We use only High Definition (HDV) Cameras and Native High Definition Digital Non-Linear Editing for unsurpassed image quality & precise image manipulation. All Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are filmed and delivered in HDV native 16:9 widescreen. Finished products are delivered on Standard Widescreen DVD and/or Blu-Ray DVD's. We have filmed hundreds of Mitzvahs, Bar & Bat, and have worked at most temples.

Photography: We offer full photographic services both including and not including a professional photographer. We can pull high quality stills from HD video and create beautiful, one-of-a-kind magazine-style photo albums. We can also coordinate full or partial photographic coverage in addition to our video stills. Package information is at the bottom of this page. Technical Info click HERE.


DEFINITION OF TERMS

Camera Types:

Standard High Definition (SHD) - Excellent cameras like the Sony FX1, Canon A1, Panasonic 200, etc.
Incredible resolution, these groundbreaking cameras shook the video world. They do struggle in
low light, however, and record to tape.

Premium High Definition (PHD) - The Sony EX-1 has changed everything. Unlike the 1440 x 1080
SHD cameras above, the EX-1 has full 1920 x 1080 chips. Further, unlike the 1/3 inch chips
used on SHD, the EX-1 uses half-inch chips. It records to solid state flash — no tape — no hard
drive — no moving parts. This camera is the best of the best. When selecting Photo/Video Packages this camera is the ultimate in extracting stunningly high quality stills.

Editing Types:

Standard - Standard editing includes dissolves, fades, slow motion & other special effects.
Editing is done in HD and output on SD DVD

Enhanced - 30 to 40 additional hours of editing with elegantly layered video,using several film techniques
to tell your story. Our editors will create a visual masterpiece. The opening is completely custom.

DVD Menu Types:
Standard DVD - Menu system with each chapter generated automatically every 5 minutes or so.
Enhanced DVD - Enhanced menu with specific chapter points. (i.e., Talit Presentation, Speech, Hora, etc.)

Long Form - This is the 60 to 90 minute documentary version of your event.
Most of the ceremony, primarily live audio, digitally edited to form a beautiful and concise version of your day.

Short Form - A 10 to 15 minute Artistic Recap of the entire event
featuring dynamic slow motion, music, and stylistic embellishments to bring out the special magic of the day.

BAR/BAT MITZVAH PACKAGES

Unedited
$1600

1 HD Camera. 6 hours of total coverage. Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party. You keep the master tapes. We can transfer all raw footage to standard DVD's for $200 or Blu-Ray DVD's for $600.

Digital Standard
$2600 (upgrade to the EX-1 for $500)

1 HD Camera. 6 hours of total coverage. Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party. Standard digital editing, limited special f/x, stock titles. Your Short Form will also be put on an iPhone or Video iPod.
Finished product includes Edited Long Form & Short Form, 2 Standard DVD's. Blu-Ray DVD, add $250.

Digital Classic
$3100 (upgrade to the EX-1 for $500)

7 hours of total coverage. Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party. You may include up to 20 childhood photos to begin the video.
Enhanced digital editing, several special f/x, custom titles. Your Short Form will also be put on an iPhone or Video iPod.
Finished product includes Enhanced Edited Long Form & Short Form , 2 Standard DVD’s. Blu-Ray DVD, add $250.

Digital Premium
$4500 (upgrade to the EX-1 for $500)

8 hours of total coverage plus the Big Screen Presentation at party (choice of 1 big screen presentation item from list below). Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party.
Enhanced digital editing, many special f/x, custom titles. Your Short Form will also be put on an iPhone or Video iPod.
Finished product includes Enhanced Edited Long Form & Short Form , 10 Closing Credits, 3 Enhanced DVD’s. Blu-Ray DVD, add $250.

EXTRAS

Additional DVD's - $25, Blu-Ray - $45

Big Screen Presentation Equipment - $650
(We provide a high-end projector with screen and do all set up, operation, & take down.
Operator is provided. We will run sound to your DJ or Band.)

Additional Hours - $150/hour

Big Screen Presentation Selections

1- 3D Photo Montage - $275 plus $3/electronic image, $5/hard copy photo $25/pre-selected home video clip.

Our 3D Photo Montages/Lifestory's are truly dazzling. We breathe new life into what has become a tired art form. No boring, lifeless, mind-numbing powerpoint presentations here. Photos come alive with depth, animation, and a combination of techniques to really bring the presentation alive. You may also want to strategically inject home video clips of your child into the presentation adding even more power to the moment. Utilizing childhood photos & video clips of your child we create a dynamic & emotional video presentation in high resolution at the party.
When rear projection or a large reception space is feasible, we may generate a live feed of the dancing and other events at the party. Please ask us about this. It is a real crowd energizer, kids and adults both love watching themselves on screen. A surefire way to ignite the party!

2- Ceremony/Rehearsal Highlights - $500

We will edit together a 1 song dynamic recap of the ceremony or rehearsal to be shown the night of the reception.

3- Candle Lighting Video - $750

We will record your child's audio verbage for each candle, edit in titles, photos and/or video of each person(s) being honored, set it to appropriate music and project it live for the actual Party candlelighting. This really makes what can be a long and confusing ceremony into a very emotional display. Imagine honoring grandparents and featuring photos and/or video while they make their way to light the candle. Or when your child lights a candle for relative no longer with you, you see photos and/or video of these important loved ones. Powerful - not a dry eye in the house. We invented this presentation 4 years ago. It is unbelievable.

4- Custom Film - individual quote

We can help you from concept to creation, utilizing advanced editing and green screen magic to make your child be part of any universe they desire. Ask us.

Add Closing Credits - $100 setup, plus $15/name
(Movie style end credits of the important people from the day.)

 

Photography/Videography Combination Packages

These packages combine the best of both worlds. Great HD Video providing the ultimate in photojournalism,
and the formal portraiture of professional photography.We highly suggest the upgrade to the
Sony EX-1 camera. Superior in low light, full 1920 by 1080 chips, tapeless recording, true 1080p
performance, this HD camera is in a league of its own. The still images we can derive from the footage
are brilliant. We then go further and create a one-of-a-kind, non-template, album design. Every page
using the colors, backgrounds, and style of your wedding – not a nameless template. Last, we bind on
top-quality, waterproof, made for a lifetime albums.

Video Madness has been delivering images to couples since 1989.We were the first Bay Area Company to go HD, and we now become the first to offer a second level of HD quality by utilizing the new Sony EX-1.

HD Cameras come in many varieties. But all existing HDV cameras (Sony Z1 , CanonA1, Panasonic 200, etc) share one thing in common - great resolution , but trouble in low light. The increased resolution has been so satisfying that one adjusted to the low light challenge. Further, HDV cameras still record to tape. Tape is robust, but tape
can have damage, drop-outs, and issues that a mechanical tape path will produce. Again, this was an acceptable trade-off considering the increased resolution. Another trade-off is recording length. Tapes for HDV cameras come in 63 or 84 minutes – with the 84 minute being considerably thinner. It means during a Bar/Bat Mitzvah we have been required to change tapes at some point. We have filmed over 350 events with these limitations and have produced beautiful products. Indeed, we will continue to offer these wonderful cameras.

But we now have another level of quality to offer in the Sony EX-1. The benefits? Consider:

• Stunning low-light performance, brighter than the human eye sees.
• Solid State recording – NO TAPE! (no dropouts, instant access, ultra-reliability)
• Continuous Recording up to almost 5 hours! (no temple service breaks, no tape
change at important moments)
• A Full 1920 x 1080 chip! (currentt HDV cameras are at 1440 x 1080. This means
increased resolution, particulary important for Photo Grabs)
• True, 1080p capture, the highest quality HD image available.

Our clients now have the option to use either camera. For those of you doing photography with us as well, the EX-1 is an incredible choice. Video Madness. HD specialists. Blu-Ray production. Cutting edged Cameras. Magazine style photo albums. We do it all for you. For your memories. For life.

 

Photo/Video Mitzvah 1 (SHD) $2995

This package is meant for those parents whose image budget is severely limited. We film the event in standar HD, extract stills from the HD footage, and create an album.

Video: 5 hours coverage. Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party. Standard HD camera, Long Form Standard Edit, 1 Simple DVD

Photography: (1) 8 x 12 (20) page Magazine Style Album, Custom Design, No Changes, All Images from HD
Video Capture

 

Photo/Video Mitzvah 2 (SHD) $4500

Video: 6 hours coverage, Standard HD camera. Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party. Long Form Standard Edit, 3 Custom DVD’s

Photography: Includes a professional photographer to do family portraits for 2 hours. This can be done at the rehearsal or before the saturday ceremony. (1) Large (30) page Magazine Style Album, Custom Design, 1 Round of Changes, (1) smaller "pocket book"Album, CD of all images, Upload Site w/password until 1st Anniversary, Images
from HD Video Capture & Professional Photographer.

Photo/Video Mitzvah 3 (SHD) $6995
This package features the revolutionary Sony EX-1. This HD camera is vastly superior in low light to
HD cameras, records completely to Flash – NO TAPE! The chips are a FULL 1920 x 1080
resolution providing superior image captures. This is the very best.

Video: 8 hours coverage, Sony EX-1 HD camera, Hours may be split between am & pm on Saturday, or between a weekday rehearsal and Saturday party. Long Form & Short Form, Standard Edit, 3 Custom DVD’s

Photography: (1) 10 x 15 (30) page Magazine Style Album, Custom Design, 2 Rounds of Changes,
(2) Small "pocket book" Albums, CD of all images, Upload Site w/password until 1st Anniversary, Includes
Professional Photographer for 1 hour at rehearsal, 3 hours at party, or any 2 location split you prefer. Images combined from Photographer & PHD Video. Also includes a Photo Session & Free Sign In Print.