1. Introduction: What's your story?
Hi, my name is Justin Roelant. I'm a videographer and musician currently living in Houston, TX. I was initially drawn to weddings because I got to use my camera to make something meaningful. The emotions were there, the decor was there, but I think my approach left a little something to be desired. And then something changed. I had learned how to capture beautiful images, but at some point in the last few years I hit a wall - I decided I either wanted to really “go deeper” with wedding films or stop filming them altogether.
Many people will say every wedding is different - this is somewhat true. But many weddings are like another. The stage is similar, the props are similar, the plot is similar (or identical) to another. What’s different is the CAST. The people in it are what make a wedding unique. I endeavor, with every film I make, to bottle up a bit of the essence of two lovers and distill it into a piece of art they can hold on to for a lifetime. If I can represent the couples in my films well then I feel like I’m successful. I’ll dabble with different styles, try new trends, but the HEART of the piece is and must be to capture truth - to capture a love story.
I used to follow a template for making wedding films and it made me want to quit. Now, there is REAL excitement for me in making art for lovers - art that represents them well.
2. How long have you been filming weddings? How many weddings have you filmed?
I started filming weddings in 2012 for a company here in Houston. Since I started primarily as a contract shooter I honestly have no idea the exact number of weddings, but I estimate it to be over 200 at this point.
3. How would you describe your videography style?
I'm an Enneagram 4, which means authenticity is one of the most important things for me. I love true, authentic storytelling. I don't want to be overly sappy or posed - I find I get most excited when I'm able to capture real emotions in a "cinematic" way. I love painting with light, especially using light to shape things in non-conventional ways. My composition is often intuitive - I frame things the way I can most "feel" it.
4. How well in advance should couples book their wedding videographer?
Nowadays I'd say about a year out. I'm getting inquiries for 18 months in advance.
5. What are the different packages that you offer and which one is your most popular package?
My packages have become more custom than anything else. I do have a basic package that's highlight only with just me shooting, though the most popular is some configuration of highlight, teaser and a documentary film. The one constant is that I don't like to nickel-and-dime over coverage hours. I'd rather be there for a sufficient amount of time and capture what I need for the edit than be a stickler about only shooting 6-7 hours. I don't do short hour packages.
6. Are you the wedding videographer who will be filming on the wedding day? How many camera people and cameras will be operating on the day?
Outside of illness or something absolutely unexpected (you never know nowadays), I'm the one filming alongside a trusted second shooter. We generally run 4-5 cameras.
7. Do you charge a travel fee? For what distance? What does that cover?
Yes - since we shoot a lot of destination weddings we deal with this a fair amount. Fortunately my wife is the global travel manager for her company and has helped me format my packages in that regard. We will build out a quote and give it to the couple to include in the agreement.
8. How do you back-up your footage to ensure no footage is lost and for how long do you keep the footage after the wedding?
We have multiple on-sight drives where we store the footage, including a RAID 5 system. In addition we backup everything to the cloud. Generally I'll remove footage about a year after the wedding has been delivered but I never do it without giving the couple a heads up in case theres something else they'd like to add.
9. How long after the wedding will the couple receive the video? And how will the video be delivered?
Currently our turn around is 3-4 months. We deliver digitally on a custom website for all packages as well as on USB drives for everything but our base package.
10. What is your cancellation and/or refund policy?
Currently we charge a 33% non-refundable retainer with the final payment made a month before the wedding date. If a couple needs to cancel for whatever reason prior to the final payment, the remaining 66% will be refunded to them. Alternatively, if a couple needs to change the wedding date (a common occurrence last year), we are more than happy to simply transfer the retainer over to the new date provided we are available.
.JPG)
.jpg)
