Creative Video Services, Inc

FAQ's

2009-08-13T10:47:00.002-05:00

We often get the same questions from people regarding our services. Here are some of the most common:

Will a blu-ray DVD play in a standard DVD player?

No. blu-ray is a new technology which is up to 7 times the quality of a standard DVD and utilizes a blue laser to play the DVD. A standard DVD player utilizes a red laser and will not read a blu-ray disc. A blu-ray player will, however, play a standard DVD. Since blu-ray is the newest and most advanced technology, you will inevitably own a blu-ray player someday if you don't already own one. We were the first in St. Louis to offer blu-ray because we believe in giving our clients the best possible video from today's technology. After 3 years, some of our "competition" still does not offer blu-ray and the ones that due charge a premium for it.

What does no time limit mean?

A lot of photographers and video people charge a package price for a set number of hours and then charge extra for additional hours. So a $2000 package may end up costing you $2500 because the videographer or photographer have been watching the clock and when their hours are up, they want to leave in the middle of your event or charge you additional money to stay even though some very important events may not have taken place yet.
Our package prices are just that, a "package" price. We do not have additional or hidden charges, so you can be assured that the package price includes unlimited hours for your event and we will not miss a single moment of it.

How are payments made?

We offer a simple and fair solution for making payments. A 25% down payment is due with a signed contract. An additional 25% is due anytime before your event date with the balance due upon delivery of DVD's. NEVER pay anyone in FULL for services that will not be completed on the day of your event. I have heard endless stories from people that have made payment in full and then did not get their videos or the person shooting backed out at the last minute and there was no contract. A contract protects you as much as it does the person rendering the services. Again, do NOT pay in FULL for any service unless that service will be fulfilled the day of your event (DJ, Caterer, Florist, etc)

These are just a few of the common questions we receive. If you have any questions regarding our services, please feel free to call anytime and we will do our best to ensure that you are completely satisfied with our services.

Uncompressed-Unedited Video Files

2009-06-15T10:06:00.002-05:00

Here at Creative Video Services, we do not shoot our video to video tape like most companies do. We shoot our High Definition video straight to files which makes it easier and faster to import and edit in our Avid systems. Just for the asking, we will give you the unedited video clips we shot in their native uncompressed format. All you have to do is provide a hard drive or other media to put the files on and the raw unedited video is your to keep as a backup, to view, or use them to practice your own editing skills.

What you should know about High Definition

2009-05-13T17:11:00.006-05:00

High Definition video is the future of video. All new televisions purchased are HD ready and capable of displaying a High Definition picture. So what is High Definition?
To keep it in layman's terms it is a high quality widescreen formatted video that is five times the quality of the Standard Definition DVD's you are used to seeing.
How will my Standard DVD's benefit from High Definition?
There are 2 major benefits to shooting video in HD when the project will also end up as a Standard DVD. The first is color depth. The increased vibrance and depth of color will transfer down to standard DVD where non-HD video cameras don't have the ability to capture the great color qualities seen in HD cameras. Secondly, and most important, all new TV's have a widescreen display. Non-HD cameras shoot in the old 4:3 aspect which means the picture is square, and when played on the widescreen TV's made today, you will see a picture that has two black bars called Pillar bars on the sides of the screen because non-HD cameras can not shoot widescreen.
When shot with an HD camera, the widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio transfers to a Standard DVD so when viewing the Standard DVD on your new widescreen TV, the video will fill the entire screen.
So whether you are viewing your blu-ray High Definition DVD or your Standard Definition DVD, you will see the video fill the entire widescreen TV surface.
There are certainly more technical points I could go into here, but suffice it to say that when we shoot a video for you, the end result will be a video with great color that will fill your widescreen TV when you view your High Definition blu-ray DVD or your Standard DVD.

Price Guarantee

2009-04-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

Creative Video Services is now offering a price guarantee on all video services. We will BEAT any competitors price for a comparable package and still give you the high-definition blu-ray DVD's that are not even being offered by other video companies. We are also offering a $100 discount on all services booked for 2010.
We offer better quality and better service than any of our competition and now we back it up with a price guarantee.

St. Louis Tea Party

2009-03-12T12:53:00.003-05:00

Thanks to 97.1 FM's Dana Loesch and Bill Hennessey for their work on the St. Louis Tea Party. We were there and shot video of the event which you will find posted on Dana's blog and on Bill's site. There were close to 1000 protesters who showed up to express their frustration over our governments wasteful spending and our representatives contempt of it's citizens and abuse of their powers.

Dana's blog
http://thedanashow.wordpress.com/

Bill Hennessey's blog
http://hennessysview.com/

Entire video of event in 4 parts:
http://www.vimeo.com/3408578

Blu-Ray Player Offer Extended

2009-02-13T10:49:00.002-06:00

Every year at this time we offer a FREE Sony blu-ray player to clients who book us for their event in the month of January. This year was very successful, however we have a few units left so we are extending this offer until all of the units are gone. I won't tell you how many are left, but it's under 10. Last year we gave away 30 blu-ray players and this year we have surpassed that number. Everyone who books a Standard or Deluxe Package will get a FREE blu-ray player until the last one is gone!
I'm sure you have seen the incredible quality of High Definition, so you know how much better your video will look in HD. Again, we are extending this offer until all of the players are gone and you MUST mention this blog to get the FREE blu-ray player.
We offer the best possible video standard with HD and Award Winning service to provide you with a video you will enjoy for a lifetime.

Military Discount

2009-01-10T10:31:00.001-06:00

Creative Video Services, Inc is offering a discount for all military families. We greatly appreciate the sacrifices you make to keep this great Country FREE and SAFE. To take advantage of this offer you only need supply a military I.D. and a 10% discount will be applied to any services contracted with us. It's our way of saying thanks for all you do.

Photography Services

2008-12-11T23:25:00.003-06:00

We have teamed up with Kristi Foster Photography to able to offer our clients photography services as well as video. Booking both video and photography services together will save you $$$$! It's a great deal and you'll get the best that St. Louis has to offer in video production and photography. For more information on this great offer contact us today or contact Kristi Foster at KristiFosterPhotograhy.com
We are looking forward to the new year and providing the St. Louis area with the best in videography and photography services.

Blu-ray Player Offer

2008-10-23T09:44:00.002-05:00

It's almost time again for our annual blu-ray player offer. Everyone who books a Standard or Deluxe Package in the month of January will get a FREE blu-ray player!
That doesn't mean you have to get married in January, you just have to book it in January.
I'm sure you have seen the incredible quality of High Definition, so you know how much better your video will look in HD. Again, this is ONLY for the month of January and you MUST mention this blog to get the FREE blu-ray player.
We offer the best possible video standard with HD and Award Winning service to provide you with a video you will enjoy for a lifetime.

FAQ's

2008-08-30T14:05:00.009-05:00

FREE Streaming Video Offer

2008-08-01T18:49:00.005-05:00

I always like to keep the competition on their toes and nothing aggravates them more than when I give things away. For everyone who books their 2009 wedding in the next 30 days, I will throw in a streaming video service of your choice. You can choose to either have your event streamed LIVE over the internet or to have clips of your event posted online the next day for you and your guests to view. Either way, it's a FREE service for anyone who books a Standard or Deluxe Package in the next 30-days. So, not only do you get the best professional video service offered in the Midwest, but you also get a FREE gift, our way of thanking you for your business.

Back Up Protection Service

2008-07-08T08:47:00.005-05:00

Back Up Protection Service means you never have to worry about a lost or damaged DVD. Recently, a client who had been married for several years, lost her wedding DVD in a flood. She had purchased Back Up Protection at the time and we were able to restore her DVD's just like the original, at NO ADDITIONAL COST to her. Back Up Protection Service has always been an affordable means to protect your wedding DVD investment. We offer it with each and every package for peace of mind in knowing that your investment is protected forever.

St. Louis Welcomes China's Vice Premier

2008-06-17T17:19:00.006-05:00

China's Vice Premier, Wang Qishan, was in St. Louis on Sunday and Monday to meet with Missouri State Senators, Congressmen, St. Louis County Executive Charles Dooley and St. Louis mayor Francis Slay along with several major St. Louis business leaders. Creative Video Services was hired to cover the events from the Vice Premier's arrival to the final speeches at the luncheon. The business at hand included a contract signing ceremony between China and St. Louis Corporations which will mean about 5.2 billion dollars in business for the region. You can see a highlight clip by clicking on the link below. It was an honor to provide video services for the event and meeting with our State and local representatives as well as members of the RCGA.
Highlights of visit

The video can also be seen at our commercial demo page.

New Price Guarantee

2008-06-02T16:56:00.003-05:00

Creative Video Services is now offering a price guarantee on all video services. We will BEAT any competitors price for a comparable package and still give you the high-definition blu-ray DVD's that are not even being offered by other video companies. We are also offering a $100 discount on all services booked for 2009 (see post below). We offer better quality and better service than any of our competition and now we back it up with a price guarantee.

$100 Early Bird Discount

2008-05-14T10:35:00.002-05:00

If you're an "early Bird" who likes to get things planned early, we want to reward you with a $100 discount on any package for 2009. This offer is good until September 30th just by mentioning this blog. Between October 1st and December 31st the discount drops to $50 off any package. Book now for 2009 to get the best deal.

Thank You CD's

2008-05-08T20:02:00.002-05:00

This month I want to highlight our Thank You CD's. Thank You CD's are the perfect way to thank the special people who helped or participated in your event. We video tape your introduction or greeting that will be on the CD's, either on green screen or on location, and then include highlights of your event for your special guests to enjoy. For the next 30-days, we are offering a set of up to (10) Thank You CD's FREE with the purchase of the Standard or Deluxe video packages when you mention this blog.

Streaming Video

2008-04-04T10:17:00.002-05:00

There are often times when someone close to you can not make an event like a Wedding or Bar Mitzvah, because of health or other conditions. It can make a really great day seem a little somber when one of your closest family members is unable to attend. It is the reason I began offering streaming video services and the people who have used it were very pleased.
Even though a family member may be unable to attend in person, it is wonderful to know that they will be watching online, LIVE, as the events unfold. During streaming, we have a contact email available, so the person viewing online can send an email "toast" which can be read by someone during the event. It is an open line of communication for someone who could not be there personally to share in the joy of the day. The stream is also recorded, so after the event, it is uploaded to our website with links for you to view the event within just hours after it has ended. With today's technology you don't have to let anyone close to you miss your event. We can help.

"Professional" Videography

2008-03-03T12:38:00.005-06:00

In the many years that I have been shooting weddings, I have seen no less than 6 or 7 video companies a year that come and go. Most are people who bought a cheap camera and a computer and thought they were in business. These companies are easy to find as most use unmanned cameras. What is an unmanned camera? Well, it's a camera that usually sits up in a balcony or the back of a church unattended. There are too many things that can go wrong with an unattended camera. Things like the camera getting bumped by someone. The end result is a static shot of a wall instead of the bride and groom. Another result of using an unmanned camera is the tape running out and no one around to change it. There are many other reasons NOT to use an unmanned camera, too numerous to mention here, but the biggest reason is that it is UNPROFESSIONAL! Anyone who claims to be a professional, yet uses unmanned cameras is misleading you. A professional videographer is someone that knows how to compose a shot, monitors the audio coming into the camera, calibrates his camera for correct color balance, monitors and changes focus accordingly, and changes zoom at appropriate times to focus attention on subject at hand. None of these things can be accomplished with an unmanned or stationary camera. If you want the best possible video of your long awaited wedding day, you will want to hire a pro, not someone who uses unmanned cameras. Remember, you only get to walk down the aisle one time.

Military Discount

2008-02-03T11:07:00.001-06:00

Creative Video Services, LLC is offering a discount for all military families. We greatly appreciate the sacrifices you make to keep this great Country FREE and SAFE. To take advantage of this offer you only need supply a military I.D. and a 10% discount will be applied to any services contracted with us. It's our way of saying thanks for all you do.

Wedding Show

2008-01-07T11:13:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all of you who stopped by our booth at the America's Center wedding show this past weekend. It was great to see all of the bride's excited about their upcoming weddings and hear their stories. As you all know, we are offering a $95 discount through the month of January for all of the brides that stopped by our booth at the show. As an added bonus, we will match or beat any competitors best deal. I don't think you will find a better deal anywhere, but if you do, give us a chance to beat it.
I made some observations of our competition at the show and here are a couple of things I found:
(1) Only one other company was offering High Definition video and they charged $500 extra for that option. We , of course, include High Definition in EVERY package.
(2) Companies that didn't even offer High Definition video we higher priced than us.
(3) All of the video companies, except us, were charging people for a limited number of hours and were only offering 1 person with multiple cameras. Our packages include unlimited hours and we NEVER use unmanned cameras. You can do that yourself. A company that puts up an unmanned camera can not be called "professional" by any stretch of the imagination.
Again, it was great talking to all of you and hearing your stories. I look forward to hearing from you again and working for you on your wedding day.
If for some reason you decide not to do video, I think you will be disappointed later, but I hope you have a wonderful wedding day and a prosperous life together. Congratulations.

24kt Gold DVD

2007-12-14T10:14:00.000-06:00

Beginning next year, all of the DVD's included in each of our packages will be 24kt gold discs which are guaranteed to last a lifetime. The 24kt Gold DVD's do not oxidize which means that the data on the disc is protected for a lifetime from being lost or corrupted as is sometimes seen in cheaper DVD media (which we have never used) where the layers of the disc separate or the protective layer becomes oxidized and eventually deteriorates. This is why it is so important not to use cheap DVD or CD media for anything, including important data that you wish to keep.

Remembering Laura

2007-12-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

Today (Dec. 12) would have been Laura Laughlin's 28th birthday. She touched many lives including mine in her short time on this earth. I enjoyed the work that I did for her and her family on Laura's wedding day and other various occasions. She is deeply missed by her family and friends. Please visit her website to Learn more about how to Live, Laugh and Love Like Laura Laughlin. http://www.lauralaughlin.com/

One-Stop Shopping Fair

2007-12-01T16:05:00.000-06:00

Parkway Northeast Middle School is holding their 3rd annual "One-Stop Shopping Fair" on December 8th from 9am to 4pm. We will have a booth there, so stop by and say hi or come by and get some valuable information for your event and view some demos, ask questions, etc.
The One-Stop shopping Fair will be located at 181 Coeur de ville dr. in Creve Couer, MO 63141.
Again, I will be there all day to answer question about our video services. This is a fund raiser for the school and I hear there will be raffles, etc. as well as lots of great items for sale. Hope to see you there!

$95 Discount

2007-11-28T18:40:00.000-06:00

Time is quickly running out for the $95 discount on any package for 2008. We are only offering this through December 31st so act fast as dates are filling up very quickly. June is already completely booked, but there are a few dates left in May and July.

Father of the Bride

2007-11-18T06:24:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to experience what we do from the perspective of the Father of the Bride. We had planned my daughters wedding for several months, making sure everything would be perfect for the big day.
Having worked in this industry for almost three decades, it was fairly easy to choose the vendors we wanted and, of course, the video was covered. I went into this business because I always felt that video was the best way to capture all of the emotion and joy of the wedding day.
As I sat in the front pew watching and listening as my daughter repeated her vows, I reflected on the landmark moments of her life. Her first words, her first day of school, all of the birthday parties, recitals and graduation to name a few. I was again reminded how fleeting life is and how we must enjoy each and every moment that is given to us. Before we knew it the day was over and we were packing her things into the car that would take her and my new son-in-law off to the honeymoon suite.
After experiencing the wedding day as the Father of the Bride, I am so glad that we have a video that we can go back to and relive the moments of the day that went by so fast. It has reinforced for me how important it is to have a video of the wedding day.

$95 OFF ANY PACKAGE!

2007-11-11T10:26:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that until the end of the year, if you book early you get $95 OFF ANY PACKAGE, just by mentioning that you read it on our blog. It's a great way to get a head start on next years wedding and save money at the same time. Get your video booked now and have one less thing to worry about! Also, starting next year you will get one extra set of DVD's with each package!

Kraus Bar Mitzvah

2007-11-05T10:35:00.001-06:00

Ben Kraus had his Bar Mitzvah party last Saturday, November 3, 2007. Kristy Foster was the photographer. She is very good and I highly recommend her. You will find a link to her site on the right of this page. We shot the video and created our wildly popular "Photo Favors". I have posted a few here for you to see. The party was held at the Kemp Auto museum and had a baseball theme. Congrats Ben!

Polinsky Bar Mitzvah

2007-10-28T10:26:00.000-05:00

Daniel Polinsky's Bar Mitzvah was yesterday (10/27) and he did a fantastic job. Total Entertainment was the DJ for the event and as usual, had everyone on the dance floor until the end. We set up the projection system for the slideshow and also used the projection system to broadcast video from one of our cameras to the projection screen. We also created our extremely popular "Photo Favors"tm and I have posted a few of them here for you to see. Congrats Daniel!

Video Editing Styles

2007-10-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

We just keep raising the bar in video production! When you go to the "Portfolio" section of the website to view our demos you will see the same demos as usual, but we have added a couple to show the difference in the editing style. You can select "Traditional Cinematic" to view a cinema style video or "MTV Style" to view a demo that has an MTV style of editing to it. The choice is yours as to what style of editing you would like on your video. Also, we will soon be offering you your choice of DVD design for disc, amaray case and menu design. We're giving you more options plus High Definition video that is unmatched by anyone in St. Louis. Call us soon to book for 2008 as the dates are going quickly!

DVD Invitations

2007-10-14T12:49:00.000-05:00

We are now offering DVD Invitations. We can create a video DVD for you with a short story line about your event with links embedded in the video for your guests to click on to go to your event website, to R.S.V.P. , or to go to your wedding registry. Call us for more information on this latest craze.

$95 OFF ANY PACKAGE

2007-10-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

Starting today until the end of the year, book early and get $95 OFF ANY PACKAGE, just by mentioning that you read it on our blog. It's a great way to get a head start on next years wedding and save money at the same time. Get your video booked now and have one less thing to worry about! Also, starting next year you will get one extra set of DVD's with each package!

Photo Favors

2007-10-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

"Photo Favors" have become tremendously popular for weddings, bar mitzvahs and corporate events. I have posted a few samples here for you to view. We can create ANY background to compliment the theme of your event or just simply take the photos and print them out on the spot! "Photo Favors" includes unlimited photos that are printed on location and also includes folder frames for the photos. Please call us for more details and price.

Creative Video Blog

2007-09-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our blog. This is a new and exciting feature that we hope enhances our website and gives guests to our site information that may not be available anywhere else. Here you can voice your opinion on anything you like, vote in our polls, check out the website of other great vendors or just lurk around and see what others are saying. Email us here so we can add you to the list of people who can post here and don't forget to register. Enjoy!