Wedding Videographers?

TimothyJinx

TimothyJinx

Well-known member
I tip my hat and bow humbly before you.

I don't do weddings. But as a favor, I shot my pastor's daughter's wedding yesterday. I've never been so exhausted in my entire life. And to top it off I don't think it's going to turn out all that great.

My price for doing weddings is now $50,000.00.
 
It really is a thankless job. The advent of DSLR's has made it somewhat tolerable for me these days.

Going forward, I'd also like that day rate.
 
Ah yes, those were the days. Shuffled off to an empty room to eat cold food away from the guests...it's a welcome treat thought to break up the evening.

It really is back-breaking work...the company I worked for shot DVCAM at the time, a DSR300 and 500...ENG style, very heavy but also very reliable. By the end of the day my feet were numb and back felt as if my spine were bleeding. All for a nice $200. 2 years of that.
 
I've found it's easier to go into it with a plan... but that plan usually doesn't form until AFTER you've done a few. It's tough and can be very thankless. It doesn't help that there are a lot of folks who, God bless them, don't really know what they're doing and thus the expectations and money can be low. However, there are folks making comfortable livings at it. I'm not one of them, but I know they exist. Somewhere.
 
plans are great, I've never had a bad time shooting a wedding - yes, they are long, yes, they are tough, ye,s they are relatively unpredictable (as is most event videography), and yes, they are full of happy people (and beautiful people if you are luck :) ) and happy people/clients are better than PITA clients in almost every way - unless there is like a 200% difference in pay - even then I'd prefer happy over rich. If you don't enjoy doing it don't do it :)
 
Yeah, I've done like 30 weddings or so. After the third or fourth one, it's really just a routine you're following with different people. There are a few curve balls in every wedding, though. And sometimes, even a few screwballs (i.e. wedding photographers).

I don't, however, understand how some people can do the SDE's. That's still crazy to me!
 
I've done a few... the best advice I can give anybody who is going to shoot a wedding:

1) BE EARLY... there's no such thing as extra time.
1a) If you start off bad, or in a panic, because of unexpected issues... things only get worse.
2) Don't use this as a place to try something new.
3) You need at least 2 cams (3 is better).
4) Shoot as much as you can on sticks (makes the edit far more enjoyable and brides/moms would rather have the clearest, most stable shot of the loved ones... vs. cloverfield sh*t).
5) Set up a master shot in advance, on a tripod, as soon as you first arrive at the church. Leave that tripod there, with a sign on it stating "Please don't move this or sit too close. I'm hired for the wedding".
6) Shoot each section of the wedding in styles... i.e. it's cool to shoot the bride and groom getting ready in an ENG style... but once the ceremony starts make sure all cams are using the same shooting style... i.e. you don't want one guy running around getting creative hand-held shots that won't cut well with the master shot. If he/she can get unique angles or otherwise steady shots (slider, steadicam, sticks) the edit will go MUCH MUCH better. And I still say that for the ceremony, it's better to err on the side of stable (risking "boring" by using all sticks for instance) then "artsy".
6a) AFTER the wedding... party, reception... casual stuff... you can go back to hand-held.
7) Be sure anybody who is operating a camera has an extra tape, card, whatever, and an extra battery.
8) Ask to be sure, but the bride is almost always... camera left... so if you have a wide master... and only one more cam... make sure cam2 is parked in a place that you can see the bride's face while hopefully being out of the master shot. The back of the groom's head isn't a good shot... but the back of the bride's head is inexcusable.
9) Once the ceremony starts... it doesn't stop until it's over... even if you suddenly realize you chose the worst possible spot for cam 2.
10) Don't forget... people will stand up at least twice through the ceremony... so put that master and cam2 higher then 6'.

That was in no particular order... but "be early" is easily number 1. What else? Have fun... or at least try to look like you are while talking yourself into thinking you're having fun... good photographers are 50% personality. I try to smile as much as I can during the day (when appropriate) and keep the mood of all those around me high... people who are having fun make much better subjects... and you're a big part of their day... if you make the whole day more enjoyable they will remember it... and it will show in the video/pics.
 
Hi everyone,
I got a real good laugh at the original post. It is back breaking work however, I'm with people on the happiest day of their life. I truly enjoy capturing tomorrows memories for couples and hearing about family stories at these family events. I originally picked up a video camera in order to become a film maker however, I could never find a script worth shooting or come up with a truly original idea to shoot. As well as, film making is a collaborative process and I could never find anyone with the same passion that I have for making films. So I go it alone and shoot weddings. I'll be shooting 60 weddings this year alone, in fact I'm shooting a Jewish Orthodox wedding this Wednesday, can you believe it a Wednesday... any hoot... For those of you that are interested in learning more about the industry from event film maker professionals, and let me say the majority of them are part of the Event DV top 25 Film Makers... head on over to
http://www.infocusvideoevent.com
I went to this years event in Austin, TX and had the time of my life. I met so many event video and wedding film professionals and it completely turned my business right side up. I'm in a constant state of catching up on all the things I learned. Check out the blog posts and and visit some of the bloggers websites. They are remarkable film makers and great story tellers.
 
One valuable lesson I learned during my wedding-videography phase is: do not shoot off a stabilizer. Stabilizer shots usually benefit from planning and choreography, and you will never receive the kind of cooperation from a wedding party that's required to ensure that stabilizer shots come off reliably. Not even the walk down the aisle from altar to doors: you're tracking backwards with the couple, getting a marvelous shot...and some doofus guest will always step into your path from behind to get off a shot with his little pocket SLR...and whatever goes wrong will always be *your* fault because after all you are the hired help and the idjit guest is, well, a guest.

Awful things have also been known to happen on the reception dance floor too. I don't even want to think about them.
 
MattinSTL said:
I've done a few... the best advice I can give anybody who is going to shoot a wedding:

1) BE EARLY... there's no such thing as extra time.
1a) If you start off bad, or in a panic, because of unexpected issues... things only get worse.
2) Don't use this as a place to try something new.
3) You need at least 2 cams (3 is better).
4) Shoot as much as you can on sticks (makes the edit far more enjoyable and brides/moms would rather have the clearest, most stable shot of the loved ones... vs. cloverfield sh*t).
5) Set up a master shot in advance, on a tripod, as soon as you first arrive at the church. Leave that tripod there, with a sign on it stating "Please don't move this or sit too close. I'm hired for the wedding".
6) Shoot each section of the wedding in styles... i.e. it's cool to shoot the bride and groom getting ready in an ENG style... but once the ceremony starts make sure all cams are using the same shooting style... i.e. you don't want one guy running around getting creative hand-held shots that won't cut well with the master shot. If he/she can get unique angles or otherwise steady shots (slider, steadicam, sticks) the edit will go MUCH MUCH better. And I still say that for the ceremony, it's better to err on the side of stable (risking "boring" by using all sticks for instance) then "artsy".
6a) AFTER the wedding... party, reception... casual stuff... you can go back to hand-held.
7) Be sure anybody who is operating a camera has an extra tape, card, whatever, and an extra battery.
8) Ask to be sure, but the bride is almost always... camera left... so if you have a wide master... and only one more cam... make sure cam2 is parked in a place that you can see the bride's face while hopefully being out of the master shot. The back of the groom's head isn't a good shot... but the back of the bride's head is inexcusable.
9) Once the ceremony starts... it doesn't stop until it's over... even if you suddenly realize you chose the worst possible spot for cam 2.
10) Don't forget... people will stand up at least twice through the ceremony... so put that master and cam2 higher then 6'.

That was in no particular order... but "be early" is easily number 1. What else? Have fun... or at least try to look like you are while talking yourself into thinking you're having fun... good photographers are 50% personality. I try to smile as much as I can during the day (when appropriate) and keep the mood of all those around me high... people who are having fun make much better subjects... and you're a big part of their day... if you make the whole day more enjoyable they will remember it... and it will show in the video/pics.
Click to expand...

Anybody who knows me, knows I have no ego... but this above info will make all the difference in the world if you shoot a wedding.

I shot another wedding yesterday... don't really look forward to them, but if it's that or do nothing, I'll take the pay. Well... this was a somewhat big wedding... and I hired out a 2nd and a 3rd.

Today I thought I'd either bump this thread with a follow-up... OR start a new thread titled, "Want to make it in the world of video? BE RELIABLE!"

Both my second and my third were late... one guy was supposed to be there at 12n... arrives at 1:20... literally 10 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. By that time I was already moving fast in "plan B" mode... which SUCKS... my third arrived 10 minutes late... still very uncool, but not panic inducing. The 2nd shooter was hired with gear... and we were relying on some of it for this job (and already agreed to pay him for the additional gear).

The other half of "BE RELIABLE" is actually "KNOW YOUR GEAR!" This is probably my ultimate pet peeve. I can not freaking believe how many people have no idea how to use their OWN gear?! You'd be amazed at how often I'm showing somebody how to set up their own camera... and what's worse is when the person who doesn't know their own gear is highly opinionated about what's going on. "Dude, you insisted that everybody shoot in 30p and now half-way through the day I see you're shooting in 24p... which is what I said to do when you INSISTED that we shoot in 30p."

Response? "No I'm not."... So I point to the "24p" on the LCD screen... "No that's the name of the scene file... so I point to the 24p... AND the 1/24 shutter... Dude STILL doesn't believe me.

We had several of those incidents throughout the day... where the guy's telling me what's going on... or what time we're supposed to be at the next stop... wanting to tell EVERYBODY "Hey we gotta' get going... we're supposed to be at _____" in 25 minutes. (When the next stop is 10 minutes away, and EVERYBODY else is on-schedule... NOT an hour and twenty minutes LATE. Are you kidding me?)

Anyway... the gist is... if you have a wedding coming up... and read my quoted post above... and stick to that... I'll bet you a dollar to a donut that your day goes pretty well... and low on stress.

So there was my day... I gotta' tell you, the reason I hired two guys (for the STL market) is because damn few people do (or CAN do) what they say they'll do in this town... and between the two of them, they broke 1, 1a, 7, and tried to ignore 10.

Whatever... if you're an experienced wedding videographer feel free to add something to this discussion or ignore my "101" based on my own experiences... but again, if you found this post because you have to shoot a friend's wedding... or just accepted your first wedding job... that "checklist" above will probably help you more then you know.
 
You can include me as a subscriber. My sister's wedding is in April. Wedding videographers are expensive. Guess who's been tagged to fill that spot?

Yep. So I've been trying to get as much info as possible from those like you who have been in the trenches. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to it, but I don't think anyone, including me, realizes how much work it actually is, which justifies the pay wedding videographers demand.
 
Yep... it's not rocket-science, but everybody I meet in the "indi-film" world... is used to setting things up and figuring it out over a take or two. Weddings aren't like that.

Funny on the "favor" wedding shoot... is people think if a guy gave them $500 it would be a HUGE gift... "can you believe Bob gave us FIVE HUNDRED BUCKS!?" and yet you wouldn't want to shoot a wedding video for that if you were getting paid.

People think just because they have something to shoot video... and they can shoot a clip of their dog chasing it's tail so easy... that video is somehow "free". I always say, "well hammers are cheap too... so buy one and build something cool"... Just because everybody has the means to record video doesn't mean they can do it with any level of success over a long day.

Ironically (yesterday), the best equipped guy was nowhere near as reliable as the guy who showed up with his cam and cheap sticks... (guess who I'll call, or won't call, for ANYTHING next time... not just a wedding, but anything?) The gear-heavy dude didn't like carrying around his own tripod... and was doing stuff like texting while the parking lot empties... etc... I actually called him saying "when you turn around and see that NOBODY is in the lot behind you... well... pull out of the lot and make a right"... and then I had to talk him through all the directions to the next stop. (This texting thing was recurrent all day... all I could think is I'd never bring that guy into a serious gig.)

It's just like running sound... yep... it's not rocket-science... but something I say ALL the time... ALL the time... is if you don't hire a soundguy (that you know is good)... then good luck, because you're paying that person to CARE... all day... until the last take... and amazingly, even when you DO pay somebody... it's still pretty damn hard to find people who care as much about doing a good job as much as they TALK about doing a job well.

Your family should realize that you're giving at least $500 as a gift... and I'm sure you won't have a problem "caring" how it turns out :)
 
MattinSTL said:
Funny on the "favor" wedding shoot... is people think if a guy gave them $500 it would be a HUGE gift... "can you believe Bob gave us FIVE HUNDRED BUCKS!?" and yet you wouldn't want to shoot a wedding video for that if you were getting paid.

People think just because they have something to shoot video... and they can shoot a clip of their dog chasing it's tail so easy... that video is somehow "free". I always say, "well hammers are cheap too... so buy one and build something cool"... Just because everybody has the means to record video doesn't mean they can do it with any level of success over a long day.
Click to expand...

These words are lost on just about everyone I'm related to. When I told them I was buying a $1,900 camera (7D), they stared at me, wide-eyed. I don't have a ton of money, but this is an investment in my education as a film student and in my career. It's almost impossible to make that argument unless your listeners are film students/filmmakers...or maybe just artists...too.

After I shot some stuff - we're talking STILLS, here - they were so enamored with the quality of the pictures, they assume that all I have to do is walk around and shoot video like I do stills. The only auxiliary equipment I have when shooting stills is my external flash...

I've already started looking at what kind of gear I want to rent for the big day, namely the A-cam(s) for the ceremony. I haven't even given audio much thought.

I'm wondering if I should just say No. By my position of being related to everyone at the wedding, by being a film student, by being "the cute kid with a camera," I lose legitimacy in my ability and professionalism, which could easily affect how much I start "caring" about how things turn out, like you said.


Hmm.
 
MattinSTL said:
Whatever... if you're an experienced wedding videographer feel free to add something to this discussion
Click to expand...

I'll just cut & paste one of my posts from a few months ago:

Things you need to know:

1. There's a good chance the photographer you're working with will be an a**hole. Either totally pretentious, or a complete doofus. But regardless, you will get in each other's way.
2. I Corinthians 13:1-13: Someone WILL read this at the ceremony (this only applies to Christian weddings)
3. OK, you shoot the first dance wide and I'll get the close ups and the parent's reaction shots.
4. From here on out, you will absolutely, positively hear the song "I've Got a Feeling Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night" at the reception. Just know that going in.
5. You'll also hear "All the Single Ladies" when the bride throws the bouquet.
6. You *may* hear "How Sweet It Is" when they cut the cake
7. Make sure you get fed. And no "sandwich in the servant's quarters" BS either. You tell 'em you want the Chateaubriand like everyone else is getting.

Any other advice, you'll have to wait for my book.
Click to expand...
 
MSpencer said:
Good thread... Weddings are fun if you know how to do them... And a nightmare if not...
Click to expand...

That's like saying "making a movie is fun if you know how to do it"... which says nothing of the end result.

I've seen a lot of videos from people who think weddings are fun to shoot... and their videos are often painfully boring to watch... not always, but that statement is "loaded". I've ALSO seen some great wedding videos from people who have fun doing it... but it's still hard work.

I've shot both... weddings that were fun and turned out well... and weddings that were nightmares, and turned out "acceptable"... but it has been hard to turn it into a science. The "nightmare weddings" weren't because I didn't know what I was doing... it was because things happened that I couldn't anticipate... One wedding I was supposed to get a front shot... by walking down this hall to a door (that was supposed to be open) off the altar. I have cam2 running (2cam wedding)... so no big deal, BUT... I go down the hall... get to the door, and it's locked! So now what was going to be a great key shot will have to be a wide (of their backs) for no good reason... frustrating, not fun. In the same wedding, on the wedding day both the bride and groom acted like I was paparazzi, constantly waving me away from them!? (All I could think was, "this video is going to suck".) Several things ALWAYS happen that you don't expect. That's where a good 2nd is worth his/her weight in gold.

If you have a site showing some of your fun weddings, I'd love to see a clip. Link? :)
 
This is a great thread. I hate shooting video for weddings. I don't know what it is but I really don't like it. Now wedding photography on the other hand I really enjoy. Maybe it's the not having to think how it will all cut together into a video that I enjoy. Maybe it's also that I don't like shooting documentary which is what it seems like most folks like. I did just do a still shoot a couple of weeks ago though and the couple was super laid back and we got to try some stuff we have been waiting to try for a while and it was a nice change of pace.

Stills:
http://lunaartandmedia.smugmug.com/Weddings/jtwedding

Video:
http://www.vimeo.com/5725190
 
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