...here's my first attempt at a wedding highlights reel. This was shot with one XHA1 spur of the moment for a friend without having all my gear. I'm just learning but would love some feedback. There are a couple spots where I think the color doesn't work quite right, but I would really like to improve my skills so if you have the time I'd much appreciate any tips or identifying of trouble spots and what I did wrong. Thanks!!
Andy

Grillo Highlights on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/3115320)

Andrew- I am sure you are going to get quite a few technical reviews on here by better eyes then mine. With that said, I think overall this was a great clip. There was a few times that the handheld was a little shaky but it gave it a real feel to me. The cut between the wine bottle to the grapes was a little rough to my eyes, I don't know if it was the fast fade going into a zoom or the length of the grape clip but to me it seemed a little harsh. The exposure in the yard while you were panning the reception that revealed the mountains in the background, I thought this was really nice gave some real depth to the location and intensified the majesty of the location to my eyes. The red on the B&G during the dance was a little rough but it was real to the location, next time you might set up a spotlight or bright on camera light if you can to tame down this type of effect on the bride's dress. Overall I think this is a great clip and I am sure your client will treasure it.

Great feedback...very much appreciated. The wine bottle to grapes was kind of an accident when editing...I thought it looked odd and I liked it...but it is harsh. So far though I think I am the only person that has liked it...so maybe it will have to go next time. Again, many thanks for taking the time to watch and reply!! I am really enjoying this board...

Not that I qualify as one of the "experienced users" (despite my high post count... that just means I'm chatty and should spend more time editing)........ I'll just give you a run of the mind impressions as they happen....

a 0:53 the fade transition didn't have enough difference between the scenes. The women are on the left and then fade to women on the right. I'd allow more time to pass between those two shots so the fade isn't so close in time.

Good job on an all hand held shoot. I've never done one, and I don't know if I would even be brave enough to try one (though I suppose if it was on a lark and for a non-paying friend I might).

You focus and shot composure are great. The ring section was so sharp-as-a-tack it made me want to whip out the Visa and get an HD cam.... ANY HD cam so I can get that much detail in a shot!

Your edit sure made it look like you could have had two cams. Good job on the shooting & editing! Must have you fast zooms to get the kiss as a wide angle shot, and close up (or else the couple really went for it!)

The shot at 2:13 was a bit hazy. try lowering the lows to right at black (if they aren't already) and raising the whites to blow out the sky a little. That is what I always seem to need to do on my GL2s (and on XL1/XL1s) footage to get rid of the gray haze. That shot is going to be hard no matter what since everything is in profile against a very bright background.

The shot at 2:40 is just gorgeous!

The ending shot was well done, despite obviously being very dark & overly red. You probably got it the best possible!

Overall, I'm sure the couple will love the production (can't beat the price!).Now charge for this from now on!

Hey Andrew!

No fear necessary. Peeps here are always welcome to help and critique for the better.

The video is pretty decent for somebody starting out. If you want to improve on things I'd say vary shot selection. Shoot stuff in various angles and focal lengths so you have more options in the editing. You can now string together a variety of shots to tell a more visually rich story.

Thanks for sharing!

Andrew,

For a first highlights, I think your video is great. I'm sure they'll love it.

A few suggestions:

I would get away from using zooms. The slow zooms in or out look a bit old style and amateur.

Don't use auto iris. You can see how it ruins a shot when you pan across a different light and the iris shuts down.

It could be me, but I avoid shots of people talking (as in a speech) over music. Seems weird not to hear them.

You need a better tripod. You can see how your pans are 'sticky'.

Well done, though. Keep it up.

Andrew,
Vito beat me to the punch... I was going to echo his exact post. I would also add that the pace was good, not too slow, etc. I've always thought it was funny to use this song about a guy seeing this girl that is out of his league, but becuase he's high he thinks it's possible... :) Anyway, I thought the color looked fine, and great advice so far.
Very far beyond my first edit...good job
Bill

Thanks guys!! I've enjoyed watching samples of most of your work and it is awesome to get some feed back from you guys. I am just now experimenting with a new home built glidecam for getting more angled/moving shots. About the zooms...in this situation I didn't have any stabilizer to use and I am too green to be able to get a good moving shot without one...so my question is...do you think its better to stick with static shots or should I paste some zooms together to make it more interesting? Obviously on this one I went with pasting some zooms together...but I was wishing I had some more interesting shots to use. Thanks for the tip about manual Iris. I struggled with the transition between shots at 2:24 in the video...this is where the bride and groom walk by me on their entrance and then I flip around and get them walking into the outdoor reception. The first shot is full of color and I really like it, when I flip around though and am shooting more into the sun the sky turns grey...instead of the blue it actually was. How do I avoid this? I tried to fix it with a color correcter but that didn't do it (at least not with my skills) Thanks again for your encouragement...its a real privilege to have you guys look at my work...

Andrew,
You are starting on a loooong journey my friend. My advise to you is watch movies and tv from a technical stanpoint. Zooms as a "rule" are generally frowned on. It's ok to break that rule on purpose, but not as a tool for interesting shots. What makes something interesting is a variety of shots. Even if you have a glidecam, master handheld moving shots, or have a $1200 tripod. You shouldn't just use one of anything. Shots should transition between different things. As an example, if you use Wide, Medium, Close-up, and Extreme Close up shots. Transition between this different shots, not close to close or medium to medium, but vary your shots be the framing. The other thing about zooms is it is ok to use a zoomed in shot, but not the zoom in the process. Personally I would rather see a collection of different focal lengths, all static than to see several zooms strung together. Here's a few suggestions for training DVDs that have helped me...

Advanced Broadast Camera techniques
Moving Camera Techniques - VonLankens
Supercharge your Raw Footage - Chris Watson

Practice practice practice. Shoot anything that moves... start seeing the world as a subject. Your eyes are a camera lens, use everything. DON't BUY A BUNCH OF UNNECESSARY EQUIPMENT. it will not make you better. Get better, make money, and then you'll have the money to experiemnt with different things. Tell the story first, then try to wow with the images. my 2cents
Bill

Bill-
Thanks for the resource ideas. I am working on practicing as much as possible...I'm even working on a few friends for a remake of their wedding :) I know you are saying to limit equipment purchases...but I was wondering what you thought about the utility of a wide angle adapter. I noticed on your webpage that it looks like you use an XHA1 as well and one of the shots had a WA lens on the cam...I think it did at least. I have been contemplating getting one...anyways, just thought I would see what your thoughts were.
Andy

Bill-
Thanks for the resource ideas. I am working on practicing as much as possible...I'm even working on a few friends for a remake of their wedding :) I know you are saying to limit equipment purchases...but I was wondering what you thought about the utility of a wide angle adapter. I noticed on your webpage that it looks like you use an XHA1 as well and one of the shots had a WA lens on the cam...I think it did at least. I have been contemplating getting one...anyways, just thought I would see what your thoughts were.
Andy


Many movies & TV shows are shot just fine with out fancy lenses and with out lots of hand held shots. Granted everythign is staged, but for them, shot composition and content are king, not gliding all over, or big fish-eye spin around sequences.

I would skip any fancy lens purchases until you have a good tripod. I did not follow that advice, and now I have great audio, two different lenses to play with (.7 and .3) and I have a mediocre tripod.... The tripod will make the most difference in your shooting. Tripod and practice first. Good audio second. Then a SECOND camera and tripod, and THEN .7 lens adapters (they sure help for crowded receptions so you don't have to stand too far back) / multirigs or figrigs (stable mobility is priceless for receptions) / glidecams (lets face it... they get money shots) / lighting (tired of bumping the gain in cam or in post for receptions? I am) / DOF adapters (want to get teh Stillmotion look?) / jibs (now you are practically a 1 man studio), etc (listed in the order I think they add value with the necessary experience to operate them).

Jason-
Thanks for the advice. Right now I am have one XHA1 and a HF10 for fun. I have a nice set of wireless mics and just got a good olympus digital voice recorder after researching them here. I have a good Satchler tripod on loan...unfortunately the bride in this wedding didn't let us know we would actually be taping until we were there (four hours from home) and I had to borrow what I could. I think it was a manfrotto with a decent head on it...but I probably don't know how to use it well enough. I actually just booked a new gig for June and will be renting a second XHA1 for that one. Thanks for the tips. I am thinking of getting an on camera light as well for the reception...I hate to do it as I find camera lights annoying at weddings...but you are right on about the gain....

Andrew,
I have had a Canon WD-72 wide angle, but found it to be way too heavy and it really didn't make enough difference. The A1 is very wide naturally, so I stopped using it. Here is what I find "necessary" equipment wise.
I have 2 main cameras, and I would make this a priority because what if the A1 goes down, and you have to shoot the reception with the HF10? Nigthmare... this happened to me when I was using the VX2100. I dropped it as the couple was getting into the limo to go to the reception and I had to shoot the whole reception with a GL1. So, I went from a great low-light camera to a horrible one. IT was terrible.
MAtching decent tripods. Make sure they have the same head so everything is interchangeable. I use the Bogen 3021 legs with the 3063 head and I love it.
RECEPTION LIGHT. Don't ever ever ever ever ever ever go into a reception without a light. I don't care if you use it, just have it. Believe me, if a couple is hiring you they value image quality over unobtrusiveness. I use the Canon VL-10i it is a 10 watt light and really does the trick for me.
This is all the equipment I find neccessary (other than audio stuff which you mentioned)
I also use a bogen monopod with the same head as my tripods...
Learn composition... very important. Research presets, find some you like. Practice. Good luck
Bill

RECEPTION LIGHT. Don't ever ever ever ever ever ever go into a reception without a light. I don't care if you use it, just have it. Believe me, if a couple is hiring you they value image quality over unobtrusiveness. I use the Canon VL-10i it is a 10 watt light and really does the trick for me.
This is all the equipment I find neccessary (other than audio stuff which you mentioned)
I also use a bogen monopod with the same head as my tripods...
Learn composition... very important. Research presets, find some you like. Practice. Good luck
Bill

Bill got a good point about a light. I have the same Canon light, but I had a friend retrofit it with a 6 LED array and a nice current control circuit to give a completely linear burn down for over 6 hours of continuous use at +400lux. So instead of ~200 lumens, I now get 600 and can literally light up a room a few lux (which makes the world of difference when shooting with a GL2) by bouncing it off a low ceiling (which I did for a lot of the reception footage here. (http://www.idahodigitalproductions.com/weddings/sample-videos/wedding-day-highlights.html)

Even the stock canon light is very very valuable... and very handy that it uses the same batteries as the camera get a dual recharger and always keep two extra 6hr batteries charged so you can go completely on battery for a whole day if need be.

A more expensive, but better solution is one of those fancy battery powered remote controlled "Reception lights" or anythign that is dimable with a softbox.

Thanks again for the continued guidance. I have a couple more weddings coming up and for one of them will likely have one camera on a tripod at the back with an operator and one camera up front with an operator as well. My question is...how do you work out who does what in a two camera set up? Do you try and communicate or do you just keep the back camera fairly wide the entire time and leave the front camera to get close ups? These weddings will be my first two camera shoots...for which I will rent another XHA1. Also besides a light I was thinking of picking up a LANC controller to make things smoother on the tripod...but it sounds like you guys suggest not zooming at all...so is this a silly purchase? Finally, I have spent a bunch of time looking at highlights reels etc online...but really want to get a look at a full length DVD so I can see how the ceremony, speeches etc all get edited together. Do you know anyone who is willing to pass along completed DVD's or sell them? I'd be happy to purchase one from either of you if you are interested...

Thanks again for the continued guidance. I have a couple more weddings coming up and for one of them will likely have one camera on a tripod at the back with an operator and one camera up front with an operator as well. My question is...how do you work out who does what in a two camera set up? Do you try and communicate or do you just keep the back camera fairly wide the entire time and leave the front camera to get close ups? These weddings will be my first two camera shoots...for which I will rent another XHA1. Also besides a light I was thinking of picking up a LANC controller to make things smoother on the tripod...but it sounds like you guys suggest not zooming at all...so is this a silly purchase? Finally, I have spent a bunch of time looking at highlights reels etc online...but really want to get a look at a full length DVD so I can see how the ceremony, speeches etc all get edited together. Do you know anyone who is willing to pass along completed DVD's or sell them? I'd be happy to purchase one from either of you if you are interested...

Don't get me wrong, a Lanc is incredibly incredibly handy. When I bought my first camera in 07 it came with one. Till then, I'd shot on rented XL1 with LANCs and a HDR-FX1 with out one.

Regarding the two camera shoot I would almost write out a "script" for the event, and define terms, and review it before hand. Such as for the rings, aisle cam stays couple wide (so there is a term, what does "couple wide" mean..... to me it means you see all of the couple, but not the whole bridal party).

So get a "script for the ceremony and then review it at the rehearsal which BOTH camera operators must attend. Treat it like a ceremony, run tape and everything. IF this truly is your first go at a 2 cam ceremony, then you should take any opportunity to practice. Look at the tapes that night.

You ONLY learn by reviewing hte tapes immediately. I made the mistake last year (08) of shooting 3 weddings before even checking out the tapes from the first. bad idea because some of the same mistakes were made in all three! once you look at the tapes, then you can both get ideas for what worked and what didn't.

now as far a communicating during the event. I put $250 into 4 GMRS radios (and I bought an FCC license for them). my wife and I use them to keep tabs on each other through out the day. if she is shooting b-roll, then I'm in with the bride in the prep room. we always can ring up the other if something needs done, needs help, etc. Now, the FRM/GMRS radios are not the best comm solution..... Eartech is... but a single eartech headset costs about as much as my entire setup, so I went with my solution. Eartech has the benefit of being full headphones that wrap around the ear and also provide a line input so you can monitor camera audio (very critical to do BTW) one your Left ear while you monitor comms on right).

Some other companies use hand signals between operators. Certain signals mean "I'm locked you can move" etc.

but whatever ever you do, you absolutely must NOT have both cameras moving at the same time because that means the shots from both are useless. It is WELL worth in (in my opinion) to by a $300-500 low end camera as a "cutaway wide". This is a safety net. You set it up facing down the aisle towards the alter and don't touch it. I choose the Panasonic GS320 which is a 1/6" x 3CCD camera with minimal manual controls all through software menus. I got a used floor model at Circuit City and have been very handy with that purchase. It also doubles as my tape deck for recording all footage so I don't wear out the heads of my primary GL2.

With a cut away you now can have a little safety net in case you both mess up and zoom in for the kiss (a common mistake for two new ops).

Two cam shoots are very tricky, but you get so much more rewarding a final production. My final tip for two cam productions is to work with the same second cam op for at least three shoots. That way you have a chance to learn from mistakes and get better. if you always are usign different friends, then you will always be stuck at the low quality level.

Wow...thanks for the great reply. Good info. Have you ever had a static second cam on stage? I was thinking for my next wedding (which is probably the last free on for a friend) I am going to place my HF10 on stage someplace pointing towards the bride and then just run the XHA1 from the back. This limits entry footage, but I'm not sure they will go for an operator on stage. Anyways, thanks for the great advice.

Wow...thanks for the great reply. Good info. Have you ever had a static second cam on stage? I was thinking for my next wedding (which is probably the last free on for a friend) I am going to place my HF10 on stage someplace pointing towards the bride and then just run the XHA1 from the back. This limits entry footage, but I'm not sure they will go for an operator on stage. Anyways, thanks for the great advice.

unless you can absolutely trust the officiant & B&G to stand on their marks, an unmaned camer is hard to pull off, especially where it cannot be "fiddled with" until the end ff the ceremony. I think it would be a good shot, but only if you can pull it off.

unless you can absolutely trust the officiant & B&G to stand on their marks, an unmaned camer is hard to pull off, especially where it cannot be "fiddled with" until the end ff the ceremony. I think it would be a good shot, but only if you can pull it off.

Ha. Lived that one the hard way. You can't trust people to use or stay on their marks. They are focused on so many other things. I had an unmanned camera on the "stage" of a wedding last summer and most of the tape was useless. It was too bad because there was a lot of great emotion going on that would have had made for some great angles. I wanted to strangle someone (the officiant). It was there for a safety net, but had it not been blocked, it would have had some priceless stuff on it.

Sorry to hi-jack with my rant. I never really did get that out of my system.

Sorry to hi-jack with my rant. I never really did get that out of my system.

No that is exactly the reason I've only tried an unmaned cam once... and it was a very safe un-maned cam (fro ma balcone overloocing the audience facign the audience to get the down the isle shot.... the only time I've been able to get the aisle from straight on.

Andrew I read our question and was about to hit the quote button with an anxious reply only to see Jason and Mike's responses. They are right on the mark. Whatever you do, do not reply on the unmanned cam from the back or front. i have had great angles from choir lofts ruined by officiants standing in front of the cam or in line of sight and great angles from the rear of the church ruined by the unexpected guest that is 6'4" that happens to stand in front of your wide cam during the procession and recessional. An unmanned camera is a good safety but never rely on it-you will get burned eventually. that said it can give you some great cutaways but just make sure you have it covered somewhere else too because you never know what that cam is getting until you get to post...

Andrew let me also offer a differing opinion on the unmanned camera... I have shot 60+ weddings in the last 3 yrs and 95% of them were alone. I gotten to where i can usually call the best spot from the back. My 3021 will also jack up to about 8 ft. I know I have 1 shot during the bride' s prcessional, and that's fine. I have a differing opinion on second shooters. They have always caused me more trouble than they are worth. So, I always shoot alone. I wouldn't mind having someone I could trust as my second shooter, but I would need to train them from a pup and trust that they would do exactly what I would want every time. I think the key to the static unmanned back camera is not to go for creative, go for functional. I am not creating art with my ceremonies, I am documenting an event. Everything else can be creative, but that back camera is to be used only when I need it. If I kick my tripod up to 8 ft and frame it wide, I can always count on the shot. Not like a secondd shooter that needs to memorize a "script' to get it right. No thanks, not for me. Good luck.
Bill

Andrew let me also offer a differing opinion on the unmanned camera... I have shot 60+ weddings in the last 3 yrs and 95% of them were alone. I gotten to where i can usually call the best spot from the back. My 3021 will also jack up to about 8 ft. I know I have 1 shot during the bride' s prcessional, and that's fine. I have a differing opinion on second shooters. They have always caused me more trouble than they are worth. So, I always shoot alone. I wouldn't mind having someone I could trust as my second shooter, but I would need to train them from a pup and trust that they would do exactly what I would want every time. I think the key to the static unmanned back camera is not to go for creative, go for functional. I am not creating art with my ceremonies, I am documenting an event. Everything else can be creative, but that back camera is to be used only when I need it. If I kick my tripod up to 8 ft and frame it wide, I can always count on the shot. Not like a secondd shooter that needs to memorize a "script' to get it right. No thanks, not for me. Good luck.
Bill

Good points Bill. The only reason I work with the second shoot that I do is because.... I married her! And she always hears me complaining from the office about the footage I shot (or she shot). So she has had hundreds and hundreds of hours of exposure to shooting techniques.

Like Bill mentioned, if you have even a little bit of height on that wide unmanned cam down the aisle, then it is perfect for what it does. An unnamed cam cam work, but you have to take some pretty good efforts to make it idiot proof.....er I mean..... guest & photographer proof. Once you do, then they can allow a single Op to multiple their efforts. Just do a Search For Joel P on these boards. 3-5 cam shoots, all alone, AND he does a SDE for the reception!

Bill, I also shoot nearly all of my weddings on my own too so I use the unmanned cam all the time. It is a great tool and allows me to take some jobs that my competition turns down for rate because I don't have to pay another op, but I have been burned when i have shot my primary shot relying on the safety only to find it obstructed or unusable for some other reason. I guess my advice may have come off too heavily against it, I am not against the unmanned cam but I think if you are going to use it you need to shoot like it is a one cam shoot and be glad when the footage on the unmanned works. I use my 3021 for the same deployment but in some circumstances I don't deploy it to the full 8 ft because the high angle can get poor results on the processional if it is too high, but then you run into the tall people issue... live and learn...

So Andrew, Bill is right about the usefulness of the unmanned cam but remember there is a chance the shot won't work and shot your other cam to be ready for it. The 3 or more camera approach makes it safer and lowers the risk but an unmanned camera always has a little risk, so does an op that may not get the shot you need... just my thoughts.

Also,
90% of the time, I am using 3 cams. I always have the third shot on something safe, either a duplicate wide from a different angle or something like musicians, etc. Always count on your primary cam being the only shot. It keeps you on your toes...
Bill

Amen to that Bill, even with a second op, i guess that is good advice...

Thanks guys. So the next wedding I am doing is inside and my last one for a friend for free :). I would like to rent a second XHA1, but the wife says no...so I'll likely be shooting with one XHA1 and an HV20 or HF10. I was planning on using the XHA1 on a tripod from the back and then using the little HF10 as a second shooter to get some processional shots and then set it on a tripod at the front for a low angle shot of the brides and groom. Picture the camera right in front of the mother of the bride on a tripod that is set as low as possible. Does this make sense from your solo shooting experience or would you switch to have the higher quality camera get the up close stuff and use the low quality for wide shots from the back? I know its not the best way to do it, but its what I have...

Thanks guys. So the next wedding I am doing is inside and my last one for a friend for free :). I would like to rent a second XHA1, but the wife says no...so I'll likely be shooting with one XHA1 and an HV20 or HF10. I was planning on using the XHA1 on a tripod from the back and then using the little HF10 as a second shooter to get some processional shots and then set it on a tripod at the front for a low angle shot of the brides and groom. Picture the camera right in front of the mother of the bride on a tripod that is set as low as possible. Does this make sense from your solo shooting experience or would you switch to have the higher quality camera get the up close stuff and use the low quality for wide shots from the back? I know its not the best way to do it, but its what I have...

A lot depends on the actual ceremony setup. I would probably put the better cam with me up front, just off the right hand side of the guest seating so I could shoot closeups of the bride. The lower end cam and shoot down the aisle on a fixed bridal party wide angle. The problem with this is a photographer WILL stand right in front of your camera so you will need to police taht cam every few seconds to make sure no one is screwing with its field of view.

Good luck to you!