Things I Learned from Being a Last-Minute Amateur Wedding Videographer
A couple of weeks ago, a mutual friend of mine was talking to one of her friends with whom we'd both gone to high school; this friend was getting married shortly and needed a cheap videographer just to shoot the ceremony and reception speeches. Unbeknownst to me, my friend gave Caroline my name as a videographer. I have a DSLR, a weighted stabilizer, and a couple years of documentary video experience from college, so I figured why not when Caroline got in contact with me. She was just expecting me to shoot the ceremony and reception and give her the raw footage—how hard could that be?
But being the perfectionist that I am, I couldn't make it that easy for myself. If I was going to do this, then I was going to do it right. So I enlisted my friend Mary's help as a second shooter and was determined to make a full blown wedding video.
By no means am I a professional. I (definitely) made mistakes. But here's what I learned.
1. This is not a profession for the weak of heart.
The number one thing that I learned was that being a wedding videographer is stressful. A wedding is comprised of a million tiny beautiful moments, and if you miss one because your camera was shaky or out of focus, then you miss it. You can't have a redo on the first dance or "I do" because you messed up. It's a lot of pressure to be the one in charge of capturing those tiny moments correctly.
I think it's accurate to say, "This is too stressful," "I'm so stressed out," "This is so much pressure," and all their general variations were the most said phrases of the weekend.
2. Don't expect to look nice the whole day.
I really struggle with figuring out what I should wear on a normal given day (e.g. I always wear my raincoat when it doesn't rain and decide to risk it when it pours), so trying to balance formal(ish) wedding attire with different variables—90-degree heat, giant spider incidents, running around getting shots at pivotal moments—proved to be difficult. In the end, I wish I'd worn something slightly less formal than what I chose, like a cotton sundress, as I ended up kneeling in dirt to shoot the ceremony and sweating profusely due to the adrenaline and blazing sun. My Chacos, however, were the right choice (as they always are).
3. You have to roll with the punches.
When your microphone doesn't work, rely on close proximity and the magical abilities of post-production to fix sound from the on-board mic. When your stabilizer decides to throw a tantrum, turn it into a monopod and remember your professors telling you to tuck your elbows against your body for support. When the photographer moves directly in front of you, duck into the aisle for what becomes a great shot.
4. Always have two shooters when you can.
Having two shooters was a godsend to me during editing, especially for the ceremony shots. Mary was able to get some really good moments of Connor seeing Caroline for the first time, while I was able to rush down the aisle to capture Caroline and her dad's procession. When the wedding you're shooting is in 90-degree weather, two shooters can also prevent a potential disaster. In the middle of the ceremony, my camera overheated due to the continuous video and high heat weather, so without Mary, I could have missed some potentially great moments.
5. Recognize the "special" moments and start rolling (or keep rolling).
After Connor and Caroline had recessed back down the aisle, I almost turned my camera off. However, when I saw Connor waving his arm at the bridal party, I knew something special was going to happen. That's when all of the groomsmen and bridesmaids just started engulfing Connor and Caroline in hugs, and it ended up being one of my favorite moments of the video.
6. Let yourself have some fun and experiment a little.
For documentary, we don't get to do much in terms of "fun shots." You've got your standard wide shot, medium shot, close-up sequence and even a panning movement without clear cause is looked down upon. However, for this, I wanted to have some fun with shot variety. I managed to execute a couple of rack focus shots, as well as some movement. Some of the experimental shots worked, while others didn't, but it gave me room for more creativity in the shoot.
Without further delay, here is how my first ever wedding video turned out! A shoutout to my friend Caroline for getting me the gig, Mary for being my all-time-favorite assistant shooter, and Connor and Caroline for the beautiful wedding and the chance to film it!
If anyone is in need of a cheap (amateur) videographer for an event, feel free to get in contact with me!