Why Weddings Exclusively? « Videomaker Community Forums

EarlC
Moderator

What is so rewarding about doing wedding video production, and WHERE is the incentive for doing it EXCLUSIVELY?

IMHO, it seems that VERY FEW independent professional video services providers make a substantial average annual income doing ONLY weddings. While some do propose offering other event services on their web sites, these sites are predominantly wedding oriented, and rarely show ANY other event sample clips on their sites.

Some do offer pages with information regarding "other" services, and even share a clip or two, but the flavor of the site STILL is wedding oriented. Does this approach really contribute to other potential event business to a significant degree? Or, in your opinion, does it hurt?

Would a site that focuses on, and provides examples of, a multitude of event video production in addition to its wedding productions dilute or HURT its wedding business potential?

But, back to the first paragraph, WHAT is it specifically about wedding video production that some perceive it the ONLY resource for income in event video produciton?

What is it about an under-compensated, under-appreciated, hours-intensive event production environment that makes some in our industry perceive or approach it as "all that and a bag of potato chips"?

Posted 2 years ago #
digitalhq
Member

That's a tough question to answer and one I've struggled with. Currently, my website has equal billing for all facets of the video production I do: Wedding, Corporate, Event, Documentary. That being said, virtually all of my inquiries are from wedding clients, so I've often asked myself if I should just accept this fact and make a wedding exclusive website. (Most of my competition have already done this.) As of right now, I've decided that it couldn't hurt to have a variety of services offered on my site, but I'm second guessing it all the time. So, ultimately, I don't really have an answer....interested in other's thoughts.

http://www.digitalvideohq.com

Posted 2 years ago #
composite1
Moderator

I feel one should be able to shoot a number of production genres if you truly want to be called a 'Pro'. However, I know most shooters don't aspire to that level. One thing is certain, I definitely believe you shouldn't specialize unless you have significant (and recognizable) level of skill and style doing a particular production genre. You can use that to build a client base long as your initial market area can support it.

Right now there are guys shooting 'Cinematic Weddings'. These cater to a specific clientele who can not only pay for such production values but can appreciate them. Of course reaching that level of clientele takes some serious resources and a bit of luck. But for your average 'meat & potatoes' shooter, you have to roll with what your clientele asks for. You may shoot weddings primarily, but if you have the chops are you going to turn down a corporate training video?

Eventually, you may find a niche that best suits your style and you just may work your way into creating your own niche market. Until then you'd better be prepared to 'eat what you can catch'.

H.Wolfgang Porter, Composite Media Producer
Dreaded Enterprises Unlimited, Inc.
http://www.dreadedenterprises.com

Posted 2 years ago #
grinner
Member

The simple answer is they could not compete in production or don't have the experience to yet. Many of us started out in news or shooting weddings (or both along the way) but have you ever heard anyone tell you that's what they wanna do when they grow up? THey are steps in a ladder toward bigger and better things.

Now some companies, like Stillmotion, have found ways to make a fine profit from it. They create high end packages that gets their rate up there closer to that of regular production rates and they streamline their workflow into one day turn around in many cases.

Weddings are a fiiine boot camp for anyone wanting to get into the video industry. The hours are long, the clients are often pushy, the pay is low and the glory is non existant. Knock out a few dozen of those and there really isn't anything the production industry can dish out that can't be handled happily. I see many a wedding shooter get veeeery creative on every aspect from client relations to audio to some downright awesome videography. It comes from passion. A love for the art.

Does the mother of the bride see that? In my experiernce, she often asks where Aunt Mildred is in the video ya cut down to an hour to keep folks from fallin' asleep.

http://grinnerhester.com

Posted 2 years ago #
Anonymous

We actually cut down filming weddings for this year..the pay,hours and editing takes a massive tool..we are lucky that this is not a full time gig for us....We actually got contacted to produce and shoot a :30 second TV ad for the price of 6 weddings...had to re-evaluate our plans but since we LOVE shooting weddings we've decided to do only a handful (6) this year...

Cheers..

Posted 2 years ago #
Don
Member

We do Weddings Primarily due to supply and demand.

The phone rings ten times for weddings for every non wedding caller.

What else can I say?

Posted 2 years ago #
flip43
Member

I came into the TV business 30 years ago. I worked for an in-house client, a large production company and then started my own business. The output was extremely varied including broadcast programmes, TV ads, specialist market work (museums, events, travel) and a great deal of corporate work, plus the occasional wedding (usually for a client in one of the former categories). I travelled most of the world and got paid for doing so.

I came back into the business after a planned move to France was thwarted by the French government, and, not wanting to start over, I took the advice of a photographer friend who, rightly, advised me that the general production standard in UK weddings was dire.

Having no long-term ambitions due to my age, I always try to encourage new talent. I smile when I hear youngsters, often fresh from their "meejah studies" university course tell me that they're starting in weddings then moving on to greater things.

The fact is that weddings often draw on all the experience I gained over my 30 years. In all that time I was often working in a studio where I controlled the lighting, the sound, had a team of trained technical people around me, generally worked with experienced talent and, if the shot or sequence went to a complete can of worms, we could start the shot again.

In contrast at weddings, we have to handle lighting changes of maybe 2000K in the middle of the key sequence when grey clouds roll away and blue sunlight streams through the stained glass, we have to cope with recalcitrant infants who cry through the clients' vows, my wife (with similar experience to mine) is my "team", the on-screen talent is inexperienced, nervous and have their minds formly fixed on things other than our programme and the one thing we can't ask is "could we do that again please?"

Of course it's a tough business, the shoot day is exhausting and yes the rewards v investment are poor but it's a privileged environment in which to work - no-one goes to a wedding to be miserable.

In short anyone who comes into weddings en route to greater things is doing the professional wedding business absolutely no favours and in dismissing weddings as a mere stepping stone in their career shows a sad arrogance towards programmes which, when done professionally, give considerable pleasure for a very long time - something very few broadcast programme makers can say.

Posted 1 year ago #