Same-Day Editing Wedding Photography

Thursday, May 24, 2018

All morning, I worked on retouching and editing artwork. I now have 33 pages left. Then, I decided to get ready for a workshop photography workshop about same-day editing. At 9 pm, when I was driving home, a song popped into my head. Fly Robin Fly is an old song from the 70s, and I haven’t heard this song since the seventies. So, it is weird that it suddenly came into my head, and I kept singing Fly Robin Fly inside my car in which I thought was funny. I decided to look up the video on YouTube, especially one with lyrics. And, the one I chose was like a disco workout. It is very 80s.

The positives with doing same-day editing on a wedding video:

• Gratification
• Getting referrals on the spot
• Standing out from the competition
• Making more money

The negatives with doing same-day editing:

-it can get stressful because you might not enough time because of the high pressure

-managing and trusting team

-finding the right content

-it is very risky because you will either make it or break it

Before the wedding date, the photographer should make the preparations, which might involve talking with others who are working on the wedding. Check in with the wedding coordinator, and ask her many questions about the locations and setting. You need to know where to edit your video, information about the DJ, where in the venue to play the same-day edited video, and when to play the same-day edited video. Find out about vendor meals for your staff and projector/screen availability. The wedding venue or coordinator might have projector/screen, or you might prefer renting out yours to the wedding party. You should practice editing skills so you can work quickly under pressure. Do a mock same-day edit for practice. Consider doing a surprise same-day edit video.

The night before the wedding could be stressful, if you aren’t organized and prepared. Prepare your photography gear, which includes lots of memory cards, tripod, monopod, slider, gimba, drone, laptop, charger, hard drive, memory card reader, update software, fully charge all batteries, headphones, extension cord, dongles, adaptors, HDMI, audio cables, and extensions. Test your projector and screen to make sure it works properly. Then, pack all items.

Lighting is often used to create drama as well as spotlight the subjects. Lighting equipment might include iPhone, stands, super clamps, LED power panel, on-camera LED light, and on-camera LED light with remote control.

Audio equipment includes picking the right music to help tell a story. Such equipment are small microphones—long and short, VideoMic Pro, Zoom H4N and Hg recorders, Zoom H1 and Tascam DR-10C mics, and cables from www.monoprice.com. Another site he added is www.lacolorpros.com

Next, discuss certain responsibilities with your team, making sure each person knows what they need to do, when and where. Display each team member’s responsibility, which include starting time, ending time, timeline, locations, addresses, parking, and dress code. Also, be aware of weather conditions, and be prepared for such weather. Take along walkie-talkies so that the crew can productively work together as a team.

Song Selection:   Make sure the songs you choose are licensed and legal. Choose multiple songs to use, prepare the music, and listen to everything before you go to the wedding.

Music Selection:  He listed three websites where you can get music—Song Freedom, Music Bed, and Soundstripe, but I think there is a fee. www.tiny.cc/songfeedom, www.musicbed.com and www.tiny.cc/soundstripe

The Video Editor needs to be organized, spell names correctly, know the wedding date, have all files ready, and create a folder structure. The editor will get stressed out, which is why organization is key. Select certain clips and drag them into the timeline. First, use what works, and if you find something better, then it with the better one. Make sure your video has a strong beginning and end. Use music to drive story forward and sync audio. Aim to finish editing at one hour before showing the video. Arrange video content in acts and scenes, displaying emotional moments, funny moments, pets, friends, family, and special moments. Pay attention to the beginning, middle and ending, and make sure it flows well in a story format, similar to writing research paper. Watch your pacing to make sure you finish on time.

The best time to do editing:

• After the bride and groom preparation
• After the “first look” where the bride and groom first see each other in the ceremony.
• During the ceremony
• During portraits
• During cocktail hour

On the Wedding Day, be sure to arrive early. Set up the editor at a good area so that he/she is able to do the job effectively. As soon as you shoot photographs for a scene, give footage to the editor.

The team needs to match white balance, as well as creating a color profile so that you don’t need to do color grading. Make sure your photographs are perfectly exposed. Match resolution, FPS, and Codec. It is also important to hire a team that you trust.

Showing the same-day editing video to the wedding audience—guests and wedding party involves preparation. Test audio with the DJ, guard cables so that no one trips, hold screen if needed, and film a reaction video.