We have the priviledge of working with some of the best wedding vendors and hope to pass along our experience as knowledge to our couples during the wedding planning process. We are often asked how to prioritize wedding budgets and we consistently rank video and photo highest. Brian Perry, owner of Perryfield Films, weighed in with his perspective on selecting a videographer for your wedding and why video is an important part of the biggest day of your life.
What’s the difference between a videographer and a cinematographer? Do I pay more for one or the other?
In my opinion, a videographer is someone who captures documentary footage and is able to provide the couple with clean footage, audio synced up, and stabilized on a tripod. A cinematographer is someone who tells the story with the edit, is able to capture artistic shots and movement, is able to utilize light, utilize movement and really tell a story with the audio, the vows, the imagery, and incorporate them all into the edit with pristine composition.
From what I have seen, yes, you will pay more for a cinematographer because they are using things like additional lighting, multipkle camera angles, looking for reactions, and piecing together the story with multiple layers of emotion.
Why should video be a priority in the wedding budget?
Video is able to put in so many more layers of feeling, depth, and emotion than photography can. We get to select music to heighten the emotion. We get to use the audio from the day to tell your unique story. We get to use the imagery from the day to bring you right back to that spot. And we get to create an edit for the day using all of these layers, and bring them altogether under a song that captures the emotion and essence from the day.
Arial coverage seems to be the latest technology you see on wedding films these days. So what’s next?
This is a great question. I really don’t know what is going to be next. Since aerial footage is super popular, it is also now super regulated. So I actually see it going away. Stabilization has always been a huge deal, but the cameras are getting smaller and the “gizmos” for lack of a better term to actually hold the camera are getting smaller and easier to grab and use.
How do you make each film unique to each client?
Telling the story with their audio… such as their vows, officiant audio, and speeches. They wrote them, not anyone else… so they are unique to their story and how they came to be. Love that part of the wedding day. The ceremony is my favorite part. Nothing beats a timeless edit that shows the emotion.
What is your favorite part of the wedding films you produce for your clients?
Hearing the excitement in their emails when they receive their film, and telling us they can’t get enough of it 🙂
Thanks, Brian! Check out more video content from Perryfield Films!
