Why Not Get a Friend/Family to Film??

The same reason you wouldn't get your friends/family to do the professional photography.....

Part of the reason my wife and I went into this business was because we asked a friend to film our wedding with a handy consumer camera. Needless to say, it was awful, not only because of the quality of video/sound, but most importantly, the cameraperson wasn't familar enough to capture footage in a way that creates emotion, is pleasing to the eye, and knows where to be at the right place and right time. How often have you seen someone waving a video camera around, capturing endless amounts of dull footage from an obscure vantage point stuck in the crowd? Even if you set aside shaky camera work, poor sound and amateur editing, you can just imagine how laborious it will be to watch later! A professional cameraperson on the other hand has a photographer's eye for capturing images and will have the imagination and experience to record what is genuinely interesting. He/she will not be distracted by people and events, and you can be sure they will remember to bring adequate batteries, tape stock and equipment! Video editing is another huge skill, requiring expert judgement on how to pare down footage and present only the very best moments. We can do just this, skillfully telling your story in way that will endlessly impress you and others. There is a difference in taping a wedding and "documenting" a wedding. Not only that, but wouldn't you like to free up your loved ones from behind a camera to enjoying the party with everyone else!?