Tips for choosing a wedding videographer
Well this is strange. A Bristol wedding videographer, talking about tips for choosing a wedding videographer.
I’m leaving the bias at the door, this is strictly off the record, and I’m solely here to help you find the perfect match for your wedding day. It might not be me, and that’s fine! But as a filmmaker, I feel I can help give couples a steer about what to look out for - and what to avoid when looking into options for their wedding film.
Offers on the table
There’s lots of different wedding videographers out there, many very good, many very so-so. But one thing that unites them all is a product offering. When choosing your videographer for your wedding film in Bristol, or elsewhere in the UK, have a look at what they include in their various packages. In my opinion they should offer AT LEAST a highlights film (this is your flashy, can’t take your eyes off it, main video) and the speeches. And if they’re worth their salt, you should also get a full length feature length video using all of the cameras RAW footage. Additional extras which I would recommend getting are a separate social media cut, that’s optimised to Instagram (this is essentially using a different aspect ratio so it fits phone screens better), and the ceremony in full.
What’s the style?
Each filmmaker is unique, and different. For example, in my Bristol wedding films, I’ve developed a ‘house style’ which uses a grounded, yet considered editing style. Occasionally I’ll use flashy transitions, like in my Yorkshire wedding videography film for Chloe & Andy where I used a ‘mask’ transition to seamlessly go from one scene to the next. But, transitions and other bits I use incredibly sparingly. And that’s because while these are 'in’ on social media at the moment, all over Instagram and TikTok by content creators, in five to ten years time, like fashion these will seem dated.
So when choosing your Bristol wedding videographer, look at their work, and decide if it tickles your pickle. But for me, I would er on the side of caution. The less ‘flashy’ gimmicks, will ultimately make for a much more timeless film that stands the test of time and is enjoyable to watch and rewatch time and time again.
Less is more: while flashy edits seem cool, in my Bristol wedding films, there's no substitute for carefully composed shots.
The importance of audio
For me, audio is a fatally overlooked part of wedding films in Bristol and the UK. Often wedding filmmakers are so fixated on cameras and lenses, that they leave behind audio. But this is an immensely important part of making a compelling wedding film. So when looking through kit lists on wedding videographers websites, make sure they have audio equipment listed. Some recommendations of equipment you’ll want used are: lapel microphones for speeches (these clip onto collars, much like news anchors or broadcasters use), a drape mic (this can be placed near or over a speaker if a microphone is used), shotgun mics (these mount on top of the camera and capture audio from anything the camera is pointed at) and atmos mics (these are microphones that capture the atmosphere in rooms, and really can bring to life your day).
Kit list!
As mentioned above, audio is incredibly important. And I’ve raised it first as it’s often such an overlooked part of a kit list. But that being said, you should also have a look at their kit. Most wedding videographers are on top of their cameras, and are ready for anything. But here’s a small cheatsheet to help you figure out what different kit means:
DSLR - this stand for ‘digital single lens reflex’. These cameras are tried and tested, but are slightly dated and yesterday’s technology. Now there’s some great DSLRs out there, and a lot that still stand up today. But the world has moved on since their heyday. You can still film wedding videos on these, sure, but there are newer, improved alternatives.
Mirrorless - this is the most popular camera of today, it’s an evolution of the DSLR. It’s smaller in size, because as the name suggests, it doesn’t have a mirror inside, and they often have superior functionality to DSLRs, including ISO. This is essentially the cameras sensitivity to light. And some Mirrorless cameras, like Sony, have become so good, they can almost see in the dark.
Cine camera - not many wedding videographers film on cine cameras, as they’re so expensive (and quite bulky!). But in terms of sheer image quality, cine cameras are going to give you the best possible image quality, and future proof your film for years to come. As a Bristol wedding videographer, I opt to shoot on a cinema camera, as if it’s good enough for Hollywood, it’s good enough to capture your wedding too.
And a quick note on lenses: there’s thousands of lenses out there, and so many different ways to film a wedding video. But at a minimum, your wedding videographer should have a wide angle lens, a wide to medium prime lens that works well in low light, and a telephoto lens to capture the speeches without getting up in your face. Who wants that!
Here's at a glance how to tell what style of camera your wedding videographer is using.
The little extras
Most wedding videographers will deliver films to you via an online download link which you can download straight to your computer. It’s a pretty nifty solution. But some videographers will also give you your films in a presentation box, with a high capacity memory stick. It’s not an essential, but it certainly helps save on your hard drive space!
Have a chat
Kit, style and offering are all important. But have a chat with your potential wedding videographer. Whether at a coffee shop, or over a video call, it really helps you get a feel for them, and see they’re the right fit for your big day!
Well, that’s plenty of yapping from me. But I hope I’ve managed to help you know what sort of things to look out for when having a look out for your wedding videographer. And if you’re looking for a Bristol wedding videographer that covers the whole of the UK, just drop me a message on the contact page. I’d love to chat, and I’d love to meet you!