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How exactly does it work? You obviously can't get a part-timer who is nothing to do with your business to happily commit to a random date 18+ months in the future - can you?

I worry that if I offered it, I'd find myself running around frantic last minute trying to find somebody who was free to shoot with me.

Or do you have a clause in your contract that second shooter depends on availability and final balance will be reduced in the event a second shooter cannot be found?

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If you worry you might not be able to get someone or might fear he would not show up then I would not take the risk to offer it.

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But lot's of people do it. Especially photographers I know. I see it all the time on facebook etc... "I need a second shooter this Saturday - whose free?"

But then there's many more of them to call upon. Cinematographers are still fairly rare in my country that most of us manage to keep busy enough with our own bookings.

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Clive you have tapped a nerve here - currently i offer 2 prices for bridal prep - one where it`s at the same location at the ceremony, and a higher price where at a different location as my wife has to come along and film the last half hour or so as i head off down to the church

Problem is even though she's self employed she might be getting a new contract that means weekend work so i'm thinking along the same lines as you - i need someone reliable that i can book for possibly 18 months in the future for just a few hours on a saturday - a hard sell!

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I think you know as well as I that to shoot a wedding it is very hard to find someone with the right skill and wedding experience and someone that has the right equipment, expect to get burned when your second shooter who you never shot with before misses important shots, takes out of focus, overexposed and badly framed shots or shows up too late or not at all at the wedding.

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Guys? It is so simple ... Just find a woman half the age of your current wife who used to be a fashion model but decided to get loads of experience as a videographer and then dump the missus and marry the model..problem solved!!

I had the very same issue as Clive and Noa suggested with 2nd shooters so I eventually did without them! If I have to do prep some distance away I simply leave earlier so I get to the ceremony at least 30 minutes before it's due to start. You really cannot expect someone to commit to a date months ahead never mind years for the chance just to earn a small amount of money. The only real solution is to use your partner/spouse or just do it solo.

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Hey Clive, around here there's plenty of companies that seldom work with fewer than two videographers. And there's other companies, for instance Indian wedding specialists, who need to be able to have more than one team operating at the same time, because of the way Indian weddings are structured. But pretty much none of these companies is big enough to be able to employ people full time. So there is a demimonde of shooters, myself among them, who freelance for a number of companies.

What sort of people do this? Video enthusiasts. Photographers. Film students and recent graduates. And sometimes people who freelance for the film and TV industry as a full or part time job.

How to find a second shooter... Well, sometimes you do find someone willing to commit 18 months in advance. But you'll quite easily be able, anyway, to find people willing to commit one month in advance.

The main solution is to have a little black book of names you can call on. In my case, the names on my list are people whom I've worked with while freelancing, so I know what they're like. But if you're building a black book from scratch, one place to start is with recommendations from other video companies as to who's reliable.

You can also go the route of the open cattle call on Craigslist (or Gumtree or Starnow in Australia), and you'll be flooded with eager responses, most of whom have never shot a wedding before. But there will likely be some diamonds there. It's then up to you to be able to meaningfully sort through the list, and it's also up to you to prepare them properly for the day and to supervise them on the day. Ask them to come along and be an observer at a wedding first, before you let them loose on the first paid job.

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Wow! that is a scary way to do things Adrian. Start looking for a second shooter just a month before the wedding and maybe someone you have never even worked with before?? Surely that's inviting disaster?

The only sensible way is to have a permanent second shooter who you can trust and will do what's asked of them producing good work. This means they will attend every wedding with you and be your working partner on not only big jobs but also small ones ... a permanent team

Looking thru your list of possible shooters just 30 days before the wedding and hoping they are good and available is a very dangerous way to do it surely. What happens if no one is available???

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I have to agree with Chris, you need someone to rely on, not just some random freelancer with a camera, weddings are not exactly a playground to do some experimenting and hope it will turn out alright. I have been burned 3 times the past years asking for a second shooter, one of them had a 5D and shot primarily corporate and his portfolio looked ok yet he managed to overexpose a shot that badly it was almost not recoverable, what made it even worse was that he had plenty of time to prepare for that shot (the first meet of the couple) and I asked him to shoot wide and just keep the camera still and well framed. It was a cloudy day and he had plenty of space to take his shot. I was shooting from indoors to get the grooms reaction)
A lot more looked like that, overexposed, wobbly handheld shots, wrong whitebalance inside and I can go on.

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You'd have to be pretty bad to get severe blow-out on a cloudy day!

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Apart from practical temporal or geographical reasons e.g. shooting bridal prep & groom prep simultaneously most weddings don't need two photographers & it matters little whether the second shooter images are any good or not as they won't be needed. Having said that there is an enormous pool of competent wannabee wedding photographers who are prepared to work for very little or even nothing in order to gain experience or build a portfolio. The skills required for a video second shooter are vastly different to those of a second photographer.

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Well, I usually try to book people further than one month in advance. But one trick is that you've got enough names in your little black book -- maybe a dozen, two dozen people -- and you've worked with all of them before. So, even if you start looking just a month out from the wedding, it's unlikely you're going to be caught out.

I guess the main problem with that is that it's a sort of eggs in one basket situation. What if that person becomes unavailable? Then you're left leafing through your little black book again. So I'd suggest that having a stable of reliable people is better than having just one permanent second shooter. There's also the problem that if you want someone to be "faithful" to you, and free whenever you call, you have to be giving them regular enough work that they can afford not to freelance with other people, and that's not necessarily the easiest thing either.

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Over 30 years, the only second shooters I have had are those that I have been training to become solo shooters when I was running a bigger business. My wife only works with me when we just have one photo/video package on to lighten the load, otherwise we both work solo.

I've never felt the need for a second shooter if solo shooting is planned well. I have occasionally been asked to film the bride leaving the house for the church or venue, but always explain that I like to leave the preps before the bride is in her dress, so that her first appearance in the dress, is with Dad in the car as the star of the show. It has never caused a problem and brides seem to like that idea that it is all about the glamour of that first arrival.

With modern lightweight equipment, small cameras for different angles and remote control, I just don't need a second shooter. If you can plan your strategy to work without one, you will not be building potential problems or missed shots as Noa said. I also feel that if you use a second shooter regularly, you will start to rely on having one and begin to believe that you can't manage without.

Just my opinion of course :-)

Roger

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I shot with a 2nd shooter back in March; it was my first time working that way and to be honest it sort of made me lazy in some parts thinking that I didn't need to work so hard. I've been booked next year for a Wedding where a 2nd shooter has been requested, so look forward to doing better. For things like covering Groom and Bridal Preps at the same time, I think its necessary; maybe for the Photo Session, covering that whilst the other is inside getting table decorations, though most Weddings I can flip back and forth inbetween with no trouble.

Really its those Weddings where the pace can be quite fast, where I miss a 2nd shooter. Church Weddings that allow less than an hour arriving at the Reception to grab your shots before they go in for the meal. As Roger said, careful planning can eliminate many issues. There are a still a few Weddings I can look back on and know that even with the best planning that I did, I could have done a much better video with a 2nd shooter.

I have a list of people that I've worked with before; necessary really for cover if I was ever taken ill. So I've got assistance when needed.

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I started using 2nd shooters about two years ago and to be perfectly honest I think it was just a status thing .. they gave me issues (despite having a Uni degree) and I realised that I was paying someone simply because I wanted to show off and be the "boss" ..I stopped about 3 months later after going thru about a dozen shooters.

Now, seriously, do you REALLY need a 2nd shooter ?? If so I would like to know why and what they do that you cannot do yourself?? Even for prep (what I used them for) there is nothing wrong with doing the guys early and then doing the girls so I can not think of any wedding where having a 2nd shooter was a make or break situation!!

Please tell me ???

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I can never do prep on my own (unless it's at the same venue as the ceremony) as the girls getting into the dresses is always too late - I need to get off to the church before they do this so leave my other half to finish off, but I'd much rather do it myself, or have someone that really knows what they are doing to get really good footage - despite my best coaching her shots are just ok but do the job. The other thing is I'd hate to get to the church after the guests have started to arrive and then start to set up - way too stressful as that's one thing I like to film, also church car parks over here are usually tiny so once the guests have started to arrive you've then got parking issues combined with a mega quick setup time - I'm getting a stress just thinking about it!

Maybe the way forward to guarantee taking on bridal prep (very rarely do groom prep - only been asked once this year) is to do it where it's the same location as the ceremony

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Hi Pete

If the girls are getting ready at home and the ceremony is a say 2:30pm, the limo will probably pick them up at 2:00pm ...What I do is tell the bride that I need to be 30 minutes ahead of the limo so I'm outa here at 1:30pm ..I need you to be in your dress by 1:15pm latest!! That way I can do prep ..do the dress lace up and the jewellery going on and I'm gone. Admittedly I miss the bride leaving the house getting into the car but because I'm 30 mins ahead I can be set up and sitting on the kerb waiting for her to arrive with time to spare. They never query me about this at all ...Why can't you leave prep 30 minutes before the bride does???

Chris

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Chris, its seems silly to be saying this to someone as experienced as yourself, but not every Wedding runs to the same schedule, nor are the couples needs identical. Guys don't need as long to get ready, so turning up early to film their Preps can be a case of filming them playing football in the garden. I know, I had this in June. As I was only asked to cover Groom Preps, I could stick around until 2 hours before the Wedding when they quickly got dressed and left. Bridal Preps were 3/4 of their way done by this time. Not to mention the distance between Preps can be a 45 minute journey - had that too. A 2nd shooter could follow them to church and get their arrival.

Then there's setting up equipment in the church and capturing guests arrivals. Yes possible as 1, easier with 2. Sending the 2nd shooter early to the reception whilst I filmed the couples departure. I could take my time and not attempt to overtake the car as I frequently do and get their arrival at the venue. Now I agree shots like this are not make or break, but some of my clients have requested it. With planning I can do this, often with the couple stopping on route, but its still a potential issue. I can think of several Weddings where a 2nd shooter would have paid dividends.

So really its a case of the kind of video you're producing and what value you place on certain shots. I shoot alone very successfully, but I'm not so foolish as to feel a 2nd shooter wouldn't bring some advantages in the right occasion.

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Hi Steve

Fair enough ..UK weddings might be a lot different to ours. Also bear in mind that we have probably a 78% to 22% ratio of outdoor civil weddings to Church weddings which are easier to set up!. However I did base my observations on Church weddings and here (in fact 2 days ago) I left the bride's house at 1:30 exactly and got to the Church and had the gear in the Church by 2pm ...the bride actually pulled to a halt at 2:25 but I was ready and waiting by 2:15pm Yes you are right about being different! I have had my gear piled up outside the Church door just 15 minutes before the start time as the priest reckoned it would only take the guests 5 minutes to be seated so opened the doors at 2.25 on that occasion!! Note however I do have a helper (is that cheating?) My photog rides with me and helps carry stuff so it is a bit easier for me.

I still failed to see a few years back why a second shooter was justified though .. I had one girl who was excellent and actually had a brain but I only kept her until the end of the ceremony on shoots.

If in fact, a second shooter is a huge asset surely it would be a wise move to employ them in ALL your weddings and pay them (adjust package pricing accordingly of course) At least that way you keep the same person, iron out their faults and quirks and also give them a steady income too?? That surely would make them more reliable throughout the year and be a little safer than using Adrian's black book technique??

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I need at least an hour at the ceremony venue before it kicks off. I hardly ever get footage of the bride getting laced up. And none of them seem to mind.

They'd rather I go footage of guests arriving and a nervous looking groom along with setting up all my camera and audio gear.

If I had a second shooter they could stay longer. They could also cover groom. They could also do room shots while I'm at photoshoot. They could spend the speeches concentrating on spying out laughing faces or tears being wiped away.

But yea, I'd probably also be looking to cash in truth be told. An add-on price of 500, and pay the second shooter only part of it. A fee that covers the setup and arrangement and the extra edit time with more footage etc...

That said, out of the top 10 'cinematographers' in my locality, only two others apart from me are solo shooters. It makes you think. I'm obviously making more money despite the fact they charge a good bit more, since there's only one of me to get paid.

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To be honest Chris, a 2nd shooter is a valuable asset to some Weddings, but not all. I think couples paying extra for something you don't need half the time seems a bit much. I'd rather give them the choice; it is their video. Many Grooms don't want their Preps covered for instance, quite a few Brides too. I have Ceremony to 10pm packages which are quite popular ad where a 2nd shooter is unnecessary.

As for getting to the church; not sure what traffic is like in your part of the World, but here it is a nightmare. Midday Saturday, gridlocked. I've left an hour before and arrived 20 minutes before the Ceremony for what should be a 25 minute journey. I've had Brides arrive an hour late due to traffic. I keep advising them to have their preps closer, but for some to save cash, they get ready at their Parents place, which is some distance from the church.

And no I don't have a helper; it would I feel make a difference. It's funny how you and Roger argue against second shooters, yet both work with a 2nd person quite frequently, even if only in a Photography capacity. Having someone else on your side is surely a bonus.

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To be honest from this side Steve ..I do like to be shooting with someone ..it's nice to have company even if it's your photog so I'm not doubting that at all!!

I just don't see why the guys are getting a 2nd shooter at the last minute? If you want to shoot with a partner be it video or photos (Roger and I often chop and change) surely it's worth having a permanent partner, be it you wife or a freelancer, so at least you have reliability and of course the facility to adjust prices so you are not out of pocket.

OK, I do see your traffic issue too .. Most of our venues are out of the city where the congestion is minimal, so we seldom have your situation. That must be very frustrating and very difficult for timing too!

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Last year I filmed in a town that had no parking over 2 hours - that was a nightmare as I'm always at the church longer than that - arrive one hour before the ceremony/one hour catholic service and photos in the church garden!

But back to second shooter - aside from the prep that we've already discussed, just someone to fetch and carry if the speeches are before the meal is is a massive plus and stress saver for me - otherwise I'm arriving at the reception venue well after the couple, having had to gather all my gear, and then spend another 15 minutes hauling it from my car and setting it up again ready for the speeches - lots of missed filming time.

P

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Hi Steve I think you're using a bit of poetic licence there ;-) I've never said I work with a 2nd person quite frequently, only when we have one video and photo joint package. Claire usually does all the video with some preps stills at the house and I do all the other stills. We don't do it so we can get more footage, but because we enjoy working together and we can both do less. When we have two joint packages, we both work solo and we shoot nothing differently. If it is one video package only, we never work together, only solo..

I also haven't argued against second shooters, it is up to the individual, but I have never had the need with careful planning. so I just don't see that it is necessary. I can't see any particular advantages, but I can see other options if you wish to use them, which I don't.

Of course it is also down to how quickly you work, how long it takes you to set up and break down etc. I work extremely quickly, so where Pete takes 15 minutes to break down and packup in a church, it takes me perhaps 5 minutes to set up when I get to the church and 30-60 seconds, to packup while they ar doing the initial signing of the register or as they are talking to guests after leaving the church, so really I miss nothing. If it's a venue wedding, the gear gets taken in first anyway and plenty of time to set up and breakdown.

Roger

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And there was you in another thread talking about the setup time you faced, which when I included in the 4 hours you replied that it left only 3 hours of filming. So 5 minutes is all you need; I require 10-15 once inside to setup 4 cameras, 1 GoPro and 3 Audio recorders. Dismantling can take 5-10 minutes depending on how quickly the guests shift from the church.

However I am working with very different gear, utilising primes in my secondary cameras etc.

As for advantages, maybe not for yourself, but it really depends on the type of video and couple you're working for. If you want to follow both the Bride and Groom during their preps from start to end, a 2nd shooter is essential, no one can be in two places. So for me a 2nd shooter wouldn't be to compensate for packing away gear, but to simply allow for a greater range of shots.

Now like you I rarely have the need, but there are times when I know a better video would have been achievable with a 2nd shooter. Certain shots I was unable to get that would have been a better record of the day and in all cases missed or restricted by being in 1 location only. Its not every Wedding, but say 1 in 15 or 1 in 20 maybe it would have helped.

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Don't forget that a second shooter adds a lot of work in the edit. With double the footage that you need to spend longer just reviewing the clips never mind synching & editing.

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Ah Steve, you are very good at embellishing a little, I think it amuses you and you want to see if I pick it up :-)

What I actually said in the other thread was that I always allow extra time for travelling and setting up to allow for the unforeseen. I also quoted an example of a venue wedding last week that took a long time to get in and get set up, which would have been a severe restriction on a 4 hour subcontract if you were only allowing 30 minutes to travel to and set up at the venue as you were claiming. I believe it was actually you that mentioned that the 4 hours would include the setting up if you took it on? My contention was that payment for 4 hours filming only was insufficient and that the payment should also cover preparation travelling and set up and breakdown. As you brought it up in this thread I have responded!

In the church example that we were referring to earlier in this thread, having arrived at the church, I would only use the equipment that I need in the church. I would expect to arrive at the church an hour early, to get guest arrivals etc however I would put the cameras on my double tripod and clamps before going into the church, so the actual set up time in the church only involves placement which is very quick. The same applies to radio mics and audio recorders that are ready to drop into the groom's pocket and/or clamp onto anything appropriate. In the situation where I was coming from the preps at the bride's house, the cameras would already be put into the car attached to the tripod with the legs retracted, so again extremely quick to setup. Breakdown involves grabbing the clamps as I walk past them and chucking them in my backpack. main tripod with double mount is already with me, and Grooms transmitter or recorder are taken back before the register signing photographs, so really only 30-60 secs.

Neither church example is relevant to the other thread about subcontract work, as preparation, loading and unloading time is all allowed for in my own weddings, with setting up being the very last thing.

Roger

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Good point Nigel and something that needs to be allowed for in pricing if you are going down the two shooter route.

Roger

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Just keeping you on your toes. Nice turnaround. :)

I tend not to set up cameras on tripods prior to entering the church; with 4, it would be a juggling act. My time includes placing bags in a corner, assessing the interior for camera positions and then setting up. Anyway, this bares no relation to 2nd shooter as setup isn't the issue for me as to why I'd want one at times.

I don't agree it doubles the footage. Not the way I shoot; for Ceremony, Speeches and 1st Dance, where I have unmanned cameras, it would just mean one was manned. Wouldn't really have an effect on my editing time for those sections, so would only occur for Groom Preps where you would be doubling up footage. As for the rest of the day, I think having a 2nd person wouldn't lead to too much extra footage, just an easier day. Certainly no more extra footage than the difference say between a couple getting married at 11am and one who got married at 2:30pm.

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I can see that if you want to shoot lots of Bride's Preps and Groom's that a second shooter would be a help, but I have rarely been asked for Groom's preps as there just isn't the same buzz as with the girls. The Guys are usually either in their pants (jockeys) or dressed, so usually very boring. The guys also always arrive well in advance, so there are lots of opportunities to get them before the ceremony.

I also agree with Steve that unless you are adding lots of Guys preps, there really shouldn't be any more footage with two shooters.

It amazes me that it was only a few years back that nobody even had Bride's preps let alone Groom's, and two shooters or even cameras was unheard of.

Roger

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Roger - A little off topic here but am I correct in thinking that I saw a picture of your setup with 3 cameras on a tripod a little while back? I have just come back from a rehearsal and this would be the 3rd church on the trot where I have to position myself in a choir stall - no room to spread a tripod so a monopod it is - I like a monopod for the agility but keeping it steady for 40 minutes or so is taxing - how do you deal with that situation and your rig?

Pete

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Hi Peter, I regularly use a monopod and it really is a useful bit of kit. The ability to quickly raise it during a Ceremony should the Best Man block your view of the couple. Quick to move about and takes up less floor space. Like you I had a Ceremony which coincidentally I'm editing right now. Where I was asked to sit not stand at the front of the choir stalls. Monopod between my legs; I had to raise it up on high if I wanted crowd shots.

Thankfully to answer your question, my monopod has these 3 little legs and can balance on its own with my GH4. Though I'm careful I've even been able to leave it standing and check another camera, though don't leave unattended like that for more than 10 seconds. For a 40 minute Ceremony, I had no trouble and the shots were as stable as a tripod.

Tripods have their uses, but nothing beats a monopod for flexibility.

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Hi Pete,
The picture of my multi camera rig was to show how much equipment you can get on it. I often use it in that configuration with a performance shoot, but normally the clamp camera would be clamped on a pew, screen or somewhere for a different view.

I sympathise with the choir stall scenario, I get a lot of those. My tripods are very light, and I can quickly kick the legs together to use it like a monopod. In the choir stall, I place it like a monopod, then kick the legs as wide as I can for some lateral support. The velbon tripods that I use, have a central column that extends to about 18", which means that the legs can be spread from lower down than with head mounted legs, so you can get them under the stall benches easier.

Roger

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Steve posted while I was, so just to mention that like Steve with his footed monopod, I often kick in the tripod legs in and lift it up over my head if the view gets blocked.

I considered a monopod like Steve's, but because I use a 12" wide tripod plate and often detach cameras while working, I thought it would tend to unbalance it. I also like the flexibility of being able to level a tripod on uneven ground. A footed monopod would be very convenient for fast use with a single camera though.

Roger

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I have the Manfrotto with little feet which is ok for long shoots such as in a church, but I also have the Manfrotto Neotec which is awesome for adjusting height quickly but the rubber foot is rubbish and keeps falling off - I am now on my 3rd at £25 a go!

Now if I could put the little feet section from my 561BHDV onto the bottom of my Neotec that would be a dream - sadly it looks like it can't be done (by me anyway)

Pete

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I have been shooting solo for 10 years so I know the advantages and disadvantages, I have tried working with a second shooter 3 times but they each time did not deliver, all 3 had a videobusiness but hardly any experience shooting weddings. Last saturday however the client wanted a second shooter because so much was going on throughout the day and I eventually asked Craig if he could join and it resulted in the video I posted about here:http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/wedding-...ing-ghent.html

Could I have done this wedding by myself and make it look like it is now? No, while I was covering brideprep Craig took some shots from the hotel and surroundings and he followed the groom around while they still where doing some last minute preparations. When they first met I also had 2 manned camera's and I could focus on the grooms reaction while Craig followed the bride. Then they went of to a family photoshoot and Craig followed them again while I ordered a taxi to bring me to the church. It was a luxury to have so much time available to set up 4 camera, secure audio on the lectern, the priest, the musicians and I could set up my steadicam which I otherwise never use in such an occasion because there is no time. Then I would wait for people to show up. During the ceremony we used two gh4's on a tripod which where both manned, one ax100 from teh back and a rx10 for guest headshots.

After the ceremony they all went on a boat, Craig again followed while I went to the venue to set up for the interviews and to shoot the arriving guests, shoot venue details and when Craig arrived he did a one hour interview while I continued to cover the reception and prepare my audio for the speeches later on. Once the couple had entered the venue and the speeches started I had 3 camera's running, one on the speaker, one on the couple, both manned and I took some c-roll of guest reactions. During the dancing part Craig when outside to shoot some stunning scenery shots from the city while I was shooting the dancing and when he came back we both shot a lot of dancing and got some really great shot from either steadicam or monopod.

Did I get that that feeling that hiring Craig was to show off and be the "boss"? Absolutely not, his contribution was equally valuable to what I was doing at that moment, without his help I never could have delivered the same film as I was able to do now. I think you only can get that feeling when the second shooter doesn't know what they are doing and when you mainly use them to carry your gear around, also much depends on your shooting style, adding a second shooter in my case for this particular wedding has made a hugh difference, my stress levels where l lot lower and the production value was of a higher level.

There are many weddings I do though that would not benefit that much from a second shooter if there is not much going on throughout the day and if the venue is located in an not so nice looking area. But it would still look better then my current solo work because you have got 2 operators. This ofcourse will only apply if your second shooter is experienced enough to make it work, otherwise it's just a recipe for disaster. That was the main reason why I put so much emphasis on the fact that hiring just any freelancer is not going to cut it.

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After watching your film Noa, I could see why you needed Craig and yes, you did hire someone who was experienced and also enthusiastic. I would endorse a 2nd shooter for a wedding like that simply due to the fact he did his fair share and contributed greatly to the overall production!

So called "experienced" shooters that I have hired and paid a decent rate and have been told to go and go the guys prep have come back to me with sometimes less than two minutes of footage with the excuse "they didn't want to be filmed" ... I'm quite sure Craig wouldn't do that and the footage I have seen proved it! I have had qualified film "professionals" who have given me about 19 minutes of footage all filmed directly against a huge glass window with the sun coming in ..this was someone who had done a 5 year film course at a University and graduated with Honours ....HUH??? and they do not even know the basic rules of shooting. You can see why am so pessimistic!! The only shooter I ever had (sadly she moved away) had absolutely no filming experience and no qualifications but was enthusiastic and willing to learn and really she was the only one who I can honestly say gave me footage I could use!!!

If Craig is reading this ..you did a brilliant job too!! I'm sure Noa was happy with what he got!!

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Hey Chris, even for prep, it depends on logistics. What if bride and groom are getting ready far apart from each other? Or what if bride has traditions at her house just before she leaves for church? Macedonian brides have this thing where they give gifts to all the guests, and they also have a little ritual at the front door just as they exit.

But, in general, I think the answer to your question is that it depends on shooting style. For me and companies I've worked for, it's sort of a case of we box ourselves in with methods of shooting, and so create our own problems. You then need a second shooter to ameliorate the problems.

I hate how most of the threads in this forum turn into DSLR vs traditional camcorder, but unfortunately I do think the second shooter question often starts with DSLRs. DSLRs are unreliable -- they have short batteries, short recording times, and focus is tricky. Using multiple DSLRs gives you backup for the unreliability, and also in theory a higher production value, because of the multiple angles, but it also gives you a host of other headaches -- for every extra body, you now how to do more fiddling every time you want white balance to match, you've got to worry about another body's cards and batteries, you've got an extra tripod to carry, and you've got to worry about what lens is best placed on which body. Using prime lenses compounds the problems -- now you have to be more careful as to which lens is on which body, you may have to do lens swaps at inconvenient times, and you have a backpack or two extra to carry.

Having a second shooter isn't necessary, as such, to deal with the above, but it's a hell of a help.

Some other things that add to headaches and make a second shooter really helpful:

-- amount of gear -- it can easily get to the point that one person can't carry it
-- scheduling that doesn't allow you to set up at reception and do photoshoot after ceremony
-- no parking for photoshoot, because they're doing it in middle of CBD (so one person then drops off the other and drives round the block till photoshoot is over)
-- sliders, jibs, etc. All of that stuff can be very fiddly and time-consuming.
-- deeming multiple angles to be necessary shots. For instance, two over-the-shoulder shots during vows. Or cutaways of audience as well as speaker at reception. One videographer can get it with locked off cams, but can't guarantee it -- what if bride/groom move around during ceremony, what if speaker wants to wander around at reception?
-- clothing, ring, shoes, accessory shots, and inanimate and fancy "furniture" shots in general -- you want to set up a dress on a mannequin and do a slider reveal with focus pull and lens flare? i'm sure the bride will love the shot for the two seconds it's on screen. Why wouldn't she? But that could easily be 30 minutes of cleaning the room, setting the dress up, lighting the dress so it's less contrasty against background, fiddling with slider on tripod, trying different lenses, and repeating the move till you get the focus right. In the meantime, you're missing the action, you're missing the people shots, unless you have a second shooter.
-- complex sound setup; if you really do want to have backups of backups, it takes time. And what I also find is that it can be time you don't have at the last minute before things kick off. The ceremony area might not be set up till 20 minutes before start time, so you might have no idea where to position things. Priest might not want to wear a microphone till just before it starts. DJ might not let you plug in till he's properly set up, etc.

Re: Second Shooter Add On
 

Hi Adrian

First of all (just to make you happy) I don't think cameras have anything to do with it! I ditched my shoulder mount cams in Winter and I'm now shooting on Panasonic bride cameras ..in 4K too and believe it or not, it's faster and easier than my big cameras so I can do everything solo with no issues.

It's completely different taking Noa's scenario where you can't be in two places at once .. we are doing a wedding in October where the bride is coming in by boat and the groom by limo and both arriving at the same time so that will need a 2nd shooter obviously! For actual shooting I can manage easily on my own but remember I'm also cheating on everything except the actual filming ..my wife does the photography so she can assist on almost everything else so she plays the role of "assistant and gopher" too

As per my previous posts yes a 2nd person is useful but you also have to be fair to them ...I can't expect a good 2nd shooter to sit around for months waiting just in case I need them so if one feels that a 2nd shooter is a big advantage I think it's only fair to give them enough work in the season to be faithful to you and attend every wedding with you so at least they can also have a predictable income source.