If you are thinking about saving a few bucks on your wedding budget by having a family member or friend shoot your wedding video instead of a professional Dallas wedding videographer, think again – you may be saving money now, but the amount will seem trivial after you see the final product, which is likely to be a choppy and hard-to-watch wedding video. However, if you cannot dissuade your overzealous cousin who recently bought a digital camera, you can simply ask him to shoot what he can and come up with a video that will supplement one that a professional videographer produces. Here are tips for the amateur cinematographer who wants to try his hand at making a wedding video:
Prepare a comprehensive list of events, venues, and times to make sure that you will be there to shoot the events as they happen. Try to visit the venues beforehand to get a better feel of the layout of the space. Plan how you will cover the event based on expected foot traffic, exits and entrances, and seating. Bring the equipment necessary for you to be able to shoot decent video, such as extra battery packs for hours-long shooting, tripods for static or panning shots, and some lights to make up for low lighting conditions.
Once you are at the event, shoot as much footage as you can of the important portions of the reception program, as well as most of the wedding if you can. These moments will not happen again, so err on the side of caution and capture whatever you think is worth shooting. Too much footage, especially of the important parts of the wedding day, is never bad – you can always edit out the unnecessary parts in post-production.
You will need to be alert and active at all times so you can cover important events, as well as unexpected ones to provide your final wedding video with a bit of color. Know when to shoot on a tripod and when to roam around and carry your camera while you cover the wedding. Make your panning shots gradual so as not to blur the images, and ensure you close-ups are well composed and on-focus.
Lastly, if the groom or bride have asked you or given you permission to help cover the wedding, make sure that you know all of their preferences and guidelines so you will be better able to give them a wedding video they will cherish – much like a professional Dallas wedding videographer.
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