SELECTING AND BOOKING A WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER

How should we select our videographer?

If you're Internet savvy, chances are that you've read numerous tip sheets on how to select a photographer or videographer.   Three critical issues are: 

1.  Do you like the style and technical quality of the videographer's work?  

2.  Do you like the videographer as a person and will you be comfortable  with him or her meeting all of your guests? 

3.  Can you do business with the videographer? 

4.  Can you get your video on DVD?

If you are at all tempted to choose based on the lowest bid or the best deal financially, ask yourself this:  If the video turned out poorly, would you write a letter of recommendation saying "The video was poor but your price was great"?

What specific questions should I ask when initially interviewing candidates?

1.    Are you available for our wedding date?
2.    What is your level of experience in wedding videography?
3.    What style of wedding video is your specialty?
4.    Are you familiar with our locations, or have you covered similar locations       before?                                                                                                     
5.    Do you use professional equipment and techniques?
6.    How to plan for emergencies?
7.    Do you edit digitally, so we can see it now or eventually get a DVD?

Although it is advised against detained price questions, it's good to get a general ballpark to determine whether or not the videographer is in your range.  Don't ask detailed technical questions unless you can interpret a technical answer.   If you get an involved technical answer to a simple question, remember that you are the customer and there's nothing demeaning about asking for a simplified explanation.  Candidates who cannot explain probably don't understand it either!

Just as prospective clients ask questions to see if a candidate videographer is right, good videographers judge in reverse as well by the type of questions asked.  In fact a good candidate will may ask more questions than you do.

What is important in contracting?

To be binding, a contract requires specification (products and services), consideration (money or something of value in exchange), and legality (illegal contracts are not binding).  Simply, if you don't have a written contract with your videographer and have not given a deposit or reservation fee, neither of you has an obligation to the other.

The contract should address all the business issues related to the job: schedule of coverage, depth of coverage, features of the finished product, and possibly who the actual camera operators will be, payments, contingencies, and recourses. There is no such thing as a standard contract. Use common sense and insist on everything in writing.

- Mark Goldberg’s Wedding Photography and Video FAQ’s, by Mark Goldberg.

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