OT: Wedding Videographers - average turn around?

L8R wrote on 3/9/2010, 9:34 AM

I am an independent wedding/event videographer. Just me doing the shooting and editing. 2-3 cameras per wedding shooting in HD.

I was just curious as to what other people's average turn around time is that are in the same industry.
I know it depends on the amount of detail and the length of the wedding.
My style is very detailed based, I use a lot of music to tie in my up to 1200 clips. I provide a 10 minute on average highlight video of their day which could be shown to friends and family. As well as on average a 2 disc set (one for -up to 2 hours for pre-ceremony - Picture Sessions, the other the reception up to 2 hours)
Also, custom animated menus, scene selections, custom disc and cover art.
It takes me no less than 2.5 weeks but on average 3 weeks per wedding.
Having said that ... the 14th,15th wedding I shoot per season will not be getting theirs any time soon.
Some of my clients are getting upset because it is taking soooooo long to get their video but I can't work faster than I am.
Just wondering what other people's average time it takes per wedding and how long is tooooo long to get videos back to people?

I almost want to give up at this point.... getting really frustrated.
Especially having to deal with having my computer crashing on rendering, crashing on creating discs.

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Comments

DGates wrote on 3/9/2010, 5:57 PM

I cover the same stuff. It doesn't mean that it ends up being anywhere close to that long.

You should be giving them a watchable version of 2 hours or less, then simply dump the raw footage onto a couple of DVD's for those that want to see it.

lynn1102 wrote on 3/9/2010, 6:00 PM

Part of my contract stated the the final video would take 4 to 6 weeks to complete. I made it MOST of the time, and if I came in early, I was a hero.
My final was about 90 minutes and very seldom got up to 2 hours. I eventually got it down to an hour and never had a complaint.
It does sound like you're including a lot of things that aren't necessary. By the time the bride gets the video, she won't remember half of what went down that day.
Receptions seem to be the biggest time waster. If you're giving them an hour of dancing, cut it down to the first dance, father/daughter, groom/mother and 10 minutes of regular dancing. That's usually more than enough. Most brides are going to fast forward thru that stuff anyway. At mentioned before, if your adding titles to every segment, do you really need them.

With all the detail you're adding, I'm surprised you getting it down as fast as you are. Sure hope you're getting paid enough to make up for it. Don't forget to charge extra for the ulcer you are going to get.

Lynn

Lynn

L8R wrote on 3/9/2010, 6:05 PM

lol... Lynn.
You mean I can get paid doing this? Lol... Joking of course.
According to my wife I'm getting ripped off.

Ok, Ok.... I'll cut it down.
I just know that I've tried it twice and it came back and bit me in the ass.
But I will cut back.

DGates wrote on 3/9/2010, 6:17 PM

You ARE getting ripped off. AND you're burning out quickly. Not a good combination.

Serena wrote on 3/9/2010, 7:28 PM

When Spot talks about shooting weddings the timescale in his neck-of-the-woods requires the wedding video to be shown at the reception. That really does require programmed work! Thank heavens I don't have to do it.
I've shot a few and done post on more, and I believe they require your best (but not uneconomical) effort. A wedding is a once-only-day-of-magic (ignore the divorce stats) and a video should aim to represent that. So basically, a difficult job. Made easier because you, if not they, have gone through it all many times and you know which bits and techniques lend the magic. It's a formulaic ceremony and there's nothing wrong with you working to a formula; indeed you are chosen because they like your style. I don't believe people want to relive the whole day. Not the hissy fit when the flowers were late. They want to be reminded of how lovely it was and who was there. When they return from the honeymoon it's good for them to have a trailer to watch, and the full production some known weeks later. Cut the boring stuff. Would their aunt Flo want to watch it all? No? Cut until it can maintain her interest.

edit: "Ok, Ok.... I'll cut it down.
I just know that I've tried it twice and it came back and bit me in the ass."

OK, what happened? Did you cut a drunk uncle?

BudWzr wrote on 3/9/2010, 8:22 PM

The wedding video is obligatory, one of those things that you just do because everyone else is doing one.

Most everyone receiving the DVD has been to the actual wedding and if there's nothing funny or embarrassing in it, they'll just file it with the other "memories" in the box full of unwatched vacation videos.

And if it DOES have something funny or embarrassing you probably won't get paid, so it's a "catch-22".

The relatives in Slovania that couldn't make it to the wedding probably don't have a DVD player and will want a VHS tape.

No matter what you do, some people will complain it's too fast, it's too slow, you missed something, the kids weren't shown, the kids WERE shown, it's too long, it's too short, the music is too loud......

Templates allow you to say "That's what you ordered, it was clearly defined in the contract", and get PAID.