Videographer vs Cinematographer vs Filmmaker

what does your videographer call Themself and why it doesn’t matter

A videographer… a cinematographer… or a filmmaker?

This is the debate that’s occupying a fair bit of video professional’s time online today. You can see it by simply going to a handful of videographer’s websites. What title do you identify yourself with? Aren’t they all not synonymous with one another? Is one title any different or better than the next? These are all relevant and important questions to ask. Right? Or are they?

Does this debate even matter?

The real question we should all be most concerned with is, does a bride search for a videographer, cinematographer or a filmmaker??? I’m speaking to everyone of you who shoots “professional” video… and I’m directing this question more so to myself than anyone of you. Why are we soo concerned with labels? And, why do we get all bent out of shape when we are called a videographer rather than “cinematographer” or “filmmaker.” Why do you think a videographer today feels soo passionate about being identified as a “filmmaker?”

There’s a stigma today that if you’re called a videographer, you are old school, inferior, amateur or not worthy of being a “filmmaker.” This new generation of videographers must feel they have been preordained this “filmmaker” title, the likes of being a rightful heir and privileged to the filmmaker throne. Though, the majority have not a clue about the history of videography, how much the industry has changed in the last 20 years and how fortunate they are to film with these amazing filmmaking tools we all have today.

How is Videography Different Today Compared to 20 Years Ago?

I have a lot of perspective on this topic considering I have been in this business professionally for 20 years now. Twenty years ago, no videographer called themselves a cinematographer. Why? Because it just was not possible to make your work look cinematic. Yes, there were options to tweak your image to make it “look like the movies and make it widescreen”… though we second guessed ourselves and the overwhelming majority of us videographers didn’t even play with those tools because they wouldn’t even be accepted by brides or whomever was hiring us. Limitations in technology didn’t wall us to create anything compared to that of true film. But I digress, flash forward approximately eight years after I entered professional wedding videography and the industry got flipped on its head when Vinccent Laforet directed “Reverie,” the first film… (clearing my throat) I mean video shot entirely on a Canon 5D Mark ii.

So, here’s a very short film (there I go with saying film and not video) lecture. Prior to 2008, it was just not possible to use a professional film/still camera lens on a video camera, at least not for us average video people who worked on a shoestring budget. The lens is truly what makes or breaks your image. What you know of as a movie today is shot with “fast glass,” or a lens that has the ability to capture the subject matter is in pristine focus while making the background go completely out of focus. This technical aspect of filmmaking is called depth of field. Now with the release of the 5D Mark ii we could shoot cinematic/film video footage with a lens and a wide open aperture that looked like what you would see at the movies. This was HUGE! I was even scared and reluctant to jump all in, but I saw the future and knew that everything was going to change and change quick. At that time I was shooting both wedding photography and video, and honestly was shooting more stills at weddings than video. Video at that time was limited in its ability to shine and be respected like photography was. This radical change to the industry was the injection of creative freedom I so desperately needed. I knew firsthand what we were on the cusp of and I knew I had the upper hand, having had YEARS of wedding photography experience. Suddenly, we were not “videographers,” we now had the ability to create movies… true films that looked like they were shot and edited on a cinema camera that cost tens of thousands of dollars. We were now true filmmakers. Technically, of course we were still shooting video, though it might as well have been a film camera; it was just what the industry was clamoring for.

Back to the Future: The Changing Landscape of Videography

Ever since then, there has been an evolution of change in wedding videography. Yes, it was slow to manifest itself because of the nay sayers and those who just didn’t want to accept change (you know who are). I’m getting way off topic now, and this has proved to be another topic for another blog post, but you get my point and see the difference between a video created 15 years ago compared to the “films” produced today.

Coming back to the future… lol… everyone aspires to be a filmmaker, to create true film-like videos that tells the story of a couple and their love story thrown into the framework of their wedding day. I created these love stories for couples back in 2003 and knew then that was a differentiation and a way to stand apart from the rest of the amateurish looking videographers who were just copycats of the guy shooting the wedding at the church next door. To me the average wedding video was just too boring and frankly felt like I truly was capable of creating so much more for my couples. I aspired to produce a true heirloom-love story-time capsule that a couple’s children one day could truly be entertained by watching; sit down with their mom and dad and enjoy the story of how their parent’s fell in love; watch their grandparents dance and grandpa walk their mom down the aisle, watch their aunts and uncles cry tears of joy while realizing they are the product of this celebration and story of love.

This is what it comes down to! When you, the bride, goes out on a search online to find your “videographer,” what do you type in your browser? What are your search terms? It is my opinion that a bride will not identify with “cinematographer” or “filmmaker.” They don’t use these search terms because it has already been engrained in them that we are called “videographers,” and guess what everyone, this is okay. Given that reality that we all know to be true, we still soo desperately want to share with the world and to prospective brides that we are NOT a “videographer,” we are “cinematographers” and “filmmakers.” I’ll admit, I too am guilty of this, and I know deep down inside it just doesn’t matter.

Ultimately, your work should speak for itself. No matter what us industry professionals decide to call ourselves, it can only be judged through the lens (no pun intended) of our work. If you don’t shoot like a “filmmaker” but instead your work resembles Uncle Bob’s, the bride knows, you won’t get work to sustain yourself and it won’t matter what you decided it was best to call yourself.

I’m sure there have been articles and research done on this very topic. If you find these articles, comment below with some links that back up my claim above, I would love to read them.

You ARE a VIDEOGRAPHER! Brides, you are searching for a VIDEOGRAPHER. The only difference are the tools that we have at our fingertips today versus 13 years ago. We create videos today that are truly films, and films who’s production value is right up there with the latest weekly Netflix or Disney+ release. So, don’t sugarcoat what you’re producing, because brides of today know what they are looking for, and if that means they call you a videographer and not a cinematographer or filmmaker, get over yourself and just be happy and appreciative you are receiving a phone call or inquiry for your services.

We are all one united group together committed to delivering truly amazing films, passionate to tell their stories with our God-given talents.

Now, go shoot… share your love for the art form that we are so blessed with the ability to create. Just get out there and DO IT… as @GaryVee will tell you, “Just !#$’in go CREATE $%^&!”

-Kris Green