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What about VIDEOGRAPHY?
Video is a great thing to have. I highly
recommend it if you have the budget. For best
results there are four technical questions you
should discuss with videographers before you hire
one.
First:
Lighting.
Are you planning a dim candle-lit
ceremony? Possibly NO video camera
can provide satisfactory results. So discuss your
ceremony plans with your videographer before you
hire him.
Some "broadcast quality" video cameras require
extra lighting during ceremonies. Before booking
your videographer ask him whether he needs to add
lights during the ceremony. Some churches won't
want extra lighting.
It is normal for a video camera to need extra
light during the processional --- when the
bride is coming up the aisle --- because people are
moving. All cameras need sufficient light when
people are moving, or images will come out blurred.
Second: Audio.
It's hard to pick up spoken words (especially
the vows) from a distance. For that reason
most videographers will use wireless microphones.
But if he uses lapel mic's, which work OK
technically, the groom who wears the mic has to
watch what he says. Lapel mic's will pick up
embarrassing slips of the tongue. So ask: Can
your video person can edit the sound to skip
anything embarrassing.
Third: How many
cameras?
I recommend TWO cameras for the ceremony (some
professionals use three cameras which is also
cool.) For the reception one camera is OK.
The reason you need two cameras minimum for a
ceremony, is people keep walking in front of the
video lens (the lens can't see through them.) So
you need a second camera angle. Even when the video
camera is set up carefully based upon the
rehearsal, it doesn't help. Because at the actual
ceremony people won't stand where you expected,
they will always stand in front of the video lens.
Trust me on this.
Fourth: Copy
Protection
(or "digital rights
management.")
This may be the most important question of all.
Some video discs are designed so you can't copy
them. It's so you'll purchase extra copies through
the videographer.
The problem is you won't be able to digitally
"refresh" the copies when the DVD's start to
fade or when video formats become obsolete. Some
day your "protected" video will become
impossible to view.
If you expect to be able to show your wedding
video to future family, you should choose a
videographer who agrees not to use copy
protection.
The bottom line is all DVD discs WILL fade
over time and need to be "refreshed" by re-copying
onto brand new materials. See our special web page
about how long digital discs are expected to last,
and how to improve their life span. Click
here
We do not perform videography ourselves. Early
in his career Doug shot video, but concluded he
wanted to concentrate his skills on still
photography to do that with excellence.
We always cooperate 100% with your
videographer, whether amateur or professional.
Feel free to
reproduce this page if you give credit and nclude
this website's URL link.
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