First Wedding (and first day with a blackbird)

Here is my first wedding video. I would appreciate constructive tips/suggestions. It is longer than a trailer, but I hope you like it. I would REALLY love help with my light/flicker issue. I could not see it while filming, but the venue's florescent lights on the dance floor evidently were not my friend. If there is a way to fix this in post, let me know. If not, please tell me how I can prevent this in the future! Go easy on my shots with the Blackbird stabilizer. I opened the box on the morning of the wedding (I know you are thinking "idiot"). I had another camera operator and a locked off camera, so I thought I would give it a go. If I screwed up, I had other shots to use. I love having the movement, but it was not easy without the years of experience some of you have! I have the normal complaints that I see on here of a terribly dark venue, and my ceremony was pretty dark too! But that is the nature of this work, from what I gather. I will be hopefully getting gear better able to cope with that soon. I have another wedding this weekend, so tips are definitely appreciated!

Password is: fun

Vimeo

[Warren Kawamoto]

That flickering was caused by LED lights. I also had the same problem of not noticing it in the viewfinder or LCD screen until post. Others have suggested using a slower shutter speed, but I have found that it does not work due to the fact that the LED's flicker frequency changes when it dims or changes colors.

Unfortunately, the only real solution is if the venue incorporates high quality (more expensive) LED lights that don't flicker when dimming or changing color.

[Byron Jones]

Thanks! Now at least I know what to tell the customer.

[Paul Mailath]

yep - cheap chinese LED's - the problem is caused by pulse width modulation and it's a bitch, you can set a shutter speed to minimise the effect but like Warren says - as soon as they dim the lights, it changes.

There is an answer however - Flicker Fixer from boris FX - works a treat, you have to muck around with the settings to fine tune it but it's certainly saved a couple of receptions for me.

[Byron Jones]

This was a serious request for a critique. I would really appreciate your thoughts and opinions. I'm a big boy. Let me know where I can improve. This was my first wedding gig. I have worked with video before, but the wedding world is new to me. I am currently editing my second wedding. Your comments are appreciated. I would love to have feedback before I'm done editing the second in case some of the tips apply to post production. I have gotten comments on the flicker (thank you!), but would like suggestions for the rest.

Just FYI, this video is given to the client in addition to a multicam whole version of the ceremony and all the planned reception events. I see the merit of both products for the client. I just don't want to upload the longer one, and only they would want to watch the entire thing...

[Clive McLaughlin]

Hi Bryon,

Some have mentioned the flickering and what causes it. Sometimes different shutter speeds can trigger it. Or make it worse.

Looking at the clips of the dancing (especially the one with the group of guys) I get the feeling you are working at a strange shutter speed. Sometime the video just looks different. Do you know what I mean?

Frame rates and shutter speeds are difficult because although we can't pin point whats happening our brains can tell us something is slightly different to what we normally see.

Sometimes when I'm rushing to change settings I knock the shutter speed up or down by accident. Or perhaps you intentionally changed the shutters speed to deal with the low light. I try not to do this. If you shoot 30fps, stay on 60, if 25, stay on 50.

UNLESS you get flickering in which case, try a few to try and eliminate or minimise the issue.

Apart from that, its great, and you put so much more effort into overlaying audio snippets than I do.

I could learn from you.

Seemed like a fun wedding, and i wished I was there.

The photographer seemed lovely too...

[Tim Lewis]

I have shot weddings with stills and press work, which tends to give me a more literal perspective and more serial approach to editing. That you mixed up a lot of the time line with the preparations, ceremony and reception made a real impression with me. I don't intend to do wedding videos, but it was a style that I liked. I liked your use of cutaways and "still" type shots.

The audio cuts were very nice. Some good J and L cuts in there. The audio weak point was the announcement of the B&G at the reception. Two shots of the bouquet were good too.

If I were the B&G, I would be pleased with the results.