I apologize for the huge file sizes, but I stink at encoding for web. They do start play very quickly, though, even the H.264 version.

High-quality/large size Quicktime H.264 (requires Quicktime 7) [145 megs]
http://www.inspirednaturally.com/EvanAndEllen.h264.mov

Med Quality/small size Quicktime MPEG4 [50 megs]
http://www.inspirednaturally.com/EvanAndEllen.mp4.mov

Med Quality/large size WMV [42 megs]
http://www.inspirednaturally.com/EvanAndEllen.wmv

Although I have been editing wedding for a while, this is my first wedding completely on my own. This wedding was very elegant and was very "vintage" in style. I tried to portray her wedding style in this video.

Thanks for viewing!
Dan

I guess i'm first to watch and enjoy your recap.
Great job. Music is very inspiring and matches perfectly espcially with the edit.

What kind of gear did you use to pan and boom thoughout the room during the setup of reception room

Enjoyed the vintage style footage during the first dance / family-bridal party interviews.

Bravo!

I loved the intro with the flashy e's. I did not like the vintage effect at all--maybe you could adjust it isn't so jumpy. Slow motion was also overused.

The shots with the chandelier and the reception tables were excellent! The video was also very clear and the outdoor colors were brilliant.

Good work....

Tom...

Thanks! I appreciate your comments. For the boom shots, I put my camera at the top of a fully extended monopod (ala Mark VonLanken). I can't remember the monopod model #, but it's a Bogen with the handle for quick-release of the top section, and a twist release for the lower section. I wanted to buy the one Mark uses, with the three little legs that pop out from the bottom, but I love the quaick-release handle.

Dan

Sheldon,

The EE animation was done in After Effects. It's identical to the little EE logo they had on their invitation and program. I try on every edit to incorporate the look and feel of their invite and program, because they spent a lot of time and money on them, and it reflects their interest and style. Thanks for the compliments!

When you say the vintage segments are too jumpy, do you mean the camera work, or the filter? I want to adjust the filter to reduce the flickering a bit, but I like the jumpy camera work. Reminds me of my dad's footage from his old super-8.

Thanks for your comments!

Dan

Sheldon,

The EE animation was done in After Effects. It's identical to the little EE logo they had on their invitation and program. I try on every edit to incorporate the look and feel of their invite and program, because they spent a lot of time and money on them, and it reflects their interest and style. Thanks for the compliments!

When you say the vintage segments are too jumpy, do you mean the camera work, or the filter? I want to adjust the filter to reduce the flickering a bit, but I like the jumpy camera work. Reminds me of my dad's footage from his old super-8.

Thanks for your comments!

Dan

The filter.....it leaves a slim white border when it jumps.

Sheldon, yeah I noticed that. On the DVD the tv clips that off and you never see it. For the web video, though, I'm getting the entire frame.

I'll see if I can crop that off for the web video. I'd like to not see that if I can help it.

Thanks again,
Dan

I had a mixed reaction to the clip. There are things I really liked and there were a few things that bothered me. Overall I think there's some real potential in your work once some of the bugs get worked out.

Pros:

1. Good storytelling: You moved the story along and hit your marks for the most part in relation to the music.

2. Time Shifting: I liked the white iris effect that introduces some non synchronous elements into the production. Add in the toasts and that seals the deal. TS is hard to pull off but you did it well.


Cons:

1. Not a fan of the vintage camera work. When you shoot in that style you're pretty much stuck with one editing choice. I would shoot it straight and add the clutter later. That way you have more options in post.

2. Use of filters: As I said above, I thought the white iris effect was a great segue into the time shifting but the switch from B&W to color was confusing and threw me out of the story you wanted to tell.

3. Titling: The AE logo thing was awesome but the words scaled back a little too far back for me. Maybe start it larger and end where it's normal size on the screen?

I hope this doesn't come across as too harsh and it's taken in the spirit it was given. I look forward to seeing future work from you.

Chris Watson
Watson Videography

Chris, thanks for taking the time to watch the clip and respond, and thanks for the compliments.

About the cons, I have a couple of questions.
1. What didn't you like about the vintage camera work? What would you have done differently? Was it too shaky?

BTW, I actually didn't shoot hardly any of it that way on purpose. I just grabbed clips that were before and after my smoother shots, as well as some misc in-between shots. I only planned on one short vintage-style segment before editing, and shot very little that way on purpose.

2. I only have a few segments where I switch from bw to color... was there a particular part you're referring to, or everything?

3. For the titling, I see what you are saying there. I tried making it zoom in as opposed to out, but I liked the feel of out better. I'll experiment with less zooming out, maybe only 10% or so for a much more subtle movement.

You didn't come across as too harsh at all. I wanted constructive criticism and that's exactly what you gave me. I just wanted, with my questions above, to be a little more clear on what you were referring to.

Thanks for the advice!

Dan

1. What didn't you like about the vintage camera work? What would you have done differently? Was it too shaky?

I thought it was a tad unwieldy. I think good examples of the technique you're going for can be found on the new Battlestar Galactica. I'm glad that you explained about the origin of those shots. It makes alot more sense.


2. I only have a few segments where I switch from bw to color... was there a particular part you're referring to, or everything?

Well the place that bugged me was when they were on the dance floor and it went back to color. I see where you were going with the effect but the switch back to color when they're on the dance floor took me out of the moment. Not a deal breaker

Hope this clarifies things a little.

Chris Watson
Watson Videography

If your clients chose a "vintage style", then so be it. However, the fact remains this event occured today (or very recently), so what is the point of monochrome when current technology is not monochrome? Monochrome has a place, but it has to make sense in the linear progression of events, and I do not feel you did that. Instead, I feel you used monochrome as a special effect to no purpose except, perhaps, some kind of pizazz, which made no sense to me.

Aside from that, a good selection of images with a pleasant blending of audio tracks. Some of these images were, I think, too long on screen (perhaps fractions of seconds too long, in my opinion). Almost too viewer-subjective for comment, but I mention it nonetheless.

Close-ups were excellent and fully exploited.

Your clients will love your work. I liked a good part of it as well. Even downloaded a copy to my deskstop for study when I have a bit more time to review. I don't do that very often. In respect, that copy will be deleted within three days, unless I have your express permission to keep it longer.

I enjoyed it, nicely done. Which after effects are you using and is that a preset animation? Are you also using any stabalizer equipment cause the rising shot over the cake was well done. What is the music you chose also.
Good job!

Jason

I thought you had some excellent detail shots at the reception and I really like the titling you used at the ending.

I also wasn't a big fan of the vintage camera effect, but more than that, the camera work used uring the vintage camera effect, also through me off a bit. I also think your shot selection could have been a little more varied in certain portions such as the bride getting her make-up done and the first dance portions- I would have tried to mix in some wide shots, some tight shots, and some other details to tell more of the story and pull the viewer in. Regardless of the style used, I personally feel like a highlights clip should give you a feeling for who the couple are as people and what their wedding day was like, but I personally don't think enough of that story came through here. I got bits of information, but I wasn't left with an overall feeling- if that makes sense.

On the other end of things, I really liked how you worked the time shifting in there and how it fit with the music. I think the piece was overall very well put together and made good use of the voice overs.

Looked great for your first solo wedding, I wish my first wedding looked as nice. I somehow always get clients with boring locations and decor (but I've only done 3 weddings so far...so maybe I'll get some cool settings eventually)

Couple questions and comments however. I also disliked the extensive use of the vintage look. I realize you were just trying to coverup some shaky footage you had, to make it look like you intended it, but didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the video.

When your footage wasn't shaky it was very smooth. What stabilizer were you using. It looked like FX1/Z1U footage downrezed, was that what you were using? I've been looking into stabilizers, but haven't bitten the bullet because I figured it was be more obtrusive then helpful, but now I'm reconsidering now.

Chris, thanks for clarifying. You have helped a lot.

Waldemar, thank you very much for your input. And yes, you have my permission to keep the clip on your computer for as long as you want.

Jason, thank you! I used Trapcode 3D Stroke and Starglow for the EE effect in AE 6.5 Pro. I did not use my Glidecam for any of the shots in this highlights, although I did use it there. All the moving camera shots were either handheld, or on a monopod up in the air. The cake shot you refered to was handheld over my head (have to watch the mic and make sure it doesn't touch the cake :-) The music is from Cinderella Man.

Patrick, I agreed with you about the vintage shots being too jarring, and I did review your other suggestions and made a couple of changes to the video. Thanks for the compliments!

Noah, thanks for replying. I did not use the vintage footage to cover up bad shots. I purposely used bad shots to make the vintage segments :-) I don't cover up bad shots with effects, I just eliminate them. I have since made some changes and I think it looks much better. I didn't use any stabilizers actually, only handheld or on a monopod raised up for boom shots. My camera is a PD170, but I'm looking at the Z1's. I love the PD's, so it will be a difficult change. I'll more than likely wait for the next generation Sony's to see what they improve.

To everyone, thanks for your input!

I see it's nearly unanimous that the vintage segments need elimated or re-worked. I really like them myself, and I really think the bride will too. I do agree, however, that the footage was just too jarring, and have since made several changes to them. I used smoother clips and applied a bit, tiny bit, of slow motion to them. I also lost the jitter and scratch filters. I have to admit that I like it much better now! Thanks to all for your vintage suggestions.

All also made a few other aesthetic changes, and I think they were all improvements. Please check back whhen I get the new, updated clips uploaded and let me know what you think, hopefully tomorrow morning.

Let me explain, if I can, my creative choices behind the vintage segments. First, the theme of the wedding was elegant vintage. I talked to the bride before the wedding about clips I've seen of what looks like old super-8 like footage, and she was excited, so I wanted to integrate that somehow if it worked well. While storyboarding, I thought since the highlights is about the wedding day, then anything before the current moment might be a good candidate for the vintage effect... things in the past (even though that 'past' might only be a few hours). So, I opened with a vintage segment of the rehearsal because it was the day before, and it set the tone for the video... vintage. Everything else was left normal because I was documenting what happened through the afternoon. When I got to the first dance, I was going for a feeling of reminiscing from the bride, hence the 'flashbacks' of the day being in the vintage style. That's also why I didn't drop in any clips from the reception that happened after the first dance.

I think the advice I have received was thought out and professional, and I appreciate the time you all put into the reviews. My creative process might need a lot more work I see. But, if it couldn't be improved, then I have nowhere to go but downhill ;-)

I will show the bride this video tomorrow, so I'll let you know what she thought.

Please check back and see if the changes I made helped in your opinions.

Thanks,
Dan

Hey Dan,

It takes a strong person to put up their work on the chopping board like you did. I've found the comments that help me out the most are the ones that are the most constructive and not just pats on the back. I think there's alot of potential and I look forward to seeing you progressing.

Chris Watson
Watson Videography

Ok, I have uploaded new clips with the changes I've made. I appreciate the time you have already spent, and I certainly don't expect you to come watch it again. But, if you do, please let me know if you think it was an improvement. To those of you that didn't like the vintage clips period, you probably still won't like it :-)

The changes I made were mostly to the vintage segments. I slowed the clips down slightly, smoothed them out, and scrapped the jitter and scratches filters. I think it definitely made an improvement. Thanks for all the advice! I also made a couple of small changes here and there, mostly to the timing, but I did replace one of the first dance clips.

The h.264 and the WMV versions have been updated, but I left the smaller mpeg4 version alone to have an old version to compare to. Here are the links again:

http://www.inspirednaturally.com/EvanAndEllen.h264.mov

http://www.inspirednaturally.com/EvanAndEllen.mp4.mov

http://www.inspirednaturally.com/EvanAndEllen.wmv

Thanks again, and I hope to have another one very soon to post for critique.

Dan

Sorry my posts keep bumping this!

I just wanted to post an update. Before today, the bride kept expressing over and over again how excited she was to see the video, and I was worried it would be like Batman... over-hyped and ultimately disappointing. But not so, she was very excited and nearly started crying, as well as the groom. It received glowing praise from both of them, adding that it was far beyond their expectations.

That was so nice to hear! No matter how happy or unhappy anyone else is, including me, it's wonderful that they are happy! She said she has 2 soon-to-be brides that are looking forward to seeing her highlights before deciding to call me. Very cool!

Thanks for all the advice that helped make it even better,
Dan

Which did she love more? (obviously, she loved them both) :)

Tom,

The bride actually liked the jittery one better, much better, but she loved the smoother version very much too and the groom was mixed.

I think they will actually go with the 2nd smoother version, but ask me to add some jitter and the scraches back in.

Dan

Hi Dan,

I was wondering how often you go back-and-forth with the client regarding creative decisions such as this. It's something that I try to avoid at all cost because once they become the "director", it seems like it would be a slippery slope down many hours of additional changes.

Great job on the vid. It's always good to hear positive feedback from the clients. Congrats.

Eric,

Well, it was likely a mistake on my part. I shouldn't have offered both versions, but since this is my first wedding completely on my own, I really wanted to make her happy. Normally, for the clients with the wedding guy I work for, they get what I do without options to change creative decision. Plus, for this video, I didn't offer any changes other than the vintage segment options. I even told her that normally I wouldn't offer two options, but since this was such a personal choice on what she might like better, I wanted to see what she thought.

Anyone else that I didn't know as well it would be pretty scary offering changes, but with Ellen, I'm not worried at all. And if by chance it would turn into a nightmare, I will have learned and grown through the experience.

So, it all works out in the end (hopefully :-)

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thanks for posting. You did a good job! and I appreciate that you posted for constructive feedback and also take criticism gracefully ;)

I've only watched your updated version and if I hadn't read the posts here beforehand, I wouldn't have known that you were going for a vintage effect. So you may want to dirty up the footage a bit (not too much) with scratches and a little blur.

Also, I agree with someone else's post when they found the color change from B&W to color a little abrupt (during the reception, it is black and white and seemingly randomly switches to color).

But you have good composition and had a lot of great shots. They looked like a very happy and godly couple.

I liked the voiceover of Evan's mom(?) about how she was praying for Evan from when he was young. I bet that was a tearjerker with the couple ;)

Keep up the good work!

Peter

Hey Peter,

Thanks for your comments! Sometimes it's hard to hear criticism, but it's equally hard to give criticism. I know when people ask me to critique something, I cringe a bit wondering how negative comments will be taken. But, if given with professionalism and respect from those more experienced than you, they are priceless.

Thanks for the compliments. They are a wonderful couple, very in love, with God at the center. It was a great experience. Yes, the mom's toast was a tearjerker... they loved it.

For the record, and at the request of the bride, I did add the scratches back in and it turned out very nice. Definitely looks more vintage, yet without the jerkiness that was distracting. Thanks everyone for the tips!

Later,
Dan

Just deleted your file. Thanks for letting all view your work.

Hi Dan, I wanted to look at your work. Can you upload your videos again?

thanks

Hey Janice,

Here are two urls for you to view the video. The first is a Quicktime, but requires version 7 because it's h.264. The second is flash, so requires only a flash player, but is of lesser quality and sometimes works hard to maintain 30fps.

Quicktime: http://www.inspirednaturally.com/evanandellen/ee.mov

Flash: http://www.inspirednaturally.com/evanandellen/videoplayer.html

I look forward to hearing your feedback!

Thanks,
Dan