Awesome Wedding Footage!

[sooper8fan]

Okay, well it's awesome to me! I recently shot some 200T & 500T footage at a couple weddings and I'm insanely happy with the results.

So now I have a groom who is booking me for video but he's very interested in full coverage with super8. So i put together a very rough edit with no sound just to show him what the film looks like and I've explained a little bit of the technical jargon to him. That's why you'll see the words "reversal" and "negative" in the lower left of the video.

but here's a link: http://zelophotoblog.com/?p=87
here's the password: forjason

The reversal is all E64T purchased and process at Dwayne's, then transferred by my local guy. Then I did a little bit of color adjustment in Premiere.
The outdoor negative is 200T while the indoor negative is 500T. Purchased, processed and transferred at Spectra, with a little color adjustment in Premiere.

Cameras: Minolta XL601 and Nikon R10 for the reversal. Nikon R10 and Nikon R8 for the negative.

I hope this guy decides to book me for film instead...i'm dying to shoot some more and it's just so frickin' rewarding! Let me know what you think about the footage!

-seth

[LloydColeman]

Looks great. My daughter got married in March and wanted Super 8, not video, so my quest into Super 8 began. Now I'm totally hooked and 4 months later I've got a Beaulieu 4008 II, 2 Canon 1014 XLS, a Workprinter, etc., etc. I just shot my 3rd wedding with super 8 along with video and hope to shoot alot more.
Good luck with your plans.

[Will2]

That's a great tool for showing clients! I hope it makes some serious film sales for you!

The reversal gives it that homey feel, even the inside footage with some natural light through the window looks great. Negative probably looks better, but it's not really about the sharpest or lowest grain in this application, it's more about what evokes memories and atmospheres.

Just a suggestion, but try throwing some Tri-X or Plus-x in the mix too. There's something really elegant about weddings and black & white.

[steve hyde]

...nice work Seth. Will there be a sound design? Music probably?

I like the portraiture and the fact that you allowed the camera to linger on faces. I would say the medium shots are looking the best. My critique is that you overused the panning technique - often starting shots and finishing shots in a pan that just made me dizzy.

Also, what about putting the macro setting on your R10 to work? Maybe some hand in hand footage - a ring sliding onto the finger.


I'm sure the couple will love the footage. thanks for posting.

[adamgarner]

I second what Steve said. Your camera captures some very nice images. You should vary it up a bit, with macros and even some truck shots. Take a peek at the first film on my website (jessica and jay) for fun, to see some of those techniques. I love using macro for ultra up close shots, mixed in with some wide shots too. I use a c-8 for a lot of those as well... nice BIG spread.

http://super8films.trigger-studios.com

Keep it up!

[sooper8fan]

Thanks everybody!

Will: I've been thinking about throwing some Tri-X and Plus-X in the mix....maybe if this guys books me I'll try some out!

Steve: There's definitely audio on the way. I'm working on piecing together my Super8 wedding demo reel. This was just some shots thrown together quick and dirty, not really edited, just to show the guy some footage. With regard to the panning shots, I think that's just the videographer in me. I'm trying to lose certain habits
I do have some macro shots somewhere on my computer but I'm definitely planning on getting more as I do more weddings!

Adam: I like the Jessica & Jay clip, thanks for posting. If you ever need an additional shooter, let me know. Maybe we can arrange something!

Thanks again everybody. By all means, if more people have more comments/suggestions, keep them coming!

-seth

[James E]

Super 8 Groovey!

[Ace]

Great stuff...

I think this guys work is the best I've seen though...
http://www.vimeo.com/1073731

And this shot on super 16 is pretty good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYxmS4UNrWY

[DrkAngl]

WOW. Joe Simon's super 8 (http://www.vimeo.com/1073731) looks great. Pictures are crip and beautiful with some interesting FX. I wonder who did the transfer?

Seth, I like your piece. I only think it could use some music with an even mix of film stocks. I personally perfer the warm, crisp look of the negative film you obtained in the transfer. But, all the film stocks and looks have a place in wedding films to help evoke different moods.

[adamgarner]

Seth: If your in SoCal it'll be tough to work together, but hey.. If I ever get a gig out there for 2 shooters I'll holler!

I like Joe Simons stuff too. I think the transfer must have been on a work printer since he does that effect where he reveals the sprocket holes. I don't know. I don't like that effect much, but the footage is nice. The color seems a little thin for some reason. The image looks transparent if that makes sense? Great use of the 814 though... nice macro shots.

[Ashesoftime]

Hi Seth, nice footage. I'm in SoCal too (LA) , please let me know if you need an additional shooter, I would love to shoot some weddings, I wanna get into wedding photography myself, I'm going to the Jose Villa workshop in September, so I wanna get some experience shooting wedding before the workshop, whether its super 8 or stills. I don't mind working as an assistant either.

Here's my stuff, not a wedding but just a sample :

http://www.vimeo.com/1197408

Thanks
Hong

[Justin Lovell]

Some stuff I shot last year:
http://framediscreet.blogspot.com/2008/ ... er-16.html
superduper 8 and super 16 mixed.

Another interesting approach to weddings:
http://www.mimmoandnaz.com/blog/
Some samples in their blog.

[adamgarner]

Interesting idea, to use the full frame, plus the pre and post frame view. Did they like that? Is that to prove it's actually film? HA!

It's really interesting and great to see everyone's "eye." There are some obvious similarities with the individual shots. But there are very cool differences in the structure that directors are choosing... music choices (vibe), and scan/color/film combos. I think that the general "rule of awesome" is to mix wide/macro, long/short shots. Without that constant back and forth of variety these films get SO monotonous. Kudos to everyone for being awesome.

Do most of you do a couple of edits? I see the benefit of doing a sort of 2-4 min "trailer," and a full 15-25 min film. Perhaps one for online, and one for the couple and close family?

Another fun forum topic would be "best songs to use for wedding films..." I get so friggin sick of hearing all that stock sh*t that's out there. I try and tailor my tunes to the couple's vibe with what's current and hip. Not easy, but I guess that's why we're making the big bucks right???!!!

[etimh]

Seth: great work as usual. I disagree with some others--I like that panning technique you use. Starting off focal point, "passing" by the subject/action, and ending up on some related location/subject. I don't know why, I just like it, especially in these wedding films.

jusetan: Also beautiful footage, as expected, but also not sure about leaving the frame lines exposed. VERY interesting, but also distracting. And what about the vignetting you mentioned in some of the shots due to the super-mod? How do you incorporate those shots? Or are they just junk?

And a question to all you wedding film people--do you catch all this stuff on the fly, or do you have people do multiple takes of things, like walking, entering, exiting places? If you have to get it all in single takes, seems like multiple cameras might allow you to catch different interesting angles and shots.

Excellent work by all. 8)

Tim

[adamgarner]

I rarely disturb my clients. I catch it all on the first take. I hate staging important moments. If it's a casual setting I might ask someone to show me an item like a ring or something, or to stay in a certain location while I load the right film quickly. Nothing major though. I believe that the cinematographer shouldn't interact with the event.

With experience comes the knowledge to read what's happening, about to happen, and what will be crucial for telling the story. You can catch this as a film maker. You don't have to stage it.

With the right equipment you wont be caught unprepared either. Lights, assistant, film-bag... all that stuff will help you be ready.