Check the Numbers for Wedding Videography Dallas

Five is better than one.

All wedding videography is not created equal.  Many of the decisions a bride has to make about her wedding day are completely subjective.  How does the dress fit?  Which cake tastes best?  Which venue is right?  But sometimes, looking at the numbers can make things clearer.  Here are some Wedding Videography Dallas numbers which could make your decision easier.

 One to One Ratio

Our ratio of videographers to videocameras is one to one.  That means every camera will have someone operating it.  This allows us to follow the action with a variety of focus ratios and as a result our finished product has a professional Hollywood-like feel to it.  Having an experienced videographer operating each camera also insures everything is operating correctly and no one has stepped in front of a camera blocking its field of vision.  Some videographers set up multiple cameras with only one operator to monitor all of them.  Should a camera malfunction, the operator may not even know it until the camera has already missed what it was set up to record.

Five Copies of Video

Your wedding videography package from LeniCam will include five uniquely customized copies of your entire wedding.  That means you’ll have one for yourselves and four others to give to  your in-laws, out-laws, grands and not-so-grands.  We’ll also post a copy of your highlight video online, so you can share it online with anyone.

Twelve Years Experience

LeniCam has been videographing weddings in the DFW Metroplex since 2003.  Wedding videography is a relatively easy business to enter.  Many wedding videographers get started with little more than a DSLR camera and a free website – but is that who you want to hire for your once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Unlimited Recording Time vs 29 Minutes

The equipment a videographer chooses dictates how long they can keep recording.  Some cameras will only record for twenty-nine minutes before they automatically shut off.  Since that thirtieth minute could be the most important moment of the day, LeniCam uses professional-grade HD videocameras, just like what is used in Hollywood movies.  That means we can keep the cameras rolling all day long and not miss any of the action.  The average wedding shoot is about seven hours and we have every minute of that seven hours in our cameras.  Then we take that raw footage back to our studios for editing and mixing, to create a full length DVD/BluRay disc you will enjoy for years to come.

These are just a few of the concrete reasons LeniCam Video Productions should be your wedding videographer.  Contact us today at info@lenicam.com or 972-378-0446 to discover more.

Color Wheel from www.iwantthat.co.za

Wedding Videography Dallas Sees Color Everywhere

White wedding dress, black tuxes and pastel bridesmaids dresses.  That’s the way it used to be!  But not anymore!

Out with the Old & In with the Bold!

Over the last century or so, white was the only color anyone wanted in a wedding dress.  Some say it started when Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress.  Others say it was sign of purity.  Whatever the reason, if you were getting married, you wore white.  Woe to the women who looked awful in white, because even stepping out in a shade of white other than ivory could put your reputation into jeopardy.

It’s taken a while, but nowadays, even though shades of white remain the most popular choice for brides, that white can be candlelight, champagne, blush or even silver, without so much as the blink of an eye.  Watching a few episodes of Say Yes to the Dress will assure you that color has come to the wedding aisle.  In fact, about the only hindrance to you having whatever color of gown you want is allowing your gown salon enough time to get the dress in the color you’ve requested.

Colors on Video

Whatever color you choose for your wedding dress, LeniCam heartily endorses your choice.  In fact, a pure white dress can be one of the hardest things for a videographer to capture effectively.  Bright sunlight or the flash of a camera can completely obliterate the details of a white satin dress, if the videographer doesn’t know how to properly adjust their cameras – but with twelve years of experience, you won’t run into that problem with us.  And guys can have the opposite problem.  Dark hair and skin in a black tuxedo in a dimly-lit room can obliterate facial features – another problem we overcome all the time.

Actually, we invite you to bring on the color.  We use professional grade HD videocameras – the same sort they use to film Hollywood movies.  Our cameras will capture color exactly, whether it’s the shade of white you’ve chosen for the bride’s gown or the tender shade of a flower in your bouquet.  The more color you use in your ceremony and reception, the more visually stimulating your video will be.

The Choices Are Endless

Now there’s only one problem with all of this color! How do you decide?

Take wedding rings for instance.  There was a time when a wedding band was gold – and gold meant yellow gold.  Then white gold became popular.  Before long, jewelers were offering an upgrade to platinum.  Now the choices are limitless – yellow gold, white gold and rose gold – but don’t stop there.  Look at this list of band metals from Robbins Brothers.

Bridesmaid dresses no longer have to be some washed out pastel that doesn’t look good on anyone and can never be worn again.  Take a gander at these choices on The Knot and you’ll see dresses long and short, strapless and sleeved that will enhance any wardrobe.

In fact, from wedding invitations to farewell confetti, there’s a rainbow of colors to choose from.  While you’re choosing colors, we’d like for you to choose us for your wedding video.  Call us at 972-378-0446 to set up an initial appointment.

When it comes to weddings, videography is still a new kid on the block.  Some wedding traditions have been around for thousands of years.  Though wedding videography can be traced to the earliest days of filmmaking, the wedding videography industry didn’t get started until the 1980’s when camcorders became available.

Back in 2006, Wedding & Event Videographers Association International (WEVA) announced a survey of brides.  They found out:

• “Ninety-eight percent of surveyed newlyweds recommended that brides have their weddings videotaped.”
• Only “a little more than half of surveyed brides considered wedding video a “Top 10” service in comparison to other wedding-related services. However, after the wedding, that number climbs to 75%.”
• “Of surveyed brides, 38% did not have their weddings videotaped by anyone – amateur or professional…Sixty-three percent of them now either somewhat or strongly recommend that future brides hire a professional videographer.”

Reaching Further Back

It seems as if people have always wanted to document weddings.  Historically, that has had a lot to do with political alliances and financial arrangements, so commemoration of a union often took the form of contracts and church records  Ironically, as the political and financial need for marriage has lessened and courtship has become more focused on the romantic side of things, people seem more interested than ever in weddings – and in capturing the details of the day.

There was a time when anyone who wanted to capture a wedding visually had to hire an artist to paint, etch or draw it.  Since most people didn’t have the financial means to do that, wedding portraiture was pretty much left to royalty and the wealthy, most of whom were royalty or some sort.  Then came the camera.  Over a relatively short period of time, photography went from obscurity to great accessibility.  Modern development of photography began in the 1800’s and by the 1950’s, even if you couldn’t afford a photographer for your big day, you probably knew somebody with a Brownie Hawkeye who could take a snapshot of you.

Fast forward to 2006, WEVA’s 2006 survey says, “Ninety-eight percent of brides surveyed used the services of a professional photographer compared to only 29% for professional video services.”  By 2014, Bride’s Magazine says, “If there’s one thing that wedding planners all agree on, it’s this: make sure you capture your big day on video.”  The bottom line is that wedding videography is catching up with wedding photography.  Furthermore, “As a nation, the U.S. watched, or started to watch, 38.2 billion videos in Q2 2014, that’s an increase of 43% year-on-year,” according to Adobe.  That’s market-ese for digital is overtaking all other forms of visual media.

Looking Forward

So think about those sepia-toned photos taken of your great (or great-great)grandparents.  Aren’t those quaint?  Would you consider sitting stone still for several minutes while a primitive camera captured a grim-faced photo of you.  The pictures had to be grim-faced, because no one could hold a smile for as long as it took for the picture to develop in the camera.

Twenty years ago, wedding albums were huge leather books with strategically arranged cut-outs into which professional photographers would slide your photos.  Now more than likely, a wedding album is a unique digital creation, not a fancy photo album with sterile blanks.

What do you think the future holds?  Twenty years from now will people hire photograhers for their wedding?  Will the videographer and the photographer be the same guy?  Is another technology just around the corner that will make both photography and videography obsolete?

Whatever the technology might be for capturing and recording events, if history is any indicator, weddings are here to stay.

Fort Worth’s Historic Thistle Hill Hosts Wedding with African Roots in Wedding Videography Dallas

Juliette and Umaru – African Traditions at the Historic Thistle Hill in Fort Worth

Umaru and Juliette’s wedding day was ten years in the making.  They met at graduation ceremony of one of Juliette’s nieces and over time, the casual introduction grew into love.  Juliette and Umaru were married at Thistle Hill, a beautiful historic home in Fort Worth.

Thistle Hill is a fitting venue for a wedding, because the lovely edifice was built as a wedding gift back in the early 1900’s.  The gorgeous home features a large stairwell in the front entry hall which served as the site of the wedding.  As guests entered the hall they were greeted by a tasty buffet of candies and offered seats in the entry hall.  The ceremony took place on the stairwell’s landing, in front of a colorful stained glass window.  The bride and groom with their attendants standing on the steps below them made a dramatic tableau.

Juliette was a lovely bride.  She wore a white satin ball gown with a strapless corset-style bodice.  The tulle overskirt was gathered into pick-ups.  A crystal tiara with matching necklace and earrings added sparkle to her look, along with very high heeled sandals covered in glitter.    She finished her ensemble with lace-covered fingerless gloves and carried a bouquet of white roses.  Her most beautiful accoutrement, by far, was her dazzling smile.

Juliette’s tulle veil with wide lace trim was worn over her face for the ceremony.  During the her vows, the bride kept her eyes demurely cast downwards until the last few promises. Then she looked at Umaru and the love in her eyes shown through the sheer fabric. To symbolize the joining of their lives the couple lit a unity candle.  After exchanging rings the officiant asked Umaru to kiss his bride’s hand, which he did very elegantly.  When he was able to lift the veil, he offered a more enthusiastic sign of his affection.

A lively reception with a buffet dinner was held on the lawn.  The couple danced into the gathering and onto the dance floor where guest showered them with money.  Many of the guests were wearing cultural costumes with elaborate turbans and colorful dresses.  The wedding cake was made to look like a white castle with turrets and was decorated with red and black emblems.  The groom’s cake resembled a soccer ball.  At the end of the evening the couple thanked everyone for sharing their day.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

This video features some beautiful close-ups of Juliette during her vows.  Because the ceremony took place on the tight stairwell, we had to use all kinds of ingenuity to get the shots.   Though we have a huge inventory of equipment to help us capture events, in this situation, technology wasn’t the answer.  Only our many years of experience allowed us to create this video.

First we carefully filmed through the banister as the couple moved from the bottom of the stairs to the top.  Then back in the studio we took extra care with our editing and mixing.  The result is a video which gives the viewer a better view of the ceremony than anyone attending the wedding enjoyed.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

LeniCam Video Productions – Wedding Videography Dallas

Melissa and Bryan – Wedding Videography Dallas

Ceremony and Reception at Prestonwood Baptist Church

Melissa and Bryan met at the training gym where they both work.  Shortly after they started dating, Bryan flipped through some pictures of Melissa and realized he was looking at the girl he wanted to marry.  Melissa and Bryan were joined in matrimony at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

The beautiful bride chose a strapless fit-and-flare gown decorated with a large floral bouquet appliquéd just above the spot where the gown flared out.  Highlighting her trim waist was a rhinestone belt and a cathedral-length tulle veil cascaded down her back.  The bridesmaids wore short, spaghetti-strapped dresses of sapphire blue.  All the bouquets were made of a variety of white flowers including hydrangeas and peonies.

Before the ceremony, Bryan got a peek at his bride at the romantic First Look.  There Melissa presented him with a heart-felt letter she’d written to him in honor of their marriage.  Karen Lim-Smith and Seranata Strings, a favorite of ours, entertained the guests in the chapel and as the ceremony began, chimes pealed out.  The stage of the chapel was decorated with large wrought iron candlesticks holding column candles.

As Bryan and Melissa posed for pictures after the ceremony, the groom admitted that his back was hurting.  The bride replied, “I don’t even want to hear it.  Four inch heels!”  The high heels didn’t stop the couple from enjoying their First Dance together as man and wife at the reception.

The wedding cake was a beautiful five tiered tower of iridescent white icing.  The cake was trimmed with green hydrangeas and white peonies.  The chocolate groom’s cake was a tribute to Texas A&M, as was the bride’s garter which was trimmed in maroon.  As their marriage celebration drew to a close, the couple made their escape through a shower of white rose petals to the white Mustang convertible which waited for them.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

When you watch a Hollywood movie, one of the reasons you are able to feel as if you are actually inside the scenes are  the multiple camera angles, which allow you to see things from several vantage points.  As you watch Melissa and Bryan’s wedding video, you have the same sensation.  That’s because we had two professional grade HD videocameras at the wedding and these cameras have a wide range of zoom capabilities.

One of the cameras is actually a custom-designed, proprietary, remote-control camera on a tripod which we developed specifically for weddings.  With it we are able to get tight close-ups of the bride during the vows, but there is no cameraman at the front of the church distracting the audience away from the couple.  Prestonwood is one of many venues in Dallas which do not allow a videographer at the front of the church, so we are actually the only videographers who could get this shot.

We’re also sound specialists, so we came to the wedding with several types of microphones and with the ability to directly record audio feeds.  That’s why diverse sounds, like the chimes, the live musicians and the bride and groom all come through crystal clear on the video.

Capturing the sights and sounds of Melissa and Bryan’s wedding day was just the beginning of the creation process.  Then we went back to our studio to edit and mix the audio and video footage over the next few weeks.  After we created the demo tape we invited the bride and groom to make any edits they wanted to.  The final product was a full-length video which includes their whole wedding, not just excerpts like this highlight video.

When we first talked to the bride and groom, they were hesitant to have us film their very short reception,  but after seeing the video, they said that having us at the reception was one of the best decisions they made for their wedding day.

 We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

LeniCam Video Productions – Wedding Videography Dallas