Wedding Videographers have a lot of power. Out of the 16+ hours you’re awake on your wedding day, your wedding video will capture just a small portion of every single event that actually took place. Just as your brain selectively registers what it sees and hears, your videographer will discern what is important to record on your wedding day and what is not. This is necessary in order to make an interesting and meaningful film that you’ll want to watch over and over again.
What and how we choose to film your wedding day will greatly influence your memories in the years to come.
Below mentioned are 3 common approaches that we at AVS360 use to determine how and in what way your wedding day will be remembered. Understanding these approaches will help you understand how we will try to shape your memories of the wedding day itself. So before you give AVS360 the power to record your wedding, understand their style and what they’ll end up creating for you.
1: THE DOCUMENTARY APPROACH.
Documentary wedding videos focus on preserving a record of what your wedding day looked like. They are often the most affordable option for couples who want wedding video. Essentially, it’s a basic recording of your wedding day as it happens.
Priority is generally given to substance over style. This means you’ll get a full record of everything that happened on your wedding day. Less attention is given to making what happened to look beautiful on camera.
The final wedding film is normally set to a variety of music tracks.
Common Reaction: It’s great to have a record of what happened for future generations.
2: THE CINEMATIC APPROACH.
Due to recent developments in camera technology, wedding videographers now have the ability to capture moments with a very cinematic style. Great emphasis is placed on making moments look good as well as capturing what happened. We at AVS360 will often consider light, lens choice and camera movement to make the final film polished and of a high production value.
Films are usually shorter than a Documentary Video. This allows the videographer to be more creative and focus on just the important parts of the day. Films are not always edited in a chronological manner. This helps to keep the film a little less predictable and enjoyable to watch.
Due to the cinematic style films generally, focus on Effect over Affect. “Wow” shots are often sorted after to give the film great effect and production value. Focusing on effect will make your film visually stunning, however, less attention is given to how the film affects or moves the audience.
We often have a wide variety of gear to help create the cinematic look. This might include multiple DSLR style cameras, sliders, glide cams or gimballed stabilizers for dynamic moving shots. Drones are also becoming more popular to capture epic scenery and establishing shots. Drones with a camera have enabled the videographers to capture angles which were only possible for Hollywood budgets earlier.
Common Reaction: Wow, your wedding looked amazing. What a beautiful day.
3: The storytelling approach
Storytelling Filmmakers put story first. Although the final film can still look very cinematic, We at AVS360 are inspired more by the who, rather than the what.
Instead of just recording what the wedding day looked like, real effort is placed on capturing who you are as a couple. This approach ensures every wedding film is truly unique and personal to each couple, and AVS360 have a lot of testimonials to back the fine work that we always put in.
We know how to listen, ask the right questions and really get to know you as a couple. They’ll often go the extra mile to knit together a powerful story.
Emphasis is often placed on Affect over Effect. The goal of a good story is to affect you in some manner. There are a strong purpose and message within each film. Focusing on effect gives the film greater depth and meaning. Effect (or really awesome shots) are still great to have, as long as they contribute to the story being told.
Like a really good movie, Storytelling Filmmakers are few and far between. However, AVS360 is always available at your service.
Common Reaction. That film spoke to my heart. You are both so perfect for each other.
As videography is a creative medium there will always be a blur between these approaches defined above. It’s also important to view the consistency within a videographers approach or style as well.
Websites are great for enjoying someone’s best work, but try to find their Vimeo or YouTube page. Look to see how often they post films online and the quality of their week in-week out videos. This will give you a true measure of the quality and style you can expect from a videographer at your wedding.
The Wedding Video Industry has matured a lot in the last few years. There is now many options and approaches to suit every couple.
Do give us a chance to make your wedding a memorable one.
For more info call us at 202-203-8770 or visit www.avs360.com
