Pre-Production In Wedding Videography
“Pre-production in wedding videography is the key to and foundation of weddings”-Me
I was sitting at my computer editing a wedding film last night, and I took a break to let my mind rest. I came across an informative article written by Adam Forgione entitled “Pre-Production is Crucial for Wedding Filmmakers”. It was a great read and it inspired me to write this blog. In film school, it is pounded into your head that if you have no pre-production, your production is doomed! Pre-production is used to trouble-shoot, prepare, plan, and organize. A majority of the time, pre-production prevents issues from happening during production. I felt like I had forgotten about that important section until I read Adam Forgione’s article. Although, I do some pre-production tasks, I am guilty of not doing it as much as I should. Here are a few things I like to discuss when I meet with my clients before the wedding day:
Timeline:
Adam Forgine stated this perfectly in his article, “Having a solid schedule is the only way you can ensure the best product for your wedding clients. It’s pretty simple, you just let the client know how much time you need to do your thing.” I always love to set a timeline for my couples because it helps build trust. I never want my couples to wonder what I am doing and if I captured this or that. Wedding planners are great people to check with initially for timelines.
Structure:
Structure is key. It is important to know the details of the day. Where are the bride and groom getting ready? What surrounds the location? Will there be a first look or gift exchange? How are the ceremony and reception laid out? Those are details that help a wedding videographer plan their day. It is better to have a plan than to enter a room blind.
Vendors:
I like to know who I am working with. I like to give credit to vendors who provide exceptional services. I may need to contact a vendor such as the hair and makeup artist so that I can ask them to do makeup near a window for natural light. Most makeup artists are willing to do that if they are notified in advance versus me showing up and trying to take control. We all have a job to do. It is also important to use pre-production time to determine what sources of audio we will have access to. I like to bring multiple connections to collaborate with the DJ, but I always want to have separate sources as well. It works better in post-production when there are different audio options to choose from. Wedding videography is an area where all vendors can be highlighted.
One on One Time:
Wedding Photographers need one on one time. Wedding videographers need one on one time. In wedding videography, this is one of the few times we have control over your day. Most of the time, I work well with the photographer and we play off of each other. We only need about 10-15 minutes. Normally I like to share that time with the photographer, but I still would love 10-15 minutes.
The Gatmaitan Wedding | The Yacht Club at Marina Shores | Virginia Beach Wedding Videography from Intellect Media Productions on Vimeo.
