I’ve always been called a videographer and I don’t take offense to that. It’s the most well known term for what I do. When I’m asked what it is that I do, however, I tell people I’m a cinematographer. The difference between a videographer and a cinematographer is probably a topic for another blog, but for now, I want to talk about the difference between a videographer and a story-teller. Because, well, above all the technical stuff, I’m a story-teller. Anyone can pick up a camera and capture images. It takes training, the right equipment and creativity to capture beautiful images. But to become a story-teller it takes a little more than that. While most weddings have a similar flow, and traditions that have remained the same for many years, the truth of the matter is that each of you as a person and as a couple are unique. As a story-teller it is my creative desire to find that spark of uniqueness and bring it to life. Those little moments that seem so natural you don’t even realize how much they mean until afterwards. One of my favorite examples is when I left the camera rolling while the hair stylist worked her magic on the bride. They were chatting about nothing really. It wasn’t a super important shot like a first look, the kiss at the alter or the exchanging of rings. But then something happened, the bride began to tell the hair stylist how her soon to be husband had proposed. The bride told her about what it took to get to their wedding day, how much it meant to her to have a blended family coming together. This was their story. A story that needed to be told. A story that couldn’t just be ran through an editing template like it was any old wedding video. It needed a story-teller to piece it together so that it could be saved forever. It takes time, it takes patience, it takes a bride and groom who are willing to embrace who they are, and it takes a story-teller to put it all together.
To help in your search for your very own story-teller below are 3 things to consider when hiring your creative team.
1. Ask the professional you are considering to walk you through a typical wedding day. How do they go about capturing your moments? Are they checking off a list of the typical shots or are they leaving space for your day to unfold organically.
2. Do they have enough experience shooting weddings to remain calm? Calmness during a wedding day is a MUST for things to go well when things will inevitably go wrong. You need a creative team who has been around the block, who can act with grace and not lose their creative juice when it starts pouring rain, or when things are running late.
3. Consider collaborating with your creative team BEFORE the wedding. I.e. let them know ahead of time the moments that you anticipate to be the most important to you. Then for editing, turn over creative control. The more freedom there is in the editing room, the better. I promise!
Cheers to you and your story friends!