Why do I need a Wedding Video?
A professional wedding video is not just a keepsake; its a detailed record of one of the most important days of your life. Brides tell us constantly that their first real look at their wedding day was through their wedding video. Think about it, you don't even see the ceremony until you're ready to be walked down the isle. From that point your day goes by in a blur. The video shows many important details you might normally miss. And let's not forget the spontaneous fun that usually breaks out at a wedding reception.

If you were hiring a videographer for your event, what criteria would you use to help narrow down your search?
I have a few suggestions that I think will be helpful in choosing a videographer. My first recommendation is to look at their work. Judge it for yourself. Make sure it was shot recently and locally; not just some polished promo video produced out of market. A reputable company is eager to share their work. While you’re at it, meet with them and ask to see your venue on video, or a similar set-up. This will verify their experience, as well as ensuring they are consistent in the quality of their work. Critically inspect picture quality, flesh tone accuracy, audio clarity, editing technique, and creative style. Talk candidly with them about what you require of them. Are they confident, friendly and easy to deal with? What is standard and what is considered an upgrade? Do they work well with all the other vendors? Do they have backup equipment & contingency plans? Will they specify your videographer and show samples of their work? And finally, while cost is always a consideration, don’t let it cloud your judgment. In most cases, you only have one opportunity to get this right. These hints should be helpful in narrowing your search.

I have family and friends with nice camcorders; Why do I need a professional wedding videographer?
EXPERIENCE! Even if you were lucky enough to have a friend with an expensive camcorder, how likely is it that, (A) they know how to get the important shots with it, and (B) they’ve shot enough weddings that they know when and where to be at the critical times? You want your videographer to anticipate and capture the action; not to be constantly chasing the action. Of course, flesh tone accuracy, lighting, audio technique and editing are also part of the equation.

What helps make my wedding video a true keepsake?
Other than good picture and audio quality, the personalities of the bride and groom are the most important factors of producing a personal keepsake. Dillon Video prides itself in its ability to inject the personalities of our clients into their video. We break the ice, with intros of the wedding parties before the ceremony, we look for compelling shots during the ceremony, and we encourage comments from the family and wedding guests at the reception. Good editing technique is also important in giving your video personality, thus making it a true keepsake.

What can be done to help customize our video, making it stand out from other videos we've seen?
We offer some nice options for customizing your wedding DVD. A Photo Montage is always special, with baby pictures of the bride and groom growing through the years, and set to sentimental music. A Video Highlight Segment is a music-video style recap of the wedding day, edited with digital special effects and your choice of music. Movie-style titles display in the opening of the video the names of the people involved with the wedding ceremony. We can even accommodate special personalized editing requests. And, of course, a customized and chaptered DVD is a nice touch.

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Is it necessary to have multiple cameras for the ceremony?
Two or more videographers can be a nice touch for covering a wedding ceremony, but its not always necessary. Many times, we can get great shots from the ceremony with one videographer and a 2nd stationary camera. However, we recommend at least two videographers when there is a lot of structure planned in the ceremony, with important performances, scripture readings, and family members. It is a pleasing effect to be able to fade back and forth between all the different camera angles.

How do you get a good recording of the wedding vows?
In many instances, even the closest guests can not hear what is said between the bride and groom during the ceremony. Dillon Video utilizes a wireless clip-on microphone for the groom, whenever possible. This helps get good audio, in case we can’t be up close to the bride and groom during the vows and ring exchange. Because wireless is the only practical way of running audio, we constantly monitor audio through a headset, in case of possible interference from competing frequencies. Our experience allows us to make a professional assessment of which is the best possible audio source.

How do you know where you need to be to get the important shots?
We check with the coordinator and appropriate church personnel immediately upon arriving early for the ceremony. We likewise consult with the DJ or band leader when we arrive at the reception. For all intents and purposes, your DJ is the coordinator once the reception begins. Mainly, our many years of experience is extremely beneficial when anticipating critical moments, and for "thinking on the fly" when things don’t happen exactly as planned.

What makes digital video and digital post-production so important?
Digital is currently the cleanest, crisp, high-resolution video signal available. It’s today’s technology! You get excellent picture resolution and color representation with digital video. There is no generation loss through the digital post production process. The final output DVD retains the high picture resolution in which the video was originally shot.