An on-camera light is only good for close-up "grab shot" situations, and even then it's beyond terrible. I'm guessing that you need to be inobtrusive and that you'll be taping large areas or zooming in on multiples spots in a large area. You will need lots of overall ambient light. Turn on every lightbulb in the room and make sure all dimmers are turned up full. The only lights that shouldn't be on are those behind the subject in your field of view. Visible video/photography/theatrical lights are usually not an option during a church service. You can often add more ambient light by hiding lamps behind columns, in rafters, over the balcony, in any of the hundreds of nooks and crannies that most churches have. Of course, the farther away the lights are the brighter and more of them you'll need to do any good.

My own church seems to have this collective opinion that the more important an event is, the less light there should be. For very special events they'll turn off most of the room lights and use a follow spot. Then everyone complains that their videos turn out black with a white circle in the middle of the screen. *sigh*

It isn't just church events. I just taped my jillionth dance concert. They love to light dance from the side, or even from behind. Lots of shadows. They have billions of candlepower to shine, but they use flashlights instead.

Fortunately, my FX1 is pretty good in low light, and if you are going to do a lot of low-light shooting, then obviously you need to think about the VX-2100 (SD) or the FX1 (HDV). It does make a difference. This was a multi-camera shoot, and when I cut to my older camera that isn't good in low light, the grain was pretty overwhelming. If I had the time, and if they paid me more, I'd do some of the fancy noise reduction that I've posted about here in the past, but I needed to get out fifty copies in a short timeframe, so they'll have to live with the grain on the fixed camera long shots.

Anyway, a better camera, or post-production noise reduction, are the two ways to get reasonable results if you can't control the lighting.

I also shoot with a GL2 and it is not the best for low light. Make sure you turn up the gain, otherwise you must have light.

I filmed a church event where they turned the lights way down. I took some early footage, showed it to the person requesting the video and let them know if would not get any better than that. They had the option to accept the low light and high grain, not film altogether, or turn up the lights. They turned up the lights and it worked great.

I had worked with the guy who setup the lights previously and he ignored me--we could not use any of the video and the client was disappointed. This time, I had the client put the presure on the lighting person and we got it resolved.

Geeze John, the FX1 stinks in low light. It doesn't compare to the PD-150-170 or the VX'es---In fact ist one of the biggest complaints about the camera.

No, the FX doesn't stink in low light. It isn't as good as the others mentioned -- about a stop worse. I've shot under quite poor lighting and got very usable video.

The fact is, that shooting in a church who doesn't light for video or even get close to lighting for video, is terrible. Unless you find the ONE church in all of america that lets you bring in lighting cans or something that will be strong enough to bathe the front in light, in which case you will get decent video. That's why The VX2100, PD150, and PD170 are so big with people who shoot events like weddings etc... that are shot mostly in churches.

So.. Rent a cam, or get some lights, or deal with poor lit footage. That's the best bet.

Dave

Another problem may be that lighting will tend to be uneven. Therefore, even with something like the Sony PDs or VXs, you can have an appropriately lit person in one part of the scene and someone who is too dark elsewhere. Shooting fairly zoomed in will help somewhat. Besides, parents want to see little Suzie's face as she is confirmed.

This brings up another point - unless the church enforces rules about photography, parents and family members will jump up with their cameras and inevitably block many of your shots. If the kids are going to process in, a fixed camera on the procession may help capture all the faces.

Maybe the video crew had previous experiences.....

Come on Serena, give me a break-----its at least a stop and a half less sensitive then the PD-150 and the results look horrid (check it out on your HDTV monitor). Having said that, I love the camera for many other reasons.

As a now HAPPILY retired wedding videographer... i have learned this as one of my "cardinal" rules (no pun intended):

GOD does NOT like video cameras.

Really... its "the Church"... think about it... they're just coming to terms with allowing 'still image takers' (photographers) into the service.. let alone finally realizing the Earth is not flat..... Video?pfff... HDV? cha right... maybe next millennium... not very cutting edge.. but we know that.

Here's what you do.

Dear Client: Unless there is some divine intervention, your video footage will SUCK.

Always best to lay it out honestly.

And on the topic of honestly.... its a Confirmation!.. how BORING!!!!


Of course! That's just my take - NOT the paying client's!

Think out of the box... Get some GOOD audio of all the hokas-pokas then overlay photos/clips of the subject growin up... add a soft audio track and splice up a the sound/dialoggue track a bit to fit.

Mix in a few Post/Pre event shots (i.e. after a wedding service.. i usually get the couple back up on "the spot" and do some uber close ups of ring action.. stuff like that.. where i CAN get close and use LIGHTING i want - without interfioring with ceremony (and they are never none the wiser when u mix it in in post :)

Make it fun to watch!.... Cut some stuff out of service if need be.. Throw the whole boring 'as it happened version' on a 'bonus' section on DVD... (trade secert of mine)

And always remeber....

God really doesn't hate video guys... Its just the people who think they speak on his/her behalf..

Be respectful... but DO understand your part in the event..... you are the EYES of your client... and their yet un-born children.. and grandchilderen... and great great great kids... ect

Don't be afraid to break some of the "rules" to get your shot... but don't go jumping on any altars or Canning the whole stage with flood lights!

use your OWN judgment..... don't worry about Gods Wrath

If you have to step in front of Aunt Ednas view to get the shot.... so be it.... she will complain about "that stupid video guy" for about 15 mins after service... then it will be FORGOTEN for EVER!

Your video on the other hand will... ya... LAST FOREVER


BE fun! Be Creative! screw the boring scene.... Do something different if the lighting sucks

Of course..... ironically....this was my how downfall....... 100x the work of just cutting a live event...time vs $$ didn't work out for me..... but you will have some happy clients!!

And.. as of yet... no burning in hell.... as last i checked :)

god bless & good luck )

If you have scouted the location, and the lighting is totally impossible, I suggest thinking of shooting the wedding with a good digital still camera, on a tripod.
With time exposures you will have little issue about the lighting, and there's not a lot of action going on in a wedding.
Try to move around the church, capturing various angles and using your different lens zooms to get lots of wide, medium and close shots.
At the same time try to get "great" sound by what ever means you have at hand. Essentially this will mean getting a recorder of some sort CLOSE to the podium.
You then will have the makings of a beautiful photo collage.
I'd mention this to the family prior to shooting. If you explain that the church is simply too dark for decent video, and if you get your coverage correctly, you should have an interesting and beautiful sequence.
v

One thing that every person will have in common with any model of camera will be lighting. Obviously shooting in manual and adjusting gain will be the camera operators intent.

Explain to the client that the quality of lighting influences the quality of the picture. (no light - no picture) Remember to that they will compare your video... to Uncle Joe's video who most likely will have an inferior camera and no post work.

I do many weddings every year, of course the church is always a challenge. My biggest challenge is... Reception Halls who turn the lights off completely. We then have to rely on the DJ's lights or bring in a camara mounted light which is ill received.

"Enough with the spotlight" - that is remembered forever. That is why I rarely ever use one.

Anyway... as other posters have said speak with the appropriate people and have the church maximize availabe light. Taking away our light source... is like taking away the cross to the church.

Chad

Thank you guy's! I appreciate all of your responses.

I'd recommend renting 20K Brutes to peer in through each church window.

Provides a nice, subtle stadium lighting for the interior.

:O)

Seriously, I think VicMilt's suggestion was just totally brilliant, and should be considered more often for "impossible" lighting situations.

1. As stated before, get your hands on a VX-2000 or PD-150 (or sucessive models). Try to keep the gain below about +9 (don't even try using gain at all on your GS-150), and if you have to, crank the shutter speed down to 1/30. It will look a little jittery, similar to 24p (don't even get started on what the differences are, I am well aware) but with something like a confirmation, with little action, most viewers won't even notice.

2. If you don't have them already, get Mike Crash's free Vegas filters, especially his noise reducer and smart smoother. Should you have a lot of noise in the picture, apply a small amount of noise reduction, followed by a small amount of Smart smoothing. Don't add too much of either, or you will get ghosting from the NR or a painted look from the SS.

Good luck!

I'd do some of the fancy noise reduction that I've posted about here in the past

Johnmeyer, Would you happen to have a link to your previous posts on noise reduction?

Thanks in advance...
Al

Another thing you can do is shoot it with an HVR-A1 (or another sony consumer grade camera) in nightshot mode with a black and white effect added so that it is black and white instead of green and white. When you're in editing, add a little film shutter/grain effect which fades out after the beginninng and go for the classic vintage look. These camera's are nowhere near good enough in low light in color, but in nightshot mode with a black and white filter, you can get some amazingly good B&W footage. A combination of that and some high quality photos interspersed in a black and white film / color photo montage would be a wonderful look.