SO YOU JUST GOT AN EXPENSIVE NEW DIGITAL CAMERA AND YOU FIGURE YOU COULD MAKE SOME MONEY WITH THIS PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT. YOU START SPREADING THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERING TO SHOOT WEDDINGS, BUT SINCE YOU FIGURE YOU ARE A “PROFESSIONAL” YOU CAN CHARGE MONEY FOR YOUR SERVICES. WELL, YOU BETTER SLOW DOWN AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL. THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS LEARN YOUR CAMERA. HIGH END DIGITAL CAMERAS HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT FEATURES AND CAPABILITIES FOR DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. IT TAKES SOME TIME TO BECOME REALLY FAMILIAR WITH EVERYTHING. YOU ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND LIGHTING SITUATIONS FOR BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SHOOTING. YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO SHOOT FOR BACKLIGHTING AND HOW TO SET YOUR WHITE BALANCE. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO FRAME A PHOTO? THIS IS A BASIC SKILL THAT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS. YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT THE RULE OF THIRTY THIRDS. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO SET UP YOUR SHOTS AND HOW TO POSE PEOPLE SO EVERYTHING LOOKS BALANCED. IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT NOT TO SHOOT, FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY DRUNK OR SOMEONE FALLS DOWN ON THE DANCE FLOOR, OR A COUPLE TAKING PDA TOO FAR. THIS KIND OF PICTURE WILL REALLY NOT BE APPRECIATED. SAY YOU TAKE 600 PICTURES. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO EDIT YOUR PHOTOS TO MAKE EACH ONE AS PERFECT AS IT CAN BE? YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO EDIT EVERY PICTURE AND GET THEM OUT TO THE COUPLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS, IF YOU DON’T HAVE EXPERIENCE, YOU’RE GOING TO END UP WITH SOME VERY UPSET BRIDES AND IT WON’T TAKE LONG FOR WORD TO GET AROUND THAT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING. YOUR NAME AND REPUTATION WILL BE RUINED FOREVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. ALL THIS INFORMATION APPLIES TO VIDEO AS WELL. IF YOU HAVE A VIDEO CAMERA, EACH OF THE THINGS I WROTE ABOUT APPLIES TO YOU! 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio,

CAN PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS SHOOT A WEDDING TOGETHER IN PEACE?

I shoot both wedding photography and video and have been doing so for over 30 years. This gives me a unique perspective on the challenges some wedding "professionals" seem to have getting their shot or their angle of the ceremony. To me this is common sense and I have never had a problem, but it seems like many photographers can't handle a videographer sharing their space. Nothing pisses me off like a photographer who comes to me as I'm setting up and telling me I can't have my camera there. Well, guess what? I can and I will. They seem to think I should shoot the wedding from off to side somewhere. That is a useless angle and I know the bride and groom aren't paying me for a side view of the ceremony. Depending on the logistics of the church or venue, I can always manage to shoot the bride and groom straight on starting with the processional. Once the bride is at the front with the groom, I turn around or switch cameras so no part of the vows, exchange of rings, unity candle, roses to the mothers or anything that happens is missed. Many photographers get all flustered when they realize I'm front and center. I suggest that maybe they should have showed up for the rehearsal. I rarely miss a rehearsal..it assures me that I will be prepared for whatever issues might come up with logistics. Once the photographer or photographers realize I'm not moving, I point out to them that if they stay right beside me, no matter where I am, they will get the same shot I'm getting. Seems simple doesn't it? They can run all around the church if they want to but I will always be right where I started so I can't possibly get in their way. Sometimes I get wedding coordinators trying to tell me how to do my job....but that's a post for another day! 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

THERE ARE SOME WEDDING VIDEO JOBS YOU DON'T WANT!

As wedding videographers you know the wedding season is somewhat limited so of course you want to book as many weddings as possible. The more weddings you book, the more your name gets our there and the more your business grows. There are exceptions however. I'm sure you've come across certain brides and/or their family that you just don't feel good about. We recently booked a wedding for Memorial Day Weekend. We did it through the mail so of course we sent our contract, including our addendum requesting that we be included in the dinner plans, whatever they may be. (Sadly,it has become necessary to specify that we need to eat during the long day). Not only is this the right thing to do, but in my case since I am diabetic, it is a must. When we got the contract back from the mother for this particular wedding, she included a note that basically said we had a lot of nerve to ask for dinner... it was very unprofessional. She indicated that she was sure we would bring snacks and providing dinner was a ridiculous expectation. Well, that was a first. We promptly sent her deposit check and a copy of the cancelled contract back to her. There have been other brides and their families that we can just tell from the first meeting that they will be more trouble than it's worth, no matter how much money is involved. That's one of the perks of being your own boss. Sometimes you have to stand on your gut feeling and know that another opportunity will come through. Not everyone is meant to be a good match and since it's such an important and often stressful day, choose carefully. Sometimes it's not about the paycheck! J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio,440-845-2122, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

GOOD GRIEF, GIVE US A BREAK! WEDDING TOASTS!

Hello Friends, Today I am going to talk about Wedding Toasts. I do not know how many weddings you have been to but I have been to a million of them, well not exactly a million but enough to see trends. One of the trends I see is that whoever offers the toast to the bride and groom REALLY NEEDS TO SHORTEN the toast. This is typical of the type of toasts I have heard with some, well a lot of exaggeration to make my point. Here we go... Hi, for those who do not know me my name is Josh. I have been friends with the groom all our lives. We met in the hospital nursery. He was in the bassinet next to me. We were born about an hour apart. We hit it off instantly. He needed to be fed so I joined in screaming and crying like he did so I could get fed to. The nursing staff never caught on. Our Moms became friends as well and we lived just down the street from each other so it was inevitable we remained friends all these years. An hour later, while most of the guests are sleeping the phrase comes out and make some babies as well. Everyone starts laughing and wakes up. Lets keep the toasts to about 5 minutes, fill it with a few embarrassing facts and welcome the bride to the family. Ladies do the same. Most people wont remember the long version anyway. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

DSLR, 4K AND HD..... WHAT IS A PERSON SUPPOSED TO DO?

Ok, I'll answer that. It seems to me that DSLR which stands for digital single lens reflex, means nothing to you as the consumer but is significant to the professional. DSLR cameras come in the form of a regular professional camera body. An average person could not tell the difference if a camera is a DSLR or just a regular camera by looking at it. The difference between the DSLR and SLR or single lens reflex is that the DSLR can shoot High Definition video and the regular SLR camera cannot. One takes pictures only and the one one takes videos and pictures. There are companies out there that use nothing but DSLR to shoot video and of course there are companies that shoot video in Hi-def. The problem with the DSLR is that it is very, very expensive to rig up. I've seen these cameras go for $15,000.00 and over. Does it shoot a good video? Sure, it better for that price. The real problem is that according to more than a few sources DSLR video is extremely unreliable. Overheating and camera shut downs are common. That's the last thing you need when you're about to say your " I do's ". We have DSLR cameras. We use them only for photography, never for video. What about 4K? 4K means 4000 pixels.Obviously the idea here is to get higher resolution. 4K will be a true advancement in video. If you remember when Hi-def first came out everyone went out and bought HD tvs. The problem was there were only a handful of channels that broadcast in Hi-def.Therefor, most of the people who bought these televisions were watching their favorite programs in non-digital format. The same thing is happening right now with 4K. 4K tvs are flying off the shelves of retailers and people are finding the same problem as with Hi-def when it first came out. In order for 4K video to get the best resolution, a few things have to happen. First, the cable companies will have to upgrade their services which will mean an increase in your bill. Second, you will have to get a DVR that is capable of handling 4K. Blue-ray recorders are quickly falling off the map. The third thing you need if you're shooting a wedding video, the cameras being used must be 4K. If any one of these pieces are missing, your video or tv program will look just like it does now in Hi-def. So J&J video's position on this is to wait until all the pieces of this puzzle are put together. You will find the cost of the tv's and cameras will drop dramatically. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio,

VIDEO COMPANIES THAT CLAIMS THEY DO WEDDING VIDEOS IN FILM ARE LIARS

Every day while going on the internet, I see more and more wedding video production companies claiming that they are filming weddings. Nobody, I said nobody does wedding videos in film. Everything is done and recorded in digital on video cards, not 8, not super 8, not 35, or 70 mm films are ever used to shoot wedding videos in this day and age. The ones that claim they do are lying just to jack up their price because it sounds more professional. For the sake of argument,lets say that somebody decided to really shoot a wedding video in 70mm film. It would probably cost 250,000.00 just to film the wedding. The other thing that these sleazy video production operators claim is that they are cinematographers. I think the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) would have something to say to these wannabes and thieves. If you have any questions for the Cleveland area, contact the Cleveland Film Commission. They run the Cleveland Film Festival and they would certainly know if any Cleveland wedding videographers are shooting in film. Trust me, they're not. Brides and grooms are constantly being ripped off by these fraudulent wedding video production companies that are claiming to shoot film. It's high time that someone speaks out about this nonsense. A professional wedding video company should charge between $700 and $1200 for a full day wedding and reception video. Make sure you see some of their work. I would also be leary of anyone who charges under $500 to shoot a wedding video. You would be better off getting a cheap video camera from Best Buy and having a friend or family member shoot your video. If you have any questions, please call J&J Video Productions at 440-845-2122. Even if you do not book with us I would be glad to answer your questions. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio,

VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANIES ARE BOOKING 2-3 YRS IN ADVANCE

I remember a day when you had to book reception halls 3 years in advance or you would not get the wedding date you wanted. Since the 1980's wedding video production companies have made their way on to the wedding scene. In the 1980's wedding videos were considered fluff. Last minute bookings were common and usually wedding video production companies were always available. That was then and this is NOW! The top rated wedding video production companies are booking 2-3 years in advance much like the reception halls did in the 1980's and still do today. My advice to you is that YOU DO WANT A WEDDING VIDEO (people swear by them) so do not mess around , book your date ASAP especially the May, June, July , August and September dates. These dates are premium dates. The last thing you need to do is WAIT. You wait with us , the date will be gone in a matter of a week. So instead of Paying $700.00 for the full boat, you will now have to pony up a minimum of $500.00 more to get the same quality wedding video we offer. Whomever you use don't play games in hoping that you will get a better deal elsewhere. You will not win that one because for every date available there are at least 4 couples that will take the date if you do not book it. Time is money and in this business time wasted will cost money. Book your vendor as fast and reasonably as possible. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio,

I DID NOT KNOW THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS OUR BUSINESS BETTER THAN WE DO!!!

Since I started this business in 1982, I have been seen working by well in excess of a quarter million people. It shouldn't surprise you that I have been approached by average people who own decent cameras. It seems that they know our job better than we do. It ranges from parents of the bride TO DRUNKEN WEDDING GUESTS!. It never ends.... If these people knew half of what they think they know, all of the wedding pros would be in deep trouble. MY advise is to LET THE PROFESSIONALS DO THEIR JOB AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! If you are that knowledgeable, then get into the business and prove it. Arm chair quarter backs, back seat drivers and now smarter than you video and photographers PLEASE go away. If you think for one second the professional is going to do what you say he should, you are sadly mistaken. I always agree and then shoot whatever I am shooting the way it should be shot no matter what, unless it is good advice, but trust me it isn't. Do they empty the looney bins on the weekends?? One has to wonder. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio,

SELFIE STICKS WTF!!!

Recently at a wedding, I came across something I have never seen before. That was a wild selfie-stick on the loose on a dance floor at a wedding reception. Yes, I know selfies are fun and apparently the selfie craze is now in full swing. Who doesn't like a selfie? But really, taking onto the dance floor at a reception?? Isn't that taking it a bit too far? The party involved was skyping this reception to some relative in a far away land. I wonder what it would be called if one of those selfie-sticks whacked some 90 year old lady in the head? Would it be considered an aggravated assault. a simple assault or another way to kill grandma...with a selfie-stick instead of a reindeer? Early one Christmas eve, Grandma got killed with a selfie-stick by some drunken bride's maid at a wedding. What is next!! 440-845-2122, wedding videos-Parma Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio,

CHURCH BRIDAL COORDIANATORS, LEAVE THE PROFESSIONALS ALONE!

In the early 1980's, bridal coordinators were unheard of except for extremely wealthy families. They would hire a known professional and pay a fortune to have all aspects of the wedding attended to. Today in 2015, bridal coordinators are everywhere. The highly paid bridal coordinators are not a problem. They can helpful to the bride and groom. Unfortunatley, untrained, unprofessional volunteer church coordinators are very quickly becoming a serious problem for wedding photographers, videographers, florists, musicians, I could go on and on. Don't get me wrong, its a wonderful thing that women want to volunteer their time to help their church, however, stepping into the wedding arena is no place for amateur volunteers. For example, I have been shooting weddings for over 30 years and a bridal coordinator for a church who obviously had a serious mental disability started to tell myself and another highly experienced photographer where we should stand, what we should shoot and how to do our job. We just agreed with her and went about our business as usual, completely ignoring her instructions. I've also had a bridal coordinator...more like a dictator tell us that we could not step beyond a certain pew to take pictures or shoot video. One florist was told where to put her flowers by this idiot. During the wedding service, this woman actually stood guard at line we were not supposed to cross. When is this nonsense going to stop? As professionals in this business, we know exactly where to be, where to stand and what to shoot. These volunteer, unprofessional church coordinators should go visit the sick and needy members of their church where they are really needed and stay out of the churches during weddings. A COMMENT FROM FATA TOM PLASKET, A FORMER RADIO PERSONALITY AND THE OWNER OF A HIGH END VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY... Joe, my old Pal, I could not agree more. Selfie sticks, as well as selfies, in general, are a menace to society, and softening our societal makeup. With this spreading mindset that every little thing, every person does, is worthy of memorializing in a digital medium, and transmitting to the world, that every meal, three times a day, is something that must be shared with God knows who, for God knows why, is the very foundation on which our entire nation's sense of entitlement is based. Ban selfies, and the sticks they rode in on!!! wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, 440-845-2122

WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO DRESS FOR A WEDDING?

When a bride and groom come to meet with you in the hopes of hiring you to do their wedding video, what kind of impression are you making? What do you think their expectations are when hiring professional videographers? In 33 years in the business doing wedding videography, I have seen "professional" videographers dressed in every way you can imagine. I have seen men and women videographers dressed in jeans and t-shirts and sneakers. I've seen them wearing sloppy shirts hanging out of their pants with beat up shoes or long hippie looking skirts with sandals or sneakers. I remember one wedding video company where both the videographers were wearing black jeans and black t-shirts like that was supposed to look like some kind of uniform. They stood out like sore thumbs. At another wedding I saw a video company come dressed in Bib Overalls smeared with oil is as if they changed the oil in their car or truck. It's understandable that we need to be somewhat comfortable and able to move freely in order to do our job but it's also important to remember the occasion and the venue. The bride and groom and all their attendants and family members go to a lot of trouble to dress up and look their best. If you're presenting yourself as a professional, you should dress like a professional, especially if the wedding is taking place in a church. Sure, some weddings are much more casual and informal but that shouldn't change the way you dress since you're there to work as professionals, not grease monkeys. Make the effort to look good, it will leave a good impression on your clients and that's important when you consider many jobs come from referrals by word of mouth. It also shows that you take pride in your job as a professional wedding videographer. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

PHOTOGRAPHERS & VIDEOGRAPHERS MUST LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER

As a bride and groom plan their wedding, there are so many things to consider. Everything from the type of service to the colors for the wedding are carefully planned. One of the most important parts of wedding planning is capturing the day to look back on and enjoy together, especially since the Wedding & Reception goes by so fast. Today's brides and grooms often choose to have both a wedding photographer and videographer to capture the day. As two professionals, they are expected to work seamlessly together without being a distraction or disturbing the ceremony. Sometimes this isn't as easy as it should be. As someone with 30 years of experience in both wedding photography and wedding videos, I can tell you that I find photographers are often at a loss when it comes to working with a videographer. Although many wedding photographers claim years of experience, based on what I see, I have to wonder. I've seen photographers bring in reflectors and slave flashes that won't do any good because they're too far away. Some photographers run around the church looking confused like they don't know what to do next. In most churches and other venues, there is plenty of room for both professionals to get good positioning and good angles. A short conversation before the service starts goes a long way to understanding how they each like to work. As the wedding videographer, I like to introduce myself to the photographer and explain my position during the wedding. If the photographer stays beside me we can both get the straight on shot. This should be common sense. Another issue I've run into is the photographer having a problem with video lights. This is mostly an issue at the reception, especially when the house lights are turned down. If the photographer knows what he's doing, he or she will know that his or her flash will override any video light. I have had so many wedding photographers ask me some real silly questions about flash and lighting. A photographer with his or her camera set up correctly will have no problems, but so often they don't have a clue. It shouldn't be necessary for the videographer to explain how it works, and there doesn't need to be any problems with two wedding professionals working together. Having worked with some world class professionals, I can tell you that the difference is obvious. I don't even know those photographers are there. We can work together beautifully and it shows. 440-845-2122, J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

GUEST BLOGGER- WEST SIDE KENNY N J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio pulls out of THE HOT LIST COMPETITION!

We invite Guests to join our blog with comments. Here is a letter I received From "Kenny". He is in no way affilated with J&J Video Productions. Anything he posts is not necessarily a refelection of J&J Video's Opinion or do we endorse it. Any comments that are made are in compliance with the CDA. Our opinion will be posted after the blog. J&J Video Productions and 3 of it’s other companies have pulled out of the competition 2 weeks before the end of the contest. City Voter Inc. runs the Cleveland Hot List and HOT LISTS and A-Lists in several cities across the United States. At the time of its departure all 3 of the companies J&J Video Productions owns were in the number 1 position. J&J Video’s management will not say why it pulled out of the contests which they would have easily won. There have been rumors of mismanagement, voter problems and manipulations. Many other top flight companies have pulled out of the competition as well. When the owner of J&J Video was asked why he pulled his companies out of the competition his only comment was “The results do not reflect the publics’ voting”. If a company the caliber of J&J Video pulls out of the competition after 4 straight wins, this does not bode well for the City Voter HOT LIST COMPETITION. I sure hope that prospective brides and grooms DO NOT Rely on the 2015 results because they in most cases will not be talking to the Best of the Best rather they will be talking to a Johnny Come Lately who has little or no experience. West Side Kenny. COMMENT BY MANAGEMENT OF J&J VIDEO PRODUCTIONS-CLEVELAND OHIO. This e-mail was received on March 22, 2015 beofre the results were published by City Voter.Com..Comment "NO COMMENT"

Photographers and Videographers Have to Work Together at a Wedding

Today most brides want to have a professional photographer and a professional videographer to capture all the activities and excitement of their wedding. Both services are an important expense for brides and grooms to consider in thier budget. Wedding photography and video, while sharing the same subject matter, are completely different in how they document the day. To the bride and groom, one is not more important than the other. In our experience, some photographers get all upset and agitated when they show up at the church on the wedding day and realize they'll have to work with 2 videographers trying to get the same shots at the same time. We always make it a point to go to the wedding rehersal to get an idea of the setup, lighting, and flow of the service. We never see photographers at the rehersals so when they show up, they act surprised that we'll be working right there with them. Videography and photography are shot in a completely different manner. When we are doing video for a wedding, we set up our cameras so we can get good, clear, close shots and sound of the entire service. There is plenty of room for the photographer to shoot right beside us, as well as move around freely to get good close shots. We usually have to explain how we work, but the photographers are often sure we are going to ruin their shots and our cameras and tripods are going to be in every photo. We even had a photographer tell us how we should shoot the entire wedding from the back of the room because that's how other videographers do it. We do not do what other video companies do. That is why we win most of the competitions we enter. With over 30 years of experience, we can assure the photographers that they will get beautiful pictures.

SHOULD YOU BRING YOUR CHILDREN TO A WEDDING & RECEPTION NO!

I know, I know your children are a part of the family. I have been in the video business for 32 years and I love kids BUT a wedding ceremony is a sacred service and should be treated as such. I have seen kids of all ages from 2-13 running wild in a Catholic Church playing tag. This game went on for 20 minutes while the seating was occurring. They were on the altar, running the isles and really had no clue as to how annoying they were. This is the PARENTS FAULT for not stopping this behavior. Screaming kids during the services is a real sore spot for the ministers, priests and rabbis. The parents do nothing to stop them. Kids get bored really fast during wedding services. This is the way kids are built. I did the same thing when I was a kid. They have an extreme amount of energy and they have to blow it off. Rarely have I seen a child who was part of the actual bridal party act up because they are being supervised. Non supervision is a recipe for this type of behavior. During the actual service it is usually pretty calm except for the 2 yr olds and babies occasionally crying. Ahh the reception. The way it works in that the people arrive about an hour before the introductions and dinner. During the cocktail hour the kids can run wild, really wild, up to crawling on to the DJ’s platform and playing there. Now it is becoming extremely dangerous. I have seen a drunk adult fall into a DJ’s booth, knocking over a tower speaker.Uunfortunately the speaker landed on the guys chest and landed him in the ICU with several broken ribs and both lungs collapsed. He did survive. Can you imagine a kid being crushed by this speaker. It would be horrible. I had a kid run into my flood light which the bulb runs at about 3200 degrees. The unit fell on him, lucky for him the back of the light landed on him and was bruised but not burned. Had it been the other way his skin would have been instantly seared off. This filament is hotter than molten iron and the whole front of the light is over 2000 degrees. There are too many reasons to keep your children home. It is NOT because we are child haters. It is because they can injure themselves critically. I have seen this as well. A 7 yo kid ran into a disabled lady, knocked her over and she was rushed to a local hospital with a fractured hip. She never recovered. Of course kids want to be a part of the festivities, but for their safety children under 13 should be taken to a baby sitter. Parents if you do bring kids to a wedding please restrain them from making the church and the dance floor their private playground.

WHO IS THE BETTER VIDEOGRAPHER, COMPANY A OR COMPANY B??

Who is the best anyway?? I want to know! First of all that is a good question. How do you pick the best video production company for you. Here is the thing. A lot of video companies brag about their equipment as being the best out there. Is this true or not. It is to him/her but is it really. The bottom line comes down to you the consumer, who do you want to do your job whether it is a wedding or a multi-million dollar production. There is a ton of things to consider. One is the buget, is one to expensive and the other isnt? Lets set something straight here. One time I was reading a publication by a well know videographer. He was telling the world that his format was the best that there is. I saw that article and took him up on his assertions that his format was the best on earth. Sony came out with an article that expressly stated that their format was by far the better choice. We are talking world class video here and not something a bride and groom would be interested in. What this all comes down to is the interview with the videographer. Do you like him/her? Are they capable of shooting your wedding? Are the samples showing you everything or just montages of pictures and no real action? What does the wedding part look like? What is their repuatation like? DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER COMPETITIORS WORD FOR ANYTHING!! If he/she bashes another company, end the interview. A real pro will say I do not know him or I have never seen any of his work. Bashing is the worst of the worst. If that is what they need to do to make themsleves look better...run for the hills! What matters most is what you think, your buget and just how comfortable you are trusting the best and most important day of you lives to him/her. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information. professional video productions, shooting a wedding video, wedding videos, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

WHY J&J VIDEO PRODUCTION-CLEVELAND OHIO LEFT NOVA ( Northern Ohio Videographers Association) Part 2

My ruse was working well. These guys as rule are not the brighest blades in the drawer. While this was going on the 2 chief hanchos decided that they were going to officialy give up the reigns to NOVA. The month before they had nominations. The 2 newest mmembers were chosen and the Vice President and President nominees were in place. A little collusion there??? They use a hand vote and all members in attendance EXCEPT ME raised my hand. I did not know anything about these guys. I had been in the group for a few years now. This seemed awful suspicious. I outwardly challenged the dues issue. This group was doing nothing, half the meetings were cancelled. They had been collecting dues $75.00 from each member for years. I questioned them on where the money was. The incumbents openly said that there was about $4000.00+ . What the hell are they collecting dues for? I requested a vote on the dues, again a raised hand vote. I was the only one who voted NO!. I had no intentions on paying the the dues. This group was and is a joke. I also questioned them about the decorum. There were never any notes taken, never read old business, new business and they never read minutess. There was never a treausers report..NOTHING. The only thing I enjoyed was the company of some of the more intellegent members. The ruse was going on during this period. I was finnally outed by a real experinced guy in the group. All of a sudden I had no access to the facebook pages. So that sealed it. I did not do a thing to get on their good graces to get back in. I still have access to their posts and all I see are posts to buy/check out/or sell some of the members junk. It was just a huge waste of time. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information. professional video productions, shooting a wedding video, wedding videos, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio

WHY J&J VIDEO PRODUCTION-CLEVELAND OHIO LEFT NOVA ( Northern Ohio Videographers Association)

When I first came to Cleveland Ohio. I found out about NOVA when I was looking for a wedding videographer for my daughters wedding. The prospective videographer told me he was a member of NOVA. I do not quite remember who gave me the number but I got it somewhere. I talked to one of the executive committee members (LOL). This idea sounded like it was a DREAM COME TRUE. Myself, having worked the wedding video market for over 25 yrs at that time understood the benefits of joining this group. I joined as soon as I possible could. The dues are a paultry $75.00 a year, way less than most Professional Organizations. I went to the meetings when they had them. I enjoyed the fellowship. There are some really nice people in this group but this group also has plenty of idiots as well. I made 1 good contact which I still use. The rest of the presenters were paid sales people. Those meetings to me were a waste of time. The one really impressive benefit of this group was that in case you had an emergency, you could get a hold of a qualified video professional as a back up. Along with that occasionally jobs were posted. This was to good to be true...well you know what they say about to good to be true! Oh, I forgot they threw a picnic for their mrmbers as well. That is where it ends. The first year we had a few presenters, myself being one of them. It seemed to me these people we totally obsessed with what equipment you use. Who cares!!! I use some proprietary equipment that I do not want any of my competitiors to know about. I gave it serious consideration if I wanted to waste $75.00 for this. I even put together a fully fuctioning website for them free of charge but I couldnt get the 2 chief honchos to get me the information. All I could do was post the meeting dates. I also knew I was going to be unable to attend the meetings for several months. The second year I dod not pay the dues, yet when I could go I went anyway. In the first year and the second year there were indeed several jobs posted which I immediately jumped on. I know for a fact that certain few members got the jobs. Obviously I was not a part of the clique within NOVA. There were posts for needed rentals. I offered to the members to rent the non proprietary equipment, nothing. I also noted that there was a ton of second shooter requests. My question was why so many video companies needed second shooters. This could only mean the members were selling 2 camera shoots and not having the personell to do the job. To me this is a very dangerous practice of over booking. A lot of these members are so cluless that say they are filming weddings, or filming is in their coimpany names. I mean really, filming a wedding. These guys do not even have the terminology down or they are trying to impress brides. Let me clear this up. Nobody uses film for shooting a wedding, evertything is shot in a digital format these days. There are some commercial companies that actually do film TV Commercials. Those budgets are not even in the ballpark for a wedding. If you see the word film in a wedding videographer ad or name, you know it is time to look elsewhere. Maybe these companies are so lost in the 80's when 8mm and Super 8 were the norm. There are several of them in NOVA. I am not one of these people who stand for lying or bragging or boasting. J&J Video Productions won the Cleveland Hot List competition from 2011-2014 as the Best Wedding Videographer in Cleveland Ohio. One of the so called leaders of NOVA made some smart assed remark about it. I took him to task and told him that one of the reasons I won was because of our pricing. I told him in front of all of the members I did not believe in ripping brides off. Our rates are half of most wedding videogrpahers. That set off a firestorm on the facebook page. Even this washed up vidoegrapher remarked that our heated but professional conversations really brought attention to NOVA's facebook page. This guy started bragging about his switching jobs. Really switching or switcher jobs, ROTFLMAO, he must have never heard of multi-camera productions. I got tired of listening to this guys bu****it so I wanted to see how smart these guys really are. So I posted pics of some of "our equipment" from the Philadelphia office. That was a total ruse! Part 2 comming! professional video productions, shooting a wedding video, wedding videos, wedding videos-Cleveland Ohio, wedding videos-Cuyahoga County Ohio, wedding videos-Parma Ohio !

Weddings Come in All Shapes and Sizes

As someone who has been shooting wedding videos for 30 years, I think I can say I've probably seen it all. I have also learned a lot over the years. I've learned about different customs, and cultures. I have also learned that the biggest, most elaborate and expensive wedding and reception isn't always the best. There is no one way to put on a wedding. Even the term "traditional" has many meanings when it comes to weddings. As a professional wedding videographer, you have to be ready for anything. I make a point to always attend if there is a wedding rehearsal. As a wedding videographer, I have done weddings in a courthouse, on a lake, in homes and in the most beautiful venues in the city. In one wedding, the bride was Vietnamese and the groom was Chinese. There was a ceremony at the bride's parents home followed by a backyard luncheon. Then we all went to the home of the groom's parents for another ceremony. In the evening, there was a big formal reception at a beautiful venue. The bride wore 4 different dresses throughout and even the bridal party changed clothes. It was extremely challenging shooting a wedding video in someone's living room with the bride and groom and 50 guests and family members. I have done several Hindu weddings, and Orthodox weddings as well as typical church weddings... all very different. I had to be flexible and think on the run to get a professional video but all my bridal couples were very happy. Another aspect of weddings that varies greatly is budget, which is partially based on the number of guests. I've noticed that the younger brides often have their parents paying for much of the wedding. Some parents will spare no expense to give their daughter her dream day. Some are more restrained in their spending. It is possible to have a lovely wedding with all the trimmings and not spend a fortune. The type of wedding also depends a lot on the personality of the couple, especially the bride. Some love the fanfare and being the star of the day, and some are more low key and easy going. In my experience, the best, or most enjoyable weddings are the one's where everyone is dancing and partying and the DJ is keeping everything jumping. Guests will remember how much fun they had more than what they ate for dinner or what kind of flowers were on the tables. As a professional videographer, my job is to produce the best wedding video possible, regardless of where or when or how big or small. One thing I love about my job is, not knowing from week to week, what I'm going to get. This article has been was written by myself for my newsletter and since the author is the same person, permission for use is granted. Joe Sabol is an internationally known videographer with over 30yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8075386

Wedding Videographers and Other Vendors Are Excluded From Dinner - What's Up With That?

Wedding vendors, including videographers, photographers, disc jockeys and photo booth workers, are paid for their services, however, they truly appreciate being included in the reception dinner. This is especially true for wedding videographers and wedding photographers because they start early in the day with the bridal party, and are working straight through until 11:00 or even midnight. That is a long day, too long to go on just a sandwich. Most brides are reasonable enough or thoughtful enough to include us in the count for dinner, but it is about more than just a meal. For the wedding videographer and photographer, it is extremely important to be seated in the main dining room with the guests. We need to be able to see and hear what's going on during the entire reception. If we are seated in a separate room or outside or in a broom closet or whatever, we are likely to miss something important that goes on, especially something unplanned. These are often the most memorable or the funniest moments. It's our job to record everything that happens from beginning to end. It is a disservice to the couple to exclude us from the room. Sometimes it's the bride and/or groom that doesn't consider the wedding professionals when planning their reception. We have found that more often, the bride and groom or the bride's mother include us in the dinner and provide us with a table, but it's the venue that doesn't follow through. When they set up tables, they don't include one for the wedding videographer, wedding photographer or other wedding professionals. To address the issue, we have included an addendum to our contract to specify that we are to be provided dinner at a table in the main dining room. There are still times that we arrive at the reception (early so we can set up) and find no place for us to sit. Many times we have had to go to the head of the reception venue and ask for seating. Believe it or not, we have been told, "we can get you a chair to sit along the wall of the room. We have also been told more than once that after all the guests are served, we can eat if there's anything left. We explain that our contract with the bride and groom includes a table and a meal but we are obviously not their priority. They don't seem to realize that our meal has been paid for along with all the guests. We don't like to do it, but we have had to go to the bride's parents to inform them we have been excluded. It really is a hassle for everyone and it didn't need to be. This article has been was written by myself for my newsletter and since the author is the same person, permission for use is granted. Joe Sabol is an internationally known videographer with almost 29yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8061532