How to choose a videographer for your wedding

Some suggestions from our experience:

• You should feel comfortable in your dealings with the person. If it's not a comfortable relationship at the start, it may not get better.
• Your videographer should be businesslike, and provide an understandable contract which clearly spells out what you'll see on tape, costs, options, payments and payment schedules, delivery estimates.
• Ask questions if you don't understand something, especially technical matters relating to equipment. Get an answer in plain language.
• Don't base your choice on price alone. A low price may not get you the competency you need behind the camera, the equipment to do a top-quality job or the finished quality you expect and deserve. Remember the old axiom, "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."
• Expect to pay for a quality Wedding video package about what you'd pay for an experienced still photography package in your area.
• Watch several complete wedding tapes by the videographer you're considering. Fast forward with picture on the screen to get a sense of how the entire day was captured.
• Look for smooth camera work that is in the right place at the right time. One camera is sufficient to shoot most weddings and receptions, if the operator is experienced, knows what's supposed to happen, and where it will take place. Attending the rehearsal helps to do that.
• Listen! You should be able to hear the whispers of the couple at the altar clearly, along with the words spoken by the minister and others nearby. Listen for whether music or loud sounds are clean or distorted, and whether there's "hiss" or "hum" in the sound at any point in the video.
• Ask about the equipment to be used. "State of the art" Wedding videography these days is shooting with a 3-chip camera using the DV digital tape format (or a related tape format like DVCAM or DVCPro) then transferring the tape by Firewire (a digital method) into a computer for editing. This allows sophisticated montages and titles to be added to your Wedding, where appropriate. The "all digital" approach means DVD's can be made, and your VHS copies will be noticeably better than copies made from masters tapes edited on VHS, SVHS, 8mm, Hi8mm or 3/4" Umatic tape formats.

We'd be happy to talk with you about your wedding plans. Call Ted at (530) 741-1212 for a no-cost consultation.

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