REASONS TO CONSIDER A DVD FILM AND LANDMARK WEDDING FILMS

WHY DO A WEDDING FILM?
A colleague once said, “A photograph shows how people once looked, but a video shows what they were like.”
Here are some other reasons couples chose to invest in a DVD film…

*“It makes the whole experience come alive again and brings back all the passion, excitement, anticipation, awe, and wonder.”

*“It brings back all the feelings. I can actually remember the smell of the church and the taste of the wedding dinner!”

“It’s like a favorite old song that triggers high school memories, but ten times better!”

“I never realized how much I missed…especially the people and details.”

“It helps me remember why we got married, so we watch it every year.”

“It transports me back to one of the happiest time in my life.”

“It gives me the feeling of being there - again.”

“I get to hear my grandfather’s stories”

“It’s a legacy - a keepsake – for our children and their children…”

1. Award-Winning TV Producers Tell Your Story
Our producers’ experience in TV news and documentaries means they know how to tell stories that entertain, warm hearts and capture special moments. Their credits include the 2004 public television program Back on the Mississippi –
Hidden Trails, Offbeat Tales (www.backonthemississippi.com). They also produce a variety of television advertising, history, corporate and family memories programs. And Landmark producers have won over 10 awards,
including the Telly Award for excellence in video production.

2. Your Wedding Theme Throughout the DVD
We can incorporate your wedding theme as the central design element of your DVD film. The main menu screen – from which you select chapters to watch – looks like your wedding program. And the DVD outer case and disc carry the same theme. They’re a matching set with your own theme. All the time and money you spent on your wedding pays off every time you watch your DVD film.

3. All Three Film Styles in One DVD
Most wedding videos feature one of three films styles: cinematic, documentary or journalistic. Landmark uses all three to help you relive the emotion, action and stories of your wedding experience. Cinematic: Enhances the most emotional parts of the film -- the Opening Highlights, ceremony preparations, first dance -- with slow motion, music and special effects. Documentary: Captures the action as it happens in real time during the ceremony and reception speeches. Journalistic: Skillful interviewing captures the stories, best wishes, and personalities of family and friends

4. Video Previews on Main Menu
Imagine putting in your DVD and seeing your own wedding program featuring the chapter titles of your film… AND a video playing preview scenes from those same chapters. Like a scene? Simply click on the title to watch the entire chapter! That’s a Landmark main menu.

5. Crafted to Your Personalities
The Landmark Film Plan starts the process of helping us learn about you, your family, and your friends… and gives us the direction we need to:
* define the scope of your wedding story,
* capture your most memorable moments,
* elicit the most compelling commentary from family and friends… and
* reflect your tastes with just the right balance music, graphics and special
effects...

WHAT IS LANDMARK'S RESERVATION, BOOKING AND PAYMENT PROCESS?
a) The first step is to reserve a date or dates for Landmark to produce your program. We will
hold your reservation for up to two weeks and confirm it after receiving your deposit.
b) Shortly after you reserve your dates, you will receive the Landmark Agreement (our
contract) after which you will have two weeks to review, sign and return it with a $500
non-refundable deposit - payable by personal check, VISA or MasterCard.
c) After finalizing your program with Landmark, the balance of your bill can be paid in two equal payments, with the first due 10 days before the ceremony and the second due upon delivery of the DVD film (3-6 months following the wedding).

WHAT'S NEXT AND HOW DO WE PLAN OUR DVD WEDDING FILM?
This is where the fun begins! After the date(s) are booked, the couple will be asked to complete the Landmark Film Plan, a process designed to be fun and collaborative that:
* helps us understand the couple, their family and friends and
* helps the couple decide what events, people and stories to put in their program.

Couples typically have several weeks to complete the Landmark Video Plan after which they will meet with a producer who can come to their home or office. This meeting typically takes one-two hours.

The completed Film Plan gives us a “script” to follow for shooting and editing your film. Although there is no formal script per se (unless you choose to produce a Love Story documentary), the Film Plan works in much the same way, giving us the direction we need to capture the scenes, people, stories, and detail of your wedding experience.

The process culminates when the couple selects the specific chapters for their film or the content of their reception program. Of course, we realize this will be simply the starting point for producing your film… changes will be inevitable and we are used to adjusting Film Plans right up to the last minute!

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE A RECEPTION VIDEO?
Producing an emotion-packed reception program typically takes at least two months before the Big Day. The exact time requirements depend on two things: the type of program (slideshow, video montage or documentary) and when you can provide the source material. Here are the time requirements for each one…
* Photo Montage choreographed to music: Two months prior to wedding
* Video Montage choreographed to music: Three months prior to wedding
* Documentary with interviews & music: Three-four months prior to wedding

HOW MUCH CONTROL WILL I HAVE IN PRODUCING OUR DVD FILM?
As much or as little as you wish. It starts with the Video Plan [hotlink to “What’s next…] and subsequent consultation where you set the direction, tone and specific chapters for the film. We realize that the plan must be flexible as your wedding takes shape, as it takes place, and afterwards, as it is being edited. We love collaborating with clients before, during, and after their Big Day because it results in the “perfect” wedding film!

WHAT IF CHANGES ARE NEEDED AFTER I RECEIVE MY DVD FILM?
If you find mistakes in spelling, titles, etc., we will correct them free of charge before delivering the final sets. If you decide to make stylistic or aesthetic changes such as music, video, or photos, Landmark will provide an estimate based on a discounted hourly editing rate.

WHAT DO I PROVIDE FOR THE DVD FILM?
This will be determined in the Film Plan. How much source material (photos, video, music and graphics) you need to provide depends on what stories you want your film to tell. And programs shown at your reception may also require several hours of your time for interviews in the months leading up to the wedding.

CAN I INCLUDE MY WEDDING THEME AND DESIGNS IN MY DVD FILM?
Absolutely, in fact, we encourage it. Your theme, invitation and program are the visual essence of your wedding experience. Because most couples invest a lot of creativity, time and money in this process, their wedding theme reflects their personalities, tastes and style. Landmark uses your theme to:
* Create a title for your film
* Design the cover for your DVD case
* Design matching graphics for the DVD disc
* Create the main menu in the DVD program itself

HOW LONG DO YOU KEEP A COPY OF MY DVD FILM?
We keep all original video files on our computers until delivery of your final DVD sets. We keep DVD copies of the finished wedding film – along with the graphics files for the packaging – indefinitely, so you can reorder in the future.

CAN I MAKE COPIES OF MY DVD FILM?
Absolutely, in fact we encourage it. We hope that the more people see it, the more business we’ll get. Unlike Hollywood films, once you pay for your program, you own it and have the right to reproduce it. Remember…
* If you want a finished set like your original -- with printed graphics on the case and discs, and the insert describing the chapters, skip-to points and music -- you need to order from Landmark. info@landmarkweddingfilms.com
* Use “DVD –R” blank discs to copy from your originals. Other formats such as DVD –RW or DVD +R discs may not work properly.

HOW DO I CONTACT LANDMARK WEDDING FILMS?
Web: www.landmarkweddingfilms.com
E-mail: info@landmarkweddingfilms.com
Phone: 651-489-4677

WILL MY DVD LAST FOREVER, OR WILL IT DEGRADE OVER TIME?
Excellent question. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever - except death and taxes. The short answer is that no one knows for certain because DVDs have been around for such a relatively short time - less than 20 years. Current research indicates that the chemical dye layers holding the video and audio in DVDs do degrade over time, but to what extent is not known. Unlike VHS tape, whose loss of color and image quality is visible over a 15-25 year period as it demagnetizes, it is believed DVDs will simply stop being recognized by the player.

SO, HOW DO YOU PRESERVE YOUR PRICELESS MEMORIES? HERE ARE A FEW TIPS...
* First and foremost, treat your DVD kindly! As you should for photos, artwork or videotape, avoid touching and scratching the surface, and store it in a dry place at room temperature.
* When watching the DVD, minimize using the “pause” function to reduce the possibility of the laser beam in the player damaging the dye layers.
* After a few years, copy your DVD onto another disc using a computer or a DVD recorder.
* Copy your DVD onto an actual computer hard drive, either as DVD-ROM files or as a video file such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime AVI.. This is becoming more practical and economical now that computers are being sold with larger hard drives and external hard drives (that simply plug into your computer’s USB port) are more common.
* Finally, be aware of new technology offering greater (perhaps even “permanent”) image preservation.

WHAT ASSURANCES DO I HAVE THAT LANDMARK WILL MEET ITS DELIVERY DATE?
First, you have our promise that – barring a natural disaster (i.e., fire) or other uncontrollable catastrophic event (i.e., death of our staff) - we will deliver your program no later than the timeframe established following receipt of your source material. For example, if we commit to delivering your program in 12 weeks, the clock starts ticking after you provide us with your source material (photos, video, music and graphics).
Secondly, we know that a late delivery will adversely affect our main source of business…recommendations and referrals from our customers.
Finally, we don’t receive final payment until the film is in your hands.

As of fall 2006, prices for individual services start at $1,500 for filming the Ceremony, while prices for packages range from $3,500 for the Wedding Day, $5,000 for the Wedding Week and $8,000 for your whole experience. Packages are
additive, meaning you get more DVD film chapters and reception programs as you go up the price scale. And some packages include extras like video web sites and iPod-ready film clips so you can share your story with family, friends and the world!

HOW AND WHEN DO I PAY FOR MY DVD FILM?
a) The first step is to reserve date(s) for Landmark to shoot your wedding DVD or produce your reception video.
b) You will then receive the Landmark Agreement (our contract) and have two weeks to review, sign and return with a $500 non-refundable deposit - payable with personal check, VISA or MasterCard.
c) After finalizing your DVD film and/or reception video with Landmark [hotlink to Film Plan], payment of your bill can be made in two parts, with the first due 10 days before the ceremony and the second due upon delivery of the DVD film (3-6 months following the wedding).

WHAT'S IN THE LANDMARK AGREEMENT (CONTRACT) AND WHEN DO I SEE IT TO "SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE?"
You will receive our contract shortly after you reserve a date. The Landmark Agreement is a legal contract that was carefully developed to foster a partnership with clients. It clearly spells out each party’s rights and obligations to establish trust and confidence as we move through the process. The Agreement protects our clients in case we fail to perform and protects Landmark in the event clients fail to follow through on their contract commitments.

HOW CAN I SEE YOUR WORK AND GET A DVD DEMO?
You can order our Preview DVD “Relive the Magic” free of charge or see the exciting five-minute open right now. We will mail our Preview DVD “Relive the Magic” free of charge to anyone providing their name and contact information. Unlike many video demos, “Relive the Magic” is a carefully crafted film (four months in the making!) that entertains, informs and inspires… just like the programs we create for our couples. You’ll see…
* An exciting five-minute roller-coaster ride through a dozen Landmark wedding
films. Fasten your seatbelt!
* Opening Highlights from four wedding films, narrated by the newlyweds
themselves.
* Selected scenes featuring the sights and sounds from four wedding ceremonies.

DO YOU OFFER SPECIAL PRICE PACKAGES?
Landmark offers DVD films, reception videos and other services both individually and together in three packages; the Wedding Day, The Wedding Week and Your Whole Relationship.

CAN I ORDER ADDITIONAL SETS OF MY DVD FILM OR RECEPTION VIDEO?
Yes. To learn more, go to our Services and Rates page.