General Questions

I’ve been shooting and editing video for thirteen years. I’ve been making wedding videos for six years.

Two, at all times. Both are manned. Our method of shooting and editing makes it seem like there are many more than two cameras, though.

Here’s how we do it: My partner is the stable camera. He gets a safe shot that I can almost always cut away to when my camera is moving. So, I get a bunch of close ups and details quickly and I can cut them together into a smooth and immersive scene.

We shoot so much that I always have enough to edit, so we encourage photographers to not worry about us while they get what they need. They need to catch shorter moments than us, and we don’t get in their way.

We cover Akron, Canton, and most Cleveland areas without any mileage cost. We'll go practically anywhere else for a modest additional fee.

We use “3CCD” digital Sony cameras. They’re small, black, and fit in nicely at a wedding. Their best feature by far, though, is their sensitivity in low light. This feature makes our naturalistic style possible.

Watching your wedding video every few years can’t hurt.

Jim and I have shot everything together so far. I, as lead camera, will be one of the ones to shoot your video. Jim will probably be the second person, but if he's not, it will be someone trained by me to meet my standards. If at the last minute I am absolutely unable to be present to shoot, I will do everything I can to make sure there are still two people with my sensibilities there. I would still do the editing.

That said, I've never missed a wedding and I don't plan to start!

Yes, we carry an extra camera (of the same quality as the main two). We also record sound in several ways: a wireless mic for vows, on-camera directional mics for everything else, and a CD recorder for backup.

Our supply of tapes and batteries is practically inexhaustible.

Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects. I love these programs.

Style Questions

Documentary, or to be more technical, Cinéma Vérité. In photography terms this could roughly be considered photojournalism. It's about capturing the truth candidly. Robert Drew, among others, pioneered this style in the 60s with his documentaries on John F. Kennedy. They're fascinating!

Actually, not quite. We use monopods, which I find to be the perfect balance between mobility and stability. The only exception is that Jim uses a tripod during the ceremony.

Let's just say that Priests often compliment us, saying they didn't know we were there at the ceremony. One couple had a guest ask, "Why didn't you have a videographer?" They of course responded, "We did!" Yet, I've always gotten a clear shot of the vows and other important events. We wear black suits and try to be as invisible as possible. A big help is that we don't use lights.

Most of them, if the ceremony and reception are covered, are about two hours. The shortest I've ever done was 96 minutes.

That's OK.

Yes. My menus are personalized extensions of the video, frequently featuring a still life or a few uncut minutes of a scene from your day. I take any chance to include more content.

Yes, you can choose up to five or six songs for the highlights which I will do my best to include.

Beyond the highlights, though, music is a limited part of my work. I do a short opening and closing with music, but for the bulk of the video, I feel it takes away from the truth and immediacy of the moment. If it's not naturally part of the scene, it draws attention to my editing and that's not what I want. Part of my job is to preserve the sound of your day, not replace it with someone else's recording.

But don't forget that the reception video generally contains almost nonstop music, including your song if it's used for your first dance.

We welcome anyone who would like to say something to the camera to do so at any time. However, we don't approach anyone. It's an unpleasant experience for most to be put on the spot. In most cases, what people do on your day is more meaningful than what they'll say about you. My time is better spent capturing the action.

I mean that there are cuts every few seconds on average rather than every few minutes. It's not choppy or jarring though, it's flowing and engaging. For it to work requires that I shoot with the editing in mind and pay special attention to sound. Sound editing is critical to the process.

In twenty or more years, I want your video to free the memories your mind has locked away. I think of my work not as memory itself, but as the key to memory. A motion picture can be a replacement for the sights and sounds of the day, but you have more senses than that and your memory goes deeper than that. I want to use sound and vision in such an in depth way that taste, smell, and feeling come back.

Ambitious, isn't it?