Most couples are delighted with their wedding video, especially those who hire a professional wedding videographer. But what do you do if you end up with a wedding video you’re not happy with?
Talk to Your Videographer
Step one is to talk to your videographer. Let them know exactly what you’re not happy about and why. If they’re a professional, much of their work probably comes from personal recommendation, so if a client requests a reasonable change that is within their power to make they probably will.
Of course this depends what the change is. Say, for example, there was an elderly relative attending the wedding who you really hoped would feature on the video but didn’t make it into the final cut. If the videographer has any footage of them they may well be more than happy to include some in a revised version. If you’re not happy with a music track, or feel that a particular scene is too dark, these are also things that many videographers would be happy to fix. However, if you want footage they didn’t capture on the day or you just don’t like their editing style, then there is not going to be much they can do about it.
A friend or family member who did you a favour by filming and editing your wedding video for you probably spent quite a bit of their spare time on it and did the best job they could. They will still want you to be happy with it, so you can ask them to make small changes, but you’ll need to use your judgement as to how much you can ask for without causing offence.
Check Your Contract
If your professional videographer is unwilling to make the changes you ask for, check your contract (read this article for advice on The Wedding Videographer’s Contract). There should be provisions in there regarding your rights if you’re dissatisfied with the videographer’s work. Reminding them of these clauses might be enough to get the result you want, but if they still refuse you may need to consult a lawyer to find out how you can enforce the contract.
Are They An IOV Member?
If your videographer is a member of the Institute of Videography there is an independent arbitration procedure open to you, which members must abide by. The aim is to agree a fair and amicable settlement.
Ask Someone Else to Re-Edit Your Video
If all else fails you could try to get someone else to re-edit your footage for you. Freelance video editors are easy to find online, but the best option is a wedding videographer who will edit existing footage. Many won’t, but some of us are only too happy to rescue people’s precious memories.
For the best results you’ll need to get hold of all the original footage, and as the original videographer will hold the copyright you will their permission. This shouldn’t be too hard to obtain if this is a friend or relative, but a professional videographer might be unhappy about you wanting to have someone else edit their work. In this case you could offer to buy the raw footage from them and pay extra to have them assign the copyright to you. The videographer is under no obligation to do this, but it’s worth a try.
The best advice is to choose your videographer carefully. View their previous work and speak to them about what you want in advance. That way, you’ll never have to worry about any of this.
Guest post by Jim Cliff
Image from Pixabay
