Single cam wedding shoot at DVinfo.net

Frank Ladner · March 25th, 2004, 01:46 PM

I have to shoot a wedding this weekend and, since I'm doing it for free, I won't have a crew. Just me and a GL2, as opposed to having two extra camera guys there.
I never do one camera weddings, but I had to take this one on account of it being family.

My idea is to get some b-roll stuff - particularly faces in the audience - for cutaways to use later. I was thinking that on some parts during the ceremony (like while the couple steps down to light the unity candle), I could cut to these shots, keeping the audio from the original playing over it. I could also move the camera to a new location at certain times, knowing that on those parts I'd be adding cutaways.

Obviously, I would have to get creative since the people in the audience wouldn't be reacting to what's going on at that time.
Maybe we could act it out ahead of time. I could hold up signs with different emotions written on them and have the audience perform that. LOL! Only joking there.

As you can tell, I don't want it to look like a regular home video.
I don't know. Has anyone here done something like this before? Any advice would be really appreciated.

,Frank

Matthew de Jongh · March 25th, 2004, 01:49 PM

it sounds like you've thought of some good ways to try and cover the lack of a second camera.

is there any way you can get a second camera and just set it up on a tripod for a safety wide shot to use inbetween the one you will be operating??

matthew

Bill Pryor · March 25th, 2004, 02:08 PM

Definitely leave the camera running throughout the ceremony so you can get the audio. The most important thing is to get the ceremony itself; everything else is icing on the cake, so to speak. I have a friend who does single camera weddings, and he always puts a wireless lav mic on the groom, and it picks up the bride and minister quite well, since they're always standing close together. The above suggestion is good too--if you can borrow another camera, put it on a tripod on a wide shot and just let it run to cover yourself.

Frank Ladner · March 25th, 2004, 02:20 PM

Those are good suggestions!

As far as another camera that I can use for free - my only choice is an old analog camera. Even though I don't like to mix with lower-res vhs or vhs-c, I may just do that for coverage.

Thanks, guys!

,Frank

Mark Jefferson · March 25th, 2004, 02:30 PM

I'd like to also add that there is nothing wrong with re-enacting certain scenes from the ceremony, like the bride looking lovingly into the grooms eyes, or putting the ring on the bride's finger, etc. This can all be done after the ceremony before or after the pictures. Also, go early and get LOTS of b-roll. Sometimes I think I get too much, but when it comes to editing time, I never seem to have enough b-roll.

I agree with Bill, don't turn the camera off! You can use a Minidisk record to mic the groom, thus saving the $$$ on wireless mics that sometimes work/sometimes don't. You can mix the audo from the cam with the audio from the minidisk record to get ambience of the wedding facility, and to time everything properly.

If you can have another cam there, that would really help you out. I do weddings with two cams - one in the back that I use for cut-away shots, and one up on the stage/alter that I use for all the closeup shots. You could possibly use a mask to blur the edges of the analog video so it's shortcomings are less noticable also.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Mark Jefferson

Frank Ladner · March 25th, 2004, 02:32 PM

Excellent!

I feel more confident about the reenacting thing now. You guys have given me a lot of hope on this!

Thanks a lot!

Cosmin Rotaru · March 26th, 2004, 05:02 AM

b-rolls are OK. Sure you need them.
Another solution (that I use often) is to move quickly with the camera, like panning fast from the grooms to the audience. This takes less than a second. Mabe half. When edditing, take 5 - 10 seconds OF VIDEO (you leave the audio alone) from before or after the pann and slomo just to cover the half second pann. Do the slomo on the part where you wouldn't notice the sound being out-of-sync. For example, if one of the grooms is saying something and you would notice the lips moving slowly than the sound, than leave this part alone and do the slomo on the 2nd video, where the audience is just stearing at the grooms. It's a kind of J-cut or L-cut...
In the final video, nobody will notice the slomo. It looks like you had two cams on the job!

Matthew de Jongh · March 26th, 2004, 08:56 AM

another option, i saw a demo reel from a women in our area who's background is in documentaries and she does a wedding documentary where she follows the various people around shooting short pieces ofthe various activities.

she shoots so specifically that she often has clients who are very happy with just her rough shots with no editing.

i guess her background as an editor has helped her "edit in camera" as she calls it, which to her just means being more selective about what she points the camera at and when she hits the red button to record.

that could be an approach, don't use b roll, but rather shoot it as an "on the go" kind of live thing?

matthew

Frank Ladner · March 26th, 2004, 01:13 PM

Excellent tips! That is very creative. I have thought of something similar before but not with using slow-mo. That helps out a lot!
That's pretty good to be able to get rough shots that people like enough to not have to edit!

Thanks!

March 25th, 2004, 01:46 PM	#1
Frank Ladner Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Poplarville, MS Posts: 453	Single cam wedding shoot I have to shoot a wedding this weekend and, since I'm doing it for free, I won't have a crew. Just me and a GL2, as opposed to having two extra camera guys there. I never do one camera weddings, but I had to take this one on account of it being family. My idea is to get some b-roll stuff - particularly faces in the audience - for cutaways to use later. I was thinking that on some parts during the ceremony (like while the couple steps down to light the unity candle), I could cut to these shots, keeping the audio from the original playing over it. I could also move the camera to a new location at certain times, knowing that on those parts I'd be adding cutaways. Obviously, I would have to get creative since the people in the audience wouldn't be reacting to what's going on at that time. Maybe we could act it out ahead of time. I could hold up signs with different emotions written on them and have the audience perform that. LOL! Only joking there. As you can tell, I don't want it to look like a regular home video. I don't know. Has anyone here done something like this before? Any advice would be really appreciated. ,Frank

March 26th, 2004, 05:02 AM	#7
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	b-rolls are OK. Sure you need them. Another solution (that I use often) is to move quickly with the camera, like panning fast from the grooms to the audience. This takes less than a second. Mabe half. When edditing, take 5 - 10 seconds OF VIDEO (you leave the audio alone) from before or after the pann and slomo just to cover the half second pann. Do the slomo on the part where you wouldn't notice the sound being out-of-sync. For example, if one of the grooms is saying something and you would notice the lips moving slowly than the sound, than leave this part alone and do the slomo on the 2nd video, where the audience is just stearing at the grooms. It's a kind of J-cut or L-cut... In the final video, nobody will notice the slomo. It looks like you had two cams on the job! __________________ Cosmin Rotaru

March 25th, 2004, 01:49 PM	#2
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	it sounds like you've thought of some good ways to try and cover the lack of a second camera. is there any way you can get a second camera and just set it up on a tripod for a safety wide shot to use inbetween the one you will be operating?? matthew

March 25th, 2004, 02:08 PM	#3
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Definitely leave the camera running throughout the ceremony so you can get the audio. The most important thing is to get the ceremony itself; everything else is icing on the cake, so to speak. I have a friend who does single camera weddings, and he always puts a wireless lav mic on the groom, and it picks up the bride and minister quite well, since they're always standing close together. The above suggestion is good too--if you can borrow another camera, put it on a tripod on a wide shot and just let it run to cover yourself.

March 25th, 2004, 02:20 PM	#4
Frank Ladner Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Poplarville, MS Posts: 453	Those are good suggestions! As far as another camera that I can use for free - my only choice is an old analog camera. Even though I don't like to mix with lower-res vhs or vhs-c, I may just do that for coverage. Thanks, guys! ,Frank

March 25th, 2004, 02:30 PM	#5
Mark Jefferson Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Collinsville, Illinois Posts: 86	I'd like to also add that there is nothing wrong with re-enacting certain scenes from the ceremony, like the bride looking lovingly into the grooms eyes, or putting the ring on the bride's finger, etc. This can all be done after the ceremony before or after the pictures. Also, go early and get LOTS of b-roll. Sometimes I think I get too much, but when it comes to editing time, I never seem to have enough b-roll. I agree with Bill, don't turn the camera off! You can use a Minidisk record to mic the groom, thus saving the $$$ on wireless mics that sometimes work/sometimes don't. You can mix the audo from the cam with the audio from the minidisk record to get ambience of the wedding facility, and to time everything properly. If you can have another cam there, that would really help you out. I do weddings with two cams - one in the back that I use for cut-away shots, and one up on the stage/alter that I use for all the closeup shots. You could possibly use a mask to blur the edges of the analog video so it's shortcomings are less noticable also. Hope this helps. Cheers, Mark Jefferson

March 25th, 2004, 02:32 PM	#6
Frank Ladner Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Poplarville, MS Posts: 453	Excellent! I feel more confident about the reenacting thing now. You guys have given me a lot of hope on this! Thanks a lot!

March 26th, 2004, 08:56 AM	#8
Matthew de Jongh Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: sounthern maine Posts: 344	another option, i saw a demo reel from a women in our area who's background is in documentaries and she does a wedding documentary where she follows the various people around shooting short pieces ofthe various activities. she shoots so specifically that she often has clients who are very happy with just her rough shots with no editing. i guess her background as an editor has helped her "edit in camera" as she calls it, which to her just means being more selective about what she points the camera at and when she hits the red button to record. that could be an approach, don't use b roll, but rather shoot it as an "on the go" kind of live thing? matthew

March 26th, 2004, 01:13 PM	#9
Frank Ladner Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Poplarville, MS Posts: 453	Excellent tips! That is very creative. I have thought of something similar before but not with using slow-mo. That helps out a lot! That's pretty good to be able to get rough shots that people like enough to not have to edit! Thanks!