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Al is a talented wedding videographer turned real estate videographer who still incorporates the story telling aspect in his videos to help sell the homes of the clients who hire him.
Check out our conversation below~
BG: How long have you been taking videos professionally or unprofessionally?
AA: I’ve been doing videography professionally for about 8 years now. I started back in 2011, filming mostly weddings and events. But then I stopped in 2015 to pursue a different career path. I worked as a medical laboratory technologist in Winnipeg full-time for a few years. Then in 2018, when we moved to Vancouver, was when my interest in cameras and videography came back. I wanted to give it another shot, and luckily, I stumbled upon real estate videography. I met a few clients that I started working regularly with. Got more and more clients through referrals. Then in 2020, I was able to quit my 9-5 job as a lab tech to pursue videography as a full-time business.
BG: What would you say is your videography style?
AA: "Hybrid". When I made the transition from wedding videography to real estate videography, I still tried to incorporate the story telling style of filming I used to apply to my wedding videos into my real estate videos.
BG: What or where do you most love to shoot?
AA: As a real estate videographer, I film mostly houses and properties. I love shooting different styles of homes, from classic to modern, and bringing something that’s not moving to life through my videos.
BG: What is your go-to camera/lens or any other recommended gear that is a must-have?
AA: I currently film with a Canon EOS-R6. I’ve been a Canon user ever since. My go-to lens when it comes to filming properties is the 16-35mm f2.8L lens. It’s wide enough to capture a lot of the space I’m shooting, and the ability to zoom in to 35mm to shoot details, without having to switch to a different lens, is super handy.
BG: What is one of the most exciting or exhilarating things you’ve done to capture a shot?
AA: The most exciting part for me when it comes to filming homes and buildings is when I’m flying my drone to get aerial footage of the properties.
BG: Who inspires you as a videographer?
AA: When I was just starting out, it was Jason Magbanua who really inspired me to turn a passion into an actual business. He's a Filipino wedding videographer and I used to watch all of his videos back then to gain some inspiration and learn the style of cinematography he was using for his wedding videos. Now, I'm getting inspiration from Peter Mckinnon, a Youtuber and content creator. His videos and love for photography, videography and camera gears is so much fun to watch and makes me want to continuously learn new ways on how to make my craft more unique and creative.
BG: What inspires you most in the work you do?
AA: It’s actually the home sellers that inspire me to continue creating these videos. I love hearing from my realtor clients that the homeowners were very happy and surprised on how the video of their home turned out. Selling a place that they’ve become very attached to can be difficult sometimes. And these videos are something that they can keep forever and look back to.
BG: Do you have any advice for aspiring videographers?
AA: My advice to aspiring videographers is, if you’re doing videography professionally, always deliver the best products to your clients. Remember that you’re not just a video company, you’re also in the client service business. Making sure that your clients are always happy with your service and the videos you deliver to them, will help your business grow a lot faster and will make sure that they will keep returning to you for more work. You will also get more referrals and will continue to build a strong relationship with them.
BG: How has the bag changed your videography game?
AA: The Top Shelf has been great so far! I bring it with me especially when I'm out getting some brolls of the neighbourhood I'm doing a listing video at. The quick access to my camera makes getting some of this footage a lot faster. I normally use a gimbal when I film, but in some cases, the added stability that the Top Shelf provides makes hand-held filming possible as well. The platform of the Top Shelf also helps for setting up my drone and remote, which is a true game-changer!
Give Al a follow-
Instagram @bestcutfilms
YouTube @bestcutfilms
Website: bestcutfilms.com