If you’re somewhat familiar with the wedding industry, it’s no surprise that wedding photographers and videographer have a love/hate relationship. Depending on which side of the fence you’re on, ego and business are the biggest factors in a successful relationship. Having grown up with my father who is a veteran photographer I’ve seen the workings of the photo business and how it relates to videography.
So what’s my opinion? Neither is better. Different? Yes. First of all, a great wedding video incorporates a compelling and entertaining story. After all, this is why they hired you. Pictures are a very powerful tool for a professionally edited video.
Let me explain …
This past month, I filmed a bridal shower for a dear friend. Now I could’ve taken the easy way and layered down a track of music and some simple editing. No thanks. While I was shooting, I gathered as many of her closest friends/family as possible and sat them down for quick interviews. This was all part of my game plan for creating a masterful edit. Once I had all my assets digitized, it was time to get to work. First step, I carefully selected music that fit her personality without dominating my interview tracks. Attention is required that your musical choices do not conflict with the freq range of your voiceovers or your resulting mix will sound mushy.
For the opening of my video, I began with a wide angle establishing shot. As I transitioned into the first interview I cut away to photographs that depict what my subject was talking about. In other words, the photographs followed the context of the interview. This creates a seamless edit that is coherent yet emotional and interesting. Most importantly, our goal is achieved and we‘ve created a great video.
This methodology is an established technique in documentary filmmaking. Analternative would be to cut away during the interview to b-roll. This is a matter of choice but from my experience still images create a more timeless feel. For wedding videographers, photographs can be your best friends when used correctly.