July 29, 2006

After my last blog about our Same Day Edit at the Crystal Tea Room, several folks wanted to know what a Same Day Edit is.  Last year, EventDV magazine published a story about videographers who produce SDEs.  Although some technological change have been made in the last year, this behind the scenes look at SDEs is still pretty accurate.

The Art of the Wedding-Day Edit
By Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen - Posted Mar 9, 2005

Same-day edit productions make for unexpected treats at wedding receptions and can add to your bottom line. Here, three SDE pioneers talk about how it’s done.

There’s a common complaint among writers, journalists especially, that once we publish something, we rarely get feedback. It’s not that we’re so egotistical or insecure that we need a pat on the back for every word we write (though that certainly comes into play); it’s that most of the time we have no tangible proof that anyone’s even read the words we worked so hard to craft into a story. Even negative feedback is feedback; at least we know someone’s taken a look.

Videographers at least know that somebody’s going to see the fruits of their labors, even if the client is the only sure bet. But sometimes you have to wonder if even the subjects of the video witness what you’ve captured. Did the bride’s father see how beautifully you captured that kiss as he gave his daughter away? Does the best man know that his attempts at breakdancing during the photo shoot have been captured for posterity? Does the groom know that his fiancee’s eyes welled up when he surprised her with that song during the ceremony?

You certainly hope so, and the odds are on your side. But let’s face it, videographers and writers share a common bond: we create what we create because we want to share it with people and hope they get out of it at least a little of what we put into it. Nonetheless, we’re rarely around to see it when they do.

Enter the same-day edit. Chances are, even if you haven’t attempted one, you’ve been tempted by the tantalizing possibility of taking what you’ve shot, giving it a quick, clean edit, and displaying it to a crowd still caught up in the thrill of the moment, whether at a wedding or another event. You’ll get a round of applause at the end of the night, and—more importantly—your clients will get to relive a once-in-a-lifetime moment with the very people they shared it with in the first place.

Of course, the benefits of the same-day edit go beyond the emotional. Adding the service to your repertoire is another way to set yourself apart from the crowd and—lest we wax too idealistic—bring in additional revenue and clients. It’s also a good way to silence the NLE naysayers who say wedding videography was better in the pre-editing days when you popped out the tape at the end of the day and handed it over, however rough and raw the footage. With an SDE, you get the instant gratification, but with the editing touches we’ve come to expect—and a chance to do a more lavish edit later on.

“I’ve never gotten as many ‘How did you do thats?’ and ‘Could I have your cards?’ as when I do a same-day edit,” says Dave Williams of CinemaCake in Philadelphia. Here’s a look at the opportunities and challenges presented by the same-day edit, as well as some practical advice from experienced videographers on how to get the job done.  Read More. . .

Tags: HD Weddings - Same Day Edit | Permalink

July 24, 2006

The long-awaited Smooth Moves II has been released.  “Fans of our first training DVD will love the new one which includes more time on balancing the Glidecam as well as tips and techniques for using the new Glidecam Smooth Shooter”, says Dave Williams, owner of CinemaCake, an authorized Glidecam dealer.

View the kinds of shots possible with Smooth Moves

Tags: Glidecam and Steadicam Training | Permalink

July 24, 2006

August 15, 2006
Meriden, Connecticut – Dave Williams of CinemaCake will present a mini-workshop to the members of the Connecticut Professional Videographers Association, demonstrating the tools and techniques used to create his award winning style of event videography.  A drawing will be held to give away a brand new Glidecam 2000 Pro.

http://www.pvact.org

Tags: Glidecam and Steadicam Training | Permalink

July 23, 2006

August 22, 2006 Las Vegas, NV – Multi-Creative Excellence winner and certified Steadicam and Glidecam operator Dave Williams takes you through the steps needed to turn stale static shots into extraordinary cinematic style art. Dave will demonstrate this not only himself, but also pick someone from the audience as well. See plenty of real-world examples, tips and tricks that will help you sell high dollar packages and improve your production quality. http://www.wevaexpo.com/clinics1.shtml

Tags: Glidecam and Steadicam Training | Permalink

July 23, 2006

June 16, 2006
Philadelphia, PA – Laren Cohn of NBC10 interviewed Dave Williams of CinemaCake and Danielle Redenbaugh of Lucky Productions about the ‘BridePod’.

In this clip, Sharon Wilbur, one of Dave’s clients, explains how her wedding video on her video iPod is her ‘Happy Place’.

http://CinemaCake.com/client/channel10

An article on Philadelphia Weddings is available online.

Tags: HD Weddings | Permalink