When I first started filming weddings in 2003, my vision was to capture timelessly elegant footage that would stand the test of time. I remember looking at the videos available to couples and finding them so cheesy. So many of them embodied multiple elements I found off-putting; tacky transitions, trendy effects and dated music. What’s sadder still? The current video market remains saturated with just as many bad videos!
The most obvious of the shoddy video options is what I refer to as “tacky transitions.” Tacky transitions include dissolves and effects thrown in to a video to make it seem ‘edited’; cartoon hearts and stars, bubble letters, page peels, glow effects and so on. This is the lowest rung of the video ladder with prices at their cheapest. But like momma said, “you get what you pay for”.
Then there’s the half-edited video. It’s sold as an edited video to unsuspecting couples, but read the fine print or wait until you get it in the mail and you find it’s barely edited. Here you have glorified raw footage, slapped down on the editor’s timeline, a song or two thrown on top, names at the beginning and end and maybe even a Highlight montage. The editor can throw this together in a day and charges rates comparable or just under those being charged by others actually editing a piece from start to finish. Once you get your video, you realize that what you thought you were buying was not what you actually bought. As momma said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
A video has to be a comprehensive whole. If it’s edited from start to finish and carefully worked on by a filmmaker, you should have a piece that doesn’t lag, drag or sag! The chapter formats vary (as soon as the viewer’s eyes start to glaze over, the next chapter should begin and be delivered in a different format), the live footage is filmed well and has great audio. The cocktail, behind-the-scenes details and dancing are fully edited too. Plus, you want to have excellent coverage of speeches, toasts and special dances. Included in the roster of effects you may see those limited to the Silver Screen; black and white, sepia, 24p film footage, 16mm film footage, some shots slowed down or sped up, cross dissolves, fade in – fade out dissolves and jump cuts. The effects should be expertly applied so that they blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb. Lastly, the more timeless the music, the less dated your film will be years from now.
So, as you shop around, how do you know what you’re getting? The fact of the matter is, if you really want to know what you’re going to get you have to ask to see samples of full length finished films. Anyone can piece together gorgeous samples for the web, but as momma said, “the proof is in the pudding” (this is one annoying momma!). When you watch the finished films that videographers have actually delivered to their clients, you’ll best be able to see what you’re likely to get too.
