|
How to start your own Wedding Video Business
By Noah Fleming
http://www.topsecretshoppers.com
http://www.diabeticgourmet.biz
http://www.forumassistant.com
1
Table of Contents
1. About the author
2. Introduction
3. The Basics of the Business
Starting the Business
Buying Equipment
Advertising
Setting your fees
4. The Wedding Day
Relationships with the bride
Shooting Rules
The Key Shots
5. Post Wedding Day
Editing Your Video
Editing with your clients
Breaking Copyright?
Delivery of Product
2
6. The Final Word
Making a living in the Wedding Videography Business
3
About The Author
Hello! My name is Noah. You
must be thrilled! You have taken the first step to starting
your own
business. This is an exciting time to be getting into the
Wedding
Videography Business. As you read this, Apple Computer is
preparing to ship the G5 Powermac, which they claim to be
the
world's fastest computer. This new Mac has the ability to
sport
whopping 8 gigs of ram.
Imagine this, in 1989 a megabyte of ram cost about $50.00
dollars
per Meg!! That would mean in 1989 to fill the G5 personal
computer, you would have had to have an extra $400,000 dollars
lying around. Today, the G5 can be maxed out for a few hundred.
I
have been editing on the Mac for roughly 5 years now and
I don't
see myself ever moving back to the PC. Although, PC readers,
don't worry everything we will speak about in this book
can be
accomplished on a PC, it's just that us Mac users….
Well,
see…they know what I'm talking about.
4
Anyways, back to "about the author." I wanted
to write this book
since everything being offered these days seems to be outdated
so
fast just like the 1989 Mac ram costs.
Recently, I have purchased a variety of how-to videography
business books from the web and nothing has satisfied my
hunger,
the books are old an outdated and spend a variety of their
times
teaching us useless facts. I still own and operate a videography
business and love every minute of it.
Introduction
This book plans to do two things. One, I plan to offer a
little
guidance into the world of Wedding Videography and two,
provide
some extra's which will get you up and running in no time.
Let's assume you already own the basic equipment to start
your
videography business.
What exactly is the basic equipment needed for a videography
business? Well, you need a camera. A DV (digital video)
camera is
an absolute must. This relatively new format has made it
possible
5
for almost everyone to be able to shoot very high quality
digital
video. A low-end DV camera can be bought for around $600,
while the high end could go as high as $6000.
I am not going to get into brands, as I believe this is
personal
preference and each has their pros and con's. I do not recommend
the Sony VX-2000 over the Canon Xl1-S. That is for your
and
your budget to decide. Just to clarify, I shot my first
wedding on an
800-dollar Panasonic camera.
The Basics of the Business
Starting the Business
By starting the business I am referring to the first step,
choosing a
name. This decision is not easy although it is very important.
You
want something which is going to be memorable. Another
important think to think about is if you are going to have
a
website? If so, it might be useful to check before you decide
on a
name. If you choose Amazon Video and want to have the domain
6
name www.amazon.com, you are going to be out of luck. Keep
it
simple and catchy. Sometimes, choosing a name will be the
most
difficult part.
Buying Equipment
To begin your videography business you need to buy your
equipment if you don't already own it. I have a few suggestions.
Buy everything new!! Used equipment may save you a few bucks
but will probably cost you more in the long run! And, don't
be
buying high-end equipment off eBay unless the seller has
a high
feedback rating. This is where a lot of people get scammed.
Video
Equipment is one of the #1 frauds on eBay as we speak. BE
CAREFUL WHEN BUYING BRAND NEW ELECTRONICS
FROM eBay.
I will explain my studio to you to give you a rough idea
on how I
accomplish things here.
I have a G4 Single 1GHZ computer loaded with ram, two monitors
a 17" and a 15" I also use an old Commodore 1701
monitor as a
7
broadcast monitor. I have a set up Yamaha speakers and
a
Panasonic DV200K Mini DV camcorder which cost $800 and a
Panasonic DVX100 which cost a lot more!!
I suggest buying your system in components. Start your business
like I did using a basic DV camera and editing on Apple's
iMovie,
until I was able to afford Final Cut Pro. I now run Final
Cut Pro 3
and burn to DVD on an Apple Super drive.
The other option I provide you is to rent equipment. Some
cities
and local colleges now have media labs which people can
go and
use high end Computers for minimal costs. Take a look around
and
find these, imagine if you didn't have to buy any equipment
just
pay $250 to rent a camera for a weekend? You would make
a
killing.
Advertising
As in any business, advertising is an important aspect.
When
you are ready to start your advertising, choose your medium
wisely. For this past summer I decided to go strait to the
8
newspaper. I used a clever advertising technique here.
I
incorporated a new and fresh movie into my ad. Take a look….
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING VIDEO
There is nothing like a professionally produced videotape
to
capture all the emotions, sights and sounds of your wedding
day.
(555) 554-3434
I was able to tie in one of the years hottest films and
use it to my
advantage. With that one simple ad, the phones rang off
the hook.
Look for publications which publish all wedding services
in your
area. Get in this guide as soon as possible! When you start
booking
weddings, you will most likely be booking for the following
year.
Furthermore, design your own ads. This is an absolute must,
unless
you have money to give away, simply design your own ads
and
flyers.
9
Another great spot for wedding services is the Yellow Pages.
When a new bride begins her wedding plans, chances are one
of
the first places she will look is the Yellow Pages. This
will be
expensive, but will last for a year or more so your clients
will
always know where to find you.
If you cannot afford advertising in the Yellow Pages, I
have
another suggestion which paid off for me. I would watch
the
newspaper each day and record all of the "engagements"
located
usually in the back of the classifieds. I would then send
a letter to
each couple by looking up there mailing address. In this
letter, I
would describe myself and my business and offer a discount
for
my services.
Advertising is one of the toughest aspects of running a
business.
Word of mouth advertising is going to be the strongest and
worst
part of advertising if you burn any bridges so be careful.
10
The following is a sample of an introduction letter which
you may
revise to better suit your business.
Mrs. Phil Parma
1234 Parm Street
Jane, OH, 90210
Dear Phillis
I am excited to tell you about my new wedding videography
company, (your company name)
Are you still searching for a professional videographer
to
digitally videotape your upcoming wedding? If so, look no
further.
(Your Business Name ) will unobtrusively capture the emotions,
sights and sounds of your wedding day with the latest in
digital
technology
Dates are booking fast, so I urge you to call today to make
an
appointment to view my high-quality wedding video
demonstration. You won't be disappointed!
11
I have enclosed a few business cards. Please keep them
for
yourself and share the others with your friends and associates.
Thank you for supporting my new wedding video business.
Sincerely,
(your name)
Setting Your Fee
How do you know what to charge? You look around and
videographers are charging anywhere from $800 to $10,000!
At this point, price is hardly an issue because you have
proven that
you are worth it. Naturally, you should do some research
to find
what your competition is charging. If you do a better job
or invest
more time and money in your productions, you deserve to
be paid
more than your counterparts. You shouldn't be ashamed of
that.
When you set your price, make sure you are not giving away
your
services. As a beginner in the business, you will probably
be guilty
of underselling yourself while you try to get things rolling.
When
12
you become the best, you do not have to charge the highest
price,
but be sure that you are very far from being the lowest
in your
area. If your quality is the best, people will pay you for
it. If you
are the best and the client cannot pay your price, then
you
shouldn't feel bad about refusing the business. You're not
selling
concrete blocks where they're all alike and price alone
determines
a good deal.You're selling something very different from
your
competitors. You are not being arrogant, but understand
that
excellent videographers are sensitive to the type of wedding
video
tape the deliver to the client. You are not going to get
every
wedding. There may be 10,000 weddings every year in your
area.
You surely cannot do all of them! Never quote prices over
the
phone. If all your customer cares about is cost, they are
not the
kind of customer you are looking for. There is an old saying,
"Some of your best deals are the ones that are never
made."
Perhaps you would charge one fee for just the wedding ceremony
in the church, and another for the whole enchilada (the
wedding
13
preparations, the reception, the mini biographies of the
bride and
groom done as a photo montage).
Relationships with the Bride
The statement above can be enough to scare the wits out
of
some videographers. Exactly, how do you get along with the
person who could potentially rip your head off if everything
is not
perfect! I'm not trying to scare you but brides can be scary.
Just
always stay calm. If the Bride is going to make you crazy
while
shooting, step aside and take a break. Chat with the photographers
and florists ect.. They will all be in the same boat.
Shooting
What follows is a list of the key shots which you must absolutely
try and get!
Before The Ceremony
o Bride and bridesmaids dressing (keep it G rated!)
14
A shot of the bouquets and boutonnieres prior to being
put on. A
good alternative is the slow zoom out, or reveal shot.
Groom getting ready, horse playing with groomsmen. You can
try
some staged shots. A classic is the reservoir dog's intro
with all the
groomsmen.
Or, the best man checking his watch in response to the groom's
question, or the best man proving he's still got the ring
in his
pocket.
o Groom getting boutonniere placed by his mother
o Detail shots
o Additional detail shot ideas: Bride's shoes, wedding gown
on a
hanger, bride's earrings, and other jewelry, the details
of the gown
and bouquets, ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket.
o Exterior church. A nice shot might start at the top of
the church
steeple, and then pan down to reveal the entire building.
Try to
take architectural shots at an angle, not standing flat
in front of one
wall.
15
o Wedding party arriving at church. If the limo takes them,
try to
get a shot of the limo departing the bride's house, and
another of
the limo arriving at the church.
At The Ceremony
o Continuous roll of ceremony, from prior to the bride's
entrance to
the couple's walk down the aisle at the end. Ideally, use
two
cameras. Place one in the back third of the church, near
the aisle.
Start the other handheld, positioned on the bridesmaids'
side of the
aisle at the altar
Shoot the procession, letting the bridesmaids walk past
your
position. After the bride arrives on her father's arm, move
to a
tripod placed behind the officiate and on the groom's side.
This
gives the best shot of the bride during the vows. This movement
MUST be coordinated and cleared with the officiant, which
is why
it's necessary to attend the rehearsal. If the officiant
won't allow
this, just place the front camera on the tripod from the
beginning.
o Another tip on the processional: Don't make every shot
a pan, or
at least not a full pan.
16
You really don't need shots of people's backs as they walk
past the
back camera and on up the aisle. Pan a little to keep them
in frame,
but as they get to the back camera, stop the pan and let
them walk
out of frame.
o Any special touches in the ceremony, like a solo song,
unity
candle lighting, etc.
o Reaction shots of bride and groom's families, especially
during
the vows.
o Try a depth of field shot - For example, the soloist in
focus with
the Bride and Groom in the background out of focus, then
gently
shift focus to Bride and Groom... things like that.
o (At the rehearsal, I tell the Bride and Groom to stop
a few feet in
front of the back camera as they come down the aisle at
the
recessional, and kiss. This is a nice touch.)
At The Reception
o Exterior shots of the reception venue, if it is at all
photogenic.
Cutaway shots of flowers, fountains, statues, etc.
17
o Limo arriving at reception, and wedding party getting
out. This
one's important. While you are setting up your gear at the
reception, you or your assistant should keep a sharp lookout
for the
arrival of the bridal party!
o Wedding party entering reception. (This, and sometimes
the best
man's toast, are about the only shots at the reception that
I'll use a
tripod for.)
o First dance. This is the most important dance to shoot,
and here
are some of my tips for getting good dance footage:
maybe twice, never thrice.
o Mom's dance with the groom.
o Dad's dance with the bride. This one can be a real tear-jerker,
if
you take a close-up with one camera, and a full shot with
a second
camera.
o Best man's toast. This is best shot with two cameras,
one on the
best man, the other getting a reaction shot from the bride
and
groom.
o Cake cutting.
18
o Garter removal and toss.
o Guest book signings.
o Any other special dances and ceremonies at the reception.
You'll
see stuff like the
Chicken Dance, Electric Slide, conga line, Hokey Pokey,
etc. at
many receptions.
o Interviews with guests.
o Interview with the bride and groom. (This may be easier
to do if
you can arrange a separate interview shoot, rather than
trying to
squeeze it into the reception when there are so many other
demands on the Bride and Groom's time and attention).
o Cutaways and detail shots - cake, presents, decorations,
flower
arrangements, the DJ or band, etc. Get a copy of the wedding
announcement, and anything like souvenir napkins, etc. for
later
copy stand work. If the bar has a lot of glasses set up,
shoot a detail
shot through the
glasses. Get a shot of a dinner plate being served. If buffet
style,
truck or zoom-reveal the buffet. Detail shots of the Bride
and
19
Groom champagne glasses. Centerpieces on the tables, and
anything unique.
o Romantic Moments.
o Children: Want to get a response from a child?
o Guests saying goodbye.
o Bride and Groom exiting the building and getting showered
with
confetti.
o Bride and Groom getting into the limo; limo driving away.
Editing your Video
As noted earlier, eventually you will have to edit your
video. My
ultimate recommendation is Apple's Final Cut Pro. Using
FCP of
course requires an Apple computer. If you cannot afford
this then I
suppose Adobe Premier will suffice. Editing with FCP is
very
simplistic although contains enough features to cut a full
length
feature film.
20
I plan now to provide a brief overview and quick lesson
of cutting
with FCP. You will quickly be on your way to creating astonishing
wedding videography.
The first step is capturing clips from all the great wedding
video
you have shot. For a great tutorial on capturing, check
out
www.lib.unc.edu/house/mrc/tutorials/FCP_tutorial.pdf
Once you have captured the clips that you want to edit together,
you are ready to close the "Log and Capture" window,
and start to
edit the clips.
Double-click on each of the clips to view them inside of
FCP. You
can use your space bar to start and stop playback of each
clip.
Marking IN and OUT points of your shots before you place
them
on the timeline.
21
You're now ready to edit your clips together into a movie.
It is
easiest if you trim the IN/OUT points of your clips before
you
place them on the timeline. You can also trim them once
they are
on the timeline. If you are happy with the actual IN or
OUT points
of your clip, then you don't need to mark them.
MARK IN: Once you feel familiar with your footage and ready
to
edit, open the first clip that you want to appear in your
sequence,
by double-clicking on it in the Browser. As it appears in
the
viewer, move the play head to the point in the clip that
you want to
appear first. Hit "I" on your keyboard. You'll
notice that a new in
point appears on the clip, marked by a blue arrow.
MARK OUT: Now move your clip to the point that you want
your
clip to stop playing on your Timeline. Hit "O"
on your keyboard.
You should see a similar blue arrow marking the new OUT
point.
Moving your clips to the timeline by dragging, in order
to create a
sequence.
22
The Timeline (Sequence) is the area that you use to string
your
separate clips together into one seamless movie. The Timeline
moves from the left to the right, forward in time. You can
use the
timeline to create hard-cuts between clips, effect-oriented
transitions, and audio layering.
In your Browser window, click on the "Sequence"
icon to open
your Timeline.
Select the first clip that you want to appear in your timeline,
and
drag it onto the timeline. It should appear on the timeline,
all the
way to the left.
Select the clip in the browser that you want to come next
in your
movie. Mark new IN or OUT points on this clip if desired,
and
drag it onto your timeline, just to the right of the first
clip.
With the Timeline or "Canvas" window selected,
hit the HOME
key on your keyboard or drag the play head all the way to
the left
of the Timeline. Hit the spacebar on your keyboard. Your
23
presentation will automatically play in your Canvas Window,
including the hard-cut between your first and second clip.
Continue placing shots on the timeline in this same fashion,
rearranging clips as you like by dragging them to the left,
right or
in-between other clips on the timeline.
Trimming your Clips in the Timeline
Adjusting the IN or OUT points of one or more clips in the
timeline is called trimming. This includes tweaking a clip's
IN or
OUT points, changing the IN or OUT points between 2 clips,
or
moving a clip to a new location in the timeline. The Tool
Palette
contains special tools just for these trimming operations.
Before you perform a trim edit, you want to make sure that
the
"snap to edges" and "link" controls
are set-up properly in the
Timeline. These are the small buttons located at the top,
right
24
corner of the Timeline. If they are ON they are green,
if they're
OFF they are grey.
Linked Clips: Video and audio are automatically linked when
they
are imported as one clip. This means that no matter how
you trim
video, the audio will be trimmed accordingly and vice-versa.
Sometimes, you will want to edit the video and audio
independently of one another. In order to do this, you can
just
switch the Link control to it's OFF mode.
Snap to Edges: The snap to edges mode is on by default to
assist
you in finding the edge of edits easily. When the snap to
edges
control is on, you will find that the clip will magnetically
snap to
the closest edit point. Sometimes you will want to fine
tune your
edits not in accordance with adjacent edits. Especially
in this case
or when editing down to the frame level, you will want to
turn
"Snap to Edges" off.
25
Trimming with the Selection Tool: The simplest way to trim
a clip
on the timeline is by using the default arrow "selection
tool." By
select the edge of a clip on the timeline, you can roll
the IN or
OUT point of the clip as long as now other clip is blocking
the
rolling and unrolling. If other clips are in the way, you
may find
you're trimming to be easier if you scoot your clips down
the
timeline with your "track selection" tools, or
by editing with the
roll tool or the slip edit tool. (See below)
Scooting Clips along the Timeline with the Track Selection
Tool:
The Track or Tracks selection tool is a handy way to grab
all clips
from "here" toward a direction, which is especially
useful when
trimming on the timeline without loosing all of your previous
editing. Click at the point that you want to grab a collection
of
clips with the tool pointing the direction that you want
to select.
From there, move that whole group of clips over. Note* This
track
selection tool will often come in handy for removing gaps
that you
create in your timeline during trimming.
26
Deleting gaps in the timeline caused during trimming: You
can
delete a gap in a timeline by selecting it, then hitting
the delete key
on your keyboard.
Adding Cross-Dissolves Using FCP:
Final Cut makes it very easy to add cross dissolves and
cross-fades
between video and audio transitions. To be able to add a
transition
between two adjacent clips on a track, these two clips must
have
extra frames that overlap in each direction, past the edit.
To add a transition between two video clips on a track:
Select the edit between the 2 clips with your selection
tool.
On your keyboard hit Apple+T. The transition will appear
as an
overlay in your timeline.
To add a cross-fade between two audio clips on a track:
Select the edit between the audio clips on the timeline.
27
On your Keyboard hit Option+Apple+T.
To add a cross-dissolve and cross-fade simultaneously:
Select the edit between the clips.
Control click on the edit, and choose the default transition.
Adjusting the length of your transitions:
Be default, all transitions are 1 second in duration. If
you want
your transition to be longer, control-click on the transition
and
select the "Duration" choice. In the Duration
dialogue box, type in
your desired duration.
*Note: Your transition can only be as long as there is overlapping
material. You can adjust your in and out points in the timeline
so
that there's more material between the clips, then adjust
the
duration accordingly.
Rendering Your Transitions:
28
All effects in Final Cut Pro must be rendered, and this
includes
dissolves of the most basic kind.
To render as you go:
Select the transition that you want to render.
Hit apple+R on your keyboard.
To render all effects at once:
Hit Option+R.
I understand my basic Final Cut Pro tutorial is somewhat
hard to
understand. The web contains such a vast amount of info
on
editing with FCP, you will be a master in no time.
Editing with your clients
This is where you actually sit down with your clients and
edit the
video to their liking. This can be both a pleasurable experience
and
a nightmare at the same time. I suggest you offer this service
once.
29
The best time is to offer the service when you have all
the clips
logged and captured and you are ready. Before your clients
arrive,
put together a small montage to some music. This will get
them
excited to give you some input!
Breaking Copyright?
Is it OK to use music in wedding video's you create? Technically,
no. It is completely illegal although most customers are
going to
have music already selected for you. I suggest purchasing
some
royalty free music. If your customers must absolutely use
their
choice of music than remember "the customer is always
right."
Always please the customer. Forewarn them that it is illegal.
Delivery of Product
Your masterpiece is finished and you are ready to deliver.
First,
you must decide with your client how they would like their
video
presented. Today, the norm is slowly becoming DVD although
not
everyone owns a DVD player yet, VHS will still be required.
Invest in packaging. Your product must look professional.
Buy
black DVD cases and create a stunning insert and cover
30
personalized for each wedding. This is simple to do if
you create
one template, Just change the name's as weddings go on.
The Final Word
In conclusion, I hope you have enjoyed my guide. Please
seek
out the attached forms and samples and use them to your
advantage. You may be asking yourself if it is possible
to make
a career in this business.
You bet it is, although wedding videography is not for
everyone. You must first know the basics and ins and out
of
shooting video and audio. Then, you must be able to edit.
And
finally, you must be able to work on a professional level
with all
members of the wedding. Good luck and enjoy the ride.
31
32
|
