How to Choose the Right Videographer for You
Wedding Videographers Norfolk
It can be overwhelming trying to decide which of Norfolk’s Wedding Videographers will be the best fit for your wedding day. So here’s a few points to consider when making your decision.
About the Author
I’m Chris Chadwick is a Wedding Videographer based on the Norfolk Coast and filming weddings throughout the UK. I create cinematic wedding highlights films that focus on capturing the story and emotion of your day.
Price
Before you start your research decide how much you're willing to spend. Wedding Videographers in Norfolk vary in price, but usually start from around £1000 and can be as much as £4000+ in the luxury market. Prices will also vary depending on the number of hours of coverage, the length of the film and the amount of additional content within the package eg speeches, ceremony video etc.
Prices also vary depending on the videographers skills and experience, the camera equipment they use and the perceived value of the overall experience they can offer.
The best value for money is usually found in the ‘middle of the market’ price range between £900 - £1500 for a highlight film. This is good indication you are receiving a confident videographer with high quality equipment, but without the additional costs and overheads of someone in the luxury market.
Wedding Videographers in Norfolk and surrounding areas may seem expensive at first glance, but consider that a five minute highlight film will need 20 - 30 hours of editing time in post production in addition to 8 - 10 hours of filming on the day.
Emma & Tom, A screenshot from one of my recent highlight films at The Norfolk Mead Hotel
Well equipped Videographers are also likely to be bringing around £10,000 worth of camera gear to your wedding day (all of which has a shelf life) and will have spent thousands of hours perfecting their skills with camera equipment, audio equipment and editing software.
Types of Films and Content
Highlight vs Documentary Style Films
Once you’ve decided on your budget it’s now time to consider what type of film you're looking for. Most Wedding Videographers in Norfolk produce highlight films between five and ten minutes in length. However some filmmakers favour longer documentary style films between 30 to 90 minutes in length.
Highlight films are a popular option as they can immerse you in all of the important moments and emotions of your day in just a few minutes. These films also have a high rewatch value and can easily be shared with family and friends due to their shorter duration.
Chris Chadwick Films, Norfolk Wedding Videographer Highlight Film, Grace and Phillip
Documentary films are much longer edits, and are what we think of as a more traditional style of wedding video. Some people love this style of film, as it provides a more extensive record of everything that happened throughout the day. However it’s rewatch value is likely to be more limited and you have very dedicated friends and family if they will sit through a 45 minute wedding video!
Zypro Films, Documentary Style Wedding Film
Additional Content
It’s also worth considering what additional content you might like alongside your highlight or documentary film. Most Wedding Videographers in Norfolk offer a variety of additional content in their packages including speeches, a full wedding ceremony video and raw footage (every time they press record you see what was captured). Having additional content provides a more immersive experience and ensures you can relive every moment.
My couples say love having a highlight film alongside raw footage, as it provides a best of both worlds between a highlight and a documentary style film without the additional expense and lead times of producing two separate films.
Raw footage differs from a documentary style films which are still edited and put to music. Raw footage is just that, unedited footage in chronological order. I organise the footage into different chapters and export the footage as 5 - 10 separate videos so you can easily navigate through the different parts of your day.
Style and Portfolio
Now you have considered what type of film you're looking for next consider what you would like the overall feel of your film to be? Are you looking for an upbeat party vibe or a slower more sentimental atmosphere.
I personally prefer a more sentimental feel to my films as I find this style lends itself to recreating the emotion of the day and telling the story of the couple. Watch both style of films and see which you prefer.
I edited Emma & Tom’s highlight film to create a dreamy, sentimental atmosphere.
When you find a portfolio you like ask yourself what it was that you enjoyed about the films? Having this in mind will help you communicate with your chosen videographer to ensure they can focus on emulating the attributes that are most important to you in your film.
Markers of a strong wedding films include well paced editing, engaging story telling, appropriate song choice, high quality audio and consistent image quality.
Outro
I hope you have found these tips helpful in choosing between the different Wedding Videographers in Norfolk. If you would like to find out more about my Wedding Films you can find everything on my homepage at: chrischadwickfilms.com.
