Article by Ella Mariano Graphics by Carl Pedraja
November 13, 2021
On September 29, 2021, a YouTuber by the name of Archie Lim released a video on his channel with the title, “We Need to Talk About Templated Same Day Edit Wedding Videos And Why It's Bad For The Industry” which became viral. This sparked a heated conversation, not only on the comments section, but also on social media. Most filmmakers are against his claims while some understood where he was coming from. The real question is why did Archie Lim say what he said?
As I watched his video, he said that he has a background in being a wedding videographer. In the beginning of his wedding shooting career, he admitted that he learned a lot from the process of making same day edits (SDE). But as time went by, when he got in the hang of things, he felt like he wasn't growing as an artist. He claims that there’s no creativity in SDEs anymore because it's becoming repetitive. Based on the weddings he has attended, the SDE videos were just average and there’s no “wow factor” anymore. He added that it’s easier for editors now because they already have a storyboard ready - you just have to wait for the raw footage and think of how to put it together. Afterwards, he said that wedding videographers should think of new creative ideas to make unique SDEs - to bring something new to the table. He then ends his argument to advise couples who are getting married to just not avail the SDE because he thinks it’s just another thing to add to their expenses.
As a film student with friends who are already working in the film industry, I can say that his opinion is just based on his own personal experience. To generalize a whole industry because of what he thinks comes off as disrespectful. Wedding videos looked templated because what happens in weddings are the same - the bride walks down the aisle, the groom stares at her at the end of it, says their vows, kiss, etc. You can’t really change what’s happening because the videographers are there to document what’s happening and capture the precious moments that they’ll keep for the rest of their lives. Having storyboards or templates aren’t a bad thing either, because this is any filmmakers’ guide on shoots. So what if they already know what to put in the video? You can’t really shoot a film without the script. You can’t make a speech without making an outline. And since the wedding videographers were hired by the clients, isn’t it just right to just give what they want? After all, it’s their wedding. It’s alright to collaborate with them for the creative shots of the SDE video. What’s important is that they get all those memories captured in video. You can still make your creative spin on telling their story. There is still innovation in SDEs. Few days after Lim’s video went viral, he released a comment on his YouTube video clearing up what he said. He apologized for miscommunicating what he meant.
Social media has been a place to openly express your opinions but it could be a war zone, especially when you’re offending a group of people. Some filmmakers may have understood where he’s coming from, but they know that it’s not fair to just make claims even if he himself was in those videographers’ shoes before. What’s even worse is discouraging future clients to not have SDEs, which could threaten the jobs of many editors out there. Doing this job is not a walk in the park. It takes a great deal of preparation, patience, and artistry to get used to this line of work. Same day edits are here to stay because of its emotional impact for the clients and videographers challenge themselves on how to make a heartwarming video in a span of a few hours. Creativity is not just seen visually, but on how you tell a story.
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