Most professions have their organizations. Wedding videography is no exception. We currently have two, the Wedding and Event Videographers Association International (WEVA) and the 4Ever Group. Both of these groups represent the interests of the wedding and event videography industry. Both have annual conventions. Many videographers (myself included) belong to both. What they do not require however, is any form of professional certification or licensing. WEVA does offer a certification, but few have obtained it. Anyone who calls him or herself a professional videographer can join.
Does this mean that being a member of these groups says nothing about the professionalism of your videographer. Not necessarily. For one thing, membership dues are high enough that someone who is not making a serious commitment to this business is less likely to join. The other thing is that both organizations put a major effort into education. The 4Ever Group has their convention in January (just concluded), and WEVA has theirs in August (with a second smaller show this month). These are incredible opportunities to learn and to take event video to a higher level. I always say that the couple who’s wedding I am editing right after the WEVA Expo is lucky, for they are the first to get the benefit of all that I have learned there. Like any profession, education never ceases.
Besides WEVA and 4Ever Group there are a number of local organizations. These in my opinion, are even more valuable than the national organizations. For it is here that videographers really exchange ideas and learn from each other. As a group, event videographers are very open. The good ones do not feel threatened by their competition. As a result, ideas flow freely. In Philadelphia our local organization is the Greater Philadelphia Videographers Association (GPVA). It is one of the largest and most active in the United States. GPVA’s membership is also one of the most talented. This year four of our members made the EventDV 25 list of the top 25 event videographers in the world (Dave Williams, Tim Sudall, Glen Elliot, and Darrell Aubert). That raises the bar for all of us. I have learned from all of them, and it makes me better at my own work.
Finally there are the online forums. While these don’t qualify as professional organizations in the classic sense, they are a fantastic source of information. I have learned as much if not more here than from WEVA or GPVA. If your videographer frequents them, they will be ahead of the game. The two main ones are Video University, and WedVidPro.
Does all of this mean that if your videographer is not a member of a professional organization that they are not as good as someone who is? No. There are a lot of excellent videographers who for reasons of their own, do not want to join. The point here is that being an active member of an organization (or online forum) indicates a desire to improve one’s skills and professionalism.