Part of making a great looking wedding video to be proud of is the equipment used in the filming.

For the best image quality I use the top Sony HVR Z1 which delivers fantastic picture quality from its 3 16:9 CCDs. In other words, true wide screen TV pictures with the option to shoot in 1080 line High Definition (HD). My second camera, a Sony FX1 has the same optics and CCD system, ensuring that the images shot from both cameras are of the same look and feel.
 
Sound or audio quality is at least as important as the picture quality in any film production, especially in a wedding video, where there is no opportunity to take the shot twice. For reliability and quality Sennheiser is one of the very best professional microphone producers.
 
Capturing the vows is a must.  Often the Bride or the Groom will be nervous and will speak quietly.  Using a miniature wireless microphone (on the Groom’s lapel) transmits crystal clear sound via a UHF transmitter to the camera, ensuring that the vows and little comments between the couple are captured perfectly.
 
Capturing the readings and general chat between guests requires a different approach.  For this I use directional long range microphones, so that all the sound is on film.  To minimise outdoor wind noise, the mics wear the best professional “softies”.

The speeches are another important part of the sound.  For this I use three wireless handheld microphones on a small table stands which is nicely directional and ensures that even the most quietly spoken Father of the Bride’s speech is captured with crystal clear clarity.
 
Finally on the sound front, the audio needs to be well balanced, neither too loud or too quiet, and certainly at the right level.  Using professional headphones for on-camera sound monitoring ensures the sound quality is just right.
 
There is nothing worse than an unsteady or wobbly video picture.  Continual movement of the image frame will make the wedding video at best uncomfortable and tiring to watch - at the worst the film can become un-watchable.  Both my cameras are supported by lightweight, rock solid Manfrotto tripods  enuring that the only thing moving in the picture is the people.
 
Sometimes, especially in tight spaces such as filming the Bride’s preparations, it is not appropriate to use a tripod.  For these occasions the use of a mono pod (a single leg support) is the best compromise. These are compact and light weight and allow the shots to be captured with the minimum of fuss and disruption.
 
With the modern cameras used for wedding video filming, most of the time lighting is not an issue, so the church or other ambient light is sufficient.  However there are occasions where the lighting needs to be very low, during the first dance, or when interviewing guests for the video guest book. Rather than use lights on stands, which would be totally inappropriate, an IDX LED camera mounted light strikes the right balance, lighting the nearby subject without upsetting the general ambiance.
   
Another area that really makes a huge difference in the final film is the editing.  I expect to film anything ranging from 2 hours to 8 hours of footage during a wedding. This will be edited down, depending on the brief from my Client, to 45 minutes to 2 hours of finished video.

The edit for a 1 hour video will take about 3 - 4 working days.  

If the camera work has been done properly, the edit is a question of putting the best shots and clips in the best order.  One of the most critical parts of the edit is the use of transitions.  Some people like to use the dozens of special effect transitions built into the editing software (or “cheesy transitions”). I use three transitions, those that are the most used in broadcast quality work, a straight cut; a fade and a fade through black. This creates a logical progression, without jarring the viewer.  To achieve the results I do I use the Avid editing software “Liquid” which is used by many independent film makers.
 
The final element of the production process is the creation of the DVD itself. Here the highest quality blank DVD disks are used, ensuring high quality reproduction on the widest range of DVD players. The artwork is designed for each project individually, and is printed direct on to the DVD disk (no stick-on paper labels).