Typical length of Wedding DVD

Paul Fairhurst · #1 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 07:10 PM

I am curious to know what is the average length of a Wedding DVD. Mine are normally between 45mins to 60mins dependant on the package and I have had no complaints up to today. Which leads me to this question and a follow-up. If the finished DVD is longer (and I have seen them advertised at 2hrs.) what about quality issues?

Marc Peters · #2 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Fairhurst

I am curious to know what is the average length of a Wedding DVD. Mine are normally between 45mins to 60mins dependant on the package and I have had no complaints up to today. Which leads me to this question and a follow-up. If the finished DVD is longer (and I have seen them advertised at 2hrs.) what about quality issues?

If someone wants 2 hours of a wedding day, then they won't be worried about quality. 2 hours is rediculously long and essentially means little or no editing. To me, that suggests that the client has a fundamental misunderstanding of 'film', and would be happy to have 'something' as long as they think you captured every nuance of the day in mind numbingly boring detail.

I've pretty much given people want they want in 5 to 10 minutes. If they want the whole speeches, or the whole ceremony you can supply this on a seperate DVD. To me, anything over 20 to 30 minutes would be torture. I want highlights, not the entire day from one or two angles. So that might give you an indication. To summarise, if someone wants more than 2 hours, give it to them and they won't care about quality. Trust me, I've been there!

Z Cheema · #3 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 11:09 PM

mine are twos day long as I use that lovely slo-motion thing so they get there monies worth.

Any time is fine as long as client (and you) are happy, it is their day and if you can make an entertaining DVD for 2 hours that's great. Don't forget with chapters skipping stuff is easy now.

Mark W · #4 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 11:24 PM

2 days - thats funny.

CUT CUT CUT should be the rule for any film maker - watching a 2 hour wedding video is tantamount to waterboarding - but hey if they are paying and wont listen...

Z Cheema · #5 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 08:32 AM

There is no right or wrong, as long as it is interesting it can be asl long as you(they) like and of course as long as the client loves it, is after all for them and not for us and our egos.

Marc Peters · #6 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 08:38 AM

I agree that there is no right or wrong answer in terms of the client, but there is in terms of the kind of work one accepts. I would not, for example, consider providing a 2+ hour video and would not therefore accept the business. For me, therefore, there is a wrong answer!

steslat · #7 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 07:07 PM

Depends a lot on how much has been covered i.e. up to speeches or late evening but most of mine are around the 45-60 mins mark, unless the couple specifically want something longer. As they are paying Im happy to oblige.

Steve

Zero · #8 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 09:20 AM

It's not only today's MTV (quick fix) audience that will be watching these wedding videos.There will hopefully be a few generations to come transfixed by their own family's history. To cut, what may seem mundane to us, would be vain and conceited.
We produce a DVD from 11/2 to 2 hours depending on the length of the service and speeches. This is what our clients love. It is their money and this style is what keeps our bills paid. Many editors may find the ceremony and speeches tedious, but clients and their families want to see these and other family moments. They even buy the unedited tapes to see cut scenes, they're so keen not to miss anything.
I'd be plain stupid to only offer a taster of the day knowing demand would drop and it may sound good in theory, but in practise, lousy business sense having built our reputation on this style.
Good luck to those who only offer the cut down version, but we offer both - A quick flick to the end chapter gives us the artistic freedom and the clients a choice.

Marc Peters · #9 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 10:14 AM

You are, of course, welcome to offer your clients what you want. If they wanted you to hang upside down from the rafters to capture the service, then I'm sure there would be a market fo it at a price. But here's the thing - we have the opportunity to say 'no' to requests and I personally would only do work that I wanted to do.

So I would once again stress that there is no right or wrong answer to what should be included or how long a DVD is. But there is a right or wrong answer in terms of what you, as a creative professional, offer clients. If the gig ain't right, I wouldn't do it. So for me personally there is a right answer and that's that I would be prepared to do for the client. I wouldn't want to offer 2 hours of essemtially uncut video and would make this clear in any prior communitcations.

As a creative, I retain the right to provide only that which I am happy to provide as agreed at inititation. If the client doesn't want what I am prepared to provide, then I will work with another client (or more specifically, they won't chose me).

One doesn't have to offer everything.

Marc Peters · #10 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero

To cut, what may seem mundane to us, would be vain and conceited.

I don't believe myself to be conceited for having a desire to provide something watchable. It may be vain to want to be associated with a certain sub-set of production types, but if you want to create a niche, then you wouldn't want to offer something that goes against your ethos.

I don't think one should dictate to other professionals what constitutes as vain or otherwise. It is up to the professional to decide what his business model offers. If the market doesn't want the product, said product will fail. But to insinuate that buidling a niche is to be concieted is, perhaps, contrary to the fundamental principle of market segmentation.

It would be churlish to suggest that Rolls Royce are conceited for offering products to a certain segment of the car industry. And it would be inappropriate to suggest that a well cut wedding video is a 'quick fix'. On the contratry, it is this consumer's desire to have a wedding video that captures the essence of the day without being overly long. I don't want a 'quick fix' per se, but I do want the salient points of the day. I don't want to re-live every moment, just those that evoke memories or emotions.

But I would want to stress that this consumer is only one of many. Some, and typically older generations, want to relive the whole day. But please don't suggest that I am part of a quick fix MTV generation for not having the desire to sit through (as a viewer) or edit (as a professional) a two hour video.