Use of natural sound

Ok, this isn't my work, but wanted to share it anyway. Not sure if it'll strike you guys as anything unusual, but it's very different to most wedding highlights I watch anyway.

Love the use of natural sound leading up to the ceremony (including non-vows lav mic). It adds a lot (personality, jokes, beautiful moments). And it makes the bride/groom prep more interesting than it usually is (in most vids I watch, bride and groom prep = fake and staged, with overuse of slider and over-the-top music).

Kate and Alex - highlights on Vimeo

[Roger Gunkel]

I have to say that I don't find this unusual at all as it is the way that I always work, using the natural sound with a very background music track.

To me, there is no need to set up fake moments or emotion with a wedding. If you keep your eyes and ears open, all the emotion and humour is already there. The skill and the art is being tuned in to it and working quickly enough to capture it. Too many videographers work to a preset idea of how they will show the important moments, and just aren't picking up on what is actually happening.

The little special moments, funny comments and spontaneous emotional outbursts are part and parcel of every wedding. Close micing and shallow dof may have their place and appear to be intimate, but will also miss the off camera humour and background scenes that to me are what makes a wedding a fascinating slice of a family's life.

Roger

[Clive McLaughlin]

I actually think this is incredibly difficult. I've actually got pretty poor hearing and i probably wouldn't catch a lot of what is said even if I did record like this. I'm always really paranoid that i'll accidentally leave in a clip which overhears some guests bad-mouthing someone or saying something rude.

I also think its unusual how he got so much footage of chit chat without anyone looking at the camera. Maybe its the culture, but here in NI, people try to jump out of your shot assuming you are trying to take footage of someone/something else. I'm always like 'no no, its actually you I want...ah... it doesn't matter'

The awkwardness of being on camera quite often minimised the conversation. People would actually sometimes stop mid sentence if they realised I was recording.

Very difficult, but very effective, and i assume probably a lot more enjoyable for the couple to watch. I don't see me trying it though.

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Clive McLaughlin

I actually think this is incredibly difficult. I've actually got pretty poor hearing and i probably wouldn't catch a lot of what is said even if I did record like this. I'm always really paranoid that i'll accidentally leave in a clip which overhears some guests bad-mouthing someone or saying something rude.

I also think its unusual how he got so much footage of chit chat without anyone looking at the camera. Maybe its the culture, but here in NI, people try to jump out of your shot assuming you are trying to take footage of someone/something else. I'm always like 'no no, its actually you I want...ah... it doesn't matter'

The awkwardness of being on camera quite often minimised the conversation. People would actually sometimes stop mid sentence if they realised I was recording.

Very difficult, but very effective, and i assume probably a lot more enjoyable for the couple to watch. I don't see me trying it though.

I never worry about picking up something that may be questionable, as it is extremely easy just to cut and paste a different bit of general audio in place of it. I've done this many times with nobody ever noticing.

If people are trying to jump out of your shot, then that is because it is very noticeable that you are filming them. Unobtrusive and discrete filming is something that takes time to master, but is one of those things that I love about wedding filming. I find it very rewarding to get close framed shots and audio when people are being totally natural and unaware of you.

Your body language when filming is very important for discrete shots, as people will first notice you in their peripheral vision. If their attention is drawn to you, then they will become defensive, uncomfortable or silly. Some videographers will work around this by arranging with guests what they would like them to do, while others like myself will have developed ways to make themselves 'invisible'. I work extremely quickly, waiting until guest's attention is diverted elsewhere, then taking the shot before they are aware what you are doing. If they look as though they may start to be aware of me, I immediately turn my head completely away, but keep the camera running. I will also frequently focus on someone else the same distance away, then quickly swing the camera towards the actual subject when they are not looking. Another method is to film your subject, but appear to be looking at someone further away. Most people will assume, probably correctly, that if the camera is pointing at them and you are looking into the viewfinder, then you are filming them. If the camera is pointing at them but you are looking elsewhere, they will take no notice.

Roger