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Some Pointers

Lesson 15 from: Video Fusion for Weddings & Portraits

Victoria Grech

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Lesson Info

15. Some Pointers

Next Lesson: Audio Overview

Lesson Info

Some Pointers

Okay, we've mentioned this before but really let the couple moved we have what I call some kind of shots up front so even for this for creative live camera people you're several cameras they need to know what's gonna happen aware the action what happened so things like you know, with victorian steve I knew my head I wanted a shot of her hand with the lavender and then I knew I wanted him to come in and then I knew I wanted him to grab her and get her and kiss her so I have already prepped the team I call it told them almost where we think we should shoot there's something called like a one eighty wrong so when you start having more than two cameras you don't want each camera seen in the shop and if you're gonna just film or just photograph you want to think about the people you work with who was great with may I was rarely work as a video crew with another photographer because it's so hard because the photographer would just go do whatever they want all over the place when I'm running ...

out we're doing photo and video we all work together we will stay out the way we all get the shots is much easier to control and then I don't have the old fashioned video like shaka mike into my shop like get back get back it's almost like a choreographed like dance yeah your guys and you flipping as you're on a cinematography I'm just shooting stove but the odd occasion I will go where are they not here can I just record this with nothing on that but yeah I tried still doing both and the bigger and bigger productions that go I just needed to get a can't direct and keep my couple calm and photograph and I write the team and then shoot video too yeah it was just one more thing so now on a big wedding shoot if it's not something like the fusion shoots you saw I am directing I'm photographing I'm taking my still so quickly and I'm directing the movement for the film and the reason why I was successful in the uk definitely an overseas is because you have amazing cinematographers out there and amazing photographers but they don't work together so is these film guys we know you're really dependent on a photographer of how much time the photographer gives you and the photographer wants someone still well I don't want someone still in a video this's you'll see some stuff you could study camera on someone still they looked just wooden to form a kind of I work with them and I factor in the time for the video segment on for the photo segments on the guys that call could you get them to do this? What about if we did this I'm like yeah cool now when when you're talking about let the couple move and that the camera I mean you say you don't want that to happen or you don't want the camera to move yeah so that they're not standing there like a statue were never would have oh that there's statue the camera committee ok, but even then I may one shot maybe in a peace that when it's a couple like that have a look again at cinematographers that are working without photographers or this is why cinematographers and photographers were like working together and they were constantly work together because I remember one shot it seems like you started low but you kind of went around and up but it seemed like they were moving at the same time it was now is is that this is my cake and eating it this's okay let's move let's move the couple that's focused for the same time let's do something fun you have to start off here and then just keep pushing and pushing and pushing it whether degrees of that kind of thing but even like a shot now say if we save you guys were my couple I'd have a lot off camera on I'd get you guys to kind of come behind me look into camera hands in front of the camera and walk off and you see we do that with a steadicam but with a steadicam what we're doing again, you talk about like if you had your camera set once but you have a couple come from behind join here right in front keeping here did this with the kids that fusion ships I'm here cameras pointing this way you guys behind me you walk in front of me your hands go from my head to here and I walk back with us to walk away so that even the slight moving I'm not moving you could leave it not leaving the fact when you guys move away from a and I made you get the drama you get there, okay? So I guess they're I don't know how to describe this up there little sequences, little moves that we played with and go I hear this looks cool kind of thing or of a couple of dancing this way go around them that way with a guy come, you've got that whole but it's just playing I've learned from playing a lot of time doing it so wrong, but then there will be a way that huh e I don't want to keep hope, but I think I'm actually gonna shoot awaiting next weekend and we like my first one maybe, but I'm goingto hey, you know they're looking for photographer mike trussed up like a couple of ideas and so I would say this is going to be marketing my suggestion is I know there's a whole construct asi about working for free but for this I would say worked for free if you get something out of it so suggested to the couple that you're going to be taking you know, play with some video you really don't know how it's gonna happen however I would still say to you you have to show them something there is a bit pressure and then produce whatever it is say long as I can use this to put on my website and promote other couples, I will give you this for free and when you put your invoice into them invoices that the cost it would have been and then discount so they go oh my gosh, he did this fusion piece and I was hiding a thousand dollars I got it for free already you have like five and you haven't almost messed up by going again he'll do it for free way from there when we took about thousand market day, I can almost last year with some of these ideas today, but yeah, you know what? Just like a city that just go for it, but make sure as you build up, you don't charge a shed load and not know you can pull it up again, otherwise you'll do what I was doing way linda, my poor second shooter will vouch for that my second photographer it was like my rock, I was like, oh, my god, tried and me not like in the beginning, I always I couldn't have enjoyed it. I was so stressed out to smother rains because we were doing everything wrong, I couldn't even enjoy what I was doing was like, shall I quit this? Why not quit this? And then by that time I spent too much money and the clients were liking what we're doing. I have to do this, but I have to make it more of the same way to do it. So the clients were like, you weren't no, because you didn't have the tools night nailed down the knowledge I shot, unlike ocean it like a thousand shutter speed and wondering why the hell is jumping and getting on forums, going to know when you edit like, because I don't want fish, too. I like you just went out there and just did everything so wrong, but I think what's good now is when I troubleshoot I've got a good idea what it is because I already did it wrong, but mason's, but you guys won't have to go through that, lana all on the line and tell me all the bad stuff is coming out for three days yeah, even likes cinematography wise there's take me good year and a half to just really now that I'm work out who shoots what where do we shoot her? You shoot stills first today shit video how do we interact with clients? There's a lot of confusion I can see how fisher's easy. No yeah uh, any questions in the internet? Oh, you bet we d'oh okay, so we talked a little bit about this yesterday, but katie grace would like to talk about you're the size of your team for just a basic wedding shoot just because I don't cover it a little bit yesterday. Well, no one shooting fusion it will be me and a second shooter and I will shoot video and photo together and she would just shoot stills and keep me saying if we're shooting cinematography the basics are two people treating video two people shooting stills and then depending on what kind of wedding it could go up to six people filming and two or three photographers you can imagine now this is when the stress gets and I've got your pieces and I've got like eight people running around on the wedding day and we will split up we will the groom will have a ceremony in the morning and the bride has ceremony morning and that's like a whole civil service more than that anyway before we get to the main service so it is that is crucial that we have we don't have a shot list, but it's ingrained in here by now, but the guys do the guys will print out shot this we don't like religious sweating running gotta now there, and this is when kind of learning those focus tricks you have to have it and focus as soon as you start because when she start on a five day like you doesn't know him refocus by then keep going cool and one more question because I know we got a handful more slides communication, so the question from a c m was asking about where you place your operators to make sure that on, you know, those multiple shots where have multiple cameras and no one seeing each other because not only are you a cinematographer, but you're also the director correct? And how do you guys communicate? I noticed you pointed tio, could you talk a little bit about that? Pleased to? I said I would never use them because even that belt thing I just want to be a photographer. I don't want to carry around stuff on every mobile, the bell thing helps and I also used the cobra's I don't know what make you guys have here, they can be a bit of trouble, you could have make sure when we talk about audio frequencies are not messing with the audio the sennheiser love kids be really careful about that, and the other thing I would mention is one of our first crew poor if you're listening when we first use them through a service, someone said something you need to turn it down during a service because you could hear him from across the room going on. He didn't have to tell you is like, and then also kind of sometimes in my ear because you guys probably get it here as you can hear banter somewhere else. And what were we having a joke, johnny? Even if I can't see them, yeah, yeah, maybe you can pull off a good shot, they will be saying something, I'm trying to talk to my kind the same time and they get this joke in my head, I'm like we just take this out, but that for mei I've been using those I use those on my big shoe, and then I had to get rid of it on a steady cam rick, because I couldn't concentrate and direct kids and listen to my like everyone else talking there's any tour was filming for there, but I think it helps people love them or hate them, but before I had them, I'm running out to try and find my team member going, I really need someone now where are you? I'm doing like stuff I think now you get me this land I'm running backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards great thank you even sign language is going to sound crazy, but we'll go why? Sure touch details unlike yet they're doing this and you like sometimes when you call it what you like being a constant when you're filming with a crew so we don't get in each other's way making this carpet the side on this side we will shoot turning this side this side and then that way we're not getting anything here always doing this now there's quite a few cameras with us now, whereas if I have a camera behind you and I'm filming, you were going to be in each other's shoes and just being mindful of each other where you are thiss did drive my second shooter's not so when we started filming because we had free reign before was just me in a second shooter, no video team whatsoever moving everywhere and now I'm very much more mindful of where the cameras are on okay not there that's come with their um so again yeah, you will find special in the audience as well that when you do, if you have a second shooting you do start this film stuff on a bigger scale it will it will be difficult for the second shooters we got random um this is a purely me thing you'll see it on the first asian winning video doing soon in the mouth um and shoot for your idea kind of so what we were doing that kid shoot what big it? We'll bring it in the edit tomorrow morning and you'll see how annoying it is the waste of time we're going to have to watch stuff that doesn't happen and then come in and cut out, so if you don't need it, don't keep it rolling, but I'm going to show you some footage now about shot anticipation where in the heat of the moment and you have five minutes to film something I will not such a so what you've gotta hear, hold on um so I give you breathe, this is bull rushes, this is strike off my camera, you're here generally, how about the audio is off on camera any way the sun is coming in and out so what's really good you'll see how when you change exposure, it messes up the shore you're going to see this is very chaotic and then you'll see how I in an out, pointed out and shoved it together for another just see this to bits, but what I would say I'm only shooting on india most the time was a money ipod twenty four twenty five and that is it it was just too chaotic to moving everywhere. This crowds of people coming past the elephants, there's dramas is on. I had to cut there's, only two of us filming this putting it was insane trying to capture everything. Um, have a look at this. When you're watching this, I will always go frame first exposure focus. So as I'm moving your cia go in an hour frame and I'm probably not even filming the ten seconds because I have less than maybe a minute to capture this drama stuff because she is about to walk him for this special thing. It was like, you go get this, you could get this, my gosh, I need to get us good. Ah, and this will be the car that will keep rolling. It gives you an idea of its chaos, but when you put a few little tiny bits together, um, the in between stuff you have to cut out, but ideally, you want to stop and start this now is another shot that I wanted to do so for mei I'm in my head, I'm thinking about the shot anticipation how do I shoot? Edit? So I know I've got a little sequence there of the drama I need to capture this this is the moment where the groom is coming. Entrance, he comes in on a big massive elephant, there's rituals going on all the parents and everyone is kind of partying. It's crazy is great foam on. I wanted a short of feet because then I was going to get wide shots of other stuff, so I've got sixteen thirty five andi, I am laying on the floor now already my teammate and saying to me, you're gonna get trampled by people, okay, stand over me like that. So he's, starting over this, I'm like lying on floor completely unfair because I've no one ipod wise, I'm on the floor like it did yesterday, and you'll see your hear that he tries to pull me up going, you really need the elephant just going on like, oh, no, no, for may we speak for juman singh this, but it doesn't look that near, but it's sixteen to thirty five mil that I have a way e thinks I'm crazy that I wouldn't know e that near, but it was and it's quite yeah, because you and I were talking about that sixteen thirty five and you could be a couple of feet from something, and it seems like it's far away, and you probably were from that trump really yeah, foot or so they're always going through my mind was what if the elephant like picks up my camera in my house I'm gonna film anything no am I gonna get trampled on by honor let me not risk it because I need you so cool how it was obviously documentary I mean but even have how the people will go dad heard little kids were closer to the elephant I mean, it was it couldn't have been perfect in the guy with the big horn and then I was thinking I know what the burqa you hada wear something to cover yourself for india no, no no no I'm saying that just that one but I was thinking do you? Because I always wear black like you do because you don't want to be people in there on your right there eyes see yourself in someone's eyes reflection but and something like this everybody was happy or there you could see they're smiling and new and stuff it seems like they enjoy like I'm went on film and I'm like, well, come on yeah I might crazy hyper nutter on the wedding day and there's a weapon agent families of man like come on, kel well dressed like will you is some I would just like them no, no there's no way I can wear a sari and I'm like, sorry, I'm wearing black trousers on a black shirt offer this our war blouse, sleeveless blouse so I could weigh was eighteen b on sweating, but against me it doesn't matter what I looked like. I'm bowling around on floor to get my shots but my kinds already this point or do you know that? So they did just that hey, is that crazy girl? Make sure first just not always good for mei laughing at man, I'm getting really long exactly there's three the germans like looking and but you and I know, but you have your personality, you're such a doll that you know what I mean they're they can feel you're by my green did sites may I was worried that my videographer was going to be dead it's just that you're enough what I'm going to show you now is the only other people that I've ever seen. This is a small group in a super class I did in canada in april and on the way to canada because I let you food from india to canada I feel about I think of six countries and more than that ten countries in five days it was not fun on dh then on the way there I wanted to show them an idea of just rush is that I had pulled on my laptop on what it looked like to give you an idea and no one has seen this but these guys and this is all shot on a man I part on a mark two twenty four twenty five lens the whole thing no other lens because it was too there's even a shot in here that I would talk about that is a steadicam shot I pulled it off in a mono pod and if people really want me to show you have to do that because it's kind of silly how do I will do that after this video but this this shot right at the end where you see me I'm weaving through the crowds I don't have a good outcome I have money put well and can you really reiterate which lends you were using their twenty four twenty five stabilizer they're trying to do the arresting I is on wait wait so theo just someone one lens you can now see what I was thinking about the feet show I cut it up with the wide shot cut it out with the movement shot come backto the serpent the other guy wouldn't film because you could say it was quiet and I wanted a hundred mil macro shot I wanted the compression so again people going to think I'm not now but again it was about what I wanted in the vision in my head I thought it was sting him not me or resting the lin's first and if you think I have a look at that again it's like several angles it was his angle it was here it was here running around to there on the other point to notice did you notice how the drummers that was not the right drumming that was just the track I found the this that wasn't what it sounded like but your brain will go yeah notice the birds coming in is a piece of totally bought that as well so you can see how the importance of like audio and even like cutting to black and just having that suspense without music when things out that way for questions wait is my last slide and about fifty minutes okay? I think the first opening session where I'm in the opening shot they let you do that like an infinity focus first and then you paying or tilt it up is this the very very first I'm not picking my focus point of whatever I think is a frame that bar lad's things okay prefect that and then toting up okay I want to get is I knew the words were at the same focus line they're the same focal pain so I knew if they were flying around come in then like the group of them already there when you had that there's like the wings that were coming in but there's shot before that was that time lapse or was it just a nothing time? It wasn't town left at all, okay and then you know, we talked about the the snake or you have one hundred millimeter back macro. And how far away were you for that? Or because I'm like proposed hee hee. No fear when there's a camera in the just after the shop, right? It's a bit like afghanistan safari so I'm taking stills inspired doesn't go well just put it back again. I feel saying it's always been invincible with a camera in front of me yeah, that was wow. I mean, one thing about the elephant okay, I get that but snake thanks. Where died e something came out of it. Now you can see what I think either they called me crazy woman like oh my gosh, mae is the impact of the shop. I want it to look that I don't have a few minutes so won't my minutes to count. And victoria, can I mention that for this class today you had wanted us to bring in that tiger for a line line real live line for the creative lie not this time, but maybe next year. Next time I really, really, really, really say this like I will shoot with a real line and hopefully get all green team but I want a real lion, I'll find l I I can hire them already been researching okay, people already think I'm not coming back to technical stuff, so when you're looking for for your assistance, right? So a couple questions ones from a video guy seventy two do you find your assistance in these outward locations, or do you fly them in? And can you tell us a little bit about what you look for in a good steadicam operator and that's from martin dance? I can how much I know martin oh, hey was my spotter hi martin, his fall guy now that it's not getting always just getting into video and he spent the day with us on this chaotic shoot and now mike, come home, come moved to a dark so it could be a study came out, um, let me start with city cow when I hire so come personal, right? Sure, generally, any video people, I don't consent, but I don't want them from a video world I'd rather have someone that is out of film school or is maybe from a broadcast world where they're kind of they have more knowledge than they would need, and then their issues are how am I supposed to pull off what was supposed to pull off with no takes in the organization and no lighting s so it's that's the part that they're going to find really hard, I find maybe videographers are picking up these cameras now changing the way they shoot and this is what we have the word cinematography in all honesty I really shouldn't say we do cinematographic is is not good enough is not really cinematography cinematography is kick about hollywood cinematography but the word has taken off for clients so we say we do cinema we don't do video for me video is that whole zoom in zoom out follow photographer all day long with a big light it's intrusive and it's very linear is just like for six hours worth of footage what we're doing is more thinking about the lighting in the shop framing that andi I trained my team on a boot camp because it may be some really tough now baby I knew I needed to build a team at the time when I couldn't duplicate myself like five times so I put an advert out on a website that was broadcast and film wild even though I could just about understand the tech and talk to these people I did video interviews I put them then hide a venue and did a shoot day and I got all the kim on dh jewelry and things I said this is how I want my bridal prep short this is how one this shop and we kind of like did stuff from there it was good for me to see who worked well with people so I brought models what are the models to be really aggro to be really difficult until not model and I wasn't there so I kept popping out and then I got feedback from these models to say who was really nice to them who had patient who made them feel comfortable who didn't make them feel comfortable so for me it was I needed to sounds terrible tests these people cause my kinds is so important to me than my blood but I need more of mayor and to care about the shop tow put down your camera and help grandma move over on dh I needed people people which was the main thing which is cool yeah and steady come up just someone who have a look at the show from there and understand how to direct them ask them some questions like you're going to want someone to do stare shots do you want them to kind of do they think that what do you need by six steady come on that's great I love how you train your team that's that's awesome thing banker happened I know fussy for me a service I would rather have don't get the short and just have everyone say that they love us at the end of the day and how nice put it this way when I get email from my clients they name every single one of my team that may says you did a good job they know that I'm not your system your video crew it's like ported there's and was really great and into this fantastic so we are getting a lot of requests I know we're going to be shooting a little bit later today so you guys maybe tune in a little bit later takes we are going to be doing some hands on shooting, but we are getting the request for the mono pod is a steadicam, so well maybe, but maybe people just kind of see how it goes, but we may put you to test a little bit of heat. I'm serious, I will show you and I see I've complained with this, but vince from storm for productions if you're watching he's the one that helped me learn this too he's an amazing cinematographer, so picking up things but again, I would say I'm thinking steadicam and thinking what they taught me on my steadicam course so that I'm using that to my advantage but like, why comes difficult enough? But I will show everybody I never would do it in a couple of shoot let's put me to the okay, because that's, why we're here, right? We're putting you put to the test you know how I love that? I know you do it like we love having you here, so a question regarding and I know we cover this a little bit yesterday but india wanted to know about during these shoots are you using that variable nd on your camera when you are just you're just really flying clean I've got off a plane after sixteen hours and no sleep and I got to unpack and grab my kit I just ran this is why I literally have batteries, memory cards one ipod woman's it was just the wrong gun make it happen with what we've got well when I show you this steady can't move with them when I put let me show you how some of that I turned upside down I shoved it in between so on some asian weddings they're all huddled round on that dang stuff again kind of sixteen to thirty five infinity focus so I'm thinking about it before I do it on what's above is it sky no has my exposure uh okay question here and I think I know the answer to this, so I'm going to rephrase it a little bit testy tha s so well here the question is are there shoots that you'll turn down or refer out because of difficulty? I imagine the answer is no and so then they say has anyone come to you with a request that gave you pause where you just were like I'm crapping it every shoe I do my god like the last two shoots honestly I think it was saying this to the producer here. People think I'm really calm. Yesterday I was so nervous and, like people that know me, they was watching could probably tell. Unlike today, it was like over the notes. Now I'm trying to keep my containment of we should nobody like because everyone this money was like, well, but yeah, but no, because for me is to know what I end up doing, jim, I throw it back in my kind go, hey, why don't we grab a helicopter? Hayward and we do this, and then when we get on set my team, I like, what are we going to do now? And then I end up going who's starting idea was it to do this? And I start stressing they'll tell you, okay, and I love the challenge group I love. I'm a real tech girl, so I love kind of came she's, a heady let's do this night. What else are we gonna do now?

Class Materials

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Logo Design Brief.rtf
Pricing Guide CL.pdf
Day 1 Keynote.pdf
Day 2 Keynote.pdf
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How To Choose a Wedding Photographer.pdf

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Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Absolutely hands down best creative live class I have taken!!! Victoria is a delight and her insight on photography is genius! She has a warmness about her that makes you feel like you've known her forever! She's that person you've been looking for to answer all the questions everyone else in the business won't!!! Victoria,thank you,a million times thank you! xoxoxo

Sarah Shotts
 

Amazing course! I absolutely loved every minute of it! Learned so much and she really inspired me to get up and try out what I've learned. Already booked two test shoots! Victoria clearly put a lot of planning and effort into making the best possible class for all the students involved. Please bring her back to do a whole segment on audio for wedding videos!

a Creativelive Student
 

I loved this course. Victoria is an excellent teacher, smart business woman, a trailblazing creative and an inspirational speaker. I highly recommend her course to anyone looking into learning fusion with production value.

Student Work

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