Videography Meets Photography

“We already have wedding photography — do we really need videography too? What’s the difference anyway?”

We understand that adding another vendor can be a difficult decision especially when you’re trying to stay within your wedding budget. So we’ve listed a few things for you to consider below.

Hello hello — we’re Cassidy and Chris from Peaking Zebra in Ottawa and we specialize in wedding cinematography. Why do we say “cinematography” or “filmmaking” instead of videography? Well, to be more specific, a cinematographer, as compared to a videographer, is a term to describe the focus of capturing a more story-based film. When editing, we consciously don’t just assemble visual clips together in the style of a music video. Instead, we incorporate your wedding’s emotional audio as the foundation of the film and then we flag important visual moments and connections from the day that purposefully match what is heard. The only reason we might say “videography” is for search optimization purposes because that’s what most brides and grooms type when they’re looking for vendors.

Keywords aside, let’s get back on track. For those who don’t know, we actually filmed Nicole & Max’s wedding! You can watch their wedding film below :)

Now — what IS the difference between wedding photography and cinematography? Quite simply, it’s a single snapshot vs. seconds of motion. In a photo, you can see laughter, but in a video, you can hear it. Together, your photos and film tell the most complete story of your wedding day.

As you already know, your photographer is going to capture so many irreplaceable shots that you can frame on your wall, put into your wedding album on your coffee table or digitally send around to your family/friends. There’s absolutely no denying the importance of that. But the thing that most couples are experiencing when ONLY investing in photography is that they aren’t able to remember all of the nuances of what their wedding day was really like. And when you put that into perspective, only video can truly capture the movements and sounds of your day.

For example, imagine the hilarious photo of your best man giving his speech. He’s laughing in the photo, but what did he say that was so funny??? Will you still remember the words he said 10 years later? Probably not because your wedding day will truly be a blur when it’s over. Well with your wedding film you’ll NEVER forget all the important moments of your day! Or what about that invaluable photo of your mother crying in the front row during the ceremony? Wouldn’t it be handy to match that emotional picture to your wedding film to see the reason behind her tears? Oh, would you look at that — she was choking up during the beautiful poem read by your cousin!!! Undoubtedly, your wedding photos and wedding film bring out the best in each other for this reason. Together, they create MAGIC.

“But what if our photographer and filmmaker clash or get in each other’s way?”

Honestly, if you hire the right photographer and filmmaker, you don’t need to worry about this. A professional cinematographer should be constantly communicating with your photographer throughout the day and vice versa. For Peaking Zebra, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with the photographer so we don’t get in each other’s shots. And we also use flexible lenses that allow us to zoom in or zoom out based on where the photographer is standing. We are so accommodating that we typically ask the photographer how they work, what lenses they are using, and then we follow their flow while still managing to get our signature shots and style.

“But if we have both a photographer and filmmaker will there not be way too many cameras pointed at us?” “Which camera do we look at then?”

We actually tell the bride and groom first thing in the morning to ignore our video cameras the entire day unless told otherwise! Photographers are more “directors” and filmmakers are more “documenters.” While your photographer obviously still captures candid moments, they’ll likely be the ones posing you during the photo shoot. “Put your hand a bit lower, tilt your head to the left, kiss her cheek,” etc. For your film, we like to capture the moments in between those poses when you’re giggling and moving around.

Our past couples always tell us that we were like flies on the wall and that they never noticed us all day. That’s because we don’t really talk and just let everything unfold naturally. We are recording audio after all! When you watch your film back, you’ll know that every moment was real. As Nicole says, “How you feel in each moment is how you remember a photo, not just how you see it.”

If you’re still on the fence about hiring a wedding filmmaker for your big day, just know that the number one regret of newlyweds is not hiring a filmmaker. Google it if you don’t believe us! Whether you book Peaking Zebra or someone else — there’s no beating reliving your entire ceremony, speeches and first dances with just the click of a button.

Finally, how much are you planning to spend on your dress, flowers, catering, decor, etc. to use for a single day? Without quality photos and video, all those expendable items from your wedding are almost guaranteed to be lost forever. So now, how much are you willing to spend on the priceless investment of photography and cinematography that last a LIFETIME?

— Cassidy & Chris (Peaking Zebra)

Here is Nicole’s own wedding highlight film as shot by as, as well as some behind the scenes. Enjoy!