Structure of a wedding video

[cnp1606]

I was wondering what the structure of a good wedding video should be. I.E how to start it ,what should be in the video, how you end it, etc etc. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[HankCastello]

Welcome to the WVDR Wedding Videographer Forums, where you always get the fastest responses!  

Excellent question.

This is going to differ somewhat between wedding videographers, but mine usually go like this -

Opening
 Preps (bride & groom preparations)
 Ceremony
 Photo Session
 Reception  
 Exit
 Close (often with a montage recap)
 Credits (forgot this, added via edit!)
 Greetings

(Greetings are a separate item on the DVD with its own button and is not a continuation of the previous video).

(Reception begins with its own opening segment, usually exterior & interor of venue before guests mess everything up)

To help organize things, I create bins & sequences to match these segments (see post on "Speed Editing")

The opening may be a simple exterior & interior of the venue (church/chapel/etc.) or it may be a mini love story with photos, video or both.

[Forever Endeavor]

As Hank said, we all do it a bit differently. Here's how I generally do it:

0.5. Prep montage (an optional feature which most of my brides don't care for)
1. Entire Ceremony
(I don't usually include the photo session because well, they have the photos from that but I do try to get some good shots to include in the highlight montage)
2. Reception in the order it happens
(I also don't normally include the exit unless it happens right after the other formalities because I don't want to wait around for hours until they leave)

My highlights video is a separate track on the DVD as are the greetings (another optional feature)

Any other extras (photo montages etc.) are also separate tracks on the DVD.

[HankCastello]

(I also don't normally include the exit unless it happens right after the other formalities because I don't want to wait around for hours until they leave)

That's when I recommend a "faux exit", just for photos & video.  My thinking is that I want a "proper ending" for my video.  Whenever brides start showing concern over the hours/fees, I suggest a faux exit.  Doesn't work too well when they've hired a limo, of course, but for bubbles/bells & other staged exits, it works great.  The photog and I can go home while the couple and guests go back to partying and the video has its "exit".

[Forever Endeavor]

That's a pretty good idea. I hate not having a natural ending to things. I don't normally do credits either but have been considering adding them.

[HankCastello]

CREDITS!

Crud! I forgot the credits.  Yes, I do add credits to the end of each wedding video.  We have a "My Info" form on our website where the bride enters the credits info.  She is advised that we will copy/paste this text and we are not responsible for messpeelllings!

I end most my videos with an animated wedding cake which spins around slowly to show the couple in a heart-shaped frame, full-length standing, looking into camera, slowly they turn together and kiss - frame freezes and gradually turns to b&w.  A white matte is placed over the track with opacity set to around 50% and credits run overtop with music, of course.  Sometimes I'll put the meaty part of the vows in with this, or sometimes I break things up with PIP videos of various parts of the wedding, etc.

I do my DVD menus in Encore -
  1] All (plays open, preps then continues thru to ceremony)
  2] Ceremony (plays thru to #3)
  3] Photos  (plays thru to #4)
  4] Reception (returns to menu)
  5] Greetings (returns to menu)

Sometimes we'll add an Easter Egg (hidden menu button) to bloopers or special things that only mean something to the couple.

DVD menus tend to be custom early or late in the season, but during the busiest times they are a standard animation from Digital Hotcakes.  DVD covers and surfaces are always customized with images from the video.

While Jean covers the photo session, I'll quickly go through the guests shooting candid moments, then I hurridly pack up and get ready to race to the reception.  Jean has to be sure and get our standing posed shot with kiss and enough of the photo session to cover one of the songs the couple has choosen.  We can play one song over the opening/preps and one over the photo session.  I generally use Sonicfire Pro for music to cover any parts of the reception, etc. that may need it.

[cnp1606]

When you say "greetings" or "candid moments" what do you mean? I am imagining the part were you would walk around and talk to the guest and they would say something about the couple, am i correct or is this something else?

[HankCastello]

Good questions!

Every wedding videographer has his/her own style, and I'm certainly not trying to present my style as THE way to do things.

I've seen wedding videos where the videographer walked around and some guests offerred up comments/greetings, and it worked well.  There wasn't much ambient noise and the videographer had a good shotgun mic.  I like this style, but I rarely have a quiet enough venue.

Unfortunately, I've seen many more wedding videos where the videographer walked around in a very noisy reception hall and captured greetings - probably with his built-in mic, but with loud music, etc. it wouldn't matter much - and it sounded terrible.

I generally find a quieter room or area in a hallway and setup a camera and handheld mic for greetings.  Sometimes I'll setup outside the building (when you only have to step out the door) and use an on-cam light, because that's the only quiet place I can find.

My thinking is, what good are greetings if they're difficult to listen to?  Also, I like to put the greetings on their own menu button and not have them played automatically, but only by choice.

As far as "candid moments" during the photo shoot, I let my wife cover the shoot and I cover the guests.  I get shots of hugging; hand shakes; kids playing; people talking; groomsmen clowning around; etc.  I generally keep my camera moving and often look for unusual angles.  I don't worry about the audio because I probably won't use it - just a background song.  I'll mix these shots with Jean's photo session coverage and edit to fit the song.

It's good to have a basic structure to work from, but remember - this is a creative business.  Feel free to break out of the mold and do what you think is best to preserve your client's day in a way she'll most appreciate.

[HankCastello]

0.5. Prep montage (an optional feature which most of my brides don't care for)

I've been thinking about this post and I've gotta say that I'm quite surprised by it.

It's true that brides may not understand the importance of introducing characters to a movie or story of any kind, but it IS tremendously important.

Any good novel or movie spends a considerable amount of time and effort to introduce its characters and setup the mood for the rest of the story.

I feel that this is what the opening and preparation segments of a wedding video do.  You may be thinking that the couple already know each other and need no "introductions".  Perhaps.  I could counter with the fact that  others will be watching the video.  I could emphasize the fact that it helps setup the mood.  That failing to reflect the preparations; build-up; tension; etc. is failing to reflect 90% of what went into this event.

But perhaps even moreso - this video is not just for today's twenty-something couple, it's for the forty-something; fifty-something couple and beyond.  Will they accurately remember who they were decades earlier?  Will they remember what they were really like and how this actually felt to them at the time?

Not without good coverage of the Preparations, they won't.  As their professional wedding videographer, isn't it our job to help them understand this or at least ensure we get to cover this part effectively?

(At least, that's my opinion)

[cnp1606]

<quote>It's true that brides may not understand the importance of introducing characters to a movie or story of any kind, but it IS tremendously important.</quote>

So you think the video should have 3 acts just like any other movie, and to set up the story you would introduce the charactors, bride, groom, father, best man ect?

[HankCastello]

Ideally, perhaps.  I think it's highly important to introduce the couple.  It's an extra if you can get a bit of the the parents, best man moh, etc. as well.

I've done wedding videos where we caught the fob practicing his walk with his daughter, then when it really happens and they arrive in front of the alter, the fob tears up.  I think it was all the more touching because we "met" him earlier, during the preps, and got to see his nervousness, his desire to do his best for his daughter.  So when those tears roll down his cheeks, it's not just some guy tearing up - it's a man we've gotten to know. We've seen his feelings for his daughter.  We've seen him working; practicing to perform his roll.  We "know" this guy.  We have an empathy for him that arguably would not exist without the Preps.

Where's everyone else? Come'on guys, chime in here..

[Forever Endeavor]

I agree to an extent, but remember that the primary audience for the video knows the "characters" very well already.

When I said most brides don't care for it I meant specifically the brides that I have worked with. I always find out whether that is important to them and usually find that it's not. I ended up making the preparations an optional feature which most brides have not been interested in. However, there are those that are. I just signed a contract which includes the preparations as part of the deal.

[HankCastello]

Yes, they "know" the characters, but a Preps segment allows them to see these characters and their current emotional levels, right before the ceremony.  Brides are often stressed and don't actually remember just how much "mom" or a bridesmaid worked to help them get ready.  Then there are often the little things - that meaningful smile; the look of care; a wiped tear - often from people who have no other chance to "stand out", at least not in an unscripted manner.

So not only do Preps allow a look at people we may not get to highlight again, but it sets the stage for the rest of the video by giving a glimpse of the emotions building up to the main event.  The Preps are often the most emotional part of the video, but also they give that important introductory look at the characters before we reach the main act.

To begin a wedding video with just a precursory opening, then jump right into the ceremony is like watching a movie, begining at the point where the good guy fights the bad guy, then departs with the girl.

[vismaster]

I do an opening segment, then go into preps also.  One thing not mentioned yet here is the segway or transition.  Going from open to preps should not be sudden or jarring.

Since the opening part generally does not include people, just objects, I usually transition by shooting closeup of the brides shoes, the rings, license, etc. then a slow tilt on the gown - all of which leads naturally into the preps segment where people are featured.