Three weddings past two weeks! Same crap, same speeches of the web! Same drunks, same shots, same same same! Is it me?
Trying to stage everything to get what I want?? If I did not stage things I would not get anything? Anyone else finding this ?? Steve

Hey Steve

Try a regular job? Get up at the same time, drive the same car along a gridlocked freeway to the same office with the same people ..7 days a week !

We have it good I think!! At worse maybe 3 back to back (me too BTW!) but at least we have different venues, different people and different drunks.

That's got to be better than doing a 9-5 for 7 days a week?

Chris

While a lot of weddings are the same, you as a cinematographer can make filming it a more fun experience for you. Sliders, jibs, different angles....you know that kind of stuff. :)

There was some advice that someone on this forum gave me when I was moaning about failing inspiration... Can't remember who it was... I think it was a different Steve... Anyways, he said to try shooting a wedding using a different lens. For instance, if you always shoot prep with a 50mm, try using a 35mm instead or a 100mm.

Cheers Guys you brought me back to earth Chris... Just a little moan, yes i do get very creative but sometimes you get a little fed up with the same well everything...Well anyways to pep me up i have just booked two Greece weddings for next year so that will get my taste buds going....This year i am going to use a lot of my equipment a little more than usual...Cheers

80% of my weddings are now joint video and photo shoots and I find it quite stimulating to be in total control. It gives me a chance to set up some different ideas, rather than keeping my mouth shut when the photographer sets the same old poses.

Even though most weddings follow a similar and familiar format, I still find it fascinating to have an insight into people's personal lives, how they interact with each other, the different standards that families have etc, etc. Also as Chris said, it beats any 9-5 grind as I am only answerable to myself :-)

Roger

An email I just got from a photographer who has started freelance IT work similar to their last career, who like most photographers is finding bookings few and far between this year:

I did 2 days at the agency last week, their working hours are 8:30-5:30 and I was exhausted. Not sure I would want to do it 5 days a week, it was so tiring.

Whats that about the grass being greener :- )

I smile to myself in a knowing condescending way when I hear others banging on about how they adore everything about weddings, how each time they strive to be better than the last ..... blah blah blah :- ) Its a sure sign they aren't as experienced as they would like to think, or that they aren't doing many as a mortgage paying job. It also reminds me of some fiction authors who claim that they have to be in the right frame of mind for creative writing whereas other treat it much more like a regular job and ensure that they put in a set number of hours at a desk in a dedicated room.

Just get on with it!!! Some will be great days, others will not be memorable, yet others will be dull. So what :- )

I have 4 bookings in 8 days and the end of next month. The first is a massive Hindu wedding over 15 hours. The second is a 250 guest traveller wedding over 12 hours. Then two much shorter potentially easier bookings. The first three are combined photo / video as well.

Pete

If you already have that feeling at the beginning of the weddingsseason that doesn't promise much good. My weddingsseason starts next week and it's going to be a busy year, currently I"m very excited to get started but I have to say that at the end of the season I"m always glad it's over again :)

Eventhough most weddings I shoot have the same tradition so you know what will happen when, they can be very different, you have different people, different personalities and different locations so for me it's always a new situations to deal with.

What keeps me going is my constant search in streamlining my work to get the best results with less effort, I get a kick out of executing the perfect wedding, when all goes like I had in mind, when my focus, exposure, whitebalance and sound is exactly right, when my steadicam and slidermoves are perfectly executed, when I can use meaningful speeches to build my trailer, shoot at a beautiful location, have sunny weather etc, the problem is that never happens :D But I often get close enough to get in my car at the end of a weddingday with a good feeling and once I start editing I feel even better.

But there are often days when it doesn't work out, when a lot of things go wrong, but I learned to take it as it comes, can only try to do better next time but with weddings you never have that guarantee when shooting solo.

It's all about finding what got you interested in shooting weddings in the first place, it's like being married for more then 20 years, if you don't love your wife anymore because your life has become a drag it might help to think about why you fell in love with her in the first place, if you can't remember that then it might be the time to find someone, or with your weddings, something else.

I never find weddings boring, but I can find them sometimes frustrating. I shot two Winter weddings this year for two brides who were close friends, and one was marrying the brother of the other. The venues were the same, and half of the guests were the same, even the cars and wedding singer were the same. Bothe brides though were totally different personalities, with one being a control freak and the other very laid back.

They were both joint video and photography packages and my wife and I worked together on both. The frustrations came with the control freak bride telling us what photos she wanted and when she wanted them done. We pointed out that there was only about 40 minutes of useable light after the ceremony and that we needed to arrange the photos accordingly. Immediately after the ceremony, she insisted on group shots of all family members and attendants inside the church, then the same with individual shots with each of the 10 bridesmaids. She also insisted on the final walk down the aisle being at a very fast walk to save time and would not stop for stills. The groom did not want any shots outside the church as he wanted to join his mates at the reception bar and didn't like having his photo taken. It was dark by the time we reached the reception venue and the bride then insisted on endless group shots inside the reception area. We pointed out that we had hardly any shots of the two of them together, but by then the groom was fed up of pictures while his mates were all drinking. A week after delivering the finished work, the bride rang to say that she loved the video and pictures, but did we have any more of just the two of them as she wanted to have a canvas made to hang on her wall and was disappointed that there were hardly any of the two of them.

The second wedding enabled us to take the shots in the way that we knew was best in the short daylight time available and we had dozens of shots of both of them, formal and romantic, with groups taken after the money shots. The bride rang to say how delighted she was with all the photos in particular the shots with just the two of them.

It can be a very frustrating job at times, but I still prefer it to anything else I could do.

Roger

Yes i get all the replies, but you have to admit some where along the lines we are waiting for a wedding to be different from the same crap online wedding speeches, the same crap venues that rape the bride and grooms, the same white/cream big dresses, the same poses from boring photographers, the same grooms that don't like their picture or being filmed. I can only remember one last year that i thought yes this is a great day...I was up for it, i suppose i am like a football player i have to get motivated...
OK guys i have just slapped myself in the face for moaning... haha...

Yes i get all the replies, but you have to admit some where along the lines we are waiting for a wedding to be different from the same crap online wedding speeches, the same crap venues that rape the bride and grooms, the same white/cream big dresses, the same poses from boring photographers, the same grooms that don't like their picture or being filmed. I can only remember one last year that i thought yes this is a great day...I was up for it, i suppose i am like a football player i have to get motivated...
OK guys i have just slapped myself in the face for moaning... haha...

Steve, you're either having a really bad day or you're in the wrong business. Being a wedding videographer is all about capturing someones day for them. Once you start referring to aspects of their day as crap you are in danger of loosing respect for your clients and turning in crap work. If you think that wedding video is about achieving a blockbuster film every time you will get disappointed. At some point you need to sit back and see it for what it is, a means of using your talents and skills to make a living, if your drive is to achieve fantastic award winning quality productions every time then you will get more personal satisfaction by working in an area that has more interest for you.
Weigh up what you have to do against any other option you have for making a living and see which you'd prefer.

I think that one frustrating wedding can easily set off the thought "Why am I doing this" but then the next one makes up for it.

I think I would rather be frustrated now and again by an ignorant bride on just one Saturday than go to a 9 - 5 job where the boss is constantly on your back, day in and day out, making your life a misery!!

I always think when I have a wedding that was tough about the poor souls sitting on a grid locked freeway at 7am going to work and I'm still relaxing in bed ...!!

Despite the odd problem it's still an awesome job!!

Chris

I look at the whole wedding scenario a little differently in terms of being boring as I evaluate it on not just the wedding day itself behind the camera but as a yearly mix of accomplishments that allows me my freedom to do what I want on my "off" days. Perhaps the boring part to videographers/cinematographers is more than just the shooting part but also in the editing part that takes up a large part of the potential otherwise "free" time. After the initial 5 years or so that I started doing weddings, I realized that I was working too much at it and offering little time left for my personal activities. I was chained to the editing desk and wedding edits back then took up most of my weekday hours. I suddenly became bored at the editing part that I actually only wanted to freelance shoot for hire that I sold all my analog linear editing stuff and purchased a better and much lighter camera. What a difference that made. I really wanted to capture more and experiment with low angles, shallow DOF, different perspectives etc. I was not chained to a 25 lb. camera anymore. All of a sudden I really enjoyed more and more even though the weddings were almost all the same and predictable. I started to be more selective in what I was capturing and even, at times, did in-camera edits. I don't bring any tripods, sliders or jibs. There were many events that the clients just left the editing alone and accepted the raw footage with just an intro song and a fade out at the end. Well, here was an interesting way of doing things I thought. Being selective at the shoot will allow less editing later. The non-linear system was just that was needed at the right time. This allowed me to edit a job in less than a day. Perhaps not a hollywood production but just enough dissolves and effects that will make the bride happy. I just loved the Mac with iMovie back then.They loved the sepia and slo-mo the best and I came to understand that simple fades and dissolves, not too many, were the norm.
I started taking on my own contracts again, with attractive pricing, little editing and much, much more time for myself. Now I can shoot 2 weddings back to back and by Tuesday evening the BluRays are ready well before their honeymoon ends.

I never really found it boring simply that just about every wedding to me was the same old thing. I always joked that I could probably substitute footage from one wedding into another and no one would be the wiser. The music was the same, the speeches were the same, the other vendors were the same..(that was actually a good thing since we all knew each other we knew what to expect from one another).
What made the final decision for me to retire from weddings was the fun had gone out of it for me, not that I really thought of them as fun but I had changed enough internally that I had to really MAKE myself go out and do the weddings. That's not a good thing. At the same time my corporate stuff started coming back to me and frankly I had a couple of health challenges that told me it was time to slow the hell down or I was going to be slowed down forever. Do I miss doing weddings? not a bit. Am I making money not doing them but doing simple corporate work instead? Yes. Am I back in control of my life? Yep.
So for me, it wasn't boring but I had started to grow to hate it so for me the only thing I could do was stop and I did. Excuse me, but I need to go out on my deck and bask in some sunshine now after the brutal winter we had here. ;-)

the same crap venues that rape the bride and grooms,

Woah, what weddings are you working? Does that part go in their video?

I never find filming boring - quite the opposite actually :) The only thing that stops this being a 100% enjoyable occupation for me are the frustrations that stem from being a solo operator - I find I spend too much time setting up, tacking down, setting up again etc and that detracts from the filming.

Case in point being yesterday - I couldn't access the church until 45 mins before the ceremony so I had to run around like a blue arse fly setting my gear up while the guests were arriving - result = not as much 'arrivals' footage as I'd like plus no architecture/decoration type shots of the church interior.

Then to cap it all, about only 10 mins after the ceremony, I was just about the film the confetti shot and I got a tap on the shoulder from the verger 'can you move your gear out of the church?' - so I say 'can you just give a minute' and I got in response 'No you need to move it now as I need to lock up!'

A fetch and carry assistant would solve that problem but then I'd have to pay them and then put my prices up to cover it etc etc. Not sure the economic climate is right for that.

I'll end by saying that I once worked in a marketing department for a dot com company where most of the staff were set daily targets by managers and at the end of the day had 'stand up' meetings where one by one they went through their targets to judge performance - those who had failed to meet their target were 'encouraged' to stay until they had - would any of us like to work in an environment like that!!! I think not. we who film weddings as an occupation are very lucky despite all our niggles (see attached picture from yesterday's wedding - did he really have to stand their for the entire ceremony!)

Sorry Robert just an expression i say. Robert i will tell you the venues treat the bride and groom like cattle mate, not all of them but the vast majority take the money and then run as far as i can see. The service after the payment goes down hill for me, even at my own daughters wedding. You go to the initial meeting the food tasting which is always great for them, then on the day it is totally different and the service different.

(see attached picture from yesterday's wedding - did he really have to stand their for the entire ceremony!)[/QUOTE]

Same here yesterday Peter, bloody photog was a pain and always in the way but i wont go down that route again??

Steve, you're either having a really bad day or you're in the wrong business. Being a wedding videographer is all about capturing someones day for them. Once you start referring to aspects of their day as crap you are in danger of loosing respect for your clients and turning in crap work. If you think that wedding video is about achieving a blockbuster film every time you will get disappointed. At some point you need to sit back and see it for what it is, a means of using your talents and skills to make a living, if your drive is to achieve fantastic award winning quality productions every time then you will get more personal satisfaction by working in an area that has more interest for you.
Weigh up what you have to do against any other option you have for making a living and see which you'd prefer.

I known what you are saying George, i think its what Don says maybe the fun has gone out of it after 7 years. Dont get me wrong, every time i go out and film, i am professional and always turn out good films, so it maybe that i need stimulating with fresh ideas and maybe a different input with new angles and maybe a new concept. steve

I look at the whole wedding scenario a little differently in terms of being boring as I evaluate it on not just the wedding day itself behind the camera but as a yearly mix of accomplishments that allows me my freedom to do what I want on my "off" days. Perhaps the boring part to videographers/cinematographers is more than just the shooting part but also in the editing part that takes up a large part of the potential otherwise "free" time. After the initial 5 years or so that I started doing weddings, I realized that I was working too much at it and offering little time left for my personal activities. I was chained to the editing desk and wedding edits back then took up most of my weekday hours. I suddenly became bored at the editing part that I actually only wanted to freelance shoot for hire that I sold all my analog linear editing stuff and purchased a better and much lighter camera. What a difference that made. I really wanted to capture more and experiment with low angles, shallow DOF, different perspectives etc. I was not chained to a 25 lb. camera anymore. All of a sudden I really enjoyed more and more even though the weddings were almost all the same and predictable. I started to be more selective in what I was capturing and even, at times, did in-camera edits. I don't bring any tripods, sliders or jibs. There were many events that the clients just left the editing alone and accepted the raw footage with just an intro song and a fade out at the end. Well, here was an interesting way of doing things I thought. Being selective at the shoot will allow less editing later. The non-linear system was just that was needed at the right time. This allowed me to edit a job in less than a day. Perhaps not a hollywood production but just enough dissolves and effects that will make the bride happy. I just loved the Mac with iMovie back then.They loved the sepia and slo-mo the best and I came to understand that simple fades and dissolves, not too many, were the norm.
I started taking on my own contracts again, with attractive pricing, little editing and much, much more time for myself. Now I can shoot 2 weddings back to back and by Tuesday evening the BluRays are ready well before their honeymoon ends.

Great points Arthur

I never really found it boring simply that just about every wedding to me was the same old thing. I always joked that I could probably substitute footage from one wedding into another and no one would be the wiser. The music was the same, the speeches were the same, the other vendors were the same..(that was actually a good thing since we all knew each other we knew what to expect from one another).
What made the final decision for me to retire from weddings was the fun had gone out of it for me, not that I really thought of them as fun but I had changed enough internally that I had to really MAKE myself go out and do the weddings. That's not a good thing. At the same time my corporate stuff started coming back to me and frankly I had a couple of health challenges that told me it was time to slow the hell down or I was going to be slowed down forever. Do I miss doing weddings? not a bit. Am I making money not doing them but doing simple corporate work instead? Yes. Am I back in control of my life? Yep.
So for me, it wasn't boring but I had started to grow to hate it so for me the only thing I could do was stop and I did. Excuse me, but I need to go out on my deck and bask in some sunshine now after the brutal winter we had here. ;-)

Great points Don cheers.

No I've moaned about that old chestnut enough - I will use footage from that camera complete with the tog's back however - If I didn't need the footage I wouldn't have set it up in the first place!.

Another rib tickler from yesterday was the house manager and assistant actually started to move the wedding cake as I was filming a slider pass - I kid you not - when I said 'can I get this shot first' - I got 'well hurry up because the DJ needs to set up' - Beyond belief!

Steve, is this really a business you enjoy, you seem to have very negative views of venues, photographers, people who take inspiration for their speech from the web etc. You come across as being the outsider getting vexed if the day doesn't unfold to suit you. That's not the nature of being a wedding videographer. If you don't or can't engage in the day with others there's a chance that you'll loose even more enthusiasm and feel less driven to do your best.
As others have said, if you are feeling this way at the start of the season it doesn't bode well for you or your clients this summer.

Just a comment about your photo. Just look at it for a moment from the photographers point of view, he's there to do what the couple are paying him to be there for not to worry about what you are doing and certainly not to loose what he considers to be the shots he wants because you have assumed he'll think about your camera placements first before looking for his shot. If you are going to place unmanned cameras is up to you to think ahead about all the possible things that could spoil the shot and place accordingly. Never assume anyone on the day is going to concern themselves with your needs. Imagine that the photographer asks you to move right to the side of the church because he needs to clear shot of the altar without a video guy standing alongside, what would you do?

George it's my photo and really I'm saying that I enjoy what I do despite the little niggles such as in the photo - I've long since stopped worrying about stuff like that - it is what it is and I'll film it as it comes and enjoy it - to be honest the togs were great guys and we got on very well - exchanged cards etc. Things like that however do niggle me because I only want the best for my couples - my drive and enthusiasm increases shoot after shoot :)

Lets be honest though someone actually picking up and moving the wedding cake while you were obviously filming it would vex even the most even tempered person

Pete

Sorry Pete, it's not beyond belief, others are there to do there job not to second guess what you are doing.
We all take it for granted that it's obvious what someone is doing with a camera on a slider but shouldn't assume that others have a clue what it is you're doing. As I said in the last post everyone is there to do their job and I'd bet that most hotel staff consider photographers and videographers to be nuisances, slowing down the service and getting in their way when they have enough to do without waiting around for someone to do an 'arty' shot. No offense meant but having retreated from weddings after more than 20 years I now have a detached view and can see that I was just as guilty of critisising others on the day when things didn't go as I hoped they would. I always aimed for the perfect product but soon realised that was the holy grail - something we'd like to believe exists but is somehow always out of reach - and always caused by other peoples inconsideration.

We also do get paid fairly well for our efforts and let's face it, despite the odd niggles like Pete had it is a social and happy occasion and not one you would find in a tough sales office with the manager screaming at you that "we have to make target and we only have 3 days to do it" The atmosphere overall is happy and pleasant not like some work places I have heard of. When my wife was still working she used to come home and load me with all her problems with senior staff and bad days so I always had a better day than her!

Sure you get the idiots and the chancers too but remember it's your business so YOU can say no!! I had an enquiry this evening from a lady wanting prep (from about lunchtime) then a full mass, photoshoot and reception until 10:30pm .... she wanted not just video but photography too and was prepared to stretch her budget from $500 to $600 if she had to .... A polite no worked well and I sent her off to look for students you advertise cheap shoots in the local classifieds. Now, what if you day job boss says "Steve, I need you to finish this by today ..I don't care if you stay here all night but it must be done so start working and stop slacking off" ... You going to tell him no???

Chris

Chris,
You mean she went from $500 to a whole $600!? WOW! What a deal!
I will not make any further comment on that. ;-)

As for a 9 to 5....I have never worked one. Either I was lucky or crazy. I think I was lucky...lucky I didn't mind working hard, could accept rejection, put up with liars, cheaters and thiefs and had a great support system at home. I have to think that we all have those attributes and maybe a little wine doesn't hurt either!

[QUOTE=George Kilroy;1842362]Steve, is this really a business you enjoy, you seem to have very negative views of venues, photographers, people who take inspiration for their speech from the web etc. You come across as being the outsider getting vexed if the day doesn't unfold to suit you. That's not the nature of being a wedding videographer. If you don't or can't engage in the day with others there's a chance that you'll loose even more enthusiasm and feel less driven to do your best.
As others have said, if you are feeling this way at the start of the season it doesn't bode well for you or your clients this summer.

Just a comment about your photo. Just look at it for a moment from the photographers point of view, he's there to do what the couple are paying him to be there for not to worry about what you are doing and certainly not to loose what he considers to be the shots he wants because you have assumed he'll think about your camera placements first before looking for his shot. If you are going to place unmanned cameras is up to you to think ahead about all the possible things that could spoil the shot and place accordingly. Never assume anyone on the day is going to concern themselves with your needs. Imagine that the photographer asks you to move right to the side of the church because he needs to clear shot of the altar without a video guy standing alongside, what would you do?[/QUOTE

George don't talk to me like a novice!! When I tell the photog the best shot of the day is the isle shot and then when the dad kisses his daughter at the end of the isle please don't come across me because I have to have that shot!! Then the b,,,,,,,, d photog walks right in front of the camera, and ruins the f,,,,,,,g lot. Then I get mad, and please don't patronise me

Imagine that the photographer asks you to move right to the side of the church because he needs to clear shot of the altar without a video guy standing alongside, what would you do?

I have had this question more then once and as soon as I can I will move out of the way for them, if I do that I get a better cooperation if I need them to do something.

Just look at it for a moment from the photographers point of view, he's there to do what the couple are paying him to be there for not to worry about what you are doing and certainly not to loose what he considers to be the shots he wants because you have assumed he'll think about your camera placements first before looking for his shot.

I tell the photogs they can stand wherever they want, even right in front of my camera to take a photo, I only ask them if they are not taking pictures or just checking their camera to look if they don't keep blocking my unmanned camera, that works well most of the time. Only the photogs with a big ego don't care.

Photogs never bothered me a bit. If they get in my way intentionally or otherwise I make absolutely sure that they will be recorded. I will also make sure that they will be on the edited version as well. I also will also make sure that the bride and groom will realize the amateur(s) they hired and later grill them on the spit because they got in the way, especially when they placed themselves in the center of the aisle while the bride was walking down with dad. I just want to hear once the bride ask me " well why didn't you tell them to move and get out of the way ?" yeah right..!

Right on Arthur!

I had a photog who was constantly in all my shots taking about 110 shots a minute and effectively putting on a show for the video and the guests. He did admit that he didn't usually do weddings and this was his second last one (good choice mate!!)

There was no way on earth I could use cutaways to cover him in my shots so I simply left him in. Hopefully the bride will notice that he was more of the star than she was!!

Chris

Just to return to photographers getting in your shot. I was filming a wedding on Good Friday and working with a young female photographer who had been shooting weddings for a couple of years. We got on really well and worked well together, but during the civil ceremony I had one very cramped fixed position for the main camera. The photographer decided to shoot from the stairs and gallery, from the same two positions throughout. Although I can use video from my own gallery camera and my GoPro, all the face on shots have the photographer in shot. She must also have me in all of hers, although I would have thought that she could have moved slightly to avoid it.

Was I worried? Not in the least! That was how it was on the day, beyond my control and something that the B&G are unlikely to be bothered about. Rather than fall out with the tog, we had a good day, I suggested some poses that she loved and leant her an led light for some of her shots. If we work together again, we will be pleased to see each other which will make the day easier.

Roger

I was trying to add two pics from the video, here is the other.

Roger

Worked with the same girl Roger, she was good with me also, just a few now and again in the way but overall good...

It looks like you were in her frame too. She,if possible, should have been in the same area as you were, this way neither of you would have been in each other's frame. Perhaps to the left of the officiant. And stay put.

Not all Liverpool residents are crackers! You need to get into the southasian market! The work ain't easy but the pay is 2-3X more than cracker weddings!

Nice one Jeff hope your well mate!!

It looks like you were in her frame too. She,if possible, should have been in the same area as you were, this way neither of you would have been in each other's frame. Perhaps to the left of the officiant. And stay put.

Yes I would have been in all her shots from there, but I was jammed in a 30" gap behind a pillar and couldn't move at all, whereas there was a gallery all the way round and an identical staircase the other side from which I would have been totally invisible. She was happy though and it didn't bother me, but it would have been very easy to not have that situation.

Roger

This is why I don't do weddings. I do concerts, and every performance is different.

Yeah, but concerts are each time on a stage, must become pretty boring, no? :)

Who said weddings are boring? The TS just had a bad day. Every wedding is different too, just like your concerts, the stage is the same but the players are different each time.

+1 Noa.

Roger

Yeah, but concerts are each time on a stage, must become pretty boring, no? :)

Who said weddings are boring? The TS just had a bad day. Every wedding is different too, just like your concerts, the stage is the same but the players are different each time.
I suppose the difference is that I love music and find attending weddings tedious in the extreme.

I don't know how one could do hundreds or even dozens of weddings and not come to see them as tedious, at least at times.

Ocassionally there is a couple/family that is exceptional and such a pleasure to be around that the day is actually fun, but those couples are relatively rare.

If there is one thing I do find about weddings is that they can be stressful, but not tedious or boring, every single one of them is a challenge, even the ones that appear simple and easy will remind you to never loose focus and every-time I manage to get it all right I get a kick from it, only that doesn't happen too much :)

I still watch every wedding I edit from beginning till end, first of all to check for editing errors but especially to enjoy the film I worked on that hard and if it feels right and moves me, I know I did a good job. It doesn't always work out like I want and that can be very frustrating like I experienced just recently but I've learned to move on and try to do better next time.

Weddings are a large part of my life, once I start feeling bored, then it's time to find something else to do.

I just don't get the "Weddings are tedious and boring attitude". I've been filming weddings for 30 years and still enjoy them. I see them as an opportunity to document people's personal history, to capture real human emotion on a wonderful happy day in their lives. A chance to observe and film a huge range of characters and individuals from every walk of life and how they interact with each other. I film in churches and cathedrals that are centuries old and some of the finest venues in the region. I also film in village halls and garden marquees where families have all pulled together to make a special day for the couple. I film in freezing snow covered conditions, rainstorms and grindingly hot and dusty Summer days. I feel proud to be chosen and paid to capture these personal insights into people's private lives and emotions and although there are sometimes times when not much is happening, I never get bored with weddings.

Those that are unable to seize those oppprtunities and use their skills to craft something they can be proud of, should simply steer clear of wedding work and stick to something really interesting like corporate promotion or conferences!

Roger

Very well said Roger! I've been reading this whole thread and just not relating to the downbeat tone from some at all. I love weddings - I love people watching, I love filming, I love technology, I love going to places new, I love that I occasionally get to go abroad to film a wedding (it's like a paid holiday doing what I love). I love all the pre-planning (like a military operation sometimes) and seeing how my plans work out. I love pushing myself with every wedding to make my work better and learning on every occasion. I also love how much it means to the couple when they see the film I've produced for them - all of it down to me! I could go on and on but I think you get the picture! I work as a cameraman on commercials, drama, corporates, concerts... but I genuinely get the most enjoyment from filming weddings - it's real, and I thrive off it!

I was trying to put it into words, and I think you summed it up very well Roger :)

Matt

What's there not to like ...

Yes it may not feel like a 9-5 job where you'll be going to a familiar place that you're used to. But surely that's the excitement of weddings/events ?

From personal experience i'm always a bit nervous when going to a place that i've never filmed before, but thanks to Google maps life has become easier. I do some background research prior to arriving at these places, see what it looks like via Streetview. And once i'm there and the camera is switched on. Bye bye nerves.

Can't ever go back to a 9-5 now that i'm used to filming events.

Very good topic, with good points! i started it so i will finish it.
I probably had a bad day like some of us do occasionally starting the topic BUT I think i need to train everyone on the wedding day not to do it like this?
Last two weeks i did three weddings, all the same internet speeches, all the same decor, roughly the same dresses, the same bad music from DGs that do not give a monkeys and who constantly ruin my glide-cam shots by insisting on the smallest circle around the first dance after prepping him, the same drunken idiots, the same chocolate fountain and warm champagne fountain that breaks down, the same people in the isle shot with their phones blocking everything in site, the same christian clergy who insist on disrupting everything you try to do, the same photographer who needs to retire.
The same kid who tried to knock my expensive camera over in church and during speeches, the same drunken girl who fell into my assistant ruining a speech second angle shot.
I can carry on but yes i get on with it because i love weddings......
Its not that its boring i will rephrase it to same old same old same old, so this week i am going into action, i am going to re-educate all my brides for next year. Yeeee....