My first DSLR cinematic wedding

Hi all,

Please check out my first DSLR wedding video and have your comments, thanks!

Dee Dee & Eddie - cinematic short film :: 4/16/2011 on Vimeo

[Sean Nelson]

can you tell us everything you used such as equipment and man power?

Heres my honest feedback:

-I loved the dance effect with pieces of the footage being revealed then fade away.
-i didnt like the opening, really i think because i didnt like the music or the text animation.
-again i just didnt feel a connection with the music, sorry.

[Taky Cheung]

Nice work! It shows you put a lot of effort in it.

Do you use lens doesn't have IS? Many scenes were very shaky.

I think it's a bit lengthy. This kind of cinematic highlights should be good between 4 to 6 minutes IMO.

[Terrence Nguyen]

Hi Sean,

Thanks for your feedback, that's what I'm looking for to make it better in future.

Gears used:
7D on steady cam merlin
2 60D for closed up shots and on slider Pocket Dolly V2
EX3 - only 5% is used
3 cameraman and 1 assistant

Entire movie is exactly what client want me to do, must be 10 mins long, Jewel song on first one, a lot slow mo, fade in and fade out, also sepia, b&w are colors of choice.

With those restrictions, I can't do much, I've spent so much time to put them together and turned out they're like it a lot with the first draft.

Hi Taky,

I used Canon 10-22mm for merlin, 24-70mm L, 70-200 2.8 L, 50mm 1.4, none of mine has IS, mostly used on monopod.

By the way, I got the light from yours and I've been using for a year already, very happy, you can see one shot from dancing.

Thanks!

[Taky Cheung]

Great! glad you like the Comer light. =)

I'm curious. The bride only wants this video and nothing else?

[Terrence Nguyen]

Taky,

10 mins is agreement for final output, she can keep, share and remember forever, BUT, the full length is just a basic for her family to watch, like a documentary instead of raw footage. So I still put together and output to DVD for her. She's a make up artist and hair stylist in wedding business also, hence very picky in requirements.

[Taky Cheung]

That's awesome! maybe she can refer you more clients in the future.

[Matthew Craggs]

The two things that stick out like a sore thumb for me are

1) The movement. I don't know what monopod you're using, but I would look at the Manfrotto 561BHDV. If you're using that one, then practice, practice, practice.

2) Inconsistent colour. Though I understand after reading one of your follow up posts that that may have been in part due to your client's request for sepia, black and white, etc. I would suggest you don't take requests like that in the future. I once worked in a situation where couple's got to pick every single song for their DVD and where it was used. There's nothing that will limit your creativity and get rid of your desire to do this kind of work like being told you have to edit all of the groom's house to "I'm Too Sexy."

That all being said, I watched the whole thing, and I don't often sit through 10 minutes of wedding footage that isn't my own :)

[Spiros Zaharakis]

I don't know how this is going to sound but the title that comes in my mind is "staged emotions during the Japan earthquake".

If the couple liked it that's all that matters.

BUT, since you asked for opinions, I will add mine.

I personally don't like staged shots that look soooo staged. It just looks fake.
Also it looks like you are using a monopod that has no feet and that causes side to side shake. At least try to stabilize the shots in post. You can try Mercali, New Blu Stabilizer or something similar to stabilize the shots and improve the footage a lot.
But for your next shoot get the Manfrotto with the three feet that Matthew recommended.
I will also recommend that you do not allow your clients to have so much control over your work. It usually makes things worse.
And 10 minutes is way too long for this type of footage and editing, I only managed to watch half of it.

[Terrence Nguyen]

Hi Matthew and Spiros,

I'm using Manfrotto 561BHDV recently, thanks a lot for your advice about practicing monopod, definitely, I will practice a lot more in future. This is my first DSLR wedding, I want to take an opportunity to create some based work before I can move further. Also I need to focus more about color.

A lot of lessons need to learn after this one. Appreciate your constructive feedback, looking for more from forum.

Thanks!

[Sean Nelson]

Ahh a picky bride. Im dealing with one now but I have leadway because Im hooking her up big with knowing her friends. I always wanna have the kind of clients who love your work and let the complete creative control be in your hands. In my dreams lol.

[Greg Fiske]

Keep looking for clues as to what might be causing the jitter. At :43 for example. Its the kind that stabilization software cannot get ride of. I will probably have one clip out of an entire day with that happening. Describe exactly what your technique at :43 was so we can give some suggestions. Its like you have a huge microphone on the flash bracket that is making the camera move on the monopod. Also, I had a bad manfrotto monopod, it would click when I did pans, so it might be something you need to get serviced.

I never allow request on portfolio work. For what gets delivered on the dvd, sure, but what goes onto the web, I call the shots. Otherwise its not as motivating to do what other people want.

[Terrence Nguyen]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your comments, if i had your feedback earlier, I would take that scene out. There is no microphone on camera, however, three legs from my monopod couldn't stand firm on carpet, and I had to be hurry to move to the bride's house in Moreno Valley (1 hr drive), a lesson to learn. Again, thank you.

[Patrick Janka]

Too Shaky!!