Wedding nightmare...hope this never happens to anyone here

[Kren Barnes]

Note from Admin: we do not have permission to re-publish content belonging to other forum sites, so the bulk of the post below has been removed for liability purposes.

Found this story from a videog from another forum...scary and courageous...and i quote.....

"I just about went through cardiac arrest!! My second cam was GONE!!! Including my bag with all the other lenses!!! Tripod was still there, but everything else.....GONE!!

The groom did notice that one of his so-called friends was gone, and immediately called him to see where he went... low and behold, my equipment was there and accounted for."

I hope that this story NEVER happens to you guys, and as a word of advice to newbie videographers at a paid event, make sure you NEVER trust your equipment around people you don't know. "

[Josh Bass]

that is wild.

Slightly off topic, is is amazing how many folks are apparently friends/acquaintances with scumbags (I could could be, who knows!). Two sets of neighbors in the apartment next to me have been robbed, both because they left their back door open/unlocked. Both times, it was suspected it was someone that knew them because the stuff stolen was so specific it was like someone knew exactly where to look and not disturb much else (I BELIEVE both times, these folks were HOME when it happened, and never knew 'til after).

[Chris Harding]

Hey Kren

Scary stuff..thankfully I (and I hope no-one else here) has had that happen. Venues are usually really good as are the guests. I left one of my lavs connected to the transmitter on the register signing table after an outdoor ceremony...the staff at the venue came to me an hour later saying they looked after it for safe-keeping.... However I think we do tend to be trusting a little too much nowdays!!! OK, my camera on a tripod is probably a good 15lbs but really, anyone could pick it up and walk out...in fact I wouldn't be surprised if a guest offered to help thinking the thief was your assistant!!!

At the very least make sure you have valid insurance not only for gear in the car but also at the venue!!!

Chris

[Philip Howells]

Chris, can you actually get insurance for gross stupidity? Seriously, I doubt ours would cover it, though if the story becomes commonplace it argues for having a second shooter/assistant.

[Chip Thome]

Kren..... I'm speechless !!!

If ever there was ONE place where someone would figure their gear was safe from being ripped off, that would have to be INSIDE A CHURCH !!!

[Johannes Soetandi]

Wow, good on the groom for being so cooperative with the videographer and have actually helped him/her found the gears.

Reminds me not to leave my gear unattended ever again. Although it's generally safe here in Western Australia.

[William Smyth]

Wow, scary stuff. I think it's possible that we can all become too trusting at events like this.

One thing that gets me about this story... He mentions it's a crowded church, and no one see this guy taking the gear? Or if they did, no one was willing to speak up? Good for the groom.

[George Kilroy]

On a similar tack. A thing I've heard at a number of venues is of someone collecting all of the gifts that are left on a table and walking off with them. They are not challenged because the hotel staff assume it's one of the wedding party, and the guests think it's someone from the hotel.

[Chris Harding]

My policy actually says "theft from a locked vehicle" and "damage or theft at the venue".... I would think that if the assessor discovered that the camera was left in the parking lot unattended you would have no chance of a claim!!!
Actually an interesting discussion cos how can you really keep your gear "free from theft" at a venue??? Hmmm a really big taser on the tripod would work. Seriously I normally have a table away from the guests close to the dance floor....My gear stays close!! I think it's also essential to make friends with the photog and the DJ and watch each other's gear. Apart from chaining cases to the table leg and having secure locks on the zippers....there is no real middle-ground here so commonsense needs to prevail.

Chris

[Zhong Cheung]

This is exactly the type of theft I am trying to account for by buying video insurance. The only problem? A $500 deductible...now if I lost a Zoom H4n, a monitor, an XLR mic...that would be the same as losing it straight up because each of those items are under $500...but to lose a whole camera, tripod, and bag of lenses...$500 loss is better than losing all of that!

Still trying to figure out the best way around the $500 deductible....

[Kelly Huffaker]

This is hilarious!! That videographer was ME!! I originally posted that last year on another forum! Yeah that was a day I will NEVER forget!

[Robert Musiello]

I never understand these stories, assistants are cheap... we run a studio in New York... and we never have any of our photographers or video crews go on a job without an assistant for multiple reasons. Aside from that assistants eventually become camera operators or editors... seriously how can you not squeeze out $100.00 for peace of mind and freedom of movement... besides it makes your company look bigger.
We have been in business for 20+ years, 2 generations and have never had one piece of equipment stolen
in one the roughest city for crime in the US.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Chip Thome

If ever there was ONE place where someone would figure their gear was safe from being ripped off, that would have to be INSIDE A CHURCH !!!

Actually, that's the only place I could imagine that someone can steal your stuff, the problem with churches is that anyone can get in during a wedding (at least here) You don't have to know the couple. It's usually the moment when the couple goes out of the church the videographer follows for a few minutes to capture them coming out, that is the most dangerous moment for someone sitting and waiting inside to take what you left behind as almost all guests have left the church by then.
I work alone as well and have a second unmanned hd handycam on a tripod but before I go out I always take it of and carry it with me. Only my (not that expensive) tripods get left behind for a few minutes.

Last year we arrived a bit early at a church were there was still another wedding in progress and we had to wait, when they came out I quickly moved in to set up my gear and saw the previous videographer (they were with 2) still had one (very expensive) tripod standing inside. I could easily have taken it away to hide it without anyone seeing it.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

Much the same in Australia...most Churches are also open to the public which includes a Saturday afternoon. In fact I was chatting to a really nice old lady after the ceremony and congratulations (grabbing my 2nd cam and tripod plus all the radio gear) and I asked if she would be at the reception too? "Oh no dear, I'm not a guest, I just live down the road and spend my Saturday afternoons watching weddings"

She, of course, COULD have been a thief but luckily wasn't. One would expect that people, (even rotten thieves) would at least respect the santity of a Church but alas that doesn't happen. I do set up my main camera in the aisle right next to the MOG and we know each other from the rehearsal so there is a small safety factor there!! However when the Church empties so guests can congratulate the bride my main cam is probably unattended for 10 minutes or more......Luckily nothing has happened yet but it sure makes you wonder if you should be doing more????

What do other "single shooters" do for security????

Chris

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Kren Barnes

Found this story from a videog from another forum...

Please don't do that here. We don't have permission to re-publish posts from other forum sites. The original poster is welcome to share their story here, but it's a violation of that site's copyright to lift their contents and drop them in here. In order to mitigate our liability, I've edited your post down to the bare essentials, which is: guy shoots wedding, guy loses gear, guy gets gear back. Ironic since it involves one of our own members.