Filming my First wedding with HVX200 Audio tips?

V

VideMedia

Well-known member
So im shooting my first wedding with the hvx200 in a month.

Its just going to be one camera. Whats my best options for audio?

Anyone recommend a shotgun mic? The wedding is going to be on the beach also....


Also anyone recommend a good cheap onboard light for the reception that will last for at least an hour on its own battery.
 
If the camera with mic onboard is not going to be right there next to the bride and groom a shot gun may not do the job.

Shotguns mics are nice but they are not miracle devices. You're not going to be able to stand in the back and hope to get sound like your right on top of them.

if I were shooting a wedding to me the most important audio will be the vows. I'd go with a decent mic and a wireless transmitter and clip/tape the mic somewhere. Then I can keep recording but reposition if needed.

Or if you're going to do a shotgun mic, get a transmitter receiver combo back that can plug in and power the shotgun and place that near the alter for the vows and then mount to camera for everything else.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EW100ENGG2-B/

For the light, the litepanels micro or micropro might be just right for you. :-) Then again I don't know what you'd define as inexpensive.

I'm sure there are wedding pros on here that will be able to fill in a lot more of the blanks, but this should give you some food for thought.

The only other thing I could recommend is don't drink any booze, because if the video doesn't come out up to snuff, they'll say you were drunk the whole time!!!! hahahahahaah

Oh yes, one more thing on the mic, if its at the beach and you must like will have at minimum a breeze you're going to need a furry/deadcat at the very least on whatever mic you're using.

Have a super day! :-)
 
A wireless system is almost a must. When I first started doing weddings I tried the shotgun route only to find that wireless lavs would have made my life so much easier in addition to enhancing the quality of the final product.
 
The main sound issue on a beach is WIND and waves. If you're using a shotgun, you'll probably need some sort of wind protection. The lavs will do pretty well under clothing.
 
VideMedia said:
soo im just suppose to hide a laviner mic under a chair in the front chair?
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No, probably wouldn't be a good idea. You're not going to get anywhere near the sound quality your looking for having it that far away. For the vows you want to get as close as possible. How is the altar going to be setup? If you're going to wire up a lav mic you want it right on them or very close to them. You need to consult with whoever is in charge of the ceremony layout and see what your options are going to be.

For example, if there is an alter, you could setup a mic in it pointing down to them overhead, this could give you very nice coverage. Depending on how its setup it may even help with wind sounds, but DEFINTIELY have a furry on that mic.

Your going to be able to really fine tune it especially if there is a rehearsal.
 
Ya I need to talk them and get an idea of what thier doing on the beach.

There might be nothing. Just a preacher...
 
Wireless Lav Mic on the Groom (a must),... This will pick up the officiant, (groom and bride during vows) and if you have access to a shotgun and a very good windscreen (great backup). You'll do a little playing back in forth in post, and I say this becasue alot of times the bride and groom whisper a talk to each other over the officiant/JP/Priest. Its always best that you let the bride now that the groom is very closely mic'd.
She'll talk into it when she says her vows knowing its there.
 
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wireless on the officiant a must also, between the two you will get the bride OK (never mic the bride). your shotgun will need blimp for the wind on the beach, you will never get wind noise out in post.
 
Also, will there be live music? I like to shoot a fair amount of the live music to add to the soundtrack. I know most people use something recorded, but I find the live music with sync footage clips from the day adds a nice touch.
 
Yeow !- a 1 man wedding shoot - on one cam - this is gonna take some planning! I have done a few of these for friends and the pressure is well and truly on. Eat a good breakfast cos you are going to be running!

A second cam - even if its just your old 1 chip DV cam with a WA on the front is gold. (Set up on a tripod or have an asistant / friend at the helm - you will need it for bride arrival while you are set up inside the church, a WA close up of the bride going past the camera in the aisle helps to cut in with your tripod angle set up in the church.

you will be running alot - steadycams can be handy for this.

Scope out the church - getting set up so flowers / guests arent int he way of your shot is very important.

really - a second operator will make a huge difference to the final product - even if its just DV held steady and shot WA- it will grade out nicely in post.

Then you need to get the end of the ceremony - this is tricky with 1 man as you want everyone leaving BUT ALSO the reaction of the bridal party .

Life is ALOT easier if its an outdoor ceremony - much easier to move around and capture everyone. And sound is often coming through a PA -which helps alot.

The finger ring shot is a tricky one to get without blocking the audience.. try and plan out this shot - go to the rehersal if there is to be one.

Try and shoot long from a tripod to get some super candid shots of crowd and bridal party. especially in the afterglow - the 15 minutes after the ceremony - there is alot of magic in this time slot.

If the ceremony is a disaster ( focus on tights of the bride and groom if it all goes pear shaped) make sure you get lots of party footage at the reception - this is really what most bride and grooms want to see in the long run
 
If you mike the groom you'll be fine. I don't think you'll need one on the officiant. When they give their vows they'll be standing toward each other so the bride will get picked up with his mic. I use 1 channel for the lav and the 2nd for a shotgun. That way you can get clean audio and the the waves crashing/audience clapping. Use a tripod the whole time. 9 times out of 10 what makes a wedding video look professional is the fact that the shot is steady. If you go hand held the whole time it won't look much different than uncle charlies hand held consumer camera.

you don't want to block the audience but at the end of the day the couple is paying money (in some cases a LOT) for you to be there to capture the wedding as best as you can. I try to set up my position early so the audience can see where I'm standing and avoid sitting behind me.

I don't bother with the rehearsal. most weddings are the same. Find the officiant before the service and ask him for a general walk through. It'll take about 2-3 minutes and it can be really helpful. Tell him where you want to stand and then ask him if that's ok. DON'T ask him where you can stand because that paints you into a corner.

The finger ring shot is a tricky one to get without blocking the audience.. try and plan out this shot - go to the rehersal if there is to be one.
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Don't zoom in on the finger during the ceremony. Someone could move and block it at the last second or it could be shaky because you're zoomed in the whole way. Go with a MCU and if you really want the close up have them reenact it during pictures. The photographer would probably want the shot anyway.

Just some tips I use when I shoot weddings. If I can think of more I'll add to this.
 
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