I'm interested in the topic of wedding videography and have some really basic questions.
- Where do you find your music?
- How should you dress while there?
- If you give the video to them via thumbdrive, do you still have your logo in that version of the video?
- Is your first and last name good enough as a logo?
- Who should you talk to, and should you just do everything quietly and in the background?
- Is it acceptable to eat food/cake?
Let me start by saying this. If you want to break into this business, bust your ass at this opportunity. Offer to shoot the getting ready and reception, in fact, insist on how important they are. Explain to them that a movie has a beginning middle and end and so should your wedding film. If they don't want to pay you, do it for free. There's less stress and expectation if you did it as a favor than when money is on the line.
Then deliver the best possible product you can. A 3-4 minute trailer with GOOD AUDIO is extremely important. Buy a recorder or two, zoom h1 and a lav mic. Shouldn't be more than $300 but these are your new best friends and you will use them forever. If you can afford it, buy a zoom h1 and tascam dr40. It can record two decibel levels so if one track peaks or is too loud, you can rely on the lower volume track. This will save you. Let me repeat myself. audio is 50% of a video. Don't screw it up. Mic the officiant at the ceremony, place another mic somewhere in the church. For the reception, put the dr40 on a light stand in front of the dj speaker and ask him to test levels. Bring headphones and listen and watch to make sure your recorder isn't peaking. You can eventually mic into the dj mixer but for a first timer, these tips are miles ahead of a lot of established videographers.
- Songfreedom or the music bed. Expect to pay 30-50 dollars for a license to a popular song. They have one Republic and other big names on Songfreedom
- Dress like you belong. I go dress shirt and tie. A nice Polo works too. Sometimes a suit jacket.
- You can include your logo at the end of the full length film. I usually do.
- Your name is fine for a logo.
- I usually approach it from a photojournalistic approach with minor direction. The unwritten rule is that the photographer is in charge. If you see something you want, ask for it. Move distracting things. Coordinate with your photographer and if you need the couple to repeat a move or action you can ask. If you're strapped for time, let the photographer do their thing and hang back.
- Yes we usually eat while there. We give them the option to feed us or give us a break to get food. They usually just feed us. Our rule though is no drinking alcohol. If anything happens to the video or files and you have to explain that to the couple, it makes it a million times more difficult if they saw you drinking and potentially being negligent.