I hope I'm not beaten up for probably the longest post ever, but...
my son, who has been shooting since he was 13, just got a gig shooting a Jewish Bar Mizvah. He asked me how to do it, so I wrote this out for him. I worked my way through college doing weddings, parties and Bar Mitzvahs.
I thought some of you might like it as well. It relates to every kind of party or affair - with the obvious substituions, if you're doing a wedding, sweet sixteen or confirmation.
I hope some of you find it helpful during this party season.
v
The official Victor Milt Bar Mitzvah script
The characters – identify these people at the very beginning of the reception – you MUST get one good shot of each of these people (or die)
Bar Mitzvah boy (Bride/Groom)/Sweet sixteen girl, etc.
Mother
Father
Sister(s)
Brother(s)
Grandmother (on two sides – 2 or more)
Grandfathers (on two sides – 2 or more)
Nannie or nurse that raised the boy
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The concept of what you are there for – to record the event but more important – to create a beautiful and interesting STORY.
Since the party is sequential in it’s process, this script will follow the sequence.
EVERYTHING BELOW ON LEGS – or look like an amateur.
AT THE HOUSE (morning) int
The boy gets ready –he pretends to shave – his dad ties his tie – sister in the bathroom (forever) while crowd waits outside the door – you set these up – they do NOT happen by themselves
AT THE HOUSE (morning) exterior
Everyone leaves the house – if limo is used be sure to get it
Now you rush to the temple. (church)
Temple EXT (hand held ok)
Groups of people arrive – lots of opportunity for hugging and kissing.
Temple INT (LEGS MUST)
Wide shot of temple – from above if possible – from mouse-eye view if not.
Now wait at back of temple for boy to get to pulpit.
Check video levels, etc. TURN ON CAMERA – YOU WANT THIS SOUND. Quietly walk to third row. Set camera on legs just in the aisle in medium shot showing the pulpit with a view of the boy – Keep shooting until he sits down.
Now go outside to get crowd leaving temple. Recheck videotape now. If you don’t have at least a half hour of time left – CHANGE THE ROLL – you can afford to throw away $3 of tape more than missing what’s going to happen next.
Temple EXT Day (Hand held OK for all of this)
The crowd comes out. There may be a reception line with the boy, parents and family just inside the doors. Get this stuff. Your boom man has to be awake and watch where you are swinging the camera for this. Hugging, kissing, crying – yes.
The main rush is over for a while – follow first car to reception area, hall or restaurant. Do NOT take instructions and go by yourself. They will invariably be wrong.
PUT NEW ROLL INTO CAMERA NOW!!
Reception hall – Immediately introduce yourself to the band or DJ – tell him you’d like to tip him a hundred bucks for his help – but you don’t have a hundred bucks. Beg him to tell you before the cake cutting. 80% of the guys will forget. Remind him a dozen times. He is your only friend at this reception. If he hates you – you are dead.
While everybody is having hor deourves –
shoot close-up of invitation.
Shoot close-up of something pretty on table – flowers, fruit salad- whatever
Shoot time lapse of setting “setting itself”. Turn on camera. Shoot fully set “setup”. Take away one item at a time until nothing is there. Cut this stuff in reverse – table will set itself.
While you are doing this, have assistant keep eye on band or DJ.
As soon as they are ready to bring in BM boy, station yourself in middle of dance-floor, and wait. Get wide shot of boy and family as they enter.
Do NOT cut camera – you will want this music.
Keep shooting until the DJ announces the “first dance”. You will get the wide shot and immediately become the “third partner” getting the close-ups of the boy and his mother. Next will be the grandmother – same deal. Then the father and daughter. This is a critical time for the finished film. If you get all the dancing now, the floor with be relatively empty, and (more important) you will HAVE IT.
Many of these people will never get up to dance again, so don’t miss this time.
Hall INT (everybody dances)
Rest time – check tape.
Everybody will now sit down for first course.
Start going table to table. If there are more than 10 tables this will take you all night to do, so don’t wait.
You will be shooting close-ups of individuals and couples and the boys friends. Jam the mike in their face and ask the following questions.
Who are you and why are you here?
What do you want to say to little Timmy (the BM boy) – “remember this is forever”.
Don’t waste time on the drunks.
After the salad is served, ask the mom, dad and grandparents if they would step outside for a 2 minute interview. This is where your film will shine.
What’s your first memory of Timmie?
What was your proudest moment?
What do you wish for him?
Let them ramble on – every word will be golden in the film.
BE SURE TO GET EVERY GRANDPARENT – There is no telling how long they will be with us, and the family damn well knows it.
Back to table interviews.
Get the boys and girls and do group interviews – they are kids – they will be a major pain in the ass – love it and get it. Put camera on legs and let them goof around – high speed the footage –it will be hysterical.
IMPORTANT EASY SHOT:
Now or later, set up a shot with the BM boy pretending to be asleep in a chair. Shoot a full minute of him sleeping. Leave lots of room in top right hand corner. You will put in his “dreams” here… pretty girls, his parents, sisters, whatever.
After the main course is served, check back with the band.
CHECK YOUR TAPE AND BATTERY
Hand held OK – legs better
The kitchen will roll out the cake on a moving table – get this, but push your way up to the front of the crowd and get the boy cutting the cake. (CU hand with knife) then others will come up – get them all.
Every type of event of this kind will have an ethnic dance. Have fun with them. This is the time to have your assistant hand hold a little light and spot light or back light dancers. This is also the time to try some 1/8 of a second SFX shots.
Keep shooting until the end. Do not leave earlier than the parents.
Use “End check” all the time to make sure your footage is coming out.
Always wear headphones to make sure you’ve got sound.
Do NOT rewind footage to check – it’s too easy to accidentally forget to re-cue the camera, thus erasing the most important footage.
As you empty the camera be sure to lock the video’s.
It’s best to pre-label your rolls 1,2,3,4 so you don’t end up with two #2’s for instance. You can always take the label off.
my son, who has been shooting since he was 13, just got a gig shooting a Jewish Bar Mizvah. He asked me how to do it, so I wrote this out for him. I worked my way through college doing weddings, parties and Bar Mitzvahs.
I thought some of you might like it as well. It relates to every kind of party or affair - with the obvious substituions, if you're doing a wedding, sweet sixteen or confirmation.
I hope some of you find it helpful during this party season.
v
The official Victor Milt Bar Mitzvah script
The characters – identify these people at the very beginning of the reception – you MUST get one good shot of each of these people (or die)
Bar Mitzvah boy (Bride/Groom)/Sweet sixteen girl, etc.
Mother
Father
Sister(s)
Brother(s)
Grandmother (on two sides – 2 or more)
Grandfathers (on two sides – 2 or more)
Nannie or nurse that raised the boy
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The concept of what you are there for – to record the event but more important – to create a beautiful and interesting STORY.
Since the party is sequential in it’s process, this script will follow the sequence.
EVERYTHING BELOW ON LEGS – or look like an amateur.
AT THE HOUSE (morning) int
The boy gets ready –he pretends to shave – his dad ties his tie – sister in the bathroom (forever) while crowd waits outside the door – you set these up – they do NOT happen by themselves
AT THE HOUSE (morning) exterior
Everyone leaves the house – if limo is used be sure to get it
Now you rush to the temple. (church)
Temple EXT (hand held ok)
Groups of people arrive – lots of opportunity for hugging and kissing.
Temple INT (LEGS MUST)
Wide shot of temple – from above if possible – from mouse-eye view if not.
Now wait at back of temple for boy to get to pulpit.
Check video levels, etc. TURN ON CAMERA – YOU WANT THIS SOUND. Quietly walk to third row. Set camera on legs just in the aisle in medium shot showing the pulpit with a view of the boy – Keep shooting until he sits down.
Now go outside to get crowd leaving temple. Recheck videotape now. If you don’t have at least a half hour of time left – CHANGE THE ROLL – you can afford to throw away $3 of tape more than missing what’s going to happen next.
Temple EXT Day (Hand held OK for all of this)
The crowd comes out. There may be a reception line with the boy, parents and family just inside the doors. Get this stuff. Your boom man has to be awake and watch where you are swinging the camera for this. Hugging, kissing, crying – yes.
The main rush is over for a while – follow first car to reception area, hall or restaurant. Do NOT take instructions and go by yourself. They will invariably be wrong.
PUT NEW ROLL INTO CAMERA NOW!!
Reception hall – Immediately introduce yourself to the band or DJ – tell him you’d like to tip him a hundred bucks for his help – but you don’t have a hundred bucks. Beg him to tell you before the cake cutting. 80% of the guys will forget. Remind him a dozen times. He is your only friend at this reception. If he hates you – you are dead.
While everybody is having hor deourves –
shoot close-up of invitation.
Shoot close-up of something pretty on table – flowers, fruit salad- whatever
Shoot time lapse of setting “setting itself”. Turn on camera. Shoot fully set “setup”. Take away one item at a time until nothing is there. Cut this stuff in reverse – table will set itself.
While you are doing this, have assistant keep eye on band or DJ.
As soon as they are ready to bring in BM boy, station yourself in middle of dance-floor, and wait. Get wide shot of boy and family as they enter.
Do NOT cut camera – you will want this music.
Keep shooting until the DJ announces the “first dance”. You will get the wide shot and immediately become the “third partner” getting the close-ups of the boy and his mother. Next will be the grandmother – same deal. Then the father and daughter. This is a critical time for the finished film. If you get all the dancing now, the floor with be relatively empty, and (more important) you will HAVE IT.
Many of these people will never get up to dance again, so don’t miss this time.
Hall INT (everybody dances)
Rest time – check tape.
Everybody will now sit down for first course.
Start going table to table. If there are more than 10 tables this will take you all night to do, so don’t wait.
You will be shooting close-ups of individuals and couples and the boys friends. Jam the mike in their face and ask the following questions.
Who are you and why are you here?
What do you want to say to little Timmy (the BM boy) – “remember this is forever”.
Don’t waste time on the drunks.
After the salad is served, ask the mom, dad and grandparents if they would step outside for a 2 minute interview. This is where your film will shine.
What’s your first memory of Timmie?
What was your proudest moment?
What do you wish for him?
Let them ramble on – every word will be golden in the film.
BE SURE TO GET EVERY GRANDPARENT – There is no telling how long they will be with us, and the family damn well knows it.
Back to table interviews.
Get the boys and girls and do group interviews – they are kids – they will be a major pain in the ass – love it and get it. Put camera on legs and let them goof around – high speed the footage –it will be hysterical.
IMPORTANT EASY SHOT:
Now or later, set up a shot with the BM boy pretending to be asleep in a chair. Shoot a full minute of him sleeping. Leave lots of room in top right hand corner. You will put in his “dreams” here… pretty girls, his parents, sisters, whatever.
After the main course is served, check back with the band.
CHECK YOUR TAPE AND BATTERY
Hand held OK – legs better
The kitchen will roll out the cake on a moving table – get this, but push your way up to the front of the crowd and get the boy cutting the cake. (CU hand with knife) then others will come up – get them all.
Every type of event of this kind will have an ethnic dance. Have fun with them. This is the time to have your assistant hand hold a little light and spot light or back light dancers. This is also the time to try some 1/8 of a second SFX shots.
Keep shooting until the end. Do not leave earlier than the parents.
Use “End check” all the time to make sure your footage is coming out.
Always wear headphones to make sure you’ve got sound.
Do NOT rewind footage to check – it’s too easy to accidentally forget to re-cue the camera, thus erasing the most important footage.
As you empty the camera be sure to lock the video’s.
It’s best to pre-label your rolls 1,2,3,4 so you don’t end up with two #2’s for instance. You can always take the label off.