Critique - my article on finding a good wedding videographer at DVinfo.net

Robert Benda · January 5th, 2014, 02:32 PM

I fired this off this morning and want some feedback and/or other ideas you think I should have included. I will be rereading it in the morning to help sort some of it out myself.

Finding a Good wedding videographer | RNB Weddings

I was hoping to give a good starting point for folks without going too in depth.

Adrian Tan · January 5th, 2014, 03:42 PM

That's fantastic! Comprehensive, structured, clear, neutral (ie not obviously favouring your own company or style). Frankly, it's better than any other "tips for finding a wedding videographer" that I've seen online!

Some quick thoughts:

1. The article is culturally specific. The main detail I'm thinking about is just the mention of average documentary length. So I'm instantly thinking, you know, Greek ceremony might be 60 minutes by itself; Chinese tea ceremony might add to length; Indian weddings could involve a two-hour ceremony and events over several days.

2. There's lots of other frequently asked bridal questions. I don't think you should try to pack the answer to every frequently asked question into the one article, but some things you might consider saying something about are:

-- "What's the difference between videography and cinematography?" (They very often ask this.)
-- "How many hours should I get the videographer for?" (They never really ask this, but it is one of the key things that differentiates videographers and videographers' packages.)
-- "Do I need one videographer, or two, or three?" (They never really ask, but, again, it's a package differentiator.)
-- "What should I be looking for in terms of the videographer's equipment?" I do get asked "What gear do you use?" quite a lot. I don't know that they care about the answer; maybe they just want me to look like I know what I'm talking about, or just want general reassurance that it's good gear. But I know that it's pretty easy, both for clients and for videographers, to think that equipment is the key thing that differentiates good from bad.
-- "Do you use lighting?" I very often get asked this.

3. Maybe you shouldn't say anything about this topic, but anyway... Surely one of the most important considerations when selecting a videographer is price. Perhaps you should indicate ballpark figures.

4. Another quick thought -- I'm pretty sure you'll disagree with me, but I'm unsure whether you should include the paragraph on copyright and music. I don't think it's something clients care about when choosing a videographer. And, personally, I don't think it's something they ought to care about.

Arthur Gannis · January 5th, 2014, 03:42 PM

Nice. Everything in my opinion seems to be covered, except one teenie weenie thing,
At the very end, the contract part.
At the very last word, the "etc." part
I think should include : Be willing to accept the fact that under unforseeable circumstances that the videographer cannot be present, the videographer will supply a qualified replacement.

I know that many videographers do not put this in their contracts as not to spook the clients but if and when some mishap happens, you wish that teenie weenie clause was in there to save your a#@.

Chris Harding · January 5th, 2014, 06:10 PM

Pretty much perfect Robert!

I wouldn't change anything actually. Contract terms should be discussed with the bride face to face and really don't start confusing them with cinematographer and tech terms like that. All they want is a nice video and not confusion over technical issues. A bride sees a wedding video as a wedding video ..and Rob is shooting it ...done and dusted.

Adrian? Rob, like me might stick with Westernised weddings as I call them and you are going to confuse brides when you start adding in cultural alternatives. It's often best to stick with your wedding profile and FAQ's all based and western weddings as ethnic wedding can be completely different for one to the next so there is seldom any standard.

Rob? It might be a good idea to get a few women to read it too so you get a future bride's slant on the article ...they might see it from a completely different perspective? I think it's covers all the bases but I would still ask a few ladies around "marrying age" to provide their input.

Chris

January 5th, 2014, 02:32 PM	#1
Robert Benda Trustee Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Crookston, MN Posts: 1,353	Critique - my article on finding a good wedding videographer I fired this off this morning and want some feedback and/or other ideas you think I should have included. I will be rereading it in the morning to help sort some of it out myself. Finding a Good wedding videographer \| RNB Weddings I was hoping to give a good starting point for folks without going too in depth.

January 5th, 2014, 03:42 PM	#2
Adrian Tan Trustee Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,149	Re: Critique - my article on finding a good wedding videographer That's fantastic! Comprehensive, structured, clear, neutral (ie not obviously favouring your own company or style). Frankly, it's better than any other "tips for finding a wedding videographer" that I've seen online! Some quick thoughts: 1. The article is culturally specific. The main detail I'm thinking about is just the mention of average documentary length. So I'm instantly thinking, you know, Greek ceremony might be 60 minutes by itself; Chinese tea ceremony might add to length; Indian weddings could involve a two-hour ceremony and events over several days. 2. There's lots of other frequently asked bridal questions. I don't think you should try to pack the answer to every frequently asked question into the one article, but some things you might consider saying something about are: -- "What's the difference between videography and cinematography?" (They very often ask this.) -- "How many hours should I get the videographer for?" (They never really ask this, but it is one of the key things that differentiates videographers and videographers' packages.) -- "Do I need one videographer, or two, or three?" (They never really ask, but, again, it's a package differentiator.) -- "What should I be looking for in terms of the videographer's equipment?" I do get asked "What gear do you use?" quite a lot. I don't know that they care about the answer; maybe they just want me to look like I know what I'm talking about, or just want general reassurance that it's good gear. But I know that it's pretty easy, both for clients and for videographers, to think that equipment is the key thing that differentiates good from bad. -- "Do you use lighting?" I very often get asked this. 3. Maybe you shouldn't say anything about this topic, but anyway... Surely one of the most important considerations when selecting a videographer is price. Perhaps you should indicate ballpark figures. 4. Another quick thought -- I'm pretty sure you'll disagree with me, but I'm unsure whether you should include the paragraph on copyright and music. I don't think it's something clients care about when choosing a videographer. And, personally, I don't think it's something they ought to care about.

January 5th, 2014, 03:42 PM	#3
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Critique - my article on finding a good wedding videographer Nice. Everything in my opinion seems to be covered, except one teenie weenie thing, At the very end, the contract part. At the very last word, the "etc." part I think should include : Be willing to accept the fact that under unforseeable circumstances that the videographer cannot be present, the videographer will supply a qualified replacement. I know that many videographers do not put this in their contracts as not to spook the clients but if and when some mishap happens, you wish that teenie weenie clause was in there to save your a#@.

January 5th, 2014, 06:10 PM	#4
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Critique - my article on finding a good wedding videographer Pretty much perfect Robert! I wouldn't change anything actually. Contract terms should be discussed with the bride face to face and really don't start confusing them with cinematographer and tech terms like that. All they want is a nice video and not confusion over technical issues. A bride sees a wedding video as a wedding video ..and Rob is shooting it ...done and dusted. Adrian? Rob, like me might stick with Westernised weddings as I call them and you are going to confuse brides when you start adding in cultural alternatives. It's often best to stick with your wedding profile and FAQ's all based and western weddings as ethnic wedding can be completely different for one to the next so there is seldom any standard. Rob? It might be a good idea to get a few women to read it too so you get a future bride's slant on the article ...they might see it from a completely different perspective? I think it's covers all the bases but I would still ask a few ladies around "marrying age" to provide their input. Chris