First Wedding Video

Just my opinion, but I think you generally need to pick up the pace a bit.

Also, in a couple of places as you cross faded between clips you could see a faint crash zoom or whip pan where your clip was just a few frames too long.

Following on from the points made by boobahack, which I would support, I would look closely at your music placement, didn't watch the complete set but, having music fade in before the end of the ceremony and again at the end of the speeches didn't work for me, also, using straight cuts between clips such as in the receiving line would work much better than crossfades, nice footage though although as you say, work needed on the handheld shots.

Well done Paul. For your first wedding, you have a very good selection of shots, very neatly put together. Stick with it.

Thanks for the feedback and your time.

The pace is quite deliberate. It's a good chunk for the family to sit down and watch. A piece to spend some time with. It's surely a matter of taste. I'm certainly one who doesn't like lots of shots thrown at me, and after talking with the couple this is what they were looking for. I'm thinking of editing a shorter version. One that would work for me. I would definitely cut the ceremony down, as well as the receiving line.

I'm in two minds about use of shakey footage. Most of the time I don't mind it if it's presented as obviously handheld. It shows a bit of life. The same with the zooms at the end of a cut. I like the feel of it sometimes. The ones that really wind me up in my own work is where I'm on a tripod and I have a very slighty wobble in a pan or shot. That causes me to lose sleep!

For the next one I may use my steadicam. But that seems like an awful lot of extra work, and the to work the crowds with that bulk seems somewhat obtrusive for a wedding.

I'm new to event videography. I'm more of a drama minded control freak. So, for me I like the more composed section of the Photography part. I think it makes a nice little short on its own.

Thanks again!

Hi Paul,

I would like to see it all but have no time right now, but I will eventually.:)

I am not going to tell you how your style should be, if that's what the client wants then you gave them that. We are all different!

I saw the first minute of the first section, and I cannot agree with the use of zooming in or out of a dissolve. It speaks amateur. I am not sure why you like it!

I don't have a problem with handheld unless it's shaky and detracts from the viewing experience.

If it's your first wedding you will be very proud of it, and if you continue you will refine the style that suits you.

All the best.:)

Flame.

Yeah, style is a strange one. The couple, of course, didn't ask me to zoom/dissolve :) It's something that depending on the context of its use I like. In drama I usualy hate unmotivated zooms, but if it's presented as faux documantary and not stately then I can get with it.

I think I only feel something is amateur if I feel that a filmmaker is attempting something and not achieving it. I guess style is sometimes somewhat of a trust thing. Maybe a wedding video isn't the place for some personal preferences like that. I'm certainly fed up of seeing videos jammed full of magicbullet looks and cutting bewteen black and white/colour for no real reason. To me that's amateur but it all seem to be doing it. I'm going to do a little thinking on this one.

Thanks:) Interesting!

Hi Paul,

Ok, It's all preference, but I don't think the zoom into dissolves work. It looks like you have gone into a dissolve but decided to zoom in and left it there. A bit like when someone finishes a shot, brings the camera down, but it is clearly seen whilst fading to black, or a disslove which blends into another sceen, but mid way cuts to a completely different shot...ie, dirty dissolve. I personally try to limit dissoves or not use them at all!

Magic bullet looks is an aid to colour correct/Grading. Colour correction/grading is used throughout the whole film industry. It's when someone picks up mb and throws every preset into their sample that it looks awful. Don't use presets! Again, B+W is subjective!, but why amateurish?

When someone asks for their work to be critiqued I am more interested in their filming, composition, storytelling etc. Everyone goes through phases where they try and experiment!

I cannot comment further as I have not seen the whole piece, but filming a stage show is light years away to filming a wedding in my opinion.

Cheers,

Flame.

Yes, so it's a trust thing. I know they are there. I'm not trying to hide anything, I like it. I understand how you see it as well.

In my drama work I am quite obsessed with the different uses of dissolves. I'm fascinated with how far someone like Scorsese experimented with it in the 90s and added to the language. But that's drama. I agree that this is a whole new world and I want to learn what is acceptable here.

For me I see that magic bullets use has gotten out of hand. I'm not saying that using it is amateur. But I think many do just plaster it on thinking that it will achieve an effect. An air of proffessionlism. But all I see is the attempt with little reasoning or thought behind the choices.

It's funny, I see the cutting back and forth from colour to black and white as a cover up also. As if what was there on day and/or the footage captured just isn't fantastic enough and it needs sprucing up.

I guess I see alot of laziness. Similar to those that think that in order to create an exciting sequence they need to have bombastic music, loud sound and cutting quicker than the brain can cope with. Did anyone in the world feel excited and involved during Transformers 2?:)

My interest is with the story, the people. I find that too much surface flash can get in the way of what is happening to the people on screen. I like to try and identify with the real emotions rather than a fantasy presentation of the "perfect day". Just a preference. I'm thinking that for event videography the dissovle/zoom are now, to me, also too much surface and are a little distracting whatever the intent.

Thanks again,
Paul

Just my opinion but...

The problem with video is that most people have never really seen themselves on film, so their expectations are a lot lower than say with stills photography.

I believe that the standards of the average "professional" wedding videographer are lower than other art forms because the client is easily pleased and they think they can get away with it.

Paul you say that you're from a more controlled drama background.
You should be more critical than most about the quality of the shots.
Just because it's a "wedding" doesn't mean we can get away with sub-standard footage and editing.

I watched Joe Simon's latest offering the other day and was blown away.
http://joesimonproductions.blogspot.com/
Not a shaky shot to be had, lovely colour grading, perfect compositon and great story telling.
And all this from a man who's background is BMX videos.

Paul,

Wish you all the best with your venture.

Good luck!

I will have a look at that video. But , I did say that I like the handheld look if it is not trying to hide that it's handheld. Same way for wedding videos as if I'm watching another form of documentary that is caught in the moment. So, when I'm off the tripod I'm not trying to make it look slick, too steady etc. I would like to have a little more patience when shooting off the tripod though.

Also, when I say controlled for drama, that doesnt neccessarily mean that I always want the camera to be smooth with perfect composition. It all depends on the desired effect. For sure, during the photographs on this wedding video I wanted to be "stately" with nice compositions. Elegant. Not so much before the ceremony! the feelings were a bit antsy beforehand and that's how I moved with the camera. After the ceremony things relax. That's how I saw it.

Paul, just watched 3 minutes,

Sorry, I will be blunt, it's not good, way too shaky, jump cuts and poor use of dissolves...I could not watch anymore.

Sorry, you can scream at me all you like!.

Cheers,

Flame.

Thanks, appreciate it!

Blunt is good! Honesty is great!

Cheers, Paul

Hi Paul, welcome aboard, i'm also a Bristolian.
The video's not bad for a first attempt, and fair play to you for doing a single cam shoot, i wouldn't do a single cam or camera operator on a wedding, i've done enough weddings to know that it really needs at least 2 camera operators, it's not just the actual shooting but all the rushing round collecting kit after the ceremony whilst still trying to get shots then jumping in the van, rushing to the reception etc. But you realise all that now don't you.
I see the photograph clip was at Eastwood park, where was the ceremony, was it Bristol as well / I don't recognise that church.

Paul.

Thanks Paul,

You are not joking about the extra work involved in being a single shooter for a wedding. Especially when you are hotswapping P2 cards and offloading throughout the day. Stress! It would have been great to have some creative thinking space! Even a second.

The church was in Thornbury just down the road from Eastwood Park. As all firsts are it was a great learning experience.

I will make sure to check out your work later on when I'm free. How is the EX1? I'm thinking of going to a rolling shutter camera but it scares me a little :)

Thanks again,
Paul

Hi Paul.
The EX1 is fine,the rolling shutter has been made into a big deal about nothing in my view.
Feel free to give me a shout if you have any questions.

Paul.