Could you review my 1st dance set up? at DVinfo.net

Jeff Cook · March 17th, 2015, 02:29 PM

Lately, I have been eager to better my production. I wanted to share with you how I plan to shoot my next 1st dance. Please let me know if you see any concerns or issues that may arise with it.
My associate will be tight on bride and groom the whole time. There will be another camera on a sticks at a lower level looking up to the bride and groom from a distance with a 14mm 2.8 lens. This will be on a crop body so more like 22mm. I will be going around the couple a few times with a Glidecam, then getting shots of audience reactions and maybe if I am able to get another shot of couple on glidecam from guest to the couple.

For speeches I will have my assistant focused on whoever is giving speech. I will set up a tripod focusing on the couple. I will be getting reaction shots of guest and other creative shots. I plan on using a led light on a stand off center as well as behind the couple opposite corner.

Any major issues? All cameras have the ability to record for 30 minutes so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks in advance for suggestions.

Like many of you I try and try to make my production look better than the last. More toys seems to make for more questions..lol

Adrian Tan · March 17th, 2015, 03:04 PM

Sounds awesome to me. Main potential issue is fiddliness of lens swapping/balancing camera on glidecam if you're going straight from speeches to first dance. Adjusting ISO of low angle might be fiddly if there's a lighting change just before first dance -- might mean that you set this first then start to glide, or set to auto and hope for best. Also, watch out that no one kicks your low angle camera over when it transitions from two people dancing to rugby scrum.

Jeff Cook · March 17th, 2015, 03:13 PM

Thanks Adrian,
Yeah we all know that things can get hairy pretty fast. I will have the low angle next to my assistant so they can keep an eye out for it. I was also thinking about placing a light on the lower camera as well. So there would be a on cam light on assistant cam low light and maybe another in the opposite corner on a stand. I would definately set up the low angle first before I fly. Thanks for your feedback.

Oren Arieli · March 17th, 2015, 06:03 PM

If you want to make nice with the photographer, warn them in advance that you'll be doing one or two roundy-rounds with the glidecam. If they get the sense you're going to be in the shot the whole time, they'll just want to get closer to the couple and possibly mess with your wider shot.

Also, consider putting the low-angle camera on a slider. You can get some really beautiful subtle motion on your wide shot when the couple is doing the slow shuffle. Make sure you have some flooring in the shot, otherwise, you won't notice the horizontal slide. Works even better when the couple is outdoors and you can reveal the couple from behind some greenery.

Jeff Cook · March 19th, 2015, 12:35 PM

Or en thanks for the suggestions. I do tell the photographer about my glidecam moves it is all about communication. Slider sounds good too.

March 17th, 2015, 02:29 PM	#1
Jeff Cook Major Player Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Fresno, Ca Posts: 214	Could you review my 1st dance set up? Lately, I have been eager to better my production. I wanted to share with you how I plan to shoot my next 1st dance. Please let me know if you see any concerns or issues that may arise with it. My associate will be tight on bride and groom the whole time. There will be another camera on a sticks at a lower level looking up to the bride and groom from a distance with a 14mm 2.8 lens. This will be on a crop body so more like 22mm. I will be going around the couple a few times with a Glidecam, then getting shots of audience reactions and maybe if I am able to get another shot of couple on glidecam from guest to the couple. For speeches I will have my assistant focused on whoever is giving speech. I will set up a tripod focusing on the couple. I will be getting reaction shots of guest and other creative shots. I plan on using a led light on a stand off center as well as behind the couple opposite corner. Any major issues? All cameras have the ability to record for 30 minutes so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks in advance for suggestions. Like many of you I try and try to make my production look better than the last. More toys seems to make for more questions..lol

March 17th, 2015, 03:04 PM	#2
Adrian Tan Trustee Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,149	Re: Could you review my 1st dance set up? Sounds awesome to me. Main potential issue is fiddliness of lens swapping/balancing camera on glidecam if you're going straight from speeches to first dance. Adjusting ISO of low angle might be fiddly if there's a lighting change just before first dance -- might mean that you set this first then start to glide, or set to auto and hope for best. Also, watch out that no one kicks your low angle camera over when it transitions from two people dancing to rugby scrum.

March 17th, 2015, 03:13 PM	#3
Jeff Cook Major Player Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Fresno, Ca Posts: 214	Re: Could you review my 1st dance set up? Thanks Adrian, Yeah we all know that things can get hairy pretty fast. I will have the low angle next to my assistant so they can keep an eye out for it. I was also thinking about placing a light on the lower camera as well. So there would be a on cam light on assistant cam low light and maybe another in the opposite corner on a stand. I would definately set up the low angle first before I fly. Thanks for your feedback.

March 17th, 2015, 06:03 PM	#4
Oren Arieli Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 919	Re: Could you review my 1st dance set up? If you want to make nice with the photographer, warn them in advance that you'll be doing one or two roundy-rounds with the glidecam. If they get the sense you're going to be in the shot the whole time, they'll just want to get closer to the couple and possibly mess with your wider shot. Also, consider putting the low-angle camera on a slider. You can get some really beautiful subtle motion on your wide shot when the couple is doing the slow shuffle. Make sure you have some flooring in the shot, otherwise, you won't notice the horizontal slide. Works even better when the couple is outdoors and you can reveal the couple from behind some greenery.

March 19th, 2015, 12:35 PM	#5
Jeff Cook Major Player Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Fresno, Ca Posts: 214	Re: Could you review my 1st dance set up? Or en thanks for the suggestions. I do tell the photographer about my glidecam moves it is all about communication. Slider sounds good too.