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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Is the Red One suitable as a wedding videographer's camera?

Abu Reno said:
It's tough enough with a camera that will automatically adjust the iris, focus, shutter speed, and gain control and record 4-hours 40 minutes with a color lcd to shoot a wedding. I think the camera operator using a RED would lose focus on his/her surroundings due to adjusting the setting constantly.
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Some years ago I shot a wedding for a friend with a dsr-130. Everything was manual all the time. Last year my niece asked me to video her wedding which I did with an FX1. I found the dsr-130 a much nicer experience, the FX1 was awful. Basically the FX1 in manual is quite a compromise, most aspects can be controlled manually but it works a lot more easily in auto. It is hard to use this camerea in manual mode in the fast changing environment of a wedding so the end result is you relinquish control of the image. In contrast the dsr-130 was easy, everything is designed for manual control. It has a decent viewfinder and it's mass means it is a lot easier to get a steady shot. Now my conclusions may be biased because I am more familiar with using larger cameras but I don't think auto is the panacea.

M
 
So now this thread is 3 years old. Has anyone shot a wedding on Red? I read through all the old postings here and every argument for not shooting on Red at a wedding was all the most reason that I WOULD shoot a wedding on Red. The details at a wedding from the dresses to the flowers to the people cry out for something worthy of capturing all of that detail. Issues about focus? I haven't had the autofocus turned on on my DVX100's for any of the weddings I used to shoot. DOF is not the enemy at a wedding. But before I digress into a thousand details and reasons for shooting weddings on Red and delivering them on Apple TV's, has anyone actually consistently done it? Is there a business out there shooting weddings on Red?
 
Richard Remington said:
The details at a wedding from the dresses to the flowers to the people cry out for something worthy of capturing all of that detail.
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Sure, but clients probably won't realistically be able to see any of that detail in the present circumstances as the maximum they would likely be able to view it would be 1080p and many are going to be happy with an SD DVD. Lighter and smaller HD cameras would do just as good a job considering the average delivery format for a wedding video. I'm not knocking RED here, I'd have had my own wedding filmed with a RED if I could have, for me and my wife to watch in excruciatingly gorgeous detail.

Someone asked me recently what it would be like to shoot a wedding on RED and while it's entirely possible my thoughts were that it would be just too big a risk. I would commend anyone who could pull it off successfully as I would anyone who uses a RED for serious documentary work. As it stands, the RED is fabulous for situations over which you have a modicum of control, but once you step outside that comfort zone where you normally have more than one shot at it you can very easily get totally unusable footage. Just thinking about it gives me the chills (!)

When EPIC and Scarlet come along, though, that will probably be a whole different matter.
 
Depends on the budget and your skill level/experience.
There is no real practical difference shooting on 35mm film(Aaton 35III), D7,D5 or RED/EPIC(except for changing film rolls). If you are not static during shooting or your subjekt moves, you will need a focus puller and the equipment for him/her to pull focus.Practical Filmmaking is all about control. If you are on your own in an uncontrolled environment with a 35mm image capture device you better be a virtuoso!
 
Scarlet Yes, Epic Too

Scarlet Yes, Epic Too

Scarlet is going to be a great camera for shooting wedding video. The 2/3" version will be perfect for finishing in HD. There would also be benefits from shooting S35 5K or FF35 6K in that you would be able to take perfectly good still frames from it too. Not just weddings but also sports or any sort of event where you need both video and stills are going to be prime applications for the Epic/Scarlet family.
 
My opinion is that many brides from wealthy families will gladly pay to have their vows/rings/kiss moment shot at 4K (telephoto lens). 5 minutes of 4K for $3,000 is not unreasonable and makes a lot more sense than a full wedding. Let the wedding videographers shoot the wedding, use the RED ONE and 4K and 60fps to capture arguably the most priceless 5 minutes of a woman's life in a way that would let her print an 8x10 glossy of any of the 18,000 frames or watch it at full resolution on her 4K television 20 years from now.

-michael zaletel
 
Yes, it's very possible to shoot a wedding in 4K :)

I did this for my friend two years ago, so colour etc has improved somewhat since then (shot with Red 18-50 T3 lens wide open). But yeah, it can be a very cinematic way to capture that special day:

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As ever Paul, your exceptional eye and skill shows through. Beautiful shots.

There is a wedding cinematographer in Ashville NC, that shoots high end weddings on S16mm film. Eclair cameras, all manual controls. Manual is not a problem if you have taken the time and trouble to develop the appropriate skills.
 
The nice thing is that it must really set you apart from the rest of the crowd shooting stills and video with their pocket cameras / DSLRs.

Paul, I assume you did both stills and a film from the original footage. Did you feel you had to compromise one or the other? Do you feel you got what you needed in terms of stills? And lastly, did you have a focus puller / assistant with you?
 
I didn't feel like there was any compromise. Obviously I shot with a cinemascope aspect ratio so pulling vertical portraits from the footage wasn't really an option, but actually I had a stills camera with me too which I shot on and got my assistant Ivan to use as well, so we were well and truly covered.

Focus pulling was all done by yours truly!! :D Wasn't the easiest of jobs but definitely doable.

Were I to do it today I'd be using my Birger mount with Canon still lens primes and the Viewfactor Impero, so it'd be even easier.

Thanks for the feedback!

Paul
 
It's amazing how couples now want little feature films of their weddings. No doubt we'll see the first immersive 3D wedding in the not too distant future.
 
Here is why, if you have the money, I'd say go with Red: You might not want to do weddings forever. Mastering Red will give you knowledge that can be very easily translated into other areas of production - and a reel more likely to open doors in those areas.

Also, maybe brides and grooms are not tech heads, but they will feel that your footage looks better. Not being a tech head does not mean your eyesight is poor.
 
If you can get $20,000 per wedding and keep your book full for the season then hell yes, go ahead and buy a couple complete R1 kits for weddings. Just be sure and have several competent shooters obligated by contract to be your second. LOL

If you can't get that kind of money for the work consistently and you buy R1 for weddings, then you are not in business, you run a charity.
 
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