Filmmaking for Wedding Photographers
May 7, 2014
In photography, composition is a key element. The eye cannot be drawn in and around a frame without paying attention to the Rule of Thirds or understanding how depth of field changes one’s perspective on a scene.
Laura + James | Watermark Community Church Wedding from Sarah Pendergraft on Vimeo.
A new rule photographers need to consider in filmmaking is the 180-degree rule, a concept where characters or objects in a scene are connected along an imaginary axis; the camera remains on one side of the axis in order to help the viewer understand spacial relationships between the subjects within a scene. “Learn the 180-degree rule and learn it well,” Pendergraft says. “Where you place your cameras during moments like the ceremony, toast and garter and bouquet toss need to follow the 180-degree rule. It’s the reason football games are always shot from one side of the field (in addition to the end zones). If team A is running to the left on your TV screen, and suddenly we cut to a shot where team A is now running to the right, it’s confusing.”
But in most art, rules can be broken if they are first understood. “We do sometimes break this rule during ceremonies, but that’s because we know how to shoot on certain lines, and edit in such a way as to get from one shot to the next without it feeling jarring,” Pendergraft says.
When it comes to the Rule of Thirds, Pendergraft says, it’s similar in both mediums. “We will occasionally break the rule intentionally if we’re being artistic or trying to evoke a certain emotion in the viewer, but not during what I call the ‘meat and potato’ moments like the vows and toasts.”
Adams echoes her sentiment. “Film is one of those things where sometimes you can forget about the Rule of Thirds and it works.” Because it’s about composing within a moving scene, not for each frame, he explains that it doesn’t matter if each frame is perfectly composed according to this rule.
“I like to use what I call ‘Extreme Thirds,’” Adams says. “Put the viewer’s eye on the left of the screen as far as it can go, and then cut to an object on the right side of the screen. That’s what keeps things visually interesting.”
Justin and Julia AZ Wedding from Switzerfilm on Vimeo.
Focus
Switzerfilm founder Joseph Switzer says one of the major problems photographers have when first trying their hand at filmmaking is focusing the shot. “They aren’t used to manually focusing, and they’re used to carrying a camera,” he says. He suggests not hand-holding a camera when capturing motion, but rather using one of three tools to get that crisp shot: a monopod, sliders and a glide cam (a stabilizing device that allows the videographer to run without camera shake).
Pendergraft agrees that while it’s easier to achieve a shallow depth of field with DSLRs, actually learning how to focus between scenes is something new. “Coming from a world of auto-focus, you now have to learn how to manually pull focus,” she explains. “There are a handful of DSLRs out there with auto-focus in video mode, but I’m still not sure I would trust it in crucial moments like the bride walking down the aisle.”
Adams cautions against relying on shallow DOF for narrative. “A lot of times photographers like to shoot in shallow focus because it looks good. But they’re ignoring the basic fundamentals of filmmaking—which is storytelling.”
Pendergraft says while she doesn’t necessarily use shot lists for filming a wedding, she does have a good idea of the types of shots she needs going into the day. “The biggest thing for a photographer to remember is that you have to learn to look at continuity in a whole new light. A photo that may not feel random at all in the middle of a blog post or album, may—as a video clip—feel totally out of place in the same location in a film because of the flow of the video and the song you’re using.”
“There are lots of ways to light people when it comes to photography, but for video you have less choices. You have to think faster,” Switzer says. This, Adams explains, is because you have to think in terms “of lighting over an entire scene; you have to think about lighting a room and how the subject will move in that space,” primarily because continuity is so essential. The technology is different, too, because lighting must be continuous.
If natural light is not an option, Switzer recommends taking full advantage of reflected fill light from still photographers while they’re doing shots like close-up portraits of the bride.
“The same rules apply evenly to both [still and video], you just have to learn how to achieve the look you want without flash, and without the ease of a quick burn here or dodge there in post,” Pendergraft says. Like Switzer and Adams, she only recommends setting up lights at receptions. “In those moments where the lighting may not be totally ideal, remember, there is no fill flash. Also keep in mind that if you’re in a space where you don’t like the color temperature, you can’t say, ‘I’ll just make it black and white.’ Black-and-white has a whole different feeling in video, as if it’s a ‘flashback’ or a memory of a time gone by. If there is suddenly a black-and-white clip in the middle of a color film, it can be jarring.”
Adams’ other words of wisdom? “Don’t ever put your light on top of a camera. It’s the worst thing you can do for your image.”
FLY :: Feature Wedding Film :: The Ashford Estate :: Weddings of Distinction from Rob Adams Films on Vimeo.
While audio is thankfully not an issue in still photography, it belies a skill all its own in filmmaking. Adams puts it best when he says, “The acquisition of audio is a separate art from the film itself; putting the two together is the art of filmmaking.” But he warns, “Do not go cheap on audio.”
Photographers are used to editing their work, but the workflow is different when editing film. Pendergraft warns, “Be prepared for it to take twice as long as your photo editing did—if not longer.”