The Citizen, 1999-02-10, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1999.
beautiful beginnings
Videos should tell story of the occasion
What once was the icing on the
(wedding) cake has now become
one of the most important
considerations of your day: the
video.
"People now recognize how a
well-made video is priceless," says
Bill Mannion, assistant general
manager of camcorders for
Panasonic. "It captures the
moments in a timeless living diary
:hat can be enjoyed all through the
years."
Of course, creating the perfect
video doesn't mean you should
become a videographer — that's for
the pro to do. But, before hiring
that pro, there are some important
things to know. "Ask to see a
sample of his work, just as you
would with a still photographer,
and look at it with a critical eye,"
adds Mannion.
What's critical?
• Tell a story: To keep it
Gift giving
follows
etiquette
rules
The rules of etiquette say anyone
/ho wants to give the bride and
room a wedding gift can do so for
p to a year after the wedding,
hose same rules say the happy
ouple doesn't have nearly that long
) send out thank you cards. And,
/omen's lib aside, it falls on the
ride to make sure the cards are
'ritten and mailed.
There are a few simple rules that
lay make it easier:
1 - Send a thank-you note for
every gift you receive.
2 - Try to write the note when you
receive the gift. It should be sent
within two weeks of receiving the
gift and certainly no later than
three months after the wedding.
3 - If you receive gifts before the
wedding, sign with your maiden
lame. Don't use your married
tame until after the wedding.
- Share the task with your
usband, particularly when it
omes to thanking his friends and
amily for their gifts.
- If a group of people, such as
o-workers, pool their money to
uy one gift it is correct to send
no thank-you card to them all.
- Don't send engraved notes
ithout adding a handwritten,
.jrsonal note.
- Mention the gift specifically in
our note. (If you have no idea
'hat the gift actually is, write
bout it in general terms - "Thank
ou for the lovely piece of
ryslal.")
- If the gift is money, mention
hat you will be spending it for.
- Don't let on if you don't like
e gift, if you plan to return it, or
it arrived broken.
- If you want to send a picture
nk-you card, have the
Jtographer lake the picture a
ck or two before the wedding
there is no delay in sending out
rds.
interesting, the video should tell the
story of your day. It needs a
beginning, middle and end,
allowing the viewer to be part of
the entire event. It need not be an
epic, however.
"The images should give the
flavor of the moment and move
on," says Mannion. Also look for
creativity. A scene of the bride and
groom toasting each other is nice;
the same scene shot in the
reflection from the side of a wine
glass is memorable.
• Zoom cut the amateur: Lots of
zooming — moving in and out of a
scene — is the sign of an amateur
and quickly creates a tiring series
of images. Also, fast panning —
moving quickly from left to right or
up and down — adds nothing to the
presentation and can even annoy
the viewers.
• Wa'd he say? Because videos
are such a picture-oriented
medium, it's easy to forget that the
sound plays an equally important
role in telling the story. Listen to
the audio track carefully. The
voices you hear should be from
only you or your guests, not verbal
directions from the videographer
telling people what to do or where
to go.
• Special effects — not too much:
Special effects include scene wipes,
minor images, titles, borders and
fades, depending on the quality of
the camcorder used. Each can
enhance a scene significantly,
giving a much more professional
and polished feel to the final video.
But too many special effects can be
the sign of an amateur at work.
"The viewer should walk away
with memories of the video, not the
special effects," says Mannion.
• Let there be light: If the interior
scenes of a church, synagogue or
even a romantically lighted
reception area lack color or are
washed-out shades of gray,
question the quality of the
camcorder being used. Today's
camcorders can shoot good-quality
color images by the light of a
birthday candle.
• Shake the shakes: While the
video should show action, each
picture must be a steady, smooth
transition of scenes. The pro knows
to use a tripod, or even to brace
himself against a wall, so that
shaky scenes from a shaky
camcorder are eliminated. The
"shakes" are also removed by
special camcorders that contain
Digital Electronic Image
Stabilization (DEIS) circuitry. With
DEIS, the camcorder electronically
compensates for shaky hand
movements. Even scenes shot by a
videographer on the move come
out steady.
• Does it play in my VCR?
Naturally, the final video of the
event must be on a standard VHS
videocassette so it can be played in
any VHS home VCR. But what
about the original unedited tapes
shot at the event? Only camcorders
that use full-size VHS or Compact-
VHS videocassettes can create
outtakes that can be played at home
on a VHS VCR. Why would you
want them?
"Outtakes are just as memorable
as a polished finished video," says
Mannion, "and may be a lot more
fun to watch years from now."
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