wedding trailer(Corleone,Siciily) made with final cut x

I’m not going to be so madly passionate about this one, Andreas. Sorry, but you can’t receive praise all the time. Yes, this piece does show your trademark moments of artistic brilliance, however it doesn’t capture the heart like your last wedding video. I’ll explain why (some of the reasons are beyond your control), & I will also contrast your video’s shooting & editing style with a popular company’s format, to show why your artistic process is more organic & alive.

First, let’s examine some of our positives in this piece… It starts well for me, again we’ve got the interesting music with compelling visuals. In the past I’ve thought you overused your fade to black, but I like it here. As always the laughing playing children are darling. Then the guy starts singing. Here’s the first neg, the song is not as good as the last one, this vocal for me, is not as appealing. But the big problem is the track sets you up for literal interpretation of the visuals, the song talks about eyes, you show eyes, suddenly you’re chained to the puppet master controlling your art, it’s no longer free. Also, perhaps worse for us the viewers, our experience is hampered, we’re also being bound into a very rigid literal interpretation, so we’re being forced into a hard definition, the opposite of art. The song is saying blue eyes, green eyes, but we’re seeing brown eyes. There are just too many disconnects, I’m no longer emotionally fused to the piece.

What happens when we are presented with a logical game of association, we revert to all the childhood games of connecting things, the mind begins to check off the references. So these little mental boxes are getting check marks or “X’s.” Lyrics say “eyes,” check, “blue, green,” X, “running off the track, off the beaten track,” umm… well, not sure if I still like this game.

Yes, art is about contrast, but this is a different kind of contrast, when you begin with literal interpretations then start to vary them slightly, it’s not really a contrasting visual or juxtaposition, it’s more of a stretching of definitions, which keeps our mind in the region of reason, rather than feeling, so art is being lost.

The dance scene, especially the woman in the red dress quick stepping across the screen, could have been slowed down a bit, just to add a touch of grace. Same with the kiss that follows, which is almost bordering on violent. Same with tossing the people, even slowing it 10% might be a sweet effect.

The tempo shifts that follow are nicely handled, & you’ve presented the bride in a beautiful light. Church interior works for me. Again, like the last wedding video, I would love a bit of speed ramping on the throwing of the confetti, just slow it down a bit, it might be lovely. Even if it could slow down during its flight, I think it would set up the following kiss a bit better. I wouldn’t mind a bit of slow-motion with the Capoeira guys either. Also the low exterior shot along the ground where the people walk along side the building, I would prefer some motion here. Since you told me you didn’t shoot it, perhaps you could add Alex’s fantastic effect here ( fcp.co/forum/9-free-fcpx-plugins-and-tem...e-lifetime-of-a-clip ), if we were pulling out slightly as the couple walked towards us, it would give the illusion of camera tracking or feel a bit like a dolly shot. I’d contrast this with the earlier shot in the same location, by adding a slight zoom in. In the latter, slight movement makes us feel like we’re moving with the happy couple, going in the same direction with them (an emotional positive).

So, why does this video not grab me as your previous one did? There are the few negs I’ve mentioned, but I guess for me it really begins with the guy singing, beyond the lyrics matching game, the sound of his voice or the vocal style seems like a kind of indie, alternative punk feel. It sort of fits with the groom’s soul patch look, but it doesn’t draw us in deeply on the emotional level. Sometimes clients choose the song, sometimes you have that freedom. The music sets the tone, & can easily make or break the film.

Your previous wedding video in Agrigento turned out to be the perfect storm of wedding videos, or perhaps a better phrase would be perfect confluence, everything just flowed together in a harmonious way. This time around, the location isn’t as beautiful, the couple aren’t as beautiful, though the bride is appealing, the song doesn’t work as well, you don’t have as many beautiful moments to work with. Your job of editing isn’t as easy as those gorgeous captured scenes that you so masterfully join… well, there just isn’t enough of them this time around. Even some of the things we see, like the Capoeira guys the second or third time, well they’re not even that good at it or perhaps restricted by the formal clothing, but either way, the second time around there’s a slight resentment or neg, it feels a bit like padding.

Of course the client will still be happy with it, people are giddy from the event, to them it all has emotional roots, but for us… sorry, just didn’t feel it this time, not to the same depth of emotion.

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If you’ll indulge me a moment, I’d like to contrast your style for wedding videos in the context of art vs formula. This is not to say that formula can’t produce art, but rather that the discovery & presentation of beauty is superior to its manufacture & forced synthesis. The meteoric rise of reality television capturing real moments, real emotions, exposes the vast gulf that still exists between reality & what passes for most acting & scripting.

There is a difference between performing & creating art. The more comfortable & competent the artist becomes with his tools (paintbrush, hammer & chisel, camera, FCPX, effects, etc), the more they disappear, he is no longer separated from his subject or his art, the subject flows thru him, thru the tools right into the canvas or stone, like water thru your fingers. Complete mastery of the tools, allows you to be free of them, they’re no longer unwieldy, they disappear, finally allowing beauty to just flow thru you, the technology, etc, to accentuate it even, to nurture & cultivate it. The beauty can be in many forms, even profound sadness, if masterfully done, there can even be beauty & art in violence.

The young performer, musician, actor, film-maker is screaming “Look at me!,” whereas the artist is saying “Feel this.”

But let’s get back to wedding videos…

This shop, well meaning, produces a completely different style of wedding video to yours. It starts well & has a great song, but then begins to fall into a formula, in shooting & editing. Of course, it’s a blessed event you’re always going to have something lovely in it, & as always we have some great views of wedding paraphernalia accentuated by light leaks (in every scene?), & the darling little children. However, you’ll notice the formula emerge here, the exact same script for every subject, the same crane or jib shot, the same static shots, the boring rigidity, it’s not flowing, no longer alive. For me, the egregious effrontery, letting us see the cameras on sticks, standing there in the shot, the cheap crane, I don’t want to see that, ever!

vimeo.com/49978949

A wedding video is half way between a scripted drama & a documentary, yes we know certain things are going to happen, people will get ready, they will come to the location, there will be a ceremony, dancing, eating, etc. Too much planning in the way you’re going to shoot it, produces the formulaic product. Getting off those sticks sometimes, moving about while cultivating, developing your artist’s eye, looking for those beautiful moments to capture, you’re in the moment, it will show on screen. I’ve heard my guys calling it “running & gunning,” or “scoot & shoot.” Sure you might get a ton of unusable footage, but you’re going to get some real gems too.

Then your editor has something to cut & polish.

Get out of the way & let the art flow…




J. Matthew
Global•Watch•Media•Consulting
www.GWM2.com

i had some mixed reviews about this one! some really liked it, and some really hated it! so i didn't accomplish my goal! read over and over your commeny! your comments are just incredibile! i agree even with slowing down some clips about 10%! but evertime i slow down a dsrl clip it gets "stuttery"! maybe some frame blending afterward would help? thanks as always!

Try both frame blending and optical flow. Results vaey depending on the unique content of each clip.

Presently I'm still learning the technical wizardry with this technology, for years I had people to do all that for me. Ben knows the technology well, even teaches it, so please explore the avenue he's suggesting. Slow motion could be a mighty tool with a delicate beauty for weddings. But once you master it, we'll trust your creative sensibilities not to over use it.



One other thing; when I was mentioning about the predictable nature of the wedding video, as in we know certain things are going to happen, I like how you break this sequencing. By this I mean, your creative license with the timing or logical progression of the event. Perhaps it's more evident in the previous wedding in Agrigento, where we seem to move back & forth in time to some extent. Of course, we still have the preparation at the beginning, but there's some leeway you utilize to match the scenes with the music. I like this technique & it's been popular in some films. You also show sensitive restraint in not overdoing it. The perfect amount seems to help maintain a kind of dream like or fantasy state but ever so slightly, what it's really doing is breaking free from the documentary nature & framing the piece as romantic idealism. Perfect for the client & the viewer of this genre.