Length of final cut wedding video???? « Videomaker Community Forums

RB
Member

If you are videoing a wedding with two cameras, and will be shooting the wedding and reception, how long will your deliverable (edited version) be?

I've been looking around on several wedding videographers sites, and haven't found the final length of video that is delivered.

I've done two videos for friends and the final cut was about 45 minutes. This seemed to be just long enough to capture just about everything.

Do customers want it all? What's your average length delivered? :D

Thanks,
RB

Posted 5 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

This is a very good question. The answers will probably end up being all over the place. I know for me I use an alaÂ’carte approach. I have the complete wedding experience broken down into sections with prices attached. The wedding couple then has the option to pick and choose what they would all like included. This way if money is an issue they can pick what they want. If money is not an issue than they just check everything. In fact I have one of those this weekend. ItÂ’s a lot of work but then again itÂ’s a lot of money too.

So I guess I canÂ’t really provide a strong answer because my play times vary all the time. All I know is that if you get too long it can get somewhat uninteresting. On the other hand, if youÂ’re good at editing you should be able to take a lot of content and put it together in a way that will keep everyone interested. ThatÂ’s whatÂ’s unique about wedding videography. Everyone has their own style. Is there a right way and a wrong way? I guess it's always in the eye of the beholder. ItÂ’s kind of like looking at art. Some people will look at a painting will like it and some will think itÂ’s awful. Just remember that when it comes to a wedding video the only people you have to worry about pleasing is the paying couple and that comes from understanding what makes a good wedding video in the first place.

RAM

Posted 5 years ago #
RB
Member

Thank you for your honest reply. I would have guessed that the length would be short, long, and everything inbetween.

I found that I can get about 45 minutes on a DVD, and that's usually enough to even bore the wedding couple. But, I guess some want all the footage edited, even the not so interesting stuff.

Even feature movies are only 1 1/2 to 2 hours long. I can't believe that couples would want anything over a couple of DVD's long.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Good question!

My wedding videos have ranged from about 45 minutes to an hour and a half. On another forum, I've just had a conversation on this same topic where videographers answered from 45 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes (which the videographer claimed to be putting on a single 1-layer DVD at 8Mbps, which is impossible!)

I don't think anyone is going to want boring stuff in their wedding videos. Weddings differ in how much there is to cover. I usually do an opening sequence, then Preparations; Ceremony; Photo Session; Reception, closing sequence; credits.

I never have any trouble filling 45 minutes and I've had two weddings to to three DVDs! (included rehearsal dinner).

Posted 5 years ago #
birdcat
Moderator

Hi Kids -

Along these lines, I am doing a friend's wedding (I shot the wedding already). I have about four hours of total tape, including the preparations, the cermony and the reception. I already cut a "love story" slideshow which runs about four minutes (was shown at the wedding reception), a "preparations" segment which runs for about nine minutes, and a "ceremony" segment which runs for about 14 minutes (total about 27 minutes so far). I am planning on about a 20 minute reception segment bring me to 47 minutes, so this falls in line with what you guys are talking about. I will also be adding a slideshow (built from the still photogs photos) that will run about 20 minutes (about 150-200 shots).

OK - Now to my question - Is there anything I am missing that I need to get in after the fact - I was thinking about interviewing the B&G and putting together a "rememberances" section but I will also be providing them a set of DVD's with the raw footage (these are friends remember) but that has LOTS of extraneous stuff that editing is cutting out.

So whatchall think?
Bruce Paul
7Squared Productions
http://www.7squared.com

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

So far, so good. I don't use stills in our videos unless the wedding was so quick and simple that I need to fill in.

I did leave out our Greetings segment, where friends and family give the couple their best wishes in front of the camera. Also, we like to do couple interviews when possible, but since we charge extra for these, the couples often do not choose that option.

Posted 5 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

birdcat,

In regards to the picture montage you're adding, I would agree with comp. What I would do is make that a separate add on mini project and add a menu icon on the DVD for it. You can still use it but it will be it's own segment. IMO... I wouldn't try to mesh that in with the video portion... especially with that many pictures. It might affect the flow of things.

It would be like watching a King Kong movie and right after he is finished climbing the Empire State building all of a sudden out of the clear blue there are a whole bunch of pictures of when Kong was a little monkey eating a banana. X-D

As far as what else to add, I guess if you haven't planned out what you wanted in advance then you're pretty much relegated to the footage you have. It does sound like you have everything pretty much covered though.

RAM

Posted 5 years ago #
On a Roll
Member

Great advice, and a good queston.

Typically, The finished video can be as short as 40 minutes, and as long as a couple hours, if there was a whole lot.

I also try to give couples a "fair" compensation for their ceremony. For example, a few weeks ago, a couple paid me the standard rate for a basic wedding package, but their ceremony was only about 18 minutes (as opposed to the typical 30-50 minute ceremony). Because the ceremony was so short, so I threw in a couple freebies on their finished DVD. They didn't find out about that until they got them, and were pleasently suprised.

I like to hand out little extras like that from time to time. It makes folks feel good, it's gives people something really nice to say about me in referrals, and it keeps me from catching up on those weeks when I'm behind! :D

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

..and it keeps me from catching up on those weeks when I'm behind!

"Catching up" - that happens in November, right?

Posted 5 years ago #
On a Roll
Member

No joke. I have weddings all the way up through October 21st, and then starting in mid-December, but that Whole November month just isn't a popular wedding month, at least up here. I suppose down in Oklahoma (where the wind comes sweeping down the plains) that people are more likely to have weddings in the winter, wheras up here, the prospect of chipping the ice off the limo just doesn't do it.

That being said, there's a Wedding expo in late September I'm going to have a booth in. It should be fun. The fall expos always seem more relaxed than the other ones I've been to.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Gosh, here I go topic hijacking again (but hopefully we've already covered the topic), Jim - do those shows really help you get bookings?

I've only gone to one (a little one in Muskogee, OK) and we had a lot of interest, but we didn't book anything (but we did have good time). We brought a 36" screen and had demos going all the time. The only other videographers were photogs offering an "also video" for two hundred bucks. Their demos were so bad that one booth turned it off as soon as they saw me approach. Maybe its just that there isn't any money in that part of the State (not much in the other parts, either!)

I get tons of business off of my website, so we never went to another wedding show.

Posted 5 years ago #
On a Roll
Member

Eh, they're mixed results. One of the first ones I went to, we booked three weddings at the expo, and had at least one more that was a follow up. We've also had complete bombs at these things.

I like the fall expo because usually I can get one new client, which pays for what I spent to go to the expo and then some, and it'll give me something to do on a Sunday. Plus, there's usually a lot of Vendors out thre I've never met, and it gives me a chance to get my business card in the hands of other wedding vendors, which has led to the occasional "hey, my photographer/florist/whatever mentioned you".

I'm reminded of a line Sean Connery's character spoke in "Finding Forrester" when asked about something he did for good luck. He responded something like "...it's like praying, what can it hurt?"

I usually at least break even, I meet a lot of nice folks, and I spend a Sunday I could've spent doing things like going to church or editing videos, and instead I talk about videos. At the very least, it's fun.

Posted 5 years ago #
Fitzhufilms
Member

I just went to a small wedding fair last saturday. Booths were only $150. I actually shared one with a photographer (which could be good or bad, but thats another discussion) and I have alread booked two wedding from the fair and I spoke to a few more that had serious interest. A good return on a $75 investment and a couple of hours.

Posted 5 years ago #
birdcat
Moderator

Video-maniac Wrote:
In regards to the picture montage you're adding, I would agree with comp. What I would do is make that a separate add on mini project and add a menu icon on the DVD for it. You can still use it but it will be it's own segment. IMO... I wouldn't try to mesh that in with the video portion... especially with that many pictures. It might affect the flow of things.

It would be like watching a King Kong movie and right after he is finished climbing the Empire State building all of a sudden out of the clear blue there are a whole bunch of pictures of when Kong was a little monkey eating a banana. X-D

As far as what else to add, I guess if you haven't planned out what you wanted in advance then you're pretty much relegated to the footage you have. It does sound like you have everything pretty much covered though.
RAM

Hi RAM -

I will be creating a menu to view each of the "vignettes" with - They will be able to be selected individually on the menu but also flow from "love story" which is the photo montage of them as kids, growing up and finally together; "preparations" (you can view a preliminary here:

Get the Video Widget

); "ceremony"; "recption"; "post wedding interview" (if they want it); "slide show".

I tried to read up on what to get so I think I have everything I need in raw footage - It does amaze me how much extra is there.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

Posted 5 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

The video I just finished (yesterday) ended up being 1hr 36mins. It was a Catholic wedding and the ceremony was an hour by itself. The shortest one I've done was about 55minutes.

On the topic of Bridal shows, I've done 3 and I'm still not sure whether it's worth it.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Since Catholic weddings tend to run two to three times longer than other ceremonies - does anyone charge more for these?

Our plans limit the overage coverage to a set number of hours, so we're covered.

Posted 5 years ago #
On a Roll
Member

I've actually thought about an additional charge for long weddings, but the truth is that way up here, there are a lot more Catholics than Protestants/Others (which took me by shock, having been used to a mostly Protestant city in my upbringing), and nobody else charges extra, so I'd be setting myself up to potentially lose clients.

I DO usually charge extra if the wedding extends beyond our agreed upon times up front. For example, we quoted one couple to be at their location until 9PM. When we got there, we were asked if we would stay until all the festivities ended, which we agreed to do if they paid for the time past 9. We were there until almost midnight, and we racked up a couple hundred in overtime fees. I don't have a problm with that, because it's fair to everyone. Even folks with short weddings can party late. But just adding an extra charge because the wedding is Catholic wouldn't fly too far up here.

Besides, I've seen a few fairly (tolerably) short Catholic weddings. I'd hate to charge them a manditory OT fee.

Posted 5 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

I don't charge more for a longer ceremony, but I limit my shooting time to 8 hours from the start time (that they select). The editing is kind of a pain for a longer wedding but the way I see it, I'm not really giving them more, just spending more time to give them the same product as everybody else.

Posted 5 years ago #
Dave Williams
Member

Great question, RB. We offer a couple flavors for clients. Some want a documentary format (60 minutes) and some fall in love with our Short Form Edit (less than 30 minutes). Here's an example of our short form:
http://DVideography.com/client/Deas1

Posted 5 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

Dave, I don't say this about wedding videographers often but, wow. I am very impressed. Your talent is quite evident in your work. I will definitely be taking a lesson from your work to improve my own. Wow.

Posted 5 years ago #
Dave Williams
Member

Endeavor Wrote:
Dave, I don't say this about wedding videographers often but, wow. I am very impressed. Your talent is quite evident in your work. I will definitely be taking a lesson from your work to improve my own. Wow.

Hey, thanks! I see you have an interest in paintball. I ran my own field back on the old school days (late 80's/early 90's). It was called Main Line Survival Game and then changed to Main Line Paintball. One of my customers took it over and renamed it Poco Loco Paintball.

I even made a paintball promotional video back then. I'll have to dig up the old SVHS master and digitize it one day. I sold a bunch of them back then.

Posted 5 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

Sweet! I've just taken it back up this year after 12 years off or so. It has changed alot (cheaper for one). If you ever dig up that video I'd love to see it!

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Dave -

I've seen Endeavor's (Adam's) wedding demo, and he's extremely talented. For him to rave about your work - it must be really awesome! I'll have to check it out.

As for the topic of this thread - length of wedding video's, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a "short form" video. These generally run about twenty minutes and feature just the highlights of the day.

Posted 5 years ago #
Dave Williams
Member

compusolver Wrote:
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned a "short form" video. These generally run about twenty minutes and feature just the highlights of the day.

Nice to meet you Hank. Actually, if you scroll up, that's what we're talking about. The example I pointed to is under 30 minutes.

Dave

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Arghh! That will teach me (hopefully). I only read two messages before sticking my big foot in my mouth.

sorry!

Posted 5 years ago #
RB
Member

I want to thank you all for responding to my question. Your information and examples are quite remarkable.
My experience is with the two weddings that I have done and the one that was made for me at my wedding. The two that I completed were approx. 30 minutes and 40 minutes. Both of the customers loved them at that length. Mine was about 17 minutes and I can't really see why anyone would want much more than that.

I have a new question. On average, how long is the completed wedding video that you provide? This would include the pre-wedding, wedding, and reception. Do your customers think that they will be getting a two hour final cut, based on the length of time you spend with them?

Thank you all again in advance.
You guys are great..... :D :D
RB

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Our videos range from 45 minutes to over two hours - depending on the size of the wedding. Doing a short form is a new option we're going to add for next year. My thinking is that most brides will want at least one copy of the long version - not every minute that was shot, but an edited documentary version. Some may also want a short form version for more frequent viewing, family and friends, etc.

I am aware that there are many opinions on this. Some videographers think that only the short form should be delivered. These are in the minority, but they are usually very artful and creative videographers.

Most produce, as I have been doing, videos averaging about an hour. (I've previously polled wedding videographers on other sites to get this info).

The short form is mostly background music with artful camera moves, while the long form is documentary style with actual audio, etc. from the event.

I'm wondering if some of these creative people who do short forms might dislike having to deal with the technical aspects of the documentary style (multiple sound sources, multiple cameras, longer editing sessions, etc.) and that's why they don't offer both versions to their clients.

It seems to me that once you've edited the documentary style, it wouldn't take much work to boil things down to the "nitty gritty" and deliver a short form version as well. But then, if you shot for documentary style, would your short form do as well as if you'd originally shot for short form style?

So many questions..

Posted 5 years ago #
Endeavor
Member

After talking to Hank (in my living room!) and others, I'm really considering adding the short form to my service list. I like the point that you could add one to the standard doc style project quite easily. PLUS, you get to throw out more of the footage that you don't absolutely love (I like that idea).

Posted 5 years ago #