OT: Any ideas on books about starting a wedding videography business?

emmo2002 wrote on 11/21/2003, 3:19 AM

Hi all,

I have begun putting together some ideas about starting my own wedding video business, and was wondering if any you out there could give me some ideas for some resources.

I am looking for books both on:

1) The business and legal side of things
2) Tips on shooting weddings

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Emmo

Comments

Grazie wrote on 11/21/2003, 4:46 AM

BIG subject . . . can't give you any books . . but here is brand new Forum set up . . It gives a very very real world view on this . . . industry . . have a look . .

See yah there - eh?

Grazie

dholt wrote on 11/21/2003, 10:12 AM

I've been doing weddings for a few months and have done 3 of them so I'm not an old pro but here is what has worked for me.
Surf the interent and look at other videographers work. If you like what you see then contact them and ask if they will sell you a CD or tape of their work so you can use it for training, talk with them and explain that your a newbie. You can also request a demo from them, this will or should show some of their best work. Just practice what you see from other people's work. I even have some BAD wedding video's that I learned a lot from.

Start booking weddings and doing them. There is no text book or video that will give you the actual experience you will get from really doing it plus you need the video for your demo. Find really nice weddings and do them for free, YES FREE. Excellent demo footage is worth a lot but only if it's a really nice wedding. Plus you need the experience.
Attend the WEVA convention in Las Vegas next year. This is an absolute MUST. You will learn soooooo much and come back home a much better Videographer. Good Luck.

Jsnkc is correct Weddings are very nerve racking and expect problems. Make sure you have back-up video and audio capabilities in place. Also, some of the low lighting situations will kill your video, so prepare for everything that could go wrong before hand and if it does your prepared. I've had the experience of screwing up a wedding video and it wasn't a fun one.

Jsnkc wrote on 11/21/2003, 10:32 AM

Weddings can be hell! figure this is the lifetime memory of one of the most important events in a persons life. IF you screw it up, the people will be extremely mad. Be ready for many many re-edits becasue they are almost never happy with what you give them. The best way to do it is once you have everything shot and in your computer, have them actually sit with you for the edit session so you won't have to keep making approval copies and then having to go back and re-edit. I'd avoid weddings if at all possible, I did it for about a year and it just isn't wort the stress.

Redd wrote on 11/21/2003, 10:51 AM

A couple of helpful links.

http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/225.asp

http://taxes.yahoo.com/tips/deduct/hobby.html

GaryKleiner wrote on 11/21/2003, 11:44 AM

Probably one of the best books on being the the Wedding Video business is John Goolsby's 'The Business of Wedding and Special Event Videography' .

You can order drirectly from him at wedvideo@pe.net

Also, becoming a member of Wedding And Even Videograpy Association (WEVA) is, bar far the best source of information, creative ideas, technical info, etc. they are at WEVA.com

GK

JackW wrote on 11/21/2003, 10:48 PM

Take a look at John Goolsby's The Business of Wedding and Special Event Videography. You can a review of it on the web. It's a once-over-lightly kind of work, but gives lots of good tips and steers you in the right direction.

See if there is a local Wedding and Event videographer's group in your neighborhood. Most are eager to share information and help out a new comer to the business.

Join WEVA, go to their Las Vegas convention in August and read their publications. There are a lot of excellent videographers in WEVA, many of whom are successful business men and women.