Boffo Video

BY A.M. TAYLOR

Weddings are stressful. Ask anyone who has planned one. Congregating anywhere from eight to eight hundred people into a space to celebrate the union of two people is a task and a half. The checklist that every couple has to construct can be a daunting enterprise. Where do we get married? What are people going to eat? How many flowers are too many flowers? Getting the details locked down can also add an extra stress dimension that seems unnecessary. It leaves the bride and groom asking the inevitable question: Is all this worth it? Clearly, it’s hard to see the forest through the trees while planning a wedding, but imagine the relief on an already tense couple if all this heavy lifting came together on the day of the wedding. Pure bliss! When it comes to capturing the best day of the bride and groom’s life, a professional, experienced crew is worth every penny. Stella and Paul Santiago started Boffo Video, a California based wedding videography company with the mindset of providing a document of the best day of a couple’s life.

How did you get started?

Paul Santiago: I was looking for a business to build from the ground up. Southern California weddings are pretty grand affairs. Lots of money floating around. My wife and I would be at weddings of friends and family and I would always see someone with a camera capturing the events of the day. After some research and business planning, I decided that I was going to start creating wedding videos.

Stella Santiago: I came on board a few years after Paul started the business as the consultant for the couples. I’m an introvert at heart, but I love getting to know people on a more one-on-one basis. It was a useful complement to Paul’s outgoing personality. He’s out front, I’m behind-the-scenes.

Why weddings?

Stella: We found that it was a lucrative business where the customers pay up front and it allowed us to work from home. On a more personal side, we both felt that we could provide a service to couples where they could trust us to have their best interests in mind.

Paul: One of the things we do is film separate interview sessions with the bride and groom before the wedding. They each tell their side of the love story in, let’s admit it, a

more candid way than if their future spouse were sitting next to them. Weplay this during the reception. My goal is to not have a dry eye in the house.

Stella: What we’ve learned is that most times the two groups of family and friends coming together may not know one of the people getting married very well. This interview provides them each with some context to the relationship.

How does your on-site production compare favorably to your peers in the industry?

Paul: We are committed to whatwe call a “Classic Look.” Where our competitors will go for sweeping panoramas and flying drone shots; we are more concerned with letting moments happen instead of trying to fabricate them. I tell my crew tofocus on getting coverage becauseas long as the camera is rolling, youhave a chance to capture some veryspecial, heartfelt moments. In terms of interacting with the hosts and guests, we run a very professional company. Our purpose on-site isgetting the footage we need to makethe story sing in post-production.

Stella: Paul and I are very upfront about managing the expectations of our customers. As you may expect, a couple may come to us wanting the most value for their dollar. When they make their wishes known to us, nine times out of ten, we will say: “You need two extra hours.” We don’t apologize for how much we charge: You get what you pay for.

How has social media moved the needle for your company?

Paul: When you have a company with such a vivid visual element as we do, a strong social media presence is critical. It takes effort to post content every day but we have seen how it has benefited us financially. Our podcast is still fairly new, but I’m already getting messages from people all over the world that want to know more about Boffo Video. You have to cast a large net in order to catch the most fish.

How does transparency play into your business model?

Stella: Transparency is at the core of what we do. We offer three unique collections to our customers. It starts with “Sweet,” which is our budget-minded option: Very build-able. Next is our “Signature” collection, which is our most popular and my personal favorite. That includes the bride and groom interview along with enough time allotted for coverage during the length of an average wedding and reception. “Special” is our top-of-the-line. This is for the couple that doesn’t look at the price tag. It is the very top of what we can achieve at this time.

What’s next for Boffo Video?

Paul: We are confident in who we are as a company and what we

do. The next step is to utilize the time we spend and get the most out of it. We want to move into the luxury market arena, which means raising our prices. Moving the ball forward means producing more quality content on a consistent basis. As our reach increases, Stella and I feel that educating our growing audience via podcasts and social media will be beneficial to our business and to the wedding industry overall.

Finally, what’s one piece of advice would you give a young entrepreneur?

Paul: Don’t be shy.