Stag & Hen Videos

How It Works
Prices & Packages
Examples
FAQ's

Planning on challenging the South African's at rugby or travelling to Barbados to take on the Girls Lacrosse Team? Why not take one of our video cameras with you? We'll give you a video camera and ALL the top tips on how to film a brilliant video blog and THEN professionally edit ALL of the footage onto DVD as an awesome reminder of your school's trip.

Whether you're skiing in the Alps or practising your Spanish on an exchange trip to Marbella we've got specialized sports mini cams, underwater cameras AND broadcast quality Sony Handi-cams to help you capture all the fun and excitement of your school's trip.

With our broadcast quality editing skills, we're giving young people the opportunity to be the stars of their own documentary that would certainly give the programmes on E4 a run for their money!!

All of our Shoot It Yourself Schools Packages come with:

One Sony Video Camera
Seven Day Hire Period (extra days charged at £40 per day or £100 per week)
Six Hours of Recording Time onto Memory Stick
Spare Batteries & Charger
Carry Case
Tripod
Delivery & Collection to anywhere in the UK
All Fully Insured
Your choice of music
Your footage professionally edited into a 20 minute montage with personalized graphics and school branding

We understand that every school trip is completely different and will have different requirements. Please get in touch for a personalized quote, giving us an idea of numbers, destination and whether you'd be interested in underwater or specialized ski/sports cameras.

This is the footage that we filmed for the Dragons Den follow up programme...more glossy Barbados tour footage to follow! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest on all our new packages

We know that the concept of filming your own wedding is TOTALLY new and you will generally have LOADS of questions about how it all works. We've tried to answer all of your most common questions here but if you do have any others, please get in touch.

Do you offer an 'edit only' service?

No. The SIY package includes online video tuition on how to film your day and an easy to follow 'shot list' based on our experience in making TV programmes and editing weddings and other occasions. You are paying for our industry expertise and broadcast quality video cameras, which also means that we can guarantee a certain level of quality from our finished videos. If you do have footage that you'd like editing, we work closely with a professional editing company, www.penrosecreative.com, who'd be willing to give you a quote.

Do you offer a service where you send someone to film the weddings?

When we first started, we did offer a service called our Hire a Director package which involved having professionals there on the day to film the wedding video for you. Due to the success of our Shoot It Yourself packages we no longer offer this service as we believe we're able to make better wedding videos if you Shoot It Yourself!

How much does the Shoot It Yourself service cost?

Our packages start from £399 and include the hire of the video camera equipment, tapes, tripod, video tutorials and all of the editing. For a more comprehensive breakdown of our prices, check out our Prices and Packages page.

Can we take the cameras abroad?

We absolutely love travel & destination wedding videos! The video cameras have to be sent to a UK address and can be carried on as hand luggage by whoever is responsible for travelling with the cameras. Our tripod is also light and will easily pack down into a small suitcase. Our prices include the hire of the video cameras for 4 days however if you require them for additional days, we charge £40 per camera per day. You are able to add this as an option on our online booking form.

Do you do Asian Weddings?

We do offer a separate package for Asian Weddings based on hiring the video cameras for the whole week prior to the wedding to film all of the 'pre wedding' events. Check out our Asian Wedding Video page and get in touch for a more personal quote.

Can we hire your services for other events?

You can hire our services for any event! We cover birthdays, special events, travel and corporate. Get in touch for a quote here.

Can I check availability online?

You won't be able to make a booking through our booking form if we do not have availability for your date. If the form allows you to select your date, the good news is that we have cameras available. This is updated daily so if you are keen on having Shoot It Yourself at your wedding or event, we recommend that you get in there sooner rather than later as our cameras do tend to get booked up well in advance.

Do you offer a wedding Gift List?

We are the only wedding videography company that offer a Gift List service which allows friends and family to make a contribution online towards your video in return for a credit in the finished DVD. Click here to find out more.

How do we make a booking?

All of our bookings are done through our online booking form. If you have any other questions about our service please do drop us an email through our Contact Form. Please note that we do not accept cheques however we can take payment over the phone if you'd prefer. You can check availability by selecting your date from our calendar on the booking form.

What are your payment terms?

For our weddings & other occasion events, we ask for 50% of the total cost of the package at the time of booking (this secures the date) and the remaining 50% three weeks prior to the wedding/event date. Deposits are usually taken online via our booking form and the final payments paid either by BACs or over the phone. We'll send you a reminder 3 weeks before the event date so that you don't forget! For corporate bookings, your company will be invoiced on delivery of your finished video, with a 30 day payment deadline.

What happens once we make a booking?

Once you've made a booking, you will be sent a contract by email with a copy of our rental agreement. You are essentially hiring very expensive equipment from us so we require 3 forms of proof of address from one of you to meet the terms of our insurance policy. This can be in the form of a driving license, utilities bill or phone bill and can either be scanned and emailed or photocopied and sent in the post. Please do not send originals! You will also be sent the link to our online video tutorials which show people what to film and how to film it.

What are your terms and conditions?

Click here to read our standard T's and C's.

How will the cameras be delivered to me?

The cameras are sent by a reputable national courier company 2 days before your wedding on a before midday service. For some more rural areas of England, Wales & Scotland, please add one hour onto this time.

The cameras will then be collected the first working day after the wedding between 9am and 6pm so they must be left with someone who is at the given address all day.

Please note if you live in these areas:

Northern Ireland
Channel Islands
Isle of Man
Scottish Islands
Scilly Isles
Isle of Wight
Scottish Highlands

…we offer a 2 day delivery service and a small, additional charge will be added to your total package price to allow for offshore delivery. Get in touch with us before you book so that we can let you know the specific delivery details for your area.

Do the cameras have to be sent to my house or can they be sent to another location?

So long as we have clear delivery instructions, we can deliver the cameras to your home, venue, or work address. There must however be someone at the property to sign for them as the courier will not leave them on the doorstep or with a neighbour. The delivery times are before midday two days before the wedding/event and between 9am and 6pm on the first working day after the wedding/event (depending on your location). If for whatever reason, the courier is unable to make his delivery or collection, you will be charged £40 per camera to allow for the extra hire day incurred as a result of a non collection.

Do we have to package the cameras?

The cameras come packaged in a hard box inside a cardboard box and must be returned to us in the same way. All the instructions, the returns label and even the packing tape is included in your parcel to make this as easy as possible.

What if the cameras don't turn up?

The cameras are sent on a before midday service two days before your wedding/event (depending on location). In the unlikely event that the cameras fail to turn up they will be delivered the following day, which will still be in time for your wedding/event. In the HIGHLY unlikely event of them still not being able to deliver the cameras, a full refund will be offered, but we cannot be held responsible for lack of filming as a result of circumstances that are out of our control eg weather.

How will my friends and family know what to film?

Everything you need to know about filming your own wedding video is covered in our online tutorials which you'll be sent the link to when you book. You'll be able to share this link with all of the filmers and it not only covers the basics of operating the cameras but also what to film and how to make it fun. An invaluable source of inspiration is of course our previous wedding videos, which can be watched on our blog.

Are the cameras difficult to use?

The cameras that we have chosen are broadcast quality but have been chosen for their simplicity. The cameras are preset to 'auto' mode so all you have to do is press record - they are MEANT to be operated by people who have little or no experience of filming and they produce great footage even in low light. They have up to 400 minutes of battery life (6 batteries included) and directional top microphones that pick up sound much clearer than standard home video internal microphones.

What are the technical specs?

We own two types of video camera. The Sony A1e's still use tape and the MC50's use memory card, although both are broadcast quality HD and are aimed at the 'pro-consumer' videography market. We have chosen them for their ease of use, compact size and robustness! Unfortunately we cannot specify which cameras you will be allocated until the week before the wedding but our online video tutorials show you how to operate both.

What if we have a problem with the camera on the day?

We do all that we can to ensure that our video cameras arrive in good working order and are tested and the batteries fully charged before they are sent out. One of the benefits of sending the cameras 2 days early is that your filmers can have a practise to make sure they're comfortable with using them. We are always on the other end of the phone if they have any questions and in the event of technical problems with the cameras, we will do all that we can to help. We recommend you send the link to our online video tutorials to your filmers in advance so that you're not worrying about how to use the cameras before the wedding/event.

What if the cameras get broken? Are we insured?

Hiring our video cameras is no different to hiring a car. The cameras are insured by us in case of theft or damage however there is a £250 excess, which is payable by you, should we have to make a claim. We do of course allow for wear and tear but if the camera looks like it has been dropped or suffered an impact of any kind, we will need to send it for a full service which you will be liable for and any missing bits of kits will also have to be replaced.

What if the footage is terrible?

Since we started in February 2010, we've never had an unhappy customer. So long as the cameras are assigned to a few people who are your closest friends and are willing to do the filming, it won't be terrible. We're confident that even with a very limited understanding of cameras, we can show people how to film your wedding/event video to make it fun, not just to watch but for those filming it too. It's not as difficult as people would have you believe. However, it is your responsibility to make sure your filmers take their role seriously - if they don't film it, we can't edit it!

How will you know what we'd like included?

We are meticulous in going through all of the footage and, if you are booking us for a wedding or any other occasion, making sure that we not only pick out the obvious shots of the main parts of the day, but all the in-jokes, personal messages and comedy moments that go on without you even realising. It is however down to our creative license what actually makes the finished video and with our background in MTV and BBC3, we know what we're looking for. For corporate events, we work closely with you before the event to make sure you capture all the necessary footage so that we can edit it to match your brief.

Are we able to pick our own music and at what point do you need this?

You are allowed to choose all of your own music and tell us where you would like us to use it. We have to buy a Limited Manufacture License for each wedding & this licence grants us 'blanket' permission to legally use any music in our DVDs. So the sky's the limit! We send out an edit questionnaire 3 weeks before your day which allows you to choose your songs and also provides us with the names of your venues and where you would like your finished DVDs to be sent.

Are we allowed to make changes once our video has been edited?

The video that we upload to our blog is final. Making changes to video is not only time consuming but highly labour intensive and involves 3 hours of exporting, compressing and uploading again. We do have very high standards when it comes to our editing however if you would like the option of making changes after you've seen your video online, you can pay extra for this on our Booking Form

How long will it take before I get my edited DVD?

Depending on demand, it could take up to 8 – 12 weeks before you get the finished DVD. In most cases, we try and get them back quicker than this but in the summer months we can be very busy and don't want to make any promises. We'd prefer to do an awesome job than rush through your video. If however you are in a hurry to see your finished video, we do offer a priority service for £150 which guarantees that your video is edited by the end of the week! Check out all of the other extras we offer on our Prices and Packages page.

What influence do we have over the finished DVD?

Your ideas are everything and the more ideas you have for how you would like it to look, the better! We'll send you an edit questionnaire 3 weeks before the wedding asking you for a list of all the songs that you'd like included in the video and the names of your venues. If you have opted for freeze frames and additional graphics there is also a section for you to add photos of the main wedding party so that we can pick them out from the footage.

Will our video be online so that we can share with family and friends?

Once your video has been edited, you'll be sent a link to your own unique page on our website. This will have a brief blurb, the video and the option to purchase more DVDs for your friends and family. You and your friends can also comment on the video through Facebook without leaving the page and post to you wall.

What do we get on the finished DVD and what is the running time?

For weddings, your finished DVD will be broken down into chapters. With all of our packages there will be a chapter for the "Best Bits" (15 – 20 mins), a chapter for the whole ceremony and a chapter for all of the speeches. The total running time does also depend on how much you have filmed but a rough average is between 1hour – 1hr ½ for all of the chapters combined. We do also give you the option of additional chapters for video diary messages or the day after, check out our Prices and Packages page for more information.

For all other events, please get in touch for a specific quote.

How many copies do we get?

You get 1 copy of the finished DVD in the post and additional DVDs are charged at £25 each. You can either order these when you book online or decide later down the line once you've received your DVD. We also create a unique web page for your video on our site which you'll be able to share with friends and family. There will also be the option of ordering extra copies of the DVD from there too.

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