Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I will be shooting a wedding with the BMC EF mount on May 5th

I've shot some "prewedding" footage that the couple wanted
here are two


My kit is very simple
besides the essentials such as tripod and monopod I will be using
BMC EF
Rods for holding
Battery Plate
V Mount--150kW which should work out to 7.5 hours
2x 240gb ssds and maybe more

I'll update the thread as I get closer and my experiences

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I take it you shoot pro-res? The first one looked great, had to laugh with the silhouette of the couple against the lake at the end, at a certain moment it looked like a a person with 4 arms :)
The second one I didn't like the color, looked there was way too much blue in it?

What have you been using before the bmc to shoot weddings? Don't you find it's form factor with no actuall switches or fysical buttons difficult to handle? I guess with a prewedding you have all the time to set up your shots but would you feel as comfortable shooting in more time stressing run and gun situations or do you shoot with 2 persons?
Also do you plan to use a second camera in such a case and which one?

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I agree--i do like the first one too!
the second I used a new LUT that seems to work well on some shots and required tweaks on another. I sold my copy of Resolve 9 Full though but the lite is fine for now.

Prior to the BMC I had a GH3 (for one week), and essentially a GH2 (wow I really don't like the look of the prior weddings--bad audio and such).
For previous weddings though we either had only 1 camera or since we're very new, one of my camera man did not know how to record well (though we did go over how to film) which meant that that left me with less footage. For this next one though I'll be filming using the BMC. I have a pocket on preorder and will ultimately end up with
2x Pocket Cams
1 2.5K MFT or 4K, haven't decided.

This is ultimately the first wedding that is "full fare" and will encompass the whole day. I'm want to put in some aspect of tension and anxiety (maybe fear) but we'll see how that goes. If all the gear arrives then I'll post another thread on a full BMC wedding.

All was shot in RAW--Its very easy for me to edit/grade using my workflow then compress in cineform. My main desktop is extremely high end but I edit 90% on my retina macbook since I find that I like to edit when I'm moving.

For the upcoming wedding though since I don't want to get another EF, I'm going with a BMC and 1 GH3, and most likely a 2nd GH3. I'll be shooting the majority in ProRes but some will be in RAW. The form factor is not a problem for me since I have rigged it up in a manner that makes it simple to shoot---but I don't like run/gun (my brother does) I prefer tripod or monopod.Oh and all my lenses are manual so I don't use the touchscreen too often--its much easier to control that way.
The annoying thing is the LCD and how its not articulating.

This is another thing shot on it but I don't like the shakiness and the grading does differ--I wanted to play around with it (no sharpness is applied)

I prefer the look of this the most

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I'm with Noa in liking the 1st video; there's a wonderful shot at 22 secs that I particularly like that's only slightly let down by a black dot in the sun - I read a review on the BMC that highlighted this as an issue with the camera and hope it's not a problem for the Pocket version.

I admit to not seeing the BMC as a Wedding camera despite the amazing footage it can yield, and several reviews including Philip Bloom have only confirmed this opinion, so full marks that you're bucking the trend and using it anyway. It's a brave decision and I'm very intrigued to see how your 1st big Wedding using the BMC turns out.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

yes, the look of the last clip was very nice, warm natural colors. From what I see in other bmc clips from other users is that achieving the right color or tone is tricky and not that easy to get right. If I would have to shoot with a bmc I would worry about using any other b camera as the bmc has a quite distinct look, especially in raw and it would be hard to find a matching camera, unless you probably would get the pocket camera. I would like to see footage of a wedding shot with bmc pocket camera's only, if you just record your audio seperately, that should be perfectly possible and for a very small budget. Think I"m not the only one that wants to see how it performs. :)

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

much thanks!

and yep its the blacksun spot--i'm going to remove it and reupload tomorrow--of all the shots looking at the sun only that one has the spot--

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Of course haha!

I find that there are some good LUTs out there that once applied make grading quite easy or you can just add in contrast/saturation and its roughly there--but having raw is like having an itch--you have to play around/scratch it haha.

For the majority of the wedding I'll be recording with an avantone/ntg3 through a Mix Pre D and if possible PA + some wireless

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Brave man for using a Blackmagic to film Weddings ...

I wouldn't have the balls to do it. The form factor scares me to death, even though the quality is to die for!

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Footage are beautiful for the most part, but a 30 seconds, there are tons of aliasing in the water, you can clearly see colors dancing in the dark area of the water.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Whoops I double posted...

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

So, why use the bmcc? I didn't see anything in that bunch that couldn't have been shot with a mkIII with a lot less kit. I hear everyone talk about potential with this cam but I'm just not seeing anything very different.
Bill

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Well there's a lot to say. but how would it be cheaper?

My blackmagic cinema after selling resolve is $2100 (2700 via TMS - 700 for Resolve 9)

lanparte battery pack is $180 or you can get the off brand for $100
150Kw v mount for $150

shoots 8 hours assuming you have enough SSD (480gb will give you 6-7 hours in Prores).

everything else is the same. Prores trumps the 5D's .mov. Blackmagic is sharper. Prores can be in RAW. and DR is 12 stops--which is HUGE over 5d--if I upload the 2.5k still, it will look much sharper, better color than a 5d.

Though I do have to hand the 5d for lowlight--something I would miss.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Bill, check out this video to get a better visual idea of the differences:

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Ok. I've seen all that. still not convinced.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I don't think anyone should try to convince anyone. It's about personal preferences and expectations. The video I shared was just to show the differences in results that both cameras produced during the tests.

Doing proper research to understand our gear before investing in it is important if you don't want to waste money. It's up to you to choose the tool that best suits your needs, not what others tell you.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I was watching a wedding film (a family friends).

The videographer edited the video really well, the rest of the family where saying how everythings too fast and the film isn't that good.

Now as a editor / videographer myself, I understood why he had to edit the way he did ... because he wasn't using a large sensor camera, so it wasn't cinematic. So he made up for the documentary style with lots of editing techniques that must of took a long time to do as it went with the music and everything.

My point is ... steady, crisp image quality where the bride can see people's reactions, her dress etc is better than a lot of unnecessary editing.

So if that means the MK3 is easier to handle and will enable you to capture essential shots easier ... BUY THAT CAMERA and not the BMC. The difference between the two isn't much!

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

That comparison between the BMCC & the 5D3 has been used to beat up the 5D3 as it is playing to the BMCC's strengths.You could shoot another comparison video in low light where the 5D3 would be the clear winner.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I think what's important when watching video samples or footage comparison is to avoid trying to find a winner/loser but to look at what each camera has to offer and what we personally think fits our needs. And never just make your decision only based on one video. Go out there and test the cameras out to see if you like it. It's the best way to know.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Like I always try to point out, we talk about technical details of quality like they are vital. We all know they are not. They are if you are bothered about being competitive with each other. But they arn't vital in terms of our businesses. Clients want excellent creativity, excellent shots, excellent attitude during the day, excellent timelines and yet they probably only want satisfactory video quality.

Note: When I say satisfactory I mean very good, sharp, clear, and no noise. IMO things like an upgrade from a 5Dmk2 to a 5Dmk3 will not improve your profitability. Not unless you convince the client that it is vastly superior, despite the fact she probably wouldnt be able to spot the superiority.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

+1--agreed

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

All the same upgrading your camera can be a worthwhile investment. I was running a 60d and gh2 last year and added a gh3 this year. The new camera has 50p, great for slow motion shots, weather sealed - very useful for the UK and better low light - not as good as a Mark III, but the weddings I've done this year I've had to use Neat Video a lot less and since that adds hours in rendering, my workflow is faster as a result. I'd imagine an upgrade from a Mark II to a Mark III would pay similar dividends. I'm interested in the Pocket BMC purely for the greater dynamic range which could aid in some outdoor high contrast shots that I struggle to colour grade in post. Ultimately a camera is no more than a tool of our trade and we pick the one we feel most happy with. It's all personal preference in camera selection.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

I think we all know by now a bmc camera shoot's with a higher DR, outputs a higher res image and allows you to show color gradients that where never possible before in any camera at it's current price class. The same should apply for the pocket camera but that still remains to be seen. From all user videos I have seen so far I can only conclude it takes a experienced user to get the most from this camera.

I am very interested in the pocket version and if it can deliver I plan to get it for personal projects, if it proves to shoot a high quality image I don't see why I should not be using it in high contrast scenes like Steve pointed out, I can't wait to see how it will handle a bright white dress when the bride stands in the glaring sun and guests in the shade in one and the same shot. In that case it will become just another cheap tool in the box for those particular outdoor situations.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

A couple posts back a few of you mentioned you're afraid of the form factor for shooting weddings. I am going to guess that you mean run-n-gun? Noa said he shoots on a tripod or monopod, with a rails rig setup, I don't see how using the BMCC or BMPCC would be much different (other than perhaps weight and only by a little bit for the BMCC) over any DSLR.

My rig, which consists of a canon t2i, Lanparte rails rig (matte box, cage/handle bar, under bar handles for shoulder mount, shoulder pad, 130Kw battery with HDMI splitter base, follow focus), my DR-40 audio recorder, Shuttle 2 HDMI recorder, 2 boom mics, weighs about 20 lbs. I can shoulder mount it, but it's too heavy to use for a long period of run-n-gun.. although to be fair I've never tried nor have I balanced it right with say a weight (and/or battery) behind my shoulder to center-balance it on my shoulder. I am adding an IKAN 8" monitor soon as well.

So if you can tripod mount your rig, I see nothing to worry about compared to using any DSLR. Hopefully BlackMagic will provide some sort of android/iphone app to control the cameras sooner than later as well.


@Noa, you mentioned something about audio but I didn't quite get how you are handling it. I am sure you know well enough not to use the mics on the camera itself. Do you use a H4N or DR-40 with boom mics or something similar?

I would consider shooting a wedding if I knew how to get in and around all the people and what to shoot. It seems like it would be fun.. however, the hours involved in shooting, meeting, editing, etc.. is not worth the $1K to $3K most videos go for around the area I live in. Especially if you pay for an assistant or two to help with mics/lights/etc. I am however thinking with a pair of the pocket cameras and good low-light capable lens, they may tip the balance a little bit. I am still not sure about how you get lav mics wired up on the bride/groom for good audio during the ceremony though... especially the bride as her dress is more likely more difficult to hide a mic in/on.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

Form factor -- I personally think there's not all that much difference. Definitely DSLR is better (no external battery, has a grip for hand-holding when you need to, no touching the same screen you're using for focus). And definitely a proper camcorder is better than DSLR!

I think the main thing that makes me cautious for using BMCs in weddings (apart from low light) is lack of manual controls. Run'n'gun means adjusting a lot of things on the fly. ISO, aperture, shutter, even frame rates. And there are other things DSLRs do that I appreciate. You can set them to shutter priority for some sort of auto iris effect when you have to. You can take stills when you have to. You can auto focus when you have to. Etc.

But I'm sure all these inconveniences in using BMCs are surmountable, and it's definitely not a bad idea to carry one for contrasty environments. Looking forward to what Note and other people will produce with them.

Re: Shooting a wedding with a Blackmagic
 

The main part of my audio is handled externally through recorders (a tascam dr40, zoom h1, yamaha c24 and a iriver)
I think the main issue with the bmc for weddings is that, like Adrian points out, lack of manual controlls, everything you do needs to be done through the touch screen, can't see that happening in run and gun if you need to make a quick change. A dslr is not very good either at that but at least you do have some physical buttons to quickly make some changes.

The only camera I see as an option to take with me at a wedding is the bmc pocket version for very specific controlled shots where you have harsh contrasts, like sunny outdoor shots at a reception or even a photoshoot but that's about it.

There are more and more user videos appearing on vimeo from the bmc, several of them look as if they where shot with a cheap camera, that again proves me many people buy the camera because it's cheap and because they think it will give them that much desired cinematic look but it takes much more then the camera alone to achieve that, skill is one aspect needed.