Wedding Video Guide and FAQ Version 3.1 by Mark Goldberg GENERAL The wedding video profession continues its evolution from a novelty to an industry. I place its start in about 1975, when home VCR came onto the market. Early wedding vides were plagued by problems of quality and content, since skills and practices had not been developed and the available equipment for this purpose was far below broadcast standards. Today, the wedding videographer has a wide variety of professional tools; even amateur video equipment approaches pro quality. Wedding video styles and skills have also evolved to where there are many choices for the couple seeking a video record of their event. Professional associations have emerged all over the globe. The annual Wedding Video Expo now exceeds the wedding photographer's convention (WPI) in attendance and trade show size. Despite this evolution and growth of the industry, the wedding video client must understand the basics of the medium and how to purchase wisely in order to get the desired results. That's what this FAQ is about. This FAQ will be posted regularly in soc.couples.wedding, alt.wedding, and rec.video.production. Suggestions and corrections are welcomed and encouraged. (But please, no general flames about the concept of wedding video; if you are opposed to having weddings videotaped, then press 'n' or 'q' now.) SHOULD MY WEDDING BE VIDEOTAPED? The excuse that "video is obtrusive with all those lights and cables" or "wedding video in chintzy and amateurish" just haven't kept up with the times. Today's video is first-rate and the new technology makes it possible to have a wonderful, tastefully-done video that is on a par with broadcast work with less intrusion than still photography! Failing to have professional video is the biggest regret couples have expressed to me. Couples and their families are thrilled to have an this sound/color/motion record of the day, and even catch some action they may have missed. It's important for future generations, too. Expect divergent opinions of video. You must live with the results of your choice whether or not to videotape, so before taking a negative tack on the medium, look at various work examples and talk to brides who are pleased with their tapes. WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR A PRO VIDEO WHEN MY FRIENDS/PARENTS/RELATIVES CAN TAPE IT WITH THEIR CAMCORDERS? Most consumer (and even low-end inexpensive "pro") video fails for several reasons: inadequate attention to sound, lack of research and coordination to learn the flow of the event, use of only one camera, no use of a tripod or other support, and inadequate battery capacity. It's a bad idea to aska guest to work at the wedding. But don't discourage your guests from taping. You'll get their unique perspective on the event. AREN'T ALL WEDDING VIDEOS THE SAME? SHOULDN'T I SEEK THE LOWEST BID? There's no standard certification procedure. There is a potpouri of styles. Evaluate candidates based on polices, performance, and reputation. A price quote on the phone is meaningless unless relevant to yur desires and event logistics. WHAT SHOULD I ASK PROSPECTIVE WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHERS? (On the phone:) Are you available for my event date? How long have you been taping weddings? Are you familiar with my locations? ("No" is not a bad answer if the videographer will scout the site.) What is the general style of your work? What distinguishes you as a videographer? What is a ballpark figure for what I need? (In the studio:) What special services or options do you have? Who will actually be doing the taping at my event? What are his qualifications? May I see her work? May I see something done at my location, or one similar? How soon will the edited tape be completed? (Normal: 1-6 mos.) Will you attend the rehearsal and/or consult with our ceremony offical? You don't have to limit yourself to the questions above; there are no stupid questions. Before even looking, note a few goals and requirements for your tape. Do you want an essentially unedited natural recording, or a concise edited production replete with contemporary effects? If not sure, look at samples of both! WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN EXAMPLE VIDEOS? Clear, understandable sound and crisp clear images with good accurate color and smooth camerawork. NO EXCUSES. A burned out white dress indicates a cheap camera was used and/or the videogrpher did not light properly. Due to the severe restrictions imposed by some churches, there will be instances where even the best videographer will not get the best results, but this should not dominate his offerings. Don't be mislead by slick 5-7-minute music-video style demos. Insist on seeing real weddings and hearing the REAL SOUND, since the music can be used to hide lousy audio. WHAT KIND/SIZE OF STUDIO IS BEST - LARGE OR SMALL? What is most important is quality of work and service attitude. Large studios employ a stable of subcontractors of employees to do the work and tend to give a standardized approach. Probably cheaper. Small studios and independent videographers tend to shoot and edit their own work; tend to more personalization. Probably more expensive. Photo studios having a video service: some place video second to their photography on purpose because they don't want to lose picture sales. HOW CAN I SPOT THOSE WHO ARE NOT REALLY PROFESSIONAL? A legitimate videographer should have a thorough technical understanding of the tools and techniques of the trade and be able to answer your technical questions without defensiveness, evasiveness, or double-talk. He should also have a legitimate Sales Tax license for your state or province, adequate liability insurance*, backup equipment, and professional affiliation. He should have evidence of keeping current with the trade through training seminars. Nothing wrong with asking for a quick tour of his editing room and equipment! (*The license is supposed to be displayed; don't expect him to show you his insurance policy though.) WHAT ARE SOME TYPICAL SPECIAL FEATURES? WHAT DO THOSE TECHNICAL TERMS IN THE BROCHURE MEAN? AB-roll Editing - done like live switching, but in the editing room. Editor selects between two or more simultaneously running tapes. Potentially sloppy results if not done with properly synchronized expensive equipment and great skill. Audio Dub, Overlay - Music or dialog not orignally part of the visuals, but related in theme or content; like the music over the photographs. Audio Mix - during editing, when two or more audio elements are combined in correct proportion; e.g. music over interviews. Broadcast-quality - ambiguous and often misused term to delude you. This has a specific engineering meaning if planning to submit material to a TV station. What is more important is how the tape will look on your TV. Camcorder - integration of camera and recorder into a single unit; have essentially replaced wired camera VCR combos in wedding work. Cart System - wheel-around rig consisting of camera on support pole, recording VCR, batteries, and TV monitor. Gets stable high angle view but not as responsive and spontaneous as handheld camera. Color/Density correction - adjustment of color or brightness errors done during editing. Computer Titles - a few steps up from felt-tipped pen on a card! Copyright Law - legal vehicle producer will use to nail you for $30,000+ if you illegally dupe a copyrighted tape (and get caught). Editing - electronic rearrangement or shortening of the original recording to remove flaws and dead spots, make better use of screen time, or add to dramatic and visual impact. (More later) Finale or Ending Montage - a recap at the end of a tape. Highlight version - an shorter than normal edited version, generally lasting less than 30 minutes. Hi8 - counterpart of 8mm (as SVHS is to VHS). Very compact. Popular more for image recording than edit mastering. Insert, Video Insert, Cutaway - a reaction shot or other momentary cut in the visuals when the sound stays the same. Live-switching - a type of multi camera coverage where all cameras feed a switcher/ effect generator and a director selects camera views and does effects between them in real time - like a live TV show - making one recording. Love Story Introduction - opening produced in advance of the event showing the couple in a "love walk" setting along with an interview of how their relationship progressed, perhaps a music background. Lux - metric unit of incident light measurement; average reception hall is 5-10 lux, church interior 30-100 lux, TV studio is about 2000 lux. A popular new 3-chip camera for weddings (JVC GY-X2U) can "see" in as little as 3 lux (dimmed hall). And a more advanced JVC model, the KY-27B, can see in 1.5 lux! Montage - a collection of action clips or stills which did not necessarily occur sequentially, but when edited together convey a sense of the event or couple. Most last 1-5 minutes. (Many TV shows open with them.) On-camera Light - small battery-powered light mounted atop camera. Potentially more annoying than powerful lights on stands, but less potential danger because those AC-powered lights are HOT!!!! Photo Introduction or Montage - an opening sequence of growing up or contemporary photos, set to a music background, perhaps fancied with some electronic move or effect. Remote Pan/Tilt - relatively new on the wedding scene, a remote controlled pointing device for a small camera. Used for hidden altar cameras. Handy when house rules prohibit videographer there. Slow motion - while most readers will know what this means, the current equipment generation now provides affordable slow motion capability to wedding videographers. I find it to be a wonderful effect for the finale montage or introduction. Like other effects, it should not be overused. Special effect transitions - a change between scenes other than a striaght cut, such as a dissolve, geometric wipe, or digital effect move; achieves a more gradual change, but is often overused. Steadicam - a mechanical stabilizing device to enable the videographer to move through the room without camera shake. Small "JR" version now used by some (like me!) in wedding work. Strobing - a digital motioni image effect which gives a stop motion effect as seen in some music videos; often overused. SuperVHS (SVHS) - a higher-resolution variant of consumer VHS, designed for industrial/commercial production, and giving a clean release VHS tape after the rigors of editing and duplication. Defacto standard for wedding work. Three-chip camera - a professional camera having seprate image sensors and a beam-splitting prism to process the three primarily colors. Consumer cameras generally have one chip with a special color stripe filter. Three-chip cameras give sharper images with more accurate color and tolerate the high contrasts of white gowns formalwear. Many use one-chip cameras because they are lighter and cheaper. Time base corrector - electronic digital device to imporve the quality during editing and copying of tapes. Video Toaster - titling, animation, and special effects system based on the Amiga computer. Wireless mike (or radio microphone) - small, inconspicuous microphone and transmitter placed on groom or ceremony official to get more direct sound. Low end units are subject to sound dropout and interference. Separate wired backup mike recommended for parallel recording. DO I NEED MULTIPLE CAMERA COVERAGE? I recommend two for the ceremony - one in front and one on back. It's hard to do it all from one spot. One will suffice for small and medium sized receptions. Some experts recommend 3+. Your mileage may vary. It is a widely-held misconception that more cameras = more intrusion. Is is the opposite because with more cameras, the operators don't have to move around as much. ALL THE VIDEOS I'VE SEEN LOOK THE SAME. HOW CAN I CHOOSE? Keep looking. You'll know when you find the right one. ANY SPECIAL ITEMS TO ADDRESS IN CONTRACT? Basically, it must describe the coverage location, date, and times plus a technical description of what will be done (multi-camera, editing, etc.), plus how much you will pay and when. In my opinion, it should also name the specific individuals to do the production, list any materials expected from you (photos, records, etc.), responsibilty for the materials if lost/destroyed, formats to be used in production and editing, give approximate finished length, and completion date. The contract should be comprehensive. Ignore verbal promises. SHOULD THE VIDEOGRAPHER ATTEND THE REHEARSAL? YES -- unless it is a fairly standard wedding ceremony at a location where the videographer has worked previously (e.g. Military academy wedding), this is essential. The non-repeatable, action capturing nature demands that the videographer pre-plan his camera positions and moves to get a good recording while remaining unobtrusive. You should also tell him about flower arrangements, position of the wedding party. or other details of the event affecting his work. ISN'T VIDEOTAPING INTRUSIVE -- ALL THOSE CABLES AND STANDS, ETC...? Today, most in wedding video today use camcorders with on-camera lights - or no lights at all - so the two sources of "all those cables" are gone. Some cameras are even more sesitive than the human eye! There are now even remote positioning systems and miniature cameras to hide in places that formerly didn't allow video. The objection was to the operator and not the camera. In my experience as a wedding guest, groom, and service purveyor, I have seen more obtrusive behavior from traditional photographers than videographers. Still, it is a good idea to ask candidtates precisely what they mean by "unobtrusive." HOW CAN WE AVOID PUTTING GUESTS ON THE SPOT FROM THAT INTERVIEWING? I personally object to the interviews done at the tables. In my opinion, people don't like to have their eating documented. A better way is to have selected people give a personal response in a private setting, like the lobby or an open small banquet room. Give them some advanced notice. Suggest some commonanity topics to avoid redundancy and add a personal twist. I don't think the "Inside Story"/ "Hard Copy" approach belongs at a wedding. HOW MUCH WILL OUR VIDEO COST? I'm going to avoid that one like a hot potato! Let your overall wedding budget and the amount set aside for photos be a guide. GOOD video requires an investment equal to or greater than photography, IMHO. If you want video but are on a tight budget, here's how to get the most from your resources. If you have to cut back on something, eliminate the fancy editing, montages, and effects. Eliminate the picture montages because you already own the pictures, right? Go for simpler editing. Make quality of sound and picture recording your priority, because you can always come back later for fancy re-editing if desired. But you can never record missed action. When on a limited budget, you haven't a cent to waste on a videographer who will not deliver satisfactory results. WHAT DISTINGUISHES THOSE "HIGH END" VIDEOS COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS? It's probably NOT special effects like flips, tumbles and fancy wipes. These premium productions are most likely characterized by: use of higher-end professional cameras - most likely advanced 3-chip models. You may occasionally se the producer employ professional broadcast formats like Betacam SP or MII instead of Hi8 or SVHS. There will certainly be several cameras covering the ceremony and possibly the reception. The producer may even choose to live-switch the ceremony. Considerable time - 60-100 hours - will probably be spent in editing the material on professional-level equipment. Probably the most important ingredient is the videographer -- those with more skill and talent are in greater demand and command higher prices. The finished result will not only look and sound good in technical terms, it will also have a smooth seamless qualilty achieved by long hours of careful shot selection and assembly. Among the most expensive wedding videos to my knowledge are Prince Charles' and Princess Diana's wedding ($1,000,000) and Hugh Heffner ($250,000). WE LIKE THE VIDEO CONCEPT, BUT EXAMPLES WE'VE SEEN ARE TRITE AND BORING. HOW CAN WE GET SOMETHING BETTER? Seek someone who specializes on the documentary style and does extensive editing. Real events, recorded in uninterrupted sequences are boring to watch and editing refines that material to the high points. Another clue to the right videographer for this style is one who puts more emphasis on asking you questions rather than bragging how great his studio is. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF A WEDDING VIDEO? In my experience it is 1-1/2 hours for a tightly-edited video of ceremony and reception. Obviously, weddings with Catholic masses run longer, as do those with introduction segments and montages. A good length to go after in future videos is 74 minutes because that is EXACTLY how much a video CD ROM will hold in MPEG format. ONe day soon, that will be an attractive option for video viewing and distribution using mutilmedia PCs and Macs. HOW MUCH VIDEO IS ACTUALLY RECORDED? About 3-6 hours is actually recorded for documentary-style wedding video. Much is eliminated due to nothing happening at the moment, tape represent alternate camera views of the same thing, or material is redundant. Videographers working on tighter budgets record about 1-3/4 to 2 hours by editing in-camera and trim it in post-production. WHAT IS IN-CAMERA EDITING? The videographer makes an on-site or advance decision what is important. He blends angles and compositions so that the original tape will have a semi-finished appearance. There are some who even release this tape directly with no further clean-up or rearrangement. But wedding celebrations are, from a video standpoint, uncontrolled situations, so there is no way that an in-camera-edited tape will have the content, conciseness, and dramatic impact of one that has been refined and constructed in the editing room later. In the process of allocating his shooting, he may miss some wonderful unplanned moments. There are even some who turn over the tape at the end of the wedding. This is great for immediate gratification, but a terrible loss if the VCR used for the premier eats the tape! WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CURRENT VIDEO TECHNOLOGY GOES OBSOLETE? VHS and the NTSC system in this country will be around for a while. There is so much material in the system, that when a new digital and/or HDTV standard takes over, you bet there will be a wealth of conversion services, in the same way film is being transferred to video today. I am beginning to see video material distributed on CD-ROMs in MPEG format. I predict that this will be a widely used viewing option, although the current MPEG-II standard is not up to VHS n quality. CAN MY FAVORITE RECORD BE USED IN THE TAPE WITH MY PHOTO MONTAGE? This is a hotly discussed issue today - copyright. Use of music from a copyrighted source is illegal. The law is hazy with respect to use in your own video. Many videographers insist that you supply the actual tape or CD and take responsibility in case a copyright suit follows. CAN I COPY MY TAPE AT HOME FOR DISTRIBUTION TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS? If the maker claims copyright, to do so is a legal violation if you are caught and the maker wants to sue. It also results in serious degradation, compared to tapes made right from the master. HOW LONG WILL MY VIDEOTAPE LAST? I think this is disappearing as an issue because of the accelerating development of digital video media, like the video CD-ROM. Certainly there will be widely available service to convert personal videos to whatever digial form wins out. For the tape itself... From the best evidence I have gathered, it will last at least as long as your color photos, and probably longer that the original color negatives that produced the photos. That depends on prudent measures, like always rewinding (or forwarding) the tape to the end, storing it upright - not flat - in its case away from electrical machinery and heat and humidity, playing it only in properly-functioning VCRs, and fast-forwarding to the end and rewinding at least once a year. If your tape has been made from an original or an edit master, you can always get a replacement as long as your producer has not detroyed these tapes. WHAT IF MY VIDEOGRAPHER BECOMES ILL OR INJURED AND CAN'T DO THE JOB? That is a universal risk with special events. Even brides and grooms or their families run that risk. Professional associations and networking are on the rise in video, so many have backup plans in such emergencies. However, most limit liability to moeny return in event of failure. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE IN EVENT OF DISPUTE OR BAD SERVICE? The logical first step is to state your case, clearly and calmly to your videographer. Even before the actual taping, there should be a clear mutual understanding of what's expected. Many "problems" can be fixed by a simple corrective edit. Otherwise, your recourse is the same as with any other business. A studio affiliated with a professional association such as the Professional Photographers of America has probably subscribed to a code of ethics and you may be able to get the association to exert pressure. Today, businesses are very sensitive to their public image. Make integrity a prime selection criteria. SHOULD I PROVIDE A MEAL FOR THE VIDEO CREW? Many now require at least some food provision - or time for an offsite meal break. Better off providing a meal, which need not be the full-course spread, to keep the crew around just in case something important comes up. It is also a matter of creating a good professional atmosphere. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP THE VIDEOGRAPHER DO A GOOD JOB FOR ME? Cooperate to the maximum practical extent by providing all the details of the event, who is important, and anything to help him meet or exceed your expectations. Ask him this same question. Follow the Golden Rule. HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE TO GET MY FINISHED VIDEO AFTER THE WEDDING? Some videographers who offer "in-camera-edited" videos actually present the tape to the couple at the end of the reception. At the other extreme are the videos getting exptensive editing that may take over a year! The latter figure is partially due to seasonal workloading. I think 1-6 months is a reasonable. Completion time should be addressed in contract. OUR VIDEOGRAPHER IS WAY BEHIND IN DELIVERING THE FINISHED TAPE. WHAT IS OUR RECOURSE? This is not an uncommon problem due to the combination of seasonal workload and labor-intensive editing process, causing much of the editing to be shifted in to the slower wedding seasons. Another problem is that many in photo and video are better artists than time managers. First step is to make sure you have fulfilled your parts of the contract - payments, furnishing of photos for inclusion, reviewing tape for editing list (if that's part of the deal). Once that's done, start with a few friendly reminder calls. Ask for a specific date that the tape will be done. If that fails, follow up with a letter. Resort to arbitration or litigation only if prior efforts fail. If you have to go the that extent, realize that your production may be held in limbo till the matter is resolved, which is why I advise trying to resolve things informally first. If you need to get more official, use certified mail and create a paper trail; you will need it in court. WILL VIDEO MAKE PHOTOGRAPHY OBSOLETE? I think the special artistic skill of the wedding photographer wil always be in demand. The tools will most certainly change. One of the hottest new technologies available to the wedding videographer is video still printing. Quality is not up to photography yet, but it is constantly improving. There is now a merging of this technology with computer imaging. At the previous Wedding Video Expo (Disney World, 7-11 Aug 94 ), there was a seminar on Photorealistic Videography, which means shooting video with the intent of producing video stills as well as the traditional videotape. (These are mainly close-ups, since video lacks the resolution for groups, etc.) The trend in the wedding marketplace has video taking over the priority previously held by photography. I'm judging that by the fact the interest in videography conventions and associations is swelling, while the membership of the Professional Photographers of America is shrinking. In 1990 when I spoke about wedding video at the International Exposition of Wedding Photography in Orlando, Florida, there were about 1000 convention attendees. WPI gave video just a brief portion of the program and considered it a novelty add-on to photography. Now in 1994, WPI's membership and attendance has fallen off drastically. The annual Wedding Video Expo (last held in Walt Disney World) draws thousands from a worldwide field. WPI is trying to catch up -- by putting more emphasis on video! WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR WEDDNG VIDEO? Computer-comaptible CD-ROM videos in MPEG format are already around. Within the next five years (my prediction), optical disc recording will replace tape. In essence, you'll be using your computer to watch the video and recap many aspects of your wedding in an interactive way. There is no doubt that computer-based non-linear editing will have a major impact on wedding video as the price and Mac, PC, and RISC-based computer systems for video grow in capability and drop in price. As digital image printing systems imprive to the point where a print from video compares to a film-originated print, I predict that the traditional wedding photographer who uses chemically-procesed film will be a rarity. New digital video and high-definition systems are on the horizon and will no doubt lead to even more advances in the quality of wedding video. The biggest factor, IMHO, in the improvement and growth of wedding video is the evolution of professional organizations across the country. I have seen drasic improvements in the entries for the Creative Excellence Competition at the annual Wedding Video Expo. The wedding video customer will have available an ever-improving, network quality production available. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Wedding Videography Today 1319 Carlsbad Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20879 310-869-6878 or, Your local professional videographers association /|/| /||)|/ /~ /\| |\|)[~|)/~ | Everyone's entitled to MY opinion. / | |/ ||\|\ \_|\/|_|/|)[_|\\_| | goldberg@vni.net ========Imagination is more important than knowledge. - Albert Einstein=======