As I mentioned in this week's newsletter, I'm in the middle of planning my own wedding, so this issue of Shoestring had a decidedly personal resonance (along with being the perfect time of year for publishing wedding planning content, of course.)
One of things I struggle with the most in my planning process is how to capture my wedding on a budget—especially on an island—so I sat down with Bettina Hein, founder of Pixability, a new online video editing service, to get her expert advice on going DIY with our wedding videography and photography.
Turns out that whether you're currently planning a wedding or are still sitting on a pile of unedited footage from your past wedding, capturing your special day and then packaging those memories for the masses doesn't have to be a huge headache or cost a fortune.
Read on for the transcript of our conversation to have the wedding of your dreams on a dime:
Melissa: As the founder of an online video editing service, what is your best money-saving advice for capturing special events on a budget during this recession?
Bettina: Capture the special event yourself! Most likely, you'll have a family member that already owns a great camcorder and would love to shoot the wedding as a gift or favor. The technology now available is so superior to the cameras of just a few years ago. There are only a few simple rules you should follow—especially regarding stability and sound—to make the original footage look very professional. What really makes a video stand out in the end is adding music and editing.
M: Do you know how much, on average, wedding videography currently costs?
B: $1200 is the average for a basic video but there are so many additional options that a confused bride can easily make her video [costs] jump to over $3,000. Some videographers even charge $5000 and upwards.
M: So, how did you come up with the idea for your company, Pixability.com?
B: The idea for Pixability came about when I watched my grandmother’s reaction to a video my husband had edited. We had taken a trip to her birthplace in Russia and taped the trip. My husband then made a custom edited video, complete with music and photos blended in. When my grandmother watched it she was moved to tears and wanted to watch it again and again, year after year.
This made me realize that everyone has a vast collection of photos and videos that we just put away in storage. We mean to create scrapbooks, albums, or edited videos but our busy lives always seem to get in the way. That is why I decided to start Pixability: to help families relive their most precious moments on video.
M: How does it work?
B: I wanted to make it super easy, so for family videos it's just three steps: First, we have you sign up online and answer a short questionnaire (about who you want featured in the video, what music etc). Then, we then send you a box to put all your videos in and take it from there. When our professional video editors are done with their magic (choosing the best scenes, adding music, intros, titles, color corrections etc), you get to preview the video online and suggest changes. We then send your custom DVD movie. Plus, we can host the video online so that you can share it with all your friends. For weddings, we add a fourth step: we coach your designated videographer.
M: What are the advantages for couples and families to using a service like Pixability over traditional videography services, especially right now?
B: Almost 50% of brides don't get a wedding video. That is really sad because while gorgeous photos are nice, your wedding goes by in such a blur that it's hard to remember the details of the big day. I speak to a lot of couples who cut the wedding video out [of their budget] for [financial] reasons and they ALL regret it. Most of them now have kids and are very sorry that they can't show them that special day. We wanted to offer an alternative for brides who are stuck in a bind. I'm really lucky that my husband was very adamant about having our friends act as videographers at our wedding and they did a fabulous job.
M: What should couples keep in mind when going DIY with videography?
B: They need to prepare their [friend or family member] for the intricacies of a wedding and function. You don’t want the person learning what to do AFTER the wedding. It doesn't take much time to prepare, but your designated videographer [does have] to put in about two (2) hours of work in beforehand. For example, you need to make a list of shots that are important to you (bride's preparations, bride coming down the aisle, wedding vows, throwing of bouquet, etc.) and discuss them with your [designated] shooter. We have a DIY videography training guide on Pixability.com to walk designated videographers through each part of the wedding and make it easy to get professional-looking shots. The key is to be in the right position with a steady, clear shot.
M: What are your top tips for using Pixability to save money without sacrificing quality or capturing the moment?
B: First of all, the person shooting the video must know the basic functions of the camera: How to lighten/darken a picture; how the auto-focus and auto-audio work; how to maneuver the camera on and off of the tripod; and most importantly, how to know whether or not the camera is actually recording. As a fun—but important—exercise, the shooter can film a thirty-minute mock wedding, even if they are using the family pets for subjects, and then review their footage. You would be surprised how much this helps on the actual wedding day. If this isn’t possible, just make sure your designated videographer is at the rehearsal and can take the time afterward to briefly review the footage.
M: How much can couples save by doing their own videography and using editing tools and services such as iMovie or Pixability?
B: I'm a huge fan of iMovie (the free software that comes with every Mac computer). It makes editing so much easier for non-professionals. Editing is so time-consuming, though. My husband spent every weekend for the first 4 months of our marriage editing our video to perfection. So, if you have the time and the talent, you can get a friend to shoot the wedding, edit it yourself, and get the video for free. If you can find a trusted friend to shoot and want Pixability to train him/her and let us edit, you'll save at least $1500 with our UShoot product ($495).
M: What should brides and grooms be looking for in terms of equipment? What kind of video cameras or devices do they need in order to best use a service like Pixability?
B: Any video camera manufactured in the last 5 to 6 years, along with a tripod
or monopod, should do the trick. We don't encourage extra lights or wireless microphones because they are too expensive and very hard to use properly. Plus, bright lights and microphones are obtrusive and can affect the romance of a wedding ceremony and reception. Modern cameras have good low-light and audio capabilities that are a function of being in the proper position.
M: Do you have any suggestions for borrowing or renting video equipment?
B: We only recommend borrowing or renting if the family member can take a day or two to practice on this foreign equipment. We would much rather have them use gear that they are familiar with or that the bride is familiar with. Each camera and tripod comes with its own quirks so it is not advisable to learn while on the job. Plus, if you are spending money renting gear then you might as well use a professional videographer.
M: In your experience since launching Pixability, what should the couple think about from a venue and location perspective in order to get the best videos?
B: The beauty of teaching a family member to shoot a wedding is that most weddings and churches are the same. The designated videographer, for example, should be standing just to the left of the groom when the bride walks down the isle. It is his perspective that we want to see twenty years from now and not the back of her head. More specifically, we suggest calling the church or ceremony facility and asking if there are any restrictions. In a few extreme cases, the video will need to be shot from the balcony of a church or another less-than-ideal spot.
M: What should they think about in terms of sound, lighting, and other technical aspects of video recording?
B: Use what you’ve got. Home cameras automatically adjust for sound. The cameraperson has to be in the right position, in some cases, in order to record the best sound—especially if it is low volume by nature, such as vows—but for the most part the camera will do all the work. As for lighting, we do not recommend additional lights at the consumer level. They will be too bright, the batteries will wear out in a few minutes of constant use, and there is too much to learn in order to capture footage with good lighting. Instead, we recommend knowing how to make the image brighter or darker and adjust accordingly. As a practical tip for the reception: make sure the venue doesn't turn the lights down completely for the dancing.
Believe it or not, the most effective extra piece of equipment is not an external microphone or light, it is a tripod or monopod. Shaky footage is the biggest mistake by a novice shooter and that is why we spend most of our time helping them create clean, steady shots. With stable footage, editors can work their magic much more easily.
M: What about permitting and getting permission to video at the ceremony site, which videographers would normally handle?
B: Most facilities are expecting a videographer and photographer. We recommend contacting the site directly and asking permission and an easy request.
M: What should they think about in terms of choosing "point people" within their families to capture the video?
B: There are two important things to consider: 1) choose someone tech-savvy and organized; and 2) choose someone who knows your family members. If a family member is shooting the video, they have the distinct advantage over a professional because they know all of the main players at the event. If you can’t get someone in the family to do it, recruit a film student from a local art school or college via Craigslist. That will definitely save you a lot.
M: What types of footage, other than candid and event reel, should your family members make sure to capture in order to have the most professional-looking "movie" as a result?
B: It's very important to capture what professionals call "establishing shots." These setup shots are the most important part of telling the bride’s story. We usually teach family members to start shooting these shots well before the bride arrives at the ceremony. A few examples of an establishing shot might be a steady shot of the exterior of the church, the flowers adorning the altar, the nervous groom waiting for his bride, the bride arriving in the limo, or the exterior and interior of the reception venue as guests wait for the happy couple. These details help the viewer of the video understand the wedding’s storyline.
M: What are the drawbacks or pitfalls to filming your own wedding over hiring a videographer that couples should try to avoid?
If you are taping your own wedding then the pitfall might be an inexperienced cameraperson. We’ve developed a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide ("10 Tips for Better Home Videos" on Pixablity.com) that can help you eliminate some of those issues. Another pitfall is then not doing anything with your video after the event. An unedited wedding video is not fun to watch at all!
Even if the bride is hiring a professional, she should make sure to get an edited highlight video. Brides often fall into the trap of "more is better." Trust me: a 90-minute version of your wedding is excruciating to watch for anyone but the most fanatical bride. I know that this seems counter intuitive, but try to keep your edited video under 20 minutes and you’ll get raves. When we sent our guests copies of our wedding video (my husband edited it himself), they had screening parties to watch it. My dad still shows our video to strangers, which makes me cringe a bit but proves how powerful good video can be.
M: What advice do you have for couples and families looking to save money on their wedding photography?
B: Get a talented friend to shoot for you or advertise for a young photography student on Craigslist. If you’re hiring someone you don't know (whether a student or a professional) make sure to review things they’ve shot previously—not just a few of the best shots they’ve selected, but all of the shots from a single event. Look closely at the portraits (or simply put, pictures of people) they take, especially. Do you like the style? If you’re hiring a professional but want to save money, book them just for the ceremony and formal portraits and not the reception. After the wedding, collect all the digital photos your friends and family took. You can even rent digital cameras for every table at sites like YouShoot, or rent a solution like Canditto to collect all of the pictures your guests took as they leave the reception. There are bound to be gems amongst all those photos.
RESOURCES
Betttina's own wedding video
10 Tips for Better Home Videos (Pixability.com)
