VideoPro

So have you ever wondered what all the “mumbo jumbo” means in many wedding videographer’s marketing material. You can find terms like, Cinematic, Photojournalistic, and Documentary styles plastered in videography advertising materials including, wedding planning websites, videography websites and flyers that are found at bridal shows. Well, you only get married once, so you may never come across these terms again. However, I will seek to describe some of the terminology here which may help to clear up some of the confusion so that you understand and know what to expect.  So what does it all mean? Lets take a look at some of the more common terms that are found in the wedding video industry.

Common styles range from “journalistic” to “cinematic”.

Video Journalistic style 

typically described as a documentary of the event. Segments are edited as they occur to preserve continuity. This style of editing will produce a polished documentation of the day as it unfolds. Also can be referred to as Documentary Style. Some advertise “photojournalistic style” It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism.

Cinematic 

the term is defined as making a movie or film. Within the wedding videography industry it has taken on the following meaning: It is captured and edited for the dramatic effect and mood. It is usually presented with a particular style and “wow” effect that may not be present in a “mere documentary” of the event. It is characterized by, altered lighting, close-ups of specific body parts such as an eyelid or lips, fades and trucking camera movements to name a few.

Storytelling 

a video that relies on sound bites recorded pre, during or in post, usually from the bride and groom. These sound bites are then added to the audio track for dramatic effect and to push the story of the day forward.

Short Form Wedding 

a video of the day that has been edited to fit within a time frame that is no less than 15 minutes and no longer than 50 minutes. Some videographers consider anything under 60 minutes to be short form, but according to the entry form for the WEVA Creative Excellence Awards it can not exceed 50 minutes.

Traditional 

a catch-all term for styles that do not fit with above. Traditional tends to look more like a family shot video; it can be edited, but usually lightly. Everything is edited in a linear progression and usually in its entirety. These videos tend to be 2 to 3 hours, and even longer, in length.

Wedding videographers are not limited to using just one of these styles; different amounts of styles can be found in every video.

Wedding videography, like other fields has come a very long way in a short period of time. Today, we can do with a $3500 what a $20,000 camera could do just 10 years ago. The great wildcard in videography is the experience of the videographer. As high quality cameras, editing equipment and storage become more affordable you will see many more “vidoegraphers” in the marketplace. Some good, some not so good. In order to navigate the waters and help you understand what to look for please see my blog entitled “How to select a great wedding videographer.”

Some of the info above from the Wikipedia article Wedding videography.