Hi Matt,

Another Mac person told me it was 4x3. I wonder if we just need to go the flash route to fix this problem.

I have been working on presets around the studio, but now that we have some real world footage to look at, I'll see how they match up.

It's funny because my son loves the Canon and my wife loves the Sony. They practically refuse to switch with each other. On last Saturdays wedding, Matt shot up front with me so we could have a good shot of the Groom's face. I told him and Trisha to consider switching cams for just the ceremony. They said sure, but when the time cam, wouldn't you know it, Matt had the Canon and Trisha the Sony.

Hi Peter,

Thanks. I captured a little HD footage to the C Drive, 7200 RPM, of the laptop to see how it would do. Real time was okay until I added slowmo and dissolves.

I wonder how an external eSATA drive would perform with HD. I am so spoiled with Real Time in SD that I don't know how to act if I have to render something.

Hi Oleg,

Thanks. Our normal SDE is the length of a song, typically 3-4 minutes. We have done a few that were multiple songs lasting 6-7 minutes, but they really take some time to edit.

If you are looking for an easier way to make a longer SDE, you could do the regular prep and post, but A/B roll the vows. Depending on how long the vows are, it could be easier than cutting that long of a portion to the flow of the music.

Mark,

what is your pixel aspect? Usually widescreen wmv's show up widescreen on my mac. I have been using 480x270pixels to create widescreen wmv's.

480/270=1.77778=16/9

Hi Matt,

I'll have to check when I get to the office tomorrow. Thanks for the numbers to look at.

I guess it's a Mac thing. I looked at it on my laptop using Windows Media Player and it's 4x3.

Joe

Mark:
I have many weddings booked this year but just getting the nerve up to try a SDE. Kind of like the first time I went cliff diving...the first leap is always the hardest. :)

Thanks,
John

Hi Matt,

I just uploaded a 480x270 version. When you get a chance take a look and see if it looks better. Thanks

Hi John,

Where are you located? If you want to keep that info private, feel free to eamil me.

You are right, the first one is the hardest, so there is no point in puttin it off. Start preparing and pick a reception that is already showing a presentation. The screen and projector will already be there, so just add a SDE to it.

Nice work. I love cutting to music and you did it very well

One question: When was your SDE shown? I noticed you had them dancing, and then the interview ... when during the event was the video shown? And how long did it take for you to cut it .. was it shown right off the laptop?

Our SDEs are generally shown at the hall just before the B&G entrance so we don't get to cut any dancing into it

Again, very nice work

Mark:

We are located in Indianapolis, IN. I need to get another nNovia drive also. I was kind of waiting to see the feedback on the Sony DSR80. Not very good reviews from what I saw. You are correct, we just need to pick a wedding and do a SDE.

Thanks,
John

Mark,

WOW! all I can say is that I now have even more respect for you folks after watching that. The art of a SDE is incredible! Major props!

<<I just uploaded a 480x270 version. When you get a chance take a look and see if it looks better.>>

Mark,

I just watched it again on my Mac and this version looks great...not squished any more. I'd like to echo many of the other comments...great work! Love your website too. You give me ideas...and inspiration.

Enjoyed your reflections on the thrill you still get doing this work. Glad to hear it's not all about busines, the latest gear, or technical troubleshooting...as this forum tends to sound at times. As someone who is exploring event videography as a new career direction, I found your comments refreshing.

Sincerely,

Bill

Nice edit and camera move. However, the clip seem a little bit too dark for me. I wasn't able to see some shots clearly. Is it because of the low light capability is not good of the Z1? Do you find shooting HDV difficult in low light situation in general?

I just shot a wedding last weekend with Canon A1s... I had difficulty to get proper exposure during the banquet. I used an on-camera light (Canon VL-10LI) but it wasn't enough. I had to get close to the subject. Even though I can get proper exposure by walking closer to the subjects, the background becomes dark (anything that are 2 feet away from me). I didn't want to use the lowlight preset because I do not want to get washout pictures. I ended up had to jack up the gain btw +3 and +6 to get a little better exposure of the background (not sure how it will look regarding noise level). I really missed my PD170.

Hi Victor,

The interview was shot before the ceremony. The wedding and reception were at a hotel, so we just went up to their room to shoot the thank you.

The ceremony was at 7:00. First Dance around 8:15. The shot of the guy blowing out candles, it was his birthday, was about 9:15 and we showed the SDE at 10:30. Trisha got locked out of the edit room after the First Dance. That cost her about 15 minutes, which seemed like forever.

We use Edius with our laptop, and everything is real time, except of course the encode for DVD. When the edit was finished, we just played the timeline out firewire to the Z1 and plugged the Z1 into the projectors.

Two or three times we have played the SDE straight from the laptop. I don't like to do it. It just makes me too nervous.

If you can arrange for the couple to do their First Dance once they arrive, you should consider adding that footage to the SDE and show it after dinner. It really does add to the Wow Factor.