frequently asked questions
What is M&R Video Productions?
We are a husband and wife videography team; Marty & Ruth Arndt. We live in Clive, Iowa.
How long have you been doing videography?
2008 is our third wedding season. Although we are newer to the business, we have been working with Audio/Video technologies for many years. Marty handles the technical side of the business and has been very active with our church for nine years, working in live sound and recording. His involvement with professional video started in 2004 when asked to design and implement a multimedia studio for our church. He continues to work with a very talented team of technicians to create video productions as both a cameraman and editor.
Ruth handles the business side of M&R. She handles the finances, keeps our schedules organized and without her, Marty would be just a guy with a camera!
How many cameras do you use?
We use one Panasonic DVX-100B MiniDV camera. There are many videographers that choose to use only one camera and to use their creativity in getting the best shots and editing them to create a treasured moment.
Will we hear our vows on the video?
Yes, we use a professional wireless lapel microphone and transmitter that is usually worn my the groom. The microphone is designed to pickup all sound around it, which allows us to hear the groom, bride and the reverend or priest. A professional grade microphone is also used on the camera to pickup sound within the room, specifically the music used for the ceremony and the reception.
Can you use my own music CDs on the DVD?
Unfortunately this is not possible. Music CDs are copyrighted and cannot be legally added to your video. To do this requires what is called a sync license and major record companies do grant licenses to large movie studies, for a large fee. However, there is no such arrangement for videographers. When you hire a professional videographer to tape your wedding, he or she will undoubtedly do some kind of "post production" work for you, such as editing adding background music. He or she must have permission from the copyright owners to add their music to your production.
If a videographer tells you that you can do this so long as you own a copy of the music, he or she is incorrect in their understanding of copyright law. For more information on this topic, see "My Voice, My Choice: Some Basic Copyright Caveats" by Douglas Spotted Eagle
What kind of music do you use for the Wedding Movie and other montages?
We use high-quality production music, which has been licensed to us. This license grants us the right to add the music to our productions and resale to our clients. You - as our client - may also copy the finished DVD for the purpose of a backup, and not violate copyright law.
M&R Video Productions owns a library of music and continues to acquire new music.
What about music played at our ceremony and reception?
Your wedding is a private event as opposed to public. If you own a CD and want to play the music before, during or after your ceremony, you are within your rights to do so. The same holds true for the reception. A DJ that owns a legitimate copy of the music, can play his or her music without any additional licenses. Again, it's a private event.
As a professional videographer, we are hired to document your private event. While doing so, our camera will undoubtedly capture copyrighted music. We view this as incidental music and will leave it "as is" on the finished DVD. We will not take a CD of that same music and add it to the video during post production in an attempt to make it sound better. The primary purpose of the documentary is to preserve your event, for your private use. See Item [17] of our terms for more information.
Can we make a backup copy of the finished DVD?
Yes you may make backup copies of your DVD. We do offer additional copies for a small fee if you would like copies for other family members. Please keep in mind that the footage remains the property of M&R Video Productions. See Item [3] of our terms for more information.