Video Production in Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and further Afield...
At Pretend I'm Not Here, we specialise in Wedding Videography, however we also provide Videography for the following:
- Wedding Videos
- Corporate Videos
- Adverts for Social Media
- Music Videos
- Sports Videos
- Showreels for Actors
- Showreels for bands and Singers, or any other form of entertainment
Getting Married? Then start here with the FAQ...
10 Questions that you could have, should have, or didn't have, but are now glad you had answered...
Q1. Who are you?
A1. I'm Carl, Go to the About Page to find out more about me.
Q2. What makes you different to the other Videographers, and why should I book you?
A2. I’m glad you asked…
- During a Wedding Day, there will generally be a Photographer, and a Videographer… Sometimes you end up with both trying to direct you to sip a glass of champagne, Look into the distance, Stand on one leg… This can be a big distraction, and you can feel like you’re being pulled from pillar to post. I leave the directing to the Photographer, and shoot the Action as it’s naturally happening, staying discrete, you might not even need to pretend I’m Not Here.
- From reading this FAQ, You’ll hopefully grasp that I’m very open and honest about all things… I will not promise you something I cannot provide, and I will not try to flower things up in order to secure a booking… I don’t need to.
- If you compare my work with other Videographers, you will hopefully see that my work is A. Great value for money. B. More of a modern upbeat style… I try to avoid really slow and mushy production. C. Whilst at the same time capturing the emotion, and beauty of the day.
Q3. Do I really need a Videographer for my Wedding?
A3. Absolutely not…
Q4. Oh...Well that's that then...
A4. Not exactly... Plenty of couples regret not hiring a Videographer... I've never known a couple to say that they regret having a Wedding Video.
Q5. So if I have a choice between a Photographer and a Videographer then which should I choose?
A5. Honestly? Both... They are completely different. A photographer will capture beautiful moments in time. A Videographer will capture and show the day as it unfolds, including what’s being said, funny moments, and your Nan dancing… and with my editing magic, Nan will look even more awesome than she already is… (I almost forgot about the not flowering up part)
Q6. But if I had a gun to my head, and I had to choose one?
A6. Well that escalated quickly...
It depends… In general, a lot of your guests will be taking photographs of varying quality, some will come out delightful, some you’ll ban from facebook. So you could argue that you don’t need a professional Photographer… but I haven’t worked at a Wedding where there hasn’t been one.
However… Not many of your guests will be recording video of everything important that happens, and if they do… It will be shaky, you won’t be able to hear very well, (Except you might hear uncle Bob saying, “So When’s the bar open?” because he’s right next to the camera. And the quality will be low due to consumer level Video recorders’ major limitations. The most important argument for having a Videographer is that a great Wedding Film is almost all in the editing… A friend with a camcorder will struggle to cut out and replace unflattering shots, background talking, or movement that will make the viewer feel queasy. They may also lack the talent and experience to cut the film to the right music, enhancing the emotion.
So what I’m saying is, neither photography or Videography are more important than the other, unless it’s more important to you… Or to put it even more simply… budget for both…
It depends… In general, a lot of your guests will be taking photographs of varying quality, some will come out delightful, some you’ll ban from facebook. So you could argue that you don’t need a professional Photographer… but I haven’t worked at a Wedding where there hasn’t been one.
However… Not many of your guests will be recording video of everything important that happens, and if they do… It will be shaky, you won’t be able to hear very well, (Except you might hear uncle Bob saying, “So When’s the bar open?” because he’s right next to the camera. And the quality will be low due to consumer level Video recorders’ major limitations. The most important argument for having a Videographer is that a great Wedding Film is almost all in the editing… A friend with a camcorder will struggle to cut out and replace unflattering shots, background talking, or movement that will make the viewer feel queasy. They may also lack the talent and experience to cut the film to the right music, enhancing the emotion.
So what I’m saying is, neither photography or Videography are more important than the other, unless it’s more important to you… Or to put it even more simply… budget for both…
Q7. So I want a gorgeous record of my day, that I can look back on and have hosted online for my friends and family to see… does it mean I have to have a camera crew follow me around all day?
A7. Not with Pretend I’m Not Here… The clue’s in the name. I’m as discreet as possible, capturing the action, not being the action. Typically it will just be me with a professional camera similar to a Photographers camera on top of a monopod to get the beautiful shots throughout the day… I often get mistaken for being one of your guests… A second camera will be on a tripod at a distance during the Ceremony, and the Speeches, so that your final product can have multiple angles, smoothly edited into a glossy film. The Groom will have a discreet clip on microphone for the Ceremony, and all speech givers will also be Mic’ed up.
Q8. I don’t know how much I should be paying for a Videographer, and I don't want to get ripped off.
A8. Prices vary between companies, but so does the finished product, and the professionalism on the day. My advice would be to watch examples of a videographer's work, and compare others to see what is good value for money.
For example, Pretend I’m Not Here is a relatively new company that produces good quality Wedding Videos. I would say I am priced in the middle bracket. I would be wary of anybody offering professional videos under £500, and would really scrutinise their work. For anything over £1500 I would expect to see multiple camera operators, and pristine videos, with flawless audio. Pretend I’m Not Here are currently between the two… for now :-) See my work here
Also going back to their attitudes on the day... Try to get a feel of whether you like the Videographer or not... Nobody wants an annoying oik following them around on their Wedding Day... I try to keep my oikness to a minimum, and act as a calming influence amongst the myriad of activities going on throughout the day.
For example, Pretend I’m Not Here is a relatively new company that produces good quality Wedding Videos. I would say I am priced in the middle bracket. I would be wary of anybody offering professional videos under £500, and would really scrutinise their work. For anything over £1500 I would expect to see multiple camera operators, and pristine videos, with flawless audio. Pretend I’m Not Here are currently between the two… for now :-) See my work here
Also going back to their attitudes on the day... Try to get a feel of whether you like the Videographer or not... Nobody wants an annoying oik following them around on their Wedding Day... I try to keep my oikness to a minimum, and act as a calming influence amongst the myriad of activities going on throughout the day.
Q9. I’ve seen your two packages, but I’m not sure which one to choose… Can I choose one and later change my mind?
A9. For both of my packages I shoot exactly the same footage, so…
You can choose the Standard Package, which means your final product is a 5-10 minute Highlight Video (See the examples here:)
If you later decide that you actually want the Full Package, which adds a 45min-1 hour Video with full Ceremony, and full Speeches, and more detailed highlights of the day… Then you can just pay the difference between the two packages, and it will be so.
However…
Balances need to be paid two weeks before the Wedding day… If you have Booked the Full Package, and paid for it, then you can’t then opt for just the Standard Package… Up until you’ve paid, you can change your mind.
You can choose the Standard Package, which means your final product is a 5-10 minute Highlight Video (See the examples here:)
If you later decide that you actually want the Full Package, which adds a 45min-1 hour Video with full Ceremony, and full Speeches, and more detailed highlights of the day… Then you can just pay the difference between the two packages, and it will be so.
However…
Balances need to be paid two weeks before the Wedding day… If you have Booked the Full Package, and paid for it, then you can’t then opt for just the Standard Package… Up until you’ve paid, you can change your mind.
Q10. So I have decided that I want to have Pretend I’m Not Here produce a wonderful Wedding Film for me… What do I do next.
A10. First we need to find out if your day is available, obviously the earlier you book, the more chance you’ve got. So you can find out by e-mailing me at pretenduk@gmail.com , or filling out the contact form on the Contact page... If your date is available, the deposit is due upon booking, and the balance is due two weeks before the big day.