Comparing sample films from different budgets

Judge a sample film by the job behind it, not only by how polished it looks. Compare first: the crew, the hours, the room and the brief. Then ask what it would take to get a similar result at your event.

Why do sample films look so different?

A sample is the result of many choices made for one client. When two samples differ, the cause may be one of these:

• Crew size and cameras: one operator, or several covering different angles.
• Hours filmed: a short ceremony, or a full day.
• Lighting and room: a bright outdoor event, or a dim hall with mixed lights.
• Sound set-up: a feed from the venue’s microphones, or a recorder placed near the speaker.
• Editing time: a quick cut, or a longer, more careful edit.
• Brief: a highlight story, a full speech recording, or social clips.
• Rules at the venue: where cameras could stand, and what was allowed.

None of these says anything about talent. They all affect what the film looks like, and what it cost.

A fair way to compare two samples

Use the same questions for each film. Put the answers side by side, as in this illustrative example of two unlike samples.

Sample A looks livelier, but it is a different kind of film from sample B. If you need a full recording of speeches, sample B is the closer match, even if it looks plainer. The example is made up to show the method.

What to judge first

Some things can be judged even when the budgets differ.

1. Sound: can you hear speeches clearly, with no distracting noise?
2. Steadiness: is the picture stable, and are faces in frame and in focus?
3. Story: does the edit follow what happened, or is it only effects and music?
4. Coverage: are the key moments there, such as entrances, speeches and reactions?
5. Match: does the film show your kind of event and your kind of output?

Style is a matter of taste. Music, colour and transitions are easy to add, and they can hide thin coverage. Weak sound and shaky shots are harder to fix.

What to ask about a sample you like

Before you treat a sample as a promise, ask:

• Was this a real client job, and was the whole thing filmed by the people who would film yours?
• How many cameras, how many crew, and how many hours?
• Is this a highlight, a full recording, or a mix?
• What did the client ask for, and what was left out?
• What would be different at my event, with my venue and my outputs?

The first question links to checking whether a sample reflects the team assigned to your event. If you want to go further into what a portfolio can and cannot show, see how to assess an event videographer portfolio and why a showreel is different from a complete client deliverable.

From sample to like-for-like quote

The best use of a sample is to describe the result you want and ask what it takes. Tell each supplier the same facts: date, venue, number of guests, hours, outputs and the sample you liked. Ask each to quote for that.

Then put the quotes next to each other. The videography quote comparison worksheet lists the lines to check, and the portfolio review worksheet helps you score each sample in the same way. If the sample used several cameras and you only have one in the quote, the gap is explained. Read about multi-camera event recording to see what extra cameras add.

For more questions to put to any supplier, use the questions to ask your videographer tool, or start from event videography.