3 Tips To Shoot Better Weddings

LIGHTING
Using Natural Light From Bride/Groom Prep

Even if you film in messy hotel rooms (like us), this is the single biggest thing you can do RIGHT NOW to start getting shots that look more cinematic.

Whenever possible, try to use just one source of lighting for your bride/groom prep shots. In most cases, there will be overhead tungsten lighting, mixed with some sort of daylight spilling through the windows. What this does is create what is called a “muddy” image, meaning that the skin tones are off. Regardless of the ethnicity of the person you are filming, if you have mixed color temperatures on their skin from all different directions, it’s not going to give you as clean an image as possible.

That is why when we walk in the room and the bride is ready for her shots, we ask if it is okay to turn off all the lights and place her next to the window. We know we are not the stars of the show, so always make sure to over-communicate with the other vendors about this as well.

By spending just 5 minutes with the bride or groom right next to the window, you can capture all the prep shots you need for a cinematic film. If you want to see how we direct this session, Jake demonstrates it here

AUDIO
Bubblebees for Better Audio

When we were near the end of our time at Full Time Filmmaker, we worked with an audio engineer who introduced us to these things. In short, bubblebees are a small device that allows you to not only effectively hide the lav mic completely, but to eliminate rustling sounds due to scratchy fabrics.

If you want to see these in action, check out this part of the YouTube video. When it comes to audio, we want to do everything that we can to make sure that it comes out crystal clear. We have spent years testing all sorts of devices, and so far the Bubblebee is the closest thing to a set-and-forget it solution that we have found.

If you are curious how it works, there is a protective wire that covers the end of the microphone, so that any fabric never directly touches the mic itself. This is what drastically reduces any rustling sounds. If it’s a windy day, there are other attachments that can still be used to get great audio, despite all the odds being used against you.

EDITING
Next-day Teasers

The secret to having a successful wedding videography business is being able to wow your clients. Both online and in person. Other than dressing to impress, and being a joy to work with, the best thing you can do for your couples is to surprise them with a next-day teaser. In some cases, you may even be able to create a same-day teaser if you really want to show off.

Here’s a tip to make your life 100x easier for creating the teaser. During the day, keep a mental or physical note of your favorite shots. We even have a friend that will cover up the lens and hit record for 3 seconds after every single favorite shot. By doing this, all he has to do is browse through the clips, find all the shots with black thumbnails, and drag-and-drop the previous clip into his timeline. In 30 seconds, he can have a timeline with all the 5-star shots he captured throughout the day.

And just like that, your next-day teaser is 80% of the way there. Don’t worry too much about the story. You don’t even really need any audio, you just need those sexy shots. If you want to do more, then power to you. But this teaser is about speed and sexiness level.

If the couple (and the planner) wakes up the next morning with a 60-second teaser in their inbox, what is the first thing they are going to do?

Share it.

This is free marketing for you. This is ad spend that doesn’t cost a dime. Next thing you know, you have future couples reaching out and begging you to film their wedding.