Wedding this weekend - HELP FAST PLEASE « Videomaker Community Forums

mward77095
Member

Hey guys, this might get wordy, but please respond. I really need help.

I am a beginner at this but have been doing my homework. I have beed shooting some video and doing editing but this is my first wedding. This is a friends wedding that I will be using to gain experience and hopefully produce something that warrants me charging for this in the future.

I know what you are going to say.... the couple should be hiring a professional instead of letting me do this. Well they are... sort of. They hired a guy but it doesn't sound like he really knows what he's doing. He'll be using one camera, no mics etc. They are letting me do this as well to give me the experience and hoping that I will be able to come up with something good.

So that being said, I plan to use 2 cameras. One good 3ccd camera and one consumer grade digital camera that will be stationary. I plan to use 1 wirless mic on the groom, the mic on the cameras for surround audio and am considering setting up a recording device connected to the church PA system. So here are my questions....

1. Where should I stand for the entry, vowels, exit etc.?
2. Should I tape continously with the 3ccd camera? I assume that I will need to walk around the church to get both the bride and groom's faces.
3. How much should I move around, without being an eye sore?
4. Any other tips would really be appreciated.

Posted 6 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

Well first of all youÂ’re going to notice a BIG difference in picture quality by using the two different cameras. You should see if you can rent another 3 chip like the one you got.

As far as your first question, itÂ’s hard to tell exactly where you should go because I donÂ’t know what kinds of angles are available. If you want to do the job right you need to go to the rehearsal so that you can see how the ceremony will go down. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT! If you donÂ’t, youÂ’ll have no clue where to go or what to do and I guaranty you will be out of position somewhere along the line. Anyway there could be several ways but generally speaking you need to try and get a good angle of the coupleÂ’s faces. At least the person who is saying their vows at the time. I usually use 3 cameras when I do a job and for the vows I like to have one camera on each the bride and the groom so in post you can bring it all together. Hopeully you'er using good tripods too. If you're banking on holding the camera the whole time it just won't work. It will look like a cheap home movie.

Regarding your second question, I personally leave all my cameras running no mater what IÂ’m doing during a ceremony. ItÂ’s just easier and faster for me to sync up in post. Remember that if you have two cameras going, you always have a way to edit out the movement from relocating the one camera by covering that up with your other camera. YouÂ’ll never get in trouble as long as both cameras arenÂ’t moving at the same time or one pukes out on you. You mentioned that this other guy is just using one cameraÂ… I hope heÂ’s not getting paid for that job!

For your third question here again it all depends on the setting. You really shouldnÂ’t have to move around too much if you have good vantage points. During the ceremony, pan shots with your cameras is usually all you need. Since you have one stationary camera you should be able to pan the crowd, the minister, the organ player and so fourth with the camera you're running so that you have footage for j-cut edits in post. This always helps in breaking up a long scene. Otherwise it could get boring. Make sure you take all your b-roll stuff before the ceremony starts and after itÂ’s over. I always sit in the still shooterÂ’s back pocket afterwards to catch various opportunities for post ceremony b-roll. KEY POINT! Shoot a lot of filmÂ… Shoot everything and anything because you only have one shot at this. It just gives you more options in post.

There is a whole slew of other tips as well but I need to hit the sack. IÂ’m sure other guys will chime in too. The best way to get a feel for doing weddings is to go on the INET and look for posted wedding demo clips. This well help tremendously in giving you ideas as to how itÂ’s done.

Good luck!

RAM

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

RAM's given you some good advice. I'll add to it a little -

First - have them fire the guy they hired. If they don't get a refund, they're still better off without him. You're going to do a better job using wireless mics and two cams than this so-called "professional" would do. It's more likely you two would just get in each other's way and spoil all shots.

You're not going to move around much during the ceremony. You can get into position to shoot the bride and dad coming down the aisle, then move to the right side (from the audience perspective) to get the best shot of the couple with the bride prioritized.

I'd probably mount the stationary cam in the rear to shoot the overall view and get the couple leaving as they walk back up the aisle. This overall view should be tight enough to see the couple if the minister has them turn toward the audience, yet wide enough to show the couple, the minister and a few groomsmen and bridesmaids.

You need to go to the rehearsal or you won't know whether the ceremony will be conventional (with couple turned slightly toward minister, away from audience) or not. This means you won't really know where to position yourself. If that's the case, at least grab the minister early and get this figured out as you pin one of your wireless mics on him.

If there is a difference in mic quality, I'd pin the best mic on the minister because he does most of the talking. Pin the second on the groom where the coat lapels come together (not behind the boutineer - where most tell you to put it). This way the mic is about equal distance from both groom's and bride's lips.

If the father of the groom will be standing too far from the other mics to be picked up well when he gives his little girl away, you'll need to mic him also.

Only use lav mics during the ceremony. Shotguns and even built-in mics may be OK for the reception, but not during the ceremony. Will there be vocals or other music? You'll want to plant a mic to pick that up.

By the way - its better to have multiple cams, even if there is a quality difference, than to have a single good camera. Use the cheaper cam for the stationary (distance, overall view) shot.

Here's another tip - do NOT put a transmitter in a coat pocket. That is just asking to have them accidentally turned off. Always mount the transmitters on a belt at the rear hip where minister and groom are likely to not touch them.

By the way, we're working on a video course for wedding videos.

Good luck!

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

1. Where should I stand for the entry, vowels, exit etc.?

Same place as for the consonants. X-D (already answered above)

2. Should I tape continously with the 3ccd camera? I assume that I will need to walk around the church to get both the bride and groom's faces.

Tape continuously, as RAM as said, but no walking around during ceremony. You'll get both faces in the position mentioned in my post above (assuming conventional positioning), but you'll get the bride's best. If you walked around, you'd not only disturb guests but your walking cam doesn't have a shot and your stationary cam probably has you in the picture, so it doesn't have a decent shot either - not good! If they go with the less conventional positions that have the couple facing the audience during all or most of the ceremony, you'll need to be around rows two or three - positioned enough off center to where the minister won't block groom or bride.

3. How much should I move around, without being an eye sore?

After bride comes down the aisle, you move into your corner and velcro yourself there.

4. Any other tips would really be appreciated.

Keep the cameras on their tripods. You can try handheld during the dances, not the ceremony.

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Hey, RAM (Video-maniac) - what do you charge for an outdoor December wedding up there?

X-D

Posted 6 years ago #
mward77095
Member

Thanks for the help guys.... by the way, I am going to the rehearsal. That was never a question. I know that is a must, ESPECIALLY for a beginner.

A couple more questions....

1. Should I move around with the good camera to get good close ups of both the bride and groom while they say their vowels, or just stay stationary off to the right as suggested by Hank? Would I even have enough time to move from one side of the church to the other between the two of them?

2. Has anyone used a studio condensor mic on a stand anywhere in the service? This type of mic is designed to pick up everything, so I was thinking it might be a good way to pick up the audience etc.

3. Has anyone tried to hook up some type of recording device to the church PA. I am considering hooking up something, even if it is only a cassette player to the PA for back up audio and musical guests.

4. Can you give me 3 or 4 of the most important things that I need to pay attention to while working the camera. I know that I should check the White Balance at every location, and use a tripod.... but what else do you think?

Posted 6 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

compusolver Wrote:
Hey, RAM (Video-maniac) - what do you charge for an outdoor December wedding up there?

X-D

Wow! That's a scary thought... We can get crazy here in Wisconsin but I havenÂ’t come across anyone that crazy... yet anyway! Although me wife begs to differ. She tells me to look in a mirror and IÂ’ll see crazy.

I suppose I would double my normal price, get my partner and hopefully some other poor sucker to shoot it while I look though the window inside next to the fireplace sipping on a hot cup of coffee. Of course if it was a late afternoon or early evening wedding I would be sippin on a Manhattan with olives instead. X-D

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

(from private post)

It looks now like I will have 3 cameras for the wedding. 2 3ccd panasonic cameras and one consumer grade digital camera. I was thinking about putting one 3ccd stationary on the groom. The jvc consumer digital camera stationary in the rear. The last 3ccd camera will be the one I use to view the isle walks and then will move it back around to catch the bride close up. I will also use this camera to catch some footage of the family, audience etc. What do you think?

I am going to use 1 lav mic, which camera should I connect it to?

What do you think?

This should probably be a public post, since it could help others.

You can't put an unmanned stationary cam tightly on a "live" subject. If they don't stand exactly where you expected, or if they move, the shot is lost. If people stand so that someone is half in and half out of the shot, it will look odd. I'd use this cam wider to catch all three subjects - bride, goom & minister (with room for some movement). Of course, it will get a better angle on the groom, and that is fine.

Always connect your mics to a cam that will be carefully monitored. Always wear headphones and don't forget to pay close attention to the audio at all times.

By the way, don't forget about the headphones, and walk away from the camera, or "Timber!", down goes the tripod with its valuable payload.

Posted 6 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

mward77095 Wrote:

1. Should I move around with the good camera to get good close ups of both the bride and groom while they say their vowels, or just stay stationary off to the right as suggested by Hank? Would I even have enough time to move from one side of the church to the other between the two of them?

2. Has anyone used a studio condensor mic on a stand anywhere in the service? This type of mic is designed to pick up everything, so I was thinking it might be a good way to pick up the audience etc.

3. Has anyone tried to hook up some type of recording device to the church PA. I am considering hooking up something, even if it is only a cassette player to the PA for back up audio and musical guests.

4. Can you give me 3 or 4 of the most important things that I need to pay attention to while working the camera. I know that I should check the White Balance at every location, and use a tripod.... but what else do you think?

Regarding question #1: Moving around will probably cause a distractions. If you did... just do it once but youÂ’ll probably have to be quick about it. You donÂ’t have to be on top of them. Use your zoom. Â“NO DIGITAL ZOOM!Â” HereÂ’s what I do. After the ceremony, usually there is a time set aside for the still shooter. HeÂ’ll setup poses and its here where you can move around and get in there for those moving "tight" shots. Then all you do is edit that in with the ceremony shots. No one will know except you and youÂ’ll look like a super shooter.

#2: I canÂ’t help you there. I usually use wireless lavalieres and handhelds. Lavalieres on the bodies and the handhelds on stands for general background.

#3: I canÂ’t help you here either. Personally I stay away from coming right off a PA system. It takes away from the total ambiance of the wedding. If the PA is set up right, the sound from the speakers is usually sufficient. I rather depend on my wireless arrangement.

#5: Always pan smoothly! Always zoom slow and smooth. Always make sure youÂ’re aware of changing light conditions. Churches can be the worst places to video when it comes to lighting. Make sure you have headphones so that you can confirm that the sound is right.

As I said earlierÂ… the best way is to do a Google search for wedding videography and click on some of the various business websites. Most of them have online examples of all aspects of a wedding. Learn from there and you will know what to do during your first attempt.

RAM

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

1. Should I move around with the good camera to get good close ups of both the bride and groom while they say their vowels, or just stay stationary off to the right as suggested by Hank? Would I even have enough time to move from one side of the church to the other between the two of them?

Always do what Hank says. :)

2. Has anyone used a studio condensor mic on a stand anywhere in the service? This type of mic is designed to pick up everything, so I was thinking it might be a good way to pick up the audience etc.

Picking up the audience is not a goal. You'll get enough of them through the lavs.

3. Has anyone tried to hook up some type of recording device to the church PA. I am considering hooking up something, even if it is only a cassette player to the PA for back up audio and musical guests.

You can't just plug into one of those jacks, most require a certain amount of extra resistance or you'll get distortion. Beachtek and some other adapters have connectors for doing this. Otherwise, plant your recorder's mic about ten feet from the speaker and be sure to set volume so there won't be any clipping.

4. Can you give me 3 or 4 of the most important things that I need to pay attention to while working the camera. I know that I should check the White Balance at every location, and use a tripod.... but what else do you think?

This may sound elementary, but it is difficult to actually do - you need to pay attention to ALL the little details -
Focus (don't depend on autofocus)
Exposure (don't depend on auto-exposure)
White balance (automatic may be OK, but check that gown and make sure it is WHITE)
Audio - no auto gain. Manual only and constantly remind yourself to pay attention to the headphones.
Anticipate - things happen too fast to react, you must anticipate in order to be ready for the Kiss closeup, the Ring closeup, the Unity candle ceremony, etc.
Preparedness - what will you do if the groom's mic fails? What if a tall groomsman is blocking your view? What if the minister unexpectedly turns the couple so that their back is to you? Sooner or later, all these things will happen if you're doing wedding videos. An experienced Pro is ready and his video will never hint that there was any problem.

Posted 6 years ago #
Video-maniac
Member

mward77095,

Well you asked for a quick responce and you got it. A "crash course" none the less. All of this should come in handy.

Good luck and may your camera always stay focused!

RAM,

PS: Hank, should you or I send "mward77095" the bill? X-D

Posted 6 years ago #
mward77095
Member

Can you guys give me tips on setting the exposure? Is there a safe setting setting that I can use, etc.?

Also, help me a little with depth of field shots? I know that I want to do some of these.

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

You need experience & practise with your gear. These forums presume that certain elementary things are already understood - mostly because it would be way too much to cover in this format.

Posted 6 years ago #
BTS
Member

Good luck, man. Search this forum for more wedding related topics. There's a bunch of threads here and there with great info, and the guys that have already posted here are pros at this stuff. My only addition (if it wasn't already mentioned) is to get a close up of a fake ring exchange after the ceremony during pictures to add to your video. It's a nice touch that's often overlooked.

Posted 6 years ago #
compusolver
Member

Good point, BTS - but you know what? I've never had to do that. I've always gotten the real McCoy. Once, at an outdoor event where the couple were on an island and we had to be about a hundred feet away, I was afraid I'd have to do it that way, but I attached my telephoto lens, steadied my tripod and crossed my fingers and somehow got the shot!

I always school the couple to make sure one of our cameras can see that ring exchange. We use headset intercom gear, so one of us tells the other that we've got the shot while the other holds wide and steady.

The ring shot is doable afterward, like you say - since the bride's gown provides the background. But somewhere in these posts, I think someone intimated that it was possible to get closeups and other shots to mix in with the ceremony - but generally not so. Backgrounds would be different.

Posted 6 years ago #