Wedding Film Spotlight
We are seeing a huge spike of wedding video bookings for 2022 and 2023. Before, couples would intentionally gloss over the idea of having a wedding film thinking that it was too cheezy or they didn’t want something like their parent’s shaky film.
We always quote our couples on the Feature Wedding film first. This ensures that they have a fully edited film from the day’s entirety delivered to them. The feature film is a 30+ minute film that covers the getting ready, family portraits, full ceremony, reception festivities and much more! Then our couples usually decide to have a shorter highlight film produced at the time of editing.
Another huge aspect that keeps couples from having video is the price tag. I agree that the price is steep, but is justified when you take a look behind the scenes of what it takes to have a successful wedding film.
Gear
Films have come a long way since the early 2000s. We are 22 years into the millennium and today’s camera gear does not disappoint. The gear we use ensures we produce films that feature excellent video and audio quality. We believe in having as much stabilized footage as possible to keep with the elegance of an event. We use a variety of stabilizers and tripods to film the entire wedding day. We typically use 3 cameras for the average wedding. The third camera is mostly used on a tripod. Our cameras range from Sony, Nikon, and Cannon and are always full frame. Some camera rig set-ups can have over $10k of equipment. We are serious about quality and believe our brand should represent that.
Editing
Editing is very tricky. We are producing a film compiled of three different cameras with over 100GB of footage. Back in the early days, the only editor was me (Nick). It took me 3-4 months per film, then I had to start on the next one and had no time to work on other aspects of the business. Back in 2017, I outsourced my first wedding and was instantly hooked. I had time to spend with the family and focused what I love doing most, being behind the camera. Once the brand was ready for a refresh back in 2018, I reached out to a company called Wedditor. They exclusively edit wedding films for high end wedding videographers. They have a project manager that oversees all our films and keeps me updated throughout the process until it’s time for final review. The editor spends about 15-20 hours on each film and chips away at all of our films so that we are not backlogged. Editor’s rate’s range from $600-$1000 for a variety of different film lengths and features.
Cameraman
American Portra would not be we are without our awesome team. We are tight knit and share a passion for all things cameras. We require all of our shooters to have at least two full frame camera bodies, a stabilizer, and variety of lenses to shoot with. The Cameramen we work in some cases have their own wedding video company and shoot for ours as well. The rate for shooting a wedding is pretty standard in Southern California, with the lead filmer charging $100hr and the second filmer ranging from $400-$600 for the day. Very rarely do we film weddings with just one cameraman. To ensure we produce a successful film with all aspects of the day captured, we need at least two cameramen on site.
Experience
The main complaint we hear from disgruntled couples is that their videographer left them high and dry and did not address any requests after the film was edited. The wedding video industry is filled with freelancers who are not experienced in handling the customer service side of the job. We understand that some revisions may be needed under the specifications in our contract. We work closely with our editors to make sure your film is just right. Our main concern is that you have the perfect wedding film however that may be to you.
