Jeff | Improve My Wedding Video

Episode #55: Interview with Ben Wilke of Deep End Films

November 17, 2011 By Jeff 1 Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:58 — 28.6MB)

In this episode, I interview Ben Wilke of Deep End Films, which is based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He shares his insights and experiences of how he’s grown his business over the year.

I had a great time talking with Ben and hearing his story of how he started, the ways he uses social media to market and where his business is going in the future. I think you’ll learn a lot as you listen to this episode.

Here is Ben’s bio:

Owner Operator of Deep End Films for the past 4 years
Married up to one beautiful Dr. Wife Annie.
One Child: Daughter Lillian the best things that ever happened to me
Work out of Grand Rapids Michigan
Business was been wedding wire rated ’10,’11,’12 Best of The Knot ’10, ’11, and Soon to be ’12. Nominated for Business of the year WMWA (West Michigan Wedding Association) ’10,’11.
Hobbies include Stand Up Comedy, & Improv

Deep End Films Info:

www.deependfilms.com
Twitter @Deep_End_Films
FB www.facebook/deependfilms
Vimeo Page so you can see some of our work: VIMEO portfolios

Filed Under: podcast

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #54: Two common problems when filming an outdoor wedding

October 27, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:39 — 15.5MB)

I’ve filmed a lot of outdoor weddings, but I just experienced one of the windiest weddings I’ve ever been to. It was so windy, that it was hard for the audience to hear. In this episode, I’ll share some common problems when shooting an outdoor wedding. From getting blinded by the sun while shooting a wedding ceremony, to how to get the best audio outdoors. I’ll share my thoughts on what to do to get the best result at an outdoor wedding shoot. You’ll have the bride and groom extremely happy with your end product…all because you listened to this podcast on wedding video tips and tricks!

Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: audio, outdoor wedding, sun, wind

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #53: How to book more wedding videos

October 20, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:17 — 14.2MB)

How do you increase your bookings? How do you market and advertise your wedding video services? In this episode, I’ll share some ways you can book more wedding videos and get increased exposure. By using these simple methods you’ll be able to get more people to meet with you and book you. Do you just rely on word of mouth or your demo reel or are you actively seeking new methods?

What are your favorite ways to get more brides to book your wedding video services? Share some ways you are getting the word out about your business.

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: booking, contracts, marketing

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #52: Interview with Ian’s Creations

October 6, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:47 — 31.1MB)

Improve My Wedding Video interview of Ian's Creations

In this episode, I interview Ian Atkins of IansCreations.com. He shares how he got started and how he manages his wedding videos. I think you’ll find his perspective interesting and he has some good points.

Ian’s bio: Ian began working in the video production business over 10 years ago by starting with a local news station in Charlottesville, Va. He later joined and soon managed a small video production company. Currently, Ian has his own small business, Ian’s Creations.com. His work experience includes video production of sporting events, corporate videos, weddings, parties, plays, legal depositions, short films, university lectures, historical documentaries, feature films, and more. He has produced over 150 professional wedding videos for couples from all over the world. Ian also creates full color murals for homes and businesses and continues to draw caricature portraits on a commission basis and also at events including private parties, county fairs, and corporate events.

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: Ian's Creations, interview

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Episode #51: How to film a wedding with 2 video cameras

September 22, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:32 — 18.1MB)

There are a lot of ways to film a wedding ceremony with two cameras. In this episode, I’ll share a few possible ways that I shoot a wedding ceremony with 2 cameras. Knowing how to use the two cameras and where to place them can mean the difference between getting that perfect shot, and having people standing in your way. I’ve had a lot of experience with camera placement in various type of churches, outdoor locations, and more. And it’s taught me what works best.

What are your thoughts? Where do you place your cameras? Share your thoughts below in the comments.

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: 2, cameras, setup, two

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #50: Where to find creativity for your wedding videos

September 15, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:31 — 11.7MB)

If you’ve been doing wedding videos for very long, chances are that you’ve used a lot of the same tricks and techniques. This can make your videos seem canned or like a basic template. How can you get out of the “wedding video creative rut”? In this episode, I’ll share several things that I do to keep myself creative and excited about what I do.

What do you do to continue to innovate and get creative ideas? Share some ideas in the comments below!

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Filed Under: podcast, Wedding Video Tagged With: creativity, Wedding Video

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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What video editing software to use for wedding videos?

September 9, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

People ask about which video editing platform they should use when editing their wedding videos. Does one platform make it easier to edit a ceremony and reception, and does one help you grow your wedding video business better than the other?

I believe that the software isn’t as important as your creativity and the quality of your videos. You can have the most expensive video editing platform to edit your bride and groom’s special day, but if you don’t use creativity and have good equipment, then it will worthless. Most wedding videographers love being creative and constantly look at industry trends as well as other sources such as: music videos, movies, vimeo, Youtube and other areas for inspiration. But, creativity is also flowing out of us, which is why we love filming weddings. Even though most weddings follow a similar format, we are able to put our individual touch on the video.

Having the right equipment is also very important. If you don’t have at the very least an HD camera (or two) to film your weddings, than you should look into upgrading. I would also recommend a decent tripod that will cost over $100. This will give you smooth shots and will avoid the shaky camera of being handheld. You’ll also need a lapel mic to place on the groom and/or pastor. This will give you clean audio. Having quality video camera, tripod and audio equipment will enable you to create the wedding video masterpiece that you have dreamed about.

But back to the editing platform. I’ve been an Apple fan for almost 10 years and have used Final Cut Pro to edit my wedding videos. But I actually started on a $100 PC video editing platform. The software was horrible, but I was able to edit some nice wedding videos together. It just shows you that it really doesn’t matter how expensive your video editing software is. Recently Apple announce a new “upgrade”, called Final Cut Pro 10 (FCPX). You can listen to my thoughts on FCPX for wedding videographers here and what the announcement of FCPX meant for wedding video companies here. I’m actually thinking of switching to Adobe Premier for my wedding video editing since it seems that Adobe has some high end features in their software that Apple is leaving out. However, if you’re just getting started with wedding videos, than I would recommend buying FCPX. FCPX is a great video editor and would do an amazing job. I’ll even buy it sometime i the future. It really boils down to how you use the software. I really don’t think it matter what you edit your wedding videos on. As long as they look amazing.

What do you edit with? Are you going to switch to something new to edit your wedding videos? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Filed Under: Blog, Wedding Video

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #49: How to work with difficult brides

September 1, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:36 — 15.4MB)

Let’s face it, brides get a bad rap. They have been thinking and dreaming of this wedding day for years…and sometimes decades. They aren’t the only ones that can be picky and troublesome.

In this episode, I talk about how to deal with difficult brides, grooms, mothers-in-law…you name it. I’ll share how to prepare before you even shoot any video and what to do afterward if the bride isn’t satisfied.

What do you do if the bride or groom aren’t satisfied with your work? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: bride, bridzilla, difficult

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Episode #48: My review of FCPX for wedding video editors

August 11, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:34 — 13.6MB)

Apple recently release their new “upgraded” version of the popular Final Cut Pro software. It cause quite a firestorm of opinions. I give my honest thoughts on why you might love or hate this product.

Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts? Do you use FCPX in your wedding video business? Or, are you thinking of switching to another editing platform. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Tell me what you think in the comments section below.

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: editing, fcp7, FCPX, video, weddings

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #47: Wedding Video Q&A

July 29, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:36 — 26.4MB)

Over the past few weeks and months I’ve gotten question through e-mail and my LinkedIn group. In this episode, I’ll answer sthe following questions.

Should I use lights at the reception or not?
Do you recommend going into business with a partner?
How many cameras should you use to film the wedding
What platform do you build your wedding website on? Check out www.WebsiteTrainingHub.com
What type of Mac computer should I use to edit my wedding videos on?

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Filed Under: podcast

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Wedding Video update

July 28, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here! I didn’t realize how long until I looked back at the archives. It’s been quite the busy summer both for my business and family. But isn’t summer always busy?

I hope your summer has been going well and you’ve been booking a lot of weddings. I’m going to be picking up with more podcasts and audio interviews in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Blog

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #46: Interview with BookMoreBrides.com

June 10, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:27 — 33.6MB)

Have you wondered how to book more brides for your wedding video business?

I’m sure everyone could use more business and could also use specific strategies to increase brides calling you to book your services. In this episode, I talk with Jeff and Stephanie Padovani about their website, BookMoreBrides.com. They not only give some tips on how to get more bookings but they also share their experience as wedding DJ’s and how they grew their DJ business.

If you want to book more brides, than check out this free special offer from them and learn how to utilize the “Personalized Video Pitch”. Find it here: http://bookmorebrides.viprespond.com/improvevideo. You can also get great information by going to their site, BookMoreBrides.com.

A little about Jeff and Stephanie:

Stephanie and Jeff Padovani started a wedding entertainment company in 2000 and in only four years built a 6 Figure Wedding Business, leaving their corporate jobs behind.

They specialize in creative and inexpensive bridal marketing, dealing with “price shoppers” and using the Instant Connection Technique to connect with brides from the very first moment they find you.

Stephanie and Jeff created BookMoreBrides.com to help wedding professionals build 6 Figure Wedding Businesses without fighting about price or wasting money on expensive advertising.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Filed Under: podcast

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

Check out these audio tutorials:

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

Check out these audio tutorials:

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Episode #45: How to shoot wedding video in bright light settings

May 12, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:05 — 12.2MB)

Shooting video outside or in bright light locations.

We’ve all shot a wedding video outside or where there is a lot of light. It brings some challenges, especially moving from inside (where it might be low light) to outside during a bring sunny day. In this episode, I’ll share some ways I deal with shooting in bright light situations.

If you’re shot outside, on the beach, or even under the bring spotlights of a church, you know that each brings challenges of how to get a good looking video image for the ceremony and reception.

What do you think? How do you shoot wedding video outside or in bright light settings? What camera settings do you use? What tricks have you learned? Leave your ideas in the comments for everyone to learn.

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: lighting, outdoors

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Episode #44: Interview with Andy Owen part 2

April 28, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:31 — 24.5MB)

Using HDSLR video cameras for your wedding video business

In part 2 of my interview with Andy Owen of OwenVideo.com, we go in depth on how he uses HDSLR cameras in his wedding videos business. Andy is proof that you can start small and work your way up to do high end weddings. We’ll cover things like advertising, lens selection, gear and how he delivers his videos to the bride and groom. I think you’ll really like his perspective on wedding video and HDSLR cameras.

Andy’s bio:

Owner/Videographer/Editor
Father to a beautiful little girl named Elliot
Husband to the out-of-my-league Chandra
Bassist without a bass
New Jersey born, but never lived there
Lover of all things G.I. Joe
Owner of all 10 seasons of Friends
White chocolate enthusiast
Biggest Muppets fan ever

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: andy owen, camera, dslr, HDSLR, video camera

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

Check out these audio tutorials:

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Episode #43: Interview with Andy Owen part 1

April 21, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:06 — 23.2MB)

How do you use HDSLR cameras in your wedding videos?

In this episode, I interview Andy Owen of OwenVideo.com to see how he uses HDSLR cameras in his wedding videos business. We talk about his background, cameras he uses and his thoughts on where wedding video is going. This is part one of my interview, since Andy gave so many good tips and tricks. Come back soon for the second part of his interview.

Andy’s bio:

Owner/Videographer/Editor
Father to a beautiful little girl named Elliot
Husband to the out-of-my-league Chandra
Bassist without a bass
New Jersey born, but never lived there
Lover of all things G.I. Joe
Owner of all 10 seasons of Friends
White chocolate enthusiast
Biggest Muppets fan ever

Here is a link to the article where Andy was featured: MSNBC article

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

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Filed Under: podcast Tagged With: andy own, dslr, HDSLR, interview

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

Check out these audio tutorials:

________________________________________________________________________

Tell me what you think! What do you do to insure the wedding video looks AND sounds great while shooting outside? Leave your comments below.

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Do you want to learn how to grow your wedding video business?

Check out these audio tutorials:

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