Filming in Hi Definition (HD) for weddings and events has really become exciting for AMC in the last few months since  the end of the format wars. The winner, Sony’s Bluy-Ray format/disc, has emerged as the one choice for HD content which means we can finally make HD movies for one format  – and that makes it simple for our readers!

At the same time, I must admit that most people probably don’t care much about formats and discs and specs and are a bit overwhelmed when confronted with all these buzz words  The overriding question was – which format (and disc type) do we use to finalize your movie?  Selecting the wrong format meant having a disc with a 50% chance of not being playable in some players!  So honestly, filming in HD has not been the most popular option for many readers up until this season…

Now that these incompatibility issues have been resolved, we are getting bombarded with the HD questions both before and after the weddings… So here are few frequently asked questions and answers on the topic to get our readers started without too much tech talk!

1 – Does AMC shoot weddings and events in HD?

Yes, we have been shooting in HD for almost 2 years now.  This meant significant changes internally in terms of equipment, computers, storage, and work-flow.  However, delivery has been difficult until recently due to the format /disc issues.

2 – If we upgrade to HD, what do we get?

Currently, the upgrade means that you get all the items mentioned in your package in addition to 2 Blue-Ray discs with your movie showcased in HD.  Deluxe chaptered discs (either Blue-Ray or standard DVDs) depends on your package.  Blue-Ray Discs will  play in Blue-Ray players (and Sony play station 2 game machines we hear).

3 – Can I upgrade my regular DVD to HD discs after the wedding?

Technically, yes – we can upscale your footage to HD size if it wasn’t shot that way but that does not increase it’s quality or clarity like real HD footage – it only increases the dimensions of the picture.  This can be done by us in editing or much more cheaply by trying one of those new DVD players that do the conversion for you. However, we do not recommend the results!  So when asked, we say that if you want HD then you should have us shoot it that way from the start! That way, you will be getting the best quality, clarity, and size – sounds like diamonds, right ladies?

At this point, there really is no reason to invest in a movie using old technology.  So, we are recommending that everybody have their events filmed in HD.  You will be getting SD discs anyway for your grandparents or whomever has the now “older” style DVD players.  And if you are a bride and groom without an Blue-Ray player- consider that a wedding registry item!

4 – What is involved in shooting HD?

Nothing other than shooting it properly with the correct equipment, techniques, and a trained professional team.  To our customers, it’s most important that you reserve that date for an HD shoot as soon as possible since almost every couple is now asking us about the option!

5 – What’s the difference between SD (standard definition) and HD? In short, clarity clarity clarity!  Secondly, the picture fits your WIDEscreen tv properly instead of having those black bars on the right and left side of the movie. Even the regular DVDs actually look better when the footage was filmed in HD and downcoverted to fit a regular DVD.  This is because the source footage started better (better clarity) and doesn’t loose as much on the conversion.