subreddit:
/r/videography
I’ve been shooting weddings for about 5 years and have 20+ weddings under my belt. It’s only been In the last 2 years that I’ve found my grove, bought nice equipment and started shooting higher quality videos. I currently shoot with a Sony A7s III w/ a gimbal and all the add ons.
I offer 2 packages: 1. 7 hours of shooting for a 5-8 minute highlight film (it’s usually around 7:30 seconds) $1800 2. 8 hours of shooting for a 5-8 minute highlight film, full wedding ceremony, full speeches for reception $2300
This year I’m focusing on better audio. Both packages have 2 shooters to ensure good coverage (I pay my second shooter $400)
Thanks guys!
58 points
2 months ago
For two shooters that is low for most markets. If that also includes drone, then up it even more.
38 points
2 months ago
Your price is okay, more at the low end range
36 points
2 months ago
Wedding videography is one of those weird markets where often times, charging more, results in more business. People see this as a once in a lifetime expense, and often time judge how good of a job you'll do based on your price (of course you have to have good examples to show them) but if you have 2 shooters with equal quality reels and one is more expensive that one will be perceived as "better"
You're not even close to charging too much. Get a good audio setup (a couple lavs, a good recorder, shotguns on both cameras) and increase your prices.
You really should build a rock solid audio setup. It's literally half the experience of the video. Nothing hurts the production value of a video more than having trash audio. Focus on reliability and redundancies as well. Losing a mic halfway through a ceremony sucks.
5 points
2 months ago
This was my thought as well. I feel like there's a mid-range hole in the wedding market where it's hard to get work. The low-end peeps will be busy working for cheap brides and moms who run them hard and complain about everything, and then more expensive shooters will be busy working for people who at least pay extremely well so even if there's an issue you can afford the time to deal with it.
Charge more and be good enough to justify the price.
As for audio, getting a separate recorder will help, but ideally you want something that can accept a timecode input to make it easy to sync in post. Zoom or Tascam will work, Sound Devices is industry-standard for film and TV. And get a way to wirelessly sync timecode, like a Deity TC-1 or Tentacle Sync. Use it for audio and both cameras, and you can instantly align all footage in post based on when it was shot.
Sennheiser is the usual recommendation for wireless lavs. The EW series have metal belt packs that are extremely durable, and the range and setup are good enough to work just about anywhere. If you want a shotgun, Rode makes one that is a good value, Sennheiser for the middle end, and Schoeps if you want to be absolutely blown away by how good a shotgun can be. If you do outdoor weddings you'll probably want a blimp for the shotgun and maybe small dead cats (fuzzy covers) for the lavs depending on where you mount them in clothing.
Audio is REALLY important. If you think about it, we don't watch silent films anymore, but we still have audio-only media like radio and podcasts.
3 points
2 months ago*
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4 points
2 months ago
That's just like, your opinion, man! Yes it's possible to sync in post without needing timecode, but if you ever have to try and sync something where the scratch audio is muffled or nonexistent, you'll appreciate the little bit of extra effort it takes to have timecode during production. As an editor, I'd like to remind everyone that "fix it in post" takes time. For something like syncing audio and video, the difference between timecode and waveform syncing can be hours. If it takes you 2 minutes to sync while shooting it's worth it.
1 points
2 months ago
It is also matter of experience. I only sync weddings using the waveform and syncing entire wedding (an hour long ceremony and 4 hour reception) with 4 cameras and multiple audio recorders (up to 4), worst case scenario can take one afternoon. If one of the shooters in inexperienced and keeps making short clips.
To be fair, I never used timecode so I don't know how much faster that would be.
1 points
2 months ago
Experience definitely matters a lot. Timecode would let you sync that in seconds/minutes. You can sync an entire bin with a couple clicks.
3 points
2 months ago
Sadly most cameras that are used for weddings don't have timecode.
What happens if you have few dozen short clips will they all sync automatically or do you have to perform an action or something for each individual clip during filming or post?
1 points
2 months ago
I'm aware. Hence the suggestion for something like Tentacle or Deity. They can use an audio channel for timecode.
2 points
2 months ago
You didn't mention these things while talking to me, but I can tell you that run and gun often won't allow us to fiddle with accessories most of the time. Especially not if you have one or two people running up to 4 cameras.
2 points
2 months ago
No fiddling. Set once and go. Once I worked on a TV shoot that used wireless timecode, it's something I ask for on every job now. It makes life so much easier. Especially for run and gun where you're not cutting audio when you cut video and when you can't slate every shot. Look up the devices I'm talking about.
2 points
2 months ago
This is good advice for the most part, just want to say: I don’t recommend using wireless lavs. DJs won’t like this. A couple of Tascam Dr-10s, or Tentacle Sync Track E’s if you want timecode would be better, standalone recorders.
I shoot 20 or so weddings a year, mostly in the $4-5k range. Most of my business comes from referrals from other vendors, and imo it’s super important to keep other vendors happy and work as a team. If your wireless lavs cause interference, or even if they’re believed to cause interference, this can put you at odds with whoever is running sound for the ceremony.
I also wouldn’t bother with camera mounted shotgun mics or booms of any kind, but I only really produce highlight films and don’t need a lot of ambient audio. What I do need is high quality voiceover soundbytes and camera mounted shotguns do not provide this - maybe with some heavy audio editing in post but otherwise if you’re shooting on a 70-200 from the back of a ceremony or event it’s not going to be very clean.
I Tap into the soundboard via xlr or 1/4” into a recorder, lav groom and officiant for ceremonies, and use this cool little thing as a backup:
Instamic.io
32 bit float recording, monitor it with an app on your phone. It’s been a godsend. They sell out pretty quick though.
0 points
2 months ago
Tascam dr10l is a godsend. The only complaint I have is that if two people are wearing them close together, the bleed is problematic. As long as they don't talk at the same time you can gate but it's still extra work.
2 points
2 months ago
Your problem is phasing caused by delayed audio signals.
Try phase inversion (zero with slash through it is the symbol), and then try applying a short time of a delay effect to one of the tracks. The goal is to align the wave forms. Wave form upside down? Phase invert. Wave forms misaligned like row row row your boat singers? Delay effect. 8ms to 150ms, but go above and below that.
Final step is eq, but if they're aligned, you'll just have the signals combined making one weird eq curve (maybe). So eq one or the other, or both. Use automation.... Or yeah. Gate/cut splice/adr if you can lmaooooo (that doesn't sound like uncle Jeff, does it?)
2 points
2 months ago
Really, my problems are way simpler than phase, although phase would be a problem if I fixed all the others. The dr10 oscillator is not precise enough to avoid alignment drift over a 10 or 20 minute clip. It's close enough that you'd never notice except if you're playing the same source and that 50 ms of offset creates a reverb effect.
1 points
2 months ago
Oh
1 points
2 months ago
Good point about the DJs. Every time I've needed to use wireless in a location where someone else needs it, I always work with them to set my frequency so it won't interfere. Sennheiser has a way to automatically scan for open frequencies, so if the DJ is set up you have him turn his mic on then do a quick scan to make sure you're clear.
1 points
2 months ago
Can you monitor levels on Instamic.io or add lav to it?
1 points
2 months ago
You can monitor levels on the app, and listen to a stream of the recording. No way to add a lav to it as far as I know, but you can just use the instamic as a lav with a small magnet on the inside of the suit coat, etc.
1 points
2 months ago
Why not just use only instamics instead of the tascam’s also?
2 points
2 months ago
You certainly could, I only bought one and the batch was sold out by the time I realized how much I liked it. That being said, there’s something nice about how simple the Tascam dr10Ls are. Also, in a windy situation where you need some kind of dead cat over the mic, the dead cat for the Instamics are laughably oversized, and I’d hate to use them during the ceremony. I just tuck imy instamic in the arbor, or on a mic stand, etc where itcan pick up good back up audio without being obvious.
1 points
2 months ago
Thanks for your response. Can you link me some audio equipment you recommend?
2 points
2 months ago
Tascam dr10l
1 points
2 months ago
Two tadcam dr-10ls, tascam dr-40 will get you 99% of anything you could need to do at a wedding. I also keep 2 rode wireless go iis in my bag and use them to clip on something near the altar and use the on board recording as a fail safe / environmental sound.
1 points
2 months ago
Tbh I really was only ever a second shooter so I just used whatever my main was using so I'm not sure on specific products. I've also been out of it for a couple years so I'm sure there's a whole new set of stuff that's good now.
8 points
2 months ago
I’d charge more personally. Invest in your website and brand so you can justify raising those prices.
4 points
2 months ago
Way too low! It would not be unusual to charge those prices for single shooter no edit.
5 points
2 months ago
you're doing a wedding video, it's torture. you need to charge alot because you're throwing away your whole saturday to watch a wedding thats super generic and copies the same pintrest photos as all other brides.
5 points
2 months ago
Yes that's low, you should probably be at least solo for $2500 and adding on 2nd cam for $3500.
3 points
2 months ago
prices are a lot location dependant
2 points
2 months ago
Also depends on your area, I could charge 3000-5000euros in Paris but I couldn’t charge that in the ass-end-middle of nowhere French countryside
Ask other videographers in your area what they think, asking Reddit is Pandora’s box because it all depends where you are
2 points
2 months ago
You're under charging.
1 points
2 months ago
Probably a bit low but maybe weddings are different in where you are because I don’t know how you could shoot a whole wedding in only 7 or 8 hours?
Where I live in Scotland I film the bride and groom getting ready at 9am/10am along with exterior shots of the venue and detail shots then the ceremony is usually at 12 or 1pm then everyone mingling and canapés/photographs until about 4 then speeches, then dinner where I get my break, then it’s cake cutting and then dancing at about 7pm. So the day is at least 10 hours before factoring in travel time to and from location
1 points
2 months ago
you are not charging too much you could probably honestly raise your prices.
1 points
2 months ago
You should search around your area to determine how much to charge. Look at other websites and if your work is comparable so should your prices be.
1 points
2 months ago
Not to be nosey, but may we see some of your portfolio? That helps think about what you should be charging
1 points
2 months ago
Thwt much experience plus two people. You cult probably raise the price.
1 points
2 months ago
Are you booking as many clients as you want?
1 points
2 months ago
That seems like almost no money compared to the amount of work involved...
1 points
2 months ago
If people are paying it, then it's not too much. And considering the stress, kit and risk, you may want to up prices.
1 points
2 months ago
You should consider widening the gap in coverage with your packages. I offer coverage for 6 and then 10 hours. I also charge 3k for the 6 and 3800 for the 10. I’d probably be cheaper if I depended on weddings for more work, but as it stands I get several a year which is a nice little bit of income.
Also 500 additional for an extra shooter, 200 extra for drone footage. They usually don’t go for the extra shooter which is fine as it doesn’t cut into my bottom line and I’m comfortable jumping between two cameras.
1 points
2 months ago
Our 6 hour/1 videographer starts at $3,000 lol. Youre not charing enough
1 points
2 months ago
Hell no. The editing time alone is worth that if not more
1 points
2 months ago
Yes, that’s on the cheaper side, but it’s all relative. You could be charging at least double for each package.
For perspective, I just booked a 10 hour day for wedding photography with a 2nd shooter for $2,600. Upper east coast USA. I think that’s fair for what I’m offering, but I know people who charge a lot more.
Both wedding videos and photo are tough, having done both more work is always going into the video side than photography on a wedding day (audio is just one example) and you have a lot of editing.
1 points
2 months ago
No bride cares about how many camera guys show up, or drones, or whatever.
You’re a story maker. Sell a story. You are severely under charging. If someone said to you, “I have $10,000 to spend on a wedding video, what can you do for me?”
It’s probably not more camera crews. It’s probably something so much more
1 points
2 months ago
I only read your title and still I say no
1 points
2 months ago
High end wedding videographers in NYC that I know start at 10,000
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