15 Questions to ask before hiring a videographer

Marketing / services

Finding and vetting wedding videographers can be a difficult process. There are so many details to consider and given that they are such a big ticket item, it is important to do your homework. As a Wedding Videographer based out of Rochester, New York, I will give you the 15 questions I would ask before hiring someone to film my wedding

-What are the deliverables?

First and foremost, what are you actually getting? Deliverables vary between videographers. Styles range from just highlight films with no raw footage delivered separately to several hour long edits that include almost all the footage in them. 

-What hours are covered? 

I price by deliverable with a 10 hour limit on coverage. However from my market research I gather that some videographers do charge by the hour. My recommendation is at least 8 hours. There is a lot of settings for the video and we have to make sure we have enough time for setting up for the ceremony.

-Who will be showing up to film my day?

Some companies outsource their shooting or use associates shooters. This is a totally viable option and Lumos weddings has outsourced videographers before. In every case we disclose who will be filming your wedding. Be sure to know who will be showing up on your day well in advance so you can properly vet that person.

-Turnaround time?

The industry standard is 4-6 weeks. For me editing takes up about 75% of my budget when it comes to pricing films. Editing can take 20-40 hours for a standard wedding but I am still able to finish them in a 4-6 week time period.

-Drone footage included or extra?

Drones are a great way to showcase the venue and set the scene. Some vendors charge extra for this so be sure to ask your videographer if this is included or an additional charge. I include this in all of my packages.

-1080p/HD or 4k/UHD delivery?

To be clear, 1920x1080p resolution is still the standard resolution. As with all tech however, this will be outdated at some point. “Future proofing” is a self explanatory term to describe the process of shooting higher resolution than the current standard to be sure your content stays current longer. 

-Raw footage option?

Some vendors will offer an option to provide raw footage. check and see if this is an option if this is something you value.

-Do you license your music?

Videographers have to license music to legally use the music professionally. The primary route videographers take is by signing up for a music subscription platform like artlist.io Musicbed or Epidemic sound (not sponsored). Typically songs from major record labels are not included in these sites, and obtaining a license for these songs can be a laborious and expensive process. (More on that to come)

Technical questions

-How many cameras are you using?

2 is the industry standard for a solo shooter. I personally use 3 because in my deliverables I include a uncut version of the ceremony and having a third safety angle ensures nothing gets missed.

-What methods are you doing to capture audio?

There isn't necessarily one right way to capture audio. It nis important however to make sure the videographer has a plan ahead of time. For reference here. This is my recommendation on how to capture audio.

-Do you shoot log?

Shooting log is a workflow that involves extra steps, but provides the videographer the maximum flexibility in post production. While this workflow is not necessarily required for shooting weddings, it does result in better images in my opinion. (learn more here)

-Do you use lights?

Oftentimes, wedding venues aren't designed with photo and video in mind. Lighting conditions on wedding days can really push the limits of what our cameras can handle. Adding light into the scene can help lead to better images.

Vetting:

These are pretty self explanatory, so the key takeaway is don't be afraid to ask these questions.

-How many seasons have you been in the industry?

-Have you worked with ___ venue?

-Have you worked with ___ vendors?

If you have any questions about why I did or didn’t include items in this list, feel free to reach out here.