The All-in-One Promise

“It slices! It dices! It grates! It will even julienne french fries.” Somewhere along the way, on TV or at a trade show, we’ve all heard a salesman promise their tool can replace every other tool in your kitchen. Yet, when you get home, you discover that while the gadget will do all of the tasks on the list, it doesn’t slice as well as the knife, dice as well as the foot processor, grate as well as the grater or julienne the fries the way you like them.  Believe it or not, some photographers will try to tell you they can do it all, too.  They’ll tell you that you don’t actually need a wedding videographer!

Regardless of the size of your wedding budget, it’s hard to fit everything you want into what you can afford to spend.  When a photographer says they can put a single package together to replace multiple  vendors and do so at an attractive price, it’s tempting to cut corners.  When they tell you they can provide a video along with their other services, here are some things to consider.

Length of the Finished Video

When a photographer tells you they can be your videographer, too, ask them the length of the finished video.  You may discover your “video” isn’t a video after all.

Highlight videos to share online with family and friends are quite popular, but that’s not the same thing as a professionally-produced full-length wedding video.  We include a highlight video as part of our packages and you can choose from several styles, but sometimes highlight videos are merely a slideshow created from a series of photos. The primary differences in videography and photography are movement and sound, as in photography doesn’t have any.  Sharing the action is more fun when there is actually action.  So when your photographer tells you the length of his finished video, you’ll know that anything shorter than a full length Hollywood movie might not even be a video.

Type of Camera

When it comes to cameras, photographers usually shoot video with a DSLR, a digital single-lens reflex camera.  The videos from these devices are great, but there’s one drawback.  They only have 29 minutes of recording time and then they shut off – automatically.  What if that 30th minute is when you say I do?

Sometimes photographers will try to cover up the shortcoming by suggesting that no one has time to watch a full length video and they can capture the highlights with their camera.  The problem is most highlights don’t come with a warning signal.  Those moments are the spontaneous, unexpected treasures a dedicated videographer will capture, because their camera keeps on rolling for hours and hours.  Then we choose the best moments to include in your video and add scene selection so you can watch as little or as much as you want to at any given time.

The Unmanned Videocamera

The most expensive thing about videography is the videographer.  Some photographers overcome the shortcomings of a DSLR by actually setting up a videocamera, but most leave it running without anyone to monitor it while they photograph the wedding.  While this brings movement and sound to the video, the resulting video will be stale when compared with a video actively recorded by a professional videographer and the sound will not have the quality of ours.

When our videographer is recording he’s using all the features of the camera to follow the action, get wide shots and then adjust the videocamera for close-ups.  The stationary camera is going to get the action, but only from one focal point, so there is no variety to make it interesting.  A dedicated videographer can also monitor several audio tracks.  We put wireless mics on key players, bring wireless hand mics in case they are needed and can plug directly into the venue’s sound system, all while the videocamera is picking up the ambient sound.  Then we mix it with the video to feature natural sounding audio for your video.  It makes a huge difference in your enjoyment of your wedding video.

Some Do It Right

While many photographers take shortcuts to provide videos at a reduced price, there are actually photographers who do it right.  They use a real videocamera and they hire videographers to do the recording.  They’ll cost more than the ones we’ve been describing, but you’ll be happier with the finished product.  We just happen to think you’ll be happiest with LeniCam Video Productions as your wedding videographer.  Call us and let’s discuss your wedding.  We’ll find a way for you to afford what you really want, a full-length, professionally-edited wedding video customized to your specifications.

A wedding day is one of the most important milestones in life.  A wedding video captures the sights and sounds of the day.  It’s one of the few things you can buy for your wedding that will be a part of your life after the festivities are over.  It’s true value increases with time.

Planning Ahead

Most of the brides we met at the recent bridal shows were just beginning their wedding planning.  Many were still unsure of their exact date or venue.  The July 2015 bridal shows seemed to primarily attract women who were planning a wedding in May of 2016.  When we asked if they’d booked their videographer, we could tell most of the brides-to-be hadn’t given videography a passing thought – and who can blame them with so many details demanding their attention.

We understand the urgency of finding the right venue and the perfect dress.  In fact, because we’ve been capturing weddings for twelve years, we may understand it more than most.  That’s why we urge you to keep vidoegraphy in your budget.

Every Decision is Critical

Because a wedding is such an important milestone, every decision concerning the event seems monumental.  To make it even more challenging, every item associated with weddings seems prohibitively expensive and everything comes with added costs brides haven’t included in their budget. so most brides go over their budget.  Just Google “Overbudget Bride” and you’ll see the result.  Here’s recent article from Bride’s magazine which discusses this common problem.

At the same time, our media rich society is focused on urging brides to spend more.  Television channels air shows like Four Weddings and Say Yes to the Dress.  Social sites such as Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feed the frenzy.  Wedding Wire and the other wedding specific sites clamor for a bride’s billfold.  It’s almost as if they are telling you that you can buy happiness.

That’s how videography ends up getting cut out of the budget.  Most brides want a full length wedding video to commemorate their special day, but many end up settling for a slideshow from their photographer or a brief highlights video.  We love wedding photography and include the popular highlights film in our packages, but nothing can replace a full-length professionally-produced wedding video and the longer you’re married the more value the video has.

Choose Wisely

The real purpose of a wedding is to initiate a new journey with the love of your life.  It’s not a destination in and of itself.  That’s why wedding videography is such a smart choice.  The cake will spoil, the dress will go out of style and the favors will be forgotten, but if you have a wedding video, the value of each dollar spent is multiplied over time.

“It went by so quickly!”  That’s what every couple tells us.  They spent months and years planning the perfect event and the day is such a whirlwind, they can’t recall most of it.  A full-length, professionally-produced wedding video restores their memories.  Photography delivers precious moments, but videography saves all the sights, sounds, and movement of your day, not only for the bride and groom, but for little people who weren’t even born yet and would like to hear mommy and daddy’s vows or see them dancing together some day in the future.

Book Now

Don’t let videography get squeezed out of your wedding budget.  Call us today and book your wedding date.  In the days and weeks after your wedding you’ll be glad you did, but in the years and decades to come, you’ll be even happier.

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.

In the Twentieth Anniversary Issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, Editorial Director, Darcy Miller, points out a very important fact: “Film is forever.” She goes on to explain, “while we love our gorgeous [wedding] photos, it’s fun to show our daughters the video – and we get to relive the day, too.”

That’s why we do what we do.  Photos capture a moment, a smile, a dress, but a video will allow you to relive your wedding over and over again – not just the sights of the day, but the sounds and the movement also.

In her “Spotlight on Lessons Learned” article, Ms. Miller, shared some other insights and though all of them were not specifically directed at videography, we think they help make the case for wedding videography.

• “Set aside a time to take photos after the ceremony.”  We agree with Ms. Miller.  Even if the bulk of your formal photography is taken care of before the ceremony, take time for some photography after the ceremony, because “That’s when you (and everyone else) will feel relaxed and excited,” Ms. Miller points out.  After twelve years of experience, we can tell you she’s right.  We always continue to record right through the post-ceremony photo sessions and that’s the part many of our couples enjoy the most.  Grooms who were nervous wrecks before the ceremony are suddenly ad libing jokes.  Nervous brides who couldn’t even smile thirty minutes ago, beam at the camera after the ceremony.
• “Stop and soak it in.”  This is really good advice, but like most advice it’s easier to give than to follow – especially on your wedding day.  There are so many people clamoring for attention then that stopping is one thing you can’t do.  If it’s not the officiant or the wedding coordinator barking orders at you, it’s sweet Aunt Adelaide coming to give you a hug.  Perhaps it would have been better if Ms. Miller said, “After you stop, then soak it in.”  A wedding video will allow you to do that.  At the wedding and in the days and weeks following, you will have more to do than you can get done.  That’s no problem if you’ve hired a wedding videographer.  While you go on your honeymoon and get settled into your new life, he’ll be working on your video.  When you look at at the video for the first time, that’s when you’ll stop and soak it in.
• “The early bird gets the stress-free celebration.” Booking your videographer early helps insure that you’ll get what you want.  The earlier we know that we’re filming your wedding, the better prepared we can be.  Different venues require different equipment.  When we’re booked early-on, you can catch us up with details all along, instead of having to try to remember to tell us everything in one desperate meeting.

Ms. Miller also says,” No one ever regrets hiring a videographer, and my friends who decided to skip it often tell me they wish they hadn’t.”  Don’t wait until it’s too late.  Capture your wedding on film and enjoy it forever.

LeniCam videographers interview groom at Ashton Gardens.

When is the Right Time to Book Your Videographer for Dallas Wedding?

We hear it a lot. “I really want a wedding video, but I’m waiting to see if I can afford it.”

We hear it a lot and it breaks our hearts.  Much too often we see  brides who delay booking videography and then discover they can’t afford it.  Sure, we hate losing a potential booking, but wedding videography is more than a business for us.  We see our work as an investment in the future.

Most of the things you spend money for on your wedding have a one day shelf life.  Of course, there are exceptions.  You’ll probably save the top of your wedding cake to eat on your first anniversary and some wedding dresses are handed down generation to generation, but most everything else is swept away; from expensive floral displays to notes played by the live band.  It’s all as ephemeral as bubbles and sparklers at the end of the day – unless you’ve got it all on video.

What the Experts Say

If wedding videography is something you want, then Martha Stewart suggests you put it in the budget from the beginning.  She suggests a full ten percent of your budget should be set aside for photography and videography.  She acknowledges that “discussing finances is like watching a love scene in a movie with your parents,” but it has to be done and it makes all the other uncomfortable discussions go a lot easier.

So once you’ve got it in the budget, when do you actually hire us?  Most specialist recommend 8-10 months before your wedding day.  Here’s a couple of experts we respect, but you’ll find that most others agree with these.

• The Knot Texas – “8-10 months before… Research and book your wedding professionals. Interview vendors: photographer, videographer, reception band or DJ, florist.”
• D Wedding – “Eight to 10 months before…Hire your photographer and videographer.”

Why So Soon?

Wedding Videography comes in all sizes, prices, technology and styles.  It may seem that there are plenty of videographers out there to choose from, but when you actually start comparing them to each other, you’ll find it’s a very different story.  When you take everything into consideration, there will be only a handful of videographers that actually fit your criteria.  The closer you get to your wedding day, the fewer videographers you’ll have to choose from, because other brides may have already booked your top choices.

Because there are so many videographers out there, it will take time to narrow down your list.  Then you won’t want to depend on highlight films and price lists posted on the internet.  A wedding video is more than a 60 second teaser.  You’ll want to know your videographer’s style, what’s included in the price they are quoting and if their equipment is even allowed in your venue.

If you’re planning a wedding, we’d like to talk to you.  We’ll sit down with you and ask questions about the details of your wedding and your budget.  We’ll show you the customization options you have and let you preview actual wedding videos we’ve produced.  Then you’ll know if LeniCam Video Productions is the right videographer for your wedding day.  We happen to think we just might be.  Call us now at 972-378-0446 for your appointment.

LeniCam Video Productions, Dallas Event Videographer, was founded in 2003, but our founder, John Lenihan recorded a wedding for the first time in 1977. The wedding was his own. Technology has changed a lot since then, but the intense desire to capture once-in-a-lifetime events to be enjoyed over and over is the same.

Wedding Videography

Weddings are where we started and we still do more wedding videos than any other kind, but we go to a lot more weddings than John could shoot himself. On any given weekend during wedding season our experienced Dallas Event Videographer teams go to multiple weddings, in pairs and alone – often to more than one wedding in a single day.

Our experience is important, but so is our equipment. We’ve custom-designed proprietary video cameras that allow us to get the shots other videographers can’t. We know the wedding venues in Dallas and the Metroplex, and our equipment allows us to shoot around their rules for videography equipment and camera-persons. Our remote control video cameras keep us in the background while we capture tight close-ups of wedding vows. Our hands-free lapel microphones pick up the important words of the day without requiring anyone to juggle a hand mic or be tied to a microphone stand. Our wheeled dollies can smoothly follow you across the dance floor and out to your waiting limousine. We’re ready for your wedding.

Sports Videography

You name the sport and we have the videos. Our sports clients range from High School Booster Clubs who hire us to create season videos of varsity football teams to individual players who want to send lacrosse highlight videos to prospective colleges. When it comes to sports, we’re not just fair-weather friends, either. We’re prepared to record, if you’re going to play, no matter what the Texas skies deliver.

As we have with weddings, we’ve also developed proprietary equipment that helps us out on the sidelines. After competing with soccer moms and football dads for a spot next to the field, we figured out a way to have our videographer on the ground, but our camera up above the spectators. That guy on the sidelines with the ski mask might be our Dallas Event Videographer using special glasses to monitor our video camera shots. The remote control allows him to direct the camera to follow the action.

Special Events Videography

Weddings aren’t the only special events we capture. We’re busy with special occasions of every variety. We cover school events from stage productions to banquets, personal events from bar mitzvahs to quinceaneras and recitals of every kind.

We’re very strong in recitals. We’ll be very glad to capture your little sweetheart on her special day, but we can do more than that. Many organizations in the area turn to us to create videos of their performances because we provide turnkey service. We record the footage, produce customized videos and distribute the finished product.

Corporate Videography

The business solutions videography offers are limitless, especially in this digital world. You need an app for that? We can help. Training, marketing, human resources, recruiting, documentation, verification, litigation, conferences? We’ve been there and we’ve done that. We can set up your scene, write your script, direct your participants, capture your footage and distribute your video. This Dallas Event Videographer does what we do, so you can stay focused on what you do.

Videography Synergy

What we’ve discovered by producing all these different types of videos is that we’re better in each and every type of videography, because of the lessons we’ve learned in the others. We’re better prepared to meet the needs of one client, because we’ve met the needs of others. For instance, the equipment we developed for the soccer sidelines recently solved a wedding venue conundrum – and that kind of synergy happens often.
Another benefit of our wide-reaching lenses is the inventory of equipment we are able to maintain. Our shelves are full of video, audio and photography equipment. We can produce DVDs, Blu-Ray, digital and live feed. Beyond just a wide variety of cameras and video cameras, we have lights, microphones, speakers, projectors, dollies, tripods and more. We also store your footage on our secure servers.

LeniCam Video Productions, an award-winning wedding videographer is the Dallas Event Videographer you can call for all your audio/visual needs. Call or email us today to discuss your project.