Weddings: How intrusive are you allowed to be?

[Anders Risvold]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

When weve had the WB way off i have yet been able to get it back to how it should be. The colours we wanted simply wernt there. So needed to get a little arty and do some deliberate colour messing. If I dont get a chance to WB with the missus and a piece of paper I just use the brides dress. Better than auto.

Oh, I never use Auto, in times like this I set to predef settings. I'm rendering a version now where I put on 'angelic' filter on the entire cermony, if it works I'll just leave it at that.

The WB is not 'wrong', it is just different. It is more 'warm' and 'reddish' on 2 of the cams than the 3'd, witch is more 'cold' and 'natural'. I tried put the red pedestal down a bit on the 2, and up a bit on the 'odd cam', but didnt look much better.

All in all, I don't think it is very big issue, but I like to do things as perfect as I can.

[Robin Hall]

My goal is to get the best footage possible while being as invisible as possible. The location really helps determine how this works out.

Hi Perrone. The happiest thank you messages I've had from the b & g after watching their wedding film always include the words, '...and we didn't even notice you were there'.


Quote A: What we strive to achive.
Quote B: The words that we strive to here

We try to be as unintrusive as possible but still get the shots that are an absolute
must have, and that is typicially what I tell our prospective clients up front. We will
only be In you face if it is absolutely necessary to get the shot we need and if at any
time you are uncomfortable with our presence then PLEASE Please let us know and we will
Back off if it's possible.

[Oleg Kalyan]

Imo, we should not be intrusive at all, how can that be achieved?

First of all I believe we should consult with the priest of what he thinks is
appropriate in a way of video coverage at a particular church, through years
I've noticed difference of opinions of what an how can be taped, some priests object on camera lights, some do not like tripod, some give a guide line of what is possible to do, interesting that second time around with the same priest things happen easier.

Overallwe have great understanding from the priests here, in Russia, the country from being communist has changed dramatically in the last 20 years.
Biggest religious events around Christmas time are shown on prime time TV,
shot with many cameras, so overall the situation is favorable.

I like to shoot church events two cameras with longer optics. Good thing, in Russian Orthodox Church everyone stand during the whole ceremony, that takes about 45 minutes, so there is a way to move quetly around, finding best spots for coverage.

[Ethan Cooper]

I have a problem with the term "intrusive". If you've talked to the bride and groom about where you can be and you've cleared things with the officiant then how can anything you do at that point assuming you're staying within their guidelines be considered intrusive?

My personal theory is that I'm getting paid to cover the event with a certain style and whatever I have to do to get the type of shots I'm being paid to get is what I'll do. If that requires me moving around a bit in the ceremony then so be it. I'm not dropping in from the ceiling nor am I popping up from behind the officiant. I don't understand why people are afraid of moving around a bit, the photographers do it all the time.

[Don Bazley]

Mics: I put a lav on the officiant. This picks up the officiant, the bride and the groom. Am I the only one doing that? I used to put one on the officiant and the groom. I don't bother with that any more since (in most cases) over 90% of audio is coming from the officiant.

For cam placement I generally have one cam locked down with a WS of the entire scene. One cam shooting down the isle that generally gets a MS (3 shot) of the officiant and couple. The I have a third cam that get's mostly close-ups.

I'm always looking for input/advice on how to improve.

-Don B.

[Buba Kastorski]

I love do weddings!
I do what I promise to the bride and groom , I shoot the video the way I'd like to see it on the screen and I do whatever it takes to get it done.
I don't care to be invisible, I tell people to move out of the shot, I physically pull people out my frame if they are on my way (99% understand that, and saying "I'm sorry" just moving )
I always get the looks from the priests when I'm running around the church with the pilot , and couple times I've been told to "behave accordingly", but I don't care,
the only thing I care is to get the best shots I can, because at the end of the day, when they watch the video, nobody will say:" look at this stupid guy, he stepped right in the middle when we were dancing", they say:" that video guy is stupid, look what he is filming"
and believe it or not, every second wedding I get :"we didn't even noticed you"

[Noa Put]

Here whenever the priest speaks I remain on a fixed position (tripod)on the left or right side of the altar so I can get a clear shot of the couple, the priest or the guests. Only when they play music I move around to get my creative shots or to get some other cameraviews in the church. In general you can say priests don't like it when you move around here when they speak and I have seen them stop the ceremony because of photogs that were too "visible". Getting behind them during the ceremony is out of the question, only with the rings you are allowed to come up real close or when they light the candle or sign the register but as long as they are performing the ceremony and speaking you have to remain on your place. Also photogs usually just come up quick for a shot and sit down on a chair right after that and they also use the time when music is played to take more photo's.

[Nicholas de Kock]

I do whatever I have to, to get the shot I need. I take great care not to film my 2-3rd cameras. I act respectfully, the more professional you become the better you get at filming the shot from a strategic location.

In general the bride and groom rarely remember details of their own wedding day and all they do remember is what I give them, this is a powerful tool, so by keeping my cameras out of the shots they never remember I was there to begin with. Most wedding aren't very romantic, the product I deliver makes them believe it was magical :P

[Tom Hardwick]

Originally Posted by Nicholas de Kock

Most wedding aren't very romantic, the product I deliver makes them believe it was magical :P

A good line Nicholas, and one that more wedding filmmakers should take to heart.