Digital videography has come a long way since the days of 35mm films and has been capturing the memories of wedding couples for almost a decade now.
These days, almost every couple who has decided to tie the knot would be reluctant to do so otherwise without having a dedicated wedding videographer Kildare present on-scene. They invest heavily in decor, invitation card design, themed wedding venues, exotic locations, and even designer dresses just to preserve those movements in a cinematic docu-series, to be viewed later in the future.
Since wedding videography was merely considered a means of reliving the past, people would often choose to compromise on their wedding video budget disabling the videographer from trying something new at their wedding.
Fortunately, the times have changed, and today’s couples are now more familiar with the concept of cinematic wedding videos. Ever since people began hyping their weddings on social media platforms, running “Save the Date” campaigns, or releasing their wedding reels on YouTube, the demand for more professionally directed videos began rising.
However, even if an affianced couple decided to get a cinematic videographer to document their wedding, they would still feel confused as to what to ask of that person. Even though everyone consumed such videos over the internet, they remain unsure of what exactly to ask a videographer before rejecting them or locking them in for their wedding.
In a nutshell, there are two ways a hired videographer would approach shooting a couple’s wedding;
- Covertly move around the wedding and capture videos of the wedding couple without outside interruption.
- Direct the wedding party’s positioning to capture the best output.
Almost 100 years ago, people would have their wedding videos delivered on VHS tapes. Today the scene has changed, and hiring a good wedding videographer is not only a matter of knowledge but also an expense. Read the following to find out how to decide upon a good wedding videographer.
Why avoid the Basic?
This might sound condescending in a different context but quite applicable in the current one. Basic wedding video packages might be worth less than the money being paid for them. The videographer essentially explores the venue with a point-and-shoot attitude, and no prior plan of editing before the wedding commenced. As a result, the video is edited in an impromptu style leaving out dozens of important footage in the middle while adding gimmicky effects to the video. The client is essentially paying for a half-hearted video that fails to preserve the true essence of the wedding ceremony. It is highly recommended to sit with the videographer and thoroughly discuss their approach to the wedding.
Tips to Choose the Best Wedding Videographer in Kildare
- Hire from people you know: Weddings can take up much time and require dedicated coordination for everything to work out as planned. Most wedding videographers would have planned to prioritize all the primary scenes at the wedding, such as the bride and groom dressing up, walking down the aisle, reading their speeches, and finally, the reception dance.
To achieve a sense of harmony, it is best to hire videographers who are familiar with your interest, in which case approaching a friend is the best course of action. When appointing a separate photographer and videographer, it helps to ensure they know each other before finalizing.
- Find someone comfortable with the venue: During the haste of planning a wedding, it is possible to forget that cinematic videographers are often biased toward their artistic style. This involves having a preference for venue and setting. In which case they might not provide the best output when shooting outside of their comfort zone.
This makes it essential for the person hiring the videographer to first finalize a wedding venue, research the type of video captured at that venue, share that research with the videographer and ask for their suggestions. This would allow them to formulate a plan for the wedding, giving the person an opportunity to finalize the videographer.
- Hire a videographer with a unique style similar to your preference: The next important step, right after short listing several suitable wedding videographers, is to check their work and see whether their style matches the wedding party’s. The best approach to this is always going back to research.
Try watching a variety of different wedding films in Kildare (short ones preferably) and make a note of what catches your eye. Most often, videographers would display a preference for creating a collage of different moments from the wedding, including scripted moments between the bride and groom, while others would rely on adding music while focusing on cinematic angles.
This, however, does not establish a parody between the two mentioned approaches but rather creates a distinction on how videographers have their varying styles. In the end, the videographer who has been finalized should be the one with the most number of videos that matches the client’s preference.
- Opt for a local videographer: It is always a great idea to hire a videographer that has already worked in that location with the local vendors. It will ensure that the quality of the work will be up to the mark. To be precise, the videographer will know all the parameters, such as angles, optimum lights, and sunset time. All these factors are responsible for crafting a unique and creative video.
- Should have helping Assistantship: Hiring a solo wedding videographer may not be ideal if more than a hundred guests attend the wedding. It is not feasible for one individual to be in multiple places at once, no matter how motivated or convincing they sound. A videographer who does not delegate lacks the resources to cover the wedding. To be on the safe side, it is always preferable to hire a videographer in Kildare with a team of their own.
- Find someone willing to sit for budgeting: When it comes to affording a wedding video that genuinely touches the heart, money is not an effective measurement of quality. Unlike physical products like cakes or dresses, an individual’s skills are the only determinant of the quality they can provide.
Now for sure, asking for a demo is quite possible and should be done eventually. However, sitting with the videographer to discuss what they intend to provide can help decide what should be prioritized.
Videography is more a craft than a science, involving several factors that contribute equally to forming the final product such as prepping the shoot, high-quality gear and lighting, props and dressing, blocking zones, and so on. Knowing what is sufficient and what is extra is the goal here hence it is something the videographer should encourage themselves.