sparkler exit with one camera
 

This Saturday night, I will be shooting a sparkler exit single camera, where the guests line up and hold up sparklers as the b&g walk beneath them to their limo.

I've never shot one of these before. Anyone have some advice for the best way to shoot this? I've never even seen it in any demo videos I've watched. I would love to have a second camera, but it will just be me.

My first thought is to just stand at the end of the line and shoot them coming toward me, let them walk past, and then snap around and get them getting into the limo. I'd like to try something more creative, but everything I can think of would work only with 2 cameras.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Dan

I would walk in front of them, maybe 4' in front, with a stabilizer, possibly while tiltiing the camera to the side to get mor eof the sparkler arch as you walk back. That would be one cool shot. I've always wanted a grand exit with the guests throwing something, but I haven't seen it yet.

Patrick

Both are at the end of the clip...

http://jcdv.com/demos_ct10.htm (shot with Glidecam)
and
http://jcdv.com/WMV/jeff_deanna_hl.wmv (hand held not moving)

Hope this helps.

Great samples Jerome... thanks for sharing them!

I agree that just walking backwards in front of them with a stabilizer and a wide angle lens would be the best. Then I can stop, let them pass, then snap around and get them entering the limo. It would be awesome if I could get them to then exit the limo, I'll climb in, and get an inside shot of them entering the limo. Some b&g don't want staged shots, so I'll just see how they feel come Sat night.

Maybe I can ask the b&g to wait until I signal them to walk, then grab a couple of tight shots of sparklers and maybe a rack focus to them in the background.

Thanks for the advice!

Dan here's an example of one I shot last year.

http://lvproductions.net/kellybrendan.htm

I used the exit for the beginning and end of the clip and used their first dance as the main story line.

I shot this twice actually with one camera. The reason was becuase the photographers didn't get the exit the first time to their liking. Which was great for me becuase it enabled me to get a secind angle.

The first was straight doen the isle of sparklers and let the coupe walk right past me. The 2nd angle was shot looking through two guests holding sparklers and using them as a frame of sorts.

If you only had one shot to get this and one camera, then I would recommend the straight on shot and let them walk past you.

Very nice, Michael! I was thinking how much I would love a shot from behind the guests of the b&g walking by, but that would require two cameras, which I won't have. Plus, the photographer will be gone by that time, so I can't blame them for a re-do.

I thought for a second about having a guest hold a second camera behind some guests or over their heads, but the risk made that thought go away very quickly. I could possibly set a consumer camera on sticks further away and zoom in, but being low-light and late at night, I wouldn't have high hopes for the quality of the footage. Oh well. With good planning and some luck, I can do fine with a single camera.

Nice video! Thanks for sharing.

Dan