The things that make Blue Skies HD Video special starts with its people. Blue Skies has decades of experience shooting television and wedding videos. They have state of the art equipment that is always cutting edge, they have amazing customer service which starts with really getting to know their wedding couples, they have outstanding relationships with other wedding vendors from photographers to venues to DJ's. In addition they have so much experience editing the film that they really are considered the best videographer in the state of Ohio.
Emmy Award-Winning Videography...
~ Ohio's only national Hall Of Fame Videographer w/ 4 television Emmy awards ~Voted Best of Wedding Videos for 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 ~750+ weddings shot ~23+ years of professional film & TV experience with multiple Emmy Awards ~Stunning color, clarity & storytelling
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long have you been in the videography business in Columbus, Ohio?
The owners of Blue Skies HD Video have been filming in Columbus for 25 years. - How many weddings have you shot video for?
They have shot over 900 weddings at the time of this interview and also do a lot of commercial work as well. This professional videography business also uses the latest technology and latest camera equipment because Blue Skies HD Video has to have the best equipment available for commercial work as well as wedding work. - How did you get started filming weddings and is it your main business?
Julie and Jim started in professional television. Julie started at channel 4 and Chris has worked all over the world for multiple television stations. Chris and Julie met at WNBS around 1998. Five years after meeting they got engaged, of course when they decided to get married they searched for someone to film the wedding and were not satisfied with the quality of work available for wedding production. Many of the videographers at the time were very cookie cutter, they decided they could do it better and they launched Blue Skies HD Video in 2002. They have been full time since 2004. - How many videographers will be filming at most weddings you shot?
Blue Skies has a very large team of videographers on staff. The number of videographers depends on the wedding and what the bride and groom want or need. It can vary from as few as one to as many as it takes, but it's usually 2 to 3 people. The number of team members needed is up to each individual client and each one is different. - What parts of the wedding day do you film?
If the client wants the entire day shot they can do that. From the absolute beginning of the day until the last dance and beyond Blue Skies HD Video will film it. - Do you back up the footage immediately after the wedding?
The backup of footage is very proprietary and they will not share the details as to how it's done, however they do back up all the video and the content is immediately secure. Due to the reputation that Blue Skies HD Video has earned over the years many other companies try to immolate what they do and how they do it. For this reason they keep many of their secrets and techniques to themselves. They go to the latest conventions and conferences to learn and continually evolve and improve their business. The biggest difference is that because they film for real television and their clients work often airs on TV, the gear they use has to be better than a typical wedding videographer so they have the latest technology available. They have solid contacts with Sony and Panasonic and are always up to date on equipment. Blue Skies is more than a wedding videographer they are professional television videographer and there is a difference. - Have you worked closely with many photographers in Columbus, Ohio?
They not only work with photographers in the Columbus market but at the state level and often the best photographers nationally. Every wedding has a still photographer but not every wedding has a videographer. They estimate that 65% of weddings today of videographers, typically those that don't use one regret the decision and wish they would have had the wedding filmed. Those that do have someone video their wedding usually feel that was the best decision that they could have ever made. Still photo is just a fraction of the day where videographers can capture the entire scene. They can show you and you can listen into every moment of the day and every sequence that leads up to an emotional moment. - How will you co-ordinate the filming of the wedding with the photographer or other vendors?
It's always a partnership, not only with video and photo, but with the DJ, band, wedding coordinator, and venue. It really is one big vendor team that is why it is helpful to hire vendors with a ton of experience. Your vendors need to know how to work in partnership together so that the entire ceremony goes smoothly. - Is your website the best place to view other weddings you have filmed?
They do keep some work available online at their website. They prefer to show their latest wedding work in a one on one setting with each client. The client is typically blown away by the stuff they see in their studio. - Will you be filming in HD or possibly 4K?
Blue Skies HD Video always films in High Definition. - How do you price your work and is the final product included in the price?
Generally in the videography industry pricing is based on the number of cameras the client wants, the number of people they want shooting, and how many hours the client wants them at the event. There is also different pricing based on how the film is edited, sometimes it's shorter and sometimes its longer. Blue Skies offers packages starting at $1,595.00 and go up to $7,000.00. The average for videography of wedding events in the Columbus market is around $3,700.00. - How much is the deposit and when is the remaining balance due?
Each wedding is different but on average the deposit is about 20% of the expected package chosen. The final payment is typically due 30 days before the wedding or event. - Is there a charge for staying later in the evening if needed?
In most cases they will work out additional fees for shooting longer than expected on a one on one basis. They are all custom and different and they do not have any hard and fast rules. - How long will the final product be?
They length of the final video is entirely dependent on what the client wants. It can be all day or only a few minutes long. They typically range from 15 minutes up an hour and half to two hours. - Can you make changes to the film once you have seen it?
Blue Skies believes their job is to get to know the couples so well, that they even know the dog's name. They want to know going into the wedding how they are going to shoot the wedding, how they are going to edit the wedding, and how to make it custom to them. Really out of all the weddings they have done, they rarely have any changes requested by the couple. The clients are blown away by the finished product and will recommend Blue Skies to friends and family. - Does the final video use dialogue from the wedding day or is it more of a music video?
In most cases the video is a combination of dialogue as well as music. - When can a bride expect to see the finished wedding video?
The wedding video is available between 8 and 16 weeks per the contract they sign. - Who owns the copyright of the final wedding video?
Blue Skies can use the video for marketing purposes but it is owned by the client. There are circumstances where Blue Skies does not use it for marketing purposes but that depends on the agreement that is reached with each individual client. - Is the film watermarked or does it have the videographer's logo?
The video does not come watermarked in most cases. - What is it about your company that is special and unique?
The things that make Blue Skies HD Video special start with their people. Blue Skies has decades of experience shooting television and wedding videos. They have state of the art equipment that is always cutting edge, they have amazing customer service which starts with really getting to know their wedding couples and they have outstanding relationships with other wedding vendors from photographers to venues to DJ's. In addition to all of these things, they also have so much experience editing the film that they really are considered the best videographer in the state of Ohio.