Deals, Discounts, and Specials

When searching for a wedding videographer, you may find special deals and discounts on wedding services. This can be a great way for a wedding professional to get your attention. I personally use special offers and enjoy giving people a great value for my services. The key point is to focus on the caliber of  the professional you’re interested in. A good deal is only the icing on the cake if the professional does a great job.

There are many different types of wedding videographers, but it takes careful selection of your videographer to get that truly magnificent wedding masterpiece. Search carefully for that professional who will win you over by amazing videos, not simply a deep discount.

Turning Down Jobs In A Tough Economy

Hello everyone,

By the headline you may be confused as to why I would turn down jobs during a tough economy. Truth is, as an up and coming company I want to be known for only doing high quality work. What does this mean? Well if someone wants me to do a job, but wants me to cut my services down to lower the price. I feel like the video would fall short of what I think my video standard should be.

Example

A bride wants me to cut my services in half; half the hours, half the cameras, etc. In doing this the finished video wouldn’t pack the punch of amazingness I’m looking for.

Simply put, I’ve designed my services to offer a great value and deliver beautiful results… however, I’m not in the race for “lowest price” (at the expense of quality), I’m looking to deliver the best video experience to people who are serious about preserving their memories. Quality is what I’m after, not quantity.

Hopefully that makes sense to everyone! Don’t forget, if you have something you’d like to have me cover in this blog, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to post something on that topic!

God Bless!

Kramer O’Keefe

Kramer O’Keefe Productions

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Videography for Under $9.95

What’s this, videography for under $9.95? Kramer that’s impossible!

Is it? Because I say it is possible, read on to find my answer on $9.95 videography.

Maybe you can help me understand this… why is it that professional videography is often cut out of couples’ budgets when it’s one of 3 things that will last past the wedding day?

Those 3 things being…

• Wedding Rings
• Professional Photos
• Professional Video

Everything else disappears after the wedding day and is a distant memory, but the three things listed above are investments for your entire marriage!

Now when you look at it as an investment that will last your lifelong marriage, the price doesn’t matter as much as it once did does it? Now what matters is that you have a beautiful story of your wedding day played out on video. Suddenly what you once thought could be cut from your budget can now be looked at as an investment over your lifetime. So when dividing a $2,000 wedding video over a great 50 year marriage, it equals out to be a tiny $3.33 a month!

Many of you probably won’t even spend $2,000 on a wedding video so your figure would be even less… just remember, video, photos, and rings are your wedding investments, everything else will be gone before you know it.

Want to see my $3.33 package? I think you’ll be surprised by how much value is packed in there!

Now finally, I want to hear what you think of this idea of video being an investment, please rate this blog post and leave a comment or question!

Capturing Memories

Memories… what a great thing to have, I mean if you didn’t have memories then your life would be really boring. I absolutely love looking back and thinking about great moments and fun family gatherings. I must say that I’ve been privileged to grow up in a family where there was always someone videotaping the special family moments and preserving them, so that one day we could go back and enjoy looking back on them. This deep joy for preserving memories was placed in my heart and I haven’t looked back since. When I was 14 I saved up and purchased my first camcorder, I took it everywhere and had a blast capturing family events on video. Now the title of official family videographer is mine and for the past 5 years I’ve created a Year In Review movie that I give to the rest of the family. It’s amazing but just giving the gift of memories is incredible! People love looking back and reminiscing about times past, remembering special times and events by watching an entertaining fully edited video. Today I take that knowledge and passion for preserving special moments, and create packages and services that give you a great opportunity to invest in protecting your once in a lifetime wedding, on video.

Take that concept of how special remembering memories is and multiply it by 20x, what do you get? You get the joy and excitement of watching your wedding video back after the special day is over and past. There’s just something extra special when watching a great wedding video. I think it’s so enjoyable because it’s a once in a lifetime event, it’s unique to you, and everyone is so happy and excited on the wedding day!

I love looking at pictures, they’re awesome, but you don’t get the whole feel of the day through them. They don’t carry the emotion that video does, you can’t hear the laughter and see the tears of joy running down the faces of  friends and family.

I simply can’t put into words how important memories are to me. If you value memories as much as I do, I hope you really consider the amazing wedding productions available today! Your memories don’t preserve themselves, that’s up to you,  I hope you choose to make your memories last a lifetime!

Events come and go, but memories can be preserved for years of enjoyment! It’s an investment with a great rate of return in happiness!

I Choose To Preserve!

Business Ethics

Well I was having a very difficult time thinking of a topic for this week, but then a good friend of mine suggested I write on Business Ethics. So for this first week in February I’ll explain a little about how I go about business.

When talking about my business ethics I think the most important thing for me to mention is I’m driven by a passion to honor my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in everything I do. If you’ve ever read the Bible you’ll know what kind of ethics I’m striving to live and do business by. Of course I could talk a big talk and deliver nothing when it comes to my ethics, so that’s something you’ll have to find out when you talk with me about doing a job or simply life. ‘The most important thing I want you to know is I’m here for you, so simply ask if you need anything from me or if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer to my best ability’.

My train of thought really isn’t flowing very well tonight so I don’t have a lot to say except I’ll be honest, trustworthy, and put you first. Okay, I’m seriously out of stuff to write about, hope everybody has a good week or two, and if you have any suggestions for what to write about please leave a comment below.

5 Reasons You Wouldn’t Want A Videographer?

Hello again! Well it’s been a busy last few weeks for me and now I’m going to tell you 5 reasons you wouldn’t want a videographer… now you might think this is strange topic for me, but maybe this help you see if you need to hire a videographer or not.

Reason #1 -Pictures are enough; nobody really cares about the captivating motion pictures and the sounds of your vows…

Well….. I hope you care!!! Maybe you don’t think you care, but I bet after your wedding you sure would! In a national survey conducted by WEVA International they said that “One of the most surprising findings of the survey is the second thoughts, even regrets, among brides who decided not to utilize the services of professional videographers.” But you know what, maybe you’re right, maybe the video isn’t needed… it’s your call.

Reason #2 – The Videographer might get in the way

I will say that this could be a rational concern, I mean you don’t want the videographer taking over everything so they can get amazing shots at the expense of everyone else. However, all you simply need to do is talk to any videographers you’re interested in and speak with them about this concern…. in every wedding I’ve been videotaping I’ve never had anybody tell me to get out of the way or look at me as if I was a distraction. With good equipment and expertise it’s very easy for a videographer to cover the event without drawing a lot of attention.

Reason #3 – I can’t afford a videographer

Is the real question I can’t afford a videographer or I can’t afford not to have a videographer?  I was contacted by multiple brides last year that after talking with them said they didn’t have enough room in their budgets. Unfortunately these brides had both waited till one week before their wedding and had exhausted their resources…. if they had only planned ahead they could’ve made this investment that lasts a lifetime, instead of spending so much on decorations that only last a single day.

Reason #4 – I’ve seen other peoples’ videos and they aren’t that good

Well this is certainly a very good possibility as some people opt to just have a friend or family member tape the wedding for them. I will say right now that a bad video is better than no video, however, you have the choice, you can have no video, mediocre video, or professional visual excellence! Once again, the choice is yours… it’s all in your hands.

Reason #5 – I’ll just have a friend bring their camera and we’ll call it good

Okay I basically talked about this in the last reason…. simply put, this video will be better than nothing but nowhere near what you’d really like it to be. Professional videographers have the equipment and knowhow to capture a wedding with excellence, just make sure you ask any potential videographer lots of questions before deciding to hire them.

Summary

Well those are the best reasons I could think of to not hire a wedding videographer, if you think of some more go ahead and leave a comment and maybe I’ll include that in a future blog. As you can see from reading above however, I don’t think there’s many good reasons not to have a good videographer cover your wedding.

Until next time, keep looking up!

Kramer O’Keefe

Redefining Wedding Videography

2010, it’s here and time to get working towards making this a great year for you and everyone else! When I was thinking of what to write about I wanted to include something to do with ‘time’, so in this blog post I’ll do some comparisons between the early days of videography and today. If you had a wedding video in the 80′s or earlier you were one of a select few to have this service provided for your special day. With the advent of more affordable equipment wedding videography made a huge push to become more widely recognized. Now let’s dive in and see some of the major reasons videography has jumped to new levels in the last decade.

Past Videography…

In the early days of videography you didn’t get the option of having multiple cameras cover your event. The videographer was stuck with one bulky camera with limited mobility and limited settings.

Present Day Videography…

Now days professional videographers are able to capture your event with multiple cameras to get the very best angles of all the special moments. Todays prosumer cameras are very mobile and offer great control over image quality when used correctly. Along with better portability and settings, cameras are now coming in High Definition and can capture images at exceedingly higher resolution than was ever possible before.

Past Videography…

Early on videographers didn’t have any good ways of capturing audio from vows etc. so you were lucky if you could here much of anything important.

Present Day Videography…

Today we have an array of audio equipment at our disposal with wireless lavaliere  microphones, some so small you don’t even notice them on video! Now it’s possible for you to get clear crisp audio of even the quietest vows.

Past Videography…

When videography was first beginning there was little to no editing done to the video, and even if it was edited it was only to take out the mistakes.

Present Day Videography…

Now a well setup videographer has a multitude of editing options and can craft your wedding into a masterpiece that rivals broadcast quality! The possibilities are endless with a creative editor that has experience and knowledge to work programs in ways most people never new possible.

In summarizing, todays wedding videos when professionally done can be breathtaking and rival what you’d see on television. However, careful planning and a good choice in a videographer is a must… if you have a dream for what you want your video to look like, don’t hold back in asking your potential videographer if they can deliver on those expectations… with todays technology and a skilled videographer, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination and budget.

To a year of redefining wedding videography as a premier service for your special day!

Responses That Save The Video Day

In the world of video there are constant situations that challenge the knowledge of any person to respond quickly and make a good decision. In nearly every project I find myself thinking, “If people only understood the adjustments that are being made to make this video come out so good!” The truth is, most people will never know all the adjustments that needed to be made on the fly to get the video to look good and sound so good. In every project these adjustments vary.

Example #1, Christmas Lights…

I just finished shooting an event where there were Christmas lights on stage….. okay now you’re probably thinking, “yeah, so what? They’re just Christmas lights, what’s the big deal about that?” Yes they are just Christmas lights, but in reality those little lights throw a cameras automatic focus for a loop… without being proficient in manual focus, my video would have been sliding in and out of focus the whole time. Quick Tip #1: When taking video this Christmas season, use your cameras manual focus for shots in front of tough lighting sources such as Christmas lights.

Example #2, Big Bright Windows…

Okay this one happens a lot, and most people with video cameras can relate to encountering this problem. At a wedding I did this past summer the sun was shining bright through the windows in the background of the video, this if not properly dealt with, would have resulted in silhouette figures with the background in good focus. However knowing what to do and having good equipment saved the shots for this wedding video, and allowed you to see the couples faces instead of the view out the window. So here’s Quick Tip #2: The only way to fix the problem explained above without changing the shooting environment (lighting etc.) is to switch your camera to complete manual settings and set your aperture and exposer settings correctly.

Wrapping things up…

To wrap everything up, when you hire a professional videographer, you’re not just paying for what is easily recognizable, but your also hiring someone that will end up making numerous decisions that go unnoticed to make the video truly amazing!

The Top 3 Reasons to Include Pre-Ceremony Coverage…

Today I’m gonna talk about the top 3 reasons you’d want to include pre-ceremony coverage as part of your wedding video package.

Reason #1… Pre-Ceremony coverage includes happenings that most people were not around to see first hand.

If you think about it, only a select few people are around to see all the activity before the ceremony, and out of those people they will probably only be involved with 1/3rd of that activity. In making things easy I’ll break it down into sections…

Bride & Bridesmaids…

There is so much preparation going on for the bride and bridesmaids, and most likely they will be having quality time together conversing and reminiscing as they prepare for the big moment. This will all be great stuff to look back on, and probably one of the greatest things for a bride, would to also be able to watch the video and see what the groom and groomsman were doing as they got ready, because this was an aspect of the wedding that she simply wasn’t able to see on the day itself.

Groom & Groomsman

Wether it be capturing nervous emotions or just joking around with each other, the videos from the groom & groomsman preparing is always a great aspect of the video. As stated above, with pre-ceremony coverage, the groom will be able to see what it was like for his beautiful bride preparing for her walk down the isle.

Simply put, the greatest thing when watching the pre-ceremony part of the wedding video, is being able to watch and experience aspects of the wedding that you simply weren’t able to on the wedding day itself.

Reason #2… Pre-Ceremony coverage is the missing piece in many wedding videos.

The wedding day doesn’t start with walking down the isle, so why should your video? If you are thinking down the road a few years and want to be able to relive your wedding day, then starting the video with the ceremony would seem incomplete. I take  tons of family video, and it’s amazing how much stuff I would have completely forgotten if I hadn’t videotaped it. It’s the same thing with your wedding video, 5 to 10 years from now, there would be all kinds of stuff that would be forgotten if the pre-ceremony stuff had gone untaped. Unfortunately many couples make the mistake of thinking this isn’t an important aspect of the wedding to cover and they miss out on preserving many wonderful memories.

Reason #3… Pre-Ceremony coverage will allow you to better tell your wedding story to future generations.

What was it like when you were getting ready for your wedding? Were you nervous? These may be some questions that future generations may want to know, and there’s no better way to portray that part of the day then to have it videotaped. The sights, the sounds and the laughter, it’s all crucial in telling your wedding story. This footage is some of the most fun to look back on and tell stories about.

The Art Behind A Wedding Video

When choosing professional videographer to capture your wedding day, don’t simply look at their equipment or  how big their price tag is, but also pay attention to their artistic ability. Many times you’ll be able to get a good idea of a videographers creative ability by there demo reels, so don’t hesitate to ask them to send you some samples of their work.

Video is an art, it takes some natural ability, inspiration, and a lot of creativity to pull together a compelling wedding video. An especially important aspect for any videographer is to be flexible, as every wedding has it’s own style and atmosphere. During the wedding day this creativity and eye for amazing shots is critical, anyone can pick up a camera and point it at the action, but it takes a special mindset and experience to capture those truly stunning shots. A good videographer will always be looking for visually intriguing shots, many times this will be accomplished by unique camera movement, using foreground elements to create a visual frame for the subject, and using filters and special lens focusing to capture the desired look. After the wedding day is over and all the footage is on the computer,  the creativity can really begin! With todays technology, most wedding videographers now have the tools to enhance a video in almost any way needed! Countless decisions are made every day on video projects that most people would never really think about. On an average wedding, a videographer will spend 15-40 hours in post production, with some projects going far beyond that. Generally more hours spent in post will result in a more polished, professional video… with more hours will also come a higher price tag.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when evaluating a videographers artistic ability…

~When watching demo videos, does the videographer seem to enhance the style of that wedding, or does the editing style seem rushed and generic?

~Are there any special shots in the video that are unique and enhance the enjoyability of the video?

~Does the videographer do a good job in mixing up shots, or do they generally look the same?

~Is the editing creative, professional and clean? Or is it bland and uninteresting?

These are all good questions, as you want to find the perfect videographer to cover your wedding day. Remember, a more artistic and creative video is going to come with a larger price tag, because it takes a videographer more time and knowledge to carry out this visual masterpiece. Even if you have to pay more however, this is a video that you’ll have for the rest of your life, and you’ll be happy to have it look so professional and easy to watch. In short, it’s tough to teach creativity, but it’s essential in achieving a stunning wedding video, so don’t overlook this important factor when searching for your videographer.

~Kramer O’Keefe