The Business Of Wedding Filmmakers The dilemma of whether or not to hire a videographer for your wedding has been replaced with the question of which skilled video crew you will work with.

In today's day and age, high-end videography is just as essential to your wedding day as professional photography. The dilemma of whether or not to hire a videographer for your wedding has been replaced with the question of which skilled video crew you will work with. But let us take a minute to understand the work, what is this role, when did this demand start and who is cut out for this space of wedding filmmaking.

What Do They Do?

The top videographers work in unison with your photographer, stylist, planner, designer, and other creative team members. They know when and how to use drone footage, they know how to edit your wedding with music and a style that complements the theme and aesthetic of your event, and they make sure the film seems consistent and coherent with the images you took. Even though they are probably two different industries, true pros know that on the wedding day, photography and cinematography are one team.

When Did This Start?

Founded in December 2021 post-pandemic, Play the Novel has emerged as a distinguished name in the realm of wedding photography and films. Established by filmmakers Raveena Doshi and Khozema Udaipurwala. We recently spoke to Raveena Doshi, Co-founder & Creative Director of the company Play the Novel to understand how her team recognised this demand in the wedding space. "The demand for quality wedding videography has steadily risen over the past decade. Initially, only a few companies produced high-quality wedding videos, but a significant shift occurred from traditional videography to cinematic, aesthetic, and storytelling styles. We witnessed this transformation firsthand as editors before starting our own company during the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire wedding industry, including videography, draws significant inspiration from Bollywood. This storytelling trend began more than a decade ago, with a notable surge in demand following the release of the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani," she said. Celebrity stylist and costume designer Akshay Tyagi shared, "Currently we are obsessed with social media, where we want to present everything to be, in some sort of idyllic sense, the most sort of viral moment and the new trend setting or follow something that we've seen that we admire greatly." To put it simply, "whenever you require all these specific people to pull together and create these moments, it does create a higher market."

Who Should Join This Space?

Doshi said, "I believe anyone can enter this industry, which is still quite new and very welcoming. People often say you need specific camera or editing skills to succeed here. While those skills are important, the most crucial factor is awareness. Without awareness, you cannot truly feel or understand the emotions present." She added, "Weddings generally follow similar rituals, from mehndi to sangeet to haldi to the wedding itself. Without awareness, each wedding video would feel the same, just a repetition of the same songs and edits." Before diving into technical skills, one should attend a few weddings to understand the nuances and emotions involved. It's essential to feel what the couple, the bride's parents, the groom's friends, and everyone else are experiencing. "If you have this awareness, you can be the best in the industry," shared Doshi.