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Families are looking for funeral homes that can provide a video or live stream of the funeral service. Directors turned to funeral videographers to get the job done.
Since funerals and memorials can be a sensitive topic, not everyone takes these kinds of jobs. Even if they did, not all videographers are able to deliver.
Other social events can be easier to record because people are having fun. Respecting someone’s privacy while capturing a sensitive event at the same time requires experience and tact.
Is it OK to record a funeral?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is also yes, but with an explanation about how people got used to live streaming funerals during the pandemic.
Recording video at a funeral became "normal" several years ago, but the process accelerated in recent years. These days, you can have a professional videographer at the service without any pushback.
Why do people film funerals and memorials?
Preserving memories is a valid reason, but it's likely not the biggest one.
Most people choose to record or live stream a funeral because some family members or friends cannot attend in person.
Having a video allows them to share an important moment in their lives, while allowing the healing process to begin.
For anyone who wasn't able to attend, having closure is a longer process. Coping with such a hard situation without being present feels bad, and video is a way to fix that, to some extent.
The best way to get a video done is to hire a professional videographer, which allows the family to relax and focus on their emotions.
How much does it cost to hire a funeral videographer?
First, I want to emphasize this: hire someone whose experience includes funeral videography.
This guarantees that you will be working with someone who knows the area, the stages of the funeral service, and brings the right equipment.
Hiring a videographer isn't affordable. If your budget doesn't match the market prices keep reading, I'll give you some alternatives.
The average price to hire a funeral videographer in the USA ranges from $600 to $1800 US dollars.
While most of them break down the pricing based on hours of coverage, there are a few that charge per day.
If you're based in a big city, the quotes you receive will likely be closer to the higher end, while smaller towns benefit from more affordable prices.
Are there any alternatives to hiring a funeral videographer?
Even though having someone do the job for you is the easiest option, in most cases, you can do this yourself. Don't panic, I don't mean that you should grab a camera and record the funeral from every angle.
If families are looking for a way to share the moment with the ones who can't be there in person, live streaming is the way to go.
It happens in real-time, as you don't have to wait for the videographer to deliver the video. You can do this with any smartphone or tablet, and it's very affordable.
The easiest way is to use a live streaming app, which costs $50 per service (or $25 when buying in bulk). This is at least 10x cheaper than hiring a funeral videographer, and it requires no knowledge to set it up.
The downside is that you won't have an edited video of the funeral service, but you will have a full recording of it. Family and friends who can't make it in person can watch it in real-time, or watch the replay later on.
Scheduling the event takes less than 5 minutes, and you won't face any technical issues. It's as easy as recording a video on your phone.
Guests can access with a single click, and you can embed the live stream on your website to improve your SEO and keep clients on your page.
This is what you can edit to adapt it to your own brand:
Since the platform handles support requests, you won't have any calls or messages from people watching from home.
Is it worth it to hire a funeral videographer?
Yes... maybe.
To produce a professional-looking video that will be edited and cherished for years, you need a funeral videographer.
They'll make sure that everyone talks to the microphone, that the lighting is right, and that the camera is set at the right position.
For everyone who needs to document the funeral service and share it with friends and family who can't make it, there are better ways.
We've been working with funeral videographers who offer live streaming using EventLive. This usually happens when the funeral director doesn't have the time to download the app and try it, but it costs them more.
It's a hands-free solution, but not everyone has the means to pay over 600 US dollars for something like this.
To solve this problem, most people should download a live streaming app, test it, and see how simple live streaming can be.
Is live streaming or recording a funeral disrespectful?
Quite the opposite.
Some people see funeral videos as disrespectful until they understand that there's a grandma or uncle who's ill and can't make it to the event.
I can't even count the number of times we've received thank-you emails and messages from families after the memorial ends.
Both funeral videos and live streams serve a simple purpose. They allow people to start the healing process and be a part of something meaningful to them.
We're happy to make it happen, and the appreciation messages make our days easier.
