In 2011 I resigned from my work in Butuan Doctors Hospital as an E.R. Nurse for 3 years, then got my gears later that year. I was doing videography even earlier before, using my mobile phone and digital camera (Canon ES-70) but really got it serious after I bought my first DSLR and shooting my first client in November 2012. So there it was in the past 4 years I was able to build my team and shared my knowledge and skills to them for they also shares the same passion, basically making my passion into my profession.
We do an average number of wedding coverage per year, in a fact that there are also other teams in our area. In the first year we would have at least a wedding a month then progressed as the years goes by when we developed our style and the clients started trusting us, then last year an average of two or three weddings per month depending on our schedules and 4 to 6 weddings during peak seasons or wedding months.
Through the years based on my experience, I have learned that we as a team can effectively render our services and accommodate our clients if we do 4 weddings a month, clients outputs and delivery time are much faster, next month delivery is still possible. More than 4 clients per month especially on wedding months pending outputs begins 2-3 months delivery or even longer depending on the new schedules.
2. How would you describe your style?—documentary, cinematic or a mix of both?
My style is a combination of documentary and cinematic. Documentary because I traditionally capture the moments and emotions that will unfold that day while applying creative and cinematic camera movements that will make the video interesting to watch and not static. Me and my team mainly look for the emotions that will unfold in the preparations, ceremony and at the reception and creatively capture these moments.
My style is not really different from the others in the same field but since I love to capture natural human emotions and using this to create my master piece, being at the right time and place waiting for the moment to happen and hitting that record button, candidly capturing that split second emotions at that specific time and moment “ Real emotions of real people in real life” – our motto. We seldomely interrupt the flow of events unless needed depending on the situations specially during the preparation, but we do have a specific flow that we need to follow, a shot list that we need to capture and the rest is basically the moments that unfolds.
3. What type of equipment do you use?
I am using a Professional DSLR Camera body to capture and record videos. Almost everybody in the industry is using these gears now. Constantly upgrading to render the best and quality results. Professional Camera lenses of various ranges and sizes. These gears do not come cheap, I usually invest and saved money before I could buy. I have a powerful and high end computer unit for editing videos and tons of hard drives and external hard drives for backing up. A powerful laptop so that I could do on site videos. A Drone for aerial shots. Professional tripod, Professional audio equipment’s for capturing professional quality audio, lighting set up and many other gears needed to capture creatively, smoothly and professionally. All of these do not come cheap but are needed so that we can effectively render the best footages. Skills are needed to capture creatively but Gears also are needed to capture professionally and effectively.
4. What does your package include?
I have created a package convenient for my clients and their needs. These includes photography services for I also do Photography. Through the years we made a package suited for the market and common budget on our area so that everybody can afford and will be able to hire us. Our rates and services rendered matters on the locations also, the rate that we created for Cabadbaran city and Butuan city is not applicable on Davao city or Cebu city for they have a higher market and services rates. We have a package that renders our services only, also a package with a take home wedding album and other prints, a package with on site video and use of drone etc. So basically depending on the clients budget and needs.
5. When it comes to scope of the area, hanggang saan ang allowed na area na pwede ka ma hire to shoot?
To mention we are licensed and registered by DTI and BIR since the day we operate.
Wedding filmmaking or videography is based mainly on services and actually we do not need a shop to operate we can even do home based like me now. So the scope of area that we can operate is basically anywhere. We can be hired anywhere in the Philippines and outside of the country if the clients is willing to pay for the expenses. Also if we are hired out of town the client will be the one to shoulder for our fare, food and accommodations. We have an out of town pay also if the stay will be longer.
6. Are you till active sa pagshoot nang wedding ngayon?
I am still active today and still shooting weddings, its been 4 years now and will continue to shoot for another 10 or more years if God permits. This is my passion and I am having fun while doing it. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” And I found this to be true. Satisfied clients gives me the fuel to do more, being hired by the client and be part of the happiest day of their lives is a blessing in itself. Not everyone gets a chance to be invited and be the one to document in one of the happiest and the biggest moment of a persons life – getting married, not only invited but also get paid and appreciated. They may forget our names but they will never forget our works, looking back at our captured moments of them brings back precious memories of their lives. I say this is one of the best jobs in the world also.
7. Bakit ikaw dapat ang ma hire as Wedding Videographer sa isang Wedding? Anong meron sa mga masterpiece mo nawala sa ibang Wedding Videographer?
If the client is looking for someone who is not intrusive, can capture candidly, document their wedding day creatively and captures the moments as they unfold and not be too directive, then the client should look for me and hire me as their wedding videographer.
I say that we are almost the same, we have the same gears, the same techniques and even the same softwares in editing our works but we always differ in style and ideas. I am mainly candid, capturing the moments as they unfold while combining it with creative camera movements this is mainly how I tell the story of the day.
