Ridiculous wedding videographer CONTRACTS!

[tx_mary]

I've passed over two previous wedding videographers because of their silly contracts and now, it looks like I'll be skipping videographers altogether.  This third one (like one of the others) says that the videographer has total and final say over how the video is produced and edited and other very restrictive clauses.

This is ridiculous!  The video is for ME.  I should have some choice in deciding the product that is being custom made for ME! No wonder many brides just skip the video and spend more on the photographer.  I think you wedding videographers have only yourselves to blame and should stop whining!

I work with contracts every day and have never seen any other type of business with such draconian contracts.

Hi Mary!

Thanks for your post - great topic!

Brides should always be sure to receive and read a wedding videographer's contract (often called "the agreement") BEFORE paying her deposit.

Often times a wedding videographer will download a generic wedding video contract from the Web, change the company name and use it without giving it another thought.

I agree with you 100% that these people do not deserve your business.  Unlike any other business I can think of, so many people think that just getting a "cool" video camera is all they need to enter the wedding video business, and they either don't give other matters a second thought, or purposely have an iron-clad contract to protect them for when they mess up.

These are the people who give this business a bad image and they are the very people that true professional wedding videographers want to separate themselves from and hence the creation of this website and the concept of certification for professional wedding videographers.

Although it is not practical to have clients get involved in the details of producing and editing wedding videos, it is crucial and only fair that they be allowed some input.  But this process begins when you review demo videos before hiring a wedding videographer, because you should be able to expect to receive a wedding video quite similar to the one you reviewed.

First and foremost - do not accept a "highlights" video to base your decision on.  Insist on a real and complete, actual wedding video.  Anyone can put a collection of cool, short clips together with background music.  Not just anyone can properly cover a fluid, live event like a wedding and professionally capture all the important moments in video AND audio.

Listen to the speaking, singing and music.  Is it crisp and clear?  Is the video beset with focus and exposure problems?  Is the picture shaky?  Problems in your video may not be to irksome the first time you view it, but you should be able to enjoy watching your wedding video many times over the years and technical issues will quickly become irritating and take the fun out of watchig your wedding video.

Keep in mind that there are different styles of wedding videos and some wedding videographers only do a "short form" wedding video.  These are usually exciting, beautiful and short, so they're easy to watch.  But they don't give you the sense of "being there" and the sense of actually reliving your wedding day.  They're like a short music video that captures just the essence of the day - which may be all you want and is likely all that acquaintences and coworkers will suffer gladly, but you need to be aware that short-form wedding videos only give a thumbnail sketch of your wedding day.

OK, so now you've reviewed a real wedding video and you know what to expect - but what if your wedding video ends up with long scenes of that cousin you can't stand or features your step father over your real dad, etc.?

You should have the right to review an "approval copy" of your edited video and request a limited amount of changes.  I say "limited", because typically it will take your wedding videographer from two to four days to edit your wedding video.  You can't blame him for not wanting to go through this process two or three times!  Our agreement states that the client can request up to one hour of editing changes, without extra charge.  It goes on to state just what the charges will be for editing that goes beyond one hour.

We rarely get change requests, but when we do, if the requested changes will take over an hour, we'll send a break-down showing just how long we expect each change to take and asking the client to approve the editing charges.  This gives the client the opportunity to change their requests, based on the cost and priorities of each item.

In the past 100 weddings, we've only had two cases where we've had to do this.  In one case, the client was basically requesting a short-form wedding video when our demo, our website and our agreement all make clear that we do journalistic style wedding videos and that we offer a short-form as an option (i.e.: extra) not as a replacement for the journalistic style.

Here was a case where the client did not pay attention to the fact that after reviewing a wedding videographer's wedding demo DVD, she should not expect a style vastly different from what she has just seen.

The second case was similar, except that the client wanted an extreme documentary style wedding video, where nothing, not even the twentieth dance, would be cut or edited.  (Heck, we stopped shooting the dances after about the third one, except for when something unusual was happening!)

Other change requests, we've easily handled within our "one-hour" limit (even if it took two hours).

One way to be sure the wedding videographer will be attentive to your concerns after the wedding, is to still owe a balance on your wedding video.   Everything is generally negotiable in business, and the wedding video business is no exception.  

Before paying your deposit, ask for a copy of the contract.  Make any changes you think are necessary to the contract and send it back for approval.  All they can do is approve it or not approve it.  And isn't it better to resolve these things now, instead of trying to tackle them after you've paid and your wedding video has already been edited?

There are so many more things I'd like to cover about wedding video contracts, but it would take too much space in these forums.  I'll do a series of articles about wedding video agreements in the near future.

Thanks again, Mary and please accept our best wishes for a wonderful wedding day!

[osbornes5]

I can certainly sympathize with your position on this issue. I fully agree that this is "your" video. Part of the problem for videographers is that the current state of the industry does not allow for endless re-dos. Unfortunately, as this site has well documented, the still photogs are able to consistently charge a premium price especially for the hours invested in the finished product. Without going into the details of the requirements of video editing, even the smallest change can amout to several hours worth of work by the time it is all said and done. Personally, I am more than willing to make changes till the cows come home as long as the client is willing to pay for it. In the end it would all come out being on par with the still guys. If the industry supported pricing on par with other wedding vendors, much more change order time could be included in the package from the outset and the need for such contract language would likely diminish.

If a videographer does not build for himself a certain amount of latitude in the finished project, he is setting himself up for potentially hundreds of hours worth of work at a couple of bucks an hour. A high quality videographer working from his home will have spent a bare minumum of $8000 to $10,000 on equipment and still be going. If he has been in the business any length of time at all we're talking more like $30,000 with no end in site. This does not include the actual cost of the wedding day itself. With fuel being what it is these days, batteries, meals, etc., the dollars that are expended before the videographer spends one second in the editing chair is significant. At the moment, wedding videography in this part of the country (I'm in Oklahoma and I see that you are from Texas) is definately a labor of love. Personally, I DO love it but with a set of ten year old triplets who love soccer, food, clothes, and toys, I do not love it enough to work for two or three dollars an hour before I figure in equipment. I too allow a couple of hours of change order time for free but that is all I can afford to do. I do, however, make sure that I turn out a product that is very similiar to the demo or even better. I always have a nice pre-wedding conversation with the client to get her "must get" shots and any input from her. For now, with what my package prices are, that is all I can do. Again, if a client wants significant change time built into the contract from the front, I can customize that. Short of that we just cover changes as they come.

Now having said all of that, I understand how "he's only in it for the money"-ish  that sounds. But before you judge me too harshly let me just say this. I have been this business for just over a year. I turn out a very nice product and I have testimonial and peer review to prove it so I am not a fly by nighter or a corner cutter. At the moment I am so far in the red on this business, I currently can't see out. Plus, though I just spent $3000 on a new cam and some peripherals, I still really need several other pieces of equipment which will set me back several thousand more  dollars. Thank God this is a side venture for now and my other job keeps the lights on and kids fed (though my wife is about to hide all of the money).

If you reconsider hiring a videographer, I recommend you get a good demo from the one's you are considering. Getting one that is not just "clips" is important too because you will not get a real feel for what yours is going to look like. Find a demo that is pleasing to you and insist that your finished product looks like it. Don't just get one demo, get several. Pick one that suits your fancy. OR... Be willing to pay more and insist that the "final control" clause is dropped from the contract.

Good luck to you on wedding day and blessings on your marriage.

[kwshaw1]

This is ridiculous!  The video is for ME.  I should have some choice in deciding the product that is being custom made for ME! No wonder many brides just skip the video and spend more on the photographer.

That's an understandable frustration, but did you try discussing this with either of the videographers you were considering hiring? If someone asked me about something like this I'd try to come to an understanding with them, while also explaining that having the client direct the editing can be problematic -- and will typically cost more because it takes longer.

Also, would you try to tell your photographer how to prepare their photos for you? Other than picking items for your album, I doubt that would go over very well. Videographers likewise expect to be allowed to do their job using their professional judgment, which should include some respect for the clients' wishes but not necessarily be controlled by them. If that bothers you, keep looking for a videographer who's willing to work more closely with you during the editing phase, but don't expect that to come without a price. I have a minimum fee of $250 for each re-edit after one  draft review with a client, and I reserve the right to exercise artistic control to have my work reflect my style. I can see how that might bother some folks, and if someone pressed me on this point I'd try to find a compromise. You need to ask for that, not just reject the contract without discussion.

[Forever Endeavor]

This third one (like one of the others) says that the videographer has total and final say over how the video is produced and edited and other very restrictive clauses.

No offense Mary but why would you consider hiring a videographer in the first place? Isn't it because they are qualified and talented enough to produce a video that is better than anything you could get/do for yourself? I ABSOLUTELY expect to be able to be in creative control of the videos I produce. If you hire an artist to paint your portrait, you don't expect to be able to sit there and tell them how to move their brush.

That said, I absolutely want to include aspects of the video that are important to the bride. I always ask if there are any particular shots or anything else they want to be sure is included in the video (or something that happened that they DON'T want). But the way it is edited and put together is ultimately up to me and I expect that's why most of my clients hire me. Because they can't do it themselves. So don't expect to find a videographer (or still photog) to do everything your way. Hire one who's style you like and trust them to do a great job!

I work with contracts every day and have never seen any other type of business with such draconian contracts.

What kind of contracts do you work with everyday? This business, being of creative arts is not like any other business. Hollywood would consider this type of contract normal.


BTW, sorry if I'm kind of harsh. I tend to be very blunt, ask Hank, he knows lol.