Why Wedding Filmmaking Costs More Than Photography: A Filmmaker's Perspective
As a wedding filmmaker, I understand that my prices can often be higher than those of photographers. However, the reasons for this are not arbitrary or unjustified.
It’s easy to put filmmaking & photography in the same bracket- after all, we both use cameras, work shoulder to shoulder all day & then deliver visual based products, so why should you expect to pay more for one than the other? In this article, I want to share my perspective on why wedding filmmaking costs more than photography, & why it is worth the investment for couples who want to capture their special day in the best possible way.
1. Equipment
One of the main reasons why wedding filmmaking costs more than photography is the equipment involved. Filmmaking requires more advanced & expensive gear, including cameras, lenses, stabilizers, microphones, lighting & editing software- with all of these areas having sub divisions within them that drastically increase the outlay filmmakers have to make in order to make their films. This equipment is not only costly to purchase, but it also requires ongoing maintenance & upgrades to ensure that it is always up-to-date and working at its best. Now, this isn’t to say that photographers don’t have expensive equipment- of course they do, however it just isn’t on the scale that professional filmmakers have to bring to create a great wedding film. Having done both in my past, physically filming a wedding is exponentially harder than photographing one. Additionally, the weight and size of the equipment can make it challenging for filmmakers to move around & capture different angles & shots which requires far more forward planning.
This even comes down to computers & editing software. Filmmakers need much more powerful computers & software in order to edit high resolution video files & all of this, as you can imagine, comes with a big price tag.
2. Time and Labor
Wedding filmmaking also involves more time & labor than photography. While photographers can take hundreds of photos in a short amount of time, filmmakers must capture hours of footage & then spend hours more editing & piecing together the final product. This process requires a lot of skill, creativity, & attention to detail-it can take weeks or even months to complete. Furthermore, wedding filmmakers often work in teams, which means that the cost of their time & labor is multiplied. The majority of photographers now use intelligent Artificial Intelligence to speed up their editing process, whereby they upload an entire weddings worth of photographs & the AI culls, edits & returns the finished images within a matter of hours. The photographers then make minor changes & deliver to the client, whereby filmmakers have no such option. With filmmakers needing to link shot to shot to create something that makes sense, this process also wouldn’t work even if it was available.
There are other factors that take filmmakers much more time than photographers, with the editing being a large part of that. Culling footage, colour correcting each individual shot, colour grading the entire film to give it a cohesive look, cleaning up the audio & implementing a sound design- & that’s before you get into any clever editing tricks, transitions of visual effects. Editing a film professionally is a very in-depth process that is extremely time consuming, which is part of the reason you can expect to pay more.
3. Storytelling
Wedding filmmaking is not just about capturing moments; it is also about telling a story. I know there will be wedding photographers out there screaming at me at this point that they also tell a story, & they absolutely do, but it is no where near on the level that filmmakers have to delve into. A good wedding film should be a reflection of the couple's unique personalities, love story, & the emotions of the day. This requires more than just technical skill; it requires creativity, artistry, & a deep understanding of the couple and their relationship. Wedding filmmakers must spend time getting to know their clients, planning & scripting the shoot, & finding ways to capture the little moments & details that will make the film special. You cannot simply take one amazing shot & move on, you have to plan other shots to lead you to that moment, make the film cohesive & for it also to make sense.
It takes a large amount of time & experience to pull a narrative from your ceremony & speeches, then find music that suits that couple, then place that narrative in the right segments of the music to deliver the feeling in the film & give the viewer those emotional highs & lows at the right points. This is a skill set that I think is often overlooked when couples are looking at hiring a wedding filmmaker & it can absolutely make, or break, your finished films.
4. Post-Production
The post-production process for wedding filmmaking is more complex than that for photography, almost to the point where you cannot really compare them (& as i’ve said, I say this as someone who has experienced both sides of this coin). Filmmakers must not only edit and color-grade the footage, but also add music, sound effects, & voiceovers to create a cohesive & emotional story. This requires specialised software & skills, & it can be time-consuming & challenging to get everything just right. For example, I have a number of high end, expensive plug-ins that perform specific tasks for me during my editing & the results you’ll see in your finished films will blow you away, but this also will be reflected in the costs that I charge. The end result is a film that is not only beautiful to watch but also meaningful & memorable, whilst also being visually striking & a pleasure to listen to.
5. Experience
When it comes to wedding filmmaking, experience matters. Hiring an experienced wedding filmmaker can add significant value to your investment by ensuring that your wedding film is not only technically sound but also emotionally engaging & personalised (not to mention that most of the time I also end up being an on the day co-ordinator alongside my filmmaking!). An experienced wedding filmmaker has likely worked on many weddings before & has encountered a range of challenges and opportunities. They have learned how to work with different lighting conditions, how to capture the perfect shot, & how to anticipate and adapt to the unexpected. They have also honed their storytelling skills, learning how to weave together the many moments of a wedding day into a cohesive and meaningful narrative. Personally, I see it that you don’t hire me to make things look pretty & amazing, because everything already looks that way- you hire me for the times when things go wrong & you look to me to know what to do, or you trust that I have already have it covered.
Furthermore, an experienced wedding filmmaker understands the importance of communication & collaboration. They know how to work with other vendors, such as photographers, DJs, & planners, to ensure that everyone is on the same page & that the day runs smoothly. They also know how to communicate effectively with the couple, making them feel comfortable & confident in front of the camera & helping them to relax & enjoy their special day, as this is far more important for a filmmaker than a photographer. For the majority of people, they still feel uneasy about being filmed & so a professional filmmaker will have developed a way of calming his couple & their guests, knowing when to fade into the background or when to step in if needs be, because they understand the value in a moment. As an example, one shot I have always loved is a dress reveal to the Father of the Bride. Now, as a filmmaker this moment carries a lot of emotion, (which is why I love it so much) so I fade into the background & let this moment unfold naturally because its that raw emotion I want to capture. I cannot tell you the amount of times this moment has been ruined by a photographer stepping in, getting in the way, telling dad to do this or bride to do that- & that’s it, the moment is gone. In large part this is because they’ve got their one shot, the one image they need of that moment so they’re happy, whereas as a filmmaker I need more time to let that moment breath, to see you react, cry, laugh, whatever it is. That moment isn’t about me, its about you & things like that come down to experience.
6. Investment and Value
When planning a wedding, there are many expenses to consider, from the dress & the venue to the catering & the flowers. It can be tempting to try to cut costs wherever possible, but it's important to remember that some wedding expenses are investments that can actually grow in value over time. Wedding filmmaking is one such investment & it does it in a way that no other service can rival.
A wedding film is the best investment a couple can make in their wedding day. It captures the emotions, the atmosphere, & the memories of the day in such a special way. It allows the couple to relive the day over & over again, to share it with their friends & family, & to pass it down to future generations. In fact, a wedding film is the only service that grows in value over time, becoming more precious as the years go by. Imagine that picture you’ve seen of your grandparents or great grandparents stood outside the church on their wedding day- amazing, isn’t it? Now imagine you could press play & walk through their day as they saw it, you could hear them speak, say their vows, laugh & cheer with each other & their guests. It would be absolutely priceless.
Furthermore, a wedding film is not just a memento of the day, it's also a work of art. A skilled wedding filmmaker can craft a film that is beautiful, cinematic, & deeply moving, capturing the essence of the couple's love story and creating a timeless masterpiece that they will cherish forever. While wedding filmmaking may be a significant investment, it's important to remember that the value it provides is priceless. It's an investment in the couple's memories, their family legacy, & their love story- as well as all the other things such as cakes, dresses, shoes & decoration. When considering the cost of a wedding film, it's important to think about the long-term value that it will provide, & to prioritise it as a necessary expense rather than a luxury.
As a wedding filmmaker, I know that planning a wedding can be stressful, and budgeting is an important part of that process. While it's understandable that you may be looking to save money wherever possible, I want to emphasize the value that wedding filmmaking provides and why it's worth the investment.
Creating a wedding film is a completely different process than creating your wedding photographs & they are also enjoyed in different ways, which is why there will be a difference in cost. You should expect to invest more into your wedding videography than your photography as it is a far more time consuming process to create a film, which requires much more equipment at a higher expense. Couple that with the security that comes from an experienced filmmaker who knows how to extract the very best from you & your special day & hopefully it starts to become apparent that these films aren’t the work of a moment & that you are investing in something truly special, that will grow with you throughout the rest of your lives.