The future of wedding video?

[Patrick Janka]

Hey, I'm just getting into the biz, but from what I gather the industry is moving towards a more stylized music video/short film type edit, especially with the use of DSLR's. Would you say this is the case? I'm looking at demo videos from local videographers here and everything is so cheezy. Almost every shot is in bad slow-motion and the music is overtly sappy. It all screams 1980's. The best looking videos I've seen have a more modern feel, which is a little more fast paced both in music selection and in editing style. This seems to be the norm in places like L.A. I know of one such company here in Orlando that prides itself on the use of DSLR and more filmic style shooting/editing. Would you say there's a progression going on or is the sap and slo-mo still a viable style?

[Warren Kawamoto]

A wedding video is like women's shoes. The slo mo style is like a comfortable, time tested pair of flats. The DSLR style is like Shape Ups...all young women want them because it's trendy and hip. But do you think Shape Ups will still sell well 5 years from now? Or is it just a passing fad?

[Steve Bleasdale]

I feel it is taking off!! My wedding films are all upbeat with dslr and hv40, but i do my story still with the full ceremony in the middle, upbeat start, ceremony, upbeat from there with a mix of music, speeches, fun. it is their day to show to their family forever, the ceremony needs to be somewhere on the dvd in full, end middle or? steve

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[Patrick Janka]

I'm shooting a wedding at the end of this month, and the bride chose me based on my demo video, which is an assortment of projects, not just weddings. She said she liked the filmic style of my demo vs. the canned look a lot of the other guys had. I think the reason why cheezy video was accepted was because no one challenged it. Now there's a tide shift and people realize they have a choice and no longer have to buy into the monopolized generic format.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Patrick

What car do you drive??? Is Ford better than GM or not...both have a place in the auto market and so do wedding videos... some brides like a cinematic style, other prefer documentary style..in fact I have just booked a bride who didn't like the soppy music videos that some companies demoed her...she wants a true record of the day.

You will always have have the cinematic admirers and the documentary admirers.... Choose your style and target that market..both will continue to exist happily!!! Much the same as different car models

Chris

[Chip Thome]

Originally Posted by Patrick Janka

I'm looking at demo videos from local videographers here and everything is so cheezy. Almost every shot is in bad slow-motion and the music is overtly sappy. It all screams 1980's.

In business, when you see an entire market all offering basically what appears to be the same thing, there is a reason for that and that reason is.... it is that way because it is what sells. That holds true for not only wedding videos, but colors used in new homes and the packaging for your breakfast cereal too.

That being said, any market that does not evolve, is basically dead.

In a market as large as Orlando I would think you could offer alternative editing styles to what most others are doing and create a business from those wishing for "the unique". As Warren points out though, "trendy" often has a very short "shelf life" and what you and others may see as "so cool" today will, more than likely, be more easily dated in the future. The challenge of offering "the unique" is to not fall into a habit where all of a sudden you could find yours have become "cookie cutter" too.

As others have said, I think there is and will continue to be a market for both styles. As far as getting away from "sappy" music, come on......weddings are sappy to begin with !!! :-)

[Ryan Czaplinski]

Originally Posted by Warren Kawamoto

A wedding video is like women's shoes. The slo mo style is like a comfortable, time tested pair of flats. The DSLR style is like Shape Ups...all young women want them because it's trendy and hip. But do you think Shape Ups will still sell well 5 years from now? Or is it just a passing fad?

Actually I use DSLR as a TOOL, not a style. How the shots are composed and how the editing is done is where that finished piece's style happens.

Doesn't matter if it was shot on an Professional HD Camcorder or DSLR, they can both be edited soppy or fast-paced. That's what is to be discussed between you and the clients. I don't have a cookie cutter method of things and each client is unique. Most aren't even "hip" to knowing what the heck DSLR is. Most times it's "We loved your video samples and want to book you." They don't seem to have any conditions of if I shoot in DSLR or not.

[Philip Howells]

Patrick, two things strike me in response to your question; first is that, as Ryan suggests I think you're confusing style with equipment. Whilst it may be true that the music video style is more often done with DSLRs it doesn't mean that they can't be done with "proper" video cameras and vv etc. The only characteristic of the equipment that has any serious bearing on the style is that it's much more difficult to make long, non-stop recordings, often required by the documentary producer, with DSLRs.

Second is that you are not looking at an exclusively professional business and whilst you can find professional dross in most businesses, there's considerably more amateur dross in wedding videos.

If you aspire to professional standards, regardless of how you finance your activity, you will rise to the top so don't let the state of the market dissuade you from getting into it.

I think, as the recent Royal wedding demonstrated more forcefully than any sales brochure could, that the future of weddings is video - and not photography as it's practised now. If I was an aspiring photographer I think the Royal Wedding might have convinced me to direct my ambition and learning (and thus skills) elsewhere.

[John Knight]

My videos are cheesier than a triple cheese burger, wrapped in cheese - with extra cheese. Set to a delicious backing track from Rod Stewart and Celine Dion. Shot on cheesy HDV video cameras, and delivered on boring DVD's with cheesy photo printed on the front. $2995 x 45 per year.

Lucky I like cheese huh?

[Tim Bakland]

HA! Great post, John.

[Aaron Almquist]

I charge $895 a wedding and put every ounce of myself into everything I produce to make sure it's not cheesy. Thats just me though.... I don't settle

[Chris Harding]

...and you are booked solid right John???? It's not about equipment at all..DSLR's don't produce "non cheesy" videos or stunning documentaries ...YOU do...what you use as had already been said is merely a tool... buying 2 x Canon 5D II's aren't going to magically transform your style ...that's up to you so use the best tools you can afford, be it a proper video camera or a DSLR.

In another post a very wise poster said something to the effect that it's not what is in between your hands that's important, it's what's in between your ears!!!

Sadly newbies are coming into the industry with absolutely no knowledge of basic film-making and even more essential basic story telling .... forget about the magic buttons on the camera for a while and learn about how to produce compelling content and you won't look back.

Most wedding videographers are truly successful because they produce what the bride wants rather than what most like themselves and assume the bride will like. This is a business and you need to produce an end product that the market likes, whether you like it or not...if brides want cheesy footage with 80's style red hearts floating over the screen then that's what you need to give them. Sadly it's often a case of the cameraman showing off his incredible talent.."Wow, look how good I am!!" "My shots are awesome" ...they probably are awesome too but they also might not be anything like what the bride expects or even wants, so from a business POV they are useless and un-marketable!!


Chris

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by John Knight

Shot on cheesy HDV video cameras, and delivered on boring DVD's with cheesy photo printed on the front. $2995 x 45 per year.

You make $134775 a year and you still work with hdv camera's ? :)

I agree with Chris that's it's not about showcasing "your" own talents, it's about giving your clients what "they" want and then use the "right" tool for that job.

[John McCully]

So John Knight, I congratulate you: you are ‘customer focused’ and that’s important when it comes to making money. Christchurch is sooo cheeesy; drippingly milder than mild; totally tasteless in fact. You’re welcome to it; I’m staying out on the Peninsula and the shall only visit the city when absolutely necessary. You perhaps should point out that those are Kiwi dollars. But still; not bad going.

Great post.

[Bill Vincent]

That's it, I'm moving to New Zealand.