On August 17th I will be one of the many vendors at the Knoxville Premier Bridal Show. I hope that many of you will be attending the show. It is a great place to start planning your wedding and I want to help you get started. I have five general admission tickets to give away, so for the first five people who contact me by email I will provide you one of these tickets. This is a $12 value. I will base the first five on the time stamp on the emails I get to mmproductions@comcast.net with the phrase "Wedding Show Give Away".
I look forward to hearing from you all soon.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sara & David
This past weekend I was lucky enough to video Sara & David's wedding. It a very sweet wedding. Both the bride and groom were great to work with and they had a lot of fun at their reception. It seems every wedding I work I see a new element of the wedding. This weekend was no different. Sara & David signed their wedding license during the ceremony. It was a great moment to see. Most times the license is signed at the reception at a private moment.
I also saw a new event at the reception. I found out that this is something that is done in Canada and I really liked the idea behind it. In Canada, after the bride and groom cut the cake they serve the cake to their guest. ALL their guest. In the states we cut the cake and either let the guest come and get their own cake, or we have the caterer serve it. But, this new way allows the bride and groom to meet their guest and spent a moment or two with them.
I wish Sara & David the best and I thank them for allowing me to be a part of their special day.
I also saw a new event at the reception. I found out that this is something that is done in Canada and I really liked the idea behind it. In Canada, after the bride and groom cut the cake they serve the cake to their guest. ALL their guest. In the states we cut the cake and either let the guest come and get their own cake, or we have the caterer serve it. But, this new way allows the bride and groom to meet their guest and spent a moment or two with them.
I wish Sara & David the best and I thank them for allowing me to be a part of their special day.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Reasons to have a wedding video
Let's play a game. Close your eyes if you will for a moment (just pretend because if you really close them you won't be able to read this) and I want you to think back. Think way back to last year, 2007. Go back to this date in 2007 and I want you to think about what your were doing this time last year. Are you with me? Good, now tell me what you had for dinner that day.
Can't do it can you? Of course not, most of us have a hard time remembering what we did last week much less what we had to eat a year ago. Think of all the phone numbers, fax numbers, passwords, PIN numbers we have running through our heads these days. I heard someone on the radio, the other day, say if was not for his cell phone he would not know his mothers phone number. I have speed dial on my BlackBerry and I use it every day. But still, it is hard to remember things from a long time ago. A year is a long time to try and remember something. Try remembering something from 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years ago. Almost impossible isn't it? So, it blew my mind about a week ago when I was reading an article in a trade magazine that said almost 75% of brides do not remember many of the details of their wedding a week later. 75%!
Think about it, this is a day you are spending weeks, if not months, planning every single detail. The flowers, the dress, the food, the music, even the location. All this planning and a vast majority of you will forget it (or most of it) within a week.
"Oh, I have pictures" I heard someone yell out there. Yes, you will have pictures of the day. You will have a lot of pictures of that day and they will bring back a lot of those memories, but look at this:
That is the best wedding dance I have ever seen. It was fun to just watch even though I didn't know the couple. But, let's think about something for a minute. What if they didn't have a video taken of that dance? Mind you the video was from a hand held camcorder and the audio is not very good. But let's say there was no video of that dance. Do you think the pictures would have captured that moment? Go back and watch the video again but this time hit the pause button at some point. Did you do that? Look at it, that is the only image you would have of that moment and you are going to try and remember the other 7:30 minutes of that dance from just that one picture.
Ok, I know what you are going to say, "my photographer said that they were going to capture all the special moments". Ok, great, now lets do some math, this will be fun. First a fact, there are 30 frames of video per second. Keep that in mind as we do this together. In that 7:30 minute video there are 450 seconds, multiply that by 30 frames per second and you get 13,500 frames or pictures to get all that moment. That means your photographer would have to shoot 13,500 pictures and you have to store those pictures for the rest of you life to remember that one dance. Not to mention that will be no music or crowd noise in the background to give you that emotion you felt that day.
You see, a professional videographer is going to know how to not only capture that dance you saw, but how to tap into the music and put it on your video so that not only will you see the dance, you will hear the music just they way it was played that day. You will hear every word spoken, every sound right down to the birds singing if you are having an outdoor wedding. You will see your wedding they way all your guests saw your wedding. You will get to relive those moments over and over again for years to come. If you read my post from yesterday, you know that each one of those brides are going to be able to relive that day. They are going to be able to see and remember everything for years and years. So, when someone asks them what they did on their wedding day, all they have to do is pull out their DVD.
Can't do it can you? Of course not, most of us have a hard time remembering what we did last week much less what we had to eat a year ago. Think of all the phone numbers, fax numbers, passwords, PIN numbers we have running through our heads these days. I heard someone on the radio, the other day, say if was not for his cell phone he would not know his mothers phone number. I have speed dial on my BlackBerry and I use it every day. But still, it is hard to remember things from a long time ago. A year is a long time to try and remember something. Try remembering something from 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years ago. Almost impossible isn't it? So, it blew my mind about a week ago when I was reading an article in a trade magazine that said almost 75% of brides do not remember many of the details of their wedding a week later. 75%!
Think about it, this is a day you are spending weeks, if not months, planning every single detail. The flowers, the dress, the food, the music, even the location. All this planning and a vast majority of you will forget it (or most of it) within a week.
"Oh, I have pictures" I heard someone yell out there. Yes, you will have pictures of the day. You will have a lot of pictures of that day and they will bring back a lot of those memories, but look at this:
That is the best wedding dance I have ever seen. It was fun to just watch even though I didn't know the couple. But, let's think about something for a minute. What if they didn't have a video taken of that dance? Mind you the video was from a hand held camcorder and the audio is not very good. But let's say there was no video of that dance. Do you think the pictures would have captured that moment? Go back and watch the video again but this time hit the pause button at some point. Did you do that? Look at it, that is the only image you would have of that moment and you are going to try and remember the other 7:30 minutes of that dance from just that one picture.
Ok, I know what you are going to say, "my photographer said that they were going to capture all the special moments". Ok, great, now lets do some math, this will be fun. First a fact, there are 30 frames of video per second. Keep that in mind as we do this together. In that 7:30 minute video there are 450 seconds, multiply that by 30 frames per second and you get 13,500 frames or pictures to get all that moment. That means your photographer would have to shoot 13,500 pictures and you have to store those pictures for the rest of you life to remember that one dance. Not to mention that will be no music or crowd noise in the background to give you that emotion you felt that day.
You see, a professional videographer is going to know how to not only capture that dance you saw, but how to tap into the music and put it on your video so that not only will you see the dance, you will hear the music just they way it was played that day. You will hear every word spoken, every sound right down to the birds singing if you are having an outdoor wedding. You will see your wedding they way all your guests saw your wedding. You will get to relive those moments over and over again for years to come. If you read my post from yesterday, you know that each one of those brides are going to be able to relive that day. They are going to be able to see and remember everything for years and years. So, when someone asks them what they did on their wedding day, all they have to do is pull out their DVD.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A time to reflect and a time to relax
The month of May has been a whirlwind of weddings. Except for our quick trip to Disney, I have been in the depths of weddings of all types. The traditional wedding is no more, from what I have seen. Brides are doing their weddings their way, with their own style, so nothing is out of the norm these days. Our climate and beautiful surroundings make outdoor weddings very popular and I have done my fair share of those this year and I have enjoyed each and every one.
First up was Julie and Brandon. What a great couple they were to work with. I have known Julie for a while before her wedding as she helped treat my daughter for a while. Julie and Brandon got married in a historic Catholic Church here in Knoxville that posed a great challenge for me. I could not be up on the altar during the ceremony, according to the rules of the church, so the only way I could get a shot of the bride coming down the aisle was to be down on my knees.. It ended up being a really great shot of her and her dad walking down the aisle. The reception was at the Foundry, which is a very nice place to have a reception. The whole day was great. Here is a photo of Brandon and Julie:
The next wedding was a very wonderful young lady, Keeli and her groom Mark. They are both from Georgia, so everything I did with them was through email and my wedding planner Brenda. They had their wedding at a simply beautiful location on her Aunt and Uncle's property. They spent months and months to get the grounds just right. They had a huge (and I do mean HUGE) pond put in, new grass, several flower gardens just for this wedding. In fact, I found out that the whole project was finished 3 weeks before the wedding. Talk about timing. Mark is a state trooper in GA (I hope he gives me a break one day... LOL).
Other than the fact it was an outdoor wedding, the biggest difference between Keeli's wedding and Julie's, is that Keeli saw Mark before the wedding. This is becoming a common thing with brides today. That goes with the whole tradition thing being gone. It was a very sweet and special moment when they saw each other. Most brides see the groom when walking down the aisle. There are lots of people around and loud music playing so you don't get a lot of the emotion you would get when two people who love each other see one another for the first time and it is just them (with two photographers and two videographer around).
This reception went well into the night since it was a private property out in the country. I got this really great shot of the full moon that night. Here is Keeli and Mark:
Kristi was next up in May with a small wedding in Morristown. Her new hubby, Craig, is the youth minster at the church they got married in. This was a church that reminded me of the church I grew up in. A small Baptist church out in the country where everyone knows everyone else. A friend did the catering at the house behind the church. The great thing about this wedding was the entire church community turned out to see this one. There was standing room only for the ceremony and I thought that was simply beautiful. Here is this small church out in the country that had the entire membership and then some come out to support this couple. The reception here was very small, only about 2 hours long. I was home before it got dark, that was really a strange feeling for me on a Saturday night.
My next and longest wedding for the month of May was Abbey and Stephen. They picked the Maple Grove Inn and I have to tell you, they could not have picked a better day for it. It was a little warm and a small storm came close to the ceremony, but the rain held off the entire time. I have not had much of a chance to look over everything, but most of the footage looks wonderful. Abbey is a kindergarden teacher and did her student teaching with my daughters 1st grade teacher the year before Katie went into the 1st grade.
They had a great band playing at the reception and it was so much fun to watch everyone have a great time. I had a little problem come up on this wedding. You see, most times at the end of a reception, the bride and groom leave by a car or limo. But Abbey and Stephen were staying at the Inn that night, so I was going crazy trying to figure out how to get the a departure shot to end the wedding. Then it hit me (man, I am good)! I had the bride and groom enter the front of the Inn, walk up to their room and kiss each other as the door closes on them. I watched it, and it is great. I am so thrilled with that shot and can't wait for them to see it.
The last wedding I had was this past weekend was with Laura and James down in Ethowa (50 miles from here) with the reception in Athens (another 13 miles from the church). This was just a fun wedding to do. The mother had set up a 30 minute music prelude that she wanted to be sure we got, and we did. It was also at a baptist church, but a bit bigger, but again a large number of guests came out to support this couple. The bride and groom were great to work with, they were very receptive to every thing I wanted them to do and had smiles on their faces the whole day.
The reception was held at a city park in a wonderful pavilion and was catered by the minsters wife. Now, since this was a baptist wedding not many people danced, but the wedding party really did kick up their heels for most of the night.
I can't pick one wedding as a favorite, they each have something special that makes them stand out from the other. Some were indoors, some outdoors. Some brides saw the groom before the wedding, some didn't. Some had a small budget, others had a huge budget. But the thing that brought them all together was a love that knew no bounds. Each wedding reflected the couple, each reflected their style and taste. Traditionalist may look at some of these weddings and scratch their heads and wonder what each couple was thinking, but I think it each one was great because it was what that couple wanted to show their love for each other.
Seventeen years ago this December my wife and I got married in a small church here in Knoxville. We had a very small budget, but it was a very special night for us. My grandmother was there that night (the last time I would see her alive) and I was told later by my cousin that she left the church convinced that we were not married. My cousin asked her why she thought that and my grandmother, being an old fashioned baptist woman that she was, said: "Well, they had a female minster and a male vocalist. That was just completely backwards." Memaw, it may have been backwards, but it meant the world to us.
First up was Julie and Brandon. What a great couple they were to work with. I have known Julie for a while before her wedding as she helped treat my daughter for a while. Julie and Brandon got married in a historic Catholic Church here in Knoxville that posed a great challenge for me. I could not be up on the altar during the ceremony, according to the rules of the church, so the only way I could get a shot of the bride coming down the aisle was to be down on my knees.. It ended up being a really great shot of her and her dad walking down the aisle. The reception was at the Foundry, which is a very nice place to have a reception. The whole day was great. Here is a photo of Brandon and Julie:
The next wedding was a very wonderful young lady, Keeli and her groom Mark. They are both from Georgia, so everything I did with them was through email and my wedding planner Brenda. They had their wedding at a simply beautiful location on her Aunt and Uncle's property. They spent months and months to get the grounds just right. They had a huge (and I do mean HUGE) pond put in, new grass, several flower gardens just for this wedding. In fact, I found out that the whole project was finished 3 weeks before the wedding. Talk about timing. Mark is a state trooper in GA (I hope he gives me a break one day... LOL).
Other than the fact it was an outdoor wedding, the biggest difference between Keeli's wedding and Julie's, is that Keeli saw Mark before the wedding. This is becoming a common thing with brides today. That goes with the whole tradition thing being gone. It was a very sweet and special moment when they saw each other. Most brides see the groom when walking down the aisle. There are lots of people around and loud music playing so you don't get a lot of the emotion you would get when two people who love each other see one another for the first time and it is just them (with two photographers and two videographer around).
This reception went well into the night since it was a private property out in the country. I got this really great shot of the full moon that night. Here is Keeli and Mark:
Kristi was next up in May with a small wedding in Morristown. Her new hubby, Craig, is the youth minster at the church they got married in. This was a church that reminded me of the church I grew up in. A small Baptist church out in the country where everyone knows everyone else. A friend did the catering at the house behind the church. The great thing about this wedding was the entire church community turned out to see this one. There was standing room only for the ceremony and I thought that was simply beautiful. Here is this small church out in the country that had the entire membership and then some come out to support this couple. The reception here was very small, only about 2 hours long. I was home before it got dark, that was really a strange feeling for me on a Saturday night.
My next and longest wedding for the month of May was Abbey and Stephen. They picked the Maple Grove Inn and I have to tell you, they could not have picked a better day for it. It was a little warm and a small storm came close to the ceremony, but the rain held off the entire time. I have not had much of a chance to look over everything, but most of the footage looks wonderful. Abbey is a kindergarden teacher and did her student teaching with my daughters 1st grade teacher the year before Katie went into the 1st grade.
They had a great band playing at the reception and it was so much fun to watch everyone have a great time. I had a little problem come up on this wedding. You see, most times at the end of a reception, the bride and groom leave by a car or limo. But Abbey and Stephen were staying at the Inn that night, so I was going crazy trying to figure out how to get the a departure shot to end the wedding. Then it hit me (man, I am good)! I had the bride and groom enter the front of the Inn, walk up to their room and kiss each other as the door closes on them. I watched it, and it is great. I am so thrilled with that shot and can't wait for them to see it.
The last wedding I had was this past weekend was with Laura and James down in Ethowa (50 miles from here) with the reception in Athens (another 13 miles from the church). This was just a fun wedding to do. The mother had set up a 30 minute music prelude that she wanted to be sure we got, and we did. It was also at a baptist church, but a bit bigger, but again a large number of guests came out to support this couple. The bride and groom were great to work with, they were very receptive to every thing I wanted them to do and had smiles on their faces the whole day.
The reception was held at a city park in a wonderful pavilion and was catered by the minsters wife. Now, since this was a baptist wedding not many people danced, but the wedding party really did kick up their heels for most of the night.
I can't pick one wedding as a favorite, they each have something special that makes them stand out from the other. Some were indoors, some outdoors. Some brides saw the groom before the wedding, some didn't. Some had a small budget, others had a huge budget. But the thing that brought them all together was a love that knew no bounds. Each wedding reflected the couple, each reflected their style and taste. Traditionalist may look at some of these weddings and scratch their heads and wonder what each couple was thinking, but I think it each one was great because it was what that couple wanted to show their love for each other.
Seventeen years ago this December my wife and I got married in a small church here in Knoxville. We had a very small budget, but it was a very special night for us. My grandmother was there that night (the last time I would see her alive) and I was told later by my cousin that she left the church convinced that we were not married. My cousin asked her why she thought that and my grandmother, being an old fashioned baptist woman that she was, said: "Well, they had a female minster and a male vocalist. That was just completely backwards." Memaw, it may have been backwards, but it meant the world to us.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A Magical Place and a Magical Time
Last week I took a bit of a break and packed the family up and headed off to Disney for a couple of days. Yes, that is me on one of the rides and yes, we had a great time. A little too hot and a little too crowded, but we still had fun.. Our daughter had a great time and there is nothing like watching the joy on a 9 year olds face as she rides a roller coaster (in some cases for the 8 or 9th time).
Even on a short little vacation, I am never far from thinking about my work or about my brides. I take a great interest in each one. I want to make sure that they are always able to get in touch with me no matter where I am or what time it is. I was thinking about that one day while in Disney and I saw this couple that either had just gotten married or were about to be married. The had on mouse ears that had a veil for the girl and a black top hat for the guy. Now, I don't know if it was the heat of the day or if they had their first argument, but neither of them looked very happy. I know that it is impossible for two people to be happy all the time, but I work hard to provide them with a chance to remember how happy there were on their special day.
I get such a rush from knowing that I am creating something that you can watch over and over again for years to come. Right now, there could be a couple I did a wedding for 3 or 4 years ago sitting down and watching their wedding video that I created for them and they are laughing at the moment their best man was dancing with the brides mom, or watching the kids try to dance the Electric Slide. You see, you only have once chance to capture that special moment, one chance and one chance only. Do you want to trust that cousin Bill with his handy camcorder will get that special moment? This is one of the many reasons why I tell brides that you NEED a professional videographer for your wedding.
So many times I hear them say, "we have a family member who has a video camera and they are going to tape it for us", or "we don't have it in the budget for a videographer". I so wish that I could re-visit those brides a year after their wedding and see if they like cousin Bill's video of their wedding or if they wish now that they could go back and see grandma dance one last time? Or better yet, if they even remember anything about the wedding itself.
Did you know that almost 90% of brides say they don't remember anything from their wedding day. They are so busy with all that is going on or are so nervous about everything that they don't take time to enjoy what is going on around them. Why spend, in some cases, thousands of dollars for a day you won't remember? As a professional wedding videographer, I will work with you on your budget, I will work with you on your special day to make sure that 5 years from now, you can look back and remember how happy and magical your day was.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Goal and Must-Have-Shots
When I started booking wedding in January and saw that May was going to be a packed month I knew that I had April to get the March weddings finished and out the door. In my last blog I said I had one down and one to go. Yesterday I met my goal and mailed out the finished video for my second March wedding. This wedding was the biggest wedding I had done to date. The video is over an hour long and most wedding videographers will try to keep the video to just about 45 minutes. The bride loved the video and only wanted to make one change. Seems that someone she was not very fond of popped his head into a shot and said hi to the bride and groom. She just wanted that removed and very happy with it otherwise.
I have talked in past blogs how important the "must-have-shoots" in your wedding video and that is one of the main reasons you need to have a professional videographer to shoot your wedding. By my count there are 22 must have shots, things like the bride coming down the aisle, the parents during the reciting of the vows and so on. There is a list of these must have shots and anyone who is a professional will know those shots without thinking about it. Anyone can get a list from the internet, but do you want your videographer looking at a list before each shot? Think about it, something is happening and you look up to see your videographer looking at a sheet of paper to know weather or not he should be shooting.
This is my last couple of days without having a wedding in front of me. All of the month of May is booked solid so this may be my last blog for a couple of weeks, but I will do my best to keep you up to date with how it is going.
I have talked in past blogs how important the "must-have-shoots" in your wedding video and that is one of the main reasons you need to have a professional videographer to shoot your wedding. By my count there are 22 must have shots, things like the bride coming down the aisle, the parents during the reciting of the vows and so on. There is a list of these must have shots and anyone who is a professional will know those shots without thinking about it. Anyone can get a list from the internet, but do you want your videographer looking at a list before each shot? Think about it, something is happening and you look up to see your videographer looking at a sheet of paper to know weather or not he should be shooting.
This is my last couple of days without having a wedding in front of me. All of the month of May is booked solid so this may be my last blog for a couple of weeks, but I will do my best to keep you up to date with how it is going.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
One Down.....
One of the March videos is finished and out the door. The wedding at the cabin is, as they say, in the can. I finished burning the last DVD today and boxed them up and sent them out. It is a good feeling having the video done. I take such ownership of the project when I am working on a video, I think about it all the time, it is all I focus on at times. My wife has to come and get me off the computer sometimes at night just to go to bed. Thus the name, Midnight Magic Video. When I started this, I was working a full time job (not that this is not a full time job, but a full time job at a corporation) and most days the only time I could work was at night and most of my best work was around midnight. My wife said that is when all the magic would happen, so the name just seemed to fit.
I am waiting on the other March wedding to tell me what if any changes she wants to make on her video. That is the part I get the most nervous about. Here is someone who is looking at something I have put long hours into and they are going to nick pick it apart. No one ever has, most times it is just some minor adjustments or a change of music. But, I still get nervous just the same.
I am waiting on the other March wedding to tell me what if any changes she wants to make on her video. That is the part I get the most nervous about. Here is someone who is looking at something I have put long hours into and they are going to nick pick it apart. No one ever has, most times it is just some minor adjustments or a change of music. But, I still get nervous just the same.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Why have a wedding videographer?
Well, to say I have been busy is an understatement. I have finished up the rough cut for both of the March weddings. The mountain cabin wedding video has been mailed and delivered. Now I just wait to see if she wants any changes. The second wedding rough cut is also finished, but the bride and groom have been busy trying to get back into the normal swing of things that we have not been able to get together and watch their video. Speaking of their video, it is the longest video I have done to date. Most videographers, myself included, like to keep wedding videos under an hour for the most part. If it goes over an hour, you tend to loose the audience. Well, this last video was hard to do that with since the ceremony was 45 minutes alone. With everything else we added to the video, it ended up being about an hour and 15 minutes long. WOW.
My wife and I went out this past Saturday night to see Sugerland in concert with some friends of ours. Their daughter baby sat our daughter that night for us. When we came home we were chatting with her and she was telling us about a wedding shower she went to that day. She said that the bride was looking at having a photographer but did not know if she wanted a videographer for her wedding. So our baby sitter told her about my business and that my wife is now doing wedding photography. The girl said she didn't think she needed a videographer. Our babysitter then asked me, "why should you have a wedding video done?"
I hear that question a lot, mostly at bridal fairs and wedding shows. I have one simple answer for that question. You are going to have a photographer at your wedding right? Of course, everyone does. Everyone wants to have photos to go back and look at and share with their friends and family. But, lets say your best friend was getting married, and for some reason you could not be there. You had something you just could not get out of and you were going to miss the whole day. When your friend came back from her honeymoon and you two got together, would you rather sit and look at her photos or her video?
Think about it, the pictures are great and capture a moment in time. They are artistic and can last a life time, but they only capture a second of time and more time than not, they are staged. The photographer studies long and hard to learn how to pose everyone for that perfect shot, the bride, the groom, the families and such. But, it is staged. What about that little moment you and your groom stole and you just looked at each other or you put your head on his shoulder while the photographer was setting up the next shot? What about the little kids running around or dancing during a song? Those are just a few things that the photographer will not get or can't capture the true feeling of the moment.
Also, think about this. You are planning a wedding you want to remember for ever. Your special day with that person you have looked long and hard for. Your day arrives and you are lost in all the preparation for the day, make up, hair, pictures, not to mention the actual ceremony itself. Shouldn't you get it see it as well? With a professional videographer, you will get to see everything you planned and get to see it the way your friends and family saw it. You can relive the vows that mean so much to you, the first dance you had as husband and wife with that song that reminds you of him. You can see the tear in your dads eye as he holds his little girl close for their special dance. These are emotions that a true professional videographer can capture for you on your most special of days.
So ask your self again, would you rather look at her pictures or her video?
My wife and I went out this past Saturday night to see Sugerland in concert with some friends of ours. Their daughter baby sat our daughter that night for us. When we came home we were chatting with her and she was telling us about a wedding shower she went to that day. She said that the bride was looking at having a photographer but did not know if she wanted a videographer for her wedding. So our baby sitter told her about my business and that my wife is now doing wedding photography. The girl said she didn't think she needed a videographer. Our babysitter then asked me, "why should you have a wedding video done?"
I hear that question a lot, mostly at bridal fairs and wedding shows. I have one simple answer for that question. You are going to have a photographer at your wedding right? Of course, everyone does. Everyone wants to have photos to go back and look at and share with their friends and family. But, lets say your best friend was getting married, and for some reason you could not be there. You had something you just could not get out of and you were going to miss the whole day. When your friend came back from her honeymoon and you two got together, would you rather sit and look at her photos or her video?
Think about it, the pictures are great and capture a moment in time. They are artistic and can last a life time, but they only capture a second of time and more time than not, they are staged. The photographer studies long and hard to learn how to pose everyone for that perfect shot, the bride, the groom, the families and such. But, it is staged. What about that little moment you and your groom stole and you just looked at each other or you put your head on his shoulder while the photographer was setting up the next shot? What about the little kids running around or dancing during a song? Those are just a few things that the photographer will not get or can't capture the true feeling of the moment.
Also, think about this. You are planning a wedding you want to remember for ever. Your special day with that person you have looked long and hard for. Your day arrives and you are lost in all the preparation for the day, make up, hair, pictures, not to mention the actual ceremony itself. Shouldn't you get it see it as well? With a professional videographer, you will get to see everything you planned and get to see it the way your friends and family saw it. You can relive the vows that mean so much to you, the first dance you had as husband and wife with that song that reminds you of him. You can see the tear in your dads eye as he holds his little girl close for their special dance. These are emotions that a true professional videographer can capture for you on your most special of days.
So ask your self again, would you rather look at her pictures or her video?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Inside Out
My last blog said I was going to be busy the last couple of weeks. Was I ever. I have had two weddings the past two weeks, one inside, one outside - sorta. The first wedding was in Wears Valley in the Smokey Mountains. When I booked the wedding, it was to be an inside wedding at a cabin. I knew going into this wedding that it would be a challenge since they were not going to have a rehearsal the night before. The rehearsal is very important to me so that I know what I need for the day, where my cameras will be and about how long I will be there. Well, with no rehearsal, it is really fly by the seat of my pants situation.
The wedding was supposed to be inside but when I got there, plans changed because it was such a beautiful day. The big problem (for me) was that the wedding was going to be on the deck with the view of the mountains in the background along with a big bright sun. SHADOWS are had to video tape. I don't have a light bright enough to overcome the sun. I definitely understood the couples decision to move outdoors because it was a stunning view... I was just concerned about how the video would come out. In the end, it went really well and was a lot of fun and Eli, a videographer working with me did a great job. We got great footage. Brenda, the coordinator, is wonderful to work with and this was my first time working with Carlos, the photographer. We all worked great as a team and I'm really looking forward to the other weddings that I have booked with them in the coming months.
The wedding this past weekend was indoors and just as much fun, the bride and groom were wonderful to work with as was the family and bridal party. Again, Eli was wonderful... he's been a huge help.
So far I am ahead of where i thought I would be in editing the videos. Editing is the best part for me. I get lost in the creativity of it all. I love working with people and being a part of their excitement of the big day - but my real passion is editing and coming up with a product that they will hopefully cherish for a lifetime.
More later.
Don
The wedding was supposed to be inside but when I got there, plans changed because it was such a beautiful day. The big problem (for me) was that the wedding was going to be on the deck with the view of the mountains in the background along with a big bright sun. SHADOWS are had to video tape. I don't have a light bright enough to overcome the sun. I definitely understood the couples decision to move outdoors because it was a stunning view... I was just concerned about how the video would come out. In the end, it went really well and was a lot of fun and Eli, a videographer working with me did a great job. We got great footage. Brenda, the coordinator, is wonderful to work with and this was my first time working with Carlos, the photographer. We all worked great as a team and I'm really looking forward to the other weddings that I have booked with them in the coming months.
The wedding this past weekend was indoors and just as much fun, the bride and groom were wonderful to work with as was the family and bridal party. Again, Eli was wonderful... he's been a huge help.
So far I am ahead of where i thought I would be in editing the videos. Editing is the best part for me. I get lost in the creativity of it all. I love working with people and being a part of their excitement of the big day - but my real passion is editing and coming up with a product that they will hopefully cherish for a lifetime.
More later.
Don
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Real busy the next couple of weeks
The past couple of weeks have been very busy for me. I did a shoot for the concert my daughters school had. My daughter was not in the concert, she was at vision camp, but I had a great time shooting the concert. The kids did a great job and it was fun to watch them put on their best.
I have been spending the better part of the past two weeks putting the video together and making the DVD's. I had a deadline to get it done because I have two weddings in the next two weeks. The one this weekend is an informal wedding in a huge cabin. I am looking forward to this in the fact that I am doing it by the seat of my pants this time. No rehearsal the night before, so everything will be done as we go. That is fun.
The next wedding is more formal in a big historic church. The bride is really nice and just so laid back about her wedding.
I plan to have both of these weddings done by the end of April because of the crazy month of May I have in front of me.
Hope everyone has a great Easter.
I have been spending the better part of the past two weeks putting the video together and making the DVD's. I had a deadline to get it done because I have two weddings in the next two weeks. The one this weekend is an informal wedding in a huge cabin. I am looking forward to this in the fact that I am doing it by the seat of my pants this time. No rehearsal the night before, so everything will be done as we go. That is fun.
The next wedding is more formal in a big historic church. The bride is really nice and just so laid back about her wedding.
I plan to have both of these weddings done by the end of April because of the crazy month of May I have in front of me.
Hope everyone has a great Easter.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
What's it like?
This has been a busy week so far. I have finished up a photo montage for a wedding at the end of March, doing some pre-planing for my very busy May. I have a wedding EVERY weekend in May right up into the first part of June. I am thrilled and more than excited. I know it is going to be a LOT of work, but I am looking forward to it.
The other day I was talking with a friend while our kids were playing together. She asked me how things were going and how busy I was getting. I told her about what was going on in May/June. She asked me what was involved in getting ready to shot a wedding and I did when I was working at the wedding. So, I thought I would share with you what a wedding video shoot is like and how much work is really involved.
It all starts about a month before the wedding is scheduled, I send out a short questionnaire to the bride and groom. This gives me a chance to get to know them a bit better, who they are and how their video should reflect them. I start thinking about how I want the shoot to go, how I want the video to look and what kind of shots I need to make it look that way. I make a list of all the shots I want, what I will need equipment wise to get that shot. I also make a list of everything I will need that day, equipment, any food or drink I need for myself and the person working with me, if I need someone with me. I start checking the weather for the day to see if I need any special weather gear or not.
The week of the wedding, I try to contact the bride to go over any last minute changes I need to be aware of, what time is the rehearsal, and do they need anything from me. I start going over my equipment making sure everything is working correctly. I calculate how many video tapes I will need, charge all my batteries and that everything on my list is ready to go.
The day of the wedding is usually a long day. I try to get to the venue about 2 1/2 hours before the bride gets there, this gives me a chance to set up my equipment in an out of the way area, go over my shot list with my assistant if I have one with me. I get some establishing shots of the venue, prep of the location, meet with the location coordinator about any restrictions they might have in place. Once the bride arrives, things really kicks into high gear. I start going down my shot list to start getting the 22 must have shots, keeping an eye out for both the special moment shots and B-roll shots. I then get the groom, go over a few things with him, mic either him or the officiant up, then go and get the equipment set for the wedding ceremony itself.
After the ceremony is done, I continue to stay with the bride and groom while they are doing the family photos. This is when some of the most emotional and romantic shots come from. Then its time to head to the reception, still keeping an eye open for anything and everything that goes on. I get a short break during dinner as no one wants to see their friends and family eating on their video. I am there at the reception until the bride and groom leave for the night.
When the reception ends, my work is just starting. Now I have to download the video onto my computer, go through all the video to look for any problems that my be present and fix it. Start to put the clips together in a way that tells the story of the day, add the music, sync the audio to the video, do the titles, go over the video any where from 30 to 50 times looking for anything and everything. It all has to look and feel just right. Once the video is done, then I have to put it on a DVD, create the menus, put any motion to those menus, add any music and/or photos, go over the DVD 15 to 30 more times, make any additional changes to give it just the right feel so that the bride and groom can relive that emotional day. Then I do all the authoring of the DVD, etch the label and then deliver the finished DVD to the bride.
When all that is done, it starts all over again for the next wedding. So the next time you wonder what I do and why it may be a long time between blog posting, now you know.
The other day I was talking with a friend while our kids were playing together. She asked me how things were going and how busy I was getting. I told her about what was going on in May/June. She asked me what was involved in getting ready to shot a wedding and I did when I was working at the wedding. So, I thought I would share with you what a wedding video shoot is like and how much work is really involved.
It all starts about a month before the wedding is scheduled, I send out a short questionnaire to the bride and groom. This gives me a chance to get to know them a bit better, who they are and how their video should reflect them. I start thinking about how I want the shoot to go, how I want the video to look and what kind of shots I need to make it look that way. I make a list of all the shots I want, what I will need equipment wise to get that shot. I also make a list of everything I will need that day, equipment, any food or drink I need for myself and the person working with me, if I need someone with me. I start checking the weather for the day to see if I need any special weather gear or not.
The week of the wedding, I try to contact the bride to go over any last minute changes I need to be aware of, what time is the rehearsal, and do they need anything from me. I start going over my equipment making sure everything is working correctly. I calculate how many video tapes I will need, charge all my batteries and that everything on my list is ready to go.
The day of the wedding is usually a long day. I try to get to the venue about 2 1/2 hours before the bride gets there, this gives me a chance to set up my equipment in an out of the way area, go over my shot list with my assistant if I have one with me. I get some establishing shots of the venue, prep of the location, meet with the location coordinator about any restrictions they might have in place. Once the bride arrives, things really kicks into high gear. I start going down my shot list to start getting the 22 must have shots, keeping an eye out for both the special moment shots and B-roll shots. I then get the groom, go over a few things with him, mic either him or the officiant up, then go and get the equipment set for the wedding ceremony itself.
After the ceremony is done, I continue to stay with the bride and groom while they are doing the family photos. This is when some of the most emotional and romantic shots come from. Then its time to head to the reception, still keeping an eye open for anything and everything that goes on. I get a short break during dinner as no one wants to see their friends and family eating on their video. I am there at the reception until the bride and groom leave for the night.
When the reception ends, my work is just starting. Now I have to download the video onto my computer, go through all the video to look for any problems that my be present and fix it. Start to put the clips together in a way that tells the story of the day, add the music, sync the audio to the video, do the titles, go over the video any where from 30 to 50 times looking for anything and everything. It all has to look and feel just right. Once the video is done, then I have to put it on a DVD, create the menus, put any motion to those menus, add any music and/or photos, go over the DVD 15 to 30 more times, make any additional changes to give it just the right feel so that the bride and groom can relive that emotional day. Then I do all the authoring of the DVD, etch the label and then deliver the finished DVD to the bride.
When all that is done, it starts all over again for the next wedding. So the next time you wonder what I do and why it may be a long time between blog posting, now you know.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Price alone should not make the difference.......
Things have been really busy the past couple of weeks for me and I have to say, I am very happy. I have loved meeting brides and in some cases, their mothers. I have been very happy with the response to both the ad in the Premier Bride Magazine and to the bridal fair this past January. I was hoping that things would go well, but I have to admit I am surprised at just how well they are going.
I have been getting a lot of emails and phone calls asking about availability and price. I don't mind answering those or any other questions about Midnight Magic Video. I have been noticing that the first question that most people ask is "what is the cost of your packages?" I know that is an important question to ask, but I have had discussions with brides that tell me that price is their one deciding factor in choosing a videographer. I have to wonder why some brides are basing who they choose to video their wedding based on price alone.
Let's face facts, most videographers use the same type of equipment, digital video cameras, wireless microphones, and some type of editing suite. How the videographer uses this equipment is the real difference in who you choose to shoot your wedding. Let me explain it this way: lets say you are going out to buy a new car, you go to a near by dealership and tell them what your looking for. The salesperson finds the car your looking for with all the bells and whistles you want on the car, but right next to it, is the exact same car, with the same bells and whistles the other one has, the same color and everything. The big difference is one car is priced at $1800 and the other one is priced at $400. Are you going to choose the $400 car? Most will choose the $1800 car for a number of reasons. Now, I know that a $1800 car is not a great car, but I am just using it as an example. Most people would not choose the $400 car because they know how unreliable a $400 car can be. How that car will be more trouble than a more expensive car can be.
When you choose a videographer based on price alone you are taking a risk in the type of video your going to get. If you pay $400 for a wedding video, your going to get a $400 video. I am not saying you should pick a videographer on price alone, you should look at their demo video, and ask to see the last wedding they did. Look to see what their style is like, how do they shoot the wedding. Is it a style that fits how you want your video? Are you comfortable with the person that is going to shoot your wedding? Do they know how to use their equipment correctly? Do they have any special training on their equipment? These are some of the questions you should ask the videographer your looking at wanting to hire.
Let me share with you a story of a bride who chose the $400 videographer. This bride comes from a very well to do family in the area, Money was not a huge concern but, the bride wanted to save some money in her wedding planning. The videographer she choose showed up the day of the wedding having not gone to the rehearsal to plan out where to get the best shot or where everyone is going to be during the ceremony. He also showed up with just one hand held camcorder. When she got the final video a couple weeks later she knew she made a mistake, he didn't get a shot of the bride coming down the aisle, He used just the microphone on his camera to get sound from the wedding, needless to say she did not hear a single word of her wedding vows. When she asked for him to fix it, he tried, but it is hard to fix bad camera work. You only have one, and only ONE chance to capture your wedding on video. She will never get to see that day the way she wanted. She got a $400 video.
I hoping to hear from more new brides in the up coming weeks.
I have been getting a lot of emails and phone calls asking about availability and price. I don't mind answering those or any other questions about Midnight Magic Video. I have been noticing that the first question that most people ask is "what is the cost of your packages?" I know that is an important question to ask, but I have had discussions with brides that tell me that price is their one deciding factor in choosing a videographer. I have to wonder why some brides are basing who they choose to video their wedding based on price alone.
Let's face facts, most videographers use the same type of equipment, digital video cameras, wireless microphones, and some type of editing suite. How the videographer uses this equipment is the real difference in who you choose to shoot your wedding. Let me explain it this way: lets say you are going out to buy a new car, you go to a near by dealership and tell them what your looking for. The salesperson finds the car your looking for with all the bells and whistles you want on the car, but right next to it, is the exact same car, with the same bells and whistles the other one has, the same color and everything. The big difference is one car is priced at $1800 and the other one is priced at $400. Are you going to choose the $400 car? Most will choose the $1800 car for a number of reasons. Now, I know that a $1800 car is not a great car, but I am just using it as an example. Most people would not choose the $400 car because they know how unreliable a $400 car can be. How that car will be more trouble than a more expensive car can be.
When you choose a videographer based on price alone you are taking a risk in the type of video your going to get. If you pay $400 for a wedding video, your going to get a $400 video. I am not saying you should pick a videographer on price alone, you should look at their demo video, and ask to see the last wedding they did. Look to see what their style is like, how do they shoot the wedding. Is it a style that fits how you want your video? Are you comfortable with the person that is going to shoot your wedding? Do they know how to use their equipment correctly? Do they have any special training on their equipment? These are some of the questions you should ask the videographer your looking at wanting to hire.
Let me share with you a story of a bride who chose the $400 videographer. This bride comes from a very well to do family in the area, Money was not a huge concern but, the bride wanted to save some money in her wedding planning. The videographer she choose showed up the day of the wedding having not gone to the rehearsal to plan out where to get the best shot or where everyone is going to be during the ceremony. He also showed up with just one hand held camcorder. When she got the final video a couple weeks later she knew she made a mistake, he didn't get a shot of the bride coming down the aisle, He used just the microphone on his camera to get sound from the wedding, needless to say she did not hear a single word of her wedding vows. When she asked for him to fix it, he tried, but it is hard to fix bad camera work. You only have one, and only ONE chance to capture your wedding on video. She will never get to see that day the way she wanted. She got a $400 video.
I hoping to hear from more new brides in the up coming weeks.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
New post, New Music
I hope you like the music playing as you read this. I have to thank my loving wife Leeann for helping add this to my blog. I think music is one of the most important art forms we have today. I mean it can do so much, it can take you back to a summer vacation with your family when you were a kid, it can remind you of your first kiss, a loved one no longer with you and it can make you act like a fool in front of friends, family and even strangers. Music is a key factor in my wedding videos. It can do so much, it adds the emotion to a photo montage, the feel of a day, the blooming of a new love or life.
I use music to help tell a story. For example, one of the first weddings I did many years ago, I was looking for a song to help me with a photo montage. It was the first photo montage I had done on video and I wanted it to really tell the story of these two people growing up and setting out on a new adventure. I found a song, but it just did not feel right to me and I have found out that if it doesn't feel right, you need to go back and change it. Anyway, I found this song and put it to pictures. I liked it, at first. But, the more I watched it, the more I didn't like it. It didn't flow very well, it didn't tell the story of these two people starting their new life together. Then Leeann found it. It was a song from the animated movie "Anastasia" called "At the Beginning". The song was a prefect fit. When the bride saw it, she had a tear in her eye. She said it was prefect. Music to my ears.
Music is one of the most important elements of your wedding video that is why I let my brides pick out the songs that mean the most to them. These are songs that mean something to them. I always have suggestions, but like I do with the video itself, I let the bride lead the way.
Business has been growing the past couple of weeks. The month of May is completely booked, I mean EVERY weekend I am doing a wedding, March is half full, June is booking up and I have a few in September as well. Things are going to get busy and I like it that way.
I use music to help tell a story. For example, one of the first weddings I did many years ago, I was looking for a song to help me with a photo montage. It was the first photo montage I had done on video and I wanted it to really tell the story of these two people growing up and setting out on a new adventure. I found a song, but it just did not feel right to me and I have found out that if it doesn't feel right, you need to go back and change it. Anyway, I found this song and put it to pictures. I liked it, at first. But, the more I watched it, the more I didn't like it. It didn't flow very well, it didn't tell the story of these two people starting their new life together. Then Leeann found it. It was a song from the animated movie "Anastasia" called "At the Beginning". The song was a prefect fit. When the bride saw it, she had a tear in her eye. She said it was prefect. Music to my ears.
Music is one of the most important elements of your wedding video that is why I let my brides pick out the songs that mean the most to them. These are songs that mean something to them. I always have suggestions, but like I do with the video itself, I let the bride lead the way.
Business has been growing the past couple of weeks. The month of May is completely booked, I mean EVERY weekend I am doing a wedding, March is half full, June is booking up and I have a few in September as well. Things are going to get busy and I like it that way.
Monday, January 28, 2008
it's a hit
My last post talked about how things would really get started for my business after the wedding show. I did not know it would take off like this. I have been getting phone calls almost daily wanting prices, quotes, questions answered and weddings booked. To date I have 4 weddings booked for sure (contract signed, money in bank), two more meetings this week will bring me to six and the list keeps growing. I have had, for the first time in my life, to get a day timer note book to keep track of calls, call backs, weddings, and the family schedule. I really LOVE it!!!!!
I was taking some time to look at other videographers tonight to see what they do and to get some ideas for future videos. Anyway, I ran across this site for a wedding videographer in Maryland and he had an article on his site about how to choose a videographer. I read it and really liked what he had to say, He has the same values I do when it comes to my customers. I put them first. I don't want to do high volume/low quality videos. Anyone can do that, I want my videos to have feeling, emotion. I want it to truly capture special moments from a special day. But the one thing that got to me, was what he said at the end. He said that he really loved what he does and he wants that love of his work to show in his videos. I really love what I do. I love the freedom it has given me, I love that I get to spend time with Leeann and Katie, I love working with people on a one on one basis. But most of all, I love the fact that I am creating something that will last for years and years to come. Knowing that in 20 years, a family is going to sit down one evening and put in a DVD (or what ever format they will use 20 years from now) and watch something that I created just for them. That is such a thrill for me.
I plan on starting to post some clips from the weddings that are coming up, I have two in March, two in May, and one in June, but list will get longer I am sure.
I was taking some time to look at other videographers tonight to see what they do and to get some ideas for future videos. Anyway, I ran across this site for a wedding videographer in Maryland and he had an article on his site about how to choose a videographer. I read it and really liked what he had to say, He has the same values I do when it comes to my customers. I put them first. I don't want to do high volume/low quality videos. Anyone can do that, I want my videos to have feeling, emotion. I want it to truly capture special moments from a special day. But the one thing that got to me, was what he said at the end. He said that he really loved what he does and he wants that love of his work to show in his videos. I really love what I do. I love the freedom it has given me, I love that I get to spend time with Leeann and Katie, I love working with people on a one on one basis. But most of all, I love the fact that I am creating something that will last for years and years to come. Knowing that in 20 years, a family is going to sit down one evening and put in a DVD (or what ever format they will use 20 years from now) and watch something that I created just for them. That is such a thrill for me.
I plan on starting to post some clips from the weddings that are coming up, I have two in March, two in May, and one in June, but list will get longer I am sure.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wedding Show
This Sunday is the Knoxville Premier Bridal Show and I am looking forward to the show. I am really excited to meet as many of the local brides as possible. I have been so busy the past few weeks getting things ready. I am going to make this a short blog as I am trying to get things staged to be ready to go.
If you are coming to the show, please stop by the booth and let me know you read my blog, it will get you a discount on the video package if you book your wedding with me.
See you Sunday
If you are coming to the show, please stop by the booth and let me know you read my blog, it will get you a discount on the video package if you book your wedding with me.
See you Sunday
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