The most popular questions (FAQ) from clients are:
Why don't you work with a big setup like others?
Technology has allowed camera gear to shrink their form while improving image quality. Chances are, those big setups are outdated and are being used to show off. I prefer to use the highest quality fixed lenses, they aren't large or flashy but they are the highest performing lenses in their class. That is why I'm able to shoot photos and videos in very dark situations. I don't use big zooms because in reality, they're better suited for outdoor shooting and photos that are "okay" and "get by". I don't settle for that, I use the best and have used apertures on my lenses as wide as f/1.0 for the most creative leverage possible. Fixed lenses in the luxury class yield the best color rendition, exposure, and sharpest optics you can buy. As for lighting, we use a compact yet effective strobist and light meter setup. I've seen other teams carry big continuous lights for photography which are very likely to be lower in power, higher in heat, more obtrusive, and less energy efficient with the need to plug in. (sometimes, at your cost!) The smaller the equipment, the more the guests can enjoy the event, and avoid safety hazards. We would never downsize a critical piece of equipment without knowing we can retain or improve the quality.
What is a Highlights Reel, "MTV style" video, and Video interview?
Let me elaborate to the best of my ability.
A highlights reel takes the best of the best moments and compiles them into an easy to watch segment along with both video and audio editing for the best viewing experience.
An "MTV style" video is pretty much a music video. It can be anywhere between 2-6 minutes long, depending on the song itself which can be requested by you, or chosen by me. This style of video produces a feeling based on the mood of the song and can be interpreted in many different ways whether dramatic or happy. The special effects and graphics we use for these videos are different from the ones in a cinematic trailer, with everything synchronized to the tempo and rhythm of the song in high definition video.
A Video interview is taken during the engagement shoot and preparations in small increments. The bride and groom will both be interviewed with a short list of questions as well as members of the family and entourage who would like to give a testimonial for the new spouses to be.
Why do you do all of the editing and printing by yourself?
Why I do all of the post work by myself? Easy answer... One quality. You don't have to worry about the variation of quality throughout your entire wedding, and I'll be the only person responsible for any reason. My dedication to your wedding is just as strong as my work. Not to sound too bold, but it is obviously because of my previous work that you want to hire me. And I'm glad. =)
Why are you so fast? Is there a sacrifice in quality?
I use one of the latest Apple computer models and applications, thanks to my previous job working as a technician for their technical department in the United States. Up until now, I still have generous ex co-workers who update me and help me through and through. Meaning, I have the fastest possible multimedia machines and software available. I have the same set of post processing gear and tools as the video teams at ABS-CBN, and GMA7 as I also have friends from within the two stations. I edit fast, I'm professionally certified and trained to do so. I will not waste time because I already have an immaculate system. That's why you'll have all of your DVDs and albums in less than two weeks (sometimes overnight depending on the size of the project) in opposition to many photographers who promise months for the same quality. Although, during high volume months (June, December, etc) we have known to be a bit backed up and delayed on some projects with varying times.
Why are your prices so low?
I'm a photographer and videographer first, businessman second. I stress about the quality of your coverage, not the amount of money you pay. I don't care if you own the entire country, or if you are struggling for all you hold dear. I am an equal opportunist. I believe that my rates are fair, affordable, and reach out to all types of budgets. If you are responsible enough to get married, or have a nice party, you should understand our fair rates. I don't bring a huge group of whoever with me, quantity does not equal quality. If I ever bring someone with me, they will always be another respected professional. I earn my way, and so must they. The best thing is... Like I said, no matter what package you choose, there is only one quality. The quality you deserve, which is always going to be the best that I have. When I first came to the Philippines, and fell in love, we shopped for wedding photographers and videographers that could satisfy me to my standards of quality. I could only find packages for 50K and up for what I wanted. I ended up shooting my own wedding, both photo and video. It then made me realize that I had a place in the market with my education and quality standards from the US. I am now willing to help those who are as budget minded as I was. I don't intend to put anyone out of business, I only intend to give everyone else a chance to have great wedding photos and video in packages that are fairly priced. With us, you do not have to be well off to have a celebrity level of image quality.
Sometimes we see products and services from you that aren't in any packages, why?
As explained before, cinematic trailers are freebies for clients who have read the entire FAQ and the guidelines here, and followed them. It's not hard to do! We've also given away things such as overnight photos for web via e-mail (for social media sites and personal viewing) among a few other pleasant surprises. Just my special way of thanking those who are without greed, and with patience.
We have decided to take your video service instead of your photo service, do we pay the same?
Photo and video service are not the same. On average we carry about 75% more weight for video service, and have to work almost that much harder for the day of the shoot depending on the camera support system, and most definitely much more effort in post production. Therefore, they must be priced differently. Fortunately, the difference is not increased in proportion to the complexity of the project but instead by a fractional compromise above the base rate. Also, when booking us for video, we are compelled to take a few photos for the project for the following reasons; The printed DVD, the possible DVD cover, and the exponentially larger advertisement exposure through stills albeit the correlative viral nature with video.
Okay, so you're finally done editing and ready to give us the package... What now?
There are many ways to do this, depending on the distance between us and how busy I actually am. If you're close by and want to stop over for a cup of coffee or tea and pick up your package I would be more than delighted to accommodate if it fits my schedule. If I'm passing by your area in Manila for other gigs, I can possibly do a personal delivery within LRT and MRT boundaries (malls are good), considering I leave early enough. I love dealing with people personally, but if it must come down to it, I will send it all to you via LBC. The money doesn't matter, time is everything. For example: It costs 155 to send a package to the Metro Manila area. And it costs about 250'ish-350'ish, considering I don't get hungry, to go to and from Metro Manila via public transportation. However, the big deal is... It takes anywhere between 2-4 hours (If I had a car it would take 45-1.5 hours), depending on traffic conditions to get to and from our place in Laguna, meaning on a really bad day it could literally take all day to do a personal delivery. Heck, 4 hours is still pretty taxing for my schedule considering the high volume I have to work with at home when doing post production. So, I only ask that you help me maximize my time. I've learned in the past that I can't let the special requests of one client get in the way of the other 20 clients I work with monthly. Whether they are planning their event, an event in progress, or an event that is in the post production stage. I hope you understand that I have to treat everyone equal. =)
For some insane reason, I didn't like the video edit you did. Can you please edit it again?
We tend to show the best, happiest, and most flattering scenes of you in the video edit. We take pride in our creativity and ability to adapt our editing style to how the scenes look and sound. Requests such as title fonts, placement, names, nicknames, song to be used, specific people to be highlighted, etc, should be submitted before the event is over (if onsite, before the day of the event). It is the client's responsibility to give us any possible input that determines the way we edit the video. If somehow you would like a re-edit we do charge a small fee of PHP1,000/per minute of each edit, rounding off to the nearest PHP100. Ex. A 2:40 re-edit will incur a PHP2,600 extra charge. Thanks to this extra charge, your project remains in our priority cue.
Do you show up to all of your shoots, or is it just a team carrying your name?
We have decided to take your video service instead of your photo service, do we pay the same?
Photo and video service are not the same. On average we carry about 75% more weight for video service, and have to work almost that much harder for the day of the shoot depending on the camera support system, and most definitely much more effort in post production. Therefore, they must be priced differently. Fortunately, the difference is not increased in proportion to the complexity of the project but instead by a fractional compromise above the base rate. Also, when booking us for video, we are compelled to take a few photos for the project for the following reasons; The printed DVD, the possible DVD cover, and the exponentially larger advertisement exposure through stills albeit the correlative viral nature with video.
Okay, so you're finally done editing and ready to give us the package... What now?
There are many ways to do this, depending on the distance between us and how busy I actually am. If you're close by and want to stop over for a cup of coffee or tea and pick up your package I would be more than delighted to accommodate if it fits my schedule. If I'm passing by your area in Manila for other gigs, I can possibly do a personal delivery within LRT and MRT boundaries (malls are good), considering I leave early enough. I love dealing with people personally, but if it must come down to it, I will send it all to you via LBC. The money doesn't matter, time is everything. For example: It costs 155 to send a package to the Metro Manila area. And it costs about 250'ish-350'ish, considering I don't get hungry, to go to and from Metro Manila via public transportation. However, the big deal is... It takes anywhere between 2-4 hours (If I had a car it would take 45-1.5 hours), depending on traffic conditions to get to and from our place in Laguna, meaning on a really bad day it could literally take all day to do a personal delivery. Heck, 4 hours is still pretty taxing for my schedule considering the high volume I have to work with at home when doing post production. So, I only ask that you help me maximize my time. I've learned in the past that I can't let the special requests of one client get in the way of the other 20 clients I work with monthly. Whether they are planning their event, an event in progress, or an event that is in the post production stage. I hope you understand that I have to treat everyone equal. =)
For some insane reason, I didn't like the video edit you did. Can you please edit it again?
We tend to show the best, happiest, and most flattering scenes of you in the video edit. We take pride in our creativity and ability to adapt our editing style to how the scenes look and sound. Requests such as title fonts, placement, names, nicknames, song to be used, specific people to be highlighted, etc, should be submitted before the event is over (if onsite, before the day of the event). It is the client's responsibility to give us any possible input that determines the way we edit the video. If somehow you would like a re-edit we do charge a small fee of PHP1,000/per minute of each edit, rounding off to the nearest PHP100. Ex. A 2:40 re-edit will incur a PHP2,600 extra charge. Thanks to this extra charge, your project remains in our priority cue.
Do you show up to all of your shoots, or is it just a team carrying your name?
Yes, for your peace of mind and mine, I must be there to supervise at the very least. :) With the exception of team 2 in where we have another designated team leader who is equally as good. If I'm not there with team 1, you must have booked an imposter! I take full responsibility for the team whether we're on the field or when I'm doing the edits. If we have an issue with anyone on the team, I am willing to take over or take the hit. When you have questions or comments about your edits, I answer your e-mails. When something is wrong, it's my fault 100%. I take these consequences seriously and willingly because I love what I do and will continue to always love it. I am married to my work as you are or will be to your spouse.
Can we meet at Starbucks tomorrow?
Absolutely not. You are meeting us here now at the website for all the information you could possibly need. Anything extra or special needs to be e-mailed to me with or without attachments and links. We are lucky to live in such a high tech age where you can find our services on the internet or through a referral and see everything here. I would have shown you the same exact thing. =) Oh, I'm sorry... You just wanted to have coffee and hang out? Well.... let's look at the calendar... We have to be fair to other clients who have active accounts and give me the freedom of living a normal life at the same time. Time management is the key to successful business ventures. =)
Why don't you have a landline, why are you not answering your calls?
Can we meet at Starbucks tomorrow?
Absolutely not. You are meeting us here now at the website for all the information you could possibly need. Anything extra or special needs to be e-mailed to me with or without attachments and links. We are lucky to live in such a high tech age where you can find our services on the internet or through a referral and see everything here. I would have shown you the same exact thing. =) Oh, I'm sorry... You just wanted to have coffee and hang out? Well.... let's look at the calendar... We have to be fair to other clients who have active accounts and give me the freedom of living a normal life at the same time. Time management is the key to successful business ventures. =)
Why don't you have a landline, why are you not answering your calls?
We don't have a landline anymore because we are never in the office, and never home because of the high volume of clients. We receive as close to 300 unique text messages daily, but we read them all. We read all e-mails, and they are priority as we are able to interact with more multimedia, more information, faster and more reliable message delivery. We even had to close our office outside of our home because it was completely useless. We are now a mobile office and carry laptops with us when necessary. We carry sample books at all times. If you really want to talk to us, send us a text and ask when our next time slot is available to make a call, and we will cater to your request to the best of our ability. We don't answer our calls during working hours for very very obvious reasons. Sometimes we even have to turn off our phones completely. If you were recoding a video interview with audio and you heard a phone ring or vibrate that ruins the audio recording, you would understand the frustration of having to record it again. During most travel times, I also refrain from answering the phone as I am an American who speaks english, it attracts a lot of attention on public transport. I hope everyone understands! Please make your appointments carefully as we are a very busy group. The best possible method to book us is to send us full details on your wedding via e-mail, and text as an alternative. We promise to get back to each and every one of you as long we can understand each other in this regard. Thank you! - Ryan
Can you shoot x-deal for us?
It really depends on the product and the marketing scalability on our end of the bargain. If I ever do agree to helping another corporation or entity it would mean having our brand on the product as well via watermark or a decent place and time in the sponsor section where all can see and read comfortably, our team being fed properly during meal times, and it must be an easy enough place to get to. I very rarely agree to an x-deal, but when I do, you still get the same image quality as all of our clients. It is imperative that the exposure of our service to other potential clients matters as much to you as the exposure of your own image.
"First come, first serve. No deposit, no reserve."
We will practice the right to refuse you as a client if:
- You ask us to meet up personally or go through several conversations before any reservation being made
- You ask for a discount
- You can't make a reservation with us through deposit
- You offer to pay via check
- You aren't a nice person
- You can't give us our creative freedom (although we will always listen to your ideas)
- You won't stop calling (we deeply discourage calling without call appointments)
- You prematurely post review or proof files that may possibly tarnish both your image and ours.
We can choose to terminate our services with you at any time (You will still always receive your master discs with all photos and footage and you will be refunded minus the deposit and 10k which is the worth of the bare items of combination packages) if:
- You mistreat us in any way outside of humane reason (ex. we aren't fed or given time to eat somewhere else during an event that lasts more than 2 hours)
- You pay via check
- You rush us or harass us during the time we are in the editing que.
- You complain about or further complicate products that you are getting for free
- You make any threats or bad comments involving any one of us
- You make too many requests that get in the way of our efficient and refined system
- You won't stop calling (we deeply discourage calling without call appointments)
Can you shoot x-deal for us?
It really depends on the product and the marketing scalability on our end of the bargain. If I ever do agree to helping another corporation or entity it would mean having our brand on the product as well via watermark or a decent place and time in the sponsor section where all can see and read comfortably, our team being fed properly during meal times, and it must be an easy enough place to get to. I very rarely agree to an x-deal, but when I do, you still get the same image quality as all of our clients. It is imperative that the exposure of our service to other potential clients matters as much to you as the exposure of your own image.
"First come, first serve. No deposit, no reserve."
We will practice the right to refuse you as a client if:
- You ask us to meet up personally or go through several conversations before any reservation being made
- You ask for a discount
- You can't make a reservation with us through deposit
- You offer to pay via check
- You aren't a nice person
- You can't give us our creative freedom (although we will always listen to your ideas)
- You won't stop calling (we deeply discourage calling without call appointments)
- You prematurely post review or proof files that may possibly tarnish both your image and ours.
We can choose to terminate our services with you at any time (You will still always receive your master discs with all photos and footage and you will be refunded minus the deposit and 10k which is the worth of the bare items of combination packages) if:
- You mistreat us in any way outside of humane reason (ex. we aren't fed or given time to eat somewhere else during an event that lasts more than 2 hours)
- You pay via check
- You rush us or harass us during the time we are in the editing que.
- You complain about or further complicate products that you are getting for free
- You make any threats or bad comments involving any one of us
- You make too many requests that get in the way of our efficient and refined system
- You won't stop calling (we deeply discourage calling without call appointments)
