How to shooting a wedding video solo!
Updated: Nov 8, 2022
That cup of tea after a 12 hour day feels SO good!
1. Bring more spare batteries than you could ever use
A huge part of filiming weddings successfully is preparation. The whole day is so fast-moving that you may not have time to run back to your camera bag to switch out a battery last minute.
Buy a bum bag, fill it with spare batteries and know that at any time you can swap them out. Wedding video's are already tricky enough, this is just one aspect you can absolutely control.
2. shoot shoot shoot
During your wedding film shoot, get as much as footage as possible. While it may be tempting to turn your camera off during a bit of a lull, I managed to capture some lovely moments by just continuing to shoot.
When it comes to wedding films, it's much easier to put together the story of the day when you have loads of high-quality b-roll available in the edit.
3. Know your angles
Shooting alone means that you can only ever have eyes on one camera. For the big moments like the first kiss or the speeches, take the time to set up your tripod so you know that you will 100% get the shot you need. Then grab your gimbal or your handheld camera and have some fun getting reaction shots, or different angles of that special moment.
One piece of filmmaking advice that I will always offer is to make sure you are shooting wide, medium and close, especially during your one-on-one session with the couple. That variation of shots make for a more pleasing wedding film and will keep you viewer engaged.
4. Get there early
If they tell you that the bride is getting ready from 10am, get there at 9am. Getting those wedding film establishing shots are so important for the edit.
Detail shots pad out your wedding video and it's exciting for the couple to relive those quiet moments of the day and appreciate how gorgeous their wedding venue actually looked.
5. Recce the venue
To actually visit your wedding venue before shooting may be tricky, but a great hack is to watch wedding videos from the venue online. Not only are you getting some great inspiration from other wedding videographers, you can also get a real feel for the wedding venue!
6. Talk to people!
People HATE being on camera and even when the drinks are flowing, prepare for people at weddings to cringe when you point the camera at them.
Talk to people, make connections, joke with the wedding guests and just generally make sure people feel comfortable around you. You're spending a whole day with people, there's plenty of time to make some good allies!
Overall, after years of videography I'm delighted I have finally jumped onto wedding videography and given it a go. It's not easy, but the reaction from the couple made this absolutely worth it.
Because weddings are a field I'm new in, I'm offering reduced rates for wedding films. So if you're getting married and want a film but are struggling to afford the standard prices, reach out to me at hello@shotbyjen.com and we can chat about making your wedding film affordable.
#WeddingFilm #WeddingVideography #WeddingVideographyManchester #WeddingFilmManchester