My final statements:

Be your self not somebody else.

Let the story and what's happening in front of the camera dictate the outcome of how you shoot and edit.

Wow, I just logged in and started reading through this thread. It really is amazing to me that some of you really care that much if someone emulates your shots. I know for a fact people have copied me and I can say without feeling the least bit bad that I've tried to emulate shots I've seen. Of course I have always tried to push the envelope with my personal style and I'm really happy where I'm at now, but when I was starting out, I would watch Still-Motion, Jason Magbanua, Maya Studios religiously and try to completely emulate their style, it's how I got to where I am. I watched those guys all steal (if that's what you want to call it) each others shots as well. I personally think this whole thread is ridiculous, you'd never see professional photographers having this conversation.

Josh - it seems that Patrick's original intent was to encourage people to do more than emulate his style & search for their own and grow as artists, but something in his comments definitely struck a nerve around here.

Didn't I say I was done? Ok, now I'm really done.

And I think that's exactly what he and his company did for me, helped me develop my own style. I guess I used him and his videos as my mentor. What's hard about these forums is that you can't truly know the tone behind the posts, I'm sure he meant nothing by his post but I could see how people could get riled up over it, I guess I kind of did when I read it.

I watched those guys all steal (if that's what you want to call it) each others shots as well.

That's what I first thought as well when I looked at one of Jason Magbanua clips because it looked a lot like what patrick is doing, only Jasons editing style is different. I think as well that in one way or the other everybody is copying, not only from other wedding videographers but from movies. The fast pan transtitions for instance is something I have seen more then once in movies. The only thing is that you need to make it your own after that by adding your own touch to it and not just carbon copy.

Tru dat. ALL of wedding videography as an industry is inspired by what we've first seen in movies, television, where they have mega $$ art directors coming up with unique ideas etc..

Anyone who is trying to say wedding videography is a reliable source of unique and new ideas in motion imagery is kidding themselves.

End of discussion.

Tru dat. ALL of wedding videography as an industry is inspired by what we've first seen in movies, television, where they have mega $$ art directors coming up with unique ideas etc..

Anyone who is trying to say wedding videography is a reliable source of unique and new ideas in motion imagery is kidding themselves.

End of discussion.



Yang is right on with his comment. Jason, Patrick and many others around here do some nice work BUT in no way shape or form are they nor anyone else in the wedding industry "original".

Creative...yes, talented...yes, BUT innovators and originators....Nope! In addition to weddings, I've worked in the television land for a while....and have shot for a lot of networks in addition to my wedding stuff. I have yet to see one frame of wedding footage from anyone that I am like...."wow, I've NEVER seen that before!" I doubt I ever will.

There's a lot of talent "out there" who could care less about being "known" by other wedding videographers.

There's lots of excellent feedback in this thread, but it has definitely run its course.

Concluded.