While Highlights and Recaps seem to be the most popular thing posted here I thought I would post a First Dance. This is the way we edit most of our First Dances. It helps to compress the reception and makes the First Dance much more enjoyable to watch. It sure beats watching the couple go in circles for 3-4 minutes.

This is from the same wedding that I posted a couple of weeks ago, so you will recognize the couple and some of the shots.

I got this idea after exchanging DVDs with Chris Watson about 3 years ago. While Chris does it a little differently, the concept was his. This leads me to my second point.

Education. Educate yourself every way you can. Conventions, workshops, training DVDs, the internet, books, etc. An often overlooked method of education is exchanging a full length DVD with someone outside of your local market. It's a great way to look at things differently. You will get some great ideas and build friendships as well as your skills.

Here's the clip.
http://tulsaweddingvideos.com/video/EDFirstDance.wmv

All My Best,
Mark Von Lanken
Picture This Productions, Inc.
www.TulsaWeddingFilms.com

While Highlights and Recaps seem to be the most popular thing posted here I thought I would post a First Dance. This is the way we edit most of our First Dances. It helps to compress the reception and makes the First Dance much more enjoyable to watch. It sure beats watching the couple go in circles for 3-4 minutes.

This is from the same wedding that I posted a couple of weeks ago, so you will recognize the couple and some of the shots.

I got this idea after exchanging DVDs with Chris Watson about 3 years ago. While Chris does it a little differently, the concept was his. This leads me to my second point.

Education. Educate yourself every way you can. Conventions, workshops, training DVDs, the internet, books, etc. An often overlooked method of education is exchanging a full length DVD with someone outside of your local market. It's a great way to look at things differently. You will get some great ideas and build friendships as well as your skills.

Here's the clip.
http://tulsaweddingvideos.com/video/EDFirstDance.wmv

All My Best,
Mark Von Lanken
Picture This Productions, Inc.
www.TulsaWeddingFilms.com

Thanks, Mark, for sharing with us at DVinfo. You and your wife help set the bar for the industry. The best part is it's coupled with a generous nature to share and teach through both your postings and training material.

I second the notion regarding training material. I feel it has had a considerable impact on my development as an event videographer. I also encourage others to share your work with others. I'm in the process of trading full wedding videos with some of my peers to toss around ideas and concepts back and forth. It's quite helpfull to see a wedding though another shooter and editor's eyes.

Thanks again Mark, and as always...fantastic work!

Hi Mark,
Beautiful location to shoot in. Wonderful as usual. What camera are you shooting with on the floor? It looks shoulder mounted. Also when you show the cake,garter, and boquet later on do you repeat the scenes or use different angles?

Great work

Hi Glen,
Thanks for your kind words and you are welcome.

Hi Jason,
Yes, the location is beautiful. I'm shooting with a Sony DSR-250 on the floor. We do not show the cake cutting, or tosses later in the video. It's done this way to compress the reception.

Hi Glen,
Thanks for your kind words and you are welcome.

Hi Jason,
Yes, the location is beautiful. I'm shooting with a Sony DSR-250 on the floor. We do not show the cake cutting, or tosses later in the video. It's done this way to compress the reception.

Mark how long are your completed videos?
How long for the reception portion?
Would you consider how you edit short-form...at least in regards to the reception?
Lastly how do you edit your ceremonies now adays- short form or standard doc/journalistic?

I am a one camera wedding videographer and what I like to do is capture the first dance in it's entirety however, I will reduce the dance segment to a rectangle that just frames the couple, move that rectangle to one side of the screen, lower the sound a bit then bring up another window in the clear area of the frame and show the wedding party well wishes I secretly taped in another room unbeknownst to the bride and groom. It gives the wedding party and parents a chance to say a few heartfelt words to the bride and groom who usually end up being surprised when they watch the video fo rthe first time.

That's good stuff. That reception was not easy to film in. The lighting was rough but you definitely made it work in your favor. Thank you for sharing your work. It gives us newbies a chance to aspire to something.

Mark, great stuff as always. Thanks for sharing, teaching and inspiring.

Was the music you used the same as what was played at the reception or was it a creative decision to use a different piece? Do you ever have a B&G insist on the same music being used on the final edit?

Finally, the spot light used on the couple is wonderful. Very dramatic, especially with the back-lit shots. Did you set that spot yourself or was it just part of the reception location environment?

Thanks again for being so generous.

Kevin

Mark how long are your completed videos?
How long for the reception portion?
Would you consider how you edit short-form...at least in regards to the reception?
Lastly how do you edit your ceremonies now adays- short form or standard doc/journalistic?

Hi Glen,
Our finished videos range from 45 minutes to 1:15. The client has the option of how compressed they want the ceremony and reception. However, we don't go much beyond the 1:15 for wedding day coverage.

The reception portion varies greatly. It depends so much on what happens at the reception and how long the toasts are. Reception coverage can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 35

Some of our projects are short form, but it's up to the client.

Again, the ceremony length is up to the client. We always compress the processional and recessional, but beyond that the client directs how much we include or don't include. If we lightly compressed a 1 hour Catholic Mass, it may be around 45-50 minutes. If we do a short form 1 hour Catholic Mass, it may be around 12-20 minutes.

Was the music you used the same as what was played at the reception or was it a creative decision to use a different piece? Do you ever have a B&G insist on the same music being used on the final edit?

Finally, the spot light used on the couple is wonderful. Very dramatic, especially with the back-lit shots. Did you set that spot yourself or was it just part of the reception location environment?

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

That is the music they danced to. We generally use the actual music they had for their First Dance, unless they request something different.

The spot light was part of the lighting that was provided by the lighting company for the event. It really makes so much of a difference to have good lighting.

Good job! Believe it or not, I've actually put wheels on my tripod and got beautiful dolly shots of my client's first dance. This idea may sound too intrusive to some people, but my clients usually praise me for it afterwards. Just an idea.

Jason

Mark what's the secret to compressing a 1 hour Catholic Mass into 12 minutes? What do you keep and what do you toss is my main concern. Does it require a lot of thought to only grab bits and pieces of the dialog from the officiant to make a coherent piece?

Glenn - I just edited my first catholic wedding - see my post about exposure-matching two cams :(

What I'm doing with this one is cutting the ceremony into three parts, processional/ceremony beginning, mass, and recessional. On the main Play All video I have the dvd cut from the first part to the third, with a short fade out/fade in. The mass is located on the Extras of the DVD, with minimal editing.

Mark what's the secret to compressing a 1 hour Catholic Mass into 12 minutes? What do you keep and what do you toss is my main concern. Does it require a lot of thought to only grab bits and pieces of the dialog from the officiant to make a coherent piece?

Hi Glen,

Sorry for the delay in responding. It's similar to making a highlight. Only using the best parts to make it more watchable.

It's easy to compress the processional and recessional and of course you don't see the congregation receive communion. You certainly don't see all of the times the congregation stands and then being seated.

When the scriptures are being read you don't see all of the time it takes to walk up to the lectern or the time it takes for the second reader to get in place.

The nice stories that are told in the homily can be compressed and used in the compressed ceremony or in the highlight or prep.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion takes several minutes, but I think it was Dave Williams that brought up this point. If you have seen it all of your life, do you really want to see it all happen in real time evertime you watch your video?

Now of course I'm not suggesting that everyone should compress a long ceremony back to 12-15 minutes. It comes down to what the client wants. They are writing the check, so it's edited they way they want it done.

Your clip is outstanding. I don't know about going all the way to black and white. I'm not sure that really does anything for your piece and for me if it doesn't do anything it's takeing something away. If people don't chose you do to thier weddings than there they don't know good work when they see it. Really Really good.


Mike

HI Mark,
The way you described your compressed full mass ceremony is very similar to the way I cut mine. When I started doing condensed edits about 5 years ago the first thing to go was communion-I had a bride say to me-"I don't want to see the back of 200 peoples heads doing something they ought to be doing every Sunday"-made sense to me then and still today-of course the long pauses (dead air goes as does the gospel by the priest and much of the homily except for the parts specific to the B&G) Walk in, preists welcome, vows,rings, untity candle, flowers to moms, flowers to Mary, pronouncement, kiss and walkout pretty much covers it for me.
I do however also give them an uncut version of the ceremony either from the balconey camera or from my A camera depending. Do you also give them an uncut version? I've been thinking about cutting that out as no B&G I've talked to in the last year or so even watches it.
Anyway, glad to hear you cut yours in similar fashion. Now I don't feel so lonley ;-0
See you in Chitown on the 7th.
Don B

Great Work Mark! My very first inspiration around 5 years ago was Chris Watson, when I saw his work, I was in awe. It is nice to see that you share some of his elements, yet keep a nice distinction in your work. It flowed perfectly. Great job as always.

AEMIKEA

Mark,
Stunning images for sure. But, this looks like a highlight. Was the motion slowed down and do you include a highlight at the end of your movies? If so, do you just use different scenes?

Spotlights are terrific. We had one wedding where the DJ provided an elaborate light system that included a spotlight. It turned ordinary reception video into an elegant viewing experience.
Bob

Great Work Mark! My very first inspiration around 5 years ago was Chris Watson, when I saw his work, I was in awe. It is nice to see that you share some of his elements, yet keep a nice distinction in your work. It flowed perfectly. Great job as always.

AEMIKEA

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, Chris Watson is awesome.

Mark,
Stunning images for sure. But, this looks like a highlight. Was the motion slowed down and do you include a highlight at the end of your movies? If so, do you just use different scenes?
Bob

Hi Bob,

Yes, most of the shots were slowed down. It is a highlight in a way. A highlight of the 3 key events of the reception, if you want to look at it that way.

Depending on the package the the client selects, there will be a highlight at the beginning or a small flashback at the end. When making a full blown highlight I may use 2-4 scenes from the 1st Dance, just depending on the song. I don't remember how many scenes from the 1st Dance were in this client's highlight. Probably at least a close up and the confetti drop.

Mark,

Maybe a dumb question but in the (very) wide shots I can't spot the close up camera person. Was s/he simply "darting" in and out or . . .?

Mark,

Maybe a dumb question but in the (very) wide shots I can't spot the close up camera person. Was s/he simply "darting" in and out or . . .?

Hi Craig,
No, it's not a dumb question. I was shooting the closeups. I am just out of frame to the left. I did that on purpose. You will notice the photographer shows up in some of the early shots. Look for the first B&W wide shot. You will see me at the bottum of the frame. I am down low to take advantage of the spotlight to get some back lit shots. You can see me really good on the shot looking through the balcony railing and then again on the confetti drop.

I cover this in more detail on the training DVD, "The Art of Moving Camera Techniques". Typically we position the two camera 45 degrees apart so we don't end up in each others shot. This also allows for good lighting.