Tall Tripods to Get Over Ppl Standing For Bride?

[Zhong Cheung]

Hello!

We've done a couple weddings so far and realized that everyone stands for the bride as she enters and leaves, thereby blocking our cameras completely. Even fully extended, our tripods are only 65" plus a few more inches because of our rails and tripod head. It doesn't really extend taller than people's heads when they stand.

Are you guys using even taller tripod legs that extend to 7 or 8' tall? Or do you use apple boxes or...what's your solution?

Sometimes I have to pick up the tripod and move it to a different angle mid-ceremony, so I figured a really tall tripod would be easier than apple boxes. But of course that means I must use an external monitor tilted down so I can see what I'm shooting and check focus.

Thanks!

[Chip Thome]

In the other thread about tall tripods the consensus is the Manfrotto 3246. While this is a great tripod, if you are running and gunning and all of a sudden find yourself short, shooting it to it's top reach is going to take 30 seconds to a minute from start to levelled and ready to shoot. It has two leg adjustments and one for the center column. A much faster piece of gear to use to blow over the heads of people is the Manfrotto 561B monopod. That will get your lens up to about 7', typically plenty high enough to clear a crowd. There are three snap leg length adjustments and it take only a matter of seconds to extend it. I have the same head on mine that is on my tripods. So doing a flip from monopod to tripod is a piece of cake.

[Chris Sgaraglino]

Have you thought about a lightweight crane? I have one form Cobra Crane and I have a Manfrotto Plate on the base and a quick release on the top platform.

CobraCrane I

Take less than 30 seconds to go from crane back to tripod or monopod.

[Don Bloom]

This is what Chip was speaking of;
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/wedding-...ns-please.html

As for using a crane? Not in any church I've ever shot in. There are still some in my area that don't want us in there period. Not many and usually the old time priests. I think they'd be having heart attacks if I brought a crane in. If it works for you, great but for now, I'll stick to my 3 tripods.

[Zhong Cheung]

We have that monopod, but find that it's usefulness is mainly for prep or reception (and even then, we're experimenting with shoulder rigs, which may prove more versatile). For the ceremony, there are long segments where the camera needs to be over a standing crowd's heads, so we definitely can't hold it stable for that long. One wedding, the priest left everyone standing for a long time before realizing he should let them sit down. The whole time, our center cam was completely blocked.

Thanks for the other thread, didn't see it!

[Dave Blackhurst]

I've had good luck with a couple Sunpak 7500's (old model #, not sure if there's a current one, but also distributed under the Quantaray brand, same tripod, diff model #) - pretty stable legs, crap head (replaceable), and about 75" + - not hugely tall, but taller than most, and very cheap as tripods go. Will get you over most heads, but remember that if you're way in the back, the angle will block you if the wedding party is not on a riser or you have a short bride!

It's not possible with any shoulder mount or monopod to achieve "perfect" stability over the long term - the human body HAS to move a bit to remian "stationary", and it'll transmit to any support, some are better than others... but ultimately a tripod comes into the picture.

[Kelly Langerak]

If you can't bring in a crane or don't want a 7' tripod, I've know other wedding cinematographers that request that nobody stand during the precession. But we just put a videographer at the alter and one about 10 rows back on a monopod or we follow the bride down for the first half behind her with a glidecam. Just ask your bride, "Do you want the entire walk taped?" If so, don't have people stand. Standing is a very old tradition so some people might not like the idea, but we deal with a lot of "modern" couples who are totally ok with it.

But as a disclosure, I know that is not the case for everyone on here.

[Corey Graham]

I'm going to try using a very sturdy light stand in conjunction with the Magic Arm to get up higher at the ceremony. I haven't had much luck finding things in the back of churches to clamp the Arm onto, so I'm thinking a good light stand could support the Arm and a GH1. Only need to get up 8 feet or so.

[Travis Wilber]

It helps having someone on the sides looking through the rows of people and just following the bride. It's footage that you can almost put anywhere cause you don't know where they are in the aisle.

I'm curious how you would get people not to stand? Make an announcement? The B&G tell family and friends not to and hope others will sit back down when they realize no one else is standing?

[Don Bloom]

In all of the weddings I've done over the last 28 years as a vidguy, I can count on one hand the number of them where the guests haven't stood as the bride enters. That includes churches, outdoor venues and in door venues other than churches. Around here, it ain't gonna happen.

[Corey Graham]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

In all of the weddings I've done over the last 28 years as a vidguy, I can count on one hand the number of them where the guests haven't stood as the bride enters. That includes churches, outdoor venues and in door venues other than churches. Around here, it ain't gonna happen.

I've never been to a wedding where everyone doesn't stand for the bride.

I feel that my job is to take what is happening at the event, and to produce a good video regardless of the circumstances. I guess it's my philosophy of wanting to be as invisible as possible, affecting as little as possible during the whole day. When there are problems such as this where people stand and potentially block a shot, it's my job to become creative and resourceful to get good video. I don't feel right altering what happens at the event -- it's not my place to direct any of that. It's my professional obligation to think of a way to work through problems without intruding on the event.

Not to say that I don't ask for small favors from time to time . . . "Father, do you mind standing two inches to your left so you don't block the bride's face?" Stuff like that.