edward zilberman

Lately I am getting a lot of questions about HD option.  When talking to clients I’ve realized that there are some misconception about shooting and delivering in HD. That is why I’ve decided to provide basic information that should be taken into consideration while making a decision.

First of all, there is no doubt that HD is superior to today’s digital format and if you have HDTV you probably experienced for yourself the quality of High Definition: the picture is clearer, the colors are deeper and richer. Some of you may have HD camcorders and if you connect them directly to your HDTV, the picture speaks for itself, and here is where the confusion starts. When you connect HD camcorder directly to your HDTV you see true high definition picture. The key word here is “directly”.  It is completely different when the film is delivered on a disc. So, below is what you need to consider while you decide on HD option.

Just recently the market has moved to Blue-ray Disc as a future delivery media of HD video. Practically the only option today to receive your video from an event videographer in HD format is the Blue-ray Disc and if you don’t have a Blue-ray Player, sorry, true HD will not happen.

Considering that Blue-ray technology is relatively new and an emerging winner of HD race, it is still a relatively expensive option, and only few have it. If you are the owner of a Blue-ray Disc Player, and you have your film shoot, edited and delivered in true HD format, remember that people with regular DVD players will not be able to watch it. You would need to convert it to a regular DVD - to downgrade HD video to a regular digital format and, most likely, for extra cost.

Let’s say you don’t have Blue-ray Player, but you still would like your event to be filmed on HD camera. There is no doubt that HD cameras are delivering superior picture quality in HD, but there is one “small” negative side - their performance in low light situation is not as good as regular digital cameras. So, if you have your event outdoor at night or indoor with only few windows (some venues don’t have windows at all), a regular digital footage captured by HD camera will not look at its best unless powerful lights are used. I am talking about two or more 600-1000 watts bulbs. Personally, I prefer and highly recommend to my clients not to use any external lighting except for on-camera light. It ruins the whole atmosphere of your special day, it almost converts your reception into a major movie production. As of today, there are only one HD camera on the event videography market with good low light performance, but it is very new and only few are using it.

 

In no way I am trying to say don’t shoot in HD. I love HD, I have a full capability of filming, editing and delivering in HD, but I believe that the clients have to know all the facts, so that she/he can make an informed decision before paying extra cost for a TRUE HD FILM.

I am very excited to show you our brand new video for Liza & Stephen who got married just a week ago at Lombardi’s, Long Island. They were a great couple to film. They have another celebration in Hong Kong this weekend and would like to share their wedding day in New York with their guests. I hope they enjoy it.

Hi Edward, Thank you for putting this together in such a short amount of time. You have done a great job! We really enjoyed the video very much and can’t wait to see more of it. The wedding went by so fast and I honestly don’t remember most of it.  I am so greatful to have you and Gail to capture the memories of this important part of our lives.   ~Liza       

Photography by Gail Chatelain

Looks like everybody around me starts bloging.  Is it a new epidemic or I’m simply trying to catch up? Not sure yet but what I know is one more of my friends has joined the movement. Good luck Matt – http://www.matthew-blog.com

Recently, I‘ve checked out the blog of one of the bride’s that contacted me for my video services.  As a beginner-blogger I’ve been curious to see what other people are doing. The blog that I saw amazed and astonished me. One person was able to create a community of brides that share the same interests and vision of their wedding. The job of thousands of people working for wedding publications, web sites, etc. is done by one bride passionate about planning her wedding. The information is very interesting, useful and trustworthy. After all, who knows better what bride needs than bride herself. So, if you are a bride or simply a creative person, highly recommend – Perfect Bound, the blog.

Every wedding publication published at least one article about how to pick the right videographer. Online media and individual studio websites have variety of questions and tips posted and the answers the bride should be looking for. So why, would you ask, I wrote this post? Isn’t the experience, the camera, the editing equipment and length of the video pretty much cover all the basis? In my opinion – none of these really matter.

Even if the couple receives the right answers to all of these “standard” questions, it does not mean that they would get the movie they desire. The average person has no knowledge about video equipment or the editing technics, and she/he does not have to. Bride’s job is to have a beautiful wedding and receive a “WOW” film to remember it, not to overwhelm herself with the details of videographer’s job. The length of film has no impact on how good it is. It depends on the footage, the dynamic of the wedding, interesting moments, and the filmmaker’s artistic and creative judgment. Very often it is better to have 45 minutes of interesting and captivating film, than two boring hours of watching and waiting for it to end.

While asking questions is important to make a choice, watching the movie trailers and the samples of the full wedding is critical. The work has to speak for itself. Make sure you ask to view more than one sample. If you see three weddings and all of them look the same you are dealing with the “factory” not personal work that will capture the emotions of your special day. While samples may share the same style you have to feel the differences.

Ask who will shoot and edit the wedding. If you have a specific professional in mind make it know to the studio owner. If possible deal with the studio that is specializing in videography only and takes limited number of jobs. It lets the videographer to give you more personal attention, and spend as much time as needed to get your job to perfection.

Pay attention to the questions the filmmaker is asking you. Is he/she trying to get to know you, to understand your style and your vision? Good videographer has a strategy how to approach the wedding before he/she even starts to shoot.

You should be comfortable with your videographer. It may sound like a cliche, but there should be a chemistry between you and a person behind the camera.

Different studios use various terms to describe how much time they spend to edit. Usually they call packages from basic to advanced with the number of hours the editor spends to complete a video. Ask the videographer to show you the samples from each editing option. The number of hours does not tell the story. May be basic editing will satisfy your wishes.

Make sure you review the contract, including all of the disclaimers. Ask all the questions before you sign it. It is better to address all of the concerns from the start.

Choosing the videographer comes down to a very simple thing, after watching his work and talking to him you either “click” or “don’t click”. Trust you instincts and decision will be obvious.

I am always excited to be part of a great celebration but even more excited to hear about my work “beautiful DVD of memories I will cherish forever”. I filmed Christen and Eric’s wedding this summer for Regal Bridal, a bridal salon in Long Island. It’s a great couple who had an amazing celebration in Westbury Manor (Long Island, NY). Christen did a Review of her wedding’s vendors on LIWeddings.com and wrote few words about my work as well. Thank you Christen and Eric. I really enjoyed to film your Special Day. 

www.liweddings.com / My 07-29-07 Wedding Review. I really thought I didn’t want a video because I hate to see myself on video, but my mom found Regal Bridal and the owner, Lisa, understood what I did and did not want, and set me up with the perfect videographer. She set me up with Edward Zilberman because we were adamant about wanting a videographer to blend in and not get in our guests faces; someone to chronicle the day for us, to capture the little things I missed as well as the important moments. Edward listened to what I wanted and executed it perfectly. I have to say I barely even remember seeing him there, he wasn’t in the way, he did his job quietly and professionally and the end product was AMAZING! He had arrived at WM early and got footage of the magnificent grounds and used it in the intro of the video. The little moments and details that he caught in the video were so special and so well put together that I can’t even imagine not having him there. He really captured the day, put in creative, artistic touches, and set it to really great music. Regal Bridal provided me with a beautiful DVD of memories I will cherish forever. Thank you, Regal Bridal and thank you, Edward. http://www.liweddings.com/chat/topic-465235-1.html    

Starting 2008 every wedding video I produce will include a trailer.   Couples are eager to see their wedding film as soon as possible and a 3-5 minutes trailer, in my opinion, is a great way to compensate for their waiting time. So, without further delays,  I am very excited to release this brand new trailer featuring Dina and Dan’s Wedding. They are a really great couple who had an amazing wedding in Ritz Carlton Battery Park, New York - a fabulous hotel with a breathtaking view of the New York Harbor. The ceremony took place at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, located in downtown Manhattan. It is the original Cathedral of the Archdiocese of New York completed in 1815.

8mm filmmaking is experiencing a decade of long resurgence. Well, I guess it’s time to stop recreating a vintage look of good, old movies and get back to the original. Starting this month I am offering Super-8 film option which I am sure will become a popular upgrade for weddings and other special events. I can’t wait to shoot number of events in December using real Kodak color film and I will definitely post samples on the blog.

I met Matthew Sowa at one of the wedding I was filming. I liked very much his enthusiasm and the way he was shooting –  creative, different, with emotions.  After I saw his work and talking to him, I realized that we have a similar style, passion to what we are doing and work ethics. Since than we did many jobs together and become not only creative partners but friends. Check out some of his work for yourself below or visit my website www.orangefilmsny.com.