Wedding Highlights shot with A1

Devan Woodruff · November 15th, 2006, 07:17 PM

Great shots there man!

Douglas Villalba · November 15th, 2006, 07:29 PM

Joe I thought that you were using the Smooth Shutter. I couln't handle the Pani HVX200 on the Glidecam 4000 for too long so I got the Smooth Shooter. The Aviator is probably smoother, but it should be heavier also with the monitor and the battery weight.
I like what you have done with your HD price list structure. I will probably change my own at the end of the year. I already have plenty of HD demos to generate enough HD business.
It has become hard for me to see my olds SD videos. How are you showing your SD and HD demos as far as DVD player and Display?
I went back to using CRT for SD and Plasma or an HD Sony CRT. Are you using CRT or LCD/Plasma?

Nick Weeks · November 15th, 2006, 07:40 PM

Joe,

I hate to hijack this thread, but how are you distributing DVDs in HD? Are you using a BluRay recorder or do you send them off somewhere? Also, I assume you're using DVD Studio 4...

One of the main reasons I am getting the A1 is for weddings. I was originally going to upgrade from my XL1s to the XL2, but when they announced the A1s at such a low price my plans rapidly changed! I now want to offer weddings to couples in High Definition, but have a hard time finding good information out there...

Thanks for your help

Ray Bell · November 15th, 2006, 08:34 PM

Joe, the vid looks great... I know your from Austin, did you say this was shot in San Antonio, is this a park ???

James Jackson · November 15th, 2006, 09:52 PM

Awesome stuff Joe!! Making me feel awesome that mine is gonna be on my door step by 3pm tomorrow. Via FedEx!!

Joe Simon · November 15th, 2006, 09:58 PM

I just started shooting in HD so I'm still finalizing my distribution plan. But I will probably burn the weddings to Blu-Ray discs. Panasonic makes a burner that looks great. Presently I'm using the H.264 on standard DVDs in DVD Studio 4.

I'm getting a LCD T.V. to show brides my HD work and the SD weddings I'm showing on a Sony CRT. The SD footage looks better on the CRT. I'm going to linked my computer to the LCD for the HD weddings and play it direct from there. This is my first wedding in HD so I'm still in the middle of putting my demos together. But I want to have this set up soon.

I am in Austin and this was shot at DunveganKeep.com in Austin. This place is in someone's backyard. Craig built it all by himself, its pretty awesome!

Michael Padilla · November 16th, 2006, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Simon

Hey Michael how is the Aviator? The 2000-pro works ok but it makes you really tired. I'm thinking of getting a new setup but not sure which way to go.

The Aviator is an amazing set-up.. definitely a "Big" step-up from the 2000-pro.
As far as back pain or fatigue.. we'll there is none.. I have filmed all day with the rig on with no issues. The vest and arm support all of the weight. It does documentary just as well as creative flowing shots.

you can view footage/behind the scenes of me using the aviator on varizoom's website under the "Stabilizers in Action" button in the upper middle of the stabilizers page.

http://varizoom.com/stabilizersindex.html

Also if you click on the "WEVA" tab.. that's my wife demoing the unit at NAB, explaining all of the parts.

Check it out.. have fun :)
P.S. I'll try to post some more footage.. or let me know if you want a demo DVD.

Michael Padilla · November 16th, 2006, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Villalba

Joe I thought that you were using the Smooth Shutter. I couln't handle the Pani HVX200 on the Glidecam 4000 for too long so I got the Smooth Shooter. The Aviator is probably smoother, but it should be heavier also with the monitor and the battery weight.

No actually the Aviator is lighter.. The battery and 7" monitor weigh very little and stabilizers from VariZoom don't use additional weights but rather smart machanics/adjustments to balance the system.

I have balanced my Aviator rig to be used handheld (w/o vest & arm) with the A1 and it is quite light in comparison to the 4000 pro. Also the monitor and battery wires run through the pole instead of the outside as does the Smooth Shooter (incase you planned on adding them to the 4000 pro).

Also the Aviator/Prolite sled is far more advanced in comparison with fine adjustments in all directions. In addition to that it uses a BNC connector for the LCD on the post.. the A1 has BNC out :)

Douglas Villalba · November 16th, 2006, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Padilla

No actually the Aviator is lighter.. The battery and 7" monitor weigh very little and stabilizers from VariZoom don't use additional weights but rather smart machanics/adjustments to balance the system.

I have balanced my Aviator rig to be used handheld (w/o vest & arm) with the A1 and it is quite light in comparison to the 4000 pro. Also the monitor and battery wires run through the pole instead of the outside as does the Smooth Shooter (incase you planned on adding them to the 4000 pro).

Also the Aviator/Prolite sled is far more advanced in comparison with fine adjustments in all directions. In addition to that it uses a BNC connector for the LCD on the post.. the A1 has BNC out :)

The Aviator is probably a better system,but it is also listed $2500 more than the Smoth Shooter. If you can justify the difference in price it is probably the the way to go. In my case at this time it is not.

Peter Chung · November 16th, 2006, 05:20 PM

Joe:
The A1 looks to be producing some nice footage! Thanks for sharing!

Michael:
Nice job with the Aviator footage! BTW, looks like WEVA took their video down so the link on the site is dead.

Also, how do you pull off wearing the whole rig during the wedding? Do people get distracted or make comments? My biggest concern is that I will be seen as being obtrusive and in the way. How do you convince your clients with being okay with the rig? Also, are there times when you don't wear the rig? Thanks!

Doug:
Right now, I am looking at getting the Indicam PILOT (http://www.indicam.com), which you might want to check out, too. Looks like a good in-between system as it costs about the same as a SmoothShooter with Glidecam but it has dual articulated arms so it should give smoother stabilization that the SmoothShooter and a much wider boom range :)

I bought and use the Indicam sled for weddings and Terry (the owner) is really helpful and friendly. His service is fantastic and timely! However, using it for a whole wedding does put a strain on my forearm and back so I am still considering an arm and vest system... but again, my biggest concern is walking around a wedding looking like RoboCop and drawing attention to myself so I am looking forward to Michael's reply ;)

Thanks!

Stephen Vallis · November 16th, 2006, 05:57 PM

That is great, well done!

Michael Padilla · November 16th, 2006, 07:13 PM

Actually people quite like it..
I get lots of looks.. but they are all positive :)

The bride and groom think "damn that's cool.. it sure make me look cool to have hired him.." in other words it looks like they can afford to spend some cash.. and everyone wants everyone-else to think they're rich.
It's also a good conversation piece..

One groom recently hired me just to get to see it in action.. said he had never seen a real Steadicam system up close before.. his wife said he was so excited.. I know it sounds lame.. but its true.. Men and Gadgets.. hey its why my wife isnt' posting here.

As for wearing it all day.. no that doesn't happen completely, but I do spend several hours in it at least with no issues. I don't always wear it durring wedding ceremonies.. (its by request); the wedding shown in the start of the behind the scenes shot was a 3.5hr ceremony (ouch!); so I never took it off.. wasn't a problem at all. I have the VariZoom rocker mounted so I never touch the camera (almost never ie. changing tapes etc..);
Also I get to charge more in my packages for having it on site. Which is nessasary since it is a bit more of a deal than having a glidecam on hand.

Thing is people love the effects of the Aviator system, even if it is just roaming through the crowd durring the reception.

The A1 is far lighter than what I have been using on the Aviator for the past couple of years.. so the ProLight would be more ideal (and its cheaper too)
Its basically the same design just the springs are set for lighter weight cameras such as the XH-A1 and goes up to 12lbs. You will have to double check to see if it comes with a 7"lcd or 5.6 4:3 lcd.

here is a redirect (my blog) for the weva newsminite:
http://visualmasterpiece.com/Site/Bl...EDEDDE40A.html

I'll post a link to the wedding with the Aviator in a few..

Daniel Boswell · November 16th, 2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Simon

I shot a wedding over the weekend using the A1. It went great! This camera is very easy to use when your runin and gunnin. I especially loved the Kelvin switch as it made white balacing a breeze. I shot this by myself so I was running around like a mad man. I'm sure the couple will be very happy as they only had a very basic package to start out with.

www.joesimonproductions.com/video/kjhd.mov

Joe, you are making it real hard to sell mine. Great looking stuff..and you put it together quite well. Like others have said, you should be getting 3x that price.

Nick Weeks · November 16th, 2006, 08:05 PM

Joe I have been watching several of the videos on your site and you do quite amazing work! So far I have thoroughly enjoyed each piece of video and I think the music selection is some of the best I've heard.... truly an inspiration.

How much of a demand are you guys getting for stabilizer shots in weddings? I have weighed getting the Glidecam 2000 and Smooth Shooter, but now this Aviator is looking great too. I just wonder how well it will pay off...

Chuck Spaulding · November 17th, 2006, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Weeks

Joe,

I hate to hijack this thread, but how are you distributing DVDs in HD? Are you using a BluRay recorder or do you send them off somewhere? Also, I assume you're using DVD Studio 4...

One of the main reasons I am getting the A1 is for weddings. I was originally going to upgrade from my XL1s to the XL2, but when they announced the A1s at such a low price my plans rapidly changed! I now want to offer weddings to couples in High Definition, but have a hard time finding good information out there...

Thanks for your help

Delivering HD is a bit difficult. I have done about six HD productions and I deliver them with the AVeL Link Player SRDVD-100U JVC ProHD DVD player. You can burn about 20 minutes of HD on a single sided DVD and the player costs about $300. These have been industrial or commercial installations where they loop the DVD and it plays continuously. I have one location that never turns it off and it has been playing for more than six months.

The players work great and the image quality is amazing but I'm not sure I'd use them for weddings.

November 15th, 2006, 07:29 PM	#17
Douglas Villalba Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Miami, Florida, USA Posts: 479	Joe I thought that you were using the Smooth Shutter. I couln't handle the Pani HVX200 on the Glidecam 4000 for too long so I got the Smooth Shooter. The Aviator is probably smoother, but it should be heavier also with the monitor and the battery weight. I like what you have done with your HD price list structure. I will probably change my own at the end of the year. I already have plenty of HD demos to generate enough HD business. It has become hard for me to see my olds SD videos. How are you showing your SD and HD demos as far as DVD player and Display? I went back to using CRT for SD and Plasma or an HD Sony CRT. Are you using CRT or LCD/Plasma? __________________ Douglas Villalba - director/cinematographer/editor Miami, Florida, USA - www.DVtvPRODUCTIONS.com

November 16th, 2006, 05:57 PM	#26
Stephen Vallis New Boot Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: East Sussex, UK Posts: 20	Impressive That is great, well done!

November 16th, 2006, 07:13 PM	#27
Michael Padilla Major Player Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: O.C., CA United States Posts: 337	Actually people quite like it.. I get lots of looks.. but they are all positive :) The bride and groom think "damn that's cool.. it sure make me look cool to have hired him.." in other words it looks like they can afford to spend some cash.. and everyone wants everyone-else to think they're rich. It's also a good conversation piece.. One groom recently hired me just to get to see it in action.. said he had never seen a real Steadicam system up close before.. his wife said he was so excited.. I know it sounds lame.. but its true.. Men and Gadgets.. hey its why my wife isnt' posting here. As for wearing it all day.. no that doesn't happen completely, but I do spend several hours in it at least with no issues. I don't always wear it durring wedding ceremonies.. (its by request); the wedding shown in the start of the behind the scenes shot was a 3.5hr ceremony (ouch!); so I never took it off.. wasn't a problem at all. I have the VariZoom rocker mounted so I never touch the camera (almost never ie. changing tapes etc..); Also I get to charge more in my packages for having it on site. Which is nessasary since it is a bit more of a deal than having a glidecam on hand. Thing is people love the effects of the Aviator system, even if it is just roaming through the crowd durring the reception. The A1 is far lighter than what I have been using on the Aviator for the past couple of years.. so the ProLight would be more ideal (and its cheaper too) Its basically the same design just the springs are set for lighter weight cameras such as the XH-A1 and goes up to 12lbs. You will have to double check to see if it comes with a 7"lcd or 5.6 4:3 lcd. here is a redirect (my blog) for the weva newsminite: http://visualmasterpiece.com/Site/Bl...EDEDDE40A.html I'll post a link to the wedding with the Aviator in a few.. __________________ -M www.visualmasterpiece.com

November 15th, 2006, 07:17 PM	#16
Devan Woodruff Tourist Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sandy Utah Posts: 4	Great shots there man!

November 15th, 2006, 07:40 PM	#18
Nick Weeks Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL USA Posts: 722	Joe, I hate to hijack this thread, but how are you distributing DVDs in HD? Are you using a BluRay recorder or do you send them off somewhere? Also, I assume you're using DVD Studio 4... One of the main reasons I am getting the A1 is for weddings. I was originally going to upgrade from my XL1s to the XL2, but when they announced the A1s at such a low price my plans rapidly changed! I now want to offer weddings to couples in High Definition, but have a hard time finding good information out there... Thanks for your help

November 15th, 2006, 08:34 PM	#19
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Joe, the vid looks great... I know your from Austin, did you say this was shot in San Antonio, is this a park ???

November 15th, 2006, 09:52 PM	#20
James Jackson Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Leesburg Florida Posts: 65	Awesome stuff Joe!! Making me feel awesome that mine is gonna be on my door step by 3pm tomorrow. Via FedEx!!

November 15th, 2006, 09:58 PM	#21
Joe Simon Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 86	I just started shooting in HD so I'm still finalizing my distribution plan. But I will probably burn the weddings to Blu-Ray discs. Panasonic makes a burner that looks great. Presently I'm using the H.264 on standard DVDs in DVD Studio 4. I'm getting a LCD T.V. to show brides my HD work and the SD weddings I'm showing on a Sony CRT. The SD footage looks better on the CRT. I'm going to linked my computer to the LCD for the HD weddings and play it direct from there. This is my first wedding in HD so I'm still in the middle of putting my demos together. But I want to have this set up soon. I am in Austin and this was shot at DunveganKeep.com in Austin. This place is in someone's backyard. Craig built it all by himself, its pretty awesome!

November 16th, 2006, 05:20 PM	#25
Peter Chung Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO USA Posts: 220	Joe: The A1 looks to be producing some nice footage! Thanks for sharing! Michael: Nice job with the Aviator footage! BTW, looks like WEVA took their video down so the link on the site is dead. Also, how do you pull off wearing the whole rig during the wedding? Do people get distracted or make comments? My biggest concern is that I will be seen as being obtrusive and in the way. How do you convince your clients with being okay with the rig? Also, are there times when you don't wear the rig? Thanks! Doug: Right now, I am looking at getting the Indicam PILOT (http://www.indicam.com), which you might want to check out, too. Looks like a good in-between system as it costs about the same as a SmoothShooter with Glidecam but it has dual articulated arms so it should give smoother stabilization that the SmoothShooter and a much wider boom range :) I bought and use the Indicam sled for weddings and Terry (the owner) is really helpful and friendly. His service is fantastic and timely! However, using it for a whole wedding does put a strain on my forearm and back so I am still considering an arm and vest system... but again, my biggest concern is walking around a wedding looking like RoboCop and drawing attention to myself so I am looking forward to Michael's reply ;) Thanks!

November 16th, 2006, 08:05 PM	#29
Nick Weeks Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL USA Posts: 722	Joe I have been watching several of the videos on your site and you do quite amazing work! So far I have thoroughly enjoyed each piece of video and I think the music selection is some of the best I've heard.... truly an inspiration. How much of a demand are you guys getting for stabilizer shots in weddings? I have weighed getting the Glidecam 2000 and Smooth Shooter, but now this Aviator is looking great too. I just wonder how well it will pay off...