I call first hug!

[Clive McLaughlin]

Why can't people just play by the rules? Why does granny think its ok to interrupt the recessional to greet the couple?

Not only does it remove the drama from my shot, but it removes the drama for the couple - I know when I got married - these triumphant joyous walks hand in hand where the moments I cherished.

Password: hug

Private Video on Vimeo

P.S. Its 5am with me and I'm just finished working so I'm well aware that in the cold light of day this may seem petty!

[John Knight]

That selfish biatch!

[Peter Riding]

She might ask why you think its OK to walk directly behind the couple ruining the moment for all the guests!

Reality check :- )

Pete

p.s. I thought it was a sweet moment. As the photographer I would have loved that shot and from where he was actually positioned - its just the sort of thing that gets extra album pages purchased ..... but for a gooseberry smack in the middle :- )

[Clive McLaughlin]

I just wouldn't do it I guess. You must have to think you are pretty special to stop both the people for a hug mid recessional rather than waiting one minute like the rest of the guests.

But yea, I'm well aware that my steadycam shooting at theses times are probably irritating to some but IMO these are my eye catching shots, and the ones that draw my clients to me. They know to expect this.

Its a pretty sweet shot (when its doesn't get stalled that is).

I'll let gran off the hook this time - but as a general rule - our job is so much easier when traditions and patterns are followed! Which is the real point I was making whilst giving a real life example.

[James Manford]

The music sounds dramatic, and then the interruption kicks in.

Sweet yes, but it does ruin the shot in my opinion.

Who who are we ey? the 'paid' help.

[Warren Kawamoto]

20 years from now, that shot of hugging Grandma will be one of the most cherished shots on the entire reel.

[Tim Bakland]

Clive,

Are you sure it wasn't planned? (Some brides have told me prior to the ceremony that something like that was *supposed* to happen).

[Jeff Harper]

The unexpected can be video gold.

I agree with Warren, it will be a cherished shot later on. I think it's unfortunate that your camera did not hold the shot Clive, too bad it kind of went askew somehow.

Can you imagine how a photographer feels when a videographer is directly behind the bride following her down the aisle? I actually had no idea anyone would do such a thing. To each his own, not judging but wow, it's incredibly aggressive.

Now I understand why half of all photographers I meet for the first time hate me on sight!

[Clive McLaughlin]

Jeff, yea normally I just follow for a few steps raising up from the ground like a jib. Rarely do I follow down the aisle. On this occasion, there was very little room and i felt that considering the aisle was only 4/5 metres long, I’d walk it with them.

The photographer stood directly in front of me numerous times during the ceremony by that point and so i maybe wasn’t being as thoughtful as usual in return.

I think i didn’t hold the shot because the rest of the bridal party were following after me, and I really didn’t want to be standing in the aisle among them!


Here’s the highlights by the way…

Password : harley

Private Video on Vimeo

[Paul R Johnson]

Much of what I do get's wrecked by members of the public. Clive speaks of rules, but they're our rules, not theirs. Granny has known half the couple for more years than any of us, and particularly in NI/Eire, Granny is firmly in charge, and can do what she likes. Our plans, contractual requirements and even demands will be honoured if possible. The people who pay for our work are free to wreck it if they wish, and we have to put up with it. I think we must also understand that to these people, our 'wreck' is often not even noticed. All my work comes from theatre, where professionally there are dozens of unwritten rules that the professionals know about, and amateurs and general members of the public don't. It infuriates me when they're ignored, or warnings set to one side, but people just don't play by our rules, though ignorance maybe, but sometimes just because they can't see the reason for a rule. There's no point explaining it, because we appear to them to be awkward or even obstructive. You cannot plan a wedding or an amateur theatre show as if everyone is professional - it's not realistic.

You put hours of planning and effort into something, and then it gets a granny derailment. It's their day, for their family, and in six weeks time, they won't even remember your face if you met them in Tesco. It's just how it is. Annoying though.

With the band weather this week - the roof over the stage leaked, and one of our often used effects is a bleed through a gauze - so when lit from the front it is opaque and the actors perform in front of what looks like a forest, then the lights and the front fade out and ones behind the gauze come up, revealing a cottage where seven dwarfs live - it's really magical. Or rather, was, as the rain poured down the cloth and reacted with the fire retardant leaving a huge stain, and washing the fire retardant into a water mark that set hard and totally unable to let light through. Spoiling totally the look, and causing me a huge extra cost for steam cleaning it each morning to make it less ridiculous looking. The press came in and didn't even notice! To me and the crew it's horrible, dreadful, nasty and ugly. Chatting to a few audience members, I asked them about the scene and nobody noticed it. So far, it's cost me four crew calls to steam it each day - a fortune, plus a new cloth will be about two grand at least, perhaps more - and I have two that are damaged. People really don't see what we see. If I get a chance, I'll try to put up a clip of this part of the show from the wide angle camera.


Link to clip is

Private Video on Vimeo

password snow

EDIT - First time I've used the Vimeo specific preset in Premiere CC, and wow - it's murky. The bleed through can hardly be seen? How weird?

[Jeff Harper]

Very nice Clive, well done!

[Steven Digges]

After watching so many of your guys wedding clips I have come to the conclusion: I have no idea how many women it takes to dress a bride, but I do know how many men it will take to undress her, one groom ;)