Wedding interviews

[Michael J. Long]

a Client has asked me to set up an interveiw booth at the reception , prior to their arrival. Any suggestions as to set up and interveiw questions ?

[Marco Dias]

Is the interview for the B&G or their guests?

If it's for the guests, then let them wish the B&G best wishes, if you wait until later when the guests get drunk, you won't have to do any interviews, they will gladly speak their mind.
Just don't let them scream into your mic or else the sound will distort.

Regards.

[Mike Marriage]

Also, try and keep away from the band/disco or it will drown out the interview. It will also make it hard to intercut with other music if there is a beat recorded with the interview audio.

[Glen Elliott]

Typically it's done later in the night after the reception is runnning full steam. At that poing I found the best way to do it is approach the DJ and have him make an announcement. This will not only be less intrusive than going to them, but the people that actually take the time to come to me usually have something more profound to say than a generic "congrats bill and jen!".

[Jeffrey Lovell]

The last few weddings I have done, I walked from table to table to get the hellos and best wishes. Works out good, just have to wait till that table is done eating or hit them before they go.

Background music can be a killer also the ambient noise of the hall or where ever the reception is. The last one I did was noisy with 200 people and a 4 piece quartet, still with my shotgun mic on it was pretty selective.

Jeff

[Glen Elliott]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Lovell

The last few weddings I have done, I walked from table to table to get the hellos and best wishes. Works out good, just have to wait till that table is done eating or hit them before they go.

Background music can be a killer also the ambient noise of the hall or where ever the reception is. The last one I did was noisy with 200 people and a 4 piece quartet, still with my shotgun mic on it was pretty selective.

Jeff

I don't mean this as any offense to you what so ever but I would highly suggest AGAINST doing table interviews. They are widely considered intrusive and don't often yeild good results.

[Michael J. Long]

Thanks to all, The B& G has asked me to set up an area in the foyer of the reception hall for guest interveiws .. They won't be arriving for an hour or so , they ask to do this as giuests arrives, before table seating .
thanks any additional advice.

[Peter Jefferson]

hmm..

interesting topic..

i do many "video guestbooks" and set up an area in a corner, with a remote cotnrol, camera on sticks and a taped instructions nearby
got some good results and i dont have to lift a finger...

before meals are served, i usually do table runs and literally shoot wach table (ONLY if the clietn requests table shots) from here, u can suss out the guests and work out who to approach "for a message" and who to stay away from. Most of teh time, the females are good with it.. its the males who ar a lil wierd about it

Anotehr thing is to hang out withthe party people. Becuase of my relative age, people find me comfortable to hang with so i float around and shoot anything and everythign.. its usually after afew drinks that the funny shit happens so i jsut make sure im there when it does..

another thing, with this kinda interview, is that a good shotgun mic is IMPERITIVE

[Jeffrey Lovell]

Interesting, I didn't know this was a no no. I figured I would get a better response going to the people rather than making the people come to the camera. I will consider this the next time I have a wedding coem up.

No one has said this was intrusive and I don't do table where people are doing anything but talking.

Jeff

[Glen Elliott]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Lovell

No one has said this was intrusive...

...and they, more than likely, never will. Table interviews are widley thought of as the bane of videographers. We don't like to do it and guests don't like being put on the spot. Besides it doesn't make for good video anyway.

I ONLY do them if there is a SPECIFIC request for them- even then I'll do it in the way I described above.

[Joe Allen Rosenberger]

I agree with Glen. I do not offer table or any other type of guest interviews at receptions unless the clients specifically want this.....I've only had 2 clients ever want this.....and when I shot them, I had the DJ make an anouncement for anyone who wishes to say something on cam to come outside or in a place that is not near the reception ballroom facility.

When I incorporated these interviews into the final edits....I made a seperate menu item ie a dvd "extra" so they did not make the "main play".....which I do short form edits anyway.

I think going table to table for interviews is annoying to any one of the guests....and NO, they're not going to tell YOU that they are annoyed by it....

The footage never looks good...out of any table interviews Ive ever seen to date. To me, it gives an Ol' Uncle Charlie filming the wedding "feel", especially if this footage makes the main play of a final piece.

Originally Posted by Glen Elliott

...and they, more than likely, never will. Table interviews are widley thought of as the bane of videographers. We don't like to do it and guests don't like being put on the spot. Besides it doesn't make for good video anyway.

I ONLY do them if there is a SPECIFIC request for them- even then I'll do it in the way I described above.

[Waldemar Winkler]

Originally Posted by Glen Elliott

I don't mean this as any offense to you what so ever but I would highly suggest AGAINST doing table interviews. They are widely considered intrusive and don't often yeild good results.

I flat disagree in regards to the intrusive part, but I stress it is very important to discuss just how interviews will be handled with your clients. They have a better idea of the temperments of their guests and can give you guidance on how to approach the subject when at the reception. Then you must devise a prepared question. I almost always approach both tables and specific individuals and ask them if they would agree to letting me record words of congratulation and personal messages to the bride and groom. I ask if they would accompany me to a quieter area. Some agree, some don't. For those that don't I let the camera roll and turn the whole event into a game. I usually get a good amount of animated conversation. In honesty, a good part of those animated conversations turn out to be inappropriate and are deleted. That which is kept is worth the effort. I have yet to be told by anyone during or after the reception that my requests for interviews were intrusive.

I have found the DJ announcement and a quiet corner to yield virtually no results. I find I must actively seek out interviews.

In any case, how you approach the subject will depend upon what you learn works.

[Joe Allen Rosenberger]

Wald:

"I have found the DJ announcement and a quiet corner to yield virtually no results. I find I must actively seek out interviews."

The reason is....no body wanted to participate because they did not want to be "on cam" like that ie "interview"/"guest comment". In general....I do not think guests like this, especially at their table.....but do your thing.

Here we go, this thread is gonna turn into another mess......

YES, i love to do interviews....NO, I hate them, they look sooo cheesssssyyy!!!!! But my clients want them.....NO they dont, you shoudnt offer it....looks like uncle Charlie shooting a wedding video......But I like getting in guests faces with my cam and obnoxious light.....and say "what would you like to say to the B&G"???? Well.....have a great life I guess, thanks for the dry chicken dinner. The light is not obnoxious...I need it to get the best possible footage....no you dont, gain up, shutter down.....but then "MY images" will suffer.....so, the content is where its at.....break out the home depot 600 watt shop lights....OH YEAH!!!!!

I am laughing at the thought of this....HA HA HA!

Originally Posted by Waldemar Winkler

I flat disagree in regards to the intrusive part, but I stress it is very important to discuss just how interviews will be handled with your clients. They have a better idea of the temperments of their guests and can give you guidance on how to approach the subject when at the reception. Then you must devise a prepared question. I almost always approach both tables and specific individuals and ask them if they would agree to letting me record words of congratulation and personal messages to the bride and groom. I ask if they would accompany me to a quieter area. Some agree, some don't. For those that don't I let the camera roll and turn the whole event into a game. I usually get a good amount of animated conversation. In honesty, a good part of those animated conversations turn out to be inappropriate and are deleted. That which is kept is worth the effort. I have yet to be told by anyone during or after the reception that my requests for interviews were intrusive.

I have found the DJ announcement and a quiet corner to yield virtually no results. I find I must actively seek out interviews.

In any case, how you approach the subject will depend upon what you learn works.

[Michael J. Long]

Thanks to all , very helpfull pros and cons. Will set up table/booth in lobby of Holiday Inn with my sign on easel with a smaller sign , saying PLEASE JOIN US IN EXTENDING OUR BEST WISHES TO KEVIN & NICOLE . I Will have plenty of time before B&G arives, so I will use a wireless handheld and a Sony TRV 950 on sticks . Thanks to all
MIke