Find The Perfect Videographer Using These 5 Questions
You want to hire a videographer. But how do you choose? What do you look for? We’ll I got your back. Here are 5 questions to ask your videographer to see if they are the right fit for you.
1 - Tell me about a time when the wedding did not go as scheduled?
What this question reveals:
Ability to work and deliver under pressure
Their experience
You want to take note of how they respond to the situation in the story. They’ll never paint themselves as the source the problem, so you need to see how far they went to ensure they got the necessary shots to make the video special. Did they come up with alternate shots or did they simply count it as a loss and relieve themselves of the responsibility. You want to see how far the videographer will go on your behalf to make your day special when things are going wrong.
2 - Describe your video style
What this question reveals:
Whether or not their style matches your own
Whether or not they follow a generic format or they approach each wedding uniquely
Pay attention! This is something you may not be aware of and it may have significant impact to the final product of your video. Typically, large videography companies or videographers that have been in business for a while often follow patterns. This allows them to work faster and create a consistent look across all their projects. The downside is that your video will blend in with all the videos they produce. There won’t be anything unique about your video unless your event is out of the ordinary which might require the videographer to adapt their style. If uniqueness is important to you or you want something that matches your aesthetic, look for a videographer that either has a style matches what you want or look for one that treats each project uniquely. Do your homework! Look through the videos in the videographers portfolio and see if their videos vary.
3 - What I should expect from now leading up to delivery of the video
What this question reveals
The videographer’s work process
Details your, the customer’s, experience
Any additional requirements you may need to fulfill
This is a simple question that helps you understand how the videographer works. Do they wait for the last moment to deliver the product? Do they require a consultation to understand your needs? When do they expect payment. Do they need to collaborate with your planner or photographer? During your planning process it is good to understand what your videographer requires so you can plan appropriately and ensure things go smoothly
4- What’s the average your clients pay and what makes you worth it
What this question reveals
What you can expect to pay
The value of the service
This is a power question. Videographers should be able to give you the average price clients spend and if you did your homework you can compare the quality of their videos and what they quote you to get a sense of their worth. A big part of pricing is experience, which varies between videographers and cannot be seen in spreadsheets or quotes. You will need to ask for reviews from previous clients to get a sense of other couple’s experiences with the videographer. Having a good experience is priceless. Working with someone who won’t treat you and your partner like royalty will ruin the whole reason of having videos in the first place. Get specific with your questions. Ask why they should be chosen, or what makes them worth the price and see how they respond. The last thing to note is that depending on how the videographer’s packages are structured, your experience will vary. If you pay for a package that includes a private engagement session vs a package that only has day-of wedding coverage, then your encounter with the videographer would be different.
5 - What is your policy on handling discrepancies and revision
What this question reveals
What the revision policy is like
Sometimes videographers may omit something from the video that you were hoping to see or you didn’t like the song they chose. The idea is to understand what the revision policy is like and what constitutes revisions. What are you allowed to change? What creative input are you allowed to give? How much do revisions cost? Some videographers will make small changes for free like typos, or swapping out a scene. Others will charge for bigger changes like changing the song or swapping out multiple scenes. Creating a wedding film is an art and videographers are doing their best to blend their artistic view with your requirements and expectations. In the same way you hire a photographer because you like the way their pictures look and feel, you should find and hire a videographer that matches the look and feel you like.