Category Archives: My Blog

The advantage to having video documentation while in court or while obtaining testimony is that it can be looked over again and again in case something was missed or anything abnormal was caught on camera. Using videography for recording court proceedings requires knowledge of the legal system and knowledge of how to use the technology itself. Although a license in videography is not required to record legal proceedings, hiring a company with certification from a professional videography association is a good idea to ensure you are receiving the very best services available.

One of the most common uses of court videography services is to allow attorneys to review the court’s daily proceedings to help better prepare their case and better respond to events that have happened. Attorneys are often able to find contradictions in statements or questions that could be used to help their case by viewing the day’s proceedings afterward. Another very common use is when a witness is not able to physically be inside the courtroom to testify. Using court videography, the videographer can travel to the witness’s location, set up a real-time video feed to the courtroom and allow the witness to deliver their testimony remotely. This is very useful for witnesses who may be bedridden, in an intensive care unit or perhaps for an expert witness who isn’t able to attend court. This is also especially useful for a jury, as all the facts of the case can become confusing on paper. Video can help the case stay fresh in the mind and keep the jury’s attention.

Another task that videographers are often appointed to do is edit video. It must be carefully done, strictly adhering to legal standards. Nothing can be done to the video to distort testimony or manipulate anything that affects the outcome of a case. Editing is most often done to stabilize the video or make it look more professional. Removing any shaking or improving upon technical aspects must be done before the video can be used in court to minimize any doubt or speculation as to the content.

There is no question that using court videography adds a modern and useful touch to the justice system. Many licensed companies are available that specialize in producing high quality, comprehensive video and videoconferencing services. Technology now allows for mobile reporting, recording and videoconferencing to or from anywhere in the world.

Mouthwatering Video Viewership Statistics

Research shows that 74% of all internet traffic by 2017 will be video, while a 2014 study found that 54% of marketers rate video as the content with the best ROI. Clearly, there is no gain saying the importance of a professionally-produced video for storing personal milestones, business branding, marketing and educating customers.

Hiring the Best Video Producer

If you are looking for a videographer for an upcoming project, you will agree this process is an exhausting one. For starters, there are thousands of so called video producers out there and picking the best is a daunting task.

To make this arduous task easier, why not use the following guidelines to get an amazing production for your personal or corporate event?

• Decide what you want first: Before you start looking for a company to hire, conceptualize what you want in your mind. For instance, for a corporate video production, you have to know who to include in the company among other pertinent considerations. If a potential production asks what you have in mind, you should have a ready answer.
• Draft a script: Before hitting the road searching for a videography company, ensure you have written down a brief of what you need. It doesn’t have to follow a professional format but at least any videographer can use it to give a reliable quote.
• Search for a professional team: Never compromise on professionalism in order to get a cheap quote. The results will make you weep especially if this is an important function such as your wedding. Make sure you look for training, experience, equipment, flexibility and area of specialization before hiring a video production company.
• Make contact with several producers: If you go online you will come across many companies meaning you have to create a shortlist. Go on and contact these companies to get quotes which you will then compare. At this stage, make sure you ask as many detailed questions as possible regarding the service.
• Assess the contract keenly: Make sure to go through the video production contract with a keen eye. Every detail on prices, guarantees, deadlines, insurance, and copyright must be clear lest you both end up in court. Luckily, if you have picked a professional videographer, these are issues they will seek to clarify before taking on the project.
• Get a contact person: To have a productive working partnership, request for a contact person whom you can reach quickly for further clarification.

The rule of thumb here is to take time to research and familiarize you with the world of videography. This information will prove invaluable when the video project gets underway.

Just like you, I get asked all of the time, “what do you do?” When I tell them that I am a wedding videographer, they usually look a bit puzzled like they have never heard of such a thing.

They also usually are confused at how come anyone would choose a professional videographer for their wedding rather than having a friend carry around a camcorder from Circuit City.

It seems that not everyone knows what videography is and why a professional videographer can capture a wedding so much better than a friend with a camcorder.

Similar to photography

Videography is similar to photography in a sense of the fact that both are a visual way to preserve an event and give someone pictures of what happened that day.
Professional photographers will be able to add quality not only by the equipment they use but by their artistic eye allowing them to shoot the really cool shots. They typically use cameras costing in the thousands of dollars and can really take some spectacular shots.

A videographer differs in that videography has to capture thousands and thousands of pictures and sound too. Think of a movie. You could sum up a movie using pictures and a storyboard, but the final film will also contain all of the excitement and sounds. That is how videography can enhance how you preserve your wedding day.

The other main difference, mentioned above, is the capturing of sounds. Audio is so vitally important because you want to hear the vows, the music, the comments and the laughter that made your day unique.

What is the difference between professional and other videographers

A couple of years ago, Yahoo ran an article about 10 businesses you could start this weekend. One of those businesses was videography and the article sent chills up my spine as I knew that the “competition” was just about to explode in the area.
What happens after articles like that is that people who have no real experience with digital editing and film-making rush out and buy a camcorder from Circuit City or Best buy and they start calling themselves a videographer.

That would be like me going down to the local Home Depot, buying a lawnmower and calling myself a landscaper. There is so much more that goes into videography, just like landscaping that I thought I would point out some of the differences.

When I shoot a wedding I either use one or two cameras based on what the couple chooses. The camera(s) I use are Sony DCR-VX 2100s which are not sold anywhere in Charleston at all. They cost around $2,500 each and that does not even include the other items that are necessary to properly film. That is just for the camera.

I also use tripods, extra batteries, and a Steady Max camera stabilizer to get the motion shots that I will need for the final video. Unlike photography, my subjects are always on the move and that movement is what I want to capture on film. I have to be able to move with them without it looking like a home movie or an earthquake.

Then after a wedding is shot, I go home and edit the video down from 4-6 hours to under 2 hours using thousands of dollars worth of software and high-speed computers. The final DVD is laser inscribed and presented to the couple after I have spent 40-50 hours in post-production.

Why go to these lengths to film a wedding? Because every moment at your wedding has been planned out. You may have spent months deciding on what type of dress you will wear or what your cake will be like and I want those decisions to be part of your finished product. I want you to be able to see your wedding day exactly as you planned it.

During the romantic first dance, which is usually done in low-light, I want you to be able to see your faces. The glance of your groom or how he looks at you while you walk down the aisle. Videography is so much more than pointing a camcorder and pressing record, but when done professionally, there is nothing better at capturing your wedding