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Can't we all just get along?

My thoughts on the sensitive working relationship of the wedding photographer and videographer....and 8 tips on how to make it work.

by Ana E. Rivera, Cinematographer at One i Productions

I've heard my share of nightmares from both photographers and videographers and how we can ruin each other's work during a wedding and/or event. Photographers have told me about videographers that will get on ladders to film during a ceremony and fall off right in the middle of the vows. I've been told about photographers that love to get right in front of the videographer during an important shot... and vice versa.

I personally have enjoyed working with 99.9% of the photographers at my events/weddings. But there was, however, that one time when I considered putting a hit on the photographer at a wedding. I'm exaggerating, I don't know any hitmen.

Anyway, we had a location shoot in New York's Oheka Castle last year. This gorgeous castle has been utilized in television, films, and celebrity weddings (it's the future setting of Derek Jeter's wedding this year).

Needless to say, a photographer and videographer could spend hours and hours shooting and filming there. We were very excited and were ready to get to work as soon as we got there. Well, for those of you who have worked with us before, you know that we usually yield the right of way to the photographer as we believe that a photographer in a video is nowhere near as bad as a videographer in a photo. There may be some videographers who may disagree with me on this, but it's how we work. Well, we tried our best to introduce ourselves to the photographers (two guys with about 20 cameras draped around their bodies in their late 30's with indistinguishable accents). From the beginning, they gave us the 'once over-head-to-toe' look and a nice roll of the eyes to top it off. Now listen guys, I'm usually a fun and easygoing person, but nothing sets me off more than the above mentioned self-righteous look. So of course, I looked up their website on my iPhone to see if they had the right to behave like a couple of divas. Umm.. the short answer is no. In spite of this, I decide to control my temper because I would never give the bride the impression that her vendors are not getting along. She has enough going on that day to be worrying about her photographer and videographer not getting along. So we did our best to let them get their shots while still getting ours. However, one of the guys seemed to always find a place right in front of my camera, even when I was standing at the other end of the room. And I'm not talking 10 feet in front of my camera, I'm talking 10 to 12 INCHES! This happened several times during the ceremony. Now, you professional photographers out there know that we videographers tend to set at least one camera on a tripod and leave it in that spot during the entire ceremony. I usually plan the setup with the photographers so as not be in each others way. I would have done the same with these guys, but they had moved on to pretending we didn't exist. At one time during the ceremony, the same guy actually placed the lens of his camera on my shoulder! Even though this happened months ago, thinking about it again still makes my blood boil. I mean, this guy actually decided that my shoulder would be his tripod during the ceremony! He starts clicking away on my shoulder while I'm trying to film. Not behind me, not next to me, but right ON MY SHOULDER. Agghhhh!!! 10, 9 , 8, 7... I was counting back from 10 as I've been told this helps one to relax. If he didn't have his lens off my shoulder by the time I counted down to one, I was going to slam my face right into his (he was shorter than me so I believe I could've taken him down). Many of my videographer friends tell me they would have lost it at this point.

Anyway, this kind of behavior went on all day. But I'm proud to say that the bride/groom and family/guests never seemed to have a clue as to the silent war that was waged on us videographers that day. We just focused on our bride and groom and went on about our work. In post production, we had to down several drinks as we saw these guys in our shots over and over and over again (you editors know what I mean). It was a miracle we were still able to produce a great-looking film for our clients.

Now, back to the reason I wanted to write this article... How can we, the videographers contribute to a great working relationship with photographers during an event and/or wedding? The following tips have worked for us.

8 Tips For Videographers On How to Get Along With the Photographer during an event/wedding:

1. Introduce yourself as soon as you get there.

2. Get a feel for how the photographer works and moves around.

3. When setting up a shot, let the photographer know when, where, and how long you'll be there. (This may not seem necessary to you, but it has helped us get along and develop great, long-lasting relationships with our photographers. It IS possible to show consideration while still getting those great money shots.)

4. Sometimes the photographer gets stuck and looses inspiration. This is the right time for you to suggest ideas for YOUR shots. I am in no way suggesting that you tell them how to do their job. However, most photographers have loved our ideas and gone ahead and taken a few shots after we finish. In addition, I have personally enjoyed being inspired by photographers' creativity when I get stuck. However, that won't happen if you are constantly trying to lead during the event/shoot. You should never consider yourself too good to learn something new or be so stuck in a rut that you're not inspired by someone else's innovative ideas.

5. If the photographer is getting a shot that you want to get, but you don't like the staged look (I personally don't like forcing a pose for video), go ahead and film behind the photographer at a comfortable distance. I've gotten some of my coolest over-the-shoulder shots this way. (Check out this highlight we did for a wedding in Miami: http://oipfilms.com/yasbel.html Here you'll see an example of an over-the-shoulder shot that worked well at around 01:58 in the video.)

6. If you are working with a relatively new photographer who seems nervous and insecure, don't just step over him/her because you have more experience. Learn the art of guiding without stepping all over the photographers pride and dignity. This is something I learned from Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends & Influence People". The book is old and the title is cheesy, but it is still one of the best books written on the subject of dealing with people and colleagues. Remember when you were new and didn't want anyone to expose your inexperience? Remember how it felt when people with more experience treated you like a nobody? Don't do the same to others. The coolest people are those who are at the top of their game and still treat others with respect and dignity. Don't fool yourself, even the most talented artists in Hollywood loose gigs simply because they're jerks. It's no different in our industry. Eventually, your reputation will precede you.

7. The most difficult time is the ceremony. Most of what happens there can not be repeated. Discuss your camera placement with the photographer BEFORE the ceremony begins. Plan how each of you will get your shots without getting in each other's way. Most photographers have been very grateful to us for always including them in our planning during ceremonies. This has made it possible for everyone to get the shots they need and make the client happy.

8. This brings us to the last and most important tip. Never forget that it is always ALL ABOUT THE CLIENT. We must always remember that we are there to get our shots without bringing attention to ourselves. From not getting in the way to delivering an astonishing film, our clients' happiness is our number one priority. Never let your pride or sense of entitlement get in the way of that fact.

How about you? Any additional tips that have worked for you? Do you have any nightmare stories of a videographer/photographer relationship gone bad? We'd love to hear from you! Remember, no names and please keep it clean.

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Feedback:

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Jon Morton |

www.jonmortonphotography.com

That's good stuff Ana..

Obviously a problem that everybody knows about. I've found there's jerks on both sides, obviously coming from their own perspective. Communication is key (like you outlined), but sometimes you're going to get those who don't really care.

I think what is also important is to understand each other's perspectives. You have to be willing to put yourself in each other's shoes. Pretty tough to do in this selfish culture that we all live in.

Way to go on attempting to discuss this - I'm curious to hear the responses.

Jon

__________________

Juan L. Gonzalez |

www.ELDreamCatcher.com

Good write on this situation. The way I see it is that there are professionals who get it and love their work and respect others and then there are jerks! Pros who are decent people will work with you forever without any problems even if they are having bad day. Stupid people will ruin you day and anybody who may be nearby. You can use all the rules, guidelines, and laws in the books but you can't regulate nor fix stupid. I make it a point of enjoying my work by getting along with all of those I come in contact with. But at times I have and will continue to run into some jerks who will test you to no end. I have felt like kicking the equipment of some of this jerks more than once. Even after thinking about the situation years later, I can honestly say that there was nothing I could have done because, as I mentioned earlier, you can't fix stupid. I remember this one dude put his hand on the lens of my camera and told me that he was not going to allow me to shoot any more pictures! Later I learned that he was a karate dude so it was a good thing I didn't kick his *butt* as I had planned. LOL!

Juan

___________________________

Anonymous bride says:

I'm happy to see someone addressed this issue as I had a similar problem between my vendors at my wedding last year. I could sense their tension and it made it impossible for me to relax.

Thank you again! I hope everyone reads this!

...just some cool video stills from the Bollywood event

HCL Global Meet & Bollywood Night 2010

Here are some photos of the event we covered this week. It was spectacular!

Photos by Jenny Rivera | www.kelmarstudios.com

Annie-Jo & Idael

We completed filming on Annie-Jo and Idael's wedding a few hours ago. I'm already excited to edit this wedding! They were so easy to work with and were very sweet to us and (more importantly) to each other. Here's a photo of the beautiful couple! More to come soon!

April is PHOTOGRAPHER APPRECIATION month!

Attention all photographers!

Refer any of your future shoots to us and we'll provide you with a promo/marketing video of that shoot personalized for your use on your website, YouTube, or any video site... FREE!
Contact us by April 30th to be eligible for this special offer.

www.oneiproductions.com

OiP booked for HCL Global Meet 2010

We were very happy when we were contact to cover the HCL Global Meet again! This year the keynote speaker is none other than Bill Clinton himself! Needless to say, we are very excited to be getting a team of 5 cameramen and photographers to cover the large event at Universal Studios. We'll keep you posted!

New Offer for Vendors!!

ATTENTION:
Caterers, planners, organizers, djs, photographers, etc!




















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NEW CONTEST: The CamaHead Project - For OiP Facebook fans only

What is CamaHead?? Cama is Spanish for bed, so simply put, it's bed hair. And what is bed hair? According to Wiktionary;

bed hair:

Noun - (uncountable) (informal) - Hair that stands out straight from the scalp and is therefore difficult to style, because, or as if, it has been set that way by lying on it in bed.

So what is The CamaHead Project? Well, it's a contest for the strangest most interesting bed hair. We're not talking styled, gel, hair-sprayed hair. We're talking 100% natural and organic morning-just-woke-up hair. Strange contest you say? Well, we are not the first, nor will we be the last to hold a contest of this sort. However, we are always up for fun things to do for our FB fans. That is why we decided to hold a contest just for you OiP Facebook fans! The winner will receive one of our authentic "CamaHead" t-shirts and 50% of their next wedding/event/web video!

For previous or current clients/brides, enter to win a free blu-ray DVD of your wedding!

Go to our FB page to enter!

The CamaHead Project page

One i Productions fan page

(yes that's my morning hair!)

In my humble opinion...

This is kind of a personal rant. Actually, that's exactly what it is. I just watched "The Invention of Lying". I think its a well made movie with good actors but with an insulting and depressing message. I did not see the humor in implying that those who belive in "The man in the sky", as Ricky puts it, are ignorant fools. I personally think that Ricky Gervais is very funny and at the very least this movie was a novel idea. But after watching the movie one feels kinda ripped off. Not really the reaction you want when you make a movie. That's my $.02. Can I have my $2.99 rental fee back?

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Wishing Danna much success!

I'd like you guys to check out Danna at www.davna.com or check her blog. I've been working with Danna for over a year now and have become not only an admirer of her marketing skills, but now count her as one of my friends. She's undertaking a new business venture. However, Danna, if you're listening, remember that if you add ad to venture it becomes an

ADVENTURE!!

OK, enough of my cheesyness. (is that a word?)

Best Wishes on your new adventure!

One i Productions sponsors Whiskers, Wags & Wine Fundraiser

One i Productions is proud to be a sponsor of Whiskers, Wags & Wine taking place at Hayes Meats & Gourmet Foods in Merritt Island, FL. The proceeds from the event will go to the Central Brevard Humane Society. Not only are we animal lovers here at One i, we also love the service, food, and people over at Hayes Meats! Gem and Connie are great people and offer the best of the best! Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities!

Click here for more information on how to support the Brevard Humane Society.

Click here to find your local Humane Society.

One i Productions has been selected as a favorite place on Google!!

One i Productions has been identified as one of Google's Favorite Places! How did this happen? Well, based on Google's site....

Google identifies the most popular local businesses based on how many Google users looked for more information about a business, looked for driving directions to the business, and more.

Thank you Google searchers!!

It's finally arrived!

We've received our Steadicam® and are ready to roll!! Needless to say, we are extremely excited to be offering this option to all our clients. We plan on incorporating it in all our shoots at no additional cost to our clients!

The STEADICAM® MERLIN™ is ultra-light, ultra-rigid, ultra precise, folds spectacularly and is beautiful – in short, the ideal instrument for today’s videographers. For documentaries, weddings, news segments, commercials, even low-budget features, the Merlin shines. In practiced hands, it performs as impressively as the big $60,000 Steadicam, yet remains ultimately unobtrusive. The Merlin is not only stable, it is also an inherently graceful way to hold a camera –not only for big moves and running around, but also for those subtle, imperceptible and elegant displacements of the lens that cannot be achieved any other way.

And now, with the new Merlin Arm and Vest, one will be able to shoot longer and ‘fly’ more easily and more precisely than with anything else on the market.

New AOL Travel show reel

We were commissioned by StudioNow to complete four videos for AOL's travel site. We covered the shopping, nightlife, dining, and travel segments for Orlando. Needless to say, we had a blast going from location to location checking out the best that Orlando has to offer! As a local, I was amazed at how many cool places we have here! Check out the full videos soon at travel.aol.com.

New web spot completed for StudioNow/YellowPages

This was a scripted production we completed for YellowPages.com/StudioNow. Our actors were Sharon Murray and Richard Barro and our Royal Maids were Carmel Morton and Tammy Lewis. They were so much fun to work with. This was a blast to shoot! And it only took an hour to shoot! Great job guys!

Directed by:
Ana E. Rivera

Produced by:
StudioNow
YellowPages.com
Royal Maids Service

New corporate reels!

Yasbel + Jose

We had such a great time with these two! I especially enjoyed editing the final product. Yasbel and Jose were such an expressive couple. It's not every day you find two people who are not only happy to be spending the rest of their lives together, but have no problem demonstrating it with kind and loving expressions. Thank you, Yasbel and Jose, for making this wedding so inspiring for us!

Anabelle & Jadon

I'm sorry we haven't posted anything in a while. It's been a busy are keeping us busy! But we're not complaining! We are currently getting ready to wrap up editing on Anabelle and Jadon's wedding. This couple was so easy to film. Anabelle was a blast to work with! This was one of those shoots that went by without a hitch. Thank you Anabelle and Jadon!