage for your wedding video, you need to make sure that the videographer you’re hiring has solid editing skills. This is where work samples come in handy because the proof is in the pudding.  A talented videographer will deliver a tasteful and elegantly cut video of your wedding day with picturesque shots and seamless transitions that anyone can enjoy. Most videographers also offer the complete raw footage from your wedding in addition to your video for an extra fee, should you want it. However, your final wedding video should be a masterpiece. It should be edited so that it tells a story that flows beautifully. A good wedding video skips the mundane and insignificant, highlights the cherished moments of the day, and emphasizes all the carefully prepared details that make it truly yours.
 

Give Direction

 
Style is the very first thing you should consider in the initial planning stages of your wedding and your video should match the overall style and feel of the occasion. Are you planning a big wedding or a small wedding? Are you dreaming of something upscale and elegant or are you aiming for something more relaxed and casual? Every couple is different; some are looking for professional, quality coverage of their day without the cheesy cliché effects, while others may be looking for a more traditional type of wedding video that tugs at the heartstrings. Whatever your personal style preferences may be, the purpose of your wedding video is to capture that special day exactly as it happens so that you and your loved ones can go back and experience the joyous occasion for many years to come. Since your video tells the story of your wedding day, it should adequately match the style of your event in order to paint a perfect picture of what it was like to actually be there. This is why style is one of the very first things you should discuss with your videographer if you want to plan for a memorable wedding video.
 
Here is a helpful hint that I often give to my clients: Think about your wedding video as you would think about getting a new haircut.  When getting a new haircut, you explain to the hairdresser what style you are going for and perhaps even go over some example pictures long before you let them anywhere near you with the scissors. You should use this very same approach with your wedding videographer!  Communicate exactly what style you are envisioning for your wedding and the type of story you would like your wedding video to tell. Your videographer will be able to combine your ideas with their expertise to give you constructive feedback, helpful suggestions, and a more meaningful, custom-tailored video overall. Don’t be afraid to request an initial meeting or conference call with your videographer to go over these essential planning elements. A good videographer will be receptive to this and more than happy to make the time to meet with you in advance, will welcome your ideas and appreciate the communication. After all, a videographer’s number one goal should be to produce a wedding video that encompasses everything you’ve been dreaming about and one that thoroughly meets your expectations.