Video technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, so it's a good idea to learn the latest lingo before you meet with videographers. We asked Platinum Video Productions of Long Island, NY, to list the terms you're likely to hear. Study this glossary and soon you'll be speaking like a pro.
Analog Cameras/Footage
Once the industry standard, only SVHS remains a viable wedding video format. Your home VCR is probably analog VHS. This format is rapidly being phased out. If stored properly, these tapes have a shelf life around 15 years.
Digital camera footage
Digital cameras, the new standard in video technology, have even better performance features than comparable-quality analog cameras. They're more light-sensitive and thus require less additional (obtrusive) lighting. There is virtually no quality loss when duplicating the original footage with a digital transfer (with analog transfer, quality tends to deteriorate).
Digitization
The process of transferring the video recorded on your wedding day into the computer-based (non-linear) editing system.
DVD
Commonly called Digital Versatile Disc. Some videographers "burn" wedding DVDs in their studio, while others out-lab this service. Some videographers include a DVD in the video contract, while others offer DVD as an option. Many studios offer a "hollywood style" chaptered version where each segment of the wedding is labeled and represented by a still frame of video. This allows the user to easily navigate to specific sections of the video (i.e., cace cutting). The main advantages of the DVD are the increased picture quality and the ability to skip to any part of the disc without having to rewind or fast-forward.
DVE (Digital Video Effect)
Commonly called special effects, DVEs include page turns, strobe, picture explosion, solarization, slow-motion, letterbox, black-and-white and sepia footage. Some couples like these novelty features on their wedding videos, while others do not.
In-camera edit
Technique in which raw footage is shot as "cleanly" as possible to limit the need to edit later. Some videographers offer this as a cost-saving option -- but in choosing it, you forgo the whole editing process.
Linear editing
Videotape-based editing in which tape is taken directly out of the video camera and edited down using multiple VCRs. It's also being phased out with availability of cheaper computer-based (NLE) editing systems.
NLE, or Non-Linear Editing System
This is accomplished on either a computer-based system, or with a stand-alone unit called an editing appliance. Generally speaking, non-linear editing allows for more creativity, and changes require less effort. Because this type of editing requires the video to be fed into the editing unit in a process called digitizing, non-linear editing typically takes longer than linear editing. Here, the client usually receives a second-generation tape.
Outtakes
A term to describe scenes or shots that didn't make it into the final product.
Raw footage
Untouched, unedited footage. Some videographers offer raw footage to clients as part of a package. Some charge a small fee for the footage.
Video capture card
The actual computer hardware that transforms videotape footage into digital footage, then turns it back into a videotape format that is viewable on any VCR.
HD Video
High Definition Television (HDTV) is gaining acceptance and is the future of the industry. The equipment is still expensive for studios and consumers to acquire but is slowly becoming more affordable. The main benefit of HDTV is the increase in resolution and detail. The average resolution for VHS is 240 lines, DVD is 430 lines, and Standard Televsion is 530. HDTV comes in at 1080 lines. The HDTV picture is simply breathtaking. More and more studios are offering HD wedding videos as an option to their standard television videos.
Resources:Platinum Video Productions, Long Island, NY; (631) 864-6363.
-- The Knot
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