Why would you want to shoot 4:3 then render to 16:9? you will loose the top and bottom of your video..... You'd only want to record 4:3 if they were to be watching on a 4:3 TV - does anyone have them anymore?!

Also record at best quality settings. If your camera does 1080 50p record at this. You can easily reduce quality for file size purposes after, but you can't go the other way.

Doesn't shooting in 4x3 allow me to capture more area then if shooting in 16x9? I have a Canon GL2 and when I put on the 16x9 guide marks the area that is shown is smaller than the full 4x3 area. What am I missing?

If your friend wants a professional video of their wedding, the best thing you can do for them is tell them to hire a professional. If they don't want a professional video, then whatever you give them is going to be fine...but I'd still tell them to hire a pro. :)

I've been in the video production business since the 70s and I've never had the guts to even attempt to shoot a wedding video.

I agree with John (and I've been in the video industry for as long as he has).
Shooting a wedding is a LOT of work to do it right.
As long as they understand that it will not be a professional wedding video, go ahead and do it but make sure to explain this up front.

Mike

burchis13,

You need to do some reading about Aspect Ratios. A 4x3 aspect is what the tube TVs that we grew up with normally display. It is almost square, but a bit wider than it is tall. 16x9 is the new norm for TVs where you have a wider screen. In 16x9 you will see more horizontal area given everything else the same.

I don't know about your camera, but some have a pseudo 16x9 which is actually a 4x3 with a letterboxed video and some have a true 16x9 setting. You want the true setting. Otherwise, shoot 4x3.


Dave T2

Ditto what Dave said. For a native 4:3 camera, faux 16:9 isn't recommended.

I think the other comments were from folks who just assumed you had a newer camera than you do.

>Doesn't shooting in 4x3 allow me to capture more area then if shooting in 16x9? I have a Canon GL2 and when I put on the 16x9 guide marks the area that is shown is smaller than the full 4x3 area. What am I missing?

On a GL2 you have the options of 4:3 or a 16:9 letterbox where the top and bottom are cropped. Letterbox and widescreen are not the same thing. If you play the faux 16:9 of a GL2 on a current widescreen TV, what you will see is a little box in the center of the screen with pillar ones on the sides and letter boxing on the top and bottom. This mode is only good on an old 4:3 CRT where you want the letter boxing on the top and bottom, not on a widescreen TV where you want to fill the screen on a currently available TV. The GL2 was a great camera for it's day, but I wouldn't use one now. You'd get a better image with a decent smartphone. If you have to use the GL2, use the 4:3 mode, but make sure your friend knows that the video is going to be a generation back in quality so that he isn't surprised by the low quality.

>I've been in the video production business since the 70s and I've never had the guts to even attempt to shoot a wedding video.

I try never to do either weddings or porn. ;-)

That would be a tough choice. Both are rather equally repulsive! ;)

I imagine both need a particular focus on the couple involved

But there is a niche in wedding porn. Only takes an extra hour of your time after the reception. ;-)

but for REAL drama you want to shoot the divorce. true, it's usually eiter an epic or series....

oh, and bring your own lawyer to sort out the rights....

I don't shoot wedding videos either, but I was asked twice by friends to shoot their wedding videos. Same situation as yours.

I used my VX2000 which is a native 4:3 camera just like your GL2 and the videos came out great. They were thrilled. Shoot it in 4:3 and concentrate on the content. I avoided all the special effects and the other nonsense I see wedding videographers do and concentrated on getting lots and lots of candid shots and in particular a lot of footage of the older people who may not be around in a few years.

Editing will be easy and when you make the DVDs, use two DVDs so you can keep the bitrate high for maximum quality.

John

Shooting a wedding is a hectic task because the event is important, nothing is repeated and nothing waits for you. And the stills photographer constantly gets in the way. It is important to plan carefully, know what shots you must get and carefully pre-identify your camera positions (attend rehearsal). Also you have to have enough light, but I wouldn't put a light on the camera. Use 2 cameras if you can, one covering wide and the other mobile (establish sync at start -- flash/clap/whatever). Advisable not to stop either camera during the ceremony (edit out the rubbish) and good audio is very important so look to miking and separate audio recorder if that aids. Naturally, record audio also on cameras.
All the usual guidance on shooting (no hose-piping, tromboning, etc). Think continuity as you shoot and shoot cut-aways of guests, dogs, church, flowers.
I don't recommend shooting weddings but sometimes you can't decently escape. Other people will be shooting stills and probably video so you can ask for their footage for inclusion (if you think that will be useful). You can incorporate stills. Don't promise a professional romantic feature and I think your friends will be happy with the result. If you can arrange an assistant that will be a great help, even if all they do is hold stuff and warn you about things happening around.

Audio! Get some good mics on the couple so you can clearly hear the vows.

I shot a friend's wedding on the beach in Kauai using a consumer grade SD camera (all I had on me) but I used a wireless Lav on the groom and you can hear them all clearly, so it was a success in their eyes. If I had used the camera's mic, it would have been a disaster.

Good luck.

Do yourself a favor.
Hire a pro to shoot the formal ceremony (only). Save them some money and take some pressure off yourself.
You shoot the rest (rehearsals!, folks arriving, lobby laughs, interview with officiant, nervous bride, clueless groom, cake cutting, reception, dinner, dance and karaoke, bouquet toss, family tears and testimonials, escape sequence.

Edit it yourself, and have some fun! Taken as a whole, this was a wacky event, so take some risks!

I guarantee, yours will be the video they will watch over and over and show to their friends a decade later, not the vows.
And you will be the hero of the day. Guaranteed.

I did this for my nephew's wedding, and they have since worn out two copies of the VHS tape (that's how old it is). And produced two beautiful schoolkids.

I shot a friend's wedding on the beach in Kauai using a consumer grade SD camera (all I had on me) but I used a wireless Lav on the groom and you can hear them all clearly, so it was a success in their eyes..

I have to say that I love that you only had a consumer grade camera on you, but that you also had a wireless lav mic! I'm not knocking this - nor contributing anything constructive, I realize. It just gave me a chuckle.

The casual shots will be the ones they play over and over. I went to an elaborate outdoor wedding, there was no videographer, I set up the camera I had in the car on a tripod and caught so many wonderful moments away from the bride and groom. They absolutely loved it.

I'm pretty sure the GL2 can be set for 16x9. When thus set it squishes the image horizonally so that when the 4x3 is "expanded" in editing it appears "normal" (not distorted). This is different from the control that enables cop lines in the viewfinder.

I believe that was how the video below was done: NOTE, when viewed on YT there are no letterbox bars.



Additional info from the Canon website:
=================================

Aspect Ratios
The Canon GL2 offers you both the standard 4:3 image aspect ratio that's as common as your TV screen and a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The numbers represent the ratio of the screen width to its height.

4:3 (image)


Whether you're using the GL2 to make wedding videos, business videos, documentaries or simple home movies for play back on a standard TV or monitor, the standard 4:3 aspect ratio is your choice.

4:3 with 16:9 Electronic Guides on viewfinder
You can select white, 16:9 aspect ratio guide lines to appear in the viewfinder, viewscreen, or on an external monitor when recording in 4:3 aspect ratio. This version of the 4:3 aspect ratio allows for later conversion to 16:9, the standard aspect ratio for HDTV and a more common aspect ratio for film.

16:9 (Electronic Anamorphic) .. (image)


Also available on the GL2 is the 16:9 aspect ratio, for playback on widescreen TVs. This is menu-selectable and electronically squeezes the image being recorded to tape. When played back, these images are stretched to fit the wider aspect ratio.
======================

I have been asked to be the videographer at a friends wedding. Although I do have a couple of prosumer camcorders I have never video recorded a wedding so any tips are truly welcome.

I've shot a lot of professional wedding videos. 80 hours of hard-*ssed work for lousy money. and those were PAYING gigs, son. Contracts, mind you. The hardest boss in the world is the one you have to work for FOR FREE.

And I've also been "asked" to do this by "friends" before, many times. And the very few times that I've actually done them were among the lousiest days of my life. And now that I think about it, most of those people? We're really not that close any more- Imagine that.

Tips? Got a month? Got mics? Got multiple cameras for B roll and cutaways? Got multiple operators? got a shot sheet of critical events? Shooting pre-wedding? Ceremony? Hanging back with the photographer post wedding? Reception? Interviews? Like sweating? Like dropping nice gear on hard floors? While running around for 7 hours with your back on fire for free, and after all is said and done you discovered that you missed (check any or all) a) the bride's entrance, b) the Kiss, C) The Toast, D) ALL the audio because the mic wasn't turned on, E) "Riding Off Into the Sunset" shot F) Anything else important to the newlyweds.

Because once you say "yes," you ain't pals anymore. Make no mistake about it, you da "videographer," my man, and you will be labeled as such until such proceedings are concluded. You could be Abraham Lincoln before you take the gig, but as soon as you say yes, you're just a videographer (notice I spell it with the little "v", not the big "V"- Big "V" gets paid).

Listen, unless you've got a contract in front of you, specifying a common understanding of exactly what they're gonna get, just shoot the **** thing. 4/3? sounds good. Cut, print it!

Not like I have an opinion on the matter ;-P

Or you can call a pro- lots of hungry shooters out there now.

Many good warnings in these comments, some from people who have suffered the pain. Shooting the video is certainly going to spoil any enjoyment you might otherwise have had at the wedding. Giving the friends the video as a present (i.e. hire a professional) is a nice idea, but it will be an expensive one (you get what you pay for). If you decide to do it anyway, make sure you are all quite clear about what they expect and what you can promise. Promise no more than you can surely do, and you might surprise by doing better. Despite all the comments about getting in a professional I've seen some pretty bad professional wedding videos. Who knows, you might have the talent and temperament to do more and one shouldn't shy from a challenge. I don't recommend filming sky diving but there are those who make it a living.