I like to think of myself as an artist. Really. I try not to let the redundancy of the events wear on me but sometimes it does.

I would rather capture the event like a doc with really cool shots thrown in than a perfectly prodced cross disolved soap opera wedding.

My favorite vid has no glidecam work in it whatsoever and was shot with a shouldermount cam (which I hate) but dam that guy really made me feel good for the B&G.. the weddng party was maybe 20 people!

the vid is here somewhere ( I think in the Korn Edit thread ).

SO. Do you consider yourself an artist?

I am learning, and trying to become one, some day,
:)

The tough question to answer here is, at what point is a creation considered art?

My ego likes the lofty title of artist, but in reality what I do is more akin to a highly skilled trade isn't it? If I'm being completely honest, the reason I'd consider my work as art would be to elevate my own fragile sense of self worth.

Then again I'm a pessimist and tend to devalue things due to my low disappointment threshold.

Here are some definitions

- A follower of a pursuit in which skill comes by study or practice

- A person who creates art as an occupation.

- Is a practitioner in the visual arts

So yes we are. but don't let it get to your ego because what a real artist is someone who is always looking for the new angle and continously trying to improve and try different techniques. Once you stop striving then your no longer an artist.

Thats what I think. If its worth 2 cents or a golden nugget... up to you! :)

My thoughts are that the title 'artist' is often claimed but rarely justified.

I agree with Peter, to me a true artist is someone who is pushing the limits of their field and is at the top of their game.

For example, I might like to paint occassionally and could technically call myself an artist - but Picasso was also an artist. For me to claim the title of artist seems laughable by comparison.

An artist could be somebody who does something so well that forever changes or re-defines the way people see a particular field.

To me, guys like Jason Magbanua and Patrick from StillMotion could be considered artists because they have forever changed the way we think about wedding videography.

Just my random thoughts ....

As I understand it, the idea of 'artist' as a distinct group is of relatively recent origin. In the past huge numbers of people were involved in the crafts producing practical and beautiful things for home elsewhere. The builders of Cathedrals etc were artisans working in stone and glass. In the Bible we have the record of highly skilled crafts people who built the 'tabernacle', who turned their hands to weaving, woodwork, gold coating, bronze molding, sculpturing etc etc etc, but they weren't understood as 'artists' are today. I am a builder and consider myself an artist as I build, combining form and function so that hopefully the things I make not only look good but work well. The same applies to virtually everything we buy. Industrial designers expend a massive amount of creative energy to make things look nice as well as work well. Video cameras are masterpieces of creative artistry.

I think that the modern pluty, snobby, view of art, with its small elite who supposedly determine for all the rest of us what 'art' is (wrapping buildings in paper, etc), is something we should be done with. Rather we should return to a view which recognises art in the mundane and practised by ordinary folk, as someone has called it 'Hidden Art' - the laying of a table for tea nicely, a flower arrangement on the table, the food as it is set on the plate, a garden and its layout with plants chosen for effect, architecture, building, and so on - the making of everyday life beautiful. And of course those who use video as medium to record weddings.

Of course wedding vioegraphers are artists. Though as in all art as describe above, some are better at it than others...

I like a definition:
"a person who practices any of the various creative arts, such as a sculptor, novelist, poet, or filmmaker"

IMO, we are artists, until the need for making money, creates predictability and pattern in our work, in this case we become just workers, (have to think of a better definition)...

I suppose we remain arists until doing our work with passion, creativity, love, looking for exact reflection of particular day and particular couple with their specific characters. Also we can claim for "artists" definition if we try to improve our video language almost in every shooting. Every work then should appear different. But there is always some part of business in wedding video production. You won't be able to make your wedding masterpiece for year searching corresponding creative mood. Thats a matter of reasonable balance..

I don't see why the exercise of creativity which brings an income should be excluded from be designated 'art', as though 'art' and 'business' were mutually exclusive. No, we can be artists in the plying of our trade.

Let me preface this post by saying I am not an event videographer although I have done many events including over 75 weddings since the mid 80's. One of the reasons I don't call myself an event videographer is I don't want to be associated with the industry in any way shape or form. Even so, I still have a need to read and sometimes respond in this forum. The following as an opinion. Stated as such, not fact.

To ask the question "Are we artists" assumes everyone is on the same plane. From my observations nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to event videographers. If you've ever read the book "The Artists Way"(which I highly recommend) this question wouldn't have been asked. Being an artist has nothing to do with a particular medium, although it can definitely include such mediums. An artist has something he needs to say. He(or she) has to create, it's not a choice. But how that is expressed is actually the least most important thing. Being an artist has nothing to do with being a videographer in much the same way that being a worshipper has nothing to do with playing an instrument in church. A worshipper, much like an artist, embraces a lifestyle that may or may not include a specific means of expression such as music or videography.

I think this industry is wrought with folks who would like to be artists because they have a preconceived notion of what an artist is and that is attractive to them. People who have a deep desire to escape the mundane by doing something, anything besides the workaday they find themselves in. I know several people who when pressed, will tell you their main motivator is to get the heck out of the house on weekends. The majority of players in this field are part timers that have a knack and pension towards "thingys that go whrrrrrr and bleeeeep". To some it is a justification to buy new toys. To others a chance to be seen as something other than who think they are. So are event/wedding videographers artists? If you have to ask the question than the answer is probably no.

That being said, I believe we are all artists, everyone has something they need to express. One of the best examples I can give is rap and hip hop. There are those that will argue that it's so much noise and how can you compare it to the great works of Bach or Wagner. But when you break it down to it's basic elements, it could very well be considered a purer form of art than the classics. In a 100 years students of music might well be studying the works of Public Enemy right along side The Ludwig Van. But I doubt very seriously that film students of that time will be studying the work of the Von Lankens along side Stanley Kubrick.

And while we're on the subject of cinema. There is no such thing as "cinematic wedding videography". Cinema is for the most part created in a controlled environment with a director. Unless you are running around all day yelling ACTION!!! and CUT!!!!, you are not doing "cinematic wedding videography".

One more thing.....Trash the Dress???? What the $#^&????

I have an idea. Send me the dress after the wedding to put on my new web site "Dresses for Trash". I will auction it off and use the money to help third world families living in trash dumps improve their lives.

Freakin' trash the dress....gimme a a freakin break.....although, from an artistic point of view, this could very well be the highest level of artistic expression in wedding videography.......NAHHHH.....

TTFN

Mick Haensler

Mick - it's ok to say that video work might not classify as art, but don't denigrate an entire industry while you're at it.

Coming out of college about 6 years ago I had the idea that weddings were the lowest form of video production, but things are changing in this field and that's why I left commercials and corporate work behind to play in this new sandbox. Unless you haven't noticed, there is excellent work being done here, much different from what was happening around you in the 80's. (even if it might not be art)

To everyone else who wants to chime in about this topic, just state your opinion on the matter, but don't be a Mick about it.

I asked are we artists because "Do you consider yourself an artist?" was just too long to put in the title bar IMO.

I didn't ask, do you consider ME and artist :)

Thank you for gracing us with your presence Mick and may you continue to have a happy career. (Valuing a differing opinion, it's great to have those)

Peter and Sylvester had great points. I try to really just get into the creative groove and always look for that new angle, shot, POV, interview questions, over/under exposure, and then how to create the final edit to make it something that people will value for generations. Similar to a painting that is a family heirloom.

I am going to change my verbiage from a booking to "being commissioned for a piece" :)

Great responses so far ... :)

I can think of a lot better ways to express my artistic abiliites and satisfy my artistic cravings than to do live events and scripted weddings with "video" cameras. :)

And I certainly don't consider myself an artist in this arena. It's hard enough just making money at it without introducing more time consuming forms of expression that only a few people will see.

So, if one has an ego that needs to be stroked (which ALL artists have)... and that person needs to eat... I think this is the wrong biz to be in. :)

If you're making money, your an entrepreneur. If not, you're an artist.

If i offended anyone with my post, I apologize. I didn't intend to berate the entire wedding videography industry. I just wanted to get folks thinking about their motivation and to have an honest discussion. I'm sorry that I don't see wedding videography as an art form, and I think those that try to raise it to such aren't based in reality. It's a service, plain and simple.

That being said, it is a service that can be achieved in a creative and artistic fashion if you choose and have gotten to that level of expertise. Having an eye for the right shot or instinctively knowing good edit points are gifts and skills and have value. Many people in this industry like to call themselves storytellers. But what's the story? The wedding day is just a fraction of the story and it's not even reality. Weddings are fantasy, and wedding videographers along with all the other industry vendors are perpetuators of the myth. We have a divorce rate in this country that proves it.

Back to the point. An artist can be described as "someone who expresses himself through a medium". OK, with that in mind; What part of yourself, are you trying to express as a wedding videographer?? What do you want to tell the world through your productions??

Again, I apologize if I offended. It certainly was not my intention.

Mick Haensler

Well, I definetely am!

If i offended anyone with my post, I apologize. I didn't intend to berate the entire wedding videography industry.

Right. Go back and re-read your post. I think it's pretty obvious you intended to berate the industry.

If you don't believe there is such a thing as a "cinematic" wedding video, then you just haven't really seen one. You don't have to have a controlled environment and be yelling "cut!" and "action!" to create something that is cinematic. To me the term cinematic implies that the production is designed to inspire emotion through a moving storyline. My CINEMATIC wedding videos do just that, and if you disagree I don't really care. All of my clients disagree with YOU. If anything, it's more of a challenge and requires more skill and creativity to take a live, relatively-unscripted event like a wedding and make it cinematic. Obviously you aren't in the business of creating cinematic weddings, so maybe before you shoot your mouth off next time you should do a bit more research on the subject.

And regarding your immature comments about "trashing the dress", I'll bet there are a dozen things you could change about your own life to help out 3rd-world countries, so get off your "holier than thou" throne and get real. If a bride spends $1,000 on a dress, and only wears it on the wedding day, don't you think that's more wasteful than if she gets a second use out of it doing a "trash the dress" shoot? Your arguments are laden with irony.

Regarding the original question, "Are we artists?" I don't think the question can be answered. Why? Because people generally can't even agree on what art IS. My mother-in-law is an art student, and we used to have discussions on what should be considered art and what shouldn't. I've since decided that what art IS ... is just subjective, and you can't really put a clear label on it. Someone might not think a "cinematic" wedding video is art, but that same person might think that a video camera tied to post and displayed in a gallery is art because the artist claims it is a representation of how our view of the world is restrained by our technology (or whatever). The bottom line is art is subjective, and personally I don't see the value in trying to determine what is and isn't art, because people will always just disagree.

Just my thoughts. d;-)

If you're making money, your an entrepreneur. If not, you're an artist.Damn. I guess I am an artist then. Can't wait till I die - my stuff will be worth a fortune.

Travis....DITTO to your comments....If I didn't know any better, I'd swear we shared the same DNA.

I have just had a startling realization over the last few months. After deciding that I am definately an artist and should be paid as such, I raised my prices (not too much) and was deafened by the silence. Not one peep from February to June. In June I had a startling realization that I am operating a hybrid business. There are some clients that are looking for an artistic product but the vast majority are wanting a service to document their wedding. I got off my high horse and decided to offer 2 additional services. 1 is a ceremony only and the other is a ceremony plus major elements of the reception in documentary format. This has freed me up like crazy and started the actual bookings rolling in. I just booked a full cinematic today, but Tuesday I booked a major elements. The difference is now I offer a choice for them to have a service vs. an art form. My problem was not realizing a value in both.
Bill

For something to be classed as art it has to serve no purpose other than its being...

So although we may be artists..... what we make is not truly art....

You can call yourself a Grilled Cheese Sandwich if you want, but that doesn't make you one.

If you think you're an artist... then you're not. If others think you're an artist... then you are.

Personally, I don't care what anyone calls me, as long as the check clears.

Jeff

For something to be classed as art it has to serve no purpose other than its being

Using that criteria, I know several people who would be classified as art.

Right. Go back and re-read your post. I think it's pretty obvious you intended to berate the industry.

If you don't believe there is such a thing as a "cinematic" wedding video, then you just haven't really seen one. You don't have to have a controlled environment and be yelling "cut!" and "action!" to create something that is cinematic. To me the term cinematic implies that the production is designed to inspire emotion through a moving storyline. My CINEMATIC wedding videos do just that, and if you disagree I don't really care. All of my clients disagree with YOU. If anything, it's more of a challenge and requires more skill and creativity to take a live, relatively-unscripted event like a wedding and make it cinematic. Obviously you aren't in the business of creating cinematic weddings, so maybe before you shoot your mouth off next time you should do a bit more research on the subject.

And regarding your immature comments about "trashing the dress", I'll bet there are a dozen things you could change about your own life to help out 3rd-world countries, so get off your "holier than thou" throne and get real. If a bride spends $1,000 on a dress, and only wears it on the wedding day, don't you think that's more wasteful than if she gets a second use out of it doing a "trash the dress" shoot? Your arguments are laden with irony. d;-)

Your right Travis, I did intend to berate the entire industry. After a bit of soul searching it appears I have developed quite a large chip on my shoulder when it comes to the wedding videography industry. Actually that chip extends to the wedding industry in general. My words have understandably angered you and whether you believe it or not I am sorry for that. I will not be posting on this forum until I figure out why I have such disdain for wedding videography. Hurting and angering people is not what I'm usually about. I will leave it at that.

Mick

Your right Travis, I did intend to berate the entire industry. After a bit of soul searching it appears I have developed quite a large chip on my shoulder when it comes to the wedding videography industry. Actually that chip extends to the wedding industry in general. My words have understandably angered you and whether you believe it or not I am sorry for that. I will not be posting on this forum until I figure out why I have such disdain for wedding videography. Hurting and angering people is not what I'm usually about. I will leave it at that.

Mick

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself Mick. At the risk of incurring some wrath from my colleagues I hazard to say that ..... the wedding videography industry deserves a good berating [ducks for cover ....]

Maybe not so much now but definitely in the (not-so-distant) past - although there's still plenty of 80's schlock and cheese floating around. Fortunately, there's a massive movement that is dragging the wedding video genre kicking and screaming into the 21st century. A lot of the people at the forefront of this movement are represented on this forum.

My experience is that wedding videography has a shocking reputation. If not, then why are we constantly having to justify ourselves with "Why Video?" or "Why Choose a Professional over Uncle Harry" etc ... It's because for so many years there hasn't been much of a perceivable difference between a video done by Uncle Harry and a video done by a professional wedding videographer.

To be totally honest ... in starting our new business, Shadowplay Photography & Video, one of the reasons my wife and I created a new and separate business entity is because I didn't want my current and prospective corporate clients to associate me with wedding videos. Sad but true. Unfortunately, the poor perception people have of our industry is still a reality.

The other part of it is that I worry that words like 'cinematic' or 'artistic' have become overused and meaningless. Especially when used by people whose work is not even close to cinematic or artistic - not pointing fingers at anyone on this forum at all - but I've been to websites from videographers claiming the 'cinematic' term for their work and their stuff is about as cinematic as me strapping a camera to my cat. Now ... whether that is art or not is open to interpretation ;)

Local TV commercials are a great example. Words like quality, trust, value, service etc ... have lost their meaning through overuse and misuse. Google "five words to never use in advertising" for a more detailed explanation.

Now, as for the wedding industry as a whole, the state of marriage, divorce rates, too much emphasis being placed on one day etc ... I'm not going to get into that.

All I'll say (as a relative newlywed - 2.5 years married) is that there is something magical about two people finding each other out of the billions of people on the planet - and those two deciding to commit themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. To me, that's something worth celebrating.

My parents celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next year ... you couldn't put a price on how meaningful it would be for them, their kids & grand-kids to be able to watch the video of their wedding day. That's why I'm now proud to be part of this industry, because we get to create moments like that.

I think possibly our greatest failing as an industry has been our inability to 'sell' that moment to the wider public. Steadicams, 35mm adapters, high definition etc ... will all fade away and go out of fashion but the power of someone's life story, beautifully told, will never go out of fashion.

Thankfully though ... 'the times they are a-changin' .... Gosh, it must be late ... I've resorted to quoting Bob Dylan ;) Anyway, I've probably contradicted myself a dozen times so I'll call it a night - and go snuggle with my beautiful wife :)

Mick - don't beat yourself up too much mate. I like what you said - I may not 100% agree - but I'm glad you said it.

My words have understandably angered you and whether you believe it or not I am sorry for that. I will not be posting on this forum until I figure out why I have such disdain for wedding videography. Hurting and angering people is not what I'm usually about. I will leave it at that.

Mick, apology accepted. Thanks.

I was mostly angered because I felt like you have no idea what I actually do. I invest an incredible amount of time and energy and blood/sweat/tears into my couples' projects, and I work especially hard to keep it creative and entertaining and unique to the couple, and to have someone just basically act like I do nothing worthwhile was too much for me to hold my tongue on. Sorry if I came across too harshly, but I definitely wanted my opinion AND my feelings known.

And Matthew, I totally agree that the term "cinematic" is getting thrown around too loosely. But there's really nothing we can do about it, so I just try not to worry about it. I find it's best to just focus mostly on what I do, and not what others are doing.

Well, I definetely am!

That was awesome! How much for the original??

[...] And while we're on the subject of cinema. There is no such thing as "cinematic wedding videography". Cinema is for the most part created in a controlled environment with a director. Unless you are running around all day yelling ACTION!!! and CUT!!!!, you are not doing "cinematic wedding videography" [...] I think you have fallen prey to the Hollywood definition of cinema. Saying something is cinematic does not imply a controlled environment with a director. Consider documentary, especially the cinema verite tradition, for example, classics like Chronicle for a Summer (Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin) and Running Fence (Maysles), in the case of these films, they are cinematic for they are filmed and they do represent the vision of a director (or directors). There is no reason why you could not make a wedding video that is cinematic, both in terms of aesthetics and modes of production (which need not be Hollywood modes of production).

You can very well make a cinematic wedding video, it would be cinematic if it was framed and shot and edited like a filmmaker would do it (telling a story, doing more that simply recording the event), it need not be a Hollywood style production that is designed, controlled and lit, etc. In any event, a wedding video would be worthy of being called cinematic if there was an artist (director and/or editor) with a vision behind the piece. I've seen some tightly edited wedding videos and they can be called cinematic for editing (or montage) is the essence of cinema for many theorists.

Hollywood narrative cinema shot in an "action cut" style like you mention is only one genre of cinema. There are many cinematic genres, and the more movies I watch, and the older I get, the more I appreciate the varied traditions and genres that exist. Hollywood may "own" the high-profit niche of narrative commercial cinema, but independent filmmakers, whether doing documentary or experimental or narrative work are creating cinematic art in many shapes and forms every day. And while the numbers may be small, there are some wedding videos that fall into that category. While wedding videos are for the most part reportage, there's no reason why they can't be made with a cinematic documentary approach. It can be a wonderful thing.

You know to that point, I'm not sure the makers of the cheesy horrible local commercials (at least what we have in our area) should be so proud of their work and look down on wedding video. Maybe I don't want my wedding video business associated with horribly written and produced and acted local cheese. Just my opinion. I see very little local work that anyone should be proud of. I see a lot of great wedding video work. I think those looking down on wedding video producers most likely have nothing greater to show in their commericial reel. At least in my area, the local production work is embarrasing for the most part. So there...
Bill

Hello,

I would say most of us are/or are striving to be Storytellers !! and occasionally we do create "Art" !!!

My 2 cents..

Bill,

To your point, I personally don't think anyone should (but they can, and it's their right, we still live in a mostly open society) look down on a whole genre or category of visual expression. There are cheesy commercials (e.g. chickens selling used cars), and there are commercials that have become artistic classics (e.g. Apple's 1984 commercial) just as there are cheesy wedding videos and those that achieve a level of artistic (whatever that is, another thread) expression. And so on and so forth. And the labels of "cheese" and "art" are all in the mind of the beholder.

..
One more thing.....Trash the Dress???? What the $#^&????

I have an idea. Send me the dress after the wedding to put on my new web site "Dresses for Trash". I will auction it off and use the money to help third world families living in trash dumps improve their lives.

Freakin' trash the dress....gimme a a freakin break.....although, from an artistic point of view, this could very well be the highest level of artistic expression in wedding videography.......NAHHHH.....

I'm with you! What an example of conspicuous wasteful consumption run rampant - just the thing for a couple to start off their married life doing together! ROFLMAO

Point is exactly David that all of us out here making a living from doing video at whatever level add value to the business. I have friends in the business that tell me all the time I should not have a link to my wedding oriented site attached to my corporate site, or even tell my corporate clients I do weddings. I have found no actual bias in the workplace, only with other video producers. All I'm saying is that none of us are really elevating what we do as a whole except producing great work. And while there is cheesy wedding work out there, there is competing cheesy non-wedding work. Neither of us have the bragging rights ala 1984 apple commercial or even the mac vs pc stuff that's running now. The vast majority of us arguing the point are just folks out here trying to make a living. It is moot all the way around is what i mean. Noone should feel the right to be be superior by genre.
Bill

Interesting, I've had a lengthy conversation with world top 10, W.P.P.I. the most awarded wedding photographer, Jerry Ghionis, we talked about many things, remember him telling me, that setting up your photography business... can be Art! :)

What do you think, my brain starts to melt : )

I have friends in the business that tell me all the time I should not have a link to my wedding oriented site attached to my corporate site, or even tell my corporate clients I do weddings. I have found no actual bias in the workplace, only with other video producers.
Bill

That's interesting Bill. Everyone's geography and demographics are different I guess. In my area I've found it's the opposite - both wedding videos and local TV commercials have a pretty bad rep.

It's almost like I can't tell brides that we make local TV commercials - and I can't tell businesses that I do wedding videos because of the poor perception people in my area have of both mediums :(

Interesting, I've had a lengthy conversation with world top 10, W.P.P.I. the most awarded wedding photographer, Jerry Ghionis, we talked about many things, remember him telling me, that setting up your photography business... can be Art! :)

What do you think, my brain starts to melt : )

Hey Oleg,

Off topic: Jerry Ghionis is a legend! I heard him speak at a conference here in Australia and he was excellent! And I'd say his photography is certainly art.

OFF topic,
Matthew I agree, Gerry is an artist in pure definition of this word, yet he is a great business man! Is there a contradiction? I don't think so, he doesn't stop to make amazing photographs, award winning albums, at the same time, he travels around the world 3-4 months a year with seminars, and he is booked all the rest of the time!

You can call yourself a Grilled Cheese Sandwich if you want, but that doesn't make you one.

If you think you're an artist... then you're not. If others think you're an artist... then you are.

Personally, I don't care what anyone calls me, as long as the check clears.

Jeff

I have to agree with this. We never call ourselves artists but many times we have had comments from clients and guests at a reception tell us that our work has an artistic quality to it. I feel most like an artist when I take the raw footage, color grade it and piece it together.

This thread has provided some food for thought. Thank you all. In summary, my reflections from this thread is that "Artist" is such a loaded term.

Wiktionary defines the noun 'artist' as follows: 1. A person who creates art, 2. A person who creates art as an occupation, 3. A person who is skilled at some activity. Given definition #3 we are all artists.

But even if we are, do we want to use the term? Meaning #3 implies to some clients you're not necessarily going to deliver what they want, since many people perceive "Artist = personal expression," while, "Professional X = delivering the goods," where X may be videographer, videomaker, mediamaker or any other term you like. The words we choose to describe ourselves with tell people a lot about ourselves, and the words people use to describe us and our work tells us a lot about them and the preconceptions they have acquired over the years, and along with that, something about how our work is perceived. Usually the term artist is used as compliment (great skill, wonderful vision, unique perspective) but other times, it implies someone who is more interested in expression that basic communication. Words are interesting things.

I'm with you! What an example of conspicuous wasteful consumption run rampant - just the thing for a couple to start off their married life doing together! ROFLMAO

I'm not sure how you're missing the point here. The bride has already purchased the dress to wear for her wedding. She will very likely never wear the thing again for the rest of her life. So why not do one more shoot with it and get some additional use out of the purchase? To be honest, I've seen some absolutely incredible and stunning photographs and video from TTD sessions that you could never get on the wedding day.

Unless you haven't noticed, there is excellent work being done here, much different from what was happening around you in the 80's. (even if it might not be art)



Something tells me that you have a red zipper jacket. :]


As for the topic, I think of event videography as art. Because if you as a videographer can connect with your client, mold the video to match their dreams and personalities, then that takes a creative expression. If I show up, hit the record button, then burn it to DVD, then I'm a video producer. That's my two cents. It is similiar, and I say similar to an incredible photo, the photographer either has the eye for the money shot or can somehow draw it out of the person being photographed.

In an age of self expression and individual tastes, this is where emphasising the artistry of video production will change mindsets. Then I can get rid of my neon orange shoe laces :}

"mold the video to match their dreams and personalities"
"Photographer has an eye for the money shot or can somehow draw it out of the person being photographed"

Two very important distinctions,
one is to create, illustrate, document something that the couple may think, imagine, assume!...

On the other hand, we as creative individuals behind the camera dream up, visualize, create a concept, a mood, distinguish what is "divine and mundane", not always translate what is, but what it could be, if it would be a particular (yet limited, by the means we have "art form"

IMO, that were the term "art" can signify particular meaning,
on a crossroad of what is (wedding as a particular event) and our creative imagination!

That's interesting Bill. Everyone's geography and demographics are different I guess. In my area I've found it's the opposite - both wedding videos and local TV commercials have a pretty bad rep.

It's almost like I can't tell brides that we make local TV commercials - and I can't tell businesses that I do wedding videos because of the poor perception people in my area have of both mediums :(

second that!

I am sure once you show your work to people, suddenly they don't care if you do Ads or weddings :)

Interesting about bad rep of doing weddings for commercial work and vice versa,
can't say same thing, on the web site I have all kinds of work, divided in three sections,
I really believe that one complement the others. The level of work showed, what matters,
Tv and Film producers may think that it's a bad rep to do wedding videos, on the other hand, after watching it, if a wedding promo looks like a commercial or a film trailer, relative to a budget spent, it can give a lot of credit to a creator! IMO

Interesting about bad rep of doing weddings for commercial work and vice versa,
can't say same thing, on the web site I have all kinds of work, divided in three sections,
I really believe that one complement the others. The level of work showed, what matters,
Tv and Film producers may think that it's a bad rep do to wedding videos, on the other hand, after watching it, if a wedding promo looks like a commercial or a film trailer, relative to a budget spent, it can give a lot of credit to creator! IMO

Hey Oleg,

Like Peter said, it's not an issue once people see our work ... it is usually in the stages before that - i.e. When you meet someone new and they ask what you do for a living ... that sort of thing.

If people's frame of reference for what you do is based on the poor perception of others in the same field ... then you can be tarnished with the same brush just by association, regardless of the quality of work you do.

This is especially so in my area where a lot of potential brides may have never seen a well produced wedding video - and when a wedding video is already a 2nd thought or the first thing to be dropped from their budget.

Anyway, I like the point that John made ... I wouldn't refer to myself as an artist but if clients or anyone else perceives me as one then that's fine.