Dos
Dos | Don'ts | Preserving the Tapes
• You can book a professional videographer even just two days before the wedding. But it makes better sense to do this a little in advance, so that you can get the person you want.
• Ideally, ask around for a good professional. This is essential to ensure quality. Or you will get an amateur experimenting on your D-day.
• Advantage of booking the videographer in advance: you can discuss aspects of the video cassette that you may want especially, or definitely not want, with him in detail.
• Ask to see some of the videographer's earlier work so you know how good he is.
• If he is a pro, ask him for a checklist, chew on this, confer with him so the final product is a result of the pro (him) and amateur (you) co-ordinating to get the best of the special day.
• In the West, two cameras are used sometimes to get all the best angles. So, if you can splurge, hire two.
• The most common equipment used is a VHS camera, or you could opt for Supercam - 3CCD, which costs more but gives better picture resolution.
• The video photographer usually charges on a per-day basis, so you would do well to make the most of his services.
• Ensure that the videographer is located at a vantage point, so that all nuances of the ceremony may be recorded without missing any of the significant rituals so that no errors are made on that day. Remember - real life, unlike reel life has no retakes.
• Plan in advance, after checking out the different rituals. This way you can guide the video-wallah on the events you do not want to miss out.
• Make sure all important near and dear relatives are captured on camera. For this, have a youngster from the family guide the videographer as he shoots.
•
The shots before and after the ceremony are the highly emotional ones, capturing
the excitement of getting ready and the exhausted, red-eyed moments towards
the close. Catch them, so that when you are rewinding you can get teary-eyed
again.
• Ensure that the white balance is correct and that the camera has been colour corrected.
• Usually, halogen lights are used, but in case of outdoor shooting in daylight, special HMI lights can be availed of. At a significantly higher cost, of course.
• Discuss the final video thoroughly in advance, so that you can select and incorporate the music that you want for the background.
• You can ask for the raw copy (after the editing tightens the tape into an hour) as a keepsake.
Top | Don'ts | Preserving the Tapes
• Avoid cliched film songs with cheap lyrics. Try a combination of folk and classical instrumental music instead.
• Don't let the music drown out the visual.
• Don't worry about light and colour aspect - the cameras usually have an auto-system for light adjustment and colour.
• Don't miss out on any detail of the marriage ceremony. You can always edit it later.
• Don't compromise on good editing even though it is tempting to keep all the taped stuff for posterity. Good editing ensures that the video is really snappy and interesting, rather than boring and dragging. For, even though marriages are made in heaven, they get to be relished on videos!
Top | Dos | Preserving the Tapes
• Even
magnetic tapes need to be stored and handled properly, but are often quite abused.
And the tape, meant for eternity, doesn't last even a few years. So it makes
sense to make a little effort and preserve it.
• Don't store tapes in damp places. The tapes absorb moisture from the atmosphere, become sticky.
• Don't store in warm, hot places. Heat expands the tape.
• Don't store in a spot that accumulates dust. It distorts the tape surface, and you will witness the horror of it when you work the playback machinery.
• This sounds odd, but keep checking if the storage spot is right by smelling the tape. Anything odd-smelling is symptomatic of decay.
• Is the tape looking clean? If not, immediately dash off to a professional, to stall further decay.