Is the vantage point better than someone recording with an iphone? Is it worth it?
I agree with what
@IndyLady said: it can be hit or miss. If you really, definitely want a guaranteed video of your dancing, then hiring a pro is the best way to make that happen. I didn't have friends with me who could record my heats on their phones, even if they were allowed to, so paying a videographer was my only option. (I would feel rude asking a total stranger, "hey, you don't know me, but would you mind acting as my unpaid videographer for a few heats today?" ...even though there are probably people there who would be happy to help out that way.)
One downside to the pro videographer is that they usually have stationary cameras set at several locations around the floor, so if you & your pro are dancing a rhythm heat in a small area of the floor, and other couples dance over between you and the closest camera, the professional video will show a really great view of those other couples, and only one or two seconds of the top of your head (ask me how I know). Also, those stationary cameras are sometimes not quite high enough, so the spectators in the front row WHO REFUSE TO SIT DOWN, even when asked politely by the videographer, will block the camera's view of a large portion of the dance floor (ask me how I know).
Another downside to the pro videographer is the exact opposite of what I just said. Sometimes they will zoom in on you so closely that you can't see
any other couples dancing, and one of the reasons I like getting videos from comps is so I can study the other couples on the floor in my heats (why did this or that couple place first or last; how does this or that person's footwork compare to mine; I saw [famous pro's name] in the program so I know he was on the floor at the same time I was, and I'd like to see how he danced with this particular student; etc.). So if the video was zoomed in focusing only on you, you miss out on all that stuff.
In theory, someone with an iphone can move around the floor, following your movement even in smooth/standard heats where you're traveling quite a bit, changing the angle of the camera to avoid other couples getting in the way, zooming in or out as needed. That's a big advantage. (Assuming they're allowed to, and don't get stopped and expelled.) And if they use
your phone to record, you have the video immediately. Or if they use their phone instead of yours, they can still air drop it to you immediately. (Just make sure their phone has a camera as good as or better than your phone.) The main downsides to relying on someone else using a phone to record you are these: (a) it might be prohibited so you end up getting nothing; (b) they might not do a good job, so the result is shaky, out of focus, aimed the wrong way, etc.; and (c) the camera quality might be much lower than a pro's, so the result is disappointingly fuzzy with no nice clear distinct images.
At least for the competition I was at, you ordered at the competition with a paper form.
I had the option to order a photo package ahead of time, but for the videos, I had to fill out a paper form shortly before my session started. You have to tell them the exact heats you want them to record for you, your pro's number, the color of your dress...maybe other stuff too but those are the ones I remember. Oh! And you have to tell them ahead of time if you want them to record any callbacks if you happen to be recalled. Like, let's say you wrote down heat #123 as one that you wanted them to record for you. And let's say heat #123 started from a quarterfinal. If you get called back for the semi, and then called back again for the final, you end up having to pay for 3 videos instead of just the 1 you budgeted for. (It's a nice problem to have, granted, but it can get veeeeeeeeery expensive at $22-25 per video [ask me how I know].)
the video I got did kind of follow me around the floor.
I would have paid extra for that, rather than the videos taken from the stationary cameras. I don't remember it being an option at the comps I entered.
