How to Choose the Right Photographer and Videographer for Your Wedding
Finding good vendors for your wedding (like caterers, DJs, etc.) can be a challenge. For both of our upcoming family weddings, we are utilizing the services of wedding planners to make the process go more smoothly and keep our sanity. I’m not an expert on event planning, so I’m happy to release control to those who are – but when it comes to anything photo-related, or the best ways to tell the story of the big day, I have lots of opinions!
Why You Should Hire Separate Companies to Handle Photography and Videography
These days, we have the technology to capture photos and video of your event – and I recommend doing both. If you have the funds to do so, I recommend leaving room in your budget for a photographer and a videographer.
My Best Tips for Hiring the Perfect Wedding Photographer
Here’s a list of questions and things to think about when you are screening wedding photographers: Check out the photographer’s style in advance. Get examples of his work, and see if each wedding seems unique and personal. Most well-established photographers have websites these days, so having a high-quality site with a solid portfolio is a good sign.
Ask about costs upfront. Of course, you want to make sure the photographer’s services are within your budget. You do want to make sure you get a high-quality photographer, though, since it’s such an important choice, so you may need to make adjustments to your budget so that you can hire someone who will do a great job for you.
How to Choose and Hire the Best Videographer
As the latest statistics and research continue to hammer home the fact that video content is a critical component of every business’ content marketing campaign, marketing departments all over the world are scrambling to find professional videographers to fill this gap and bring their company’s content marketing strategy up to speed. Video content is a creative and engaging way to help your company stand out from the competition and a professional video production company can create video content that can be of considerable value to your business. At SteadyTake, we specialize in assembling the most qualified creative team for your video project, including skilled videographers, editors and creative support as needed. We pride ourselves on doing everything we can to ensure that our clients get what they are looking for in a video production company and we offer reasonably priced packages for a wide variety of video production needs, from entry-level packages to premium packages.
Tips for Hiring a Video Production Company
Unless you have hired a videographer or video production company before, you may not know what to expect from the process, how to prepare for it or how to know what is a fair price for the work you want. For many people, hiring a videographer to produce videos for their business may seem like a daunting task. There are countless video production companies out there offering a wide range of services that vary a great deal in price and they all promise to deliver high quality, professional video content. So how do you know that the video production company you hire will create video content that effectively markets your business?
Don’t settle for anything less than quality
Video marketing has become one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses today and finding creative ways to market your business using quality, engaging video content is the most productive way to stay competitive in today’s market. The best way to ensure that the videos you are producing are of the highest quality is to hire a professional video production company with extensive experience and a vast network of creative talent. At SteadyTake, we are a team of more than 1,000 professional, vetted videographers and editors nationwide and our specialists produced more than 1,000 videos in the last year alone.
Keep your video destination in mind
Before you hire a video production company, you should consider where your videos will ultimately live. If you are planning to post the videos to YouTube and your website, they can be longer than two minutes depending on the content and your specific purpose for producing them. However, if you plan to share them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you will need to tailor the content to suit viewers’ shrinking attention spans. According to research, Instagram videos that average 26 seconds receive the most comments, while top-performing Twitter videos average 43 seconds. Facebook audiences appear to engage the most with videos that are one minute long, while YouTube users prefer longer, in-depth content in the form of two-minute videos.
Look at the company’s recent work
A demo reel is a great way for a video production company to show what it can do, but looking at a prospective videographer’s more recent work will give you a better idea of what you can expect on your video project. If you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, don’t be afraid to ask for more. You don’t want to miss out on working with a great videographer just because you didn’t see what you were looking for in the demo reel or in recent projects.
Tips for Shooting Event Video and Photography at the Same Time
Consider the following advice for recording video and taking photos (at the same time) before shooting your next live event.
On paper, it makes perfect sense. You have a nice, multipurpose, digital camera with great video recording and photography capabilities. On top, there is a simple button to quickly switch between the two. You’ve probably already attended an event and shot either video or photos, which seems pretty straightforward. So, how hard could it be to just shoot both?
The Right Camera and Gear
First off, you’ll need a good multi-purpose camera that can easily switch between photography and video modes. And given the situation, it should be a good camera for both. Personal preference is important here. It doesn’t really matter if you prefer DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, the key is to find the right camera for your needs.
Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Personally, I feel like I’ve always been an unusual photographer/videographer because I feel stronger shooting video than photos. Often, photographers are looking to add video to their coverage. In which case, this is a great resource.
Video Loves Motion
Also, when deciding when to shoot video over photography, a general rule is to decide what looks good in motion versus static. Video loves motion. Yes, it may be a little harder to set the focus and adjust on the fly. However, consider the situation. If there is something interesting going on that is in motion, say a first dance or a popping champagne bottle, always go for video.
Photography Appreciates Static
Meanwhile, for photography, I’d look for more static situations. Obviously, shooting event photography requires singling out groups of people and getting them to turn, smile, and pause — photography is simple and elegant. There’s no need to record people awkwardly waiting for a flash.
Tips for Shooting Live Stage Events
Thinking about shooting a live event? Here are 14 things you need to remember.
For videographers, a live event can be an exhilarating experience that pushes you outside of your creative comfort bubble… but if you’re not careful, a seemingly insignificant technical error can ruin the entire video. Don’t let this happen to you! Here are 14 tips for shooting your next big live event.
Pick a Style
Before you shoot a live stage event, do some research into what you want the look and feel of your video to be like
While they may be the most popular lecture series in the world, TED talks are surprisingly simple when it comes to shooting style. Most TED talks consist of a few cameras on tripods with a master camera. It’s all pretty stationary, which is not a bad thing.
Most modern live events consist of a mixture of tripods, shoulder rigs, cranes, and sliders. These events can become incredibly complicated to edit in post (or direct live). But when done well, a mixed-camera shoot can bring a lot of life to an otherwise boring event.
Sometimes your client will only want a “highlight reel” of the live event and not the entire event itself. This is your opportunity as videographer/filmmaker to show off your cinematography skills. Good event highlight videos will feature complex movements. It’s also more common to see highlight videos shot on DSLRs instead of more traditional video cameras.
Wedding Video Tips: Choosing A Wedding Videographer
Wedding videography has provided the bride and grooms nowadays the opportunity to have produced a marvelous video documentary of their wedding. Today’s couples invest in selecting the ideal reception venue, bridal flower bouquets, wedding cakes, wedding ceremony decorations, invitations, wedding dress and possibly end on that checklist is the wedding videos. But wedding videography should not be neglected because it preserves the memoir of the wedding celebration.
Actually, there are two options to record virtually every significant event in a person’s lifestyle. Through wedding photography and videography, all the stuff you wish to recall a decade in the future like the laughters and tears, the fun times with your bridesmaids and best man, and all that jazz. The wedding photographer has to direct and pose the couple and their guests to be able to position those worthwhile wedding album images. The videographer, alternatively, has to blend on the background and record additional informal scenes like a ninja!
Wedding Video Styles
Documentary Video Style – reveals the events as it happen continuously right from the start through the end of the wedding.
Cinematic Video Style – filmed and edited to represent the captured wedding videography as a movie film that includes special effects like black and white film, slow motion, or additional sound track.
Traditional Video Style – a compilation of various shots inside the wedding without any editing involve.
Tips in Choosing A Wedding Videographer
Your videographer should be ready to frame an incredible scene, and change things around from wide angle shots to close-up macro and not merely a series of extended shots panning across the whole room
An essential part of the video service is the editing of the raw footage to put together breathtaking sequence. Video editing generally includes taking off the extra unwanted scenes. Your wedding is transformed into a narrative story in a very different light. The combination of creative concepts, high-end equipment, and artistry will bring out the beauty of your wedding event celebration. You may want to include a voice over incorporated in the post production phase with striking music or some special effects that enhances a significant wedding ceremony in one’s life.
