Questions to Ask Your Wedding Videographer
Many people find it difficult to select the best provider of wedding photography and videography services. They start with the portfolio, they meet the professional in person and they ask questions. There are numerous important questions to ask the wedding videographer in order to build rapport and trust. As a professional, you should be thoroughly prepared for such inquiries.
The wedding day is so very special and people don’t want to mess things up through the selection of the wrong service provider. Hence, you should give your potential customers an opportunity to communicate with you and get their questions answered. All wedding videographers should be prepared to answer some of the most common client inquiries.
Here are some of the most important questions to ask the wedding videographer and the type of information that clients would be anticipating in return.
What’s Your Videography Style?
That’s one of the first questions clients like to open up the conversation with.
There’s a simple reason behind the inquiry. Most people have a pre-conceived notion about their wedding. They can imagine the venue, the reception, the wedding dress and the party. They also have a clear concept of the wedding video. While clients tend to already have some idea based on your portfolio, it’s still essential to provide more details. Tell them about the styles you work with and show some samples. A visual explanation can be much more impactful, especially if prospects see something that they like.
As a professional, you may end this conversation with a question about what the client anticipates. Brides and grooms who can verbalise the wedding style they want will be providing you with a ton of beneficial information you can use during the work process.
What’s Your Experience and What Equipment Will You Use?
Some of the most important questions to ask the wedding videographer focus on the experience of the professional. Clients may also have some inquiries about the equipment you’ll use to give the best possible outcome. When answering such questions, understand the fact that most people aren’t well-versed in the technical side of things.
Keep the explanation simple and straightforward. You can highlight the number of years you’ve been in business, the qualification courses you’ve done or the investment in special kinds of equipment. Presenting equipment can be a bit tricky so do share something about the brand and the qualities of the respective camera or the lens you’re going to use. Tell people what types of videography the equipment is suitable for and once again – show some actual samples.
Do You Do Wedding Photography, As Well?
Planning a wedding can be really stressful. Most couples have to deal with dozens of things so they’ll be looking for opportunities to simplify processes. Very often, couples prefer to have one team handling wedding photography and videography.
Hence, you’ll probably be asked about the provision of photography services, as well. It’s really up to you to determine whether you’ll offer multiple solutions or specialised packages to your clients. If you don’t offer photography services, you may want to recommend someone you know.
What Is The Different Between Cinematography And Videography?
In recent times, more and more Wedding Videographer try to distinguish and claim themselves as Cinematographer. Technically, it may not be the correct term, however it all depends how you interpret or define Cinematography and Videography.
I personally think that the term Cinematographer is strictly for those who works in a film set, and Videographer is basically the person who capturing video. Therefore, technically speaking, the term Videographer is more accurate to describe the person who capture an event, such as wedding. However, aesthetically modern Wedding Video is pretty much a short film of a wedding. Therefore, there is nothing wrong by claiming to be Wedding Cinematographer, as generally they produce short film of the wedding they shoot.
In saying that, there are lots of great wedding production company that call themselves Wedding Videographer that is as good (aesthetically) as wedding production company that call themselves Wedding Cinematographer. What more important is the work that they do suits your style and taste, whether they claim to be Wedding Cinematographer or Wedding Videographer.
How many videographers do I need to capture my day? Will the videographer(s) be unobtrusive on the day?
Filming a wedding is always a fine balance between capturing the shot and being as unobtrusive as possible, especially during formality. As much as we want to get the best angle or the best framing, we also don’t want to block the view of your parents when you exchange vows.
Therefore, I think two videographers are enough for most weddings. I myself normally shoot alone, with two cameras during most formalities if possible. One unmanned on the tripod, one roam around with me to get the different angles and reaction shots. We also try our best to be as discreet as possible. This is again to ensure that we won’t disrupt the most important moment in your life.
How did you get started filming weddings? How long have you been in the weddings industry?
You want to know how many years of on-location experience a wedding videographer has on the resume. Experience is everything. Find out how long the videographer has been editing wedding videos and if they continually train themselves and/or their staff. Asking about his or her industry connections ensures that a videographer values working with others as a team of wedding professionals. He/she should have an excellent reputation among other local wedding vendors. A seasoned pro easily answers this starting question.
How do you handle the music for the wedding film?
Does the videographer license music or just use stock sound. Will you be able to choose the music? You do not want to hate the music placed over/used in your film.
What package is best for me?
Have a little peek at what packages are available, see what works within your budget. Find out if your can upgrade at a later date to a bigger package. This is also your chance to get informed on what the packages include, are there extra fees for travel and accommodation etc.
How many hours will you be there?
This ties in with packages, if your videographer is going to be there for set hours, are you fitting everything you want captured into those hours? You may need to book them for extra hours if not. Also keep in mind things can easily run over time on your day.
How long do I need to schedule in for portraits sessions
Each videographer will be different, most usually follow the photographers lead on this, but some may want to stage things separately. Double check with each of them to work out how much time you’ll need to schedule in for portraits. This is our favourite part of the day, so we always suggest to leave between half an hour to an hour. We find the day is such a rush, that our clients really enjoy this downtime part where they get to soak each other in (and make out lots obvs).
What details do you need from me?
We basically need to know where we’re going and what time we need to be there. A plan of the day is essential! It’s important to keep your videographer informed on shots that are important to you too. There is no such thing as too much information.