My Weddingographer Days Are Numbered

Scott- sorry for the threadjack, getting more info on weddings as you're trying to get out (see, they just won't go away!!!).

ethan and ryan, thanks for the info.

ryan, ask away.
 
No, feel free to threadjack away. I don't think I ever created a thread that went this long. :thumbsup:

Scott- I did news for 20 years, and have now done only a handful of weddings (contemplating whether to try to do more).
It's interesting you think weddings are more stressful than news, and are the ultimate "one chance to get the shot" type shoot.
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Well, don't put words in my mouth. Both are VERY stressful, just in different ways. I just feel more suited to doing the news thing right now. I wish I got paid as much as weddings. :Drogar-Kriz(DBG):

Actually, in my current role, I don't touch a camera or editing equipment. I'm a writer/AP, and use ENPS to work on the rundown. Ideal role for me perhaps would be a preditor, being able to both write & cut stories.
 
Ah, I thought you were shooting news. And guess I was mistaken that you said "one chance..." Maybe that was Hawk...

One man shoot/interview/produce/edit was one of my specialties.

Best of luck in the newsroom!:thumbsup:
 
I've got 6 more to shoot in 2011 and that's it. I turn 40 in December and my present to myself will be never shooting another wedding.
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So here we are. Last one on my schedule is tomorrow. And it couldn't just be an easy gig. Oh no. This is one of those all-day/all night affairs with the prep, first look and all that other romantic crap. :kali::love4:

And it's two states away. Great. I feel like the veteran cop who just has to work that *one last* day before the retirement party.

I will most likely have an XHA1 for sale in the next few weeks. It served me well.
 
groveChuck said:
One man shoot/interview/produce/edit was one of my specialties.

Best of luck in the newsroom!:thumbsup:
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over here in EU its called VJ ( video journalist) and its becoming quite strong. I can only say from point of view: I never shot weddings but I do shoot crime stuff regularly for my bread and butter income and its been sickening me. I am now moving into pleasant and positive topics. I cant see handcuffs, pistols, crime scenes, court rooms and corpses anymore. Its been too negative for me as a realm to live in forever....plus its backfired as well: gangsters with too much money who love to pay expensive lawyers, private detectives etc....last summer I found a bug under my car....Im out!

I can very well understand the thread opener: I hope you find other topics that suit you more!
 
Ha! This is hilarious. I used to be a wedding photographer in the early 80s and at that time if there was a videographer, he had to be VERY strong to carry all the batteries etc. But everything this guy says rings true. I can imagine Steve Martin playing this role, so yes, there has got to be screenplay in here somewhere...
 
Scott- waiting with bated breath for the full report/writeup as Weddingographer Days Are Numbered turns into Weddingographer Days Are Over...

When your day wraps (11, midnight, 1am?) we should all lift a toast (or 3?) :beer: :beer: :beer:
 
A HUGE sigh of relief that this season is over, and most likely for me, this is the last one I'll ever shoot.

Here's the abridged version:

8am: scramble to get the kids to daycare
8:30 am: hit the road for a 10:45 call time in new jersey
9:30 am: stuck in traffic near the george washington bridge…..even though 1010wins said only a 5 minute delay. i've drank the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee. uh oh…i need to urinate :cry: Why didn't I just take the Tappan Zee? Gambled and lost!
10am: across the bridge. a less-than-sucessful attempt to pee in a bottle on the side of the road. let's just leave it at that. :-Cry(DBG):
10:45: till whenever-an entire day of hurry up and wait. i did get to eat at that diner that was featured in the last episode of the sopranos. tasted like friendlies, but worse. but it was kitschy.
5pm: some kind of bizarre, rushed ceremony in a tiny room. no room to get both cameras in the chapel. so both us camera dudes shoot it from the same angle outside while latecomers walk into our shots. WTF?????
6-7: cocktail hour. the last miserable time i will ever have to film people drinking and stuffing their faces with appetizers. (my marching orders….i would never shoot this on my own volition)
7-10:30: reception. an ethnic wedding featuring some eastern European music with accordion and a djembe-type drum. (i won't get into specifics) now suffice it to say, the music is very cool EXCEPT when one is forced to listen to songs that go for 20-30 minutes a clip and at EXTREMELY LOUD VOLUMES. camera and video crew are stuffing ears with earplugs and tissues. (really, we are going to have a nation of deaf people soon…..we love our music loud, don't we?)
As usual, everything is running late. it's always the case. if they say dinner will be served at 8:30, you know it will be 9:45. 10:00 cake cutting? You've already padded it for 10:45 in your head. Since I was shooting b-cam, I could leave after that cake was cut. Could not have packed my gear up fast enough.

I've been thinking about something my buddy said when we were talking about how burnt out we are on shooting weddings. He said, "the best I feel is when I'm done shooting at the end of the night, because I know it's the most time physically before I'll have to shoot one next weekend." It's no way to live. At least for me anyway.

Hey, if you *really* want to shoot weddings in the CT/metro NY area, I know a guy…..PM me.

I hope you find other topics that suit you more!
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Corporate videos for the win.

And yes, hoist up a beer for me, grove. I know I'll have a few tonight.
 
Great discourse Scott, et al! Though I am sorry to read some of it, it isn't really surprising from a personal standpoint. I doubt very seriously I could ever allow myself to be pigeon-holed into any one corner. And I also doubt I could ever find anyone that I could trust enough with my name to have them work in my stead. Perhaps a home-grown one (child), but that's about it. Thanks for all of the info, good luck on your Ventures!
 
Deepfocus88 said:
A HUGE sigh of relief that this season is over, and most likely for me, this is the last one I'll ever shoot.
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Congrats dude. :beer:

10:45: till whenever-an entire day of hurry up and wait.
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That is often the worst part of shooting weddings. It reminds me of what they say war is like for the infantry.

You wait, and wait, and wait... :Drogar-Smoke(DBG): :cry: :-Cry(DBG):

:kali: :nads: :kali: :violent5:

... and then suddenly you're getting attacked from all sides and you have to scramble to barely make it through the attack wave alive... just so you can wait, and wait, and wait some more until another wave hits. :Drogar-Smoke(DBG): :zombie_smiley: :huh:

And then of course, that doesn't even begin to describe the horror that is THE EDIT! :badputer:

6-7: cocktail hour. the last miserable time i will ever have to film people drinking and stuffing their faces with appetizers. (my marching orders….i would never shoot this on my own volition)
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I hear you on this one. I had a bride and groom that I thought were going to hunt me down and beat the living crap out of me because I didn't capture enough video of the poo pooing cocktail hour :costumed-smiley-047. There was just no time to capture all the guests stuffing their faces during cocktail hour between the ceremony :violin: :crybaby: :engel017: and reception, due to having to tag along to take a million freaking pictures in multiple locations. When I got to the recep hall, I had barely any time to get anything before introductions. So cake :birthdays:, decorations, a master shot of the exterior of the recep hall, etc... all that is more important than uncle Fred and aunt Esther stuffing their faces and knocking back drinks.

As usual, everything is running late. it's always the case. if they say dinner will be served at 8:30, you know it will be 9:45. 10:00 cake cutting? You've already padded it for 10:45 in your head. Since I was shooting b-cam, I could leave after that cake was cut. Could not have packed my gear up fast enough.
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That is one of the things that works out pretty good for me, is that I normally subcontract my wedding videos through a few photographers, and they are pretty damn strict on getting out of there at the set time we are booked to stay until. If not, they will charge overtime by the hour.

I've been thinking about something my buddy said when we were talking about how burnt out we are on shooting weddings. He said, "the best I feel is when I'm done shooting at the end of the night, because I know it's the most time physically before I'll have to shoot one next weekend." It's no way to live. At least for me anyway.
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Corporate videos for the win.
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That is the truth. It is no way to live.

I have four booked for next year. I will probably need ($$) to do a few more in addition to those, but I am going to focus more on corp/commercial work.

Or any other types of events that pay similarly to weddings will be fine too. Dance recitals, theatre production coverage, etc.

Deepfocus88 said:
I will most likely have an XHA1 for sale in the next few weeks. It served me well.
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Same here, at the end of this wedding season. I still like the image that the A1 pumps out, but I think it is time that I am completely 100% done dealing with tape.
 
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Scott i haven't been on here for awhile but i just want you to know... I just did a three day out of town Indian wedding... Yeah 5 days in a hotel room and the parents wanted every moment shot. I mean like 15mm up on a balcony (durning mealtime) they wanted to see who was eating and who was dancing. I feel your pain all the way and taking time away from the kids and wasting my weekends i've given it up to now. We'll need to chat again soon. I'm touring up your direction sometime soon.
 
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