Why is the wedding video turnaround time so long, should I be concerned?
The time it takes to receive your wedding video from a videographer can vary for several reasons. Keep in mind the industry average turn around time for a wedding video is 15-25 weeks, so about 6 months! Here are some common factors that might contribute to the turnaround time:
Editing Process: Video editing is a time-consuming process. The videographer needs to go through all the footage, select the best moments, and edit them together seamlessly. This can take a significant amount of time, especially if there are special effects, music, or other elements involved. Experience is a huge factor in the turnaround time of a video. The less experience someone has, the slower it may take because they don't have a system in place. Typically professional editors that have editing for a long time have this system and it makes things much smoother.
Workload: Videographers often have multiple projects on their plate. If they have a busy schedule or are working on several weddings simultaneously, it can naturally extend the delivery time. This can affect budget filmmakers just as much as high end filmmakers. Maybe someone new has a price so low that they are just taking on a bunch of clients, or maybe they also have a 9-5 job and just don't have as much time to edit as they would like. With higher end videographers, this may be less of an issue because they typically have more experience and have streamlined their systems, but if they are overly involved with a project, or again, have taken on too many events, this can be an issue.
Post-Production Complexity: If your wedding video requires intricate editing, color correction, sound adjustments, or other post-production enhancements, it can add to the overall editing time. This again goes along with the editing process. Typically affecting newcomers more so than veterans, and especially when there are issues or fixes that need attention. Since newcomers don't have the experience with certain issues such as color correcting, bad audio, shaky shots, etc...it may take them longer to fix because now they have to learn how to fix the issue.
Communication and Revisions: The process may be prolonged if there are frequent back-and-forth between you and the videographer regarding specific edits or revisions. Clear communication and a streamlined feedback process can help minimize delays. This can be the case where you are trying to find music and the editing can't continue until the couple responds. In this case, the videographer isn't necessarily entirely to blame, however the editor should know when to email, text or call so that it doesn't hinder the editing process too much.
Contractual Agreements: The timeline for delivering the final product may be outlined in your contract with the videographer. Be sure to check the agreed-upon timeframe, as this can vary from one professional to another. This should be in every agreement that a couple looks at. If this is not in the contract, then don't sign until it is.
Peak Wedding Season: Videographers may experience higher demand during peak wedding seasons. If you got married during a popular time, the videographer might have more bookings, leading to a longer turnaround time. This is very true especially if there multiple weddings to film in the same weekend. Because there are multiple weddinsg in the same weekend that means there will be multiple weddings that need to be finished and edited around the same time. Also, for example, we sometimes film funerals or ceremony only weddings where we have a 3 day turnaround time, and this can slightly affect the turnaround time.
Unforeseen Circumstances: Life happens, and unexpected events or emergencies can arise, causing delays. It's essential to maintain open communication with your videographer to stay informed about any unforeseen challenges. This isn't something that happens often, but it does happen. Maybe sickness prevents us from continuing to edit for a few days, or maybe an unexpected trip needs to ba taken for some reason or another. We try to minimize this by always having our work with us even if we are on the road, but not everyone can.
Of course there are exceptions. At Veiled Rose Films, we typically only take 8 weeks, which is considered pretty quick, but we have also bee doing this for over 12 years, so we have a way of doing things that streamlines the process. There are of course editors that can do it even faster, and we can prioritze your film as well for an added cost. If you're concerned about the timeline, consider reaching out to your videographer to get an update on the progress. Establishing clear communication and understanding expectations can help both parties ensure a smooth process and a timely delivery of your wedding video. If you're interested in a Denver wedding videographer don't hesitate to send us an email at info@veiledrosefilms.com or check us out at veiledrosefilms.com
