You have questions we have answers
Cinematography
What are your starting prices for Cinematography? What do most couples spend on average?
Our "Essential cinema Collection" (1 single videographer) starts at $3000 up to 8 hours of coverage, but most couples spend between $3600 to $6200
What do I need to do to retain my Wedding Date, and when do I pay you?
A $900 retainer fee is required at time of booking. This is Non-Refundable, but goes towards your final payment. The remaining can be paid automatically, monthly or all at once one month prior to the wedding date.
Do you offer a cash discount?
No. However we do accept cash, check, and/or credit card payments. Either way we have to charge the appropriate taxes.
How many weddings do you book each year?
We are not a volume brand (over 100 weddings), we take a personalized approach and love to get to know each couple, connect and create something beautiful together. We don't outsource any editing jobs, and that is why we have limited bookings, from 20 to 40 weddings max every year.
Do you travel? What about travel costs?
We travel for free within one hour of Jersey City NJ or 55 miles radius of 07306. We will travel farther, but there might be a travel cost associated. City weddings may incur toll and parking costs.
What happens in the event an emergency/you are no longer able to shoot our wedding?
The only situation that would keep us from shooting and already booked date are (illness/injury/health related, death...and things of that nature). But if the situation were to arise where we were unable to shoot, would provide you with one of our talented and experienced associate shooter on the day of, and we would still personally edit your films, so you get our signature editing style.
What is your cancellation Policy?
Your $900 non-refundable retainer fee is non-refundable. We completely understand that things happen and we are willing to work with you to reschedule in case of an emergency. We cannot guarantee we will be available on your desired reschedule date, but will commit to making it happen on our end.
What should we do before the wedding?
Having a great itinerary for your day can help insure that it goes smoothly. We are happy to assist with this process. We also love having the opportunity to meet our couples prior to the wedding day over Zoom or the Save the Date session.
I've never been to a wedding with a videographer, what should I expect?
Wedding videography has change a ton! The days of a creepy guy with a huge camera are long gone. We basically blend right in with your photographers. 90% of the time we're hanging out with you capturing candid moments. Every now and then we will give some directions but for the most part we let your photographer take the lead on that. Our goal is to make sure your day is perfect. We're not going to add any stress to the day and we will stay as unobtrusive as possible .
What do you need on our wedding day?
We pride ourselves on not being very needy, but to produce a great film, there are a few things that we need. As mentioned , an itinerary helps a lot. We will also need 30 minutes minimum to set up for your ceremony. (Usually during your break, family photos, etc), and a 20 minutes prior to the introductions to set up cameras, lights, microphones and recorders for the speeches and toasts. Finally, we are humans, so we will need the occasional necessity break, water, and a place to sit and eat at your reception.
Why do you think we need a second videographer?
One videographer can't be in many places at once, and you want to get the most of your wedding day. This ensures that nothing valuable is excluded. The number of cinematographers will definitely affect the outcome of your final product. A second videographer will ensure that nothing valuable is excluded. Benefits of a second videographer includes the following: Provide coverage for both Bride and Groom when they are getting ready at different locations. Aerial footage of your venue location (weather and air space drone fly permitted). More creative footage throughout the day, additional angle/perspective to capture all the important moments. One can capture the bride coming down the aisle while the other capture the groom and guests' reactions. Great for large weddings with many guests.
How are you able to capture our day without being "IN THE WAY" OR A DISTRACTION TO GUESTS? how do you capture audio from the day?
Our cameras are small enough that they allow us to be nimble, reacting to spontaneous moments that occur throughout the day. Combined with our goal to be unobtrusive and letting things happen naturally, most guests hardly know we're there. We utilize a combination of on camera microphones, as well as off camera audio devices, and very small lapel microphones to ensure every word is captured perfectly so you can hear all those special moments of your wedding day.
Do you create long wedding films(15, 30, 60 minutes) ? What is a Short film and a Feature film?
We specialize in creating cinematic short wedding films that are generally 4-8 minutes long. A Short film is what you will watch thousand of times and share with everyone you know (and many you don't know) They are long enough to tell the whole story of the day and short enough to be awesome from start to finish. We do offer a feature film upgrade: 10 to 12 minutes long and includes extensive audio and footage from the ceremony, toasts and reception activities. May or may not be chronological. (Length of the film will depend of the hours of coverage and content we have of your wedding day)
We understand the ceremony, toasts/speeches and other moments throughout the day are important keepsakes you might like captured. We offer additional edits that include full versions of the ceremony, first dance, toasts/speeches and full day documentary edit options. These are perfect to watch on your anniversaries and for sharing with those close to you only. Each package is customizable.
It's very important to remember that a longer film does not directly equate to a more valuable film. For example a 1 hour film that is boring at parts is not as valuable to a shorter film that is amazing from start to finish, so don't judge based solely on length of time
*Highlight Film: A jammed packed emotional wedding video, about 3-4 minutes in length. This is a creative edit and very cinematic with strong storytelling elements. Not all moments are included, but the ones that are, are sure to make you laugh, cry and want to re-watch immediately.
Who is this good for?
Great for watching over and over on repeat, and sharing online for family and friends.
*Short Film: A extended Highlight film.It’s a 6 to7 minute cinematic film.
*Feature film Edit: It’s a short film and runs about 10-12 minutes long. Includes extensive audio and footage from the ceremony, toasts and reception activities. May or may not be chronological. (Length of the film will depend of the hours of coverage and content we have of your wedding day) This has a much more cinematic film that is more like an extended highlight film.
Who is this good for?
Great for couples who want to watch a movie like version of their wedding day. This film covers the best parts of the day telling your wedding story, from your getting ready, the ceremony, and the crazy party- not each second, but rather, all the key moments of the day.
*Full Day Documentary Edit: The Documentary edit is a clean cut of all the good footage captured throughout the day combined together for your convenience.( The length varies with coverage, 50-90 minutes). Unlike the other deliverables, this edit isn’t polished as it is only meant to give you a sneak peek of all the content that didn’t make it into the main film, parts of the documentary edit will be a bit more raw. You may notice the camera whips around sometimes to get the proper frame and focus, That’s because we don’t want to miss anything important for the Wedding Film, but we also want to give you a more complete glimpse of your day, as -is, and as such no additional changes can be requested for this edit.
Who is this good for?
Great for couples who want to watch every second of their wedding day.
Do I have to book cinematography and photo together?
You are not required to use both services from us. We have work with other photographers.
How many videographers will be present at my wedding day?
The Essential Cinema Collection includes 1 videographer, and multiple cameras, so we can get multiple angles of all the big moments.The number of cinematographers will affect the outcome of your final product. You can add a second cinematographer and get: More creative footage throughout the day, additional angle/perspective to capture all the important moments. One can capture the bride coming down the aisle while the other capture the groom and guests' reactions. Great for large weddings with many guests.
Do you offer partially coverage?
No, we don't. We need at least 8 hours to cover all the content we need to create a quality wedding film like the ones we produce.
What do we film and how long is a typical day?
The day of a wedding videographer is a bit different than the photographers. On average our days are 8 to 10 hours. We normally start at getting ready in the morning. We are with you for about an hour to an hour and a half getting ready. We will cover first look if you are doing that. We need to be at your ceremony location at least 45 min before you start time as we do have a lot of set to do with multiple cameras and audio and b-roll footage. We then cover basic bridal party and your creative photo session where will also do our own directing for your wedding film. Normally as videographers we will no cover entirely the family photos or cocktail hour as we need some of that time to ether trailer to location to set up again, set up in reception and all out detail shots of the room and venue along with setting up audio with your DJ or Band and back up audio.
Does Cristian M.Velez film every wedding?
Yes, Cristian is the lead cinematographer, unless something really out of my hands happens, one of the talented associate cinematographers will be in charge, and will let you know in advance.
Do you offer drone footage?
Aerial footage is stunning and cinematic and provides a perspective that is incredibly unique, will increase the value of your film. We will need a dedicated drone operator, so It will be included if you hire a second shooter and will be used for location and establishment shots only. However, There are instances when drones aren't suitable: weather is an important factor, we don't fly our drone in inclement conditions , like rain, sleet or snow. There's also the noise factor. We will not use a drone during a ceremony, or fly our drone over people for safety reasons. The venue/geographic location: keep in mind there are federal airspace restrictions at all times, and there are certain flight restrictions in place that either prohibit or restrict UAS flights. Some of these may include proximity to nearby airports, schools, police & fire services, hospitals, and critical infrastructure.
Are you going to blind me with bright lights on the video camera?
Of course not. We do not use lights at the church, and we do not have intrusive camera mounted lights at the reception. The reason our dance footage looks amazing is because of the lights we use. But we will light your reception in a way that blends in with the scenery and we will only use just enough light to get the effect we need. Once we get enough shots (usually entrances, first dances, toasts and a dance set or two) we'll take the lights down. It's important to note that these lights will not interfere with any lighting your DJ or Venue is setting up.
Do we get to choose the music?
Recently media companies have had to deal extensively with only using licensed music for commercial work. It all comes down to what is legal. Licensing music is so important to keep us legal and to keep us in good standing with music providers and Federal copyright laws. Buying a song from iTunes and using it as a music track for your wedding film is illegal and can come with very hefty fines and potential lawsuits. We generally license music from www.ARTLIST.io . If you find a track on this site that you like, please let us know and we will try to secure it. . All music has to be licensed legally to be used in our films.
How long will it take to receive my finished wedding film?
We will send you a 1 minute teaser to you the next 48 hours after your wedding to share on social media. Depending on the time of the year, short films take anywhere from 2 to 3 months, and ceremony, dances and toasts edits 4 to 6 months.
How will my videos be delivered?
We will send you a link to your online theatre & hosting. Consider this an online Blu-ray Disc menu that allows you to host, share and download all of your edited videos from one location. Keeps all of your wedding videos in the cloud indefinitely, and from there, you can stream all your wedding videos to your big TV screens.
Does Cinemarvelfilms carry insurance?
Yes, we are fully covered. Always ask your vendors if they carry insurance.
What video format do you shoot?
By default, our packages include 4K capture and delivery at 1920 x 1080 resolution. With the introduction of the Sony a7siii, we now offer 4K delivery at 3840×2160 resolution for an additional fee. I always shoot at 23.976 frames per second which produces the most filmic look.
Do you offer raw files?
All our package prices are built around buying the edit and not including RAW footage. Raw footage is archived for 12 months after your event, we do offer a licensing fee of $550.00 for personal use within this time. We will deliver a hard drive with all the raw video clips we recorded on your big day, but before we provide RAW FOOTAGE, we want you to understand what they are.
What is Raw Footage?
Raw footage is just what it sounds like. It's the footage just how it is directly off our cards. These files are not edited together and are very hard to watch with out a very fast and powerful computer and program (Final Cut Pro, Premiere, etc). There are hundreds of unedited files. Giving raw files is much like asking an artist for an unfinished painting. We spend a lot of editing time watching EVERY second of footage when we make your Wedding Film, and we use the very best and most precious parts from all the footage. You’ll find in the raw footage that it’s a lot of us setting up shots (framing, focusing, etc.) and the wedding short film has all the best bits. We offer additional edits like the complete multi- camera ceremony, First dances, and full uncut speeches splitting into chapters as another option. Raw footage is not easy to watch. It’s not something that can be burned to a DVD and watched on your television.
Nowadays all videographers shoot on digital media, which means every time we start and stop recording, a new video file is created. Now imagine how many times we do this throughout the entire 8-10 hour wedding day, not to mention that most of us are using 3-4 cameras for each wedding! What you end up with is hundreds of 10-60 second, 1-10 minute clips which we must then sort, color correct imperfections, and then ultimately piece together to create a story. Who has the time to sift through and double-click, watch for a few seconds, close, double-click, watch, close, hundreds of times?
Why Raw Footage might no be an option?
We film in High quality video codecs that you will likely not be able to play on your computer. We film in a flat/desaturated color profile for flexibility in video coloring. If somehow your computer is able to even play the raw video files, the video will look completely bland/flat. We recommend getting the additional Ceremony and reception documentary edits .
Photography faq
What are your starting prices for photography?
Our Elopement package up to 4 hours starts at $1500. For traditional weddings, our "Essential Photo Collection" starts at $3000
What is your photography style?
Our style is a combination of Photojournalistic, or reportage and traditional wedding photography. We focus on capturing organic, natural and genuine moments to occur during your first look and ceremony, to tell a story in a creative way. Most couples don’t even notice the interjection. We will try not to be in the way and be the least intrusive as possible, while we capture unforgettable moments of your big day.
Clearing out clutter, opening windows, or turning off lights to set up a shot in advance is a normal practice. We will give some posing direction, such as what to do and where to stand, but in a way that produces natural, relaxed moments. We will acknowledge when to stand back and just let things happen.
We might also add elements of flash photography to our shooting style. During portrait sessions, we will give you some directions or suggestions , but will leave room for natural and candid posing.
Will you help us pose in front of the camera?
Our hope in all of our sessions is to allow you the space to feel comfortable to show the real you. We crave the unposed moments that look natural and reflect your story. We will laugh together and guide you through the entire session, we got you covered!
What would be the quality and amount of photos we would get in our package?
On average you will receive 80 to 100 images per hour of shooting. We do snap more than that but we do you the favor of taking out the outtakes like blinks, unflattering images, test shots, duplicates and the like. The images will be delivered in full resolution JPEG format, no water marks, with a mix of color and black and white images, and deemed appropriate by CINEMARVELFILMS.
Can we see a full wedding gallery?
Absolutely, we will send 2 full wedding galleries to every couple that contacts us.
How do you ensure our photos are safe?
We show up with multiple cameras that all have 2 card slots. Every click of the shutter is written to 2 cards simultaneously. When we get home, everything is backed up to multi locations, not directly on our computers.
Can we request a list of specific photos we would like?
We absolutely encourage our clients to create a list of shots. However, we cannot guarantee that all photos on the list will be taken based on timing and cooperation of people in the photos. However, we will go over the list prior to your Wedding/Event to note your must have photos so that we can make every effort possible to capture them for you.
Will we have the rights to our images?
By definition, the copyright holder is the person who clicks the shutter (the photographer), so the copyright stays with Cinemarvelfilms, but you have full printing and personal rights. That means you can print, post to social media, and share with friends and family. The only thing you can't do is profit from our work. such as publishing, selling or supplying your wedding photos to others who intend to publish or use the images for advertising purposes. If any other vendor would like some of your photos, please have them contact us at cinemarvelfilms@gmail.com.
How long after our Wedding/Event will we receive our images?
You will get a sneak peek of some of the best moments by the next 48 hours of your event. All Image delivery is based upon season as some months are busier than others. Our delivery window is 7-12 weeks for the delivery of your download link.