Filmmaker vs. Videographer

By Jessica Piscitelli – Jessica Pi Productions

I think I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, in one format or another.  And so I went to New York University to study the art, history, theory, and technique of crafting stories through the visual medium of film.  After graduating with honors and a BFA in Film and TV Production from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, I began my filmmaking career.  I worked on feature productions like Happiness, Pollock, and Ghost Dog, alongside such directors as Todd Solondz, Ed Harris, and Jim Jarmusch.  You can view my profile on IMDB.

These days, and for more than 10 years, I’ve chosen to tell more personal stories as I capture and preserve the emotion, romance, and details of one of life’s greatest celebrations.  I am a wedding videographer.

Every production benefits from my education and experience in the film industry, as well as from my passion, creativity, and technical skills.  Despite that, you’ll notice that I do not bill my current work as filmmaking.  The videos are cinematic and narrative, but they are videos, not films. 

I’m sure it’s the film nerd in me that requires I make this distinction, but there are real and important differences between film and video, and you should know what you’re getting when you hire someone to shoot your wedding.

A film is shot and printed on film stock (8 mm, 16 mm, 8 mm, or 35 mm, for example).  Movies and other motion picture projects can, and often are, be recorded on video, usually in high definition.  The medium and technology that are used define whether the result is a film or video and affect the look of the finished product.  Some of the differences between film and video are:

• Color and Light. Film captures light waves while video captures (and later displays) a digital interpretation of the image.  Color, therefore, is more true to what the human eye sees in film than video, though video allows for digital corrections.  The specific response to light is determined by the film stock or the video camera technology in use, though generally video allows for better quality in low light situations.
• Image Quality and Resolution. Video is digital data composed of pixels.  It is these pixels that create the sharp, crisp look of video.  Film, on the other hand, has a softer look due to its irregular pattern of grains.  In fact, film stocks have characteristic grain structures.  As the resolution of a video is changed (to display the image at a smaller or larger size), it may lose data or become pixelated.  When film is displayed at a larger size, it will keep its softness and smoothness, though it may at some point become more grainy.  High-definition video has a significantly higher resolution and results in a dramatically increased image quality relative to other video technology.
• Imperfections. Film, because it is tangible and involves physical processes, is subject to imperfections that may be present during shooting or occur during processing.  You may recall watching an old film and seeing flecks of dust in the images.  Film can also degrade over time, so care must be taken to archive film properly.
• Digital Intermediate Process. Shooting in digital easily enables the video to be digitally finished and edited as opposed to the traditional photochemical finishing process.  It’s possible to use the digital intermediate process with film, but it must first (and at great cost) be scanned to digital format.
• Cost. Last, but certainly not least, the costs associated with film and video production are significantly different.  Film stock is expensive to purchase and to process.  Videos can be shot and stored on portable digital memory and devices which can later be reused if desired.

So, what does all of this mean when it comes to preserving the cherished moments of your wedding?

• If your vendor talks about “filmmaking,” find out whether they are trying to convey the cinematic nature of their productions or if they are actually shooting film.
• If your wedding is being shot in film, I strongly advise against 8 mm.  The quality is poor and it is not worth paying extra for the results you will get.
• You may desire some of the characteristic qualities of film without the associated cost.  Many of these, such as the softness of the images, graininess, and vivid colors, can be affected during editing to make your video look like film.

If you’re interested in a film of your wedding, I am happy to offer you two options.  The first of these is that I can shoot your wedding on 16 mm film; please inquire for pricing.  The second option – and the one I would most recommend for cost-effectiveness – is that I will shoot your wedding using professional digital video technology.  Then, during the editing process, I will add effects and filters to mimic film and create a classic, elegant movie that captures all of the romance of cinema and your personal story.