Danielle Love Photography

Cinematic vs Documentary Styles of Videography with TLIC Media

There are two main types of videography styles—cinematic and documentary—and when choosing a videographer for your wedding it is important to make sure they can deliver what you’re looking for. We connected with Chris Hiltz, the owner of TLIC Media, to learn more about these different styles, and here’s what we’ve learned:

Cinematic is a creative style of videography that focuses on capturing moments in time where the final product is edited, bringing scenes together to make the final video using emotion over logic. In short, as Hiltz explains it, “cinematic videography means you are filming in a way that looks like it does in the cinema. With this type, you are filming 24 frames per second and using movement and shots to create a cinematic style [that] uses techniques such as creative angles and irregular framing.” Whereas, documentary is a style that captures everything from beginning to end in a more organized approach, and “you won’t necessarily have the cut scenes that a cinematic film includes.”

No doubt the “wow factor” is inherent in the cinematic style. As noted by Hiltz, “[subtle] special effects can add to the beauty [of these films] especially when using [professional editing techniques]. You can get really creative with using prisms and creating bends in the light to make things look really awesome. Also, post-production effects add to the beauty of the film.”

So which style is more popular? It’s about an even split according to Hiltz. However, more and more, he is seeing a trend toward requests for a blended approach to get the best of both worlds. This is possible because these styles are not mutually exclusive—documentary videography can be cinematic and vica-versa. This is what Hiltz says TLIC Media is all about—they “film and capture . . . weddings in a cinematic way while taking a very chronological and organized approach to the document of [a couple’s] special day.”

Regardless of the style, soundtrack selection is important. Many couples may want to choose their own music, but in his experience, Hiltz has found that “it’s very rare for them to select a good song the first time. This is because they aren’t thinking about how their music choice will look with their wedding clips added to it, and how they will ultimately [play] together.” This appears to be a time when you do not want to lead with emotion, but rather trust and allow your videographer to select the song (within general guidelines, taking into account your desired music genre, vibe, and emotional impact). “This allows a videographer to tailor music towards that,” according to Hiltz.

This Article is from the Celebrate Weddings Magazine

See the Current Issue


Photo courtesy of Danielle Love Photography

 

Back to blog

Leave a comment