WHAT TO ASK THEM

What audio and video equipment do you use?

It is always good to ask this, but don’t expect to understand everything they tell you! Our artcile entitled The Equipment is a good source of information and well worth a read before asking this. What you are trying to deduce from this question is not the specific make and model of everything they use, more whether the technology is of a modern standard and professional quality. You should also look to find out how many cameramen will be filming at the event (1 is standard, although 2 will greatly increase the footage that there is to work with and can give the impression of a much more professional product, if edited well). Finally, you will also want to find out how intrusive the equipment is. Huge bulky cameras on mammoth tripods with a glaring bright light, or the requirement of permanent background lighting, can be quite distracting so should be avoided.

Do you supply digitally edited movies?

Digital editing of movies is standard these days, and whether the videographer does it in-house or out-sources it to a professional company, it does not really matter. Un-edited, raw footage movies are a thing of the past and finding a videographer who simply offers this is a rarity, although with their permission it may be possible to take it to a professional editor yourself and save a bit of cash. Unedited movies are drab viewing experiences, so we would highly recommend that you get them digitally edited one way or another. Special effects can be added and music dubbed in (make sure that the videographer has the appropriate copyright licenses and that this is included in the cost). With good digital editing, the final product can be so far removed from the bland original footage that you will be amazed. But be aware, movie editing can cause delays and not all is of the same quality, so be sure to confirm how long after the day the video will be ready and ask to see an example of an edited movie and the raw footage it was produced from.