I really want to hand it to you guys and gals out there who specialize in wedding videography. Of all the various and sundry types of video work I do, weddings are by far the most difficult work in many respects. For those of you who, like me, do as much video in as many areas as possible to make a living, I would like to address the wedding event video assignment.
The "usual tools of the trade" are inadequate to specialize in wedding event videography. There are many areas of productions that call for more than the normal attention to detail. Areas of lighting, audio support, and post-production chores carry a greater importance when producing wedding videos. However, with a bit more preplanning and forethought, the average videographer CAN create perfectly acceptable wedding videos.
There was a time when wedding videos ranked high on my list of services. After a number of wedding video disasters I revised my thinking and gained a healthy respect for videographers specializing in this particular monster. My way of decreasing wedding work was to price myself out of the market. I figured that if they were willing to pay the high price tag I would be willing to go to the extra lengths to produce their wedding video. This evil plan works most of the time, but every once in a while one slips through the cracks and I get snagged to do the deed. I would almost do a wedding video for free (as a wedding present for friends, for instance) than to charge for it. At least in doing it free the client will not feel right about complaining about something. That is the nature of the first thing I want to impart to you dear readers.
When people pay for something, they usually feel that they have a perfectly legal right in complaining about it if they do not like it. While this IS a correct and acceptable attitude in most business matters, weddings seem to bring out the worst in many people. Perhaps it's the stress associated in actually organizing a wedding. Maybe mom and dad really hate to lose their "one and only". This ceremony is like a culmination of many years of child rearing, so it had BETTER be GOOD! Everyone is fair game, from caterers to coordinators to videographers. This can develop into a dangerous situation for the lowly videographer not used to doing weddings. First, it is an event which cannot be restaged or repeated just because something went SNAFU in the video. Second, the audio is more critical and diverse in the approach to capturing it. Third, proper color balance and light levels are very difficult to maintain during a wedding shoot. Add to the equation that Murphy's Law runs rampant during the shooting of wedding videos, and you now have the reasons why I cringe every time I have to shoot a wedding.
Weddings cost thousands of dollars and "the action" happens in under an hour. It is an extremely stress-driven atmosphere and everyone in the wedding party is emotional. Many times someone in the ceremony will not stop right on their mark and completely block your well-planned POV. You must be prepared to move and move fast to reposition yourself if necessary, and without calling attention to yourself, missing any of the ceremony, or knocking over scenery in the process. I have witnessed fainting brides, hungover grooms, trick candles, and maternal outbursts. My old Boy Scout motto: "Be prepared" should always be flashing in your viewfinder.
The criteria for capturing audio at a wedding is contingent on the type of ceremony. An outdoor wedding (the best of all possible scenarios) with no soloists is easy to do. A simple wireless Mic on the groom will capture all your source audio and needs no posting or editing. Some churches have a very sophisticated audio set up and if there are performers, pianists, organists, soloists, etc., the best thing would be to get the sound from the church PA console. For this, I recommend using a DAT recorder or a MiniCD recorder. Why not just ask the church to make a cassette off their machine for you to use? Because cassette recorders are analog and therefore subject to "time-drift". Even if you sync up your opening video shot with the audio cassette, you'll be lucky if you make it more than a couple of minutes before re-synching will be necessary. By using digital audio recording equipment you can rest assured that your audio will stay locked in throughout the shoot. Those little 1's and 0's never drift!
Most churches have two things in common. They use a lot of wood and paneling, and many of them have windows with stained glass allowing sunlight into the interior. Add these two factors together and you are asking for a colorful disaster. Think about it: The interior is back-lit from various points of view; there is lots of dark wood; the color purple is dominant; the wedding party is usually all in black and white���. All these different color saturation's and lighting levels and combinations of daylight and incandescent/iridescent lighting, or worse yet - candlelit ceremonies, can really tax a camcorder. In addition, you DO NOT want to try to use lights. Not even the little floods that clip onto the camera's hot shoe attachment. It detracts from the ceremony and diverts attention to you.
Murphy's Law Applied to Videography ("Anything that CAN go wrong in the course of a shoot �. WILL") is particularly critical during wedding videography. It amazes me how many things can and will go wrong during a wedding shoot. The list is seemingly endless and a new monster rears its ugly head with each wedding I am contracted for. To help stave off these demons I have created "BOB'S TEN RULES OF WEDDING VIDEOS". They are:
#1- ALWAYS attend the rehearsal.
It is your ONLY way of knowing what the procedure will be and for you to find your best vantage point to shoot from.
#2- ALWAYS have a contract.
It is good business, it keeps things tidy, and always get paid before the wedding is over.
#3- ALWAYS be respectful and attentive.
You demeanor will dictate how well you get along with the wedding party and the officiant. You get farther with sugar than vinegar.
#4- ALWAYS double-check everything.
EVERYTHING! Tapes, wires & cables, connections, A/V monitoring. ALWAYS use NEW batteries.
#5- ALWAYS white balance your camcorder.
See #8.
#6- NEVER interfere with the ceremony.
You know� like jumping out in front of the ceremony during the lighting of the unity candle and shouting "HEY! Look over HERE!"
#7- NEVER use the camera Mic as your primary audio.
Your customers (and signers of the coveted check) will be disappointed if every time they want to hear the bride whispering her vows they instead are greeted by the baby crying in the front pew.
#8- NEVER shoot without a color monitor.
See #5.
#9- NEVER underdress for the occasion.
So, if it's a biker wedding held on a river barge, it's OK to wear shorts. However, make 'em clean shorts! Otherwise - jump in the monkey suit, and don't forget the tie (and handkerchief for the bride).
#10- NEVER forget Murphy's Law.
The minute you turn your back on ol' Murphy, you are going to get bit. Be prepared. Be flexible. Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.
Back to CCS Home Page