Check out the recent North Brunswick Magazine article written on “small businesses that are making a large impact”. We couldn’t be happier on how it turned out and are so thankful for the exposure. Mad props to Amy, Zach, Melissa, Michelle and Kara for being an all-star team!

Check out the full article HERE.

It’s wedding season which means we are running full speed without breaks until November. Do you continue telling yourself, you’ll catch up on edits, sleep and personal time next month then six months later you are still saying the same thing? Don’t get caught up in the same cycle as years past! If you find yourself drowning in your work with no time for yourself, family or the business, you don’t want to miss this FREE webinar May 11th at 1pm EST!  Sign up today to take advantage of hearing from two of the industry’s most influential filmmakers with tips on how to improve your business.

Join Matt Davis & Chris Jones as they present “Top 10 Mistakes Creative Artists Make as Business Owners” online seminar. Check out just some of the topics they will discuss:

• Leveraging Your Time More Efficiently
• Giving Yourself Goals & Boundaries
• Getting Paid What Your Worth
• Using Strategic Alliances To Benefit Your Business
• Learning to Love the NO

Most videographers only become better business owners by trial and error through the years (plenty of error). Take an hour out of your hectic schedule to find out priceless tips of how to save hundreds of hours in the future! Join the action as two of EventDVs 2009 Top 25 Hottest, Most Influential Filmmakers, present a brand new FREE seminar May 11th at 1pm EST, “Top 10 Mistakes Creative Artists Make as Business Owners“.

We’ll be giving a FREE gift valued at $34 to everyone who listens in!

Sign Up Today!

If you are getting married this year in Wilmington, NC or the Cape Fear Region, DO NOT miss this event! We are so excited to be part of Orton Plantations “Secret Garden” weddings and event gathering, in celebration of 100 years of making this region more beautiful. Orton has taken the typical “bridal show” a step further by creating an experience, all while showcasing the best of the best wedding vendors in this area. Orton is also unveiling an incredible new venue for ceremonies and receptions right next to the river and beneath the oak trees. Come on out and see us there. We would LOVE to get to know YOU if you are considering to have Life Stage Films as part of your wedding day. Here’s some details.

LISTEN to us LIVE on Wilmington’s Hit Music Station Z 107.5 talking about the big wedding giveaway!!
Download audio file (z1075.mp3)

TASTE.SEE.PLAN.DREAM

WHERE: Orton Plantation Gardens

WHEN: February 28th, 2010 11 AM-4 PM

WHAT: An event to inspire brides and help them make great decisions for their wedding. Meet and greet the area’s top wedding professionals as they reveal the keys and secrets to your dream wedding.

Another AMAZING reason for you to at least attend, we have teamed up with Orton and some of the areas best vendors to GIVE AWAY a FREE Wedding! So you need to come and see us and register in person for this incredible opportunity. Here are the vendors involved in the FREE wedding giveaway.

Orton Plantation Gardens – Chapel wedding and Greenhouse reception
Party Suppliers & Rentals – all rentals
Salt Harbor Designs – design and floral
Millie Holloman Photography – photography
Nicki’s Cakes – wedding cake
Life Stage Films – videography
Active Entertainment – DJ

We look forward to seeing you all at the event!

VIDEO: Created by Life Stage Films, Photos by Millie Holloman, Decor by Salt Harbor, Venue – Orton Plantation, Graphic Design – Brent Holloman

We are also heading up to Detroit, Michigan October 7th to speak at the Michigan Independent Video Association (MIVA). Very excited to help others, spread some warmth from the South , and network with some great friends.

Let us know if we are going to see you there!

“Lifestage captured every beautiful, funny, and poignant moment from our ceremony and reception.¬† From our vows and spontaneous dance-offs to touching moments with our family and friends — nothing escaped them.¬† I think one of the most special parts of the video was their integration of the more intimate clips… my father’s amazing speech and the time we spent with our grandparents.¬† It seems like it would be impossible at such a large wedding, but LifeStage managed to give everyone a cameo!¬† It is just such a blessing to be able to go back and see the faces of the people we love on most important day of our lives.¬† I can’t thank Life Stage enough for giving us this gift.”

-Adeline Bennett, married January 3rd, 2009

“As photographers, working with Life Stage Videography was a dream. Their professionalism, fun demeanor, caring personalities, and their ability to work alongside two additional people with cameras made it feel like we‚Äôd worked together for years.“

-Joanna Bolick of Tuesday’s Frog Photography

“I know that a lot of brides don‚Äôt think they have room in their budget for a video.¬† My advice to those brides would be this:¬† make room, however you can.¬† Life Stage was hands down one of the best investments we made in our wedding.¬† I call it an investment because that‚Äôs truly what it is: something that you will cherish for years to come.¬† We knew that Life Stage was capable of amazing things from viewing their work on the website, yet they still managed to surprise us with an absolutely phenomenal preview video.¬† Matt and Melissa (and Jamie!) were an absolute breeze to work with, and we believe that they truly are the best in the industry.¬† They were able to really understand our dynamic as a couple, and it was captured and reflected beautifully in the work we‚Äôve seen so far.¬† We feel so blessed to have been able to share our wedding day with Life Stage, and we are so lucky to call Matt and Melissa friends!¬† Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!“

-Dan & Sarah Baum, married May 16th, 2009

“We have enjoyed our partnership with Life Stage Productions.¬† They have the solid foundation of good professionals, an eye toward fine art videography and the added benefit of great personalities.¬† We are always proud to refer them to our clients.“

-Angela Gala of Rogers & Gala Creative Partners

“Why We Love It: Watching their videos will make you feel as though you were right there for all the best moments of a wedding, and their anecdotal tales of bonding with each couple they work with truly show their passion and dedication to making dream weddings come true. Plus, there’s nothing like seeing great details in action if you’re looking for true inspiration.”

Very humbled and honored to be in the mix for such an award. We came in a VERY close second, but we appreciate so many of you taking the time to vote and support us in our small but important corner of the world. If anything, we hope we were able to promote the fact that wedding videos are not only important, but fun! They don’t have to be boring or cheesy. They just need to be a reflection of you. And we are honored to form such awesome relationships with our clients at every wedding.

I am fortunate enough to know so many great wedding videographers and filmmakers in the industry. So many of my friends and colleagues have influenced me and our work here at Life Stage. I now feel humbled to be part of a great team of business owners and creative artists to make the wedding videography industry even better. Things have definitely changed from the old stereotype of what a wedding video is. IN[FOCUS] is a brand spanking new video conference for wedding videographers, as well as a HUGE online resource with videos and blog posts full of tips, techniques and advice on how to make wedding videography creative, fun, and a profitable business. IN[FOCUS] was started by 3 of the top wedding film studios in the world. Videographers, you need to make it to the inaugural event next January 2010. In the mean time, myself and 7 other studios were asked to be “expert” bloggers on some of the tips & techniques that have helped us along the way in our business. Its very humbling and exciting to be part of this group. I am eager to to share my successes (and failures) with others whether they are just starting out, or seasoned veterans. And I know I will learn a ton as well from the rest of the gang. You can check out a few of our recent video posts on the IN[FOCUS] Blog. There’s also a post that gives a little back story into how Life Stage Videography came to be. You can check it out here. I tried to add a little comic relief. Videographers, we will see you at IN[FOCUS] in January of 2010! And brides, hopefully you will choose a videographer for your wedding that invests time and energy into educating themselves to make your video better. That’s what its all about!

Meet Dave Holt, a regular guy with a passion for marriage. He knows that marriage is more than just a wedding and focuses on the fact that you are making a commitment for life. Years, months, and weeks of preparation go into making a ceremony full of memories that will last a lifetime. But, in the craziness of planning all the wedding details, many couples neglect to prepare the most important thing for their wedding :: themselves. Here are some of the services he offers:

- Premarital Counseling
- Assistance designing a ceremony that is unique and reflects your personality
- Planning for the wedding rehearsal
- And, if requested, post-wedding consultations

Dave in Action

“I don‚Äôt just perform wedding ceremonies for a job. Instead, I do it to encourage and prepare a couple for their lifelong commitment to one another.” ~ Dave

So, check out Wilmington Wedding Minister and tell them Life Stage sent ya!

~Melissa

We jumped on board as soon as we heard the great idea of honoring someone in the wedding industry that inspires us. The BrideTide (a HUGE source for news and everything weddings) in conjunction with The Pledge Bank started a movement about a month ago that we just had to be a part of. It’s simple yet, powerful. Our instructions: blog about someone in the wedding industry that inspires us at Life Stage Videography. In our circle of vendors that we work with frequently, there is no shortage of people that inspire us, but William “Paco” Strickland takes the cake. You see, here in Wilmington, NC, or even this side of the country, there isn’t anyone as talented as Paco on the guitar. His Flamenco style and skill set is inspiring in and of itself. Beautiful music! We frequently see him at weddings either during the ceremony or at the cocktail hour. But his story is even more inspiring. Paco has been diagnosed with a form of Bone Marrow Cancer, is enduring the not so fun experience of Chemotherapy. And although he has the HUGE support of our community, you’d never know the battle he has been going through by seeing him or speaking with him. His attitude and character is something we should all aspire to have, and has been an example to many. So sit back and enjoy the song posted below by none other than Paco. His unique talents are not only such a blessing to our coastal community here, but to any bride or groom that gets the chance to book him for their wedding. Thanks Paco, for being an example to all of us, and giving back with your music.

Download audio file (Canon%20in%20D.mp3)

Photos by Matt McGraw and Brownie Harris

This is kinda last minute so we need to get the word out NOW so we can come up with a winner by February 13th! We will only have a small window of time to shoot the e-session too!

We are giving an engagement session away for free. This is an example of what we will create for you only on a smaller scale. Use it to let your friends and family know you are engaged and excited about your wedding. We can even throw it on facebook or myspace for you! Email us if you’re interested AND if you meet the following criteria…

1. You are engaged to be married
2. You like to smile and laugh
3. You make a cute couple
4. You don’t mind spending an hour or two in the cold, or in 60 degree weather, you never know what Wilmington will do.
5. You’re both pretty available the week of February 16th-21st, 2009.
6. You’re tired of the recession already and want a FREE video!

If you fit into all of those categories, send an email to info@lifestagefilms.com along with a picture of you both and tell us why you think you should win the free E-Session — ASAP! If we don’t get enough responses, we may have to try this another time…

Spread the word even if you aren’t engaged! Thanks!

We apologize, and want you to be educated not only so we see if we are the right fit for you, but so you understand exactly what you are getting when you get a video from us or anyone else. And we encourage you to ask any videographer you contact the questions below, These more meaningful questions can help you determine if a videographer is right for you in the long run.

We hope that all of us can make a dent and help educate clients so that they don’t fall prey to the well-meaning hobbyist who is more interested in having fun and making a quick buck than they are delivering you a high quality video that you will enjoy for years to come.

The 10 REAL Questions You Should Ask Your Videographer

1. How will my movie sound?
2. How do you handle lighting?
3. How do you vary your shots?
4. How do you plan to tell the story of my day?
5. How long will it take to get my finished movie?
6. Are you ‘preferred’ by the other companies I’ve hired?
7. May I see other clients’ movies and read what they had to say about you?
8. How do you get your shots without being ‘in the way’?
9. Why are your services more expensive/less expensive than other companies?
10. What do you do to make sure our movie is unique to our personalities?

Questions authored by dvideography

“You both do such amazing work. When Leslie was budgeting her wedding, she told me that “after all was said and done”, the video and photographs of her wedding day would be the most important thing to her so we cut back in some areas so we could spend more in others. Leslie works in marketing, so she was able to get most of her printed materials (invitations, koozies, programs, etc…) produced either free or extremely inexpensively. She made her own reception centerpieces and after finding “THE” wedding gown in a store, she went online and found the same dress “slightly used” for significantly less than we would have paid to buy it new. Did anyone know the difference? I highly doubt it. Her focus was to put our money into the video and photography, so she was pretty picky. But that’s Leslie. When it comes to creativity, she’s always been picky. (I love that child.) The fact that Life Stage was her final choice spoke volumes to me. I knew you had to be something exceptional. I, too, will be/am SO excited to relive the wedding day through your eyes.

I have to say that one of the things I found fascinating is how you two could be “everywhere” yet always so inconspicuous. How you can be so discreet when you’re trying to capture every important moment?¬† I remember watching you both in action…and then I don’t remember being aware you were even there. (Perhaps it was the wine????!)”

Audrey

Life Stage Videography = Good Music

I’ll let you all in on a little secret…I never planned on being a wedding videographer. I always thought wedding videos were either really corny, or really boring. On top of that, I never had to think about them because they weren’t important to me. Didn’t know much about them. Melissa and I were married right out of college, and our ENTIRE wedding budget was $4,000. Needless to say, we had a friend videotape our wedding. That’s all we will say…

I have a point… Inadvertently, I became a videographer. I wanted to film documentaries on what churches were doing overseas. I fell into weddings. I began to LOVE the rush of wedding videography. It’s different from any other type of production. There is an excitement that rushes through my body before the ceremony. No 2nd takes…no do overs. Thinking to myself, “What is going to happen next” while still focusing on getting a killer creative shot.

You see, the difference in my friend “videotaping” our wedding and the videos we make, is that we hope they aren’t merely “video recordings” at all. We hope they evoke emotion and excitement, much like a movie does. We couldn’t do that without our love for music. One of my jobs through out a typical day, is to research music. Find artists off the beaten path. Close my eyes, and feel the music in terms of the personalities of our couples and the footage of their wedding in front of me. Music is everything…to everyone! We put a huge emphasis not only on finding creative and emotional tunes, but using music that makes you immediately think of your wedding video anytime you hear it. Not to step on anyone’s toes, but we feel Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” is a bit…well, not a good choice. We hope to get away from the typical. Before we shoot a wedding, we encourage our brides and groom’s to visit a website we made that has a list of our recommended choices for your video our highlights movie. That with the addition of your personal preferences, we know each video will be unique and personal, without the “cheese”. We want some interaction here – Leave a comment stating any overused, corny or outdated wedding songs, love songs or songs that make you feel sick to your stomach. This should be fun!

Matt

Never really been the kind of guy to talk “tech” stuff about our equipment on our blog or website. There are videographers that boast their equipment all over their sites. Our philosophy holds true to the statement “it’s all in how you use it that matters.” We have put much more emphasis on how your wedding is shot rather than the latest and greatest technologies. But this is different… HD matters to all of us. By 2009, everything on broadcast TV will have gone digital. HD has been around for years, but now that the long battle between HD DVD and Blu-Ray is over (Blu-Ray won), we are even more excited about what we offer our clients. Life Stage formally announces that we will be using HD cameras at a handful of weddings this year that have booked our Caminata and Disfruta packages, and if we still have your date open, yours can be in HD too. In time you will see some highlights on our blog of our April HD weddings. Even if you don’t have a Blu-Ray player or HDTV, you will eventually. And for something like a wedding video to be in HD, that you will watch years down the road, it makes sense to invest into a video that will be displayed in all its beauty and detail. We can even shoot your wedding in HD, create a regular DVD for you to view NOW, and then you can come back to us to get your Full HD wedding video when the time comes. How awesome is that!? We just want to make it that much easier for couples interested in our work to have the best quality video of their wedding.

Photo by Matt McGraw

Well, now that Christmas and Valentine’s Day have come and gone, we decided we would like to know about all of your engagement proposals. And what better way than a contest! We want to hear from you! From now until Easter (March 23rd), write to us by commenting on this blog posting or email us at info@lifestagefilms.com. Tell us your proposal story. This can be from the perspective of the guy or girl. On March 24th, we will announce the MOST creative, romantic or unique proposal, and you will receive your very own “Love Story” video. This is an awesome way of re-telling how you met, your lives together and any funny and endearing stories between you. We use a casual interview setting as well as an afternoon around your town (NC only) filming you both. You can view an example of this on our wedding website under “Movies”. This isn’t limited to those that were just engaged, so even if you are married, tell us your story! It’s still a great keepsake, but for those newly engaged, its a great video to show at your reception or rehearsal dinner that will truly “wow” your guests and give everyone a break from the usual “picture slideshow”. This contest is also for our current clients as well! May the best story win!

To let you know a little bit more about us outside of wedding videography, we couldn’t resist showing everyone our own “Engagement Story”. Below is a video shot while we were in college. Matt was an actor at Tweetsie Railroad , a “wild west” them park in the mountains of N.C. He created a show (secretly) to propose to Melissa. She was tricked into coming in the park for the day, only to be “kidnapped” by Indians. After over 200 of their friends, family and public park-goers hopped on the steam train. You’ll just have to watch this clip to find out what happens! (The quality of this video is in no way representative of Life Stage Videography…)

1. They are GOOD…

2. We know that we work well with all of them. Its important that your videographer and photographer work well together because that means not only a stress free wedding day, but both the pictures and video will be even more incredible. We can say that about these photographers. If you are excited about having us film your wedding, look into these folks if you haven’t already reserved a photographer. And if you have, no worries! Before your wedding, we make it a point to discuss your wedding with your photographer so we can coordinate smoothly…

Millie Holloman Photography

Kevin Millard Images

Matt McGraw

Lisa Brown of Bella Rose

We couldn’t leave out Hal Queen. Based in Charlotte, Hal referred us to many many brides to help us get the word out about our unique style. We couldn’t have expanded so quickly without his help. We work very well with him, and he comes highly recommended, because he shot our wedding!
All of these artists have different styles, so have fun looking at their work and pick the one that’s right for you!

Happy Tuesday,

Matt

Life Stage Videography Article

Life Stage Videography – Award Winning Wedding Videos

Life Stage Videography
Wedding Videos for Wilmington NC, Charlotte, NC Raleigh, NC, Myrtle Beach, SC and Charleston, SC

Just Simply…

1. Enter Bride or Groom’s Full Name
2. Enter Their Wedding Date.
3. Click on the “Buy Now” Button. You will be redirected to our checkout system and once processed you will receive a confirmation receipt. The bride and groom will also be notified that you have contributed to their video.

*98 percent of newlyweds recommend brides have their wedding videotaped.
*Brides don’t appreciate the value of video until after the wedding: before the wedding, 52 percent of brides consider video a “Top 10″ service; after the wedding, 75 percent of brides consider video a “Top 10″ service.
*38 percent of brides did not have their wedding videotaped by anyone.
*68 percent now either somewhat or strongly recommend that future brides hire a professional videographer.
*98 percent of brides surveyed used the services of a professional photographer.
*29 percent of brides surveyed used the services of a professional videographer.
Those who used both agreed that video does a better job of
1) capturing the emotions of the day
2) recording the history of the day
3) creating a visual memory that future children will enjoy more.
When asked, “If you had a choice between looking at your grandparent’s wedding photos or their wedding video, which would you choose?” 61 percent of brides said they would rather see the video.

* Excerpt from Article on www.WeddingDetails.com

Life Stage is honored and humbled to have received 2007 Reader’s Choice Award from the Bride’s Book, a highly respected and award winning bridal magazine for the Southeast. Over 1000 brides voted on which vendor was the best in the field and we were chosen as top videographers! Thank you so much to all our past and present couples and families who saw something different about us. We wouldn’t have received this without you and your beautiful weddings!

You can visit the Bride’s Book at www.thebridesbook.com for other wedding tips and vendors for your wedding. You can also visit our website at www.lifestagefilms.com

[myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=13276842[/myspace]

10 Things Your Wedding Planner Won’t Tell You

Matt Davis
Life Stage Videographer

Being in the wedding video industry, I NOW personally take offense to that…
Why do we automatically assume that a wedding video will be just like watching your 5th grade piano recital Uncle Milton taped?? Why doesn’t the term “wedding videography” cause us to think of glamorous film and Hollywood movies that grip us?? Well, I decided to do my best to change that.

Wedding videos don’t have to be like that. Your memories and your best days don’t deserve that negative connotation. The video industry is constantly changing. Any videographer that has even remained filming in the style of late 1990’s or even early 2000’s is too late. WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHY ISN’T WHAT IS USED TO BE. And I have made it my mission to constantly evolve my style in filming and editing to evoke emotion, and engage everyone into the lives of those celebrating their wedding day. After all, isn’t that the reason behind investing into a video? It’s no mystery that wedding videography (good, creative videography) isn’t cheap, as it shouldn’t be. It’s important, and it takes a lot of work to create a glimpse into that day of your life that doesn’t just sit on the shelf. It is meant to be shared….it is meant to be enjoyed. Why is it that we all enjoy snuggling up on a couch and watching the latest movie? It’s because we want to escape into that world…to relate to those characters in a way that touches our soul. Why should a wedding video be any different? That is our drive in creating videos for our couples…you should be able to feel the emotion, taste the champagne, hear the love, and smell the excitement as you view your video, and others witness it. If you haven’t truly considered the value of a video, consider how you’d feel having it later. And if you make the decision to have one, be sure it tells the story of your wedding, and your life…in a real and genuine way. You don’t have to settle for boring wedding videography any longer…

Part of the reason my wife and I went into this business was because we asked a friend to film our wedding with a handy consumer camera. Needless to say, it was awful, not only because of the quality of video/sound, but most importantly, the cameraperson wasn’t familar enough to capture footage in a way that creates emotion, is pleasing to the eye, and knows where to be at the right place and right time. How often have you seen someone waving a video camera around, capturing endless amounts of dull footage from an obscure vantage point stuck in the crowd? Even if you set aside shaky camera work, poor sound and amateur editing, you can just imagine how laborious it will be to watch later! A professional cameraperson on the other hand has a photographer’s eye for capturing images and will have the imagination and experience to record what is genuinely interesting. He/she will not be distracted by people and events, and you can be sure they will remember to bring adequate batteries, tape stock and equipment! Video editing is another huge skill, requiring expert judgement on how to pare down footage and present only the very best moments. We can do just this, skillfully telling your story in way that will endlessly impress you and others. There is a difference in taping a wedding and “documenting” a wedding. Not only that, but wouldn’t you like to free up your loved ones from behind a camera to enjoying the party with everyone else!?

So, what do you look for in a professional videographer? After all, the country is full of qualified videographers, capable of doing a good job for you. The most important thing to keep in mind when you meet a videographer is to judge how well they listen to you. If they cannot answer your questions to your satisfaction, then chances are they won’t be paying attention during the wedding. If, during your meeting, the videographer constantly changes the subject, then again, chances are, he might make choices in the editing room that will make you frown.

Ask what gear the videographer uses. Why else get married if not to learn about 3-chip cameras, MPEG, wireless lavalieres and non-linear editing? Joking aside, a good videographer will enjoy taking time to explain why investments were made in their cameras and equipment.

The best way to judge a videographer is by looking at their work. Trust your judgment. Many videographers boast lots of new tools and equipment. As you become more informed you will probably hear lots of terms and jargon tossed around. To simplify things, we’ve put this quick checklist together that I’m sure most videographers would agree goes into making a great wedding video:

1. VIDEO - Do they use 3-chip cameras? A 3-chip camera records video differently than most consumer cameras. If you select a multiple camera shoot, will all the cameras be from the same manufacturer? This is not absolutely necessary, but it helps ensure that the footage will “match” or look the same. Ask to see samples.
2. AUDIO - Will they use wireless microphones during the ceremony? If so, make certain they use UHF transmitters and receivers. Amateurs often overlook audio, but any good videographer will have made a significant investment in audio equipment. If your ceremony site or DJ plans to provide microphones, your videographer may prefer to “patch” or connect his equipment to theirs. Make sure the videographer has allotted enough time to perform this because taping down audio cable can become a time-intensive labor. You wouldn’t want your videographer to be crawling on the ground stretching tape and cable while you and your bridesmaids are with your photographer. He’d miss some great shots.
3. EDITING - Videographers are hard at work on your wedding long after it is over. Most of the appeal of hiring a wedding videographer stems from today’s editing technology. In my opinion, editing video without a computer is like surfing the net without a mouse. You can do it, but you will go places you didn’t mean to, and it will take you longer to get where you want to go. Today’s videographers use numerous non-linear editing systems; Avid, Final Cut Pro, Media 100, Premiere, etc. It’s more important that your videographer knows how to tell your story, than which platform they chose to build the video with. Get to know their style. Avoid gimmicky effects. Look for video that uses timeless transitions like a simple fade or dissolve. Choose music that has passed the test of time.

Budgeting Your Wedding Video

Video production, whether it is at your wedding, or on the lot of a motion picture studio, can be as elaborate or as intimate as you wish it to be. You are the executive producers. Budget what you can afford, but remember that photos, video and memories are the only things you will have to share your wedding. You should make certain your producer/director/editor is capable of pulling off what you envision as one of the greatest productions of your lives together. In spite of all the technology and great cameras, good videography boils down to good storytelling. Trust your eyes and ears when you see their samples. And make sure the videographer takes the time to show you a wide array of samples in settings similar to your wedding.

If the videographer has not shot at your ceremony location, don’t let that be a deal breaker. Ask to see something similar. For example, if you’re getting married in a Catholic Church, ask to see a ceremony (of any denomination) that was shot in a semi-dark location.

Services

Do you want a Childhood Photo Montage, is taping the rehearsal important, would you like a Love Story Video, will 1 camera be enough to satisfy your needs? Good videographers ask questions because they want to get to know you and your style. Some videographers set time limits. It’s important for you to know when your videographer will arrive and leave.

Delivery

Make sure you know when you can expect your wedding video to be completed. Turnaround times can take from several days to several months. I’ve heard of some videographers that take a year or more to return tapes to clients. Ask!

Make sure you get a master. After all of your footage is edited together, the videographer will provide you with either VHS copies, DVD, or both. However, you should make certain that you also get a master copy on a high-grade tape or DVD. VHS is not a high-grade tape. It is consumer tape. Over time, it fades. DVD is awesome but sometimes it has been compressed to make it fit on a DVD. If you get a master on a high-grade tape it will be the best copy of your wedding that you have. It’s the master. You use it to make future DVD’s, VHS or whatever new thing that hits the market in the future. It is possible to have a master copy on DVD, but make sure that you get the highest quality copy of your edit as possible.

By the way, I’ve heard that some videographers do not provide masters because they want to charge you for future copies. It is also possible to protect DVD’s from being recorded (but of course there are ways around everything). If this is agreeable to you, fine, but make sure that you negotiate a time (be it a year or more after your wedding) that the master reverts back to you. Since most videographers are independent businesses you don’t want your master to end up in a box buried inside someone’s garage.

Which leads me to storage. Store all of your videotapes in a cool dry place in an upright position. Reason being, that over time video can warp. That’s why it’s important to have DVD.

DVD

DVD is terrific and it will just get better. You can store hours of content on a disc with quality that far surpasses that of VHS. DVD’s are so much easier to store. In the past, I could stack every copy of each video I produced in a year, and it would rise to the ceiling of my office. Now, I can fit everything into a DVD case no larger than the yellow pages. I’ve read that by next year, I’ll be able to save everything onto 5 or less DVD’s. We’re living in amazing times. If you want to read more about DVD’s try it here: http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

If your videographer offers the DVD option, ask them if menus are included. Menus allow you to skip from scene to scene within the DVD. Because DVD players can fast forward so quickly many couples decide to forego the extra charge of menus. Still, menus add functionality and interactivity to your wedding video and you should consider it if you want a polished wedding video.

STYLE

Most couples want great video but they don’t want someone disrupting the day. They search for someone who is “unobtrusive.” Of course, no one will tell you that they are obtrusive. “Oh yeah, we get in the way, every chance we get.” A video camera and its operator are your invited guest. In my opinion, your wedding videographer should understand your needs, strive to be transparent, possess all the latest tools, be professional and most importantly, be a wonderful storyteller.

** Content Derived and Posted from www.OneWed.com**