Frequently Asked Questions

Mitzvahs

The following are questions we have received pertaining to bar and bat mitzvah videography.

What sort of time allocation is general for these events?
You're basically looking to hire a videographer for a 5 or 6 hour period. The actual amount and content of footage shot depends on whether or not the mitzvah will take place in Temple or at the reception venue. Fees can be calculated by the hour or in a package deal – whichever works for the budget at hand.

Can the ceremony be included in the video?
Generally, if the ceremony takes place in Temple, it's unlikely that a videographer will be allowed to tape. Most Temples provide a tape (VHS format) of the event, which can then be transferred in part, or its entirety into digital format for the finished project. There can be substantial time involved in transferring one format (VHS) to another (Digital Video) and fees reflect this. Generally, a tape to digital transfer and edit-down of a mitzvah ceremony costs about $200 as part of a larger package. Of course, the simplest and preferred option is that we are permitted to shoot the service if that is desired.

Ultimately, the choices are numerous and are up to you. We are happy to work with you on sorting out some of your options and narrowing in on something that really meets your needs. Bear in mind that this project will outlive you, your child, his/her children and even their children's children and will ultimately become a precious memento of times past and ancestors long gone to be cherished by future generations of your family, so you'll want to consider fairly carefully what you bequeath them. See our Slideshow FAQ for more information.

Can you include a compilation of photos of our child growing up at some point in the video?
Yes. As for a montage — we call it a "slideshow" in the industry — ultimately, it's up to you, but generally, anything longer than about 7 minutes begins pushing the envelope from the perspective of attention span. No matter how well done (and we pride ourselves in our outstanding slideshow productions) we strongly recommend a slideshow of about 6 minutes. For that length of time, you'd need about 8 or 9 photos per minute (or about 40 - 60 photos) — but this is a rough estimate. We can do an assembly line slideshow where the photos basically dissolve one into the next every 7 seconds or so, set arbitrarily to pre-selected music, or we can do much more personalized slideshows with special effects and carefully choreographed selections timed carefully to match lyrics or musical moments. View some of our slideshow demos.

What about total costs for a combined package deal of the day?
A price in the $1600 to $1700 range is realistic — this can include a simple slideshow, footage from the ceremony itself, AND two copies of the final edited DVD, lasting roughly 1.5 but under 2 hours (depending on the amount of footage at hand). All DVDs are chaptered so viewers can jump back and forth on demand and not need to sit through the entire video to catch something special.

What other options are available (besides slideshows and inclusion of the ceremony)?
Options are pretty much limitless to your imagination and budget. For instance, you can choose to:

fold in other media (pre-existing films, tape, stills and even audio files)
include footage sent in by special arrangement from loved ones far away who can’t attend for some reason
hold a screening of a slideshow or special tribute as part of the event itself
include additional camera crew to capture multiple angles and events going on simultaneously
create a multi-disk deluxe set running longer than 2 hours and including footage otherwise omitted (including rehearsals, Hebrew and Torah classes, “the morning of footage” etc.)

What sort of timeframe should we be considering?
We recommend you book your videographer and photographer as far in advance as possible to ensure availability. Once we receive a 50% advance deposit, we are booked and committed to the event. As for delivery of the final product, we are committed to reviewing, editing and authoring the final disk in under six weeks maximum (often much less than that) unless there are unexpected delays — generally having to wait for still photos from the photographer or decisions which you, the client, wish to consider before committing to in terms of finishing touches to the final product.

What happens if I don’t like the final project or if there are mistakes such as misspellings of titles, etc.?
We are committed to delivering the best possible finished project to each and every one of our clients. ABVP’s clients include high-end corporates, designers, events organizers, performing artists, haute-couture houses and documentary film producers. We consider every client to be our most important one. In your contract, we build in a review process, which allows you a chance to change, omit, correct or add to the final product if it is at all possible and within reason. We can’t be responsible for adverse conditions such as weather, poor lighting or audio conditions in the venue, etc. but even here we try to plan in advance for such variables and be prepared for them with auxiliary equipment and accessories.

Can we receive a guarantee that a particular videographer will record the event, or edit the final product?
ABVP maintains a highly selective and often-updated list of collaborators for the possibility that we have multiple-bookings for a particular date. If a particular professional is promised you for your event, every effort will be made to assure that he/she is the recorder of that event. However, people get sick or injured, weather might interfere with travel options, or something unforeseen might occur and there is a slight chance that we will need to substitute your “shooter” with someone else — who will be just as qualified and talented. Many people request Anthony Bellov himself, and of course, he can only be in one place at a time.

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