Shooting vs. Editing

by Greg James of Solstice Video Productions

Shooting the video is only half of the equation. While it's important to find someone who's experienced with proper camera angles, lighting and sound, you need to find someone who is a creative editor as well. This is where the magic happens. That is why even though I have a number of amazingly experienced videographers on my team that I have personally trained, I still edit every wedding movie (until, of course, I can truly trust someone to edit as well as myself). Creative and skilled digital editing can greatly increase the value of your wedding video, giving you memories you'll cherish forever.

Some videographers shoot weddings using a method known as "live switching,” meaning they edit as they shoot. This saves the videographer time and money as they do no editing later. It also involves running cables all over the place, creating a hazard and an eyesore for your guests. Unless your budget will absolutely not allow for it, I highly recommend choosing someone who uses a multiple camera setup on the ceremony and crafts the piece together later. You’ll notice a considerable difference in the end-product.

Speaking of a tight budget, if this is an issue for you, instead I recommend attempting to hire a skilled videographer to shoot raw footage of your day for a nominal fee and then have them provide you an option to perform an edit on a later date when you have more funding to do so. At least this way, at the minimum, you will have the assurance of knowing your once-in-a-lifetime day was captured by a professional (as opposed to say, Uncle Harry, with his new camera he just bought at Costco).

- Greg James, www.solsticevideo.com