Affordable New England Wedding Videography


	Harborview Video

			Affordable Videography Services & Video Production in greater New England



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About Me: HarborView Video was started in 2008 offering affordable wedding videography in the greater New England area. What started out many years ago as a hobby has turned into the second-career of my dreams, allowing me to share my passion for videography with couples looking to capture the biggest day of their lives. I pride myself on producing high quality videos and am unobtrusive. I typically blend in with the background as to not interrupt the festivities and I am a very flexible person to work with. Should we have our wedding recorded on video? If you feel your wedding is a significant event in your life and you would like to share it with friends and relatives who weren't there (perhaps even future descendants), or maybe watch every year on your anniversary, a video DVD is the best choice. A video DVD can record character, personality and emotion in a way that still photos simply can't. At a recent wedding fair, a presenter said: "I am holding two boxes. One contains your great-grandparents' wedding photos, and the other contains their wedding video. You can open only one. Which do you choose?" The audience choice was unanimous, everyone chose the video. Unlike videotapes, the industry expects DVD’s to have an infinite shelf life. I have a friend or relative who said they will video our wedding... This is a common regret we have heard about many times. This method almost always ends up being very shaky, often un-watchable video. Audio is another issue, without wireless microphones and pro-audio equipment, your vows may not have good quality. Besides, you invited your friends and relatives to celebrate with you. I am nervous that the video cameras may annoy guests and ruin the atmosphere. That depends. There are a wide range of video cameras, and video camera operators. Believe it or not, it is very possible to have a videographer unobtrusive enough so that guests do not realize he is there. I am not an “in-your-face” videographer and typically only “interview” guests at your request. Today’s pro cameras can now achieve amazing results in low light conditions, however, if the room is dimly lit, additional lighting will be used for best results. I also use a tripod as much as possible. Using a tripod assures minimal camera shake. The video camera I use, the Sony DCR-VX2100 is small, unobtrusive and is a hand held unit not shoulder mounted. Does the groom need to wear a microphone? I highly recommend to all couples to have the groom wear our wireless lapel microphone. This is about the size of a small Ipod and slips into the inside of the grooms tux pocket. It has a tiny microphone that attaches to the lapel of the tux jacket. It is very unobtrusive and only required during the ceremony. It is easily added and removed in just a few seconds. This setup will assure crisp and clear audio during your ceremony. What is the average cost of a wedding videographer? Wondering how much wedding videographers cost in your area? Check this website, it has a great tool for finding average costs of wedding videographers AND most other wedding vendors. www.costofwedding.com What should we look for in a wedding videographer? This is best answered by the experts. Below are links to 2 great articles, If after you read these articles you find you must meet all the criteria, you will probably spend $1500-$3000 for your wedding videography. 1) Click Here for a great article written by Jack Wolcott, Jack is the author of two books and many articles, and has been a contributor to Wedding and Event Videography magazine. He has lectured on various aspects of the video profession at Videomaker Magazine seminars. Jack is a Senior Member of Actors Equity Association (on Honorable Withdrawal) and is an active member and (once again) Chairman of PEVAN, the Professional Event Videographers Association North West. He is a founding member of the 4EVER Group videographer's Network. 2) Click Here for the article Wedding Videography Getting Started from theknot.com. How do I decide between an unedited DVD or an edited DVD? What really is the difference? Basically, an unedited DVD is everything captured on film is transferred to DVD. While this gives the most video to watch, there can be some downsides. Think of how much wasted film there must have been when they made your favorite movie! Since I don’t have a director to yell “Cut” at your wedding, there could be shots that would be considered unnecessary or unwanted, like the cameraman moving to change filming angles and things of that nature. The upside of an unedited DVD is that there is minimal post production work to be done and therefore less expensive. A great question to ask yourself is “how many times could you sit and watch your friends 3 hour wedding DVD?” This is the best choice for the budget-minded couples, and remember, there is nothing in the rule book that says you could not “someday” have the DVD edited, this is where I pitch the holiday/birthday/anniversary gift idea! The edited DVD is a shorter, typically 55-65 minutes, DVD with background music (you may choose if you like) and smooth transitions. Post production is very time consuming and can easily take 15-20 hours to edit 3 hours worth of video. When I am asked straight out “which do you recommend?”, my answer is simple, if you can swing the extra cost you will be happier with the edited version in the long run. How long do you stay at the reception? The Gold Package comes with no actual time limit. I will film your complete ceremony followed by the reception and consider the "end" when the bride & groom has danced their final dance and/or the DJ/Band has finished. The Silver Package has an 8 hour time limit while the Bronze Package has a 6 hour coverage limit and was designed for those couples on a very strict budget and would be good choice for a "short" wedding day. The 8 & 6 hour Packages begins at the starting time of the ceremony. How long are the Raw DVD's: Both the Gold & Silver Packages raw footage is typically 3-4 hours, while the Bronze Package may run shorter at 2-4 hours. Standard DVD's contain about 60 minutes, so a 4 hour raw shoot would result in a 4 DVD set. How much is the retainer/deposit? The retainer/deposit is 25% and is required to secure your date. Do you have any samples online? Sample clips are available on the Samples page. When & how will I pay? .A 25% deposit is due at booking to secure your date. The balance is due on or prior to your wedding date. Paying in full on or prior to your wedding day will allow me to simply drop your DVD's in the mail. I accept cash, checks, and credit card payments are available through Paypal. What if I have to cancel, or you cancel? I will refund the retainer/deposit if you cancel not less than 30 days from your event. I have yet to ever have to cancel a shoot from our end, but in the event this happens and I can't find a replacement for you, you will be refunded 100%. I can not be held liable or responsible should I need to cancel. Examples of reasons I may need to cancel are catastrophic health issue, acts of war, acts of god, alien invasions from another planet, you get the idea. Why do we need an agreement? The most important document that I give you is your agreement. The agreement shouldn’t be intimidating, it’s merely a document that states what to expect from us in return for payment that is expected from you. Be very weary of anyone trying to sell you a wedding video without thoroughly explaining the agreement to you. It’s you’re right to ask questions so don’t be shy. If there is no mention of an agreement or if someone says that you don’t need one . . . run! This is your one and only wedding day . . . make sure that you’re comfortable with the videographer that you’ve chosen. Can I view your agreement online? Yes, Click Here to view our agreement. What equipment do you use? My primary camera is the Sony DCR-VX2100 3 Chip Pro Camera. This is a fabulous camera for wedding videography. Lighting if required is provided by a Sony on-camera light. Audio is recorded using an Azden camera mounted “shotgun” microphone and a Sennheiser wireless lapel microphone. Backup cameras: Canon ZR-950 6MM MinDV Camera & Sharp V L-AH50U 8MM Camera. DVD’s edited with the latest in non-linear (editing done digitally) software and delivered on DVD+R media. Where will you be filming from at the ceremony? One of the most important questions! Many churches will not allow, or limit, videographer's and/or photographers on or around the altar. This is a very important question to ask of your celebrant, and is solely your responsibility, I am not responsible for this problem. I will do my best if I can not get "up and close". What will you be wearing? I am flexible in this area. I would like to avoid the suit and tie, and would never show up in jeans and sneakers. My preferred attire is “dress-casual”. Please do not be shy if there is something in particular you would like me to wear/not wear. I have often been referred to as “the guest who was taking pictures”. Do we feed you? This is entirely up to you. I often refer to a quote from an article in Wedding and Event Videography magazine: “ Make sure you and your videographer's agree on eating arrangements. videographer's usually work eight to ten hours on the day of a wedding. They need to eat if they are to do their best work. Try to arrange that they eat in the same room as the guests, so they can keep an eye on what is going on and be ready to capture events on tape at a moment's notice. Many couples suggest that the videographer's go through the buffet line. However, for a sit-down dinner, where meal costs skyrocket, it's appropriate to provide sandwiches and coffee. You may even decide that the videographer's should provide their own meal. In this case, make sure everyone understands where they are to eat, since you probably don't want a brown bag lunch and can of soda at one of your guest tables. Remember, it's your wedding, and you're paying for the videographer. Whatever you decide will be fine, so long as the videographer knows in advance what to expect.” When will I receive the DVD? I commit to 4 weeks to complete your DVD’s, yet strive to do it in 2 weeks. I understand you are eager and excited to watch your big day for the first time, and it's important to me to get this to you as fast as possible. If you are going away on a 2 week or more honeymoon, I will try to have the DVD’s in your mailbox when you return. (Provided full payment has been made). If your package includes (and you decide to have) a photo montage, bridal party listing, honeymoon slideshow or any other “extras’, please try and submit them prior to your wedding day. These are typically the items that can slow down production. How Do I get My DVD? When your DVD is ready, I will contact you and you can choose between picking up your DVD, or mail. I noticed you have no phone number or address on your web site, why? All clients (and prospective clients) will receive my home phone & cell phone as well as my address. The decision to not display them on the web site was based on my skepticism of internet security issues and web “crawlers” that extract such information then fill mailbox’s and answering machine’s with junk mail and telemarketing messages. My question is not answered here. Please feel free to use our Contact Us page for any additional questions. Clients are provided with my cell number which makes me available 24/7.

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