I just watched a news video about a "scam videographer". Apparently said videographer did not produce video for over 3 months because the couple did not provide required materials in a timely matter.

So this brings me to a question for all of you! What type of materials do you request from the B/G?

One could assume song list or photos. How do you create the box cover and menu with photos? Do you use the photographer photos (not/owned by your company), stills from a clip or take your own pictures?

Projects are not put into the edit queue until we receive all associated materials from the client. This is a Condition of Our Agreement, which a client has in their possession before they even book.

This includes but is not limited to music, photographs, text fonts, art and graphics and anything else which may affect or influence the finished product.

To this date, over 80% of clients are lax in this department. Most provide materials after the fact as video is usually an afterthought.

As for it being a "scam", the news report should have considered and investigated both sides of the story, else they can easily put themselves in a position of libel, especially if there is an Agreement in place.

As for cover art, this is relative to ones own workflow. I personally don't use anything from any other source other than my own. My thoughts are "Why should a different company's work represent my work? "

My rule is that any materials that the couple plans to provide me must be provided at our final consultation, which is a couple of days before the wedding. If those materials are not provided, then I start editing without them. Depending on my work load it can be several weeks to even a few months before I start the editing, so if the couple provides the materials to me before then I will include it; I just don't tell the couple that because I'd rather them get me the stuff before their wedding.

As for menu's and packaging, my wife is a photographer, so on weddings we work together I just use something she shot. For weddings I worked with other photographers I either ask if they will send me some shots or I pull screenshots from the video and make it work.

Travis:
Is it customary to ask for photos to use without paying or offering to pay the photographer for the use of the photos? (Of coarse when your wife is not the photographer.)

I've always made it clear that I'm asking for use of the photo with no monetary compensation. I give credit to the photographer and that is all. I haven't had a photographer have an issue with this yet, but I also do most of my weddings with my wife. If a photographer ever had an issue with it, I would just go with a still from my video and make it work. Heck, sometimes I don't even ask the photographer, and just use a still from my video anyways.

I've always made it clear that I'm asking for use of the photo with no monetary compensation. I give credit to the photographer and that is all. I haven't had a photographer have an issue with this yet, but I also do most of my weddings with my wife. If a photographer ever had an issue with it, I would just go with a still from my video and make it work. Heck, sometimes I don't even ask the photographer, and just use a still from my video anyways.

This is one of the reasons I usually carry my little S1-is with me..... so I can grab some higher res images to use for covers, etc. I also used to work with a photographer (good friend as well) so he would just burn a CD with the images for my use.

Yep, good idea. I've also taken stills with the GL2 itself and it worked pretty well.