Wedding Video Production and Videography

WEDDINGS: Re-live your special day.

Following the completion of our Video Production Questionnaire, we discuss your detailed requirements at a face-to-face meeting, preferably at your venue location.

We record ALL the wedding ceremony. Wedding ceremonies are recorded from the front of the venue, with a second camera set further to the rear where appropriate - we aim to get the best possible coverage within the requirements of the church or venue as some churches specify the location where cameras may be sited.

The Event Shooting Day:

We arrive at least 90 minutes before the official ceremony time in order to set up and record interiors and exteriors of your wedding ceremony venue. We are friendly, considerate and sensitive to what goes on around us. For the actual ceremony we often shoot hand-held using a Sony HVR-Z5 as this gives the best flexibility and portability in recording real life moments. In most situations we use no artificial lighting. A second fixed camera of equal quality (Sony NX5) is used to record wider scenes. The result is a coherent and properly sequenced as-it-happened video production.

Sound, an important element in the overall production, is captured using small and very portable high quality digital recording equipment (Marantz Professional PMD661s) in addition to the professional microphones on the two cameras. In more acoustically reverberant environments such as churches and large halls we use very small radio microphones to record the ceremony (Audio Technica 1821s - no cables - the size of a small finger nail, and PRO42 miniature boundary microphones). Where possible we record a stereo audio track in wide shot for overall atmosphere of the ceremony with other actions recorded in mono placed in the stereo "bed" in post production. Everything looks and sounds in "the right place" in the end result.

Our involvement is unobtrusive, with great respect shown to the service and to the celebrations of the Bride and Groom, the families and their friends.

Post Production (often a 7-day process - or as long as it takes):

Consists of capturing and logging all the footage recorded. A first review will take place at this stage. Following this, and if applicable for a sequence, a music track is laid or edited if required. Footage is then laid against this. Other music can be laid as incidentals, for bridging or effect during sound dubbing. We do invite clients to choose their own music, although we will advise when needed.

The rough edit (the rough cut):

This provides a basic structure, we then complete a fine cut - tightening the images and natural sound overlaps. Once this is complete we undertake a sound dubbing session, which smooths out all the natural audio across edits, changing audio levels and fine blending the music. Correctly adjusting audio levels in relation to the edited pictures is extremely important to the over all quality of the production.

Next comes the Colour Balancing and Grading:

This is a process where scenes or frames, if needed, are adjusted for colour matching. Varying lighting conditions - interiors, exteriors all change the colour balance, if this is left, visible differences will detract from the overall visual quality of the production. Most inbalances are correctable, provided there has not been any significant change in conditions or camera exposures. We colour match to a professional monitor of known reference. However, there might be occasions where balance cannot be achieved easily due to lighting conditions, especially involving mixed daylight and filament lighting. In such circumstances balancing can often be a compromise in order to achieve the best overall effect. Having completed all these tasks and probably having seen the production many times over, a final version video file of the project is made using the correct codec (data conversion) for the audio and video standards being applied.

DVD Menu is created with professional animated graphics: