Q: Why should I hire a videographer?
A: Imagine if you had the choice of watching the story of your parents' or grandparents' wedding -- either on crystal clear video in stereo sound, or viewing it in a photo album. Which would you choose? One of the biggest regrets couples experience after their wedding is their decision not to have a professional video. And while photography is equally important, photos don't talk. Photos won't tell you what was said during your ceremony, or how special the toasts were, or how your parents, grandparents, and loved ones all danced happily together at your reception. Only video is able to capture these special moments. And now with DVD, these memories can be preserved forever.
Q: What's the difference between a professional and amature video?
A: "I could probably just hire my uncle or friend to do it for free". That's the all too common anthem of the budget conscious bride. This may at first sound like a good idea, but amature videos are often shaky, out of focus, un-edited, and have poor picture and sound quality -- which usually results in a very boring video that is difficult to watch. A good analogy would be to hire your uncle as the official photographer for your wedding with a disposable camera. Is this really the type of quality you would want for your once-in-a-lifetime event? Although your uncle or friend may have good intentions, they most likely don't have the proper equipment or talent necessary to capture your wedding in a professional manner. Without wireless microphones, your wedding vows will be inaudible. Without 3-chip digital cameras, your reception footage will be dark and grainy. In essence, the difference between professional and amature is like night and day. We recommend comparing an amature video to one of ours, and you will see a big difference.
Q: Will you be obtrusive or interfere with my wedding?
A: Our video journalism shooting style allows us to remain virtually invisible, while still capturing exciting and dynamic footage. Our main concern is always to make you and your guests feel comfortable, and not to interfere with the flow of your wedding.
Q: Do you use those annoying bright lights?
A: We use state-of-the-art digital video cameras that are so light sensitive that we can manipulate ambient/natural light to our advantage -- without having to use camera lights. We only have to use lights in an extremely dark situation -- such as a dimly lit reception hall.
Q: What kind of cameras do you use? A: Clients ask us this question quite frequently. Usually because they have heard several opinions from several videographers, who all think that their camera is the best. So what is the "best" camera? Here is the lowdown... All event videographers use one of the following formats. (The list is in the ascending order of quality)
1. Older analog formats (SVHS, Hi8, VHS)
We use exclusively the latest Sony Broadcast Digital 3CCD cameras in the Pro DVCAM format. These amazing cameras are more light sensitive than the human eye, thus, in most cases, eliminating the need for a camera light. The image quality is clear and crisp and a vast improvement over the older analog formats.
This is a once in a lifetime event, so do not settle for anything less than the best format available today.
Q: Who will be the videographer at my wedding?
A: You can rest assured that your wedding video will be personally planned, shot, edited, and produced by the company's owner, Jeff W. Miller. We don't send out hired contractors or cameramen who don't know anything about you. We pride ourselves on this 'personalized' approach to wedding videography.
Q: Can I purchase the raw footage in addition to the edited video?
A: Our videos are edited in a way that include every important moment of your day, so you won't really be gaining much by watching the raw footage. In the case of some segments that are too long to go on the final edited video (such as a 30 minute toast), we can include this "extra" footage on a VHS tape for an additional fee.
Q: What kind of music do you use in your videos?
A: This is entirely up to you. Music sets the mood and tone for your entire video. We give every bride and groom the opportunity to choose their own music. If you can't decide what music you want to use, we have a list of songs you can choose from our own library of CD's.
Q: Do you allow clients to be involved in the editing process?
A: Due to tight deadlines and busy edit schedules, it wouldn't be realistic to have our clients sit with us while we edit the videos. However, after we shoot your wedding, we will send you an outline of everything we shot and you can decide if there's anything you would like to change or have edited out before we start the editing process.
Q: How long will it take to finish the video?
A: Typically videos take between 1 - 3 months (sometimes longer) during peak season (June - September). It's common for clients to get ansy and expect the video to be delivered a week after their wedding, but producing a quality wedding video this quick simply isn't possible. We would rather spend the extra time making sure your video is near "perfect", than rush through the editing process. We can assure you it will be worth the wait.
Q: How long will the finished video be?
A: Depending on how long your ceremony is, most videos are between 60 - 90 minutes in length. The videos we produce are long enough to cover everything that is important, yet not so long that they become a bore to watch.
Q: Why is DVD better than VHS?
A: please see our DVD page
Q: How do you work with photographers? A: We feel there is absolutely no reason why a photographer and videographer can't work side by side, staying out of each other's way while still getting the necessary shots. We make every effort possible to make this happen. Most photographers tell us how much they enjoy working with us because we are unobtrusive and conscientious about working together.
Please see our Preferred Vendors page for some great photographers who we enjoy working with.
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