Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup

[Daniel Latimer]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Two options 1) Don't pay the second shooter much 2) Charge the clients enough to cover paying the second shooter decently.

I'm lucky enough that my wife comes along and is my second shooter. It makes the company part that much better.

[Stelios Christofides]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

......I know the feeling about congratulations ..ours sometimes run for 15 minutes and the camera gets heavy but seriously up to 4000???? The most I have ever had was 450 and that nearly killed me!!! .........

Chris

Usually when people get married here (in Cyprus) they invite as many as they can (even the postman,..)_and this can be really up to 5000 people. Why? very simple , to get money when they come to congradulate them. The minimum that you give to the wedding couple is 20-30 Euro. So imagine how much money they on heir wedding night. This is a great help for a young couple.


stelios

[Don Bloom]

Originally Posted by Stelios Christofides

Usually when people get married here (in Cyprus) they invite as many as they can (even the postman,..)_and this can be really up to 5000 people. Why? very simple , to get money when they come to congradulate them. The minimum that you give to the wedding couple is 20-30 Euro. So imagine how much money they on heir wedding night. This is a great help for a young couple.


stelios

I'm sure it is a great help. They can pay for a great videographer like you! ;-)

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Stelios Christofides

this can be really up to 5000 people. Why? very simple , to get money when they come to congradulate them.

But then they still have to feed and give 5000 people something to drink?

[Stelios Christofides]

Noa
What they usually give to these people is snacks and drinks (wine, beer) Usually they start at about 7pm till 9:30pm,then after that at around 10pm have a sit down supper for about 250 - 350 close friends and relatives. This goes on until about 1 after midnight.

stelios

[Noa Put]

That's quite amazing, that's about a small village that shows up on their wedding :) must be a hugh venue.

[Stelios Christofides]

Noa
Yes it is and if it's in a village then the WHOLE village as well as some people from nearby villages are invited.
You can see some clips from my blog here: SC Videos


stelios

[Sigmund Reboquio]

here is US, we call it "table to table toasts" --the one with the box full of envelopes

[Paul Mailath]

I started off with a 2nd shooter and I've always worked that way. we split up for prep, meet up at the church where he concentrates on the groom & family shots in the church while I wait for the bride - we both stick to close-ups of the couple with a 3rd camera on a lightstand getting the wide shot

we don't do the photoshoot

reception is both of us getting different angles with a wide shot on the guests, speeches have 1 camera on the bride & groom, 1 on the speaker and the wide on the guests.

my 2nd sticks with me the whole night and helps pack up and reminds me what I've forgotten " Did you get that recorder on the lecturn?"

I have an arrangement with the local uni, they recommend suitable 2nd & 3rd year film students and I take them on. some are crap - others are bloody great!

equip is pretty much the same as everyone else

[Andrew Giordano]

Bride Prep (1st Shooter): Tripod+GH1+50mm f/1.2 <-----shoulder-mount equipped, as well.
Camera Sling+GH2+14mm f/2.5

With such light equipment, I simply use the tripod as a monopod and even bi-pod when space is tight. Don't see the reason to bring extra gear when I don't have to. I use the GH2+14mm slung around my shoulder to pick shots super quickly and easily, kind of my sidearm. With the 14mm and post-stabilization, it's wide enough to do steadicam-like shots very quickly and effectively.

Groom Prep (2nd shooter): Tripod+GH1+50mm f/1.4 and 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5

Ceremony: 1st Shooter covers bride walking down isle. Tipod used as bi-pod. GH2+50mm.
2nd Shooter covers groom's reaction. Tripod+14-140mm lens.
3rd Camera: GH1 + whatever lens necessary shooting down the isle.

With a third stationary camera, the 2nd shooter and I can make as many camera moves as necessary without regard for the other. Also, with the GH2's extended tele mode, I can turn my 50mm into a 130mm lens in 10 seconds, without light loss or quality loss. This is great for bigger churches.

Photoshoot: Me again, with same setup as bridal prep.

Reception: Similar to Ceremony with my 2nd shooter except we're both on 50mm lenses+Voigltander 25mm f/0.95

For every wedding, I bring my camera slider and glidecam, but they never leave the car trunk because of the setup time. Also, sliders require either more gear, or a heavier, bulkier tripod... I think if/when I acquire a 4th camera body, I will attach it to my glidecam and leave it there all day. So I can just pick it up, shoot, and put it down.

[Erick Perdomo]

This single tool has helped me get better shots in tight spaces and also be mobile and steady.
I do use my Sachtler ACE for the ceremony for a second camera but I use this monopod (the feet at the bottom do help with more steady shots and reduce the chances of the monopod slipping) for the main camera (sometimes a Canon XHA1s and even a Canon XF300!) the head is not as smooth as a Sachtler ACE but with care it can give good results.
I find it that I use it 70% of the time and then the tripod with a Hagee light slider which I use with a Canon T3i.
I considered getting a Blackbird or Merlin but since I shoot mostly solo...well...that's just complicating things too much. The slider helps add some spice to videos for sure and much easier to set up with the tripod.
E
Fandango Video Productions | Wedding Event Videography Toronto | Corporate Video Production Toronto | Quinceanera video Toronto, GTA

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Andrew Giordano

I think if/when I acquire a 4th camera body, I will attach it to my glidecam and leave it there all day. So I can just pick it up, shoot, and put it down.

Now that my 5D3 is my main DSLR this is what I do now with my 5D2 & 16-35mm F/2.8L. At a pinch I can even just stand the Glidecam on the floor shooting a wide locked off shot.

[Adrian Tan]

My setup constantly changes... I'm a DSLR shooter... Almost always shoot with two videographers. My friend on a Merlin the whole day. I'm basically on a monopod the entire day.

But some variations:

-- Bride and groom prep -- sometimes I'll go to an Edelkrone DSLR rig or completely handheld, trusting in a Z-finder and the IS on the lens to smooth the shot out. Times to go handheld include: when it's crowded in a bride's bedroom, and/or you're getting some strange, un-monopodable angle, like from below or from above or close to the ground or when standing on a bed.

-- Sliders and skater dollies and Cineskates are also more likely to get used during bride and groom prep than anywhere else. GoPro occasionally comes out here.

-- Ceremony: at the moment, we usually cover with two cameras on tripods, and one camera switched between steadicam and tripod; more cameras on tripods when we can get 'em.

-- Photoshoot: used to go nuts and take everything. And that really hurt. Walking around with a heavy tripod and a slider attached, with a steadicam curled around your neck. Now it's just monopod and steadicam. When it's too windy, steadicam gets swapped out for tripod-mounted slider. GoPro occasionally comes out here.

-- Reception: tripod coverage for speeches. At least one or two on tripod during first dance. Monopod and steadicam for most everything else.