View Full Version : Your 1st Wedding Video


SiuChung Leung
June 4th, 2008, 04:37 PM
Hi guys,

Do you remember how was your first wedding video?

I've just watch our first wedding video, and it was........I can say I am happy that we did improve after a year...

My first wedding was filmed Feb 2007, it was a freebie job for a friend. Since it was our first, we were not familiar with the whole thing. So we used 3 maned camera plus one assistant(me), try to get as much footage as we can. We went to shoot the preparation 3 hrs ahead. We did some nice shots around the house and interviewed B&G for one and half hour. Then we went to the church for ceremony and a small reception.

It was a nice day but the end product was disappointing for me. The DVD start with lots of ES then jump to B&G interview, which was very nice. However, we didn't have the footage of the rings, the shoes, the dress and a little footage of bride make up. We did a lot of those shot these day and the Bride love it.

The ceremony was not a full coverage because the editor said he "needs to cut out the boring parts". It was a nice church but we don't have a nice angle for B&G.

We also did a photo montage, 60 photos with basic transaction, similar to the photo montage produced by photographer.

by the way, I though the cover was well produced.

It was our 1st wedding video, although a lot of things didn't up to standard but the bride love the video (I didn't expect that at all), and we did learn a lot from that, and we keep improve ourself wedding after weddings.....

So, how was your first wedding video? what mistake you've made? what surprised you?

Travis Cossel
June 4th, 2008, 04:46 PM
My first official wedding video job came after editing my own wedding (didn't shoot the footage for that, of course) and a shoot/edit job of a reception for a friend. So I had a tiny bit of experience before I jumped in and did a full day wedding shoot.

In all honesty it went very well and turned out great, and for the $500 the couple paid they got an amazing video. Still, I didn't have nearly the consistency and experience and creativity that I do now, so it's not in the same league, but I didn't have any major screwups that day thank goodness.

I've had a few since, though, lol.

Shaun Conner
June 4th, 2008, 06:52 PM
My first wedding was December of 2007. It was horrible. I don't even like to think about it.

Yang Wen
June 5th, 2008, 10:40 PM
My first wedding was in September of 2003.. Did it for $800 and it went extremely well. I was in the red after though since I purchased a DVX100 to do that wedding... I like to think I was much more carefree and creative back in those days.. still some of my fav wedding shots were from that wedding.

Steven Davis
June 6th, 2008, 06:37 AM
Our first wedding was outside, it was in the upper 90's with crazy humidity, then it rained. The place was beside a very very busy road, which made audio a real challenge.

I remember that the tie I had one bled into my white shirt and ruined the shirt. It was that hot. When I think about it, I wanna grab a towel.

We shot the wedding with borrowed equipment. It turned out really nice considering it was a mix of 1chippers and a GL1.

Man was it hot that day.

Todd Geer
June 6th, 2008, 10:34 AM
Good question, and one that has caused much reflection!

Since my first wedding shoot in February 2005, I have diligently taken notes on Dos and Donts, watched every feature film with a critical eye, and learned the value of a good second shooter, good audio equipment. I have gone from charging nothing to charging just under $2k with the same amount of positive feedback from clients. I have just now, this year, received two referrals from previous clients, and last year put in for and won two Aegis awards.

Yet I still watch some others' videos and realize I have much to learn. That will never cease, in any of us. There will always be another device, another angle, another tactic, another way of capturing emotions which we can use for the next client.

Thanks for putting this out there!

Mark Holland
June 6th, 2008, 12:33 PM
Early 1980's... Wow! That VHS 'shoulder breaker' was the pits! Didn't know what external audio was. Luckily, it was all outdoors in afternoon light, 'cause I didn't know about lights either!

Don Bloom
June 6th, 2008, 12:37 PM
1st was in 83 (1983 not 1883 ;-)-
Mark you are correct. Shoulder breaker isn't the word for them. I can't say what I thought of those monsters.
Audio? Hmmm, I use a portable cassette deck with a mic on a stand as close to the B&G as possible-talk about B A D! YUK!
Makes me laugh today just thinking about it. Man I can't believe we did what we did back then. (and lived to tell about it)

O|O
\__/


Don

Mark Holland
June 6th, 2008, 12:40 PM
Don,

Later on, I thought I'd be 'smart' and record the audio to cassette and then sync it up later...I think you know what happened!

Mark Ganglfinger
June 6th, 2008, 04:37 PM
Mine was in '92 on a full size VHS. I shot the whole thing from a balcony from about 100 feet away. I never saw the tape because I just took it out of the camera and handed it over, but I'm kind of guessing it's maybe not so good!

Steven Davis
June 6th, 2008, 07:16 PM
Mine was in '92 on a full size VHS. I shot the whole thing from a balcony from about 100 feet away. I never saw the tape because I just took it out of the camera and handed it over, but I'm kind of guessing it's maybe not so good!

That cracked me up, thanks for the laugh.