Back in late 2004, I was interviewed for an
EventDV article on "The Art of the Wedding-Day Edit". We had a lot of experience already producing Wedding Day Edits (also known as Same Day Edits) and I knew it would take off. Here we are, three years later with new technology, more creative video producers, a real appreciation for this art form, and the Same Day Edit is all the rage.
Now entire lectures are held on the topic each year at conferences hosted by the largest videographer association in the world - the Wedding and Event Videographers Association (WEVA) - and a younger organization, The 4Ever Group. With all of this new interest, I figured I would break it all down for our readers and demystify today's Same Day Edit with several episodes over the coming weeks. Of course, we should start with what a Same Day Edit (SDE) is.
An SDE can be something as simple as a montage of the moments of the day displayed at the cocktail hour or as complex as a mind-blowing short film including pre-produced segments shot and edited days, weeks, or even months before the event. The possibilities are limited only by imagination and the budget. But one thing is certain; a good Same Day Edit can bring real energy to the party. Guests will laugh, cry, and be amazed.
Most videographers have always offered some sort of large screen projection at events. But until the Same Day Edit became popular, what went on those screens was mostly limited to pre-produced segments or a live feed from on-site cameras. But videographers have gotten more creative as technology allows them to work more efficiently.
Editing systems are faster, smaller, and lighter, and the gear is easy to set up and tear down. Cameras are now equipped with hard drives or solid state media (like the memory card in your point and shoot still camera), doing away with the time-consuming task of capturing taped footage into the computer in real time. This all means that the bottlenecks that used to get in the way of actual editing time are virtually gone, allowing talented editors to create an emotional, high quality production in the time it takes to get from the ceremony to your first course at the reception.
For our first example in this series, let's take a look at Maria and Ron's Same Day Edit:
Maria and RonAs a dancer her entire life, Maria convinced Ron to take dance lessons with her to prepare for their wedding. In our first meeting, Maria explained that she not only wanted her first dance to be perfect, she wanted her friends and family to see how their lives (and the dance) all came together. We came up with the plan to show their love story to the guests while Maria and Ron ducked out of the room to change into their dance attire.
Maria and Ron's Same Day Edit was a customized hybrid of pre-production and day-of coverage that gave the perfect introduction to their first dance. As the video faded to black, the lights on the dance floor brightened just enough to reveal Ron and Maria live. It was magical.
Next time we'll take a look behind the scenes of Same Day Edits. Stay tuned.
For more information on Same Day Edits, visit
SameDayEdit.com or call toll free 866-989-0158.
Labels: HD and Film productions, HD Weddings, Same_Day_Edit
Vandrea and Jonathan hired us to produce their Same Day Edit. We shot, edited, displayed and delivered this production that evening.
In a world where 20 seconds left on the microwave timer can seem like an eternity, it would seem obvious that there are some of us who just don't want to wait weeks or even months to see their wedding films. Sure, everyone wants high quality - but some just want it NOW!
Dave...