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

Wedding Video Pricing

When a bride starts looking for a wedding videographer, there are many things for her to consider. In today’s economy, price is often the deciding factor. Every videographer has his or her own pricing plans so it can be confusing for perspective brides to know what they’re getting for the price they’re paying. Many wedding videographers have very complicated plans with very descriptive names that try to convey how elaborate, therefore how expensive they are. In some cases, videographers charge extra for using more than one camera, although in most cases there is no need for more than 2. An experienced videographer can handle 2 cameras himself so there’s no need to pay for an extra camera operator. Some videographers charge for every individual thing they do, including travel time and the time for setting up and tearing down. It’s very common for wedding videographers to charge per hour. If a bride pays for the package that covers 5 hours, and something exciting or memorable happens after that.... too bad. I have also seen videographers charge extra after midnight. In my opinion, this kind of pricing is taking advantage of a bride who has a million other things to think about and pay for. It’s basically a way to pad the bill and is a rip off to the bride. I feel keeping it simple and easy to understand is the way to go. You will have a happy bride who will be happy to refer you to her friends. The higher the price DOES NOT mean better qualIty. Posted by J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio, 440-845-2122 http://jandjvideoproductions.com at 4:08 PM

Why Attending Rehearsal Is So Important

When I book a wedding, I make sure to find out about the rehearsal, which is usually held the evening before the wedding. I have learned over the years that it is crucial to attend the rehearsal. There is nothing worse than being unprepared and flying by the seat of your pants.

One of the most important things to address at rehearsal is the rules or restrictions of the particular venue, especially if it’s a church. The first thing you should do is speak with the officiant to find out if he or she has specific places where you can set up or where you are not permitted to be. I have done weddings in churches that have been extremely unreasonable and would have the videographer stand outside if he could get away with it. I have been banished to the choir loft on more than one occasion. You better know this ahead of time so you can prepare the bride and groom for what to expect in their finished video.

Once you have an idea of where you can be positioned to shoot, you need to make sure that you can get a good view around the wedding party, large flower arrangements and guests with big hair or big hats. You may need to speak with bride and groom during rehearsal so they understand positioning in order to get the best shot of the vows and ring exchange. They are paying you to capture their day so speak up and ask questions or make suggestions. I’ve had family members complain about my position on the altar, well behind the priest and bride and groom. I was certainly happy to cooperate and work with them to make them happy, but ultimately, my job was to provide the best view of the ceremony for the couple getting married.

Another important issue to address at rehearsal is sound. Will the officiant have a mic? Do they allow wireless mics? Will there be background noise like traffic or electric fans? In a small venue there may not be any problem with sound, but in a big, cavernous church, you need to be prepared.

The bottom line is, attending the wedding rehearsal is absolutely necessary in order to do your job to the best of your ability and to provide the bride and groom with the best, most complete video memory of their day.

The Bride, The Groom and then there is the Dog!

You and your soul mate have finally tied the knot. You have found the perfect place to start your life together. Whether it's an apartment, condo, or your first house, you are ready to make it your home.

Starting a home together comes with decisions about combining furniture or buying new, finding a place for all your wedding gifts, and most importantly, figuring out how the dog is going to fit in. Whether it's the best furry friend of your spouse or your four-legged baby, you all have to live peacefully together.

You may not have given this much thought, but anyone who has a dog, knows that Sparky is more than just a pet. People have different ideas about what to feed their pooch. For example, if you keep your dog on a strictly dog food and dog treats diet, but your spouse happily shares his beer, pizza and donuts, there will be an issue. Your dog will learn to beg for treats, will probably gain weight and he will quickly learn who to suck up to.

Another potential difference of opinion involves where the furry baby sleeps at night. Many people have an issue with any dog in the bed, however, the severity of this problem could be directly related to the size of the pup. Its one thing to have a 20 pound lap dog sharing your bed. It's a completely different story when Sparky is a Lab or a German Shepherd or some other 90 pound pup. Of course as newlyweds, there is always the issue of privacy and even worse, jealousy. If your dog, is extremely attached to you, or your spouses dog to him, they may not be willing to share affection. This could be a real problem...think "Its Me or The Dog".

So in the middle of all the changes and adjustments of a new marriage and starting a new home, take the time to include your dog in your plans. Come to an understanding about how your loyal best friend will fit into the household. A little time and attention will go a long way to making it a smooth and peaceful transition.

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 28yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol

Using Lighting to Shoot a Wedding Video

One dilemma that a wedding videographer often faces is dim lighting in a church or synagogue. In order to get the best quality wedding video, you need an adequate amount of light, and an experienced wedding videographer will know how to work with any lighting situation. Most churches and synagogues do not allow lighting and many do not even want camera flashes used during the ceremony.

Case in point, I was shooting the photography for a wedding in a big, beautiful old church outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The videographer came in and set up two 2000 watt quartz halogen flood lights. Needless to say, it looked like a movie set, wires everywhere, so it was no surprise to me when the priest came in and asked to speak to Cecil B.DeMille. He told the videographer that this was a church and not a movie set.

The videographer did not check with the church before the wedding, so he was not aware of the restrictions for wedding videos and photography. The priest made him take down the lights, so he was forced to shoot the video with just the available natural light. I have found that if the church or synagogue is large and dimly lit, you can ask the officiant to turn on all possible overhead lighting. This should be sufficient to shoot a wedding video. An experienced videographer will know that he can turn up the gain. Yes, this brings a bit of video noise into the wedding video but at the same time it can help bring up the lighting to an adequate level.

We all know that weddings can be held in any number of venues, from the beach, to a field, to a stadium. Weddings have even been held in restaurants and haunted houses. Lighting for wedding videography for this type of service is naturally going to be based on the place and time of day. There will likely to be less restrictions and you will be able to get creative with your lighting. You can indulge your inner film maker. Some newer churches are designed like a theater and will have the necessary lighting in place.

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 28yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol

What Not To Shoot At A Wedding

As a wedding videographer, you know the standard shots that are expected to cover a wedding video. Common sense and tradition dictate the formal and family shots, at the reception as well as any specific requests from the bride and groom.

What may not be so obvious are shots that should not be on the wedding video.

All bridal parties are unique and their requests will be based on individual preference, so you may get some unusual ideas. Your job as the wedding videographer is to give the bride and groom what they want and make sure they are happy, however, there are certain things that should never end up on a wedding video.

Anything can happen at a wedding, especially if there is alcohol being served, so avoid arguments and fights and other noticeably intoxicated behavior. Uncle Vic may have the best of intentions when he starts on a long, slurred, mumbling speech, but it's best to turn off the record button on your camera and let him think he's being recorded..

Another thing to avoid shooting for a wedding video is the "ham" or camera hog. This person will keep showing up in front of the camera to wave or say something clever. This is especially true for kids who want to perform and make faces for the camera. On the other hand, there may be people who want to avoid the camera, so respect their wishes as well.

There may be a guest or even member of the wedding party who request you to shoot something specific for them. Keep in mind that the bride and groom are your clients and you're only obligated to fulfill their requests.

I'm sure all professional wedding videographers know to turn off the camera for a medical problem or any police activity. I would also advise against recording the wedding cake crashing to the floor. Last but not least, as tempting as it may be, you should not shoot inappropriate behavior, such as, random couples making out, Aunt Peg's strip tease or the flower girl's temper tantrum.

Remember, the wedding video you shoot will be the bride and grooms permanent memory of their day and it should be all positive, happy and beautiful.

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 28yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol

When It Comes To Wedding Videos Copying Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

Today, virtually every business has an internet web site, and wedding videographers are no exception. If you do an internet search of wedding videographers in your local area, you will find a list of web sites that can range from a few to a few hundred depending on the size of your city or town.

On the internet, everything is there for everyone to see. That is the idea, to get potential customers to notice your wedding video company. You want your website to really stand out and be special because you only have seconds to capture a customers attention. Once the customer finds your website, they want to get as much information as possible about you and your company.

In the wedding video business, the most important aspect of your website has to be samples or demos of your work. Brides want to see how amazing you can make their special day to remember forever.

As a wedding videographer, it is in your best interest to keep up with what other local videographers are doing so you can remain competitive in your market. What you may notice as you search through web sites is some very similar looking, or even identical video and/or graphics on two different videographer's web pages. If one wedding videographer has posted a clip or a montage that is really awesome, it will obviously draw the interest of the potential customer and a phone call to set up an appointment is likely.

If you are the wedding videographer with the awesome, attention grabbing video clip or montage, and you find the same thing on a competitors website, what should you do? There are several options, the first being, to do nothing. The most practical way to handle the situation is to contact the owner of the wedding video company that has copied from your website. Simply requesting the competitor give you credit on his website for the content he copied from you is the best solution for everyone.

If the owner of the video company does not design or maintain his own website, you can find the owner of the domain name as well as the technical contact for the website by going to whois.net and typing in the URL.

Hopefully, your competitor will be willing to do the appropriate thing and credit you on his or her website, but if not your last resort would be legal action.

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 28yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol

You Want Me to Shoot This Wedding From Where? Is This a Joke, Ok Who Put You Up to This?

As a wedding photographer, you encounter all kinds of situations. Sometimes everything is straightforward and smooth as silk, this is rare. There is so much involved in a wedding and reception and that means there is so much that can go wrong.

One of the most frustrating things a wedding photographer or wedding videographer can encounter is a church with strict "rules". I am sure all professional photographers and videographers understand the need for some guidelines and boundaries to respect the church and what if represents. Most of us know better than to be a distraction to the officiant, the wedding party and the family and friends. Apparently, the churches with the really inflexible rules have had some bad experiences that have reflected poorly on all wedding photographers and wedding videographers.

This is truly unfortunate because ultimately, the bride and groom and their families will miss out on recording the many memories and special moments of their wedding day.

How many times have you shown up at a wedding rehearsal to find out that you must stay put in one spot for the entire ceremony? The people who come up with these rules obviously have no idea of the problem this creates. You are hired by the bride or her family to photograph every moment of her day, and that is what she expects. How can you go to her after the wedding and say, "sorry, but I could not get your father handing you off to the groom" or, I could only get the back of you walking up the aisle?

This kind of situation makes you look very incompetent as a professional wedding photographer or wedding videographer. The bride and her family are not going to be happy and they are not going to want to pay you. It does not seem to matter that it was not your fault, and you could not do anything about it.

One thing you can do to avoid this disaster is to ask the bride when she calls to inquire about your services. If she schedules an appointment, ask her to check with her church officials regarding rules for wedding photography and wedding videography. If she is able to find out the specific rules, you can explain the potential problems and the possible consequences. You may decide to pass on the job to save yourself a lot of trouble or at the very least, the bride will know before her wedding what to expect.

Fortunately, for most brides, this is not the case. If you, as the photographer or videographer make a point to introduce yourself to the person in charge and ask them how you can do your job while respecting their wishes, they will most likely be willing to work with you for the benefit of the bride and groom. A little cooperation goes a long way in assuring the wedding is a happy occasion, and all the memories are good ones.

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 28yrs experience in the video industry. Please visit us at http://jandjvideoproductions.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Sabol

IT'S YOUR WEDDING VIDEO & UNCLE MIKE IS DRUNK

By: J&J Video Productions-Wedding Video Specialists-Cleveland, Ohio, Parma, Ohio.


Your wedding ceremony has just been completed. Everything went perfectly. No one made a mistake, no one tripped and no one fell. It was an absolutely perfect uneventful wedding and you are ecstatic. Now, off to the wedding reception.

To the professional wedding videographers, this sounds like the beginning of a perfect day. When you arrive at the wedding reception, you see that there is an open bar. This is usually a sign that this will be a lively wedding reception. Your job is to shoot the wedding video. Invariably, as the night goes on, some of the guests might overindulge in alcoholic beverages. There is almost always one person who seems to want to outdo everyone else in the wedding. He is the one who gets out on the dance floor to show off his amazing dance skills.

You can see that he has obviously had way too much to drink. While there is nothing wrong with having a few drinks to celebrate at the wedding reception, this party animal doesn't know when to stop. Let's name this party animal "Uncle Mike". Uncle Mike is having a great time and he notices the video camera. All of a sudden, you, as the wedding videographer become his best friend. He comes over and compliments you on what a fine job you're doing. He doesn't reailze that you might be shooting a very important part of the wedding reception. You have to remember that there are two types of personalities that emerge when someone is noticeably intoxicated.

One of the personalities is jovial, happy and comical. The other intoxicated type is mean spirited, aggressive and some would consider this type of person a "nasty drunk". Of course this guy is going to want to be on the video. He may ask you if he can record a message for the bride and groom on the wedding video. What should you do?

It's my experience in shooting wedding videos, that the best way to handle this situation is to do one of two things. Before you make a decision on what you're going to do, you should have an idea of what you'll do before the wedding reception even begins if this problem arises.

The first way to handle this is to shoot the video as long as it isn't interfering with the production of the wedding video, then, edit Uncle Mike out later. You can always use the footage as part of a blooper reel. The second option is to act as if you are recording Uncle Mike's heartfelt message, but never actually hit the record button. He will not know the difference. Believe it or not, you will not be the only one who notices Uncle Mike. It has happened to me several times during a wedding reception, where family members, wedding party members or even security at the reception hall, will step in and put Uncle Mike in a taxi and send him home.

In the event that Uncle Mike turns out to be a "nasty drunk", the first place you should turn to is to the parents of the bride or groom. Let them know what Uncle Mike is trying to do in the wedding video. It is better for them to handle this than you, the videographer because, they know him better. This may be something that has happened in the past and they have had to deal with Uncle Mike before.

So, with Uncle Mike taken care of, you can now continue to shoot the wedding video knowing that you have given the bride and groom the best wedding video you can possibly give to them.

J&J Video Productions is an independent Video Production Company located in Cleveland Ohio. J&J Video Productions specializes in Wedding Videos and covers Parma Ohio and Cuyahoga County Ohio as well as the Cleveland Metropolitan area. For further information please visit our website at http://jandjvideoproductions.com/

STANDARD DVD, HIGH DEF DVD, BLU RAY DVD - WHAT NEXT?

By: J&J Video Productions-Wedding Video Specialists-Cleveland, Ohio, Parma, Ohio.


With all this technology changing, it seems like we're taking a step back in time to the late 1980's and 1990's. Do you remember when there was a format called Beta? Do you remember a format called VHS? At one time, these were the only two formats available for the home wedding video markets.

Which one did you use? Did you use VHS or Beta? Through my travels, I found out that Beta was the format of choice on the west coast, and VHS was the format of choice on the east coast. What this all boiled down to was, the salespeople that were selling Beta out west were better salespeople than those selling VHS, and vice versa.

As we all know, Beta disappeared from the consumer market. Instead of catering to the consumer wedding video market, Sony set their sights on the professional video market.

Soon after this, we were inundated with all sorts of video tape formats. If memory serves me correctly, S-VHS was the first one to hit the streets. Then followed a whole slew of different formats. It just became so incredibly confusing and a producer's nightmare when it came down to editing the wedding video you just shot.

Are we taking a step back in time? With the advent of High Definition Video, it seems as if we're stuck in the same situation we were in back in the day.

There are plenty of wedding video production companies using high grade, professional quality video cameras that utilize mini-DV's. There are just as many out there that use memory sticks, and SDHC cards. What is a wedding video producer to do?

Since June 12, 2009, when the government made it mandatory for all broadcasters to use the digital video format, this threw a wrench into the gears of the machinery of professional video production. Everybody had to convert everything, even down to Mom and Pop with an old TV with rabbit ears. Has this flood of changes made a difference? It definetely has in terms of the picture quality we enjoy watching on today's TV.

Has it affected video production? You bet it has. Since most finished productions end up as DVDs, this has created a whole slew of new problems. On the consumer end, it doesn't seem like a big deal. They grab their DVD and throw it into their DVD player and watch their movie. But is it really that simple? Not anymore.

Most wedding videographers produce their weddings on a DVD. I've read on several blogs that the DVDs are not playing in their DVD players. Why is this? It seems as if the older DVDs, the ones 5-7 years old, are not capable of playing the digitally produced DVD wedding videos. Hollywood has given the consumer a false sense of security that their movie rental will play in their DVD players. Why do theirs play, and ours don't? What they aren't telling you is that the DVD you rent, other than a Blu-ray, is not digital, but is standard analog DVD, even though it's being formatted as a wide screen. Tricky eh....

This is a confusing nightmare for everyone either renting or producing DVDs. Are you aware that there are 6 different kinds of DVDs out there, not counting Blu-ray? Here's something even more confusing. You can play almost any DVD in a Blu-ray DVD player, but, you cannot play a Blu-ray DVD in anything other than a Blu-ray player. This was done intentionally so that you would eventually have to buy a Blu-ray player because the DVD in your hand may not play in your DVD player.

So we are right back to where we were in the late 80's and early 90's. Eventually I see evrything going to Blu-Ray. Guess whats next, MINI DVD'S I QUIT!!!

J&J Video Productions is an independent Video Production Company located in Cleveland Ohio. J&J Video Productions specializes in Wedding Videos and covers Parma Ohio and Cuyahoga County Ohio as well as the Cleveland Metropolitan area. For further information please visit our website at http://jandjvideoproductions.com/

HOW TO SHOOT A WEDDING VIDEO

By: J&J Video Productions-Wedding Video Specialists-Cleveland, Ohio

How do I shoot a wedding video? Two words come to mind immediately, and those two words are "very carefully". If you think you can just go and plop down a video camera on a tripod in a church or anywhere for that matter, and shoot a wedding video, you are sadly mistaken.

The first thing you have to do is know exactly what is going to happen during the wedding ceremony. By doing this, you eliminate the element of surprise, which can cause serious problems. In my 27 years of shooting wedding videos, the knowledge of what to expect during the wedding ceremony has saved my hide many times. You always need to be prepared when shooting a wedding video.

For example, during a wedding, the bride takes a rose and places it at an outdoor grotto. If you didn't know that was going to happen, please tell me how you would get that shot. I would love to know what kind of magic you would have to use to get that in the wedding video. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

Another consideration is the fact that every church or synagogue has different rules regarding photograhers and videographers. What you do not want to do is upset the officiant, because I can assure you, it will be the last time you are permitted to shoot a wedding video in that church.

I have been told horror stories by different officiants. Probably the most incredible abuse of the privlege of shooting a wedding video occured at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church near Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. A videographer thought it would be clever to shoot the vows looking up toward the ceiling, sliding on his back to get between the priest and the bride and groom during this crucial time of the ceremony. Needless to say, that videographer should have asked permission from the priest before trying something that stupid.I am certain the priest would have given him a resounding NO at his ridiculous request.

In all seriousness, shooting a wedding video takes time, planning and experience, as well as a little bit of common sense. Just like in sports, you have to learn the game and practice the game. Know the rules, abide by them and you will come out a winner.

J&J Video Productions is an independent Video Production Company located in Cleveland Ohio. J&J Video Productions specializes in Wedding Videos and covers Parma Ohio and Cuyahoga County Ohio as well as the Cleveland Metropolitan area. For further information please visit our website at http://jandjvideoproductions.com/