Same Day Edits - What's your workflow?
 

I'm always looking to improve in this area and was wondering if anyone else would be willing to share their same day edit workflow? I would love to glean any tips and wisdom anyone would be willing to offer.

I'm running the latest version of Final Cut Pro on a 17" macbook pro. I just purchased a pair of Canon XHA1 and a pair of HV20's and slowly migrating into the realm of HDV...and this is where I'm doing the research on the SDE's. I've been studying everyones work in this forum and love what i'm seeing. Anyone willing to share what works for them? what doesn't work? tips on equipment? playback? etc...

As we say here in Hawaii...Mahalo! (thanks!)

Hi Joel,

I had the interesting experience of being observed by the editor of EventDV magazine on a day I put together an SDE. His article is here:

http://www.eventdv.net/Articles/Read...rticleID=40098

If there is anything I can expound upon let me know.

Joel P

What a great article! I get tired just thinking about all you do! But the real proof is in your edit. I watched the one associated with the article and it is pure brilliance. You truly have a talent for shooting the right footage and then for cutting it together beautifully. The greatest gear in the world will never be a substitute for an artistic talent.

I don't shoot weddings, but just today I was asked to run sound for a wedding at my church. The bride asked if there was anyone I knew who could videotape the ceremony for her (!!!).

Well, I happened to have all my gear in my truck from a shoot I did a couple of days ago, so I agreed to set up a static camera for her. I was able to run a LANC line to the sound desk, so I was able to do just a few zooms for her. At the end of the ceremony I popped the tape out of the camera and handed it to her. I'm afraid that's MY version of a same day edit!

Great article. Sounds like you run quite the circus with all of those cameras; very impressive for one guy. I run 3 with 1 assistant and even that is a challenge.

I had a question on one of your shots in the video. The shot with the flowers in focus that instantly shifts to focus on the B&G. How did you switch the focus so quickly? Manual focus, I'm assuming, but still, it seemed like an instant "pop", and I couldn't do that on my GL2's unless I was locked down on a tripod; didn't look like a tripod shot to me.

"I see, neatly arranged, the five Sony VX2000s he’ll be shooting with today"

You used "5" sony's that day, Alone? I use one vx2100 during such a day and that's challenging enough for me, but 5??

I saw the picture of you setting up that high tripod with the camera on top. that must be quite a preparation for you, here I don't get any requests for sde's but for a normal wedding I never would have time to pull something off like you do.

I take it that this SDE is then only for the ceremony considering all the preparation you have to do?

Also saw the demo which I earlier missed and it really looks like a manned multicam shoot. really impressive.

Did you never have someone knock your equipment over?

Also, how do you check the image in your camera's that are set so high on a tripod?

If you look at the picture where he is setting up that high camera you'll see he has another camera next to him with a video cord running between them.

Now I see, I thought it looked strange that he looked at one camera when setting up another :)

The next question...
 

The next question is does he have LANCs to start the recording when he gets to that camera or some other remote "start" button....

Simply amazing to do solo.

This is almost discouraging to see, I am new to video and we are busting our tails for two of us to capture a wedding, and not done near as good as he does. And SDE is not an option with us, at least now.

Whoa, Joel you are my new hero... I have been shooting solo weddings for a couple years now but what you are able to accomplish almost makes me embarrassed! That's a great article. And the WDE itself was beautiful. Gives me something to aspire to.

Well don't I feel small and insignificant seeing that ONE person has done all that...

Amazing.