Wedding with TV Crew

[Don Bloom]

Sounds like the one guy was a real piece of work and the producer wasn't much better. Like I said before my experience with the crew and other crews I've worked with including news crew has been for the most part quite positive and respectful of each other.

Like I and Jaron said there are a lot of people running around so I guess there's bound to be a little crossover but to continue to do that says to me that 1), the person doing that was disrespectful and 2) with no offense meant, you should have moved in closer or to another angle. Other than the ceremony there's always another angle to shoot from but I certainly understand your frustration.

If the TV crew is in the shot, so be it. Hell in the episode I did, I was in their shot a couple of times. No way around it. It was the highlight of the segment ;-)

[Craig Vincent]

It was annoying to say the least.

I couldn't move any closer without physically moving the Groomsmen out of the way lol. When I say he was in my shot, I mean my entire shot was the back of his head!!

I did move a couple of times, to the other side of the officiant, guess what, he followed me!

I honestly couldn't quite believe it, I felt like it was a case of "you're a wedding videographer, I am more important than you". Luckily the second camera filming down the isle wasn't obscured, but obviously had this guy in shot a lot as he was stood right next to the bride for most of it.

On another note, the Groom didn't sing his vows in the end, he had actually recorded them on CD and it was played while he stood silent.

[Don Bloom]

Sounds like he hadn't done a lot of weddings and might have been following you for his placement. I've seen that happen. Regardless of the reason, it was rude and frankly I would have had a conversation with him immediately after the ceremony and explained the facts of life to him in no uncertain terms. I've been thru this sort of thing with still photogs over the years but it only happens once with any photog. I have a job to do and frankly if they want to play the game they need to keep in mind I wrote the rules. If it sounds like I am a mean and angry guy, nope, but when I am getting paid by the B&G, I WILL get the footage I need no matter what.
In any case, you do the best you can under the circumstances and move on to the next one.

[Danny O'Neill]

We did one and wouldnt do it again. The problem you also get is the guests have no idea its a seperate team and now think your company has a lot of rude guys who dont seem to care. While you have to think about your reputation and your next job they do not. They just want to get the best shots they can and sod everyone else.

[Bob Drummond]

I wonder, would it have been possible to simply negotiate with the TV crew for the raw footage, so you could edit an extended video for the Couple and their family while the production team made their own TV show? It seems like an odd extra step to have 2 separate film crews recording the same event.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

We did one and wouldnt do it again

same here, a few years ago a bride contacted me that they had been appraoched by one of our larger commercial tv networks about a show where they followed a bride/groom during the whole day, she was not sure what to think of it and asked me if that was ok for me. I had no clue how they would operate and said, "sure, why not :)"

Well, they acted as if I didn't exsist, they where with 3, a cameraman, sound guy and a producer. They were almost breathing in the couples necks, constantly blocking my view. In the morning the sound guy said if someone could turn of the radio that was playing in the background as that was interfering with his recording. They didn't care how but they sure wanted everything right for THEIR shots, not taking any consideration of other people trying to do their jobs.

I got so angry that when we where at the photoshoot I finally got the chance to talk to the producer without anyone of the family (or the couple) hearing me and gave him a warning if his team would cross my camera's view one more time that I would be doing exactly the same with them. Had no problems after that anymore :)

If I would run into the same scenario again I would let the couple get another videographer, no way I will be doing that again.

[Don Bloom]

Originally Posted by Bob Drummond

I wonder, would it have been possible to simply negotiate with the TV crew for the raw footage, so you could edit an extended video for the Couple and their family while the production team made their own TV show? It seems like an odd extra step to have 2 separate film crews recording the same event.

There is a 100% chance of that NOT happening.

First the crew is usually a bunch of freelancers hired for that particular job.

Second, the production company owns the footage not the camera operator or the producer and the house isn't going to sell it to anyone. The house is contracted by the company that is actually producing the show and not to the bride and groom or anyone else in the room.

Thirdly, in most cases thee are 2 different adjendas. Each crew has a seperate reason for being there.

You as the "crew" hired by the B&G have the job of covering the entire event and editing it for the couple and their freinds and family to watch. The TV crew has a different end result in mind. At least for the TV show that was mentioned in the first couple of posts. The TLC show 4 weddings is all about the 3 guest brides critiquing the 4th brides wedding and the entire segment probably runs about 8 minutes. They show 4 weddings and a scoring recap plus the "winner" at the end of the show which run 60 minutes. By the time they do the lead ins, teasers etc each bride gets about 8 minutes so while they have hours of footage from generally 3 cameras it get "boiled down". They will no more share that footage than you would with another videographer shooting the same wedding. It just aint gonna happen.

As for not working with the TV crews again, I have worked with a lot of different crews over the years and for the most part we have worked well together and tried quite hard to stay out of each others way. Honestly the worst one I worked with was from a TV station here and they weren't all that bad. Maybe it's the market I'm in or my winning personality but I can truthfully working with a TV or production house crew on the same job is, for me, easier than working with some of the still photgos I've worked with over the years.

[Bob Drummond]

Don, I wasn't suggesting Craig try to get the footage from the camera operators, and I completely agree it is a long-shot, but it just seems foolish to have two separate professional video crews recording the exact same event and getting in each others way.

But the television show is acting with the cooperation of the B&G. You think there is no scenario possible where the B&G could include a clause in their contract that they'd get the raw footage? I'd say, "We have competing interests here. We (the B&G) want a wedding video of our special day, and you want to make a TV show. Once you're done making it, you'll have 32 hours of raw footage that you'll never use again, but with which we could make a great video of our own. Either give us the raw footage (which is of no or minimal cost to you), or we either say no, or we hire a second film crew to film the same event, from the same places, getting the exact same shots, and probably getting in your way."

I'm not saying it would probably happen. But it is the logical choice.

[Don Bloom]

I doubt seriously that any production house that supplies the crews or production house that is actually producing the show would allow their contract to be altered to include that phrase.
I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask but I think the chances of that happening are about as close to zero as it can get. The production houses just aren't in the business of selling off their footage at least not in my experience.

[Craig Vincent]

Originally Posted by Bob Drummond

Don, I wasn't suggesting Craig try to get the footage from the camera operators, and I completely agree it is a long-shot, but it just seems foolish to have two separate professional video crews recording the exact same event and getting in each others way.

But the television show is acting with the cooperation of the B&G. You think there is no scenario possible where the B&G could include a clause in their contract that they'd get the raw footage? I'd say, "We have competing interests here. We (the B&G) want a wedding video of our special day, and you want to make a TV show. Once you're done making it, you'll have 32 hours of raw footage that you'll never use again, but with which we could make a great video of our own. Either give us the raw footage (which is of no or minimal cost to you), or we either say no, or we hire a second film crew to film the same event, from the same places, getting the exact same shots, and probably getting in your way."

I'm not saying it would probably happen. But it is the logical choice.

The Bride did ask the production company before hiring me. She was told that she would receive a DVD of the show and nothing more.

I told her upfront that the other crew will be in her video, and they are, a lot. No way can cut round them.