Anyone offer ONLY a highlight video?

[Danny O'Neill]

We offer a highlights only package. Prices start at £1750 for a 4-5 minutes highlights film and its proved quite popular here in the UK.

Dont think that no one will book it because your current clients want something longer. Remember, it will attract a different client, the ones who want something shorter.

Our full films are 15-20 minutes long. We dont offer long form features.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

We offer a highlights only package. Prices start at £1750 for a 4-5 minutes highlights film and its proved quite popular here in the UK.

Dont think that no one will book it because your current clients want something longer. Remember, it will attract a different client, the ones who want something shorter.

Our full films are 15-20 minutes long. We dont offer long form features.

How do your clients for the shorter films typically find you (especially those who don't come in by referrals)?

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Travis Wilber

Saw a post like this a few years old. Figured I'd see if anyone is currently or starting to offer this? Just shooting with a single camera and giving back only a short story highlight video? No full ceremony, no full toasts, no full 1st dance, etc.

I don't think that a highlights video shot with a single camera is going to work. For a highlights video to be satisfying & acceptable you really need multiple camera angles.

[Monday Isa]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

I don't think that a highlights video shot with a single camera is going to work. For a highlights video to be satisfying & acceptable you really need multiple camera angles.

It actually can work. If people are more accustomed to shooting multiple cameras from the beginning I would advise against 1 camcorder. I film 28+ quinceaneras a year with 1 camcorder and a couple weddings thrown in the mix and it's just as easy to make a powerful impact on a wedding highlight only with 1 cam. Again I'm already use to shooting 1 camcorder, if I was used to shooting 2 cams I probably wouldn't do it unless I can develop a system where the 2nd angle is not needed. Takes time.

[Danny O'Neill]

Originally Posted by Dave Partington

How do your clients for the shorter films typically find you (especially those who don't come in by referrals)?

Google, wedding blogs and recommendations from photographers, past clients etc.

[Tyler Krause]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

I don't think that a highlights video shot with a single camera is going to work. For a highlights video to be satisfying & acceptable you really need multiple camera angles.

I've only shot highlights with one camera, and it's work really well actually. look at the video I posted on the page just before this

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Tyler Krause

I've only shot highlights with one camera, and it's work really well actually. look at the video I posted on the page just before this

Tyler that looks great. I think that I was being a bit blinkered & just thinking about the way that I work when considering that a single camera wouldn't work for a highlights video. I assume that you are using a DSLR from the look of the images & shallow DoF. There is also lots of lovely fluid movement which I assume is a Merlin or Glidecam. Could you discuss your equipment list?

[Bernard Lau]

Originally Posted by Tyler Krause

I've only shot highlights with one camera, and it's work really well actually. look at the video I posted on the page just before this

Those are some smooth moves Tyler. And kudos for covering with just one cam, you must've ran a lot... how's your back?
The overuse of the steadycam shot sort of gave me motion sickness... might put some still cuts in between some shots.

Back to the original question, it seems like Ray Roman offers highlights/story driven film only as initial product (from listening to his interview on Xing 180) and if couples want official parts of the day, they'll have to pay for it. He compares it to how couples only get an album from a photographer and if they want additional photos from the day, then they'll get charged for it. Of course, I'm no Ray, so I don't have that kind of power on my couples yet ;-)

[Travis Wilber]

Thanks for the discussion guys. And Tyler thanks for sharing your experience with this so far.

I think there is a market out there for it, but its more with the 'untraditional' couples. Alot of the couples I work with shudder at the thought of an hour long video and only want the main product 20 minutes max.

I originally offered a highlight video as I had a few couples come to me that were having simple weddings (dinner with family and bon fire on beach). But it was also to put my normal package in the middle so I had a low - mid - high with the intent to sell the mid all the time.

With regard to shooting with one-camera, that is totally possible. The highlight videos I create now are usually with one camera. I have a 2nd shooter but I rarely dig into their footage unless there is something that I missed or told them to get cause I was tied up. The only exception would be ceremony having a few angles is nice, but that can easily be solved with creative editing.

[Clive McLaughlin]

Have to agree with the first response. Edit time for the Service is about two hours, edit time for speeches is less than an hour. Edit time for 5minute highlights is about an hour per minute if your lucky.

It still doesnt make sense to me how it takes that long but it does!

So for the extra money of a full package, I'm happy enough to do the full coverage.

[Andrew Maclaurin]

nice work tyler. i think your video shows that a wedding can be covered by one camera (i've been doing a different type of one camera wedding for years). i think it's a case of knowing what you are capable of doing and being able to sell that to your client. i try to offer all types of filming styles. if my client only wants 7 mins of glamour shots, then great. if they want doc style with 2 cams, great.
tyler, what camera and stablizer did you use? a guess you are shooting in 720p (if it's a canon). there are wee patches of moire for the pixel peepers but i imagine that your clients haven't noticed and are thrilled with the video. i was previously worry about using 720 on a dslr because of the moire but i'm begining to believe that it's not really a problem in most cases.

[Darren Levine]

+1 that it's not only possible, it's plenty marketable.

the one man highlight videos i do, i do for clients who have one word in mind: Fun

this particular client did also want a simple long form, so i gave them pricing to bring in a second videographer, and that was that

Jackie & Randy's Wedding Music Video Mix on Vimeo

[Evan Bourcier]

Travis!

I fall a little in the middle of everyone else here, my main product is a 15 minuteish highlight. I offer the full ceremony and speeches on a separate DVD, but they're far from the main deal. I've basically shot all the weddings so far by myself, with the exception of having a second person run a second camera during the ceremony. I did do one where I ran 2 cameras the whole wedding myself though.

I find most people like this time frame a lot, as it isnt so highlightish they feel like they're missing stuff, but it isnt so long you want to skip to the end halfway through. Contentwise once they do the full ceremony and speeches on a separate DVD you're giving probably 45-60 minutes of content, the speeches and ceremony are cake to put out though.

I don't offer the ability to make a 1-2 hour long full doc edit, so I guess you could say that I only offer highlights.

Example of a 15 minute highlight.

Kate & Court - Love Conquers All - Full Length on Vimeo

[Robert Benda]

We're very new but, so far, I've been creating 2 or 3 videos to deliver: 20-30 minutes; 10-12 minutes, but still with B&G and maybe parents in mind; and the 5 minute highlight for online. I simply start with the longer and end up with the shorter.

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi guys, amazingly I have only just discovered this forum, although as one of my hobbies is 3d video and photography, I belong to some other forums.

I have been a wedding videographer since 1986 and have always produced full length video docs. I specialise in low profile unobtrusive fly on the wall coverage and usually work very quickly with one camera, but can work with two or three if circumstances make it desirable. My wife is also a very accomplished wedding videographer so we can take on two weddings if needed, or an instant 2nd camera person.

I have occasionally edited a highlights video as an extra for a client, but have never offered it as a separate package. My clients invariably expect to have all of the ceremony and speeches included, although I have to say that at our last wedding show in January this year, we were asked by two couples whether we would make them a highlights version if they wanted one. 60% of our wedding work comes from direct or indirect recommendation, so presumably we are dictated to by our history to a large extent.

I hadn't really considered offering a short video as the main product, but reading this thread has given me food for thought.

Roger