Do you approve of this? Yes, within reason. Just don't make a pest of yourself... Is this proper? Why not? It increases the interaction between you and the subject/s and in my experience, most, 80-90%, will give a little ooo & ahhh of delight. People love instant gratification. Would you (or do you) do this? Yes, again, within reason.

I show the kids, because usually as soon as the flash goes of they run up yelling "let me see! let me see!" ..

I hate to admit that I've flipped my video camera LCD around to shut up babies and get them to pose for the photog. Works every time.

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Nothing shameful in this Rusty. If a kid is crying or fidgeting if we can calm them down and make them smile so the photog can get a pic then we are showing we are a team player and helping. Only makes us look better. I do it all the time. Make sure to be rolling tape when this happens .... makes good bloopers.

I like to flip my screen around and just film kids sticking their nose up to the lens. They love it and it makes a fun break to a "romantic" video sometimes. I love to do it with my semi-fisheye lens....they love the distorted look and it is always fun to throw in the outtakes.

... Is this proper? Why not? It increases the interaction between you and the subject/s ...

Some time before the end of the night I like to rewind the ceremony to the vows and show the client the bride saying the vows.

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And I don't even say goodbye. LOL. But yeah, Kenneth, that's the first I've ever heard of a videog rewinding and showing the vows. Glad it works for you but I don't think I'd do this myself mainly because I'd like for them to see the vows for the first time in the finished video ... you know ... build up to it ... keep that edge of anticipation combined with a bit of uncertainty as to how well it all came out. Don't think I'd want to show the best parts of the movie outside the context of the whole movie. You know ... it'd be like letting the viewer see the Psycho shower scene before they see the movie.

I am thinking about doing a trailer to put on the website to keep them in anticipation rather than the ceremony.

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Hi, Alan.

I would think they would have plenty of anticipation without putting
up a trailer. Making a trailer to build anticipation seems to
be putting a lot of time and effort into something that's not
really needed.

I believe that if wedding videographers actually listened to what brides REALLY want, instead of trying to convince them what they need to buy...and trying to impress other videographers, their business would be much more prosperous. But I'm obviously not an expert.

I wonder if you offered a trailer as a separate ala carte line item (i.e. an "add on"), how many clients would buy it?
Say you give it a price of $250, I bet not many would go for it.
And if basically no one is willing to spend for it, that tells you what it's worth to them.

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I bet they tell you the same that they tell me. They want something simple that captures the ceremony, speeches and reception that looks professional.

I don't spend endless hours editing a wedding video because people here don't want to pay for it and I doubt they can be bothered really. I'd rather come out making a half decent wage/hour with each wedding.
I can also add that I get e-mails, or thank you cards from almost every one of the bride's I've done weddings for thanking me for their video and it is just what they wanted.

I won't be trashing any bride's dresses, I won't be blogging about it, I won't be hocking expensive gadgets or seminar tickets to other wanna-be photographers, etc.

In Reply To

No "Spend 4 Days 1-on-1 With Rusty" offering?