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Equipment and investment

Having good reliable equipment is something that you are investing in. Making sure everything is capture and nothing is missed.
Equipment and Investment
wedding videos

So, what is involved in filming a typical wedding as a videographer?

Let’s face it, weddings can be expensive, especially in modern times when most couples are now footing the bill themselves. One question to ask yourself is, how are you best to capture and remember this momentous day?

Over the years, so many couples have all exclaimed that they were so busy on the day that they missed significant events. They had put so much effort into many of the more minor details of the day before the event.

Wedding cinematography helps you capture and relive the unique details of the day that made it solely yours. There is nothing as impressive as being able to revisit your entire ceremony whenever you wish and share them again in those vows you each wrote from the heart.

It is also an excellent opportunity to share again those poignant or funny speeches made by your family and friends on the day.

Some couples may struggle to understand the cost of hiring a wedding videographer. I commonly hear from couples that they believe that when the word “wedding” is connected to any service from dry-cleaning to catering, the price automatically skyrockets.

I can categorically say that this is not the case for videography, and there is a lot of time, state of the art equipment, and liability involved in filming a wedding.

You need to perhaps instead consider this as an ongoing investment that will become a family heirloom, with everyone from your grandparents to your children (who may not even exist as yet) loving the opportunity to press play and watch your special day unfold over and over again.

Equipment

The following will give you an indication of what is involved in the filming of your wedding. This is the base equipment I carry for each wedding. However, this may fluctuate dependent on the specifics of each event.

In addition to all of the items you see here, it is essential to note that I also carry back-ups of all critical pieces of equipment. As a contingency that, although unlikely, for example, a camera should malfunction on the day, I have a replacement readily at hand to ensure not a minute of your wedding day will be missed!

 

Wedding Equipment for 2023

As a business, we have recently updated all of our camera equipment, bringing better visuals/ cinema style colouring but still maintaining the low profile, unobtrusive small cameras style for all our couples.

Our primary camera for filming all our weddings is the New Panasonic S1H. A small DLSR like camera. Don’t let the size fool you. One of only a handful of cameras approved to film content for NETFLIX! We use this in conjunction with the Atomos Ninja V external recorders. It gives more flexibility when editing, and on the day of filming, we have back up of all the footage.

We also use the Panasonic S1. As our B&C cameras for filming ceremonies and reception, these are the smaller brothers to the S1h. In addition to the cameras we use special camera profile settings. These are what give my films that truly cinematic look.  As we film with 4 cameras during the major events of the day in the event so if any camera should fail, the filming will carry on regardless.

Our main audio field recorder is the Zoom F8. This is an 8-track recorder. This is for tapping into to mixers and sound boards. For recording dialog with use Lav mic athat small enough that you could put it in you pocket and not know it was there.

A battery charger and multiple back-up batteries are essential for every occasion, as I often require enough battery power to film up to twelve hours. I also always like to have some extra units on hand for emergencies. In regard to memory, each camera utilises 2 cards, with facility for back-up cards if required. Other essential equipment utilised for events include lights for the reception and small video monitors which aid in providing me with a true visual representation of your day whilst filming this. A tripod and monopod are also necessary in capturing clear, stable shots.

Equiment-SOUND

Our main audio field recorder is the Zoom F8. This is an 8-track recorder. This is for tapping into to mixers and sound boards. For recording dialog with use Lav mic athat small enough that you could put it in you pocket and not know it was there.

A battery charger and multiple back-up batteries are essential for every occasion, as I often require enough battery power to film up to twelve hours. I also always like to have some extra units on hand for emergencies. In regard to memory, each camera utilises 2 cards, with facility for back-up cards if required. Other essential equipment utilised for events include lights for the reception and small video monitors which aid in providing me with a true visual representation of your day whilst filming this. A tripod and monopod are also necessary in capturing clear, stable shots.

Equiment-CAM
Equiment-Phantom

The drone is a huge part of the style of video footage I record. In employing this technology, I resultantly need adequate memory and batteries to last the entire day.

At completion of your special day, all files are transferred to a NAS storage system once I return home. This system automatically backs up and also makes a copy of the footage, ensuring this is never lost. Software subscriptions enable me to edit your footage. I’m also using the latest and most powerful PC, ensuring the editing process is speedy and efficient. Unfortunately, these are not one-time purchases either. Cameras and computers need to be professionally serviced on a regular and ongoing basis, hard drives and storage need to be purchased and editing software membership needs to be renewed annually.

We then come to the time spent in editing your footage to ensure all your memories are presented perfectly. Please note that the following are average timeframes spent in editing and completing films after a wedding

A teaser trailer – 4 to 8 hours of work

 A 6 to 10 minute wedding trailer can take anywhere from 7 to 10 days at the computer.

The feature film can take anywhere from 7-15 full days of work.

Also, there are a load of incidental costs involved in operating a videography business, one of the major ones being the insurance policies paid annually to make sure all parties are protected in the unlikely event an unfortunate event should occur, such as someone tripping over a piece of equipment and injuring themselves. Although none of us like to think of such an eventuality, most venues require proof of insurance these days before they grant access.

Wedding Videography – Tips on how to plan a wedding How to record Audio at a wedding How to film a ceremony

There are different types of wedding films created here at Red Door Studios