How To Film A Wedding Ceremony As A Solo Shooter

[@The999999333]

1 camera - Normal person 2 cameras - Wedding videographer 3 cameras - Mad photographer 4 cameras - Mission impossible 5 cameras - Film and flourish "Let me introduce myself.. and sometimes I fly a drone"

[@filmandflourish]

hahaha! I might be picking up a 6th camera so I can start getting parent's and grandparent's reactions during ceremony :D

[@esteylonmartinez6142]

I can tell you were locked in by remembering every single one of those angles at every moment

[@filmandflourish]

haha yep! And I'm getting ready to post a new video about solo shooting during ceremonies :)

[@JM-gs7qu]

You don’t know how helpful this video was watching you explain and set up every angle 🔥 Amazing work

[@filmandflourish]

Love hearing that so much!! Glad you found it helpful

[@SerranoFilmCo]

Love this video Andrew!! Thanks so much for making it 🤩It's super helpful to understand the angles you use/why as well as the lenses!!

[@creativevisiongaming]

That's what I thought the answer would be. How to Film a Wedding Ceremony as a solo shooter: You need at least 3 cameras.

[@filmandflourish]

I definitely think 3 is the minimum way to go with ceremonies

[@alissonmiranda9035]

@@filmandflourish creio eu que com 2 cameras da pra começar a brincadeira, não é tão dificl pra vc que opera 4 cameras

[@BSRWeddingFilms]

Really well done man! You’ve got the solo ceremony coverage down.

[@choudjajean1410]

Thank you for sharing this incredible footage. It is evident that a lot of skill and effort went into managing all those cameras during the ceremony. You captured every angle perfectly, leaving me to wonder what kind of space was left for the photographer to work in. Great job!

[@gibbythesmart]

This very video has given me confidence over shooting my upcoming Wedding event assignment! Though I have my Dji OM5 + two DSLRs and my drone ;). Thank you pal :)

[@718creative]

This was so helpful thanks Andrew!

[@michaelgrohe3307]

Perfect organisation! You have my full respect.

[@christinacooperfilm]

Nailed it! Well done! I, also am a solo shooter often and I really enjoyed seeing the entire bts as you reposition the camera. Absolutely phenomenal!

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you!! I'm starting to build out a full mini course on shooting ceremonies so I'm happy that you found this helpful :)

[@NeroMC]

Can i see your work?

[@chrispelleyfilms]

I am speechless man! This really sparked my creativity 🔥🙏

[@SiViOMango]

OMG, nice work man and so unique angles looks awesome !) Interesting to see the whole way of your work here !)

[@Vaitaientertainment]

Amazing bro, can’t believe you do that all by yourself 🙏

[@taylorrobertson480]

This is insanely helpful for a solo shooter like myself. I always run 2 side cams and a wide in the back but this video will change my set up for sure.

[@FilmProductionUSA]

You are amazing....Your camera set up and edit was even better.. You are really appreciated...Thank you!

[@DanielKhuu]

Wow! This is the most helpful ceremony video I have seen so far. My first wedding is coming up soon so this really helps me pace myself with a real-time, no cut ceremony. Thank you so much.

[@filmandflourish]

No way! So happy to hear that it was helpful and practical! :)

[@hatika1000]

probably the most useful video I've seen this week. Amazing work, thanks!

[@filmandflourish]

So glad to hear that!! Glad it was helpful :)

[@jacecha2210]

OUTSTANDING, this is the most casually professional solo shooting I’ve ever seen! Mega props!

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you! I just did a 7 camera set up yesterday for the first time! haha

[@jacecha2210]

@@filmandflourish please continue to do bts… so much value for us beginners! Thank you again for the quality of your work- it means so much!

[@filmandflourish]

Would you mind shooting me a message on Instagram? @filmandflourish

[@hmfilms3506]

Absolutely best ceremony coverage for solo !!

[@filmandflourish]

I keep finding myself going to this set up again and again!

[@Angelux31]

Many many thanks for the practicality, the uncut process, the raw movements, all of that is appreciated so we exactly know what is behind the scenes, which is what we came here for, THANKS

[@filmandflourish]

Yesss!! Of course. I just don't see solid ceremony filming content, especially from the solo perspective, that's easy to follow, easy to understand, and easy to execute. I just did this same setup yesterday at a venue and it's always a joy to see the final results :)

[@grasslandgraphics]

now this is exactly what I was looking for, thank you

[@filmandflourish]

Yay!! So glad you found it helpful :)

[@ArmandoMedia]

This is wonderful, thanks for this great idea

[@warren_harrison]

Wow! Really nice. I've done seven weddings thus far, one solo. Although I get better and better, and more relaxed with each one, I'm nowhere near as cool as you yet. Beautiful footage (and sound). Thanks

[@filmandflourish]

That's awesome! You'll slowly learn a system that works for you and is also helpful for when you shoot with someone else :)

[@pauladobo]

Amazing work! Great job!

[@filmandflourish]

Thanks, Paul! :)

[@lemmystop]

Wow! You killed it! I am devfnitely using some of this in my upcoming weddings.

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you! Glad you found this helpful! :)

[@marinamfotosefilmes]

INSANE !!! I would be FREAKING OUT! hahahahhahahahah GREAT job!

[@reflectivemedia2890]

This is great! Thanks for the advice! Not at the point where I have this many cams but I'm working towards it!

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you! 5 cameras is a fun set up but I don't always get to do it. I've found myself doing 3 or 4 camera set ups this year due to super short ceremonies or indoor ceremonies, where there's not enough space or variety to justify more than 4 :)

[@reflectivemedia2890]

@@filmandflourish Im sure! I’d most likely like to get one more cam but want to get rid of my blackmagic and go straight Sony. Running three cams now but once I make the full switch life is gonna be much easier

[@michaelkemp-xu3wm]

Fantastic video!!! Thank you

[@filmandflourish]

So glad you enjoyed it :)

[@jeremydeihl]

Good stuff! You sure bring some bodies out with you for a one man shooter. Learned a lot here

[@filmandflourish]

So glad you took away some things from this! I'm also currently building out a ceremony mini course and will be posting a clip to my instagram in a little bit! Planning your drone shots (when it's appropriate) for the ceremony entrance :)

[@Rickydbaby]

The amount of cameras oh my!! I thought he was gonna just keep pulling them out like marry poppins. Great work and amazing job! Gives me some ideas. I'm shooting solo with 2 and a GoPro and the struggle is real. I'm going back and forth on shooting with 2 cams from each side angle at them vs one cam at the center isle and one cam to roam/move side to side from the angles. I dunno if I'll have enough time during vows to move to the other side. Lots to consider. I think I need a 3rd real cam lol

[@MysterSer333]

Great work, thanks for sharing!

[@reaganpieter]

Wow! This is impressive, well done!

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you Reagan!

[@thedavidjscott_]

Nice! Looks great! Similar to what I do, but now that I'm seeing how you get the procession so that you can keep watch on the groom's angle just changed the whole game for me. I plan on getting a 4th camera soon so I can start doing things similar. But I would even suggest having a camera already on a tripod low and down the aisle so that you can still be creative with your ronin angle instead of locking it in on the bride. Obviously do what works for you, but it'd be a nice safety at least.

[@thedavidjscott_]

You should do a "how to film special dances solo" as well, that's where I can have some struggles.

[@elajustador7746]

excellent work

[@Piercemediaproductions72]

Wow you coordinate a lot on your own! That’s a lot! Do you cover the bridal party exiting? Well done. What do you do for audio?

[@jeanettenevarez3203]

amazing job. Not easy!!

[@tylervandelune]

This is awesome. Loved seeing it all come together so fluid in the end! Curious which tripods you are using? They look sturdy yet still lightweight

[@filmandflourish]

I'm using a mix of Thor tripods and some sturdier tripods from Manfrotto!

[@tvideonm]

amazing

[@EchoOwl16]

Applause to you for using a good variety of cameras/angles! I’m always worried about the record limit. How to you manage that with being a solo shooter and so many cameras?

[@filmandflourish]

Hey Elise! This 5 camera set up has taken a fair share of weddings to perfect. I shot a lot of weddings with 3 cameras, then tried it with 4 and tried that until I felt like I could try a 5th. There was definitely some trial and error and figuring out where I could place my cameras and what I could expect from one ceremony to the next. The way I get around record limits is by shooting Panasonic (specifically the GH5/GH5S and now the GH6).

[@vowswithyou]

Sick setup man! What are those tripods?

[@juliabagaria]

What tripods are you using? They seem very light and easy to move around. Thanks!

[@BrianGarciaFilms]

that southern accent, lol great video andrew

[@filmandflourish]

He had that southern draw haha

[@joseantoniotorres5]

Hello! great video! I want to ask you how did you handled the focus on the gimbal camera? Are you using autofocus in all cameras?

[@michaelfabros5932]

subscribed and inspired. want to learn more with your workflow etc.

[@filmandflourish]

Hoping to get a LOT more bts from my weddings this year :)

[@LakpaSona]

Thank you so much for this video.. you are amazing.. very helpful video

[@filmandflourish]

so glad you found it helpful! :)

[@CollinHott]

This gave me a lot of new ideas! Awesome job! I'm wondering about the shutter speed being so high at 24fps, I assumed it would look weird but it didn't. Was there a particular reason for the high shutter speed, or was it just to cut out the need for ND filters?

[@andrewgilford9517]

Hey Collin! I like to be able to grab stills without a ton of motion blur so that’s why I shoot 1/125 a lot. This shutter speed won’t negatively impact anything although I have found the most natural look for shutter speed when shooting 24fps is either 1/50, 1/60, 1/125, or 1/400

[@oyato11]

Great video. Thanks for sharing

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you!!

[@JaredRibic]

Great job! I'm a photographer who started shooting wedding videos a couple years ago. I've been learning a lot, and just shot a wedding video solo this weekend with 5 camera bodies, so I can completely relate! I was going to ask about the 1/125 shutter speed for 24fps, but it looks like you've already answered that on several comments below; so I'm interested in the still-frames that you grab from the video. What's the purpose, and what do you use them for? SUBSCRIBED! Side note (and completely unrelated), it's interesting now (November 2022) to see people wearing masks outside. How times have changed.

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you, Jared! That's awesome you've done a similar set up! The purpose for stills is being able to use them on social media posts (specifically IG stories) and even on my website since I like having some still images behind reviews or other parts of my website.

[@kurtdemeuterfilms6740]

Such a helpful video, thx ! 🙂 Did you shoot in Natural profile on the GH5, or maybe VLog ?

[@filmandflourish]

Glad you found it helpful, Kurt! I did! I shot in natural profile and pretty flat at that.

[@Alulask]

Nice one! I really like these shots. I am just getting started with videography and got some questions to ask, what audio recorder did you use for the overall video? the sound was so great!

[@filmandflourish]

Hey there! Thank you! I used the Tascam DR-10L for audio :)

[@ronflores7]

Where would i find a bag like the one you were carrying. I suppose you had your lens in there?

[@jonathanperkins4154]

Simple and effective. What were those cameras you were using? Love how small those lenses are! I'm all about small, low impact gear.

[@neilcollinsrecording]

GH5s I believe, still my go to camera also

[@filmandflourish]

They were GH5's and GH5S's. I had 3 of the GH5 and 2 of the GH5S :)

[@WEDDINGSBYDARRENDDMP]

with all that setup that needs to be done, do you have time to include the bride and groom prep scenes as a solo shooter?

[@filmandflourish]

Yes! I set up everything for the ceremony several hours before the actual ceremony and was able to film bride/groom prep, solo :)

[@wildfernweddings4187]

Do you miss the family moments/portraits while setting up for the reception after the ceremony?

[@filmandflourish]

Yes. I never shoot family portraits, I never put anything like that in my short films, and I let couples know this long before the wedding day

[@bigwinmedia5100]

Fine work. Five cameras definitely helps 😂

[@CatdeGargano]

Amazing ! This was so helpful. I’m going to share this ! Question, do you own all 5 cameras or rent them ?

[@andrewgilford6194]

Hey Cat! I own all 5 of them. Panasonic is more affordable than other popular brands, which is partially why I still shoot with them :)

[@kthx1138]

How do you handle partly cloudy days, part sun, part clouds, when the exposure keeps changing? Put all cameras on auto exposure?

[@filmandflourish]

Hey Mike! It's honestly pretty challenging and happens more often than not. I still set my exposure manually and prioritize certain cameras in a certain order when the sun dips behind clouds or comes out from behind clouds. I'm constantly walking back and forth monitoring exposure when I'm running a set up like the one in the video and when it's outside.

[@e4kman]

wow wow wow. well down!! thank you..

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you!

[@MrToadstool]

Really curious as to what your focus settings are, whether some are set to "center," "wide," etc. I heard when you set the gimbal down you locked focus and set it to manual. (I shoot Sony so I'm not sure if the focus names are the same, probably similar)

[@filmandflourish]

I just tap my shutter button and lock focus on the subject I want in focus and then flip the switch on my camera from auto to manual. This way I can recompose and frame my shot how I want without losing focus in the focal distance has been set before I switched to manual focus

[@MarySueandJustBob]

During the ceremony, why were you shooting 24fps at 1/125 shutter instead of 1/50? Just curious. Thanks.

[@filmandflourish]

Hey! The main reason I love shooting in such a high shutter speed is in case I want to pull still images from a moment. Ceremony is typically slow moving so 1/125 covers any kind of movement like laugher or crying :)

[@jnelsonfilms]

When the bride is coming down the isle, you’re on the 12-35 f2.8 right? How are you keeping focus? Are you tapping the back button focus as she gets closer and closer, or manually focusing with the ring?

[@filmandflourish]

Hey Jimmy, I use autofocus when the bride is walking down the aisle. I've never had any issues :)

[@jnelsonfilms]

@@filmandflourish was gonna say.. I didn’t trust the autofocus on my GH5, but it’s a bit better with the GH5 ii. I started to just “trust” the AF for the bride coming down the isle and it’s been fine, except for a little background pulsing. The 12-35 definitely has better AF than a lot of other lenses. Outside of that, most other situations I’m just locking in manual focus.

[@Rickydbaby]

@@filmandflourishon the gh5 on the gimbal auto focus. Are you using a single point auto focus method in the center? Or what method. Also if you have any custom AF settings sensitivity/speed please share. Thank you so much.

[@GentianKalemi]

Hi, thanks for the video really well done, I can ask you what microphone you used for the ceremony.

[@filmandflourish]

yes! I use the Tascam DR-10L. The white version of the mic is on sale today for $125 on B&H :)

[@joshrosales]

Wow! just wow.. The best.. must have to subscribe you now hahaha

[@filmandflourish]

Thanks, Josh! When I can start catching up on my own wedding edits I'm going to post more content like this about different moments for audio, lighting, etc!

[@joshrosales]

@@filmandflourish looking forward for the next content.. You prove me wrong when I do wedding and I must have 2-3 in total people.. amazing..did you shoot all 4k?

[@filmandflourish]

@@joshrosales Yes! I shot in 4k for all of these cameras. However, they were only shot in 8 bit 100mbps

[@JM-gs7qu]

Forgot to ask , are the cameras on the tripods set to Manual focus or AF ?

[@filmandflourish]

Locked in with auto focus by hold the shutter button (half press shutter on my cameras) and then switching to MF :)

[@nkoz]

Thanks so much for this video! I feel like I learned so much. Can I ask what you are doing to focus on all the cameras? Are you shooting manual focus?

[@Rickydbaby]

I was curious on this myself.

[@alissonmiranda9035]

Claramente seria um pouco dificl trabalhar com foco manual quando se tem movimentos, certo que usou foco automatico de precisão e rastreio de toque

[@WalterWeberfilms]

Funny to see how there a two photographers but only one videographer. Usually it’s the Opposite. Anyways: great job!

[@filmandflourish]

I'm usually outnumbered but I'll still have more gear! haha

[@alissonmiranda9035]

É simples de entender, pois o mesmo opera 3 cameras paradas e uma no estabilizador, ja as fotos é impossivel fazer

[@JordanSubido]

This is just awesome. I now have 1x GH5 1x S5 and 1x S5ii. I might get anothet 2x gh5 coz its really cheap now 😅 Do you shoot in VLog?

[@filmandflourish]

I just recently started filming in v log and I'm LOVING it!

[@MarvinBlueBlueScopePhotography]

Great job!! How many cameras do you use in total, what’s the setup

[@filmandflourish]

I usually use 5 cameras for ceremony, depending on the set up and where the reception is. 5 cameras total

[@MelvinDlaCruz]

waoo man so much thanksss waooo, but if you record at 24p why you shutter is 125 dont supostly be 50? I recomend you record this ar 30p so can slow down later but this look amazing super good job the best one so far i been seein on youtube, kket pushing keep the good job

[@filmandflourish]

Hey Melvin! Thanks man. I shoot at 1/125 because I often grab stills from my videos and I want less motion blur. Hoping to build out a mini course for ceremony shooting :)

[@jeanettenevarez3203]

how do you coordinate with the photographer? shoot farther rather than being close?

[@alissonmiranda9035]

pelo que notei o corredor ficou livre

[@EdwardUmpaFilms]

Wow wow wow!! Thankyou so much for this!!! Im starting my videographer career on weddings as well and will shoot my first hybrid in few months! May i ask what did you use for audio’s please? As thats the one the scares me the most. 😅 thankyou!

[@filmandflourish]

Hey there! That's so awesome to hear!! I used the Tascam DR-10L for audio :)

[@EdwardUmpaFilms]

@@filmandflourish tbh im gonna follow this setup! 🤣 oh i see. How many tascam did you use? And to whom did you put it to? :)

[@filmandflourish]

@@EdwardUmpaFilms I had one mic on the officiant and one mic on the groom!

[@EdwardUmpaFilms]

@@filmandflourish oh great! And that mic from the groom was good enough to capture bride’s aswell? How did you record the audio of the ceremony? Was it just using the camera recorder?:)

[@lunarafilms]

What kind of wizard magic was that in the top right screen at 8:18?

[@filmandflourish]

🤣 whoops...

[@tvideonm]

YOU'RE LIKE THE ONE-MAN BAND BUT ON VIDEO

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you!!

[@EkheEntertainment]

man! too awesome!!! thanks :)

[@filmandflourish]

Thank you! :)

[@dmyers25m]

How do you handle the drone shooting with only being you? How do you pay attention to the the drone and the wedding?

[@alissonmiranda9035]

fica fácil quando ja se tem 3 cameras cravadas em ângulos precisos, o que tem que se atentar é: se não há outra entrada durante o voo do drone.

[@adhd8369]

what are the cameras ?? gh5? or something else

[@filmandflourish]

Yes! 2 GH5 and 3 GH5S

[@fuego604]

Why is your shutter speed so high ?

[@filmandflourish]

I like to be able to grab stills without a ton of motion blur :)

[@calebshaw6292]

Ok... So great setup and insight.... But this seems almost unattainable for most solo shooters. You have essentially a 5 camera setup with 4 tripods, a gimbal, at least 5 lenses and memory cards... And probably dozens of batteries. What cameras would you prioritize if you only had two cameras? That would be helpful to know your input on that.

[@filmandflourish]

Great question! I shoot on Panasonic and a micro 4/3 system so it's not like I've spent nearly as much money as people shooting on full frame. I believe I also shot this entire wedding in 8 bit so my file sizes weren't big and I didn't need expensive SD cards to film. If I only had two cameras I would get a close up of the groom's reaction and the bride walking down the aisle. I would have a 70-200 for the groom reaction and then move that camera to the back somewhere close to the middle of the aisle and move around with my other camera on a 24-70 lens.

[@filmandflourish]

I'm also building a mini course on shooting ceremonies and there will be a section on shooting with 2 cameras.

[@eduardocortes-dv4lo]

Mate, I shoot a wedding with a z6 and the 35 1.8 last saturday maybe i must buy more gear? i have to move like an ape at the ceremony.

[@filmandflourish]

You don't necessarily NEED the type of coverage I get in this video. It comes down to what you value and/or what your couple values. I love having all of these angles as a solo shooter but you can definitely cover a ceremony well with 3 cameras.

[@eduardocortes-dv4lo]

@@filmandflourish i have order my second and saving for the third. Thanks maestro

[@kowalskivideos6476]

I kept thinking dang that officiant looks familiar. That was the same officiant that did our wedding haha small world

[@filmandflourish]

Tom Holland?? no way!! haha that’s awesome

[@kowalskivideos6476]

@@filmandflourish lol yup. Must be in Virginia Beach or Norfolk area I’m assuming

[@sheilaloa23]

could you share the white balance you used?

[@filmandflourish]

I believe the white balance was 7300 Kelvin :)

[@sheilaloa23]

@@filmandflourish Thank you! also my biggest issue is getting the manual focus right on my backup cameras when nobody is standing at the altar. any tips? This is the most helpful video l've found. Thank you so much

[@filmandflourish]

@@sheilaloa23 Oh my goodness, that's so encouraging to hear. I'm so happy it's helped you. I'm working on other BTS videos for audio and some other topics. So, while I'm locked in with manual focus you'll see that I tap the top of my cameras a lot and you can see the corresponding footage as the same time. I find my focus using autofocus (lightly tapping the focus/record button on top of the camera) and then switching from auto to manual. If you have other questions feel free to message me on Instagram :) @filmandflourish

[@fabriziocampioniweddingphoto]

U R A CRACK!👏🏻👏🏻

[@neilcollinsrecording]

The annoying thing in the UK is the guests all stand for the ceremony

[@filmandflourish]

I've had to make guests sit before because the officiant forgets to ask them to sit haha

[@neilcollinsrecording]

@@filmandflourish it’s just tradition over here. They are told to stand for the brides entrance and all the important vows, ie all the bits I need to film!

[@NowyKurs]

That’s way to much. Just move around with camera. That should do it.

[@filmandflourish]

Nahhh. The workflow I've created and show in this video is easily doable. It definitely took a few times to nail down but it has saved me numerous times where 2 or 3 cameras would not have been able to. 4-5 cameras is also amazing to have when creating a full edit or just using it to piece together a story for the shorter video. There's no right or wrong here :)

[@Brett.Hatfield]

Worst advice I’ve ever seen.

[@filmandflourish]

I appreciate you taking the time to write a troll comment and for adding views to the video! Much appreciated :)

[@thebantufilms]

Thank you for sharing this incredible footage. It is evident that a lot of skill and effort went into managing all those cameras during the ceremony. You captured every angle perfectly, leaving me to wonder what kind of space was left for the photographer to work in. Great job!

[@filmandflourish]

I always communicate with the photographer about my tripod placements so that they can still get the shots they want/need. This is one reason I never put a tripod in the middle of the aisle (unless it's my gimbal which is super low to the ground and not in the way).