Salvaging my first wedding at DVinfo.net

Chris Davis · August 15th, 2005, 11:53 AM

Ok, I shot my first wedding as a freebie for some friends (I posted about that earlier.) I'm finally finding time to work on the editing. I have a Canon GL2 and the footage from that camera looks great.

HOWEVER - I set up a Sharp VLZ3 (cheap MiniDV camcorder) as a stationary, unmanned camera on a deck above and to the rear of the ceremony. The ceremony was outside, and by the time it started, the sun was in a bad position relative to the stationary camera. (Actually, the sun was right where it was supposed to be, the camera was in a bad position...)

The footage is wonky. The colors are washed put, the image is overexposed, and it plain looks bad. Unfortunately, I was moving around a lot with my GL2, so I have to use the bad footage to fill in while I'm moving my Canon.

I've tried color correcting the footage, but it so bad, that doesn't even help. About all I can do to make it look not completely awful is to convert to black and white. But that would look kind of goofy switching between B&W and color all though the ceremony.

Needless to say, I learned A LOT at this wedding, but I still want to give the family a nice video.

Any suggestions? Any "artistic" things I could do with the available footage that would not look stupid?

Steven Gotz · August 15th, 2005, 12:30 PM

You can convert it to Black and White, and then fade into the colors of the other shots, not just change from one to another suddenly. And not always would you make the change to color. If you used some sort of cliche transition using hearts or something insipid like that, or used a fog around the edges, it would make it look even more artistic, and people will consider you an artist instead of seeing it as a mistake.

If you used a color pass and had certain items be in color on the clips where not everything was, that would possibly help as well.

Josh Hibbard · August 15th, 2005, 07:03 PM

Could you post a couple of stills for us to see? Then I will see what advice I have to give.

Michael Gibbons · August 15th, 2005, 07:24 PM

My first, and only wedding was a volenteer job as well. I was supposed to have two cameras but ended up with only one. I moved around too much and had HUGE gaps in the ceremony, although I did have continuos sound. I got my hands on a dvd of the photgrapher's stuff and worked several mini montage's into the sequence, covering my substandard video. I also, and I'm sure several of the pros will curse me for this- and rightly so- made a video loop of a CU of the bride and groom from behind. I used the loop in three seperate places to cover other holes.
I did, however, make a full disclosure to the couple afterward. They didn't care, and they still thank me (2years later) whenever we see them.
I will most likely never shoot another one.
Good luck.

Ken Hendrickson · August 16th, 2005, 01:56 AM

Maybe try a short form approach? Unfortunately I've never done one, but from what I understand, you'd be using a music bed with cutaways and other shots taken earlier in the day to timecompress the video and fill in for the cutouts. Maybe someone else can give some more instruction?

A future suggestion, I always try to film like I'm the only camera even though I have a stationary cover cam. I stay in the same spot as much as possible, and use slow pans and zooms.

Matt Helme · September 7th, 2005, 09:46 PM

Why not just stick with the footage from one camera and use fades and dissolves to cover up the unwanted camera moves?

Patrick Pike · September 8th, 2005, 11:01 AM

Any chance you could get ahold of some stills from the wedding? If done properly, they make for great "freeze frames" that can cover up the bad spots. Lord knows I did this when I started...

Michael Dempsey · September 9th, 2005, 11:37 AM

Beg and borrow footage off of anyone else who may have been running a vid camera.

good luck

August 15th, 2005, 11:53 AM	#1
Chris Davis Trustee Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Willmar, MN Posts: 1,400	Salvaging my first wedding Ok, I shot my first wedding as a freebie for some friends (I posted about that earlier.) I'm finally finding time to work on the editing. I have a Canon GL2 and the footage from that camera looks great. HOWEVER - I set up a Sharp VLZ3 (cheap MiniDV camcorder) as a stationary, unmanned camera on a deck above and to the rear of the ceremony. The ceremony was outside, and by the time it started, the sun was in a bad position relative to the stationary camera. (Actually, the sun was right where it was supposed to be, the camera was in a bad position...) The footage is wonky. The colors are washed put, the image is overexposed, and it plain looks bad. Unfortunately, I was moving around a lot with my GL2, so I have to use the bad footage to fill in while I'm moving my Canon. I've tried color correcting the footage, but it so bad, that doesn't even help. About all I can do to make it look not completely awful is to convert to black and white. But that would look kind of goofy switching between B&W and color all though the ceremony. Needless to say, I learned A LOT at this wedding, but I still want to give the family a nice video. Any suggestions? Any "artistic" things I could do with the available footage that would not look stupid?

August 15th, 2005, 12:30 PM	#2
Steven Gotz Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Clermont, FL Posts: 1,520	You can convert it to Black and White, and then fade into the colors of the other shots, not just change from one to another suddenly. And not always would you make the change to color. If you used some sort of cliche transition using hearts or something insipid like that, or used a fog around the edges, it would make it look even more artistic, and people will consider you an artist instead of seeing it as a mistake. If you used a color pass and had certain items be in color on the clips where not everything was, that would possibly help as well. __________________ Steven Gotz http://www.stevengotz.com

August 15th, 2005, 07:24 PM	#4
Michael Gibbons Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Loveland, Colorado, USA Posts: 292	How I saved my first wedding My first, and only wedding was a volenteer job as well. I was supposed to have two cameras but ended up with only one. I moved around too much and had HUGE gaps in the ceremony, although I did have continuos sound. I got my hands on a dvd of the photgrapher's stuff and worked several mini montage's into the sequence, covering my substandard video. I also, and I'm sure several of the pros will curse me for this- and rightly so- made a video loop of a CU of the bride and groom from behind. I used the loop in three seperate places to cover other holes. I did, however, make a full disclosure to the couple afterward. They didn't care, and they still thank me (2years later) whenever we see them. I will most likely never shoot another one. Good luck. __________________ " When some wild-eyed, eight foot tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head against a bar room wall, and looks you crooked in the eye, and he asks you if you've payed your dues, well, you just stare that big suker right back in the eye, and you remember what old Jack Burton always says at a time like that, 'Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes sir, the check is in the mail."

September 7th, 2005, 09:46 PM	#6
Matt Helme New Boot Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: South Amboy New Jersey Posts: 22	Salvaging my first wedding Why not just stick with the footage from one camera and use fades and dissolves to cover up the unwanted camera moves?

September 9th, 2005, 11:37 AM	#8
Michael Dempsey Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 47	don't forget the ace in the hole Beg and borrow footage off of anyone else who may have been running a vid camera. good luck

August 15th, 2005, 07:03 PM	#3
Josh Hibbard Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Manitowoc Wisconsin Posts: 77	Could you post a couple of stills for us to see? Then I will see what advice I have to give.

August 16th, 2005, 01:56 AM	#5
Ken Hendrickson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: St. Petersburg, Fl Posts: 57	Maybe try a short form approach? Unfortunately I've never done one, but from what I understand, you'd be using a music bed with cutaways and other shots taken earlier in the day to timecompress the video and fill in for the cutouts. Maybe someone else can give some more instruction? A future suggestion, I always try to film like I'm the only camera even though I have a stationary cover cam. I stay in the same spot as much as possible, and use slow pans and zooms.

September 8th, 2005, 11:01 AM	#7
Patrick Pike Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Mariposa, CA Posts: 200	Any chance you could get ahold of some stills from the wedding? If done properly, they make for great "freeze frames" that can cover up the bad spots. Lord knows I did this when I started...