Slow Motion
 

I was just wondering about the usage of slow motion in our wedding short video clips that we produce. What are the thoughts of you guys here? Is it advisable to use this feature extensively or not at all? I know that if you want to emphasise a scene it is advisable to slow that particular scene down so as you can get the maximum feeling out of that, on the other hand I haven't seen in movies trailers this feature (slow motion) to be used often. Is there a % figure that is acceptable in these type of video clips. and if you use slow motion, how slow is acceptable? What are your thoughts in this subject?

Stelios

To paraphrase Ed Asner: "You can't put too much slow motion into a wedding video". :)

I only use slow motion in the highlights video. Sometimes I also create a photo session video in slow motion too. I don't do slow motion in the main movie.

Trailers have to jam as much "excitement" into a :30 second "spot" as possible, no time to slo-mo... heck, some of the "Hollywood" trailers now are cut so fast, you have to pick them up subliminally! Am I the only one who sometimes asks "what was that movie about again?"

I usually find I use a bit of slow motion to "fill" when my clip is a bit short, or (better) to emphasize certain moments, but I'd almost describe it as a "workaround". There are points where you want to show the bride "glowing", and it can be really effective for that. It can be effective for the bouquet/garter toss too.

Chris Sorry but who is Ed Asner? Are you talking about the American film and television actor? Edward Asner?

Stelios

Yes, that Ed Asner. It's from a mid-80s Saturday Night Live skit where Asner played a retiring nuclear plant manager. His parting words of advice were "Remember, you can't put too much water into a nuclear reactor" which caused the employees to ponder the ambiguous nature of his comment - whether he meant that you shouldn't put too much water in, or if you should put in as much as you can. The result was a nuclear meltdown visible from his vacation in Hawaii where he told a barmaid "You can't look too long at a nuclear explosion."

I was just illustrating the ambiguity of any response I would give - as if one could say "use 4 minutes of slow motion, at exactly 72% of normal speed."

Slo-mo is simply one effect in an arsenal of effects available to you. Basically I use as much as looks good and as slow as looks good.

I have to say I regard slow motion as something that is almost always used (by others) to cover up a lack of footage, poor footage, wobbly footage or just so hackneyed it makes me cringe.

Same thing about black-and-white.

Haven't you guys got any other ideas, rather than copy each other all the time? Said slightly tongue-in-cheek, but not much! :-)

My God, that's the most obscure comedic reference I've ever heard -- and it works on so many levels!

Dennis Miller has nothing on you! Kudos.

(I have to say I regard slow motion as something that is almost always used (by others) to cover up a lack of footage, poor footage, wobbly footage or just so hackneyed it makes me cringe. )


I have used slow motion(It can add impact!) as well as fast motion, and whilst I keep it minimal,because I like to keep my films flowing in real time, I'm afraid I use it for none of those reasons you mention! Sorry....

Cheers.

Martin, I also agree with John, I don't really think that the majority of people are using slow motion for the above reasons, maybe a tiny fraction do. I think people using it mostly because others do and also to make an impact of a certain scene.

Stelios.

re
 

my latest teaser was all slo mo and the feedback was quality


Mark and Maxine Teaser on Vimeo

luke

Although a bit late, I would like to add something to the conversation...

Basically I don't know if someone has to put rules at whether slow motion is better to use than normal motion and vice versa. You make a video and it is judged by the couple and the rest of the fellow videographers that will see it. I have seen amazing highlights videos that were running at 50% speed and mediocre normal motion videos (and of course vice versa).

Some people say that "it's old-school stuff" or "if you want to go cimenatic, you can't go slo-mo". And then movies like "Braveheart" or "Last Samurai" come to mind, where the slo-mo stuff is used to add tension or drama. Deal, movie-making is a different thing (no matter how much we'd like to believe it's not) but the particular effect I like to see in movies (when it has reason to exist of course).

I watch many wedding videos on the Net, and I am sorry to say, lately I've got a little bored. Ok, there are always amazing stuff to see, but in most cases, repetition and overloading of the market (technique-wise) is what I mostly notice. And then lately I discovered a European guy that was working with slow motion stuff. Well, this guy was a revelation (to me)! Despite the -supposedly- old technique, this guy is now a master to my eyes (he's also by far the best editor I've seen in the wedding market). That proves -to me at least- that if you've got it, slow motion or normal motion, it doesn't make a difference. It's the vision that counts.

BTW, that guy is Robert Balasko from Croatia and he totally rocks. Check out some of his samples to see what I mean (no, I don't get paid from him :) )!

Art-Studio.tv Teaser 2009 on Vimeo

Luana & Mladen wedding trailer on Vimeo

Gypsy wedding trailer on Vimeo

Know what you mean Martin. I had such an unsmiling bride's mother at one wedding that the one grimace of a smile I caught had to be slowed to 40% as a proof that it could actually happen to her face.

As to a slo-mo b & w montage - well, carefully done and cut to the track is a great customer love. However much we see it as old fashioned and unoriginal, the fairy princess bride has never in all her 25 years seen herself look so beautiful, flowing, romantic and starlet-like.

The customer is always right, so the customer gets the slo-mo b & w montage from me. I know what pays the bills.

tom.

Dimitris,

Wow! Thanks for posting. That is some great stuff. I love that Gypsy Wedding. No question this guy is very talented.

Can't say I agree with that. Slow motion used well can be a great way to enhance the effect of a shot.

I disagree again. B&W forces one to look with fresh eyes at a clip, can evoke nostalgia, can be useful for making a section stand out, for all kinds of uses. It was good enough for Scorsese and Spielberg.

You mean like the cheesy page-turn transition you used about 40 times on your website demo? Never saw that one before...