Professional vs. Amateur Wedding Videography

Why not just ask a friend with a smart phone or digital camcorder to shoot video clips of your wedding day? It seems like a reasonable idea, but is it? I believe that there are huge benefits to be had from going down the professional route, which is why I have compiled this list of 5 ways in which a professional video has the edge over the amateur equivalent. 

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1 - QUALITY

Although the resolution modern smart phones and camcorders can achieve is quite incredible, there are many other important aspects that define quality. As well as recording in 4K resolution (ultra high definition), professional cameras have advanced image stabilisation, focussing features, low light capability and high frame rate options to allow for smooth slow motion playback. Cinematic lenses can allow for a beautiful shallow depth of field, an effect which simply can't be reproduced by a smartphone. Additionally, a professional service will provide you with high quality sound recordings of the day, essential when it comes to vows and speeches, soundbites that simply have to be well recorded.

2 - EXPERIENCE

Having high quality professional-grade equipment is only half the story. Not only will the professional be adept at manipulating their camera, he or she will know what to expect on the wedding day and will consequently be able to prepare for anything that might happen. The professional will know how to compose a balanced frame, where to stand for the best angles, and importantly where not to stand. The professional will also be accustomed to discretely organising or directing guests where necessary.

3 - RELIABILITY

It's often many hours from bridal preparation to the first dance. The professional will cover the entire time period in between, something for which you may not be able to rely on the enthusiastic amateur. The professional is also likely to carry spare batteries and data storage in the event of a power failure or damaged memory card, further improving their reliability when compared with an amateur. 

4 - EDITING

There is a lot to be said for a professional edit. It can take your wedding video to the next level, and a professional videographer will strive for artistic perfection. 

“The film is made in the editing room. The shooting of the film is about shopping... and you’ve got to make sure before you leave the store that you got all the ingredients. And then you take those ingredients and you can make a good cake - or not.”
— Philip Seymour Hoffman

5 - AFTERCARE

Finally, the professional is likely to provide an aftercare service, in the hope that clients are then more likely to recommend their video services to others. Aftercare can be as simple as providing extra copies of the DVD for friends and family, but some videographers may additionally offer a more long term video backup service.

3 Reasons Why you Want a Drone at Your Wedding

Your wedding day is fast approaching. You have heard about drones, but haven't really considered having one. Well, look no further than this article! Here, I give you my top 3 reasons why you want an aerial camera at your wedding.

1 - STUNNING FOOTAGE

First of all, is simply the beautiful imagery an aerial camera can provide. From sweeping shots over the guests throwing confetti, to the bride and groom strolling hand in hand over an epic landscape, the results can be truly cinematic. The aerial camera provides a unique and otherwise unobtainable angle, doing maximum justice to your venues and surroundings and capturing all the atmosphere of your special day. 

2 - SAFE

The word drone conjures thoughts of large, noisy aircraft, likely to fly into ancient church buildings or terrify wedding guests. Our drone is small, discrete, and packed full of safety features! These include full GPS capability and forward facing anti-collision sensors, which will automatically stop the aircraft from hitting a vertical surface. Additionally, we have three years operational experience, we hold a BNUCS licence to fly commercially in UK air space, and we are members of IOSH.

3 - VALUE

Finally, the cherry on the top! When you choose to have aerial drone footage for your wedding, as well as including aerial footage in your main wedding video, we will also give you all of the video clips taken by the drone as an entirely separate edit! We also follow a 'no fly, no pay' policy, whereby if the weather on the day prevents us from being able to fly, then you don't pay for the aircraft.

The Drone: Frequently Asked Questions

After having a few questions popping up about the drone, I have decided to do an FAQ blog post. Phil Shepherd, our very own professional drone pilot, provides his answers to your questions below! 

1, What is an aerial drone? 

An aerial drone or UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) as we prefer to call it, is purely a way of getting a high definition video camera into the sky, to record footage from the air. Traditional helicopters with a dedicated camera gimble and operator cost up to £10,000 an hour and are usually restricted to flying at above 500ft. A UAS can fly with the relative permissions, from an inch to 400ft (127M) in most places in the UK.

2, Is the aerial camera insured? 

The aircraft is insured and more importantly we have public liability insurance up to £10 Million pounds.

3, Is the aerial camera safe? 

We use the very latest miniature UAS aircraft (pictured above) that have numerous built in safety controls including: electronic built in compass to control heading, full GPS and GNSS capability, and forward facing anti-collision sensors, which will automatically stop the UAS from hitting a vertical surface. 

Additionally, we have three years operational experience, hold a BNUCS licence to fly commercially in UK air space, and are a member of IOSH, holding a NEBOSH qualification in Health and Safety, a formal qualification for a Health and Safety Advisor.

4, Why don’t you use a large UAS with a DSLR Camera? 

For the first two years we did operate a large UAS, the same as the BBC were using at the time. We did however, like the BBC, decide that the benefits did not outweigh the restrictions of always having to fly with Air Traffic Control, always logging a flight plan, limited flight time, and a more complex aircraft to maintain. In short with the aircraft we use, we can say yes more often and once airborne have a flight time up to 26 minutes, all without compromising quality.

5, How much extra will it cost me? 

The drone is included in the price for the main package offered, and so comes at no additional cost. If we don't fly, you will be reimbursed £250.

6, What happens if it is raining or too windy on my wedding day and the UAS can’t fly? 

If the wind is gusting above 20knots, or it’s raining more than a slight spit, we are grounded. If the weather looks impossible we will call you the day before, and let you know, that we will not be flying. If the weather turns for the worst on the day, which is usually rain as the wind is more predictable, we use a rain weather radar App, and can usually get the job done in between showers. In principle we can be grounded by Air Traffic Control if flying in their vicinity, although in practice this is extremely unlikely. If we don’t fly, you will be reimbursed £250.

St Andrews Church, Kinson

It has been a pleasure to produce this promotional video for Reverend Lee Shirvill of St Andrews Church in Kinson, Bournemouth. It is a charming building, in a beautiful setting, and I think the aerial footage really does it justice! A unique and intimate venue for any church wedding