Wedding Trailers

[Jeff Cook]

Who here only does trailers? Most brides want everything. I have had the opportunity to just sell a wedding trailer. I shoot everything but use a fraction of what I have shot. It is so much faster to do it this way....I wish we could sell it to all the brides.

[Chris Harding]

I never do! I figure a movie trailer is made at great cost, to promote an upcoming film release, so the box office makes a fortune. I can see the justification in that but a wedding trailer????

I was under the impression that trailers were made to keep the bride from bugging you for the final version of her wedding if there was a substantial edit time. I deliver usually within a week so a trailer is pointless to "stall" the bride.

But hold on just a minute Jeff? You said the bride PAID for the trailer ? so it's on disk/usb and she keeps it?? Are you sure you are talking a trailer (like 2 minutes) and not a high light video??

I assumed trailers were mainly used to stall the bride on long edits or mainly to showcase your work

Chris

[Adrian Tan]

Hi Jeff, there was a photographer I used to work for who sometimes offered a trailer/highlights only. (Let's assume both words mean the same thing, and that it's 3-5 minutes set to music.)

I suppose it was a matter of upsell for a bride who wouldn't have got video otherwise. "Just pay $1000 extra, and we'll supply you with a beautiful short video as well."

(Don't know if it was $1000 extra, or what it was.)

[Chris Harding]

I have always considered a "trailer" as simply a teaser whereas a highlight video is a lot more and is actually (to me anyway) a short compilation of the wedding that brides can show off. A highlight is definitely a "sellable" product but honestly I cannot see why a bride would pay for a video that says "This is what you are going to get a bit later"

Chris

[Tim Bakland]

For me, the "trailer" or preview comes first (online), and then that is also including along with the Highlights/Running footage on the final discs.

The trailer serves a larger purpose than just being a teaser for the bride, though. It is a huge marketing tool. In fact, it's what most couples watch as they're shopping around, I'd think.

They're short, concise, and they (should) be the best example of your editing and style.

[Adrian Tan]

I think another thing to clarify is that what some people mean by "highlights" is more like 8-15 minutes, rather than 3-5 minutes set to music.

I've got a feeling this is what Tim means?

Also, what some people mean by "trailer" can be more like 30 seconds.

[Jeff Cook]

I usually do the 3-5 minute trailer. It is a great marketing tool, and I like the creative process. Many shots and nice editing can go along way. I would really like to focus mainly on trailers or highlight videos. It just seems to take a longer time for the long version. I am pretty quick, but I would love to just upload and deliver a trailer or highlight and move on to the next.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Jeff

I understand a trailer being the length of just one song but what do you include in your highlight video? I mean a little bridal prep (say 3 mins), the bridal arrival and vows (about 10 minutes) and then what? No speeches?? For a reception where you have already used up 13-15 minutes already before it starts what do you include in a few minutes??

Chris

[Tim Bakland]

Originally Posted by Adrian Tan

I think another thing to clarify is that what some people mean by "highlights" is more like 8-15 minutes, rather than 3-5 minutes set to music.

I've got a feeling this is what Tim means?

Yes! At least in my case, that's right. About 15 minutes is what my "highlights" comes out to. A preview or trailer is usually a short song or part of a song (2-3 minutes).

Chris: to answer what you were asking regarding time: (again, at least for me): I never really count minutes. I'm not charging the client for 10 minute highlights versus 15 minute highlights. It just usually ends up being around 15 minutes average. I definitely use the toasts (if they're any good), and generally cut them up so that short excerpts from the toasts are scattered throughout as a sort of frame or narrative. I tend not to stay strict to chronology-- I like to mix it up a bit and be a bit thematic. Not as a rule -- just to keep things a bit less predictable and more theme-oriented around a narrative structure.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Tim

I can relate to that now
A short 2-3 minutes teaser that the bride can see if your edit is likely to take a few weeks or more

I often don't get asked for highlights? I also don't offer them as part of a package but maybe I should
I have done a couple and it's a nice 15-20 minutes what I call a "synopsis" of the entire wedding so nothing is actually left out during the day just drastically shortened. Ideal to show your friends without making them sit down and watch the entire 100 minutes or so.

Just for interest, do you guys always include a highlight video as part of your deal? Maybe some brides don't book me because my competitors are including a highlight video??

It would be interesting to see if packages with an included highlights would be perceived as better value for money ...one would, of course, cost it in to a final price.

Does everyone include a highlight video or is it an optional paid extra??

Chris

[Adrian Tan]

One thing I'm curious about -- is there any real difference between a "15 minute highlights" and a "short form" video?

[Chris Harding]

My interpretation of a short form video and a highlight video would be one and the same. Even if it went to 20 or 30 minutes you are not going to include all the prelude to the actual vows part or include all the speeches either so surely they are much the same?

If you insist on making a highlight video out of chronological order then probably the short form would be in order but I couldn't see why one would do both a short form and a highlight?

Surely despite the short form/highlight the brides would still want another disk with the full ceremony and the full speeches anyway. I know my brides would but the only advantage for me would be I would still supply two disks ...one with the short form and the other with the full ceremony and speeches.

To me a short form would serve the same purpose, to show friends and family who don't want to sit thru the entire day?

What exactly do you supply brides, Adrian??

Chris

[Adrian Tan]

Hi Chris, what I supply brides varies a lot.

Until last week, I had an "a la carte menu" -- build your own package. Choose how many videographers, what sort of video you'd like edited (short form, long form, highlights, formalities only, even raw footage), and how you want it delivered (DVD, BluRay, USB, online download). The idea was: (1) to be able to appeal to budget clients as well as clients with more money to spend; (2) to make clients feel that they got exactly what they wanted and no more and no less.

Now I've structured it as five packages, including photo-only and photo-and-video options. Feedback on the build-your-own-package system was mixed. Some clients loved it, and chose me because of it! Others found it confusing. In the end, I kind of wanted to minimise time spent during the initial meeting discussing it, so packages seemed easier.

[Paul Mailath]

I always supply a highlights or short form so the couple don't bore people shitless. I also include ceremony & reception & bride & groom prep depending on the package. I've had 1 bride who wanted a highlights only but since I have to shoot for the day to get those highlights I don't see the point

[Chris Harding]

Dunno if you guys watch "Brain Games" on Foxtel but it has some very neat marketing info on how people make choices. Too many choices confuse them ..the perfect is supposed to be 3 so the client can make an easy choice ..if you have more then it's supposed to be better to drop those into a "options" section.

I have 4 packages which is supposed to be too much again but for each package I give a video price and a video + photo price .... sheesh start putting in number of shooters and all that and she will have a massive task deciding what to get.

Thanks Paul too ..so is your short form all part of the package? or you they pay extra for that? Do you include a little bit of the entire day on the short form or do you give the speeches a miss as they are included with the longer video?

I honesty would have thought that highlights would have the prep, then arrival and ceremony (just vows, rings and kiss) a photoshoot and then at the reception bridal entry, a condensed section of the speeches and then cake and a shorten first dance. On the longer form you give them the whole day I guess ?

To me that's extra work compared to just a long form as the short form is created from all the footage anyway but if the brides are happy that way and are prepared to pay more for a "more complex package" then that's more money per event. Maybe I shouldn't be lazy and do both and up my package prices?

Chris