# Should I get into videography?



## NedM (Feb 22, 2016)

Recently, I had a client ask me, "Do you do videography?" 

I told her I don't do videography as I have little to no experience. Also, she had seen some of my video work on my Instagram, and assumed I did videography.

She told me that she was looking for a videographer for her wedding day, and she would not mind hiring me. At that time, I told her I would get back to her and that I was very interested in her offer. 

I told my client I would not charge her a large amount as I would mainly be doing the job for the experience. She is aware of my situation and is willing to pay.

I  have a FF DSLR, two prime lenses,  a 24-105, and an external mic. 

What should I do?


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## imagemaker46 (Feb 22, 2016)

Yes. I know a lot of stills guys I know are required to shoot both for work, and now they have become good enough(not over the top skilled) to shoot video and edit pieces for TV news clips. The more knowledge you can gain, the better off you will be. I used to do a lot of video, using a video camera, but stopped, I regret not staying with it as I have had clients willing to pay me more to shoot both.


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## KmH (Feb 22, 2016)

NedM said:


> What should I do?


Figure out how much it is going to cost you in time/money to learn how to shoot quality video and how much money it will cost
you to gear up for video.
Then determine how much market demand there is in your market area for the service.
Then do the math.

You'll likely need at least a shoulder rig and if you use a DSLR a follow focus accessory. A pair of external mikes are needed to record stereo sound.


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## runnah (Feb 22, 2016)

I think the assumption that producing a quality wedding video is as easy as photographing a wedding is very presumptuous. Similar to me thinking a starter camera with a kit lens is up to the wedding task.

Anyways...

I'll give my 2cents. A one camera wedding shoot would be a nightmare. Not only are you relying on that single camera to get all the critical shots you are also relying on it to record all the audio. This means that you have to have that camera on and recording for the entire ceremony.

Secondly, good luck getting usable audio from an onboard shotgun style mic. To do it properly you will need a wireless mic kit that you either plug into a sound board or have one of the people conducting the ceremony wear. Shotgun mics work decent for ambient noise and non critical audio. Most production crews have a dedicated sound guy who monitors levels and used a boom mic.

Thirdly, stability, focus and exposure. The principles are the same but the applications are different. So say you want a nice shallow DOF shot outside during early afternoon sun? Well you'd just open up the aperture and crank the shutter speed right? Wrong. You can't do this for DSLR video. Exceeding the frame rate with the shutter speed will result in jerky video. So what you need to do is throw a ND filter on there to stop down the exposure.

Now focus is even more tricky. It sounds like you are using a canon. Unless you have the magic lantern hack installed you won't have focus peaking. Without peaking you are relying upon your ability to be able to see the lcd well enough to get focus. Most canon glass has extremely sensitive and short throw on the focus. This means that when using a large aperture the difference between in and out of focus is millimeters of movement on the focus ring. Add moving subjects to the equation and you have a very difficult situation.

Next is stability. The best course of action is to get a big heavy video tripod and use that. A solid well framed static shot is often more compelling than a moving jerky one. Another good option is the manfrotto hydraulic monopod. I use this when a real tripod is too big. Lastly there are handheld gimbal stabilizers. These are pricey and the learning curve is high. They also are a pain to get setup and not designed for quick swapping cameras.

Lastly there is light. You don't have the ease of a bounced flash or strobe to help out during dark shots. You need to rely on the light that is provided, which means a low light monster like the Sony A7s or you need to use some constant lights.

Anyways sorry to ramble but it hit a nerve. I didn't even get into editing, color profile, video formats, color grading and audio editing.


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## dennybeall (Feb 24, 2016)

All good info from Runnah.
As an example - to just get *acceptable casual* video for a dog show with the DSLR I had to add a bazooka mike, a closed back with a lens to be able to see the rear screen and a stabilizer rig. And since it's not a video camera, using  the zoom and focus rings caused the camera to wiggle around.
The DSLR is great for video where you and the subject are in one place, like a lecture, but not if you or the subject are moving around very much. IMHO


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## Dave442 (Feb 24, 2016)

I would hate to put together a wedding video with clips from just one camera. One fixed and one moving will work. Sound from multiple sources, its easy to have the groom with a small recorder and a lav mic. 

Starts to add up, so if you have a chance right now to try it out as a learning experience then I would go for it.  If the client has also hired a photographer then you need to get with them to go over what shots you need to get and then let them get their shots.


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## table1349 (Feb 24, 2016)

Dude, you are in California, USA.  I wouldn't suggest that you expand to videography in that market unless you are another Cecil B. Demille or at least Howard Hawks.  Well not unless you want to look like this guy.


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