Guest out of control
 

Here is what happened to me today.

YouTube - Guest Interference at a wedding.

This lady had no respect for the bride, me or anything we were doing . She was in our way all day and would not accept no for and answer. Thank God we have a clause in our contracts that covers these intrusive rude people. She ruined the brides video with her totally uses less pictures. I did come up to after the ceremony and made sure she knew what she did.

YouTube - Guest Interference at a wedding.

check it out on You-Tube

Our clause states that if your guest get in our way that we are not responsible for the video content. First time this has happened to me in 15 years. It caught me off guard. Will ever happen again.

Some idiots just don't have a clue do they?
I'm seriously thinking of buying some bright orange traffic cones to put around my camera because it seems that some people really are just too retarded to understand the simple dynamics of line of sight etc.

With regard to ruining the brides video...I doubt she cared. As you say, she was rude, intrusive, and would not take no for an answer. Pretty much covers it. In fact, she may have considered your presence validation that *this* was the place to shoot from.

In the 1980's I lived in Austin, TX and enjoyed going to airshows. The Confederate Airforce was doing a show in Hondo, just west of San Antonio, so I went.

I quickly discovered that if I walked up to a plane and lifted my camera to eye level to frame the shot and take a picture, within ~10 to 15 seconds someone would be directly in front of me. It was as if my presence validated that that must be a good viewing point. And this would be were prior to walking up to the aircraft myself, the closest person was probably 50+ feet away. There were a couple of times when I could have easily impaled the person in front of me on the aircrafts nose mounted pitot tube, I was that close to the aircraft - and them. Just lift up a leg and push...no I didn't. I just enjoyed thinking about it.

Perhaps you were restricted as to where you could shoot from?

I know I always co-ordinate that shot with the photog (each take one side of the aisle to come in from), as soon as those opening organ notes hit and everyone stands, I'm right down in front shooting up the aisle unobstructed, usually from a low angle (everyone is looking the other way anyway) - shoot straight up the aisle and pull back as the bride/FoB get close...

I had one wedding that there was a family member thought they were part of the ceremony or something, wandering all over the place and ruining lots of shots... that's when I decided to take out a patent on the monopod/blowgun <wink>.

In the end though, I always have one high mounted safety cam and figure if I have to move to get the shot I've got a cutaway.

FWIW, I'd have been on the other side of the aisle if they were being restrictive, so I could lean out and get the shot... then discreetly switched sides once the bride passed by.

Ultimately you've got to plan on obstructions either human or flora in this biz and be prepared to work around and get the shot anyway, if at all possible. You don't want to be a papparazzi, but you're there to get the shot. I've had occaision to almost literally toss the camera up in the air so it got the needed angle... it was on a support, but got that sucker up quick when I saw the groom "dip the bride" for the first kiss... got the shot...

Guest again
 

It was very restrict and just no room to do much of anything. I do take your comments well. It was just one of those days. By the way we do the photo and video where we are, there just not enough video gigs to be full time, photo as made it a full time biz.

Auto Iris?????

Do you have a cutaway of the groom looking at the bride? Or audience shots? Next time take a long stick and tap people's legs so they scoot over. If they don't, hit em hard in the kneecap.

One of my pet peeves is during the reception when the emcee announces that the cake cutting is next, and that everyone with cameras are invited to come up to the cake and get some pictures.....

I'm sure most of us have encountered guests like this at weddings on one occasion or another...

But regardless of the situation I'd be quite careful putting stuff like this online - particularly the youtube clip. All it takes is a guest from the wedding to google your name, come across this thread and it gets passed around other family & guests like wildfire.

Could potentially be very damaging to your professional reputation...just a thought.

That sometimes happens to me when I'm outside the church at the end of the ceremony, especially at Italian weddings, everybody seems to have a camera then and then I sometimes feel like paparazzi trying to film a celebrity :)
When the bride walks in the church I always do this handheld now, had similar problems as you in the past in small churches and by going handheld I'm preventing that. You can't explain some people that they are blocking the view of a paid videographer and that they can ruin a shot, don't think some understand or care. You just need to assure you got it covered and in this case only a second cam will save you or by going handheld with one camera.

Guest again
 

Hey Matt

When a guest does what she did to us all day, she deserves to be on You Tube. 15 years of taping and never never had a guest like this that would not back down, even after being told. I am just lucky that this bride and groom are cool couple.

What bothers me is that she Just Did Not Care. for the brides feeling. She can google my name until the end of time. She needs to know when to keep her place as a Guest. If she wants to be a video or photo guy she should start her own business.

Guest done
 

I took the video down, just want some input. New plan has been made to avoid this kind of dumb ass in the future. Believe me it wont happen again.

I'm not sure Walt what exactly has happened, since I came here after you took the vid down. I had similar problem last night with bride's father - I think he just got new digital SLR camera and was ALL OVER the ceremony and reception. Actually I think he took more pics then the official photog. I'm not stressing - the bride with have plenty of her daddy on the video :-)

What's the old saying Never work with kids or pet's I suppose adults should be added. I have had similar problems with adult's myself and sometimes the photographer hired to take the photgraphs but here is an easy way to sort that out I just stand right in front of him or her and film thier face explaining to them that i have filmed the back of thier head now I just want to film the front they get the message.

Alan

Walt,
I once had a wedding that was similar, only it was a professional photographer that kept getting into my shots all day and night! Rather than finding ways to fight with him, I kept my cool and began to think of ways to cover myself.

During the ceremony, I was at the back of the chapel shooting down the aisle for the ring exchange. The photographer stepped right into my shot, leaving me with nothing to shoot. I signaled his assistant to tell him to move over a bit. The photographer looked at me but didn't budge. Then during the reception, he kept jumping right in front of me. He knew he was in my shot because the shadow of himself from my camera light fell on the couple.

Sure I was fuming mad, but I thought "I'm a professional videographer." I can't change what is happening to me, but I can't sit and miss the wedding either. I began to think of things I needed to shoot in order to cover myself. So after the ceremony was done, I took the couple back up to the alter and had them re-do the ring exchange. I shot closeups of hands, rings, them looking at each other, etc. During the reception, I made sure I shot lots of extra cutaways.

When it came time to edit, I had tons of shots to cover the photographer. It also made the wedding look like it was a multi camera shoot. The couple absolutely loved it! It really pays to take a deep breath and try to think one step ahead. Once you're caught trying to play catch-up with the situation, you're not a professional videographer anymore.

So..
#1. Take a deep breath. Keep your cool. You won't be able to think straight if you're in a rage. It may seem like the end of the world at the moment, but it really isn't that bad.
#2. Know what shots were blocked or missed, and think of as many cutaways you can use to cover yourself. If you need to re-do something, go ahead and do it. This is the only chance you'll ever have to re-create the moment.
#3. When it comes time to editing, you'll have everything you need to create a beautiful wedding video.

A truly professional videographer can make great videos no matter what kind of obstacles are thrown at them!

Would have love to see the video for a laugh.
"There is nothing stranger than people."

I'm not doing weddings like you guys, but it seems to me that for at least some situations where people potentially can get in the way of a shot, you could go over them.

I've made my tripods to they will go higher than normal.

Also, I have rigged up a mono pod with a full tripod head on (which I've also made a long control handle for), which I can sit on a bracket on a waste belt. It works like a crane - can put the camera up at about 2.4m.

The monopod could do with having one extra section so it could, without any additions, sit on the ground and go decently over the heads of people. I'm planning on making an extra extension that would fit on the bottom and raise it an extra 300mm or so.

Man I wish I was a great videographer :-)

I would have liked to see the "out of control guest" as well... I might be going out on a limb by saying this. But personally if the person is not in my immediate family (brother, sister, mom or dad) I wouldn't even bother taking pictures. Most people take pics and never care to do anything with them. Just an obstacle for people in our profession.

Steve

Wedding guest ?
 

Thank you all for the great ideas. I just never had wedding guest get under my skin.
I guess she got the best of me.

Here is the clip for those who want a laugh.

YouTube - Wedding Guest ?

I'm going to risk the wrath of my colleagues here, but I have to speak up for the collective guests...and Walt, I'm writing to the whole group of us, not just you. I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience dealing with this guest, but since the video was posted, I feel I should comment on what I saw in the clip, apart from what you described. In other words, I'm addressing only what I saw in the clip.

Though I understand your frustration with the "leaning guest", as I've had it happen to me, it seemed from the video that your camera was basically in line with the ends of the pews. This camera placement is really prone to this exact problem. I had the same thing happen a couple times, but quickly changed my strategy so that I am now just a little more out in the aisle and basically beyond the lean of the casual guest-photog. I still occasionally get blocked, and when it does, I'll get a little creative with the editing in order to chop out the offender. However, from the video you posted, the leaner looked to me like an excited guest...and in itself, there's nothing wrong with that. As you described it, this was only the beginning of the problems with this particular guest (which I've never experienced) but I have to wonder if she took what you initially said the wrong way, and in turn made it her mission to become a pest for the duration of the day...regardless of how nicely you approached her.

I've seen some horribly obtrusive guests arm themselves with cameras and step all over what would have otherwise been some beautiful ceremonies and receptions, but I have to remind myself that these people were invited, and therefore deserve to be allowed to get excited about the wedding. This doesn't mean they deserved free reign, but blocking the view of others in order to take a photo is an incredibly common, and more importantly, accepted behavior that we witness at all types of events. I don't remember ever seeing someone shunned by a crowd when they "stepped up to get a quick shot." For a lot of people, special events like a wedding are signified by taking along a camera for the day, so I have to anticipate that those cameras are going to be put to use in exactly the fashion above.

Now combine this commonplace practice with the following...

As we all know, the general public does not understand the necessary conditions for creating a great film, so I have a hard time blaming them for moments like what we saw in the video. Another incident that I so often encounter is the person who decides they must walk past the front of my camera instead of behind it (even though I'm always careful to leave a route of passage behind me). They may even make a half-hearted attempt to stoop out of my field of view, which looks even worse much of the time, but I believe that they truly don't understand what they're doing to the shot. How about people standing so close to our tripod legs that the slightest mis-step (?) would definitely jar the camera. How about when people try to come up and talk to us, and expect us to respond, when we're obviously in the middle of an important shot (generally at a reception)?

There are lesser "problems" that people cause as well, such as an officiant refusing to wear a mic, the impromptu speech giver, the traditional "turning-off-the-lights-in-the-middle-of-the-first-dance", the ceremony that's planned to last 64 minutes (for those shooting on 63 minute tapes), the lack of an audio output from the DJ, and a whole lot more. The thing is, these are only problems to us, the videographers. They're not caused intentionally most of the time, but are in fact exactly what would be par for the course in our absence. So since we're walking into a situation where we need many logistics to be altered for our benefit, it doesn't rattle me when someone accidentally hurts the film in some way by their very act of being a participant. I stay professional, and like others have suggested...I find a way to fix the situation for the best possible results. This is the nature of event videography and a large part of our value is dependent on how we deal with the situations that will necessarily arise unexpectedly. Most people can get the easy shots, but a solid shooter has to be ready to adapt under fire. "It's no fun when it happens..." like we've all said, but it does.

I just finished altering the audio from a grand entrance segment where the DJ loudly shouted out the wrong last name for the parents of the bride. Was it my fault? No. Was the moment shattered? Yes. Did I fix it. You bet.

Alec Moreno
http://www.1Day1ShotProductions.com

Guest ?
 

Greats points thanks, all taken well.

This lady was out of control all day. She even followed us to the off site photo shoot, with her point and shoot camera, 2 different locations.

She was the wedding Video guys Nightmare.


Thanks

I think one of the problems is that some people have no concept of the fact that video is continuously rolling. They have never had a camcorder of any kind in their hands. The lady who blocked your shot seems to be "taking turns" taking photographs with you. She steps out in front of you to take her picture and then she steps back as if "now its your turn to take your picture".

From a practical point of view, you have to assume this type of blocked shot is going to happen and plan for it. Multiple cameras help deal with this even if the other cameras are just fixed on a tripod in strategically selected locations. Another dimension is height. If you can find higher locations for your fixed camera, it is less likely to be blocked. So when you are stuck with a shot of the back of someones head, you can cut to the wider shot when you edit even if its not the best shot, it beats a blocked shot.

The Canon HV-30 is a modestly priced camera that shoots quite well in lighting like in your clip. It's small enough to tuck unobtrusively in places that a bigger camera would be objectionable. But leave it in your bag for a dimly lit reception. It doesn't perform well in really low light.

I think its way overkill, but I recently read about a videographer who rolls six cameras at a wedding, five of which are unmanned and strategically placed. But with the shot "surprises" at weddings, one or two unmanned cameras can save the day.

Duplicate post

How about Out of Control Wait staff
 

I have encountered leaning guest, sadly sometimes it is part of the show. I have never confronted them for fear that they might be a beloved uncle or aunt. And as someone said you should just be more creative during the editing.

Anyway, I shot a wedding last Saturday, how's this for out of control. During the Bride & Groom speech, wait staff decided to place his cart in front of the podium, gathering dishes, then coming back to the cart unmindful of the Speech happening in front of him. No problem as I just did a tight shot while changing angle. I asked my wife to kindly ask the guy to move.

My rant for the day.

I just used a hv30 for the first time Saturday and I'm buying another. They are fantastic to use as unmanned cameras.

The are terrible even in slightly dim light. But they are completely usable for interviews, etc if you have a light on it.

I shoot all small cams (4) currently, and yes, properly equipped, the smaller cams are excellent for multi-angle shoots if you know how to set them up and rig them. I'm waiting on an XR500V to see if it really is as good in low light as it appears, in which case for my market, may just skip getting another "big cam" and watch for a deal on a 5D mkII.

Adding in a small second or third cam and a stout tripod (doesn't need to be fancy with a good fluid head, just has to keep the cam steady, and preferably HIGH to get over the crowd when needed) is cheap insurance...

I tried to watch the video. What's up?

It's up... it's down. It's up... it's down.

"turning-off-the-lights-in-the-middle-of-the-first-dance"

THE. BAIN. OF. MY. EXISTENCE.