Wedding Supplier Tips | Videography
Call me crazy, but I do believe I am just as excited to watch one of my couples’ wedding films as they are! There’s something very exciting about re-visiting the joyfulness of a wedding day, and these days wedding films are modern and enjoyable – and nothing like your parents’ 2 hour video from 1980!
Working alongside videographers on a wedding day is fairly commonplace these days, and previously I’ve had the pleasure of working with Arran Kenny of AK Films. Arran has kindly taken the time to chat through his experience as a wedding videographer. In retrospect, if there’s one thing couples wish they’d change on their wedding day, it’s usually to go back and hire a videographer, so sit back, grab a coffee, and enjoy my chat with Arran.
How long have you been a videographer?
That’s a tricky one. I filmed my first wedding (for free) in December 2016, and then shot a lot for another wedding videographer as his assistant. But it wasn’t until August 2017 that I shot my first paid wedding and officially classed myself as a ‘videographer’ (or ‘filmmaker’, as I prefer to call myself!). So officially, a year and half, but unofficially, more than two!
What’s your top tip for people considering booking a wedding videographer or filmmaker?
My most important tip is to RESEARCH. There are so many different styles of film and so many different lengths of film possible, so don’t just go for the first video that catches your eye. Have a look around various videographers’ websites to get a sense of what you’d like to have at the end of the day. Do you want a super long video? Or do you just want a Highlight Film? Would you prefer a 5 minute highlight, or a 10 minute highlight? And within all of that, do you want a more documentary-style wedding film, or do you want a cinematic wedding video that tries to emulate a movie? The more research you do, the more you can be sure you’re getting the videographer you want!
What advice can you give couples who have already booked a videographer?
TELL US EVERYTHING. We’ve all heard the old adage: fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Well, I cannot stress this enough: a prepared videographer is a good videographer. For example, there is nothing worse, from a videographer’s point of view, than somebody deciding to deliver an impromptu speech at a wedding – chances are, if we didn’t know about it, we didn’t put a microphone on them so they’re going to sound really bad in your film. Likewise, don’t surprise your partner with a gift or an ensemble of stormtroopers without letting us know beforehand so that we can capture their reaction for you! The more we know, the better prepared we can be, and the better your film will be. The best rule to follow is: if in doubt, tell the videographer!
In your experience, what’s the most common misconception about wedding videography?
A lot of couples get in touch and tell me they’re concerned about being filmed on their wedding day. They worry that they’ll feel self-conscious, or that they’ll look stupid. But the thing is, most of those couples are picturing the videographers of yesterday with their huge cameras on their shoulder. Filming a wedding doesn’t have to be like that; the majority of videographers these days will use small cameras (sometimes the same ones your photographers will use – and sometimes even smaller), and they’ll try to fit in. I personally try not to be noticed when I’m shooting a wedding. I want you to watch back your wedding film and see loads of moments you didn’t even know I’d captured. So I use small, discreet cameras with lenses that can capture the action from a distance. I want to film natural moments, and those don’t happen when people see a camera in their face. The only time you might feel awkward is when it’s just you, me and the photographer, and we’re getting the romantic couple shots. But hopefully by then we’ll have spoken a few times, met up for a coffee or a drink, and you’ll know me well enough that you won’t feel awkward at all.
What’s different about wedding films nowadays, compared with years ago?
The technology has come on light years, and what we can do with your wedding day now is incredible. Gone are the boring, blow-by-blow documentaries of weddings like your parents might have had. Wedding videos today are more like films, and that’s why I prefer to call myself a filmmaker. Wedding videos these days look like films, they use the same frame rates and are colour-graded the same way. They’re super creative too. They use a combination of video, music, and audio from your day to evoke as much emotion as possible and make you feel as though you’re right back in that aisle all over again; like you can almost taste the champagne, almost feel the confetti falling on your skin.
Finally, who in the public eye would you love to work with through film, and why?
Jack White from the White Stripes. I’d love to shoot a documentary about him. I’ve always been a massive fan, and I think he’s a really interesting and charismatic guy. I’m sure there are countless stories to tell there!
You can check out more of Arran’s work via his website, and you can also look him up on the socials
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