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.

Trends in Shooting Wedding Videos

Professional wedding videography today has gotten very expensive. In certain areas of the country, a bride can expect to pay thousands of dollars for a full day of coverage.
It seems that today, wedding videography has gotten away from the basics. Videographers that call themselves professional are less concerned with focus, lighting, audio and composition. Composition used to be and should still be the main component of a professional video. Instead, many videographers try to produce a flashy, special effect heavy, abstract montage of images that don’t capture the special moments, emotions, and all the fun of sharing a wedding day with family and friends. These are the things the bride and groom want to see and experience when they view their wedding day video.

A wedding video should tell the story of the bride and groom. Too many special effects and “tricks” can be distracting. Some special effects added during the editing process are fine and can really enhance the final product, but there should be a flow to the video that follows the flow of the days events. Also, you don’t see many close up shots of the bride and groom or the family and guests and that is a real missed opportunity to capture the moment. These shots can add a really special element to the video. My opinion is that the bride and groom would rather see these moments captured on their video than tilts, black and white, blurs, slow motion or other fancy effects.

Video Titles and Font Selection, A Factor Often Overlooked

When producing a video, the titles and graphics are an extremely important component in a professional looking finished product. All video editing software can generate titles and graphics, and more advanced, professional editors can produce 3-D graphics and other high-tech, complex effects. Although it may be fun and look really awesome, the fancy tricks can be very distracting and actually take away from the statement the video is trying to make.

The typeface or font is the first thing to choose when designing your titles. It’s the first thing that will be seen on your production and it needs to make the right impression. There are many things to consider when choosing the best look for your titles and graphics. The title and graphics set the tone for the video and make the first impression of your production. It makes sense that if you’re doing a 30 second spot for a high end business, you want the title and graphics to convey that. Elegant script and a classy background will set the tone.

Another thing to consider when choosing a font is how it will show on the screen. For example, a typeface that has too many fine details such a serif, will not always look clean and sharp. The words may appear to flicker.

There are so many options available for finding fonts and backgrounds that you should have no trouble designing the perfect combination for your project. There is no need to go over the top to get a clean, professional, custom looking introduction for your video.

J&J Video Productions-Cleveland Ohio wins Fox Televisions Hot List Contest as Best Video Production Company in Cleveland Ohio for 2011

After settling in Northeast Ohio in 2010, J&J Video Productions dug right in and continued in their winning ways. In January 2011 the company was nominated to the Fox Televisions Hot List Contest for the Best Video Production Company in Cleveland Ohio. In December of 2011 J&J Video Productions won the contest..

The staff of J&J Video Productions credits this win to its satisfied customers, the website and the services they offer along with the community service projects it is involved in. Their rates are considered the lowest in the industry nationwide.

J&J Video Productions also credits this win due to the fact that their style of shooting is different. Most of the other production companies in the area shoot in a very artistic way, a photo journalistic style. We let that choice up to the client, surprisingly our clients prefer our style. Our clients get more relevant video this way. Whatever the objective of the shoot is we have found a way to give the client more and staying within their budjet. In todays economy this is extremely improtant.

"We are elated and excited beyond belief" said Joe Sabol, the executive producer for J&J Video Productions. "I did not expect this. I know we work hard to get the results we do and that is a credit to our entire production crew. We were overwhelmed by the support from other businesses who were also nominated to the Hot List. Hopefully we can repeat this in 2012".

J&J Video (jandjvideoproductions.com) continues to offer Wedding Videos, Corporate Videos and Commercial Videos.

Press Release 2/14/2012