A two Camera Wedding Shoot

I recently filmed a family wedding at the request of the Bride and Groom. From the outset this was going to be their wedding present. In filming such an event the opportunity for re-takes is virtually nil and the potential for long sequences, which are visually uninteresting, is high. My aim was to produce a movie that had variety and interest even to those viewers who were not present on the day. Being an ex cine person, and father trained, my discipline has been to keep shots short, sharp and snappy, take each successive shot from an alternative view and provide continuity in what is being shown. With video cameras and the luxury of synchronized sound, the cost of the recording media is not now a factor in shot length. What governs the shot/clip length is visual interest and any spoken dialogue. Keep it rolling, if only for the sound, and maybe whilst you reposition the camera for the alternative angle.

As I wished to capture the mood of the day from the bride getting ready in the morning to the evening dance, the desired shooting list was somewhat ambitious, to say the least. However, the time spent in drawing up such a plan, by reference to informative past articles in the IAC Film & Video Maker magazine, proved to be very worthwhile in reminding me what not to forget and things to look Out for, e.g. antics of the bored or lively, children playing, ladies hats blowing off, cameras clicking etc.

To add variety to the long sequences of the wedding ceremony and reception speeches the use of two cameras was required. Being 'a one band man' I mounted one on a tripod with zoom microphone attached and the LCD (liquid crystal display) screen operable, and ran it continuously. This gave the added benefit of an uninterrupted sound recording. During the registration ceremony, I positioned myself

close to the action with the second hand held camera and not far from the tripod-mounted unit so I was on hand to occasionally reposition its viewpoint. My hand camera also had a fixed zoom microphone and to aid smooth tracking movements, a small collapsed tripod screwed to its base (all the better to hold you with!). Being a tripod this also gave me the option to put it down safely. The hand held camera gave me the freedom to move about, provide close-ups, follow action, capture peoples? reaction. and the means for capturing those vital cutaways during the quieter moments of the proceedings. I also set up a floor-mounted microphone for an independent audio recording by MiniDisk (MD), just in case, which was devoid of any camera handling noises. A similar approach was also adopted during the reception speeches. The independent roving camera proved to be vital here in capturing action and reaction of respective parents and guests, often in close-up and from many angles and often from floor seated positions in my attempts to be unnoticed.

The resultant filming ran to 2 1/4 hours with a total of 450 clips. To my continual delight and amazement non-linear editing (NLE) permits the accurate alignment of material recorded at the same time from different sources and for it to remain in synchronisation within 1/50th of a second over many minutes of recording. Unlike an audiocassette recorder an MD machine uses the same crystal controlled devices found in today's video cameras.

The final production was condensed to 71 minutes and concluded with a 'dream sequence' featuring the happy couple's 'First Dance' and a reflection on highlights of the day's events. Were they pleased with the final result? YES.