Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

I'm lucky enough that my wife comes along and is my second shooter. It makes the company part that much better.

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

Usually when people get married here (in Cyprus) they invite as many as they can (even the postman,..)_and this can be really up to 5000 people. Why? very simple , to get money when they come to congradulate them. The minimum that you give to the wedding couple is 20-30 Euro. So imagine how much money they on heir wedding night. This is a great help for a young couple.


stelios

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

I'm sure it is a great help. They can pay for a great videographer like you! ;-)

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

But then they still have to feed and give 5000 people something to drink?

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

Noa
What they usually give to these people is snacks and drinks (wine, beer) Usually they start at about 7pm till 9:30pm,then after that at around 10pm have a sit down supper for about 250 - 350 close friends and relatives. This goes on until about 1 after midnight.

stelios

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

That's quite amazing, that's about a small village that shows up on their wedding :) must be a hugh venue.

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

Noa
Yes it is and if it's in a village then the WHOLE village as well as some people from nearby villages are invited.
You can see some clips from my blog here: SC Videos


stelios

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

here is US, we call it "table to table toasts" --the one with the box full of envelopes

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

I started off with a 2nd shooter and I've always worked that way. we split up for prep, meet up at the church where he concentrates on the groom & family shots in the church while I wait for the bride - we both stick to close-ups of the couple with a 3rd camera on a lightstand getting the wide shot

we don't do the photoshoot

reception is both of us getting different angles with a wide shot on the guests, speeches have 1 camera on the bride & groom, 1 on the speaker and the wide on the guests.

my 2nd sticks with me the whole night and helps pack up and reminds me what I've forgotten " Did you get that recorder on the lecturn?"

I have an arrangement with the local uni, they recommend suitable 2nd & 3rd year film students and I take them on. some are crap - others are bloody great!

equip is pretty much the same as everyone else

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

Bride Prep (1st Shooter): Tripod+GH1+50mm f/1.2 <-----shoulder-mount equipped, as well.
Camera Sling+GH2+14mm f/2.5

With such light equipment, I simply use the tripod as a monopod and even bi-pod when space is tight. Don't see the reason to bring extra gear when I don't have to. I use the GH2+14mm slung around my shoulder to pick shots super quickly and easily, kind of my sidearm. With the 14mm and post-stabilization, it's wide enough to do steadicam-like shots very quickly and effectively.

Groom Prep (2nd shooter): Tripod+GH1+50mm f/1.4 and 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5

Ceremony: 1st Shooter covers bride walking down isle. Tipod used as bi-pod. GH2+50mm.
2nd Shooter covers groom's reaction. Tripod+14-140mm lens.
3rd Camera: GH1 + whatever lens necessary shooting down the isle.

With a third stationary camera, the 2nd shooter and I can make as many camera moves as necessary without regard for the other. Also, with the GH2's extended tele mode, I can turn my 50mm into a 130mm lens in 10 seconds, without light loss or quality loss. This is great for bigger churches.

Photoshoot: Me again, with same setup as bridal prep.

Reception: Similar to Ceremony with my 2nd shooter except we're both on 50mm lenses+Voigltander 25mm f/0.95

For every wedding, I bring my camera slider and glidecam, but they never leave the car trunk because of the setup time. Also, sliders require either more gear, or a heavier, bulkier tripod... I think if/when I acquire a 4th camera body, I will attach it to my glidecam and leave it there all day. So I can just pick it up, shoot, and put it down.

The best video monopod:Manfrotto 561BHDV1
 

This single tool has helped me get better shots in tight spaces and also be mobile and steady.
I do use my Sachtler ACE for the ceremony for a second camera but I use this monopod (the feet at the bottom do help with more steady shots and reduce the chances of the monopod slipping) for the main camera (sometimes a Canon XHA1s and even a Canon XF300!) the head is not as smooth as a Sachtler ACE but with care it can give good results.
I find it that I use it 70% of the time and then the tripod with a Hagee light slider which I use with a Canon T3i.
I considered getting a Blackbird or Merlin but since I shoot mostly solo...well...that's just complicating things too much. The slider helps add some spice to videos for sure and much easier to set up with the tripod.
E
Fandango Video Productions | Wedding Event Videography Toronto | Corporate Video Production Toronto | Quinceanera video Toronto, GTA

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

Now that my 5D3 is my main DSLR this is what I do now with my 5D2 & 16-35mm F/2.8L. At a pinch I can even just stand the Glidecam on the floor shooting a wide locked off shot.

Re: Break Down Your Days Shooting Setup
 

My setup constantly changes... I'm a DSLR shooter... Almost always shoot with two videographers. My friend on a Merlin the whole day. I'm basically on a monopod the entire day.

But some variations:

-- Bride and groom prep -- sometimes I'll go to an Edelkrone DSLR rig or completely handheld, trusting in a Z-finder and the IS on the lens to smooth the shot out. Times to go handheld include: when it's crowded in a bride's bedroom, and/or you're getting some strange, un-monopodable angle, like from below or from above or close to the ground or when standing on a bed.

-- Sliders and skater dollies and Cineskates are also more likely to get used during bride and groom prep than anywhere else. GoPro occasionally comes out here.

-- Ceremony: at the moment, we usually cover with two cameras on tripods, and one camera switched between steadicam and tripod; more cameras on tripods when we can get 'em.

-- Photoshoot: used to go nuts and take everything. And that really hurt. Walking around with a heavy tripod and a slider attached, with a steadicam curled around your neck. Now it's just monopod and steadicam. When it's too windy, steadicam gets swapped out for tripod-mounted slider. GoPro occasionally comes out here.

-- Reception: tripod coverage for speeches. At least one or two on tripod during first dance. Monopod and steadicam for most everything else.