Pushing the Envelope
On Wednesday I attended the New Jersey Videographers Association’s meeting which featured two seminars, one by Patrick Moreau, Konrad Czystowski and Casey Warren of Stillmotion in Toronto (Patrick & Konrad) and MIND|Castle Studios in Seattle (Casey), and the other by Chris Jones of Mason Jar Films near Austin Texas. Both were outstanding and both gave me a lot to think about.
Chris gave an excellent seminar on the editing workflow and how to organize the edit for more efficiency. What I learned was that the way things are done now just wastes time. Modern non-linear editing software is designed with the idea that there will be a well organized shot list of scenes and takes. In the film world there is a script. In event videography there isn’t. As a result the standard editing workflow isn’t necessarily the best method for us. In addition to improving our workflow Chris also talked about focusing on the task and how we too often let distractions cut into our editing time. There were some good lessons there.
The Stillmotion/MIND|Castle presentation featured some of the most incredible wedding videography that I have ever seen. As I watched those clips I wondered how could I ever even approach that level of artistry. But that why we (as wedding videographers) were there. Even if we never get to that level, we are still raising the bar on our own work. For myself when I look at what I did last year compared to this, I see a significant change. That is because of people like Patrick, Konrad, Casey and Chris who are willing to share their expertise. Those of us who are willing to put aside what is comfortable and familiar, and are willing to push the envelope are the ones who will excel.
Read MoreAudio tips presentation at the November GPVA meeting
I was asked to make a short presentation on indoor wedding videography techniques at the November meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Videographers Association. I chose as my subject, reception audio tips. The presentation was well received and numerous question were asked by the members. I have posted my notes (more extensive then the talk) here. Also included are tips for ceremony audio. While these will be most beneficial to videographers, they are also informative to clients who would like a good understanding of how we work with audio.
Read MoreWEVA Expo
I am writing this from the annual Wedding and Event Videographer Association Expo in Orlando Florida. For the past few years I have been attending this conference regularly. I am here to learn new things from some of the finest wedding videographers in the world.
This year we are really seeing the shift toward HD. Up to now it seems that the majority of video companies were still not filming in HD. This year more than half are. We made the move to HD a few months ago and I am glad that we did.
I look at the style of some of the top videographers in the business and I realize that what sets them apart is more than just technical excellence, it is that they have a unique vision, one that sets them apart. What I take away from this is that while I can learn much from the masters, our style is still our own and that is what makes Bonnie Blink Productions unique. We cannot be everything to all people. Some couples love our style, others will prefer the work of others. We will continue to define our vision while incorporating the ideas that we get from the best in the business.
June GPVA Meeting
The June Greater Philadelphia Videographers Association meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in King of Prussia, PA. Featured was a panel discussion on freelancing, how to be a freelance videographer, and how to hire freelancers.
Steve Newbert of All Occasion Video showed a portion of his new documentary about the American flag called The Color Bearers, The Story of America’s Flag Passion.
Joe Bradley received a well-deserved award for his service as GPVA treasurer.
After the meeting everyone went to Champps for dinner and discussion.
Read MoreApril GPVA meeting
The April meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Videographers Association was all about business. George Alford of Pro Video and Photography in New Castle Delaware gave an excellent presentation on making a profit. It certainly made me think about keeping track of all my expenses, and adjusting our rates to maximize profit, while still being affordable. George also had some excellent tips on how to make a videography business stand out from the crowd.
Henry Franz moderated a forum on contracts. There were a number of excellent ideas passed around on how to write a better contract.
To cap of the evening, there was an online chat with John Zale of WEVA. John was in Las Vegas attending the NAB show and updated everyone on some of the new products being introduced there.
After the meeting everyone went to Chili’s for dinner and talk.
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