Frequently Asked Questions

If we didn’t answer your question, please contact us and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.


Q: What is your philosophy for shooting weddings and other events?

A: Our main philosophies for shooting any event are (1) to stay out of the way and not become a part of the event and (2) to capture the true emotions and importance of the day without the use of unnecessary special effects or “MTV style” camera work.  We shoot in a documentary style, capturing the important parts of the day and editing the events down into something you and your friends and family will enjoy watching. By using multiple camera angles we provide a final product that is visually interesting to look at. Unlike unprofessional videographers who shoot with a single wide angle shot for the entire event, we use a combination of wide and close-up shots with two cameras so those watching feel like they were at the event and not on sitting on the sidelines.

Q: What kind of cameras do you use?

A: We are
currently using a pair of  Sony DSR-PD170 MiniDV cameras for most of our shoots. The PD170 is a 3CCD camera that offers very rich colors and details compared to the single CCD consumer video cameras sold at consumer electronic stores.  It also is rated as 1 lux for low light meaning the camera can handle low light conditions in churches and reception halls very well compared to the 8 or 9 lux rated consumer cameras.

Q: Can you shoot in HD?

A: We
are currently not set up for High Definition, but keep in mind there are very few media options out there to play back HD content.  Blu Ray and HD-DVD are the first generation high definition DVD formats and they are still very new and very expensive. For now we are able to shoot at standard DVD quality (480P) and we do have the ability to shoot in wide screen if you have a widescreen television at home.

Q: What about the sound, I've watched some wedding and event videos and the audio was so low you could hardly hear the people talking. Do you just use the camera microphone?

A:
No, we don’t rely on the camera microphone. Although the camera microphone is used for certain portions of the event or wedding that we cannot capture other ways  we do use a combination of Sennheiser wireless microphones to capture the rest of the audio. For weddings, we prefer to place a wireless clip-on microphone on the groom to capture most of the audio at the ceremony. We use the same microphone to capture the best man’s speech at the reception. If the groom is not close to the podium where speeches are given at the ceremony we would place another wireless microphone on the podium to capture better audio from the speakers.

Q: Your site says that I can choose my own music. How does that work?

A:  It’s very easy actually. For copyright reasons you need to own the music that we include in your wedding video. All you need to do is choose the songs you would like in your video and let us borrow the CD’s or burn them onto a single CD.  You will need to pick around 15 songs, some fast, some slow and you are welcome to let us know where you would want each song (getting ready, ceremony, photo taking, reception, dancing).

Q: What if I want more copies of the edited version, how long will you keep a copy of my event?

A:  We always recommend purchasing additional copies right at the time of the event. Barring any circumstances beyond our control, we guarantee that we will have your event video available for additional copies for one year after the event. Although we may save it longer than a year, we are not able to guarantee having it available beyond the first year.

Q: Are you insured?

A:  Valley Creek Productions has liability insurance through Erie Insurance. If your event venue requires vendors to be insured let us know and we can provide proof of insurance to them.

Q: How do I find out about pricing?

A:
Contact us and we will email you a price list for our services.

Q: Ok, I want you guys to shoot my event. What do I need to do now?

A:
Great! All we need to do is go through and sign the wedding contract, event contract, or business event contract to protect both you and me and then you need to provide 1/3 of the balance due as a non-refundable down payment to lock the date in.

Q: What happens if I need to change the date, or if the event is cancelled?

A: If your event is canceled unfortunately the deposit is forfeited. We am very busy during certain months of the year and if we put a date aside to capture your event or wedding  we are turning others down. This is why we require the deposit. If you do have to change the date there is a $100 fee assuming your new date is not already booked.

Q: How early should I book the date?

A: Well, that depends. When you first contact us we will be able to let you know if the date is still available. We book based on who provides me a deposit first. For the summer months when most people get married, we would recommend booking at least four months in advance, but keep in mind there are no guarantees the date would still be available.

Q: Do you accept credit cards?

A: Our preferred methods of payment are personal check or money-order; however we are set up to take all major credit cards through PayPal.
What is PayPal?

 

If we didn’t answer your question, please contact us and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.

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