16:9 format shooting a wedding « Videomaker Community Forums

Digital Video
Member

I'm shooting my first wedding in widescreen 16:9 this weekend at the beach. Any tips for angles or what to watch for. I'll be doing this with 2 cameras. I've started shooting everything in 16:9 to get use to the different look.

Posted 5 years ago #
kkmac
Member

Unclear on your statement. Are you shooting your first wedding or the first one in 16:9?

If you've already shot weddings in the past, there shouldn't be much difference in the content thats shot. It'll just look different in your monitor. You may need to frame your shot a bit different but no drastic changes I can think of.

If this is your first wedding shoot, keep extra batteries on hand, film the entire ceremony, (even if its the long Catholic ceremony). Become very friendly with the DJ. This is the person who executes the events such as the first dance, cutting of cake, garter toss, etc. The DJ will tell you when these events are about to take place so that your ready for them. Most weddings follow the same basic schedule. Ceremony, formal pictures, introduction, first dance, best mans toast, dinner, cutting of the cake, dancing, garter/bouquet toss, center piece give away, and more dancing. Again, the DJ will let you know when these events will happen.

Posted 5 years ago #
Digital Video
Member

I shot a few weddings in 4:3 but this will be 16:9. This wedding will also be shot in HD single camera with a 3CCD 2nd camera. I'm excited about this one.

Posted 5 years ago #
Tom Scratch
Member

Hi,
I assume the customer understands about your 16/9 format?
Does at the beach mean on the beach? If so, watch your horizon line. Might seem obvious, but unless you are going for arty effects, the horizon line should be horizontal. If it is slightly off, the 16/9 will accentuate the glitch. If you are shooting on tripods on the beach, it can be a challenge to keep you horizon llne straight. If you've got levelers on your pods, no problem. Also, shooting from a balcony can be a remedy. Then there is backlighting...
On the beach, watch out for ocean spray. At but not on the beach, watch out for beer spray!
Enjoy!
REGARDS ... TOM 8)

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

It is tougher to shoot 16:9 than 4:3. Weddings are mostly 4:3 affairs. Be thankful that you'll be at the beach, where your extra frame will capture nice, non-distracting scenery. Sometimes, especially when shooting inside a chapel, you need to go extra clsoe to avoid distracting background, but HD is not exactly a "glamour" format.

Post back after the shoot and let us know how things went.

Posted 5 years ago #
Digital Video
Member

Compusolver,
You used the word "Glamour". Define glamour please. Do you also shoot all weddings in 4:3 or do you offer 16:9? I played a wedding on a HDTV that was shot with a GL2 4:3 format and the TV gave options to strech the format to fit on 16:9 or view the wedding as 4:3. Looked odd streched but still high quality.
Thanks

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

We offer 16:9, but prefer to shoot weddings 4:3 - its just a better format for most weddings. I meant that HD shows every line, wrinkle and blemish - not flattering to many women, and will require some softening in post.

Posted 5 years ago #
Digital Video
Member

My wedding at the beach was a disaster. We started the wedding on top of the bluff over looking the ocean. The life guard came just as everything got started and said we can't be here becuase it's a emergency vehical path. Then told us about permits which the wedding party did not get for a fee of $50. We then moved down to the beach in high tide with the crowds of people. I was able to set up one tri-pod but becuase of the crowds I had to use my mono-pod. The picture had crowds of people everywhere. We had from the bluff to the water 15 ft of ground to set up. Everything was very tight. I shot between aperature 2.8 to 8 depending on group shot or detail trying to blur out the crowds. There was full sun and 90 degree weather so everyone was sweaty and tired. The groom was dehydrated from drinking all day and looked like he was about to pass out. I had to stand 1 foot from the groomsman to shoot the wedding. My angles were horrible and my unmanned camera in the back it's cropping is off. They moved the alter 3 ft over in the beginning of the ceromony due to high tide.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Thanks for the frank synopsis!

When it comes to weddings, Murphy's Law needs to be factored in a bit more heavily: 'ML squared' or something. :)

Especially if its a city beach, permits are nearly universally required.

It's a good idea to shoot plenty of scenery and capture some nice ambient sound - surf, seagulls, etc. before the shoot. Your 'editor' will love ya for it! :)

Posted 5 years ago #
Digital Video
Member

Also forgot to talk about the sound. I listened to the shotgun mic sound today and I did get get sounds of the waves crashing inbetween the vows. I used 2 wirless mics - the groom and the minister. The ministers voice was very strong and loud. As for the groom and bride they were soft spoken and came through very weak. The wirless mics still pick up ambient noise of waves crashing. I did the best job I could do and I'm very unsatisfied with the results.

Posted 5 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Ministers who specialize in beach weddings, usualy have their own sound system. You can use an adapter or, better yet, a digital recorder to tap the soundboard and clearly capture the minister's voice and ceremony music.

The biggest potential problems with using lav mics on ministers is having the minister accidentally unplug or unswitch the mic (that's why we always clip the transmitter at the small of the back) and having his audio 'clip'.

When you sound-check the minister, he'll only use about half the volume he's going to actualy speak at, so set him on the low side and be prepared to quickly readjust when he begins.

Grooms and brides are typically soft-spoken and will often sound-check louder than the voice they'll actually do their vows in, so you have to be prepared to quickly boost their volume.

Being outdoors makes all this harder to do, with all the outside sounds to distract. Not only that, but ambient sound can run right over soft-spoken couples. For outdoor weddings, it can often be helpful to remind couples to speak up when they do their vows.

Software like Audition, have "noise" features where you can select a bit of sound where you have only the ambient noise and reduce its level, allowing your couple's voices to come more to the fore.

ALSO - as with all outdoor shoots, the first two hours after sunrise and the last two before sunset, are the best shooting times. Shooting while the sun is high will give the "racoon" effect.

I forgot to mention that normal foam windscreens are insufficient for outdoor use. You need fur muffs to minimize wind noise that can run right over your audio.

Posted 5 years ago #