List your top video producers in the Wedding industry?

[Noa Put]

Everything I see in Jason's video is put into scene, nothing is left up to chance, the same way you would do on a photoshoot. It's a style that works very well for demo purposes because you can create a perfect fake emotion that will sell very well to future brides that can relate to these "emotions" when they view the film, they all want their day to be like that as well and think the videographer can make that happen.

I have one trailer of a "high enenergy" wedding, lot's of stuff going on, fun couple, lot's of crazy friends (and a crazy/fun photog), meaningfull speeches, a special first dance and I didn't have to put anything into scene, just keep shooting to capture it all. It's also my favorite film to date but some months ago I show the trailer to a couple and they loved it and wanted their film to look like that, thing is, they have a small wedding with not that many invited, they have a church wedding with all strict church speeches, even their own vows are not personally written, just what the church provides, they don't expect any speeches at the venue and their first dance is like a slow on a tile where they don't move. So I tell them that I can't make the film look like the one I have shown as there is less to work with, they book me anyway but then the bride asks for tips later on to make her wedding look more like fun :)

In that case I am thinking of going Magbanua style and use the photoshoot a smuch as I can to put a lot into scene, just to have something "fake" to work with afterwards, not my way of shooting as I shoot documentary style but sometimes you need to please the client.

[Robert Benda]

Originally Posted by Clive McLaughlin

Hmmmm.... I'm not sure I like where this is heading. These videos whilst very impressive are beginning to drift further and further from reality.

If you are saying things like 'yea! like that, smile more, tilt your head a bit - ok now, lets go back up here and try that again' - surely you have crossed the line into creating some sort of marketing promo video for yourselves as the best couple ever.

LOL, I thought the entire point for a fair cross-section of people having a big wedding WAS the fantasy of it (Princess for a Day!) rather than the reality. :)

As long as the 'smile more' kind of direction isn't during the ceremony or first dance, I think of it just like a photographer's session. Glamour videography, so to speak. Get a couple of amazing portrait-style video clips, just like a photog might get when he does couple's pictures. Everybody wants to look amazing from time to time, and their wedding day is as good a day as any.

To know whether I'd take issue with anyone's work, I'd want to know more about what they actually deliver. A trailer or super-short form is definitely about the fantasy and is great to show off, both for the pro as a demo reel, and for the bride to her friends. I'm sure no one is confused about thinking that is the real story, except maybe a few guys wanting to start out and think that's all the bride wants. That doesn't mean I will dismiss it's value.

[Clive McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Robert Benda

LOL, I thought the entire point for a fair cross-section of people having a big wedding WAS the fantasy of it (Princess for a Day!) rather than the reality. :)

Its hardly fantasy - most people do it. Its a special occasion - the only time you will wear such a dress - but hardly fantasy - weddings are pretty common.

I guess its a cultural thing - but very few people in my country would go for something like this.

Joseph and Cheryll: Life in Slow Motion on Vimeo

I would imagine most peoples opinions would be 'How much do they love themselves?' or 'its all so setup!'.

But even as I type I know, photography does exactly that. I don’t know why - i just feel its more acceptable to be posed in photography.

For me, in my country I still believe that brides want their highlights to show the family home, the little details, the family members, the guests, the fun, the weather (if its good), the scenery.

People are proud of their day, and their choices, and their organisation and their family and friends. Some of these videos just seem a little too ego-centric.


Again, I stress, this is my experience, in my locality.



EDIT: Just to add, in my country - I'm sure that less than 1% of people would ever want a video of themselves slow motion kissing! Would you???

[Noel Lising]

You can call it a cultural thing. I have mentioned before in the Philippines, Videography is on top of the list. Book church, venue & then Videography. I was actually surprised when I moved to Canada years ago that Videography is an after though.

I also wonder what Jason's full wedding video will look like hence I was asking our colleauge Kren if he can sell me a copy.

[Peter Rush]

It's quite often an afterthought in the UK as well - coming way down the list after the photographer. Over the last few years however I have had a growing number of couples that have booked me, and then got a friend/relative for the photography as they saw video as more important for them - long may that trend continue :)

[Clive McLaughlin]

Videography here in NI splits opinions and is also an afterthought.

I'm always hearing 'I've been trying to convince my fiance' or 'my mum said we should probably get a video'.

And it also a lot of the time comes last on the list and on the basis of 'have we enough money left?'.

As a result I can quite often be taking enquiries for less than 6 months in advance.

I also wholeheartedly believe that most people that book me were going to not bother (based on traditional wedding videos in NI), and seeing the stellar work of my competitors and I changed their minds on wanting their day filmed.

[Leon Bailey]

Saw some good stuff in here. I'm not really a fan of the "produced" wedding film. I prefer things to happen more naturally. Definitely followed a few of the guys that had videos posted in here on Vimeo.

[Noel Lising]

I can now add Bob Nicolas on my list after seeing this Video. It has been awhile that a wedding film made my jaw drop

Echo and Kim on Vimeo

[Noa Put]

In that particular video it looks like a movi was used, that in combination with the jib, the copter for the areal shoots, their full frame camera's and a small team of operators has just raised the bar for high end wedding "cinematography". The only thing I do find lacking in their videos is good sound quality, especially when they are shooting brideprep, looks like they just use the onboard mic.They only charge about 3100 dollar for a 3 camera set up, 3 blu-ray discs, a 20-30 min summary, a same day edit and all raw footage unedited for 3 hours.This does include the flying shots I mentioned earlier as well.
Life seems to be very cheap on the Philippines...

[Noel Lising]

I do agree with the audio part. $3000 is quite expensive back there considering the minimum wage there is $ 350/month, that is a year's salary almost.

[Gabe Strong]

Originally Posted by Matt Thomas

I made a separate post earlier about "Cinematic" weddings, and I think there's some great trailers/highlights out there, but I've always wondered how their full DVDs of the weddings look, such as the full edit of the ceremony.

Really interested in this.

Believe it or not, some companies ONLY produce a 'highlights' film of the wedding day. In other
words there is no 'documentary' full length edit on their DVD. They are very popular in some locations.
Think of photography. Photography is capturing 'moments'...brides look through a photo album and
don't expect every second of their day documented. Yet they are willing to pay high price for photography.
Similarly lots of brides want something similar for their video. Something that everyone can sit and
watch and not get bored when it drags on into its 20th minute. Very high production values but shorter.

[Noa Put]

brides look through a photo album and don't expect every second of their day documented.

Here at least many do, they want to have a picture taken of every guest that enters the venue, they do that by giving them an empty photoframe which the guests have to keep in front of them. I also see much more photogs having to stay until the after the first dance, not because they want to, most don't, but because the clients are expecting them to cover every single detail, the general mood and they want as much as possible pictures.

Over the past 10 years I have seen a clear shift to "highlight" photography only to "I want to have it all" kind of photography which you can compare to a wedding documentary.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

It's quite often an afterthought in the UK as well - coming way down the list after the photographer......

Originally Posted by Clive McLaughlin

Videography here in NI splits opinions and is also an afterthought.....
And it also a lot of the time comes last on the list and on the basis of 'have we enough money left?'.....

This is something that's driven me nuts over the last few years. I'm sure most of you have had that phone call, "we're getting married on xyz date and weren't going to have a video so we've no budget left - how cheap can you do it"?

Or, "We weren't going to have a video, so can you do it for free / cheap and then we'll recommend you to all our friends"?

Or, "We weren't going to have a video and have no money left. The guy down the street says he'll do it for £200 but we really like your videos, can you match him on price"?

Or, "We don't need you there all day, we're getting ready at 2pm, married at 3:30pm, speeches at 6:30pm, first dance at 7pm (yeah, right!) and it's a weekday in winter (read: it will be really dark the entire time!) so you won't have any other work on that day, so can we get a 75% discount?

Or..... oh I'm sure you have lots of your own. I must have turned away at least 50 offers of work now from people who think they deserve special pricing just in the last 12-18 months, so someone out there is getting lots of work at stupid prices! I've even stopped trying to make them understand how much work goes in to a full wedding film because they're simply not interested, they just want it all 'cheap'.

As a result, wedding videos are way down my work priority list now. I hope for the rest of you it's picking up again nicely.

Getting more awesome videos out on to the forums where Brides go would probably help the idea of videos being a more important part of the wedding planning process in every country. How we collectively go about doing that is open to discussion.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Over the past 10 years I have seen a clear shift to "highlight" photography only to "I want to have it all" kind of photography which you can compare to a wedding documentary.

Which is really bizarre considering that nowadays every guest is also taking photos with the camera in their smartphone.

[Edgar Vasiluk]

Roland Mihalszky

Kata & Zsati Wedding Film 12'48" -Masterpiece of 2013- at the Lake Tata, Hungary on Vimeo

is my Top favorite videographer! His style is different. Very good on details and blending his footage with the music which is very important! Check his other videos.

After reading this thread I start following "Cinemaworks Wedding Art Film". They are very good as well. So thanks for sharing and creating this topic!