Shared Moments Video

A little late, way too early

2010-07-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

I was trying to get all of my things together this morning for a meeting. Demo DVDs, package lists, contract, business cards, etc.

All the while I was kicking myself for not doing it last night. Running late, I raced out the door, drove to the designated coffee shop, pulled into the parking lot @ 9:01 a.m. for a 9 o'clock meeting.

Sweating, I look around the coffee shop for the prospective client. Didn't see her. I think, "Whew, she's running late." I grab a drink, sit down, get out all of my materials, boot up the laptop and wait... and wait... and wait.

9:15 a.m. - I wonder if she's forgotten about our appointment. It happens, I understand.

9:20 a.m. - I finish looking through my email to see if she sent a cancellation notice.

9:30 a.m. - Frustrated, I go back to the original emails where we set the date. Whoops.

As it turns out, all of that rushing around was for nothing. I was a little late to a meeting I was a week too early for. Oh well, at least I'm already prepared for next Saturday.

Keeping up

2010-05-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Be careful what you wish for.

Last year was tough for many businesses across the board. In the wedding industry, many couples rightfully cut back on expenses as their big day approached. 2009 was not terrible for Shared Moments Video, but it certainly wasn't great either.

Despite the down year, I made a significant investment in new HD cameras, a new computer, and new editing software. It was tough to swallow considering my perfectly-good, well maintained standard definition equipment was completely paid for. My SD cameras probably have two more full wedding seasons left in them. But technology has passed them by.

I was not about to be the last man standing with standard def gear. Upgrades were necessary to keep up with consumer demands - and they were costly.

So here we are in 2010, mid-May, and I am absolutely slammed. That's great news for the bottom line, not so great news for my life outside of business.

But given the alternative, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Latest project complete

2010-03-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

A client recently asked if I could put together "one of those videos where you edit pictures to music." His wife's 50th birthday was coming up and he wanted something nice to show at the party.

You mean, a montage? Sure. I do those.

He gave me 100 pictures, a few video clips, and a CD with a favorite U2 song. After a few instructions I was sent off to work my magic.

I showed him the finished video two days before the party and he ordered eight copies on DVD. He was very excited. He said I "far exceeded his expectations."

I just uploaded it to the website. Here's the link.

Most couples include photo montages with their wedding videos. Many include growing up pictures, their courtship, engagement photos. Others also include honeymoon pictures which make a nice addition to the end of a wedding video.

Photo montages also make a great gift for Mother's Day and Father's Day or a birthday for someone special in your life. It's a lasting memory that's sure to bring tears to their eyes.

Give me a call and I hope you give a great gift at an affordable price. 540-293-5979.

Busy, busy time of year

2010-03-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Is there a wedding planner guidebook out there that reads "between the weeks of March 1st through March 17th make sure to call and email Shared Moments Video"?

It sure seems that way. Thanks for your interest in SMV! I am returning emails and phone calls as quickly and thoroughly as possible. For those waiting for a demo DVD to arrive in the mail, the USPS is not posting a great batting average this year.

If you're on the fence about booking give me a call and let's talk about your wedding plans. We'll go over your options and discuss the best course for your wedding video. - 540.293.5979

Either way, don't wait to make a decision. 2010 dates are booking faster than any other year I've been in business. That's a great thing.

Pulling my hair out

2010-01-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

After spending two hours of a perfectly good Saturday (actually it snowed 10 inches at my house, but that doesn't make for a good story) making changes to my website I've had to spend another two hours this morning fixing those changes.

Why?

Because Windows' Internet Explorer continues to be a thorn in my side. I build my web pages on my Mac. So easy, so simple. Mozilla's Firefox browser has no problem reading the pages I build. The Mac fonts show up nicely.

Too bad I can't say the same thing for IE. Too bad so many people continue to use IE. It's a terrible browser. It offers no security. It can't read Mac fonts. It's junk. Seriously, if you're reading this from IE, make the switch to Firefox. It's free and only take a few seconds. You'll thank me for it.

Internet Explorer costs me time. Time I could be spending with my children. Time I could be spending shoveling my driveway.

If you notice anything weird about www.SharedMomentsVideo.com first try hitting the refresh button once or twice. For some reason the pages are not loading properly.

If that doesn't work, please send me an email ( info@sharedmomentsvideo.com ) and let me know what you're seeing. Tell me what page you're on and what browser you're using. I have been troubleshooting for hours now and I'm sure there are things I have missed.

I have spent too much time and effort building and rebuilding my site for some stupid bug to cause me to lose business.

Thanks in advance.

Looking forward to the 2010 wedding season

2010-01-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

The wedding season begins in a few weeks with various bridals shows in the Roanoke area.

I'm looking forward to getting out and meeting hundreds of brides, talking up my new services and showing off my new HD cameras.

In the meantime, I'll be busy producing demo DVDs and brochures to hand out to couples. Lots of work to get done.

Busy, busy.

Holiday crunch time

2009-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year? Yeah, right. Try being in the wedding video business!

I was blessed/cursed with lots of weddings this year and that means lots of editing. Naturally, couples want their wedding video to show family and friends around the holidays and I always do my very best to accommodate as many folks as I can. That means hours, upon hours, upon hours in front of the computer editing footage.

This year, in addition to being blessed with lots of work I've been cursed with six-weeks worth of sinus infections. That equates to 20-days on antibiotics, a truck-load of tissues, who knows how many Sudafeds and... I'll spare you the rest.

Anyway, the backlog of editing only intensified as my never-ending sickness never ended (and still hasn't). But I'm going to keep plugging away and keep my fingers crossed that everyone has a happy holiday (myself included).

Amy and Justin's Wedding

2009-11-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Finished up editing Amy and Justin's wedding. They had an outdoor ceremony and reception at Nesselrod on the New in Radford, VA. Beautiful wedding day at a beautiful venue. They're a blessed couple. Here's the video clip that plays in the opening menu of their wedding DVD.

My daughter turned 2 today!

2009-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Jennifer and Scott's Wedding

2009-11-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

As I've posted here numerous times, I am really nervous when I send out a finished video. By this point I really shouldn't be. Here are some nice words sent to me by a couple whose wedding I shot at The Homestead a few months ago.

The video is amazingly beautiful!!! We couldn't be more pleased with what you put together. Thank you for capturing our wedding so perfectly and allowing us to share our memories.....

Sincerely,

Jennifer and Scott

Here's a quick little edit from some of the footage of their beautiful day (despite the all of the bugs). BTW, I'm not really thrilled with the compression quality through blogger. Hopefully the clip I upload to the Shared Moments Video facebook page will have a higher resolution. Either way, enjoy.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-11-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

Has it really been a month since my last blog post? Wow.

Well, I've been busy. Really busy and the editing backlog is not shrinking as quickly as I'd like. Just finished up a wedding video from The Homestead and I'm currently working on a monster of a project from a wedding at Hotel Roanoke.

Wedding day + rehearsal coverage = 13 hours of raw video for one project. Yikes!

Not just weddings

2009-10-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many weddings I've produced videos for. Frankly, I don't feel like counting.

Shared Moments Video is a full event videography service too. We're not just weddings. I've produced a number of corporate videos, sporting events, and recently have tapped into the dance recital market. When one thinks of a dance recital, typically high school or children's programs come to mind. I'd be happy to capture those memories for you.

Colleges have recitals throughout the year, as well, and they are highly artistic. Here are a few clips I've edited from Radford University's Fall Dance Fest.

A big exhale...

2009-09-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

When I finish editing a wedding video and send off the DVDs to the couple I get a nervous feeling inside. It's obviously a figure of speech, but I do hold my breath until I get a reply. I typically don't solicit testimonials, but I do want to know if my couples are satisfied (hopefully they're ecstatic!).

The longer I have to wait for their response, the more nervous I get. Did they like it? Are they mad and don't want to confront me? Sometimes I'll send them an email about two weeks afterward to see if the package arrived. That usually prompts a quick response that they've watched the video and they love it.

Whew! What a relief.

I mailed off Alice and Joshua's DVDs not too long ago and they were fast to send me thanks. I thank them for that and for allowing me to provide their video service.

Bob, We received the videos and are very pleased with them. Thank you very much for the work that you put into them and for your patience. You're very talented at what you do and Alice and I are happy that you video taped our wedding. We will keep you in mind for any future events that we or our friends may have. Thank you again for a job well done.
~Joshua Beazley~

Wow! Looks like I'll be even busier in 2010

2009-09-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows what the economic situation is and what it's been over the past 12 months. My business not only survived, but thrived in '09. Still, after a slow start I sense it could have been better. Couples were tentative to book. Many did, others wanted to but ultimately did not.
Will they regret it down the road? Maybe so.
So far, couples getting married in 2010 seem to be more aggressive making sure they get their date locked in.
That's great.
I think it's a great sign that people are more optimistic about where the economy is heading. Not only are they optimistic, they're confident. They're also busy getting the best wedding vendors lined up and under contract well in advance of their date.
I'm confident too. I've made a significant investment in new HD equipment that is going to take Shared Moments Video to another level. 2010 will be here before we know it.
But first things first - there are still dates available for this Fall. Don't miss the opportunity.

Wrapping up a few edits

2009-08-29T10:14:00.001-07:00

I was blessed with a lot of work this spring and summer. With so many weddings to shoot comes a tremendous backlog of video to edit.
I recently wrapped up Meghan and Chad's DVD. They were married at The Homestead and their ceremony and reception were a lot of fun. I'll be upload video of their wedding soon.

As I type this, the video for Beth and Kyle's wedding is currently encoding. Their ceremony was outdoors at Maison Beliveau near Blacksburg. It was a very windy day, but everything came out great. I've uploaded the closing credits from their DVD. Hopefully the "aged film" filter comes out clean online. Trust me, it looks great on TV.

I really appreciate the patience my couples show in waiting for their video to be finished. I know it's tough. You want to see it and relive the day, but it takes A LOT of work to edit the video properly and I never rush through it for the sake of getting it out the door quickly.

That would be cheating you and selling my work short. To me, it's not worth it.

HD is near

2009-08-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to save a little bit of money, now is the time to book your 2010 wedding video.

I'm in the process of purchasing HD equipment. These are really good cameras and it's quite an investment. As such I'm going to have to raise my rates for the 2010 season.

Don't get me wrong. It's not like the prices are going to go through the roof, but I do have to adjust things.

But you can save by booking before the rate change. Anyone who does will receive the current 2009 pricing.

New additions to SMV site

2009-07-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Keeping up with social media is tough and time consuming. Seriously.

I wanted to add a few widgets and links to blogs on SharedMomentsVideo.com that would be helpful for brides.

After navigating through two dozen or so sites, I added three widgets and four links. Check them out here... www.sharedmomentsvideo.com/wedding_widgets.html

There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of web pages devoted to weddings on the internet. The power to sift through them all is what makes google the most amazing program on the web.

I make no apologizes

2009-07-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Before reading this post please know this - my first priority as your wedding videographer is to make sure I do the best job I can do for you and perform the task in a respectful manner. That's what you're paying me to do. And if that goes against the grain of the "lady who handles weddings at the church" so be it. A wedding is no time for power trips and "protecting our turf" attitudes. We only have one shot to get this right.

Now onto the post.

I shot a wedding recently in a church that will remain nameless. Said church had rules about what the videographer and photographer could do and where they could go. Those rules were not in line with the vast majority of churches I've worked in. In fact, the rules stifled any chance I had of getting decent footage of the bridal party coming down the aisle... you know, seeing the people's faces?

Taking into consideration the minister was less than thrilled to wear my wireless mic, I knew the guy wasn't a happy camper to begin with. It wasn't like he was a sunshine and lollipops kind of guy. Heck, he wasn't even warm and inviting. This is not what I'm used to dealing with.

To my knowledge there is no physical evidence that this minister has ever cracked a smile in his life. He clearly did not care about this couple's wishes. Whether or not their wedding video was worth watching wasn't his concern. No, his concern was that I stayed behind the imaginary line. Well, the imaginary line wasn't going to cut it. The imaginary line was the last row of pews the congregation was seated in. There were a lot of people and a lot of pews.

In the past three years I've shot lots of weddings. I follow the same procedure each time and it's NEVER been a problem before this ceremony. I'm so discreet, only the handful of people who can actually see me know where I am. Throwing caution to the wind, I did what I always do. I did what's deemed respectful in every other church I've been to.

The minister was not happy about this. Of course, he wasn't happy before I got the shots I needed either. And after the ceremony, he told me he wasn't happy. In fact, he scolded me and said if it happens again, NEXT TIME HE WILL STOP THE CEREMONY.

My response to him was "that would really be unfortunate for you to do that." He replied, "yes it would be." The minister later had words with the photographer who also "crossed the line." Again, the photographer did exactly what he's been doing for 30 years. And for 30 years it's never been a problem.

Maybe I'm missing something here. Isn't your wedding day supposed to be about you and your happiness? Isn't it supposed to be a joyous occasion where two lives become one and that comes before all else?

I think it is.

I think you'll want to remember it that way when you watch your video. Brides, you'll want to see the expression on your face as you come down the aisle and not the back of your head. Do you want to remember that moment as it was or the rules I had to follow? There's only a few ways to get that shot and none of them were acceptable to this minister. His words and actions were "that's just too bad." Yes, too bad indeed. Too bad for him.

I was as respectful as I could be and should have been. I would never do anything unreasonable in God's house. When you choose a videographer (and a photographer, for that matter) make sure you select someone who is willing to "cross the line" if need be.

Taking the heat from an overly protective minister is a small price to pay. Apologizing to you for not doing my job would be a far greater one.

More kind words...

2009-06-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

I have a testimonials page on my Shared Moments Video website, but it is a pain to update and publish. Those using blogs know how quick and easy it is to post something to the web...

So here is a nice note of thanks sent to me by a recent client who needed a photo montage completed in a short amount of time. We developed the concept and went from there. Everyone was pleased.

--- Good morning, Bob; just wanted to let you know that the "McGraw Montage" video was a huge success at last night's rehearsal picnic here at VMI in Lexington! Before an enthusiastic gathering of 75+ friends and relatives at Moody Hall, the video produced much laughter, applause and tears along with many smiles and cheers. The wedding couple, Bonnie and Bobby, and their families could not have been more surprised nor pleased with the results of our efforts to gather the materials combined with your artistic abilities to present them so well as is readily apparent in the video. ---

It's a lot of fun working with clients who know exactly what they want. It's equally as fun working with those who have a concept in mind, but don't really know how to communicate their ideas.

Of course, the fun is blowing away people's expectations!

Outdoor Weddings, Things to Consider

2009-06-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have a wedding shoot this afternoon, outdoors at Maison Beliveau near Blacksburg. I've never been there but I'm looking forward to it.

I'm a fan of outdoor weddings, in general - assuming the weather cooperates. My last outdoor shoot was at Valhalla Vineyards in Roanoke County. It's an excellent venue for a wedding under 100 guests. It's at the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain (I think) and offers stunning views... and lots of wind. Especially on the stormy day of May 9th. Thankfully the weather cooperated for just long enough that the ceremony went off without a hitch.

Obviously, when you decided on an outdoor wedding you're hoping the weather will cooperate. That's out of your hands. But there are some things you can control, such as the positioning of the bride and groom in relationship to the sun.

The sun offers great natural light that your photographer and videographer (hopefully me) will enjoy to work in. But if the bride and groom have the sun behind them (from the prospective of the guests) it will offer a terrible back lighting issue. Back lighting is big problem that most wedding coordinators do not take into consideration, but should.

First, if the sun is behind the couple, all of the guests will be squinting for the entire ceremony. As the couple, would you rather squint or have your entire group of invited family and friends?

Secondly, when the couple is overly back lit, the iris on the video camera has to open up to have proper exposure on the bride and groom. That will leave an over-exposed background that will be "blown out" or too bright. With the sun on your face, the iris can be turned down and the exposure will look good on everything in the shot.

Now, your photographer may not mind back lighting as much as me. They may say it looks great for certain shots where the couple is silhouetted. That effect is great for a few stills, but terrible for a full length wedding ceremony. Your photographer has the ability to move around and get all kinds of different shots - and they should. I can't move around without missing things. And you're not paying me to miss things.

Back lighting is also an issue at indoor ceremonies performed in front of, or near large windows. Again, natural light is great, but not when it's behind the bride and groom.

Welcome new couples

2009-06-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

I want to thank and welcome all of the client-couples who have booked their wedding videos in the last two weeks. A few booked months in advance (always a good idea), others I picked up just before the big day.

It goes to show that asking about availability, no matter how close to the wedding day, is better than assuming I'm booked. I've had several this season call for dates that were no longer available, but it's always fun to hear the excitement of landing a date the week of the wedding.

Thank you to all. Also, please let me know how you found out about me. That's always valuable information.

Best wishes.

What can I do for you?

2009-06-02T17:21:00.001-07:00

I want your input.

It occurs to me that the list of services I can provide stretches much farther than simply shooting beautiful video of your wedding day and doing an excellent job editing it.

What else do you need?

Do you want a website for your wedding day? I can cover that.

Want clips of your finished video encoded for posting on the web? I do that all the time.

Are you interested in shooting video taped thank you messages to send to your special guests? I offer that.

There has to be more I can do for you. I'm creative, but I'm sure there are things I haven't thought of that you would like. Keep in mind, my list of services is not complete if there's something you want that's not on it.

Send me an email with your thoughts... info@SharedMomentsVideo.com

A little help, please

2009-05-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

It would be so helpful for my client couples and perspective clients to share with me how they found Shared Moments Video.
If you own a business you know how many different ways there are to market it. There are also a number of sales reps trying to steer you to their ad product.
I have tried just about every vehicle a business my size can try. Some have worked, others not so much. This is information that is critical to future growth. And by "growth" I mean not throwing any money away needlessly on an ad that no one sees.
It's probably something you don't think about. Even telling me "google" isn't that much help. There's dozens of searches that bring you to my website.
Here's an idea. If you provide me with concrete information on how you found out about me - even if it's word of mouth - I'll give you an extra DVD of your final product.
And please, be specific. It would be very helpful.

Calendar's getting full

2009-05-17T17:37:00.001-07:00

I understand the hierarchy of wedding planning.
Book the church, reception venue, photographer, caterer, florist, limo, etc... all before deciding if there's enough money in the budget for video.
I'm not going to get into how I think your priorities should be weighted. My point with this post is timing. Typically I get a call six months before the date.
Sometimes that's plenty of lead time to book Shared Moments Video. Other times I receive three calls for the same date and there's a rush to see who will get their contract returned first (first come first served).
There's really no set time for booking other than "the earlier the better."
I was at a wedding recently when the mother of the bride called and booked the Tuesday before the big day. I've booked weddings over a year in advance.
As far as this season is going, apparently the economy is picking up because more couples are interested. The Fall is booking faster than this Spring did. Summer is surprisingly busy.
I still have openings, though, and would love to work with you. Give me a call and I'll send you demo.
If you've received the demo and want to book but are on the fence about which package to choose, go ahead and book something and we can always modify it later. Don't miss out because you waited too long.
In life, timing is everything.

New Video Added

2009-04-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

I have several facebook friends who have become "fans" of my Shared Moments Video page on FB. I plan to actively update the video clips here on the blog, my website, and on facebook.

If you have a blog or facebook page we can arrange to have your videos uploaded for all of your friends and family to see!

Here is the special recap I edited for Elise and Jason's wedding last summer. I used an aged-film effect to stylize the video. Their choice of music was Michael Peterson's "From Here to Eternity" and I think it worked really well.

Enjoy.

Apparently the video compression settings are not ideal for uploading through blogger and the video effect does not show well. Please understand the video on the finished DVD is crisp and looks great. For whatever reason it didn't translate here. You can still get a feel for the composition.

Social Media Here We Come...

2009-04-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

I just put the wraps on the initial shell of the Shared Moments Video page for facebook. I'll look to promote the heck out of it. We'll see what grows from the free platform and hopefully viral word of mouth campaign.

If you are on a social media site and want parts of your video converted for the web let me know. I'm working on offering sites for couples pre-and-post wedding and providing content to post on your blog or facebook/myspace page. Everyone gets to see your video and see my work at the same time!

New Look, New Services

2009-03-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you've visited SharedMomentsVideo.com before (prior to March 31st) then you may recognize the new look... new logo, new colors, more video clips. I hope you like the changes.

But the site's new look is not the only change I've made. Heretofore, I've "hand-edited" all of my photo montages. The custom results looked good, but took a lot of time to produce. I've recently upgraded the software and you'll be blown away by the new results... I've attached a photo montage of my new baby son, Cole.

If your wedding package includes a photo montage, yours will look great like this one. The price is still the same to add a montage... $2/jpg, $4/picture I have to scan. For example, if you provide a CD with 30 jpgs the price is $60.

For the facebook/myspace social media crowd (or anyone with a blog) I'll be offering to upload clips of the finished video to the web to post to those sites. If you have a youtube account, I'll send it there. Vimeo? Same deal. Want me to drop those video files onto a CD for you to upload? No sweat.

This way, you'll be able to email the clips to friends and family. Let's let as many people as possible see the video from your big day!

Pulling a Rabbit Out of My Hat

2009-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Through video editing I can be a bit of a magician. Hocus Pocus, things magically appear.

Editing also always me to operate a time machine. A few buttons pushed and it's as if it never happened.

I recently finished a video for a bride who was not happy with the minister's performance during the ceremony. She literally had to tell him what to say - as the ceremony was happening!

Needless to say, she did not want to relive that each time she watched her DVD. I told her I'd hop in my time machine and erase it from history. It sounded like I was being sarcastic, but I meant it.

A few trims of the raw video, a couple of audio edits... and presto! No one who watches the video would ever know the minister was ill-prepared.

There are many reasons to hire a professional photographer and a professional videographer for your wedding. The ability to fix the past is a good one.

Here's the note of thanks I received for my Houdini-like editing...

Bob,
It was out of sight. Unbelievable and definitely one of a kind. Thanks so much for your hard work. We were so glad with the finished product and loved watching it on Valentine's Day. It was the perfect gift.

I love the "well wishes" (cute surprise) and the final credits in black and white. You reached way down deep in your magician hat and we thank you.

Shayla & Andrae'

Looking ahead, looking behind

2009-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to my next wedding.

All ceremonies and receptions are special, but weddings at The Homestead are exceptional. The staff and vendors always step up their game to ensure the couple and their guests are well taken care of.

I'm also looking forward to putting a wrap on my final wedding to edit from 2008. That too was at The Homestead and very special for reasons I can't mention here. The video we captured looks fantastic. The finished product will be too.

It's almost there.

Kind Words

2009-02-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

My goal for each video is to surpass my couple's expectations.

After dropping off Alexandra and Jon's DVDs I followed up with an email to see if they enjoyed the video. Here's her response...

"Yes we did Bob thank you so much. It was more than I could ask for. It was great to see everything since it seemed to go by so fast and there were some hilarious moments between our family and friends! Thank you again."

The time to book is now

2009-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

As February approaches, my phone is starting to ring... a lot. Brides are looking for information, a demo, and to see if I'm booked on their date.

Too often video is the last thing on their list after spending their budget on other things. All of the details of a wedding are important and it's an expensive investment. So look at video (and photography for that matter) as the return on your investment.

Once the wedding day arrives, it is going to fly by. There is no way for couples to enjoy and reap the benefit of their time and effort that went into planning and preparing.

A wedding video is an archive of your lives on that day. Every client writes about how much they had forgotten or never saw at their wedding, but were able to enjoy it again because of the video I produced for them.

My motto is "A Wedding Video is an Heirloom". And it is true. Don't do all the work of setting up the perfect day and not take the final step and make sure the day is preserved by video.

One down, two more to go

2009-01-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

I just finished Alexandra and Jonathan's wedding video. It looks great and they were fantastic to work with.

Just two more weddings from November to finish and that puts a wrap on 2008 videos.

Thank you to everyone for making the year great.

Playing Catch-up

2009-01-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

Will I ever get "caught up" on all of the editing I need to finish? Probably not. I refuse to put the pedal to the metal and speed through the weddings I need to edit just to get them done and out the door.

These videos are too important to the couples and to me.

Prospective clients always ask, "how long will it take to get our video after the wedding?" That's a question that's hard to answer. Shared Moments Video is my business, but it's not my profession. I try to edit at least 2-3 hours a day. A good rule of thumb for wedding video editing is: it takes at least 3 hours of editing for every hour I'm with you on your wedding day.

There are other variables to consider:

#1 Couples need to provide the music for their videos. Sometimes that task takes months and in a few cases over a year. It's always a good idea to decide on your music before the wedding.
#2 Many couples want to include a growing up photo montage. Again, this requires the couple to provide me with the pictures in a timely manner.
#3 What month of the year are you getting married? I typically edit the videos in the order they are shot. That said, if your wedding is at the end of August and I shot 10 weddings in the three months leading up to it, chances are it's going to take more than three months.

Please know, my greatest desire in serving couples is to exceed their expectations. Keeping their expectations tempered on the expedience of my editing is, in some regard, a trying task.

But my greatest rewards are the emails I receive in the moments just after the couples see their video for the first time...notes of gratitude.

With that said, it's time to get back to work.

New Year, New Ways to Serve Clients

2009-01-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone.

Thanks for checking out the blog for Shared Moments Video.

Blogging itself is a new application for SMV. The plan is to update everyone on the editing progress of their projects and post clips on the web.

I have many new ideas to roll out in '09 and can't wait to share them with.