I appreciate your bluntness.

Yes it is an SDE.

Why do one?

1. Perhaps the best marketing tool available for us wedding videographers. (the wedding video will be viewed by the couple and at most, their family, the SDE is screened in front of hundreds). You don't miss a couple of DVD sales, you miss a chance to sell your services to a lot more poeple.
2. It's a moment where the couple can take a break and relive what's happened (the day was a blur for them, it's nice to watch it in slo mo this time).
3. It's a good piece of entertainment (if done right)
4. On my part, it's very fulfilling once I see the audience response especially the couple's.

Yes this was shown on the same day. The exact version. I would have noted so if I made any amendments. It's quite difficult to convince a person who believes otherwise but the closest thing to proof I have is this...

http://jasonmagbanua.com/blog/2007/0...-gj-bora-baby/

Julie Hill of Elysium Productions was around the whole time to see how we do an SDE.

Here's some more of our work ...
http://jasonmagbanua.com/blog/2007/0...willen-stolen/
http://jasonmagbanua.com/blog/2006/12/27/ivy-and-chris/
http://jasonmagbanua.com/blog/2006/1...va-and-andrei/
http://jasonmagbanua.com/blog/2006/1...on-the-senses/

These are all SDEs.
We are able to produce such SDEs because of practice (we've been doing this for 4 years) and an intense drive to impress our clients and their guests.

Formula Anyone?
 

First of all, the photography and the angles are superior. That already puts 95% of you wedding photogs behind. Second - there is a clear, homebrew formula that Jason can, and clearly does, follow - one that will you may see more clearly, Vincent, once your eyes dry out after realizing that there are multiple levels of genius above you (and me). This "formula" isn't necessarily one on paper, but it's certainly there. I agree that this is stunning - and the star light/ceremony edit was really sweet - but come on, man. You doubt that you could pull it off, not that it couldn't be pulled off. Kentucky Fried Chicken or Morton's Steak House? McDonalds or Fuddruckers? Motel 6 or The Homestead....Jerry's Home Video Weddings or a JasonMagbanuaVideo...The Vinings Mall Surgery Center or John's Hopkins...

You're wrong about not being able to do this as a SDE - but you're right that it's rarely done.

Jason,

1. Yes, of course showing your work to the guests is a good marketing tool, and no doubt you will pick up some extra work. From a clients point of view I wouldn't like anyone pitching for business on my day. But I am sure that your not doing a hard sell.

2. Take a break on your wedding day? Surely, talking to guests, enjoying the day has to be the important element of the day.

3. Yes, it's a good piece of entertainment, but then so is the father-in -law doing his John Travolta dance.

4. I'm sure it is a very fulfilling for you to see the audience, but that's a bit self indulgent.

Jason, I do not wish to undermine your work, as I have said it is excellent.

This question is not aimed specifically at Jason.

What I question is the showing of a video on the same day, by videographers in general. Is this a wide spread activity, or are only a few people doing it?

Looking at this from a client’s point of view. Yes, the day has so many exciting elements, and if an opportunity to see footage is presented on the day then I doubt whether many couples would say no to a showing.

However, a lot of excitement must also be in the anticipation of seeing the video/stills after the honeymoon.

Jeffrey,

Jason’s film has been well shot, nice angles, great use of selective focus etc. But don’t undermine 95% of all wedding photographers. There are a lot of excellent guys out there – and there is also a lot of visual sewage too (stills and video).

“one that will you may see more clearly, Vincent, once your eyes dry out after realizing that there are multiple levels of genius above you (and me).”

We all look for inspiration from many sources, it’s what we choose to expand on or incorporate in our own productions that give each of us our individuality. This is nothing new or bad in this, Beethoven drew some of his inspiration from Haydn, but still kept his own stamp on his own compositions.

Jason’s work has been an inspiration to me, and no doubt many others, I doubt whether there will be anyone who has seen this video, that will not incorporate one or two elements in their own production.

Jason,

Well done, you have made me take a fresh look at wedding video. I will be shooting one this afternoon and will subconsciously incorporate one or two of your ideas.

Best wishes

Vincent Oliver
www.photo-i.co.uk

Jason,

I have just seen your other clips. I take my hat of to you and eat my words.

Best wishes

Vincent Oliver
www.photo-i.co.uk

It looks to me that the biggest timesaver is shooting SD widescreen and shooting to a Firestore rather than capturing tape.

I love SDEs because they give me an excuse not to tape the reception. The lighting is almost always poor, sound is a challenge, and I feel far more intrusive with my video light than by presenting the video.

People don't have to watch the SDE video, but they will. Some people may not have heard a thing at the ceremony, but can hear it crystal clear on the video. The same is true for their visual experience.

Projectors are not that expensive, and people need to see how far video has come.

Jason,

I am in absolute awe of your work... LOL i am supposed to be editing my own weddings but instead I am watchign your SDE's instead.

I am curious what sort of background/training you had b4 you started shooting weddings? Film skool perhaps?

I would love to see the work you produced during your first year in the business as I'd love to know how long it to you to get to this level of production value.

Bravo!

hey Michael.

thanks for your kind words. believe me, I sucked during my first year. it was through constant practice shooting and editing that i refined my style and skill. i was a teacher in my prior life. no film school for me, just a communications degree back in college. learned with analog (hi8 and videonic) first.

watching other people's work also helped a ton. being exposed to the international forums no doubt opened my eyes to what was possible. posting my work is my small way of giving back.

Vincent.
My apologies if I came out comabtive. We are all here to learn and share. Cheers and good luck on your shoot.

Jason

Are you saying that if you do an SDE you don't do anything else? Is that the wedding? Maybe I misread, sorry if so

We do SDE's ... as well as an entire wedding. We show the SDE at the hall just before the B&G enter ... and the camerdudes go on filming and I edit the entire wedding later, as normal, with SDE inserted. SDE's are always done by request .. I think maybe I do 15 to 20 a year, they seem fairly popular.

Still, Jason, yours was definitely something special

Just want to let you know folks here that Jason is a real big time wedding videographer in the Philippines, after looking some of his works I found out that he covered the wedding ceremony of the 2 famous hot celebrity star in the Philippines "The Raymart and Claudine Santiago Wedding".

Jason, I salute your work, very impressive..did you also use the FX1 on the Raymart Claudine wedding? How many camera's did you use in there, and what type of stabilizer did you use? Goodwork kabayan!

I've been a fan of Jason's work for a long time, but I have yet to figure out how to provide an SDE service. It's not a technical challenge for me, but a time challenge. Maybe weddings are run differently in the Phillipines, but here the time between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception is usually less than 30 minutes, and at the most maybe an hour. There just isn't enough time to edit a video.

I also have to break down and pack up equipment from the ceremony, and get to the reception, and be ready to start filming again as soon as the reception starts. For those of you doing SDE's, do your bride's just have a 3-4 hour break between the ceremony and the reception or what? And are you still covering the reception?

Yes Victor... I've only done one, which was a favor. My wife couldn't make it, so I grabbed my FX1 and shot a bunch of linear shots leading up to the wedding with the sound off. I then mic'd the officiant (only him - due to FX1 audio limitations) and manned my tripod at the end of the isle. Afterward I took a more shots, darted to the reception, set up my projector, connected my FX1 and checked sound. For the presentation the DJ played the music and layered the sound of the officiant from the FX1.

It's nowhere near the level of our three-cam, two-wireless HD service, but if a couple wants something *very* inexpensive, it's worth it to me as it captures their vows. It also gives couples a way to afford videography who wouldn't otherwise go for it, and I don't have to spend all week editing! It also gives me the ability to shoot a second (full blown) wedding in the same weekend without burying me.

The FX1 can do fade-ins, etc., and is a computer in its own rite. As a one camera solution, the presentation is more 'ambience' than 'shock and awe', yet once I get a couple Firestores I'll be able to offer a higher-level package and fire up my laptop on site.

Besides a longer break between events, there are a couple other big things that can make an SDE much better; having staff there with you, firestores to get at the footage right away, and practice. From Jason's website it looks like he includes an Onsite video or SDE in his standard packages, so he would do an awful lot of them compared to many of us who may do 3-4 a year. Not only does your speed editing get better with practice, but the whole process gets much more effecient. There are certain highlights clips that I deliver after the wedding that only took 4 or so hours to do- which is the amount of time you can get for an SDE at the right wedding. Getting used to the pressure can be one of the biggest issues, and thats where hte practice comes in.

Patrick

Well, like I said in my post, it's the time that prevents me from offering an SDE, not pressure or technical limitations. I've done one SDE for a wedding, but I had 3-4 hours between the end of the photoshoot (happened after the ceremony) and the reception (and the reception was an hour away). My assistant covered the luncheon that happened during that time.

However, like I said, 99% of receptions in my area start within 30 minutes of the end of the ceremony, and even if you're fast at editing I don't see how you could edit together something nice in 30 minutes.

That's why I was asking if those of you doing SDE's have 3-4 hours to edit and if you cover the reception.

Hi Travis,

In my earlier post I mentioned having extra staff- that way if the reception starts within 30 min, you can keep editing. The first dance is usually the only thing I want to be a part of filming and otherwise I can let them cover the events. If you can edit through dinner, there is a good two hours you should get in total- which is plenty of time. So yes, we do offer SDE with time constraints like the ones your mentioning, we just don't film everything together at the reception and the other points I mention also make a big difference.

If you have a timeline ready with a song laid down and markers for where you want you clips to go, you can throw a song together in 15-20 minutes if you have a firestore and that will be as good as your shooting is in general. You can then nest the sequence and adjust the colors curves of the whole thing if you want to give it more of a stylized look like Jason's.

Patrick

Interesting. Thanks for the insight.