Creative Inspiration at DVinfo.net

Jaime Espiritu · January 29th, 2007, 02:05 AM

Hello, All...

I know we have many talented people on the Wedding board. I was just wondering...where do you get your creative ideas or inspiration.

I'm not here to collect ideas but it's just a survey on what inspires you to get into the creative mood in creating a wedding video.

Glen Elliott · January 29th, 2007, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaime Espiritu

Hello, All...

I know we have many talented people on the Wedding board. I was just wondering...where do you get your creative ideas or inspiration.

I'm not here to collect ideas but it's just a survey on what inspires you to get into the creative mood in creating a wedding video.

I gather inspiration from so many outlets. Not only from other peers but from movies, television, music, etc. Being part of online communities like this are a HUGE part of facilitating this.

Patrick Moreau · January 29th, 2007, 07:36 PM

I'de tend to agree with Glen but also add equipment to the list. I always find new gear really inspires me to try new styles and things.

Todd Westacott · January 29th, 2007, 08:36 PM

I would say that my biggest inspiration are the many talented people in these forums and the wonderful work that they do! It is amazing how much you can learn from watching other people's work and listen to the advice of other videographers

Jonathan Nelson · January 29th, 2007, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Moreau

I'de tend to agree with Glen but also add equipment to the list. I always find new gear really inspires me to try new styles and things.

Ditto, equipment is what inspired me to start making videos.

Now a'days, I can videotape anything, even a wedding, and find pleasure out of creating something professional and creative. The reward comes from the reactions of the customers. If they love it, I am happy as a lark. IMO, there is absolutly nothing better then making people laugh, that would be my all time favorite reaction from an audience.

I am also inspired by the progress of my skills. I compare videos I made two years ago with the stuff I make now and I can't believe how far I have come. It just makes me want to go further and refine even more. I still consider myself a noob, far from successful.

Waldemar Winkler · January 31st, 2007, 06:36 PM

While I shoot to a fairly well defined outline I really let the footage dictate how to maintain a sense of continuity from one sequence to the next. I find the issue is working out a method of getting from one image sequence to the next in a way that makes sense. First there is the story line, then there is what I call "matching luminance". I almost always use cuts. A switch in camera angle must be perceived as a natural progression. It should not be recognized, and luminance values from one shot to the next should not be a "slap in the face". If I have bright whites in the upper left quadrant of the image, for example, and the next image sequence has black blacks in the same quadrant, that is likely a slap that could be a break my viewer's attention span.

If I manned all of my cameras, things might be a lot easier. But I do not man all of my cameras. So there is always a bit of "adventure" when the footage is subject to review, which could be called the "should I shoot him now or later syndrome".

Somehow, I have to get from white whites to black blacks in a way that makes perfect visual sense. That is a creative endeavor.

Jason Robinson · February 1st, 2007, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaime Espiritu

Hello, All...

I know we have many talented people on the Wedding board. I was just wondering...where do you get your creative ideas or inspiration.

I'm not here to collect ideas but it's just a survey on what inspires you to get into the creative mood in creating a wedding video.

I meet with or have known all my clients before the shoot (obviously). But I ask them lots of questions about what they like to do, hobbies, activities, etc so I can get a feel for their personality. I also pay attention to the mood of hte wedding and the reception. Much of the mood of the edit is determined by the reception / wedding decorations, location, etc.

I try to match the mood of the video to the wedding.

jason

Vincent Croce · February 2nd, 2007, 06:57 AM

Real creativity, for me, comes after I have emptied myself of thoughts and concepts. In this 'blank slate' state I can look at my footage or project with new eyes. If I already start with ' something' in mind, all I can do is change that something, which can be fun but is not nearly as effective as starting with nothing.
I find it easiest to get into this state early in the morning. I agree with Patrick and Jonathan about new equipment, and for the same basic reason as I stated above. When I first got my glidecam it opened up many more possibilities in my camerawork.

Michael Liebergot · February 2nd, 2007, 12:12 PM

For me creativity comes from listening to the music I am going to use before I edit.
I close my eyes while listening to the music, envisioning what the clips and video would look like.
Very relaxing, and I find that I am drawing inspiration from my subconscious.

January 29th, 2007, 02:05 AM	#1
Jaime Espiritu Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 154	Creative Inspiration Hello, All... I know we have many talented people on the Wedding board. I was just wondering...where do you get your creative ideas or inspiration. I'm not here to collect ideas but it's just a survey on what inspires you to get into the creative mood in creating a wedding video.

January 31st, 2007, 06:36 PM	#6
Waldemar Winkler Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado, USA Posts: 711	While I shoot to a fairly well defined outline I really let the footage dictate how to maintain a sense of continuity from one sequence to the next. I find the issue is working out a method of getting from one image sequence to the next in a way that makes sense. First there is the story line, then there is what I call "matching luminance". I almost always use cuts. A switch in camera angle must be perceived as a natural progression. It should not be recognized, and luminance values from one shot to the next should not be a "slap in the face". If I have bright whites in the upper left quadrant of the image, for example, and the next image sequence has black blacks in the same quadrant, that is likely a slap that could be a break my viewer's attention span. If I manned all of my cameras, things might be a lot easier. But I do not man all of my cameras. So there is always a bit of "adventure" when the footage is subject to review, which could be called the "should I shoot him now or later syndrome". Somehow, I have to get from white whites to black blacks in a way that makes perfect visual sense. That is a creative endeavor. __________________ Waldemar

February 2nd, 2007, 06:57 AM	#8
Vincent Croce Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Fort Myers, FL Posts: 263	Real creativity, for me, comes after I have emptied myself of thoughts and concepts. In this 'blank slate' state I can look at my footage or project with new eyes. If I already start with ' something' in mind, all I can do is change that something, which can be fun but is not nearly as effective as starting with nothing. I find it easiest to get into this state early in the morning. I agree with Patrick and Jonathan about new equipment, and for the same basic reason as I stated above. When I first got my glidecam it opened up many more possibilities in my camerawork. __________________ Vin First Take Studios

February 2nd, 2007, 12:12 PM	#9
Michael Liebergot Trustee Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,505	For me creativity comes from listening to the music I am going to use before I edit. I close my eyes while listening to the music, envisioning what the clips and video would look like. Very relaxing, and I find that I am drawing inspiration from my subconscious. __________________ Michael www.lvpvideo.com

January 29th, 2007, 07:36 PM	#3
Patrick Moreau Still Motion Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,186	I'de tend to agree with Glen but also add equipment to the list. I always find new gear really inspires me to try new styles and things.

January 29th, 2007, 08:36 PM	#4
Todd Westacott New Boot Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 18	I would say that my biggest inspiration are the many talented people in these forums and the wonderful work that they do! It is amazing how much you can learn from watching other people's work and listen to the advice of other videographers