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

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.