Who here actually uses cranes/jibs for weddings
 

So i went out and bought an 8 foot crane and 7" monitor for a wedding next week. It seemed that the crane was the ONLY thing we were missing since we already have a glidecam, glidetrack, zacuto shoulder rig with follow focus, 3 canon 7d's and a bunch of manfrotto tripods. My question is how PRACTICAL is it to set up this crane and if its worth it? My assumption is that it should be used primarily for the ceremony, in the very back of the room....but I could be wrong? So for all you pro cinematic wedding videographers that utilize a crane/jib for their weddings, what are your thoughts? Do you use them for other stuff other than the actual ceremony, like the first dance? Cake cutting?

Hey Kelly,

I just picked up a crane myself and while I intend to use it more for corporate, and narrative stuff, I also fully intend to try it for weddings as well. Though that wasn't the reason I picked it up.

I was even thinking subtle pre-wedding shots (ext. church, venue etc.), as well as perhaps in the ceremony. Mine extends in stages to a max of 16' horizontal (and roughly 20' vertical) and I can lock it off there, so it would make a high cover shot if nothing else. They are certainly more work to set-up than a GC, or tripod, so it may not be practical to set it up at the reception as well.

Personally, I will try to avoid the temptation to overuse the jib. I've got a wedding in a couple of weeks that I will likely try some stuff out. I think jib shots are great when used in moderation.

I've used one for outside weddings and a reception where there was plenty of room - it was great for the brides entrance, raising up as the guests stood to capture them come in.

the problem is not just setting the thing up and breaking it down but having an operator who can get the best shots from the tool.

I've used a crane for mostly processional shots during the ceremony or any master shots for the ceremony and reception. I also use it for the first dance to add more variety of movement. I've found that you have got to have a dedicated person for the crane during the ceremony as it's hard to be running around trying to get the crane shot then move to the next station. Reception isn't too bad as you have more time to set things up.

We used to use jibs at weddings a lot more a few years back, but they where quite cumbersome and took a lot of time to set up. Sure, they where impressive and yielded great footage, but it just seemed like a lot of hassle and maybe a touch overkill..... wow, I just realized how funny that statement sounds coming from a guy who does helicopter shots at weddings on a regular basis :P

I just bought a Cobra Crane and plan on using it this weekend for the first time. It reaches 8ft high and is portable. Easy to set up. I tested it in my kitchen this past weekend. It seems pretty cool! It was only $300.

Cobra Crane I is the exact model I use. I agree, very quick setup and it isn't too bothersome to lug around.

Impressive in the sense of a crane at a wedding makes an impression on most people who see it.

But in the sense of "makes a good impression", I am not so sure. It's the one thing that the "weddings are getting too extravagant" brigade always lights upon.

Most envision jib shots as beautiful shots of the camera floating effortlessly above crowds of smiling people, like you see in the movies. The reality is that you need good equipment and very well practiced operators. Using a jib at a wedding is much harder than you think. We used to set up a Jimmy Jib 10 years ago, but it required full attention at all times. In the end we scrapped using a jib because 1. It takes time to set up a perfectly level and balanced jib 2. A newbie can't operate a jib with acceptable results because newbies have jerky starts and stops, can't compose a shot precisely, or follow action accurately with the joystick. 3. A jib or crane is seen as a big insurance liability. 4. It's not worth all the hassle unless you're charging an extra $1000 or so for the crew and insurance that's required at the venue.

Well damn! This shot my whole plan of using my brand new jib at this wedding on saturay :-( My assistant would be there to operate it, and I would hate to have real piss-pore results from someone who is just "winging" it. Im doing the rehearsal the night before, maybe that would be the best time to use it to get some establishing shots of the whole scene BEFOREHAND so I dont have to stress about t during the actual ceremony.

Since you already have the jib and intend to use it, go ahead and try it out at the rehearsal. Do you have a pan/tilt system? Or are you simply booming the camera up and down/left right? Simple moves are pretty easy. Compound moves are much harder and require a lot of practice. With a compound move, you need to tilt the camera down as you're booming up. Or pan the camera left as you're booming right in order to maintain composition. Shoot the rehearsal then review the footage at home. The biggest problem you may see is shaky starts and stops, and maybe a tilting horizon.

I bought a Kesler 8 ft. crane. While I love the crane and the shots it can I quickly discovered that to really use it to anywhere near its potential I need a powered pan / tilt head and they are very expensive.

I used the crane at an outdoor wedding where it got me fantastic shots BUT between those great shots I needed it to essentially serve as the center wide shot cam and though perfectly balanced it was hard to keep it perfectly still. I have since bought the optional brake but have not had a chance to see how easy it is to apply it and then undo it when you want to move again.

The outdoor wedding I shot with the crane had the bride arriving with her father in a horse drawn carriage and then at the end of the wedding the bride & groom left in it. The coolest thing was that as the carriage came around the venue I slowly craned up and panned left to follow it and just as the carriage was going to go out of frame one of the many bubbles that had been blown drifted up and across the frame at an angle. I swear it looks like a CG effect! LOL.

For this wedding season I hope to acquire a motorized pan / tilt head and utilize the crane more.

I was looking at one of these. Seem to be pretty reasonable. Though I'm not sure about the added weight on the Kessler. The Spectrum 7000 http://www.imagewest.tv/servlet/the-...ssional/Detail weighs eight pounds.

So I am curious how much you guys charges couples for using a crane?

I can imagine a few shots where a crane would be awesome, but I wouldn't ever want to use one for a wedding. The only exception I would make to that is maybe some cool outdoor shots of the church if you arrive super early.

Then again, I work alone for weddings so anything which requires a lot of setting up, let alone a dedicated operator, is out of the question for me.