noni films & media: video production, social media, communications and marketing services on maui

Redefining the Wedding Video: A Love Story

August 10, 2009 at 6:02 pm 1 comment

Its the most special day of many people’s lives: their Wedding Day. All around the world, an average of 115,000 couples “tie the knot”, every single day.

After spending weeks, months, even years planning and daydreaming about the moment they marry their true love, brides and grooms (and even family members) who have been swept up in the preparations and anticipation always report that the main event went by in the blink of an eye. While using a still photographer to capture special moments helps bring back memories, nothing quite does it like video.

Bryan & Aiyana Emily, May 10, 2009, the Haiku Mill, Maui

But there’s a challenge that comes along with that marriages-per-day statistic: it means there are a lot of weddings to be shot, edited, and distributed. It definitely takes more people and more time and effort to complete a good wedding video – and it should. There is no sign that those wedding statistics will decrease, but there is often the possibility that a videographer is already focusing on the next wedding before the first one is edited. That is why it is important for both the couple and the videographer to take special care in the making of a wedding video.

Here are a few things wedding videographers do to raise the bar:

1. Telling stories and being authentic. Abandoning the “status quo”.

There are many unique “style points” that can set a video apart.

It’s too easy to just write up a “shot list” and shoot only the items on that list. It’s a waste of a camera’s capabilities to leave it on the “auto” setting. And, it’s too simplistic and boring to simply edit each wedding video according to the same “formula”. We’ve looked around and found that approximately 1 out of every 5 wedding videographers does something special. This can be anything from making a “documentary” style film, shooting interviews with the wedding party, using special filters and creative editing, and spending more than a few hours with the couple.

This week, I give the “Out of the Box Wedding Video” award to a couple of companies I feel do it right. One fine example comes from the folks at Three Ring Media in Georgia.  They create classy, cinematic trailers, and really focus on storytelling and capturing incredible footage. They use slow-motion and dramatic music cues to go for high emotion in their finished “story videos”. They also offer an informative and up-do-date blog and podcasts on their website – extra points for being engaged and accessible (see last week’s post for more on that). At Player Wedding Films in South Carolina, pre and post-wedding bride and groom interviews really take their videos to the next level.

If you’re a wedding videographer, set aside a little time each week to check out what others in your industry are offering, and how you can diversify and push yourself a little further to keep your work fresh and challenging. If you’re an engaged couple searching for the right videographer, keep your expectations high – there are some really talented storytellers out there!

2. Focusing on Audio!

There is one important element that separates wedding videos from wedding photos: SOUND.

When a wedding is captured on videotape, there are usually 2 separate channels of audio coming from the event onto each camera. When using multiple cameras, or an audio mixer, there can be many more audio elements used in the final video. The production can include wireless lavalier microphone audio from the officiant and the groom. We do NOT recommend clipping a microphone to the bride.

No wedding videographer should try to shoot a wedding on one camera using only the on-camera microphone: a telltale sign that they are a amateur.

Extra attention should be paid to capturing great sound, in all cases considering the importance of ambient sound, the voices of the bride, groom, minister, and the sound of guests gasping or whispering as the bride enters the room, or the applause as the newleyweds march back down the aisle as husband and wife.

3. Making the most of the “motion” in “motion pictures”.

What’s the difference between a picture and a motion picture? The motion.

There are endless things that a videocamera can do that a still camera cannot. steadicam shots, changing depth-of-field, timelapse, and rack focusing are just a few techniques that really add to the texture and dimension of a film. A videographer who simply sets up a tripod, pushes record, and zooms in and out repeatedly is a slacker. Asking friends and family to give their wishes for the couple on video, interviewing the bride and groom the night before, and focusing on the stylistic details of each wedding and its location – these are things that make a wedding video authentic. When shooting video during posed photo shoots, video crew shouldn’t be afraid to ask the wedding party to “act” for the camera. An experienced videographer has no problem giving them cues to turn to a light source, look at each other, or kiss naturally. Politely ask the still photographer if you can “take turns” directing the subjects. Here’s a case where the path less followed makes all the difference.

Wedding ceremonies cannot be done over. A couple’s wedding day is sacred and deserves the respect and creativity of a great storyteller. A wedding video can be a treasured keepsake, especially if the job is in the right hands.

Sara Tekula is the Vice President at Noni Films & Media. She lives and works on Maui, and enjoys reliving her own blissful Maui wedding memories at every wedding she shoots.

Entry filed under: Filmmaking, Industrial & Corporate Video, Media Services, Social Media, wedding video. Tags: bride, ceremony, destination wedding, documentary video, event video, groom, hawaii wedding, maui wedding, maui wedding video, videographer, wedding, wedding day, wedding video.