5 Things You Need To Know Before Hiring a Videographer

You need a video, so you’re going to get a videographer. Simple, right? Not quite. Hiring a videographer can be a minefield for the uninitiated if you don’t know a few basic things about the profession. So read on to find out the things you need to know about videographers.

1. Hiring a Videographer is Location Dependent

It sounds obvious, but you won’t believe how many people don’t really know what a videographer does. Strictly speaking, they’re the person behind the camera who’s recording live footage.

So hiring someone remotely doesn’t really work for something like a wedding video unless you’re happy to pay expenses. In your project brief, make sure you say where the videographer needs to be based so you’re not flooded with pitches from unsuitable freelancers.

2. Not All Videographers Do the Same Thing

Not all videographers work on the same type of film. Filming for a corporate or recruitment video is very different from recording a gig. Similarly, they also don’t always have the same style.

Wedding videos, for instance, could be journalistic or more cinematic depending on the person behind the camera. Think ahead about what type of video you want to be made and check that their portfolio aligns with your vision.

3. Think About What Equipment You Need

Equipment is important. Know what you need a video camera to do and make sure they have access to that.

For example, if you need dynamic focusing, check they’ve got the lenses available to facilitate that. You’ll almost certainly need tripods and if you need audio, think about how that’s going to happen.

You probably don’t want to have to hold on to a handheld mic if you’re getting married for example! You’ll also want different filters (for the camera, not for Instagram) and lighting depending on if you’re filming inside or outside.

4. You Might Need More Than One Videographer

Imagine if they’d tried to film an event in the Olympics on a single camera. It probably wouldn’t have worked out very well. So if you want a live event filmed – like a wedding or a gig – you’ll need multiple video cameras to capture different angles. This means hiring a few different videographers. Even if it’s for something like a music video, it will make filming more efficient.

Sometimes videographers will work as part of a crew, which makes this pretty straightforward. If they’re independent, it’s a good idea to ask them who they’ve worked within the past.

You can then hire a second videographer knowing that the two have worked well together before.

5. It’s Not Just Filming You Have to Think About

Sure, you could just get the raw footage if you’re trying to cut costs and have the capacity to edit the video yourself. But in all likelihood, post-production is likely to be something you’ll have to consider in your budget.

You’ll want a good edit to make your final video look polished. Some videographers will include this in their package, but you might have to hire a separate video editor or edit it yourself using video editing software. Video production can be a fairly lengthy process as a result, so have a realistic time frame in mind (as well as a budget that matches it).

For example, a wedding video will probably take at least 8 weeks to finish.

Costs will vary depending on the length of the video.

Check out our article for more info on the costs of video production.