Pre Ceremony Highlight: Crystal + William at DVinfo.net

Pre Ceremony Highlight: Crystal + William · August 24th, 2009, 08:57 PM

Hey everyone, this is my first main camera shoot at a wedding and I'm proud of it. I'd like all the advice I can get and it would be greatly appreciated. I shot this wedding with a canon hv30 My Canon HV30 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!, and edited with Premiere Pro CS3. All the shots were shot with my camera and I fully edited this wedding. I have a post about pricing but I just wanted to say, I'm meeting a couple on Saturday and this is my first client on my own, and I was wondering how much you all would charge after seeing this pre ceremony highlight that I shot and edited. Thank you so much in advance and I welcome all comments, thanks again!

Here is the video: Crystal + William on Vimeo.

Chris Harding · August 24th, 2009, 09:50 PM

Hi Ferlon

I would personally kill the long intro title and especially the motion background. It doesn't fit with the rest of the footage at all. The wording is good but maybe overlay it over some wedding footage and make it a lot quicker. Titles are supposed to be on screen about 1.5 times it takes to read them and no more.

People make an initial impression in the first 30 seconds and your first shot of the groom (in what looks like an industrial estate) doesn't add romance and beauty to the viewer. I would have rather started with the girls and continued from there. All the shots after the first one have the right ambience.

However that's my view so also listen to others!!

Chris

Ferlon Webster · August 24th, 2009, 10:05 PM

Thanks Chris for your comments, they are really helpful. I see exactly what you mean about the background for the titles and the first scene with the groom, I'll work that out and fix it up. Thanks again!

Stephen J. Williams · August 25th, 2009, 07:51 AM

Hey Ferlon....

I also agree with chris about the titles... Simple is kind of in style in my opinion now so keep that in mind. A lot of videos just open up with a popular font just using a fade.

I think your making some of the same mistakes that I used to make. I used to think that I had to create the action with sweeping camera movements, imitate steady-cam shots without a steadycam, and push the effects to add in my artistic touch.
IMO the best shot is just a simple one... I use my tripod a lot more then I used too and I'm happy with the results. Add in movement every now and then just to spice up the clip, but make it slow.

Not bad though... The beginning was kind of slow for me but I thought that it picked up in the last 2 minutes or so..

Your work reminds me so much of mine when I first started. Even the clips I created a few months ago disgust me. It's a growing process and once you find your "style" everything starts to get better.

As far as the tools for the job. If you like the shots that you had in there then you should invest in a steadycam or at least a fig rig. That way the handheld shots will come out looking much better. I used a fig rig with my DVX100 and I was happy with the results. Not as smooth as a flyer but much better then handheld. Plus the extras you can mount to it is a huge plus.

Good luck with your meeting. Let us know how everything works out.

Steve

Ferlon Webster · August 25th, 2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen J. Williams

Hey Ferlon....

I also agree with chris about the titles... Simple is kind of in style in my opinion now so keep that in mind. A lot of videos just open up with a popular font just using a fade.

I think your making some of the same mistakes that I used to make. I used to think that I had to create the action with sweeping camera movements, imitate steady-cam shots without a steadycam, and push the effects to add in my artistic touch.
IMO the best shot is just a simple one... I use my tripod a lot more then I used too and I'm happy with the results. Add in movement every now and then just to spice up the clip, but make it slow.

Not bad though... The beginning was kind of slow for me but I thought that it picked up in the last 2 minutes or so..

Your work reminds me so much of mine when I first started. Even the clips I created a few months ago disgust me. It's a growing process and once you find your "style" everything starts to get better.

As far as the tools for the job. If you like the shots that you had in there then you should invest in a steadycam or at least a fig rig. That way the handheld shots will come out looking much better. I used a fig rig with my DVX100 and I was happy with the results. Not as smooth as a flyer but much better then handheld. Plus the extras you can mount to it is a huge plus.

Good luck with your meeting. Let us know how everything works out.

Steve

Thanks Steven for this comment! It is encouraging and reminds me that it is a growing process and that growing is a process. I have invested in a steadicam (the glidecam hd-2000) I just have not been able to balance it as of late, still working on it though. Thanks for the advice as well!

Chris Harding · August 25th, 2009, 04:57 PM

Hi Ferlon

I have a basic page on how to balance your stedicam and a few hints and tips on the link below

http://www.softweigh.com/video/balance.html

Chris

Ferlon Webster · August 25th, 2009, 09:13 PM

Thanks a lot Chris!!!!

Asvaldur Kristjansson · August 26th, 2009, 06:55 AM

Promising but a bit shakey. Use tripod would have been better and if you want to use zoom I find it way better to use zoom out, start in and then move out. Also dont cut on movement unless its for special effects.

August 24th, 2009, 09:50 PM	#2
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Hi Ferlon I would personally kill the long intro title and especially the motion background. It doesn't fit with the rest of the footage at all. The wording is good but maybe overlay it over some wedding footage and make it a lot quicker. Titles are supposed to be on screen about 1.5 times it takes to read them and no more. People make an initial impression in the first 30 seconds and your first shot of the groom (in what looks like an industrial estate) doesn't add romance and beauty to the viewer. I would have rather started with the girls and continued from there. All the shots after the first one have the right ambience. However that's my view so also listen to others!! Chris

August 24th, 2009, 10:05 PM	#3
Ferlon Webster Regular Crew Join Date: May 2009 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 31	Thanks Chris for your comments, they are really helpful. I see exactly what you mean about the background for the titles and the first scene with the groom, I'll work that out and fix it up. Thanks again!

August 25th, 2009, 07:51 AM	#4
Stephen J. Williams Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 768	Hey Ferlon.... I also agree with chris about the titles... Simple is kind of in style in my opinion now so keep that in mind. A lot of videos just open up with a popular font just using a fade. I think your making some of the same mistakes that I used to make. I used to think that I had to create the action with sweeping camera movements, imitate steady-cam shots without a steadycam, and push the effects to add in my artistic touch. IMO the best shot is just a simple one... I use my tripod a lot more then I used too and I'm happy with the results. Add in movement every now and then just to spice up the clip, but make it slow. Not bad though... The beginning was kind of slow for me but I thought that it picked up in the last 2 minutes or so.. Your work reminds me so much of mine when I first started. Even the clips I created a few months ago disgust me. It's a growing process and once you find your "style" everything starts to get better. As far as the tools for the job. If you like the shots that you had in there then you should invest in a steadycam or at least a fig rig. That way the handheld shots will come out looking much better. I used a fig rig with my DVX100 and I was happy with the results. Not as smooth as a flyer but much better then handheld. Plus the extras you can mount to it is a huge plus. Good luck with your meeting. Let us know how everything works out. Steve

August 25th, 2009, 04:57 PM	#6
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Hi Ferlon I have a basic page on how to balance your stedicam and a few hints and tips on the link below http://www.softweigh.com/video/balance.html Chris

August 25th, 2009, 09:13 PM	#7
Ferlon Webster Regular Crew Join Date: May 2009 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 31	Thanks a lot Chris!!!!

August 26th, 2009, 06:55 AM	#8
Asvaldur Kristjansson Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Reykjavik, Iceland Posts: 95	Promising but a bit shakey. Use tripod would have been better and if you want to use zoom I find it way better to use zoom out, start in and then move out. Also dont cut on movement unless its for special effects.