I’m back
I haven’t been posting on this blog much recently. Work (both video and non-video) and family issues have been keeping me away from here. Well I am going to keep this blog updated on a more frequent basis. Currently I am working on a redesign of the bonnie-blink.com website using WordPress, not just for the blog, but for the entire site. This should go live in the next few days.
We have also made a few changes with Bonnie Blink Productions. For one thing we have started the move towards High Definition production. A Canon XH-A1 camera has been purchased and we hope to add another in the coming months. This will enable us to film an entire wedding in HD. While we will shoot and edit in HD, we will still deliver standard definition DVDs that can be viewed on any television. While it appears that BluRay will win the HiDef DVD format war, most people do not have BluRay (or HD-DVD) players yet. We hope to be able to provide HD video content to those who do however. One thing that the move to HD will do though, is to allow us to shoot in widescreen, perfect for those widescreen televisions.
We are also restructuring our Deluxe Package. In the past we have offered in addition to the Highlights video, a Documentary style video of the complete ceremony and main reception events. This was presented as a single long program, similar to what we deliver with the Basic Package. In the future we will be dividing this up into individual segments (ceremony, first dance, toasts etc.) for easier access. Other than that, it will be the same content.
Read MoreThe joy (and frustration) of editing
The 8 to 12 hours that we typically spend shooting on the wedding day is only a fraction of the time spent producting a wedding day movie. Most of it is in the editing phase. This often runs anywhere from 40 to 80 hours.
In the beginning, much of this is routine, even tedious. After the footage has been captured into the computer, I have to go through all of it and pick out what I want to use. Then it is assembled into a rough cut. The next step is to refine this into what we call our “Documentary Style” program. This means that we edit the day’s events in chronological order, keeping all the major events, but cutting it in a way that keeps the video interesting. At the end of this phase we usually have a program that is from 1 to 2 hours in length.
If our client has ordered the Basic Package, we have completed most of the editing. If they are getting the Deluxe or Premium Package, we have just begun. Here we start on the Highlights program. Even though this only runs anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, it takes longer to edit. Why? Because this is where the artistry comes in. The Highlights program doesn’t document the day, it tells a story, the wedding story.
For me editing the Highlights is the biggest challenge. Distilling the essence of the wedding can be frustrating at first, but soon it all comes together and I have something that I am truly proud of. Most of all however, is what the couple will have. Perhaps fifty or sixty years from now, long after I am gone, they or their children and granchildren will still treasure it.
That is the real reward.
Read MoreThe WEVA Expo
Every year in August, videographers from around the world gather in Las Vegas for the Wedding and Event Videographers Association Expo. This year it is being held from Aug 13 to 16. Like any convention in Vegas, there are plenty of distractions, but the main purpose is educational. Last year I attended and learned more in three days than I could do anywhere else.
So I will be going again this year. I be attending seminars in both the business and technical areas. This is an opportunity to learn new ways to extend the state of the art and to improve our product. I am someone who is never satisfied. I always want to make what I do even better. Here in the Philadelphia area we have some of the finest videographers in the country. Some of them will be presenters at the Expo. The bar keeps getting raised and it is my goal to rise with it.
Read MoreIntroductions
Welcome to the Wedding Video Blog. The purpose of this site is to be a source of information on the subject of wedding videography with the emphasis on the bride and groom. While we may at times discuss technical issues,the focus will be on the questions and concerns that a couple may have about about wedding video.
First a few words about myself. I have been in the videography business for four years now, specializing in weddings. My company is Bonnie Blink Productions, located in West Chester, PA, about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. While I certainly want to promote my business through this blog, there is the greater purpose of educating the consumer. I really want to help you, the bride or groom decide on video, and help you choose the right videographer. There are no one size fits all videographers out there, at least not the good ones. Today, most of us go far beyond just taping your wedding and reception (although you can find no-frills service if you want to). Each of us has a specific artistic vision. You may prefer my style, or someone else’s. There is also the issue of cost. Wedding videography today can range anywhere from a few hundred dollers to over $10,000. I will get more into this in future posts. For now, let me say that I hope that you will bookmark this site and come back often.
Alan Robinson
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