• What is the process for getting a video done?
• How much control do I have in my video?
• Who picks the music?
• What difference does good equipment make?
• When will I get my DVD & What is your 6 week guarantee?
• Do I need to make a reservation?
• What are your payment deadlines?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• Do you travel? Are there travel fees?
• What is Super 8 and do you film in that?
• What is HD, HDV, and Blu-Ray?
• Still have questions?

"What is the process for getting a video done?"

1. Lets Talk,

The first step is to sit down with Bigler Productions' sales consultant and your Master Videographer and find out exactly what you are looking for and how much it will cost. On your wedding day its important to not just have a professional but someone whose personality fits with yours, that's why we make sure you meet and approve of your videographer before your wedding.

2. Reservation & Deposit,

If everything is a good fit for you (videographer, package and price) then the next step is to make a 50% deposit and secure your reservation. Without the reservation there is no way that we can guarantee we will be available on your wedding date. We will try and keep you informed about other prospective customers for your same date, but if there is no money down its first come first serve. The first to make their deposit secures their reservation for the date.

3. Material Submission,

The next step takes place anywhere from one to three months before the wedding and involves submitting your title/credit information to play at the end of your DVD. You also need to submit whatever music you would like us to use to edit your wedding video to. If you are doing a photo montage you will need to submit all your photos in digital format at this time as well.

4. 1 Week Review,

One week before your wedding we will do one final review with you; going over all the details of the big day, including ceremony schedule and camera layout. Its important that everyone be on the same page before the wedding.

5. Your Wedding day,

Next comes your big day, it will fly by so fast you will be so thankful you hired a videographer. We always arrive 45-60 minutes before we are to start filming. This gives us plenty of time to set up our equipment and check all audio and lighting. It usually takes us around 15 minutes or less to do this but its important to be early just in case! As soon as we are done getting ready we will start filming (even if its 20 minutes early)! At the end of the night we will stay until our allotted time. If it is clear that we should stay for another 15 minutes to get key elements that have not yet happened, we will stay. More then 15 minutes and we will approach you and ask if you want us to stay on at an additional rate.

6. Enjoy the Show!

At Bigler Productions we have a 6 week guarantee: if you get us everything we need 1 month before the wedding (music, pics etc) and pay your balance in full, then we will get you your proof DVD within six weeks of your wedding! If for some reason you are not able to get us everything we need until after the wedding then we will get your DVD proof to you within 6 weeks of when we have everything in hand. Once you have your proof DVD you have one week to look it over and let us know of any changes that you might want made. If you purchased an Audio Commentary that will be captured at your earliest convenience after the DVD's completion.

7. All DVDs produced,

After we have received your approval on the DVD we will produce the rest of your ordered DVDs. If you would like us to mail out the DVDs for you we can do that for an additional charge per DVD.

8. LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

The final step is for you to enjoy the rest of your life! We keep all files on our computers for 1 month after their completion and keep 1 DVD of every wedding for archival purposes. So if you want another copy of your DVD 5 years down the road, give us a call!

"How much control do I have in my video?"

You have complete control to decide who, what, where, when and how. You decide who will be in your video and who will not; if you do not want crazy Uncle Fred's toast in the video, it won't be. You decide what will be filmed; if you only want the ceremony filmed, that's all that will be filmed. You decide where; if you want us at the rehearsal the night before, the hairdresser's the morning of, the church for pictures, and the reception, we will be there. You decide when; if you are having a sunrise wedding and want everyone there at 4AM, we will be there. You decide how the DVD will be arranged from the music to the layout. You decide if it will be a fun upbeat DVD or a more formal, classier DVD. You have as much control in the video as you would like. Sit back and let us work our magic or sit beside us every step of the way, either way its your video and we are here for YOU!

"Who picks the music?"

You do! You choose what music will be used in every element; from the highlight reel to the DVD menu, you pick every song. It's completely up to you! Of course we would be happy to give you suggestions. To see what other couples have done, request a DEMO DVD or check out our sample video page.

"What difference does good equipment make?"

Have you ever watched a friend's home video where the images are so pixilated and fuzzy its tough to make out what you are watching and their hands are jerking around so much you are getting nauseous? The quality of equipment has an ASTOUNDING impact on the quality of your wedding video. You can hire the best videographer in the world to shoot your wedding, but if they are using a $500 consumer handheld you will be very disappointed by the results. Everyone is going to say they have good equipment, but don't be fooled: do your homework. It is a good idea to ask specifically what type of cameras they are using then do an internet search to find out how they compare to other videographers' equipment.

"When will I get my DVD & What is your 6 week guarantee?"

Our 6 week guarantee is simple: If you get your order form in along with all your music, photos and final payment at least 6 weeks before your wedding we will guarantee that you will have your completed proof DVD in hand six weeks after your wedding day. If for some reason you do not give us everything (music or pictures) before the wedding the completion of your DVDs will be guaranteed within six weeks of our receiving everything. We can do rush orders with a turn around as fast as three days (specific conditions and additional fees do apply.)

"Do I need to make a reservation?"

With so many people getting married Bigler Production's calendar can fill up fast; because of this we use a 50% non-refundable deposit reservation system. The deposit is simply a down payment on your wedding and goes towards your full purchase price. It's simply a safety measure to ensure that you get us for the day you want. If your wedding date changes we will gladly swap dates so long as the new date is not already reserved.

"What are your payment deadlines?"

A deposit of 50% is required for all reservations. Full payment is due two weeks before the wedding, four weeks in order to get our 6 Week Guarantee.

"What is your cancellation policy?"

Bigler Productions does allow cancellations up until 14 days prior to the event date. If the cancellation is made three months or more before the event date then all payments (excluding deposit) will be refunded. If cancellation is made within three months of event date a credit will be issued for all payments received to date, including deposit, which can be redeemed by rescheduling the event for another date or by purchase of any other Bigler Productions service. Cancellations made within two weeks of event date will receive no refund. MEDICAL EMERGENCY: If a medical emergency of the client requires the rescheduling of the event, Bigler Productions will issue a credit to be used on the rescheduled date as long as Bigler Productions is available and is without any other prior commitments. If Bigler Productions is not available we will contract out said service to a qualified company.

"Do you travel? Are there travel fees? "

Bigler Productions will gladly travel to any destination to film your special day. We have traveled all over the US and enjoy the experience. If we are traveling greater then 50 miles there is a $.50/mile fee. Additional fees may apply dependent on airfare and lodging. Give us a call for more information. (P.S. there are discounts for travel depending on destination. In other words, if you want us to go film in a tropical paradise we will pull more strings to make it happen then say an arctic desert).

"What is Super 8 and do you film in that?"

Super 8 film was developed in the 60s by Kodak. This filming process is popular among some videographers as it gives an artistic, vintage look to the captured image. The major draw back to Super 8 is that once the image is captured in Super 8 it will forever hold the vintage look. "With modern technology we can film in HD then make it look super 8 or black and white, or sepia... the possibilities are limitless. Going with modern HD ensures that the raw footage is crisp and clear. Filming in Super 8 completely limits you in that once its captured in super 8 there is NOTHING you can do to take the look away. Your color, image quality, clarity are all drastically reduced and there is no way of fixing it. Super 8 does look cool, but you can do the same thing with a $200 camcorder and an entry level desktop." (Dave Bigler)

"What is HD, HDV, and Blu-Ray?"

Because the term HD is being thrown around a great deal in the media and on the web, we would like to clarify a few key points on it for you.

What is HD?

HD or High Definition, as it is used in reference to HDTV, HDV, HD Editing, and Blu-ray discs, refers to image resolution. Image resolution describes the level of detail an image holds. It is quantified by how close lines can be to each other and still be distinguished as separate. In digital imaging, the image resolution is referred to as the pixel count. A pixel is simply a picture element or a single point in a graphic. Below is an illustration taken from wikipedia.org that shows how the same image might appear at different pixel resolutions.


HD vs SD
HD has at least twice the linear resolution of SD (Standard Definition). This allows much more detail to be shown on an HDTV, and Blu-ray disc then with an SD television (SDTV) and regular DVD. In addition, all HD images are captured in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which allows an increase in effective resolution without letter boxing or anamorphic stretching. The illustration below was taken from wikipedia.org and shows the simple difference between an image on an HDTV and a SDTV.


HDV
High Definition Video is a video format designed to record high resolution imaging (at the HDTV quality level) onto a standard DV media (Mini DV). With 3 censors that each measure 1/3 of an inch and hold 1,120,000 pixels each Bigler Production's Sony FX1s are able to capture amazing, high resolution images that truly capture the moment. If its not an HDV camera its not worth your time!

Editing HDV
When HDV and DV (standard Digital Video) are filmed they are compressed in order to fit onto the camera's Mini DV cassettes. Because of the drastic differences in HDV and DV each format has its own compression system. Because of the complexity of the HD compression (MPEG-2) editing in HD is much more taxing on the computer systems then DV. Not only are the simple edits much more complex but they take
up nearly 50% more space then editing in the standard video format. The additional work for the computers and the extra space is a small price to pay for the drastic benefit of a final product in HD!

HDV to DV conversion!
In order to watch HDV footage you must have an Blu-Ray player and an HDTV. But only a small percentage of the population has spent the $$$ needed to be able to watch their home moves in HD. So why does Bigler Productions make such a big deal over something that so few of its customers will enjoy? HDV to DV conversion is the answer! Bigler Productions is able to film in HDV then convert it to DV before editing. This allows for a better image resolution then filming in standard DV while at the same time allowing for everyone with a standard DVD player the benefit of HD. Because there is no time difference associated with the HDV to DV conversion Bigler Productions films every production in HD at no additional charge and then simply converts it to DV before editing. If you purchase a Blu-Ray upgrade and Blu-Ray DVDs then no conversion is done and your entire video is produced in HD from start to finish!

Still have questions?

If you still have questions please send us an email or give us a call and we will help you out.