1 Camera and 2 Cameras wedding videos

[Anthony Smith]

What % of you guys use 2 cameras (2 cameraman) for weddings?

For me, 99.9% of weddings uses only 1 camera (1 person) because people are not willing to pay too much for a wedding video. And people are very happy with the finished product with 1 camera.


*Note that most small weddings still don't have a videographer because of the cost but they always have a photographer.

[Danny O'Neill]

2 cameras 100% of the time. While people dont want to pay I wouldnt be happy with the product and a lot of what I do is for the enjoyment. It also gives me the ability to do cutaways for when I want to zoom or if somone knocks the tripod.

[Anthony Smith]

I will stick with 1 camera and if people wants 2 cameras they have to pay extra for a 2nd cameraman.

[Don Bloom]

I work solo but use a lock down for the 10 seconds of footage I need t ocover a big move from the front to the back or whatever but I always try to shoot as if there is no other camera running even if there is another manned camera. Ya never know, they cam might go down or the guy running it falls asleep.
I learned how to shoot wedding with 1 camera because no one could afford 2 back then and most of the teachings stuck with me.
Sometimes less is better.
Don

[Tim Gilbertson]

I use one camera all the time. It's a lot more work, and you have to be a lot more careful if you want to get interesting video and not just a static shot of the B&G the whole ceremony. I just do this part-time (10 or so a year) so it's not really worth it to buy a second camera for this.

T

[Bill Grant]

Anthony,
I think that two is a minimum for me, just because I always want a safety shot no matter what. I need that security of a wide cutaway if I get blocked, etc. It is up to me to provide the most effencient video i can, and two cameras makes that possible. I do work alone though. Second camera is always unmanned.
Bill

[Alan Robinson]

3 cameras for ceremonies (2 videographers), 2 for main dances, and 1 for everything else at the reception. Up to now I have been doing this even for my low price package, but unless they pay extra it will be 2 camera, 1 videographer.

[Josh Laronge]

2 cams for ceremony, 1 for everything else.

[Buba Kastorski]

I use 2nd and sometimes, like the last one, 3rd camera, but only when client is ready to pay for it, which is rare :)
I never use unmanned (maybe I should try) cameras, so to me it's always an expense that someone should pay. and to get an experienced wedding videographer with the camera for a day is at least $500;
Something extra for B&G? sure, starting this year I give to every couple one free BD of their wedding even if they don't ask, I know they will thank me later, but that's one night of rendering and less than $10 for a blank, things like 2nd/3rd camera, crane or SDE are package upgrades and should be paid accordingly;

[Stelios Christofides]

One camera but I always have another one (TRV80) for standby and also for some shots while the main camera is on a tripod on it's own.

Stelios

[Tom Hardwick]

Anthony - you sound like an adamant one-camera-man, but surely you have your back-up camera in the boot of your car? Why not plonk it on a tripod and let it run unattended as most of us lone workers do? As Danny says - it allows much greater editing freedoms (2 cameras can be made to look like three on the edit bench) and it means you can make the odd slip-up without the world coming to an end.

Shooting with one camera gives you no backup. If your tape crinkles your viewfinders will look perfectly normal. Zoom into the ring exchange and focus is out? Cut to the second cam while you refocus. Run to the back of the church to be ready to film the couple's exit and cam 2 continues filming the last hymn.

It's all about options and backup. Saying the couple need to pay more for a second cam isn't an excuse when your cam goes down in the vows. You wouldn't film a wedding with only one audio channel, would you? No. So don't trust this one-off, real-time situation to a single cam.

Ask yourself this - would you employ someone to film your daughter's wedding if he said he had no backup cam running in the service and the speeches?

Quite.

tom.

[Michael Liebergot]

I always use 2 cameras. The main reason is that fr one, you have a CYA camera just in case. And second you have different cutaway perspectives to work with in post.

I either have a second camera person, or will mount 2 cameras on one tripod using a Bogen Tripod Accessory Arm Bogen / Manfrotto | 131DDB Tripod Accessory Arm | 131DDB | B&H, which I have mounted with 2 Bogen 702RC HDV heads.

This way I can man both cameras and control two different focal lengths on the same subject. I mainly only use this for important events at a reception like speeches and such. the remainder of the time I might set one camera to roll B-roll and go handheld for most of my A-roll footage.

In a few instances might use 3 cameras for a ceremony, 2 mounted on one tripod (one aimed at door for processional entrance and the other shooting medium frame down the aisle. Once the bride enters, one camera stays wide and one goes medium.), manned by second camera person, and myself up front and off to the side up front.

[Dave Blackhurst]

One man show, so have to be creative... although my wife can shoot too, but is concentrating on photography, so that's a limited option.

IMO, you should have AT LEAST 2 cameras, one as a backup for mechanical failure. That one can be unmanned (or check in on it once in a while, maybe change the zoom a bit) on a high tripod for your "safety"/cutaway shot. I wouldn't charge extra, it's there as much for your peace of mind as anything else.

I've ended up using a different approach to get angles where I would be if I had wings or was invisible... In addition to a cam on tripod/safety (start wide, zoom in during most of the ceremony, then zoom out near the end), one or two small cams are set to get the front angle shot(s) of the bride and groom. I set a bit wide and plan on taking advantage of the extra res of HD to tighten up in post for SD DVD delivery.

Ideally I'd like to have two manned cameras moving as needed, with the wide shot from the back, but shooting 4 cams works for me, giving enough angles to keep things interesting and guarantee I don't miss anything if I fumble a shot!

Reception is usually just one cam, with a backup handy if needed.

[Matt Bishop]

I personally always have at least 2 going because I always want another shot to go to or have running if I need to up and move for some reason. Besides, I believe it really adds somethingto the video..especially for ceremony and dances. A lot of times for the ceremony we'll use 3 cameras.

Matt

[Anthony Smith]

un-manned cameras i don't mind.

but a 2nd or 3rd cameraman on the day, how can the 2nd or 3rd cameraman make a living? I bet they have a full time job doing something else.