New Montage on offer

We have just completed our first photo montage featuring 3D animation, for Dot and Laurence. Check it out at our cinema page.

Australian PC World Article

This week I was asked to write an article for Australian PC World Magazine. The editor asked for my top 5 tips for filming a wedding. My initial response was "Don't do it! Hire us to do it for you!" ... but I don't think that was quite what the editor was after, so I went with the tips below.

Top 5 tips for filming a wedding.

1. Be prepared: Don’t underestimate the value of planning! Speak with the couple to plan the events and timings for the day. Make sure you have planned your where, when and how to get there. I recommend building in a little ‘fat’ so that you’re not rushing too much and can allow for traffic or mishaps. (a GPS system will remove a lot of stress from your day!).

If you’re not familiar with the venues, you might attend the wedding rehearsal so that you can figure out your best vantage point for filming.

Make sure that everything is ready the night before and that all of your batteries are charged and you have plenty of tape!

Equally important is being able to fluctuate from the plan when necessary. Anticipate what’s about to happen and expect the unexpected!

2. Shoot plenty: Tape is cheap! Its better to have too much footage than too little. Always start a new tape at the start of the ceremony and speeches. You don’t want to miss any of the crucial moments.

3. Respect the occasion: Capture the moment, don’t become the focus of attention! Work with the celebrant, photographer and others featuring in the wedding day.

4. Audio – the forgotten element: There are many ways to capture audio. If your budget allows, use radio microphones and other audio recorders (such as mp3 recorders of mini-disc recorders) to capture audio as cleanly as possible. It’s common to put a radio microphone on the celebrant and / or the groom for the ceremony.

5. Equipment: There are 2 main factors which define ‘amateur video’. Make sure you avoid them! The first is shaky footage. The second is dark and grainy footage.

Whether you choose to use a tripod or some other stabilising device, your video will look much more professional if your footage is smooth and steady. A small light mounted to your camera’s accessory-shoe will help to improve your footage from dark locations (particularly for the reception).

If your camera, tripod, microphones, lighting etc are not up to par – consider hiring gear to supplement your equipment. Your clients will thank you for it!



The magazine will hit newsstands in November.