Helpful Video Shopping Advice
Advice from your closest friends is best
Careful with advice from strangers who promote the same groups of services every time and collect hefty payments.
Meet with the people who will do the actual work
Meeting only with a salesperson will get you promises that will not be kept
The “team approach” is more of a “risky approach"
“Teams” tend to change often as cameramen & editors move on due to low earnings. Also, it is much more desirable to have the original cameraman edit his own work rather than leave editing to a “team” or junior editors at low cost outside service.
Short demo videos do not tell the whole story
Short entertaining demos are usually exciting, fast paced and can hide the imperfections of the full length version. View full length samples instead, preferably on a large screen TV rather than a smartphone as all videos on tiny screens look good. Look for: sharpness, good facial colours, evenly lit scenes, flow, pleasing transitions, steady zooming speed, lack of graininess, thought behind the camera-work and listen carefully to the audio.
Styles vary, but detailed full event type coverage remains strong
Careful with samples of short videos with impressive intros & endings, view the important segments instead as they will make the most difference many years down the road.
The “flavour of the month” is rarely the one to choose
New low cost video hobbyists lack experience & reputation. Scrutinize all Videographers equally, don't fall for referrals from strangers, low prices & sharp salesmanship.
Keep in mind
Booking video through a photographer, caterer, DJ or any "all in one service" is very risky. Photography & video should not be booked from the same source, one of the two will be compromised. Do some homework as very few event videographers have the qualifications, technology and commitment required to do a proper job. Getting all your advice from one person is often risky.
Speedy completion
Waiting 6-12 months for editing is unacceptable, one month should be maximum. Some in our trade do go out of business unexpectedly!
Not all USBs & discs are created equal
Low end services use USBs & discs that are worth pennies. Careful with those who “throw in” multiple free copies, look at the content instead.
The High Definition Video evolution
Due to greatly improved image quality HD Video has become dominant. There are various levels of HD quality, the terms 8K, 4K & 1920 x 1080 are often misleading. Many lower cost services in our trade will be promoting various Hi-Def formats but they will be using the wrong “home type” small hand held cameras and smartphones for very responsible work. This is not the route to take. We've chosen the best & most up-to-date equipment for our trade.
Lighting
All professional videos require some added lighting to avoid shadows & dark faces common with novice and home made videos. Although much less lighting is now required for most modern cameras, most small HD cameras require extra lighting and look grainy in low light. Josh's latest camera is the most light-sensitive professional HD camera ever & requires no added lighting or just minimal lighting. Our HD images are full of detail, natural colours, brightness & clarity...graininess is history here.