What is cinematic wedding videography?
I recently wrote an article on ‘What makes a great wedding film’. In my view, a fundamental aspect of great videography is story-telling, but this is achieved differently depending on your style as a wedding videographer. One of those styles is referred to as ‘cinematic’. I’m a cinematic wedding videographer myself, and I often get asked the question: what is cinematic, and how does it apply to wedding videography?
In today’s article, I’ll explain:
What is cinematic wedding videography
The style of wedding films you can expect from it
My approach to cinematic wedding videography
What is cinematic wedding videography?
First, let’s start with the meaning of cinematic. Cinema was invented in France (Bonjour!), at a time where filmmakers were known as cinématographe. It refers to the Greek “keenema”, meaning movement. In other words, cinema is the definition of a moving picture, or the process of making a film. As we know it today, cinema refers to a movie theatre, and the experience you have watching a film.
A film in itself is all about conveying emotions and telling a story. Think about any movie you enjoy watching: they always have a well defined structure for the narrative:
Scene setting - establishing the context: this is where you learn about the location.
Character - getting to know the heroes: this is where you learn about them, who they are as people, and their life.
Change - getting to know the story: this is where you learn about what brought them here.
Resolution - getting to know the ending: this is usually the goal your character is trying to accomplish.
Cinematic wedding videography is the same. It leans on a cinema-like structure, both for story-telling, as well as powerful wedding footage.
Cinematic as a style of wedding film.
Cinematic wedding videography follows the same structure as a movie you would watch in a movie theatre, on your wedding day. So, when a wedding videographer describes their style as “cinematic”, they refer to the viewing experience, and visual story-telling approach.
Cinematic is a perfect style for wedding videography, because it allows us to deliver engaging, dramatic and emotional wedding films. As opposed to just a wedding video, a cinematic wedding film uses sound, high quality footage, and well-defined structure to tell the story of your wedding day.
My approach to cinematic wedding videography.
As a cinematic wedding filmmaker, I carefully plan the narrative of your wedding day, to make sure it stays true to who you are as a couple. Your wedding film can only tell your story if it captures what’s led you to today and the essence of your wedding day, surrounded by family and friends. Building up to the big day itself is essential, I need to get to know you as people, and as husband and wife to be. This means that, on the day of your wedding, I already know who you are, and who the most important people are to you.
The style of wedding videos I deliver are cinematic, because they stick to similar concepts for story-telling mentioned above. My approach to cinematic wedding videography uses the following:
Establishing shots: this is achieved through drone wedding videography, to capture aerial shots of your wedding venue.
Sound design: my wedding films are cinematic because they use audio captured from the day: both ambient sound, as well as your speeches. These are usually from the father of the bride, or the groom himself. Using their voice, they essentially become the narrator that tells your story throughout the wedding film.
Cinematic wedding footage: on the day of your wedding, my style is to let things happen naturally and organically. None of what I do is scripted or directed. I capture things as they happen, with two cameras. This way, I can capture the same scene but from different angles, which adds to the cinema feel. Visually, and through the editing process, I then carefully edit your wedding video so the quality of wedding films you receive looks and feels like a movie you’d watch at the cinema.
If you’d like to know more about my approach to wedding videography, or how I craft a story that is unique to you as a couple, then drop me a message.