Lessons

Lesson Info

Wedding Day Overview: The Ceremony

Now what we're going to do is look at each segment well the other segments off the wedding day and explain, you know, the process and how I think and what I do and how we set up etcetera so we're looking at the ceremony to begin with and you know, you need to give yourself some time when you finish up doing the preps in in like whether it's in the morning or the afternoon and then you follow up with the ceremony that comes after what you need to give yourself some time to set up with the ceremony now sometimes now just askyou houston, do you do just to camera shoots or is it just he did both to and one usually right now I've actually got my ah girlfriend that's been with for five years but she works eh? Camera off to the side and usually that kind of close in shot of just bride, groom and right there and I will be kind of bouncing around like you're saying getting different shots can usually have something there with you correct cancer with us we usually have we do have one operator pa...

ckage on dh we bring in a system and sometimes usually assistant is not technically competent in or able teo you know, effectively set up the audio unless they're being trained so it's not something that usually all give this system too so you need to allocate enough time for example, if you're by yourself, you need to give yourself some time maybe like thirty minutes at least to get to the ceremony because the first thing you need to do the ceremony I believe is what we do is set up the audio right? You set up your audio, you have mentioned that there are, like little projective tables that you can get there kind of like this high and you can adjust them but they're very small that black half this size bench and you set up your audio you put it to the side. If it's an outdoor ceremony, you can put it to the side and have it already. So you have your transmit I showed you the other yesterday you have your receive on your transmitter, you get that all set up and then what you need to do is you you need to speak to the right people because they're different people that you need to mike up so you need to mike up possibly the celebrant or efficient right you need to mike up. You know, if there's a singer sometimes there's a singer that we're seeing for the bride and groom that you need to speak to them they might be even the deejay sometimes is a deejay that has a mixer for the ceremony and you want to speak to that person and get a line out right so all these things you need to like give yourself time because if you spend too much time at the bridal prep or the groom's prep etcetera with during the preparation then you're goingto find yourself stuck at the ceremony with not enough time to get set up and then go get stressful because the bride's coming everyone's coming and you don't even have time to get some candids people like arriving people just you know, waiting for that's part of the story that people are arriving at the ceremony and you need that you know it's important like some faces they need to get in there and get those shot so you need to give yourself some time um now we've looked at already you know, the different lenses that we need to capture you know, certain events, certain moments and in particular with the ceremony the way we set it up with two to operator system is we have to start as we are very clear about the rolls right very clean because you don't want to get in each other's own shots right number one and you basically want to be in sync so the two shots especially when the broader party are entering you need to again I can't stress this enough you need to assess the space and decide you know what would be appropriate like sometimes having a glock I can shot falling the bridal party may not work right so you need to decide I can maybe I'll get one shot where I'm shooting through people and and the people on the broader position is coming through right that's that's cool and then you could get a reaction from the group right? So you basically need to think about all these things you need to think about how much space do I have what would work if I go for a glad camp shot you would that really add to the story in case you need to think about your devices when I'm capturing the the the bridal party coming in I usually on the mono pod that works for me because I want to be able to shift right and get the reaction from off the group now you could do what we can you can do with the tripod may personally I'm just finding a more versatile with the mono pod on dh again we're going back to shooting sequences you don't have to shoot the whole brought a parting entering you can basically capture part ofthe each bridesmaid or each person walking down the aisle right? Because if you are having a two man operation right system then the other person will have the other angle so you should be thinking off as we mentioned before sequence right? Because that I think that short sometimes he's forgotten the reaction off the room because he's so frantic and bridal party's coming through and you think well you forget it is possible to forget the that shot you know when he's watching the broader party coming through so you need to think about you know what would be the best set up here so that I could get my shots I can move around and not getting people's way as well so you know we we went through and discuss how we mike up you know how our subjects out the groom and the efficient and you know it's important again keep your mike you know fairly high and you don't want to have any distractions you don't wanna have cables hanging out you want to make it all neat so then it's there's no destruction in the shot the next slide I'm going to show you a a a sequence off exchange of vows right these valves that were exchanged between shona shantel was so so emotional right so this is a demonstrator I'm showing you how you should be capturing these should be capturing vows because look most vowed that when couples exchanging their vows it's very very profound so I find we find that shooting with seventy two hundred or if you shoot it with one thirty five you need to be shooting quite tight you know when it's a quite emotional part you know when it's a emotional part of the ceremony which is the vows and you were seeing this example it's really, really emotional and so I'll let you have a look and you'll see how we were capturing the vows always be there for you. I promise that I'll always have a cut of waiting for you, and I'll do whatever it takes so you can fall in love with each other over and over again. I promised have taco tuesdays or mexican mondays and even some weeks fiesta fridays I promise to keep the devil weak coriander away from you and bring jerky home every time I go to the shops. Chicken I love you so much you were so compassionate he always have the right words. He was so creative and thoughtful. He brings so much laughter to my life at this time I'm so excited to say, I call upon the persons here present to witness that I shan't tell assurance cynic thank you, shawn. Robert craig, to be my lawful wedded husband. Yeah, really moving and we were, well, two men, two man operation and we didn't have a middle shot during the vowels because the wife was really bad, right? So we made that decision to capture this way, which is actually worked out better anyway, so my point is some time what seems to be what you should be doing may not be the case, right, so you need teo you need to basically improvise and you need to adjust that's actually the word I'm looking we need to adjust to the conditions now there was it was heavily backlit so it's important that you keep that in mind that you don't necessarily have to shoot things the way it kind of is standard it's kind of expected right and that was a very intimate moment so we just but both of us kept onto like focused on both the broad and shown ash until because you see the reaction when you're watching a saying like whether it's a film a sane is in terms of the acting it's it's the biggest impact come from reactions right that's how it's amplified so it's important to when you having these scenes when they're very profound and very emotional that you effectively captured those those reactions very very important a two man operation when you are shooting weddings that is part of your package okay, so this is a situation where how would a one person shoot this particular situation who question we have I've included I'm real excited about this because I want to share the experiences I have because there have been times when I've been stuck and you know through experience you you learn from your mistakes I have made mistakes I admit we all make mistakes, but obviously you minimize that by you having some backups and, you know, having as much planning as possible so it doesn't it's not disastrous so you may miss something but it's not the end of the world and that's happened to me a few times so for example um you know, I positioned the what I'll do the anti christian first because otherwise goingto attention so there is a extra material for for everyone to download is part of the the the buying of the course and I've I've outlined the full plan for one man one operation set up for a ceremony I'll just explain it to you and go through it very quickly basically starting from the bridal party entering if it's just me on my own I would capture that either in amman upon or on sticks number one o catch on, I'll capture it with the money part okay well have probably seventy, seventy, two hundred with the seventy, two hundred I'll be able to, you know, zooming like really close to get the face and then maybe get feet and maybe the whole I'll get a variety of shots because I'm shooting I should sink into this right while that is happening, I've got a tripod so let's say the bride's coming through this way actually writes coming towards me, right? I'm shooting this you're basically the guests watching right the groom's over here and I usually like I tried to get in his way and that's why I choose the seventy two hundred because it allows me to take a step back that's a groom and a little time there like shooting and using putting the groom into the shot alright see it's kind of like a perspective shot and I'm not in his way and the shot is better anyway. So while I'm doing that there's a tripod right there, no camera, right? And there is another triple with the camera on it at the back shooting is actually rolling a little roll I've set up the shot it's a safety shot it's wide but it's it's, it's it's a good frame so I've looked at the group of like the guests sitting down and the shot is basically a nice frame of them walking through right and you'll see this in the floor plan so again, I'm shooting the broader party coming through is a tripod there no camera there's another trapper with the camera at the back shooting this way and it's not gonna get I've made sure that it's not gonna get me in the shot, right? Sometimes what I do is all kneel and get it this way if I have to, well, I'll just position the camera and that look that camera's not critical that's just a secondary thing I may not use permit when use much of it but I may use a little bit but I will get a nice frame okay, so they have come down there arrived when that happens, I shift to the right where the tri parties wait for the hand over because you want to get that once the handover is done you put your camera on the tripod, get your shot, let that role right then what you've got you've got your camera there waiting, ready to go but while you're moving that cameras is still capturing, you know, probably efficient going a welcome everybody it's, maybe efficient like a france you want to capture his audio's, maybe study until this story to get a nice frame on him. Chances are he's not going to move too much. You'll be fine while that's happening that's wrong you don't missing anything, you're good. You go to the camera there to where the camera is on the tripod take down, put that in the middle e and I recommend you do not get too close because you want to work with the photographer and you advised what you're doing before you do all this, you just hate just letting you know we're going to have a camera there, sorry in the middle, you know a cz my safety shot during the ceremony you know you'd be called that if you need to move it just let me know and then you can I'll just come around and move it because during that time when you're capturing the ceremony you've got that safety camera they're getting a nice two shot when you place that camera there then you come back to the camera that's on the tripod put that on the mine apart and stuck in the candidates that's rolling cannons cannons that's rawling and every soft now come come to the middle cameron just check it yet still good and maybe that by that time it's do you mind if I just get a watch shop because it's it's ah it's a nice shop for photographers to get you know a nice wide off the ceremony yeah for sure you know you know if I was a photographer I would want to capture that no problem I've got heaps of cutaways and she wouldn't ask me during the vows well he will she wouldn't ask me during the valves right that's cool and that's pretty much it you know and obviously towards the ends you you anticipate you right? You pay attention to the signs where he's about to announce them and at that time you need to get ready because usually I've noticed in the u s right once they announce them out of there whereas in australia and when when I first did my first few when he's in the u s like I'm like, oh man, I'm not ready for this but I had to run and like, you know, frantic but now I know it's all good so you know in australia like it's, they do the site they do they spend their time signing and doing the things before they leave but yeah, pay attention that's the ke ys with pay attention what's happening and then when you know there's any clues that they're about to leave you run and get the tripod moved out of the way and then with your munna pod you can get them leaving getting a shot of them like wreck focus or just leaving so the photographer is always going to want you out of his shot. I'm guessing, but do you ever keep the photographer in your shots like in your wide shot as like kind of an accepted and expected character at a wedding like you know what I mean? Is he or she is kind of a stable of a wedding and so we expect to see the photographer wouldn't be as jarring as you being and his shot the photographer in my opinion, is a distraction because they actually don't have a connection there not really part of their story unless in some cases the photographers actually there friend but they're really even even though they even though they are their friend they still there working and for may someone that he's like working is not actually part off their story and the emotions and even if I'm filming a friend's wedding is to hide me but we know each other and it's happened I still wouldn't want to be in the shot possibly find sitting down that the camera a table and maybe that like the other shooter, maybe if it's no and he's getting shots of me you know, without like my camera gay just just as I am and sitting and laughing and having a good time with my friends that's different but to actually capture them while they're moving around the camera that's a distraction because they're in a work um environment so yeah, I would always avoid any supplies, you know, and just think about how is that going to be? Is that going to be a destruction? Is that going to take away anything you shoot anything in terms of what you see in the frame you need to constantly ask yourself? Is there anything there that he's goingto distract the viewer? You keep asking yourself those questions because that way you'll avoid any anything that will take away from this story and you don't want that on your guest a waste then you spend all that time um any other questions in regards a ceremony like that was a good question because you know, sitting up a one can one came operation for sermanni can be tricky it is quiet it's physically demanding and you really need to have a system but while you have that system you still can be creative, right? So I'm sure that with the course that the extra material that will really help people just tow have that as a guide but what I would stresses that just use that as a guide because that is not the only way you can do it I'm sure there's other ways that you could capture it but that has worked for for myself and that's an effective way to get your coverage still get unites candids and even while the the valves are happening, I can get both the broad in the groom and again I'm paying attention when they're about to finish you just know like if you pay attention, you would know when for example the groom's gonna wrap up he's part of the vows when when they hand over to the bride and because I paid attention I've listened and I'm paying attention I've on time I'll be able to shift to the other side sure, I've crossed the camera that's shooting that way, but even if if if I've missed off I'm on the shop for like the first few words I managed, I've got cutaways, I've got candid, so you can use that it's, not a problem. That's. If you want to use the whole vouch for your your final piece, maybe you don't. Maybe they need two, so don't stress about that capture what you need to capture, and that is, you know, you need to get both the broadened agreement's really important, especially like things like if I was showing that by myself, you know, I would focus on them, too. I would not, because sometimes what I do is win the vow. If I've missed for sun rays, and I wasn't able to get any reaction shots on dh, I've got another camera going. I would probably get some reaction shots, but most of the time, when the vows that happening it's that profound, you want to make sure that you capture those those moments with a nice close up like that.