Wedding Videography Media Interviews

Amity: Many couples are looking to capture the most memorable day of their lives, their wedding day. To help narrow down the list of people, you might want to consider shooting some video. We turn to King5 photo journalist himself, Doug Dillon, at the Seattle wedding show, with a very special guest and Doug, if anybody is going to be able to judge other photographers, it's you my friend.

Doug Dillon: Thanks Amity. I think with the holidays just passing, New Years, Christmas, a lot of people get engaged during that time period, I think and so, one of the items that I think is new that people are doing more often than when I got married, we only had a still photographer so I thought, "Oh, wedding thing is happening. We're here so let's talk to a wedding videographer." We are bringing in an expert, Reid Johnson of Best Made Videos, who has been doing this a while. Reid, why should someone do video instead of still photography?

Reid Johnson: Yeah. We did over 60 weddings this year and as somebody who also got married this summer and literally broke down crying while walking down the isle, I tell people, it's really nice to be able to see your wedding day in movement. Still photography's important in, obviously, those moments but getting your dress on, hugging your mother, obviously the ceremony, your vows, your toast, first dance, people dancing, it's really important to get all those moments.

We come in and take all that footage from the day and get it into a nice five to eight minute clip that you can share online, plus obviously, give you your full ceremony, toast, all those priceless things from your day so you can keep them.

Doug Dillon: Mark, Amity, I think we have some video that I assume you're rolling. These are some of the things Reid has done for his weddings. Capturing those moments on video with the internet like it is with Facebook and Twitter, being able to share with family who might not be able to make it there. Is that why you think it's important?

Reid Johnson: Exactly. In the social media age, you can share it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Obviously, you get it on DVD as well. That immediacy of being able to share it with your coworkers and your family, your day and also, we can do live streaming of the ceremony as well, as a way to have people that aren't there, feel like they're part of your day, able to re-watch your day.

Doug Dillon: How popular are you seeing this become? You did 60+ weddings this year. How popular is video wedding shooting?

Reid Johnson: I think it's getting really popular. We used to book six months and less out and now people are booking a year, two years out for their video because they find the people they want and the style they like and the personality they like and they want to make sure they get them for their day. I mean, Seattle is a very hot wedding market, Saturdays in August go really quick and I think people are really jumping on that.

Doug Dillon: Just because the person gets video, doesn't mean they're limited to video. I know you work with still photographers while the wedding is shooting. Can you tell me a little bit about how you do that?

Reid Johnson: Yeah. Absolutely. It's two services. You get your still photographer, they're going to get you your wonderful portraits, they're going to get you your beautiful ceremony shots but then, you bring us in for that ceremony, for your vows, for the toast, for all those intimate moments. I always say that still photography is important and wedding videography is those moments between the photos whether you're laughing with your friends or they're doing funny poses or kind of joshing around in the camera, it's really nice to get those moments.

Doug Dillon: Well, Amity, if you are knowing anyone that is going to be getting married this year or coming up, I would say this is the place to be. It gives you all sorts of tuxedos, venues, wedding photography, wedding videos. You need to get down here.

Reid Johnson: Yeah. Hey Doug, actually, I didn't know you were interviewing Reid. I'm actually friends with Reid. Him and I worked together years ago. You got to tell him I said congratulations on his wedding and that I got to check out his new company because I know he's talented from working with him in news media.

Doug Dillon: We are once again here at the wedding show. I'm with Reid Johnson, the owner and operator of Best Made Videos. Reid, one of the things that people have to decide, or do they have to decide, do I want still pictures or a video? What do you tell people?

Reid Johnson: It's really funny. You would think in 2018 now where everybody records everything and Snapchats on everything and Instagram and Facebook that everyone would want a wedding video, and I still talk with a lot of couples where maybe one is mixed or one wants one or one doesn't. I've actually gone back and interviewed a lot of couples about it, and you find that maybe the bride wanted it and the groom wasn't sure, or they had a friend that did it or a coworker. And then they end up getting the video on top of their wedding photography. It ends up being one of best decisions that they made because you can go back and you can see your friends and see your family and see the moments and see everything. It's a really kind of unique and different perspective on top of the wedding photography that they're going to get.

Doug Dillon: I would imagine one of the things that's neat about it on top of that, if someone couldn't make it to the wedding, you can shoot them a clip of it. How does it work with you? When someone gets a Best Made Video of their wedding, what does that entail?

Reid Johnson: Yeah, absolutely. So not only do we even do live stream of the ceremony if you would need to. Let's say you had a family member that couldn't make it. Once you get your edited video, you get it on Facebook, on all your social media. Plus, you get your copy to share or to save. But then you can share it on Facebook and email it around. We'll see people get their video and then a week later, they've got 1,000 views from coworkers and friends and family, people that are important to them and their life watching the video.

Doug Dillon: What are some of the ... You've done a lot of weddings. What are some of the fun or crazier ones that you've done?

Reid Johnson: We've done Safeco Field, where the groom had a horse. They'd had an Indian ceremony so he rode a horse down First Avenue. That was neat. We've done Halloween weddings. We've done Lego-themed weddings. We've done barn weddings. The whole gamut across. It's always unique when we talk to couples.

Doug Dillon: What are some must-get video shots? What do you think is the important things?

Reid Johnson: I'm always a sucker of the dress shot, showing your details for the day — the bride's dress, the groom's details, shoes, whatever. Honestly, a lot of the feedback we've gotten from couples lately is seeing guests at cocktail hour, seeing guests at the reception where you're so busy running around all day, taking photos and making sure everything's going right for your day. A lot of our couples miss those little moments of either the guests without them or them talking with the guests. The feedback we've gotten lately is seeing them interacting with people that have flown or traveled all the way to their wedding is a really important thing for them to see in their video.

Doug Dillon: People, when they get a video, they don't just get a video. Some people will say I'll have both, a still photographer and ... so I get the best of both worlds.

Reid Johnson: Absolutely. So we work always with still photography. I think your portraits are incredibly important. You get your family photos. You get your ceremony shots, you're getting ready. I always tell people my line is wedding photography is essential, and wedding videography is those moments between the photos where you get to see you laughing with your groomsmen as you're taking photos or you hugging your mom after getting your dress on. It's all those little things that, kind of intangibles that come together for your wedding video.