|
Everything is perfect: Your family and friends are
seated comfortably, the flowers look divine, the
music is being played in key, and you know the
caterers are busy making sure the food for the
reception afterwards is scrumptious. The only thing
left to do now is walk down the isle and wed the
person of your dreams. Off you go!
Nightmare of all nightmares! You are sitting at the
head table and the only reason you know you actually
got married is because there is a gold band on your
finger! You were so nervous and excited all at once
that your mind is drawing a complete blank. All the
effort, the planning, the endless sacrifices all
year long and you don't have a single recollection
of how things went. Yikes.
There is insurance against this all-to-common
wedding amnesia: A wedding video! It will bring you,
your family and friends, countless evenings of
enjoyment and recollection simply at the flick of
your remote control. The cost will be nominal and a
professional video will bring you countless years of
enjoyment.
The best person to entrust with capturing your
special day is a professional Wedding-Videographer.
The old saying that "A hammer does not a carpenter
make" is good to remember when hiring a professional
to film your wedding. The best person to ask for
advice on this is your Wedding Planner. They will
have a Videographer that they trust enough to put
their name to so that you will have one less thing
to worry about. It's It is after all, their job. If
you are planning your own wedding, here are ten
questions you should ask to ensure that you pick the
best Videographer for the big day:
1. Video cameras are not all the same. Hi8 or DV
provide a higher quality than the standard
camcorder. Some of the best digital units include
the Sony VX 2000 and the Canon XL1.
2. 3-chip CCD cameras will have the best Digital
quality. You don't need to know what it means other
than "the best possible chipset for the best
possible image."
3. Ask to view a "wedding video sample" tape. This
will give you an idea of what the quality will be
like when you get yours.
4. Do they use wireless microphones? If they do,
great, if they don't ask them to get one.
5. Is the Videographer unobtrusive? They should be.
6. What do they dress while filming? Make sure they
dress neat and tidy. Blue jeans are NOT acceptable
wedding-wear.
7. What back up equipment do they have? It should be
comparable in quality to the original.
8. Price?? Most Videographers have several packages.
Choose the one that fits within your budget and
captures what you desire.
9. Do they use 1 camera or 2?. If 2 cameras is the
second operator an extra charge.
10. Bookings? Make sure you give them specific
instructions for time, place. Also, be sure to check
with the church, Priest, hall, etc., to find out if
they have any rules regarding filming of weddings.
Once these questions have been answered to your
complete satisfaction you'll be well on your way to
hiring the best possible professional to film the
big day.
If you decide that a Videographer is simply not
within your wedding budget you can still take some
action to ensure that you get an acceptable "home
video" of your Wedding. Everybody and their Uncle
has a home video camera nowadays (we've all had to
suffer through their personal movies at one time or
another). As you know, having a camera is not enough
to make a movie. If that was the case Hollywood
would be out of business by now. Here are some tips
to help your Uncle Jim or your Cousin Sally to film
a video that will bring you tears of joy instead of
making you cringe every time your throw it in the
VCR:
1. Try to use a Digital or Hi-8 camera. The quality
will be drastically improved when transferring or
copying for friends and family.
2. Make sure they have a Tripod. This will reduce
unwanted motion and save you and your friends from
being queasy when you watch the finished product on
TV.
3. Do not "zoom" in or out while filming. Do all
"zooming" while the camera is NOT recording. If they
want to switch from a wide shot to a close up, stop
the camera from filming between transitions. All the
professionals do this.
4. Be sure to scope out the best possible spot for
the camera ahead of time. It should be in a spot
that is unobtrusive but can also capture the bride's
walk down the isle and ceremony without having to
move the tripod & camera.
5. Practice, practice, practice. Be sure to film
some "practice" runs before the actual ceremony.
This will ensure that the person doing the filming
will be ready to capture things in the heat of the
moment without any worries or mistakes.
Again, I cannot recommend enough that the best way
to capture your wedding on Video is to hire a
professional. That being said, the tips above should
give you a quality home video that you and yours
will enjoy again and again. Professionally shot or
captured by a reliable friend or relative, a Wedding
Video will bring back all the feelings and wonder
that you were too busy to remember on the special
day itself!
By West McDonald
Tracker Productions
 |
