Wedding Videography Top Tips

We recently caught up with Neil at Grand Gesture Wedding Films, who has given us some really useful pointers to share with you, when you are looking to choose a Wedding Videographer.
We think it’s important to remember than when the drinks have been drunk and the party is over, your Wedding Photos and Video are the only remaining physical record of your big day that you and your loved ones will be able to look back on together, so it really is important that you do your bit to ensure you get what you want.
Here’s what Neil had to say:…

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING FOR A VIDEOGRAPHER
 
Decide What Coverage You Want.
 
It’s important that you have a think about what parts of the day you want filmed.
· What are the key moments?
· Do you want the whole day covered ‘bolt and braces’, from start to finish or would you rather not have somebody filming you getting ready in the morning?

Think about the key moments you'll want covered, as this will impact how many hours of coverage you'll need to book. Depending on your answers, you'll need a videographer to arrive in the late morning or early afternoon, and possibly stay through to the end of the night.
Just be careful when researching a videographer’s services and pay close attention to the package details - some basic packages may look like good value for money but once you pay for a few add-ons, such as additional camera operators or bridal prep you might find that the bill is coming in much higher than companies that offer ready tailored packages.
 
MSW – We think this is a great piece of advice. Ask the videographer what is not included in the package you are considering. Also find out what extra costs are likely to be, if you want something else added in.
 
What Style of Film Are You Looking For?

There are a number of different styles of wedding film so it’s definitely an idea to familiarise yourself with them and hire a videographer that specialises in a particular style or styles.

Cinematic – Cinematic is the most popular style. These films are most like a real movie, edited and stylized as a piece of art. However, there are two main styles within this style:

Modern Abstract –characterized by a non-linear approach. These films are created to create an emotional reaction in the viewer, both in the way the footage is arranged, and in the way that music is used. Highly atmospheric and designed to capture a certain mood. A great option if you’re looking for something really arty.

Classic – More linear than Modern Abstract, this style provides a stylistic edit of events from the day in between bits of B-roll footage. While you still feel a sense of the wedding atmosphere, your video will include more intact footage or sound bites of events.

Video Journalistic / Documentary – a video journalistic approach is meant to capture the day as it occurred. This means that your film will include footage of some of your day’s biggest moments, but will also highlight the other happenings of the day — getting ready, guests interacting before the ceremony, dancing at the reception, etc.

Storytelling – Unlike the other types of wedding films, a storytelling style relies on sound bites, both from the day and recorded at another time, to tell the story of your day. Like other styles, Storytelling uses music to create an emotional reaction and uses sound more for dramatic effect.

MSW – We’ll post links with examples of these different styles to better help you understand the above types that Neil has described above.

Track Record and Experience

One of the most important things about hiring a videographer or videography company is experience!
With technology and prosumer equipment being so affordable these days, it’s easy for people to position themselves as filmmakers or videographers.
However, you still can’t buy experience. And it’s not just creative experience that’s important but also the experience of knowing how to run a shoot and also how to get the best out of the equipment and technology.
Without experienced videographers you run the risk of crucial parts of your day being missed, digital files being deleted or lost, or footage being unusable due to a lack of technical knowledge, such as an understanding of cinematography or a lack of understanding of the equipment’s limitations.
At Grand Gesture Wedding Films we’ve shot somewhere in the region of 300 weddings and have won a number of industry awards. And as commercial filmmakers under our umbrella company Grand Gesture Films, we also have a wealth of experience of running complex and high-pressure commercial shoots, so we like to think our clients are in safe hands.
 
MSW – Every videographer has to start somewhere but when you talk to Neil, you are safe in the knowledge that they have filmed hundreds of weddings, as well as other events and have also won awards for their work.

Lastly and perhaps most obviously,
Evaluate The Company’s Portfolio

Have a good look at the examples of the company’s films on their website or social media platforms and make sure that you’re emotionally engaged by them. At the end of the day you’re paying for somebody’s creative voice, not just for their technical expertise.

MSW – Thanks to Neil for the invaluable advice above and we hope this has helped you all with some things you may not have considered.

Check out Grand Gesture Wedding Films listing in our directory for more information on them and use the contact button to get in touch with Neil, to discuss what he can do for your wedding.
If you scroll down the listing towards the bottom, you will see some example videos of Grand Gesture Wedding Films Work.
Let us know what you think!