How long have you been in business?

We are pioneers in the video wedding business, starting in 1982  in Huntington Beach, Calif.  In 1986, after filming almost 300 weddings in one year with a crew of 9 videographers and 6 editors, we realized that Video Weddings were here to stay, and made them our specialty.  We operated Alpha Video Services for 8 years, then sold the business to raise our three children.  In 2010, after raising our children,  we re-opened Alpha Video Services in Spokane, WA.

What payments do you accept?

Cash, Check, Paypal, Mastercard, Visa

Are you a part-time or full-time business?

We are full-time.

Why are your prices on the high side?   And Why should we hire you over someone less expensive?

Our clients are serious about high quality work and care about hiring experience & dependability.  They want a Wedding Film that they’ll love to watch over and over again and want to show family & friends.  They don’t want to take the chance that their Wedding Film would be a failure.  With 750 weddings  and 10 years experience, you can count on us to deliver quality.  We are also the recipients of the prestigious “BRIDES’ CHOICE AWARD for 2012″ from WeddingWire.  This is a result of the many excellent reviews we’ve received from past brides and parents.

Video Weddings are one of the most difficult events to cover.  They are fast-paced and unpredictable with no chance for a second take.   Most wedding videographers are part-timers, doing a very limited number of weddings in a given year, thereby lacking the extensive experience necessary to insure that the job will be done right.

We spend 30 to 40 hours during the editing/assembly process.  A crew of two is at your ceremony & reception which is usually 5 to 10 hours, (10 to 20 “man-hours”), depending on your chosen wedding package.  On a large wedding we will most likely spend about 60 man-hours total.  The care and time we put into your film is what makes it worth every penny.  Eventually, you precious film will become priceless.

We have many wedding samples that demonstrate our consistent quality.  To see the real difference in quality between us and the other videographers, we encourage you to see an entire ceremony & reception video of their work.  Done well, video is the best medium available to capture your wedding memories.  Not only does it capture images, but motion and sound as well!  If  you take the time to “do your homework”, your end result will be a Wedding Film that you’ll be proud to show your friends and family.  It will be one that will brings tears and laughter every time you view it.

           The most common things that plague inexperienced videographers;

• No back-up equipment.  If a piece of equipment fails, you will have no video.  Since there are no second takes, equipment failure is not an option.

• Improper microphone placement (or no external mics at all) for vows, music, vocalists, toasts during the reception, etc.  The sound quality will be bad or non-existent.

• Quality of equipment;  A “home video camera” will be poor quality.  (We use High-Definiton/Blu-ray-quality cameras).

• Not knowing the “flow” of weddings, and how to co-ordinate the activities should there not be a wedding coordinator.  We have 750 weddings under our belts.

            Novice videographers;

• Often haven’t learned “wedding manners”.  They may be obnoxious during the ceremony, distracting the audience by making a spectacle of themselves.  (Our clients say we were “like flies on a wall.”  We’re very conscious of not being a distraction during your special day).

• They may dress inappropriately for a wedding.

• They may not care about staying out of  your photographer’s way.  (We are very conscious that you want your formal portraits and fun shots to turn our well.  We honor that).

What primary style do you identify with?

Cinematic, Documentary, Storytelling, Traditional

What do your packages include?

We have packages that have minimal to maximum coverage and items.

Ceremony, Edited Video, High Definition Video,  Slideshows with music – Childhood /Dating, or Honeymoon picture/video Slideshow with music, Wedding Highlights, Multiple Cameras, Multiple Videographers, Online Highlight Films, First-look, Pre-Ceremony, Reception, Rehearsal Dinner, & Same Day Edit Film.

What formats can the final video be in?

Blu-ray, DVD and any other format desired.

Do you have liability insurance?

Yes

Do you offer demo DVDs for potential clients to look at?

Yes!

MAKE SURE that you view an ENTIRE “FINISHED PRODUCT” of anyone you think you might hire. That is where you will SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN QUALITY between one company and another.   It takes more time to compare this way, but will assure your satisfaction in the end. You will be taking a big chance of wasting your money and being disappointed in the quality if you don’t take that time. (Any videographer can take a few good shots and put them to music, and have it look good). We give sample DVD’s, and have many short samples on our website called “highlights & trailers”.  If you like those, look at some of the full ceremony/receptions we have on another tab.

What types of videography do you offer?

Edited/assembled with your choice of music added to your Wedding Film, Wedding Day “Highlights”, Love Story/Engagement videos.  Also Childhood/Dating Slideshow, & Honeymoon Slideshow. We don’t provide unedited footage because we use most of what we shoot.

Do you have lighting equipment to accommodate a more dimly-lit event?

Yes.  We also have low-light cameras.

How many videographers do you work with?

Depending on the size and length of the wedding day, we use one or two videographers.

Does the client get to meet the videographers before the event?

Absolutely. We always encourage that.  If you have hired us from out of state, we encourage meeting on Skype.

Do you guarantee your presence at the actual event?

We are a husband and wife team. Depending on the number of weddings there are on a particular day, either one of us or both of us will be present.  If one of us is present we will most likely have an assistant.

Do you book yourself for more than one event in a day? Weekend?

Yes. We are able to shoot 2 separate weddings, with a crew of  one or two depending on the size and length of the wedding day.

Do you have a replacement videographer in case you become unavailable on the event day?

Yes.

What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you on the day of our wedding?

High Definition cameras, fluid-head tripods, mics for every sound need at the wedding, camera stablizers for steady shots, light for darker situations at the reception, extra batteries, memory cards. We bring back-up equipment.

Do you bring backup equipment to the event in case of malfunction?

Yes.  Every piece of equipment we use has back-up.

What is your policy on taking breaks?  If you require a meal break, do you require that the client provide your meal?

We ask the client not to order a meal, but ask that we be able to take time to eat quickly while everyone else is eating.  There is usually nothing of interest to cover at that time.

Do you charge overtime?

Yes, depending on the package.

Do you reserve the right to use the video in the future for promotional purposes?

We do ask the client if we may use their finished video as a sample to show other prospective clients.  A waiver is signed for the use of the footage.  If they say “no”, we honor that very strictly.

Is the client involved in the editing process? If so, how much input does the client have in editing?

It takes about 30 to 40 hours to edit a full wedding and reception. Having a client in to add input would make the process much longer. We have done about 750 weddings. We are very aware of what most couples like & we take time at the consultation to find out who and what are most important to you, and hope that you will trust our professional abilities. Customer service is important, so if there is something you don’t like, we bend over backwards to make it right.

How long will our DVD be?  If you are there for 5 hours, will our DVD be 5 hrs. long?

No.  The camera does not run for 5 hours continuously.  Depending on many situations at the wedding, including the length of the ceremony and size of the wedding party, the number of guests, amount and length of activities at the reception, the finished film, on the average runs about 75 minutes.

How long does it take for the client to get the final video?

Usually 6 to 8 weeks during off-season, (Nov. thru May), sometimes sooner.  Brides with wedding dates in July, August and September will take longer to deliver; sometimes up to 12 weeks.

Do you require a minimum number of hours to book?

It depends on the day of the week and time of year. In off-season (Oct. thru May), we are able to be more flexible with our hours.  Give us a call and we can discuss your plans.  We can tell how much time will be needed to capture what you are wanting to see on your Wedding Film.

How do I choose a good videographer so I don’t waste my money?

     MOST IMPORTANT;  See a full, finished product of whomever you think you might hire.  Anyone can take some good shots they got, edit them and put them to music and have a nice little sample.  By spending the time to watch a finished product of that wedding, you will get an idea of how your wedding will REALLY look.  This is where you will see the difference in quality between different companies.  There are so many people who call themselves videographers, yet have little-to-no experience.  Don’t waste your money on a novice.  The savings will not be worth the end result.

            Important questions to ask;

1. Do they bring back-up equipment?  We can say with 750 weddings under our belts that it’s necessary to bring back-up equipment for everything that can break or stop working.
2. How many weddings have they done? Some only do 1 or 2 a year.  Because weddings are “on-the-fly” shooting (with no second takes), if you want a job well-done, hire someone with more experience.  Weddings are actually very difficult to pull off well.  Most likely, hiring an inexperienced videographer will result in a memory of your wedding that you’re embarrassed to show to others, and isn’t enjoyable enough to watch multiple times.
3. Do they use steady-cam equipment or stabilizers? Shots will be very shaky without the use of stabilizing equipment, which isn’t enjoyable to watch.  If that’s the case, you won’t watch it much or be proud to show it to family & friends.
4.    A professional will place mikes at each situation.   How do they capture your vows, the singers, musicians, and readers?

Do a little homework and if you choose correctly, you will find that a wedding film will be your best medium to capture all of the emotions, personalities, and excitement of your special day.  You do want your still photos for your formal pictures, but nothing can evoke tears and laughter each time you view it, like a wedding film can. You will remember little that day, and a well-done film will bring it all back to you; all that happened, all of the things you spent your money on, and the results of all of that hard planning.