How to book a wedding video (marketing yourself)
Griffin had tried a bridal show and business cards, but most of his weddings come from word of mouth. There are over 100 guests at an average wedding, and chances are good that some of those guests will be getting married soon. If you can get one wedding on your reel, more will follow. Make sure everyone knows that you're a talented videographer who wants to shoot weddings.Great Wedding Videos Tell a Story
Short interviews with the bride and groom are a great way to capture their energy and the love they share. You can weave their voices from these interviews throughout wedding highlight videos.Setup Professionally
Allow about an hour before the ceremony to setup cameras and audio equipment. This provides enough time to ensure that everything is ready to record at a moment's notice, and sometimes this is all you have!Capture the Ceremony, Toasts, and Dances with Multiple Cameras
Use at least two cameras for the ceremony: a wide camera in the back and a close-up camera positioned on the right to show the bride's face. One you push record, don't stop until the end of your ceremony (or until your DSLR clip length limit is reached). This makes sound syncing much faster, because you'll only have to sync one time if all your cameras are continuously recording.
Be a Team Player
Introduce yourself to the other people working the wedding. You'll be interacting the most with the photographer, DJ, and wedding planner/coordinator. The photographer will be directing some great moments from the couple and bridal party. This is an opportune time to get some of the best shots of the day.Protect Yourself From Mistakes
- Bring extension cables so you won't run out of battery.
- Have three or more camera batteries (DSLRs burn through batteries quickly when shooting video)
- Bring enough memory cards for all your cameras so you are never hesitating to record.
- Bring a battery charger. (I have three batteries for my DSLR, but could have run out of battery power if I hadn't charged the second drained battery in the middle of the day.)
Capture as Much Audio as Possible
capture ambient audio to work into the wedding highlight video and long DVD film.Connect to the DJ's Sound Board
Bring all three audio cable types (XLR, 1/4", and RCA) so that you can connect to the sound system no matter which output is available.
Use Your Fastest Lens During the Reception to Capture Great Images in Low Light
Use an F/2.8 or faster lens to give your camera as much light as possible when filming indoor scenes during the reception.How to Edit
When Griffin Hammond was a wedding videographer, he took about 5 hours of raw video and cut it down to a 1 hour wedding film.Shots Don't Have to Be Perfect
"Even if your shots aren't perfect, you're capturing a beautiful day in two people's lives, so they will love watching the video you produce and reliving those moments." ~ Griffin HammondProfessional Quality Wedding Ceremony Audio Recording for $125
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