Cinema-Roll Films

3 Reasons We Should Shoot An Engagement Film Together!

October 18, 2023

You typically hire a videographer for your wedding to capture your celebration. It’s my job as a wedding videographer is to tell your story the best way possible. However, the reality of it is that your story starts well before the day you get married. An engagement video (also known as a Love Story or Adventure Session) is the perfect way to encapsulate your lives together before you were married and remind you of the spark that ignited the flame in a more natural environment.

1. Getting Comfortable In Front Of The Camera

For most people, the first time they hire a professional filmmaker is on their wedding day. A huge reason why we should film an engagement video together is to give you a chance to feel comfortable in front of the camera before your big day. There could be a lot of pressure for you on the day you get married, and the last thing you want to worry about is how you look or act on camera. I try to alleviate some of that pressure with my couples by having an engagement shoot with them.

Engagement shoots are a MUCH more relaxed setting than a wedding day. What I like to do with my couples is pick a location that’s visually appealing or means something to you both. This way we’re in a comfortable place, and use this time to get to know each other. We can learn more about each other, vibe together, and this always helps everything flow more naturally. It’s just us, so you don’t have to worry about a bridal party, family, guests, or anything like that.

By the end of the 90-minute session, my couples always tell me the time flew by. They have so much fun and are way more comfortable in front of the camera than they thought. After an engagement session with me, you will know what to expect on your day. So, now we can get all the money shots we need to make your film that much better!

This is a perfect example of how unique your engagement film can be! Kristina is from Louisiana and Brandon is from New York, so we filmed this video together while they were in Brooklyn. They started their long-distance relationship by calling each other every day. I made their dialogue sound like they were speaking on the phone to keep it authentic to themselves. It even ends with the secret handshake they came up with. This is truly a vibe you don’t get on your wedding day! As an NYC Wedding Videographer, I loved the feel of this one!

2. More Natural Feeling

An engagement video tells your story in a whole different light from your wedding video. This video can be more “you” since you can dress like it’s Friday date night, and hang out in a natural environment. I like to suggest to my couples to go to a place that means something to them, or for us to do something they normally do together. Whether it’s cooking, playing tennis, riding bikes, or going on a date night, this will come off most natural on camera since you’ve done it a million times before. This encapsulates your personalities better, and these definitely aren’t things you would do on your wedding day!

Gabriella and Daniel’s Engagement Film shows exactly how fun and natural this can be. They originally wanted to go to the Brooklyn Bridge on their wedding day, but since it’s a huge tourist trap on Saturdays in September, I recommended we do this for their engagement video. We woke up at sunrise so we would have the whole bridge to ourselves! After, we went back to their place to capture them making breakfast together. You can see the smiles on their faces the whole time and how fun and natural it was.

3. Improves Wedding Day Experience And Imagery

All of my couples who book Engagement Videos with me realize the value that this heirloom has. It’s benefitted them by giving them a time capsule of their lives together. Their families and friends love it, and it gets everyone even more excited for their actual wedding day.

That being said, having this engagement film shoot together helps for your actual wedding day but building the connection between yourselves and me, you’re more comfortable, and being in front of a camera gives you one less thing to worry about which leads to a better overall experience.

This also prepares you for the small window of time we will possibly have for portraits on your wedding day. We may only have 30 minutes for this, or a 5-minute window to get sunset shots and since we’ve done this all already, we can produce the shots we need for your film at a much more efficient rate to give us more content for your wedding film.

Megan and Kellen were so excited about their engagement video! We met at their apartment while they tried to keep it together explaining what they loved about each other. We were able to include their dog by going on a walk around the neighborhood with all the colorful walls and Brooklyn vibes which was why they moved there in the first place. This was perfect to share with their family and friends from across the country who knew little about their new lives in New York.

I wish I could do an engagement shoot with all of my couples. If you’re interested at all in getting together to create this time capsule together, I’d LOVE to talk more! Getting to know my couple’s stories and a big part of what I love and why I started Cinema-Roll Films in the first place, and I love to share that with you!

-Austin

Hi, I’m Austin and I’m a wedding videographer based out of NYC.

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