Choosing the Perfect Photographer or Videographer for Your Event
For any event, finding someone to capture special and amazing moments is vitally important. However, quite often you can be spoilt for choice or not even know where to start. We’ve made a list of our top tips for choosing a photographer or videographer for your event.
First things first….
Make sure you have a venue and date before submitting a request. A photographer/videographer will want to know where your event is so that they can give you an accurate quote, and so they can see if they are able to travel there.
Wedding Photography
ALL Wedding Photographers specialise in capturing beautiful moments on your special day. They will spend time before your wedding getting to know you and going through the different options they can provide for you. They often have add-ons like a photo album to showcase your day. They’re also good for wedding vow renewals. If you don’t just want a wedding photographer there are other options!
Vintage Wedding Photographer
Fancy wedding photography, but want your photos taken in beautiful natural reportage style? A vintage wedding photographer is a supplier for you!
Documentary Wedding Photographer
Taking photos throughout the day to document your perfect day to a T. They specialise in taking natural and candid photos of you and your wedding guests throughout the day. Perfect if you don’t like posing!
Keys to Successful Event Video
One of the comforts in controlled shoots is that you can always try a few things to see what works with a scene. Move a light a few times. Take time to test audio with different microphones in different positions. Maybe swap cameras to see if the Canon EOS 5D Mark III gives you a better effect than the Sony PMWEX3.
Some Quick Tips to Being Prepared
Whether you are shooting wedding and event videography or school sports, you need to be prepared. There are no do-overs. Some of these tips sound like common sense, but each one has either helped me immensely, or bitten me badly when I forgot to do them. This is the checklist that I go through before I take on any event.
What Kind of Planning? All Kinds!
Before an event shoot, it’s normal to get a little bit tense. One of the best ways to get calm is to take some time to get prepared. Charge more than your camera batteries – charge up your cell phone and pack a charger. When all else fails, your phone can be your lifeline to communicate with the rest of the staff. Fill up your gas tank to avoid a stop on the way, and get your car looking presentable, inside and out, you never know if you’ll be driving a subcontractor or a client to the subway or their hotel after you’ve concluded the event.
Know Who’s in Charge
When scoping an event, you’ll want to meet with your clients beforehand to get a solid understanding of their expectations – what do they want you to shoot, what are you delivering after the event, and what are the deadlines for that content
Get a Schedule
Prior to the event, sometimes at the last minute, the client should provide you with an event schedule. If they don’t, ask for one. This will give you an idea of how the day(s) will flow, and serve as a general outline to work with. Keep in mind the time allotted to the travel from place to place. Make notes on the schedule detailing any special requests or location changes.
Tips for Choosing Your Perfect Wedding Videographer
while still images are an essential wedding day keepsake, we highly recommend investing in a professional wedding videographer to help capture your special day too! Your wedding day goes by so quickly so you’ll want to have a video to relive all those special moments – like the look on your groom’s face as you walk down the aisle, or the emotional moments as your mother helps you into that beautiful dress. Being able to relive your wedding vows and the speeches that those closest to you worked so hard on is something you definitely can’t put a price tag on!
Take finding a videographer just as seriously as you take finding your photographer
Choosing a cinematography company should be taken just as seriously as finding a company to cover photography. Wedding cinematography is a technical art so it is very important to choose the right company because producing a flawless wedding video takes an exorbitant amount of experience and skill.
A lot of times, we reflect on things that have happened in our lives. We all know that photographs are an essential part of your wedding day and even in your everyday life. One thing to consider about wedding cinematography is that it brings still images to life. You get to hear from loved ones during speeches, re-watch your vows, watch your best man rock the dance floor or watch dad secretly tear up when you didn’t know he was.
Seek out reviews
Their work looks great, your meeting went well, but how do you really know you’re making the right choice for a videographer? Ask around! Does your photographer know this company, have any of your friends hired them, does your wedding planner have experience working with them? These are the people who will be able to give you first hand information about anything you should know before making your decision.
Meet in person
Conducting a consultation in person is an excellent idea. It will give you a sense of what the company you’re about to sign up with is like and also the personality of the person who might be there on your wedding day. Make sure you are able to easily build a connection so that things never feel awkward on your wedding day; after all, this person will be around you for most of the day. Take note of how they are dressed and how they groom themselves, you want to make sure they are talented but that will carry themselves the right way at your wedding
How to Choose the Right Videographer for your Wedding
When picking a Videographer for your wedding, there are a lot of things to consider. Your wedding video is one of the most important parts of your wedding. It is the one thing you’ll look at late on in life and remember that special day. So naturally, you want to make the best decision possible when picking out who is creating your wedding film. We have seen a lot of couples who are ultimately unhappy with their final video because they fail to do the proper research. So here are some tips to consider when choosing a videographer for your wedding.
Watch Wedding Films
It may sound ridiculous but one of the most important thing you can do while searching for wedding videographers is to watch their work. Go on YouTube and Facebook and watch as many wedding films as you possibly can before even contacting any videographer. This is crucial to your research process because it will allow you to understand what these videos look like and what you can expect from them. Secondly, you will be able to understand what you want your video to look like and help you pick the vendors you will talk to based on that. Don’t be afraid to look outside your city; if you watch a video you absolutely love and they are a few cities away or even a state, contact them anyway you may be able to find someone across the country that has that very specific style you like and they can work out a deal with you so you can get the video you actually want.
Meet vendors in person
Once you have watched a few films and know what you want your wedding video to look like, you’re ready to start contacting vendors. Find the vendors that have a similar style and meet with them. Talking on the phone is great but meeting them in person is absolutely critical. This will allow you to know what they are like and if you can even get along with them. Also, if you do end up hiring them, you’ll know who and what to expect on your wedding day.
Understand What You’re Getting
During these meetings, make sure to make a list of questions and ask away. Get all the details of what they offer and how the video will be delivered to you. Some Videographers will advertise to shoot in HD but will then deliver your video on a DVD. This is a problem because DVDs aren’t actually in HD. If they advertise to be shooting in High Definition, they should be delivering accordingly. Next, one of the most important things to do while talking these vendors is to watch samples of the films they are selling you. If you are getting their cinematic highlight, make sure you ask to watch one of their previous cinematic highlights. More importantly, if you are purchasing a long form video no matter what they call it, make sure to ask for a sample of that. Most videographers won’t have available on their website and will give you a poorly edited video of all your footage. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting before making a decision.
Friendliness
Although it may seem trivial, likability is a very important trait to look for in a videographer. It is crucial to pick someone that actually cares about you and your day. This will not only affect what your video will look like, but it will improve your overall experience throughout the day. A friendly videographer will make the day less stressful on you and will be able to capture those authentic moments with you and your spouse.
What are tips for choosing the best videographer for a wedding?
Hire friendly photographers and videographers.
There is a lot to capture on your wedding day in a short amount of time. Both your photographer and videographer will film the same key scenes: getting ready, first look, ceremony, speeches, reception, etc. Coordination is important, so try to hire a photographer and videographer who have worked together before. This way, they will likely have systems in place to make sure each captures those special moments. Ask your wedding planner for recommendations or have your photographer to suggest a videographer (or the other way around) for a seamless day-of experience.
Find a filmmaker who is comfortable with your venue type.
Found a filmmaker you love but notice that all of their films take place outdoors and you’re getting married in a ballroom? Raise the question to the filmmaker before you hire them and make sure they’re comfortable shooting in your wedding setting. Request sample films to watch and show them an example of a film you like from your venue (or a similar) and confirm they’re comfortable shooting in similar circumstances.
Find someone who matches your wedding video style preference.
Once you’ve made a short list of filmmakers who shoot in your area and are within your budget, watch A LOT of sample films. Wedding films vary a ton. Some are mostly scenes of getting ready and staged bride and groom moments, while some have a lot of candid coverage of dancing and the reception. Some only include music, while others include vows, speeches and toasts. Some even feature interviews with the bride and groom, filmed either on the wedding day or sometimes well in advance. The videographer you choose should have several videos you love. Prior to the wedding, send them examples of your favorites from their own portfolio. Be specific with your examples: what did you love about each?
Don’t be afraid to search beyond your city.
Certain wedding vendors, like florists or caterers, make more sense to hire local. However, don’t be constrained by location when choosing your videographer. While filmmakers do need a certain amount of equipment, it’s usually not more than they can take with them on a plane or in a car. Love Stories TV team member and bride-to-be Vanessa is getting married in Baltimore but found and hired a filmmaker based in Colorado! Every filmmaker has a different policy on travel but if you find someone you love who isn’t from your area, you should still reach out!
Understand what’s included in your package.
As wedding films have increased in popularity, so have the package options and the terminology. Understanding everything that comes in your package will help ensure you aren’t disappointed later. When your filmmaker sends you examples of what comes in your package (Instagram teaser, trailer, full edit, etc.) make sure to really watch each example and be sure it’s the type and amount of coverage you want!