DJ or Band or BOTH?

Nothing gets me excited more than doing a wedding where there is a good old fashion band on stage.  There is something about the connection a band makes with the crowd.  The live music, the movement the numbness you feel in your ears.  WAIT!

Numbness?  Well yes.  If you're getting married and you are planning a band at your reception, it might be a good idea to ask them where they might be playing in the next couple of months, so you can drop in and see how they set up.  When the room holds no more than 160 people and the band has speakers that prevent you from seeing the wall, there might be an issue.  Let me give you an example.  When I first started in the video world I worked with a guy who wanted to buy a really big shoulder mounted video camera, because it "looked professional".  Who cares that it was not digital, and was 10 years old, he just looked good walking around with it.  The band I am thinking of, thinks the same way.  If we have a lot of speakers to the roof, and set off car alarms when we play, we must look professional.  Or if our lighting truss has to be rolled in and it takes 6 guys to raise then we look "professional".  No you don't, you look like you bought cheep crap off ebay.

We work with some of the best DJ's in the Central Valley.  These guys have spent years honing their talents to a point where they can tell you exactly what is needed to deliver great sound to a room.  They do not live by the theory Big is better and BIGGER IS EVEN BETTER!  Don't get me wrong, these guys can fire up the sound to the point where my fillings need to be replaced and my ears bleed, but they know what sounds good in front of the speakers.

So you get the band and you are ready to roll.  How about an emcee.  You know, the guy who says, "ALL THE SINGLE GIRLS TO THE FLOOR" for the bouquet toss or "Dancing for the first time as husband and wife...".  Does your band handle this?  Do they have an emcee?  Have they run a wedding or do they sit and plan our your reception so everything flows and you are enjoying your evening instead of figuring out who will talk first at the toasts.

Why does this matter?  Unless you have an unlimited balance in your checkbook, things can get quite costly when you have vendors on the clock working by the hour and nothing is happening and you go into "overtime".

So is there a solution?  Yes.  Hire a band that handles the whole enchilada from start to finish, or hire a DJ that will not only play music when the band is resting but will handle all the scheduling and the emcee work.  A side note...music should always, ALWAYS be playing during your reception.  Nothing kills the mood than a band or DJ who stops a song and.....wait.....wait for it.....wait.....then starts another song. Or a band who sets up when your reception is underway, because they don't go on for another 3 hours.  So as you and your new husband are cutting the cake...MIC CHECK MIC CHECK 1,2,3.....They should be set up when the doors open.  If they charge more for that, then pay it or look for another band.

And my last thought on the subject.  Whether it is a band or a DJ, ask them if they can supply a wireless mic to the people giving toasts during the reception.  What is with this 6 foot mic cable crap where your guests have to peer out from behind a speaker when toasting.

A good band can be a wonderful addition to your reception a good DJ will polish off the night and make it all come together.  A bad band and a bad DJ will literally kill your evening and make you walk away wondering why in the hell did you spend so much money to get such and amateur job.

MIC CHECK MIC CHECK...Feed back, LOUD screech....wishing you the best in your new lives together...MIC CHECK 1,2...feedback.

Greek Weddings

Over the years, thanks to Father Jon, I've done a lot of Greek weddings.  I remember my first one at the Greek Orthodox Church on Tokay in Modesto.  I had no clue what I was in for.  However I must have looked like a four year old walking into Toy's R Us for the first time.  I remembered first seeing all the icons and paintings on the wall and ceiling.  My breath was taken.  I just stood there staring and taking in all the beauty.

Off the alter came a priest.  A big priest.  Now I was never raised in a religious home but my father being a Lt. Col in the Air Force always impressed upon my two brothers and me that you show respect for the title and rank.  The priest walked up to me extended his hand, his very large hand and introduced himself and welcomed me to the church.  I've found over the years that people in positions of responsibility generally will have a conversation with you to be civil but then grow tired of any questions, not Father Jon.  He took me on tour of the church as if I were the first one to have ever seen the artistry.  I commented that I very much enjoyed the chants playing in the background and he explained their meaning in a way that even a lay person like me could understand.

When our tour was ended, he gave me his rules on where my crew could and could not be and then left.  I felt at home.  I wanted to be Greek.  This was great.  A beautiful church, great music and a really cool priest...and it smelled sooooo good in there!  At the end of the wedding as I was packing up and preparing to leave, Father Jon approached me outside and handed me a CD of the chants I had commented on.  I still listen to that CD all these years later.  I mentioned to Father Jon, I think I want to be Greek, after all my father raised me to enjoy Ouzo.  He told me I already had one foot in the door.

To this day, I still get excited when a client hires me to shoot their wedding at the Greek Church.  The Greek community is tight, they all know each other, look out for each other and give 110% of themselves to support the church and the members.  When I'm standing up on the alter (yes this is one of the very few churches that allow a videographer up close) and I scan the audience with my camera, I see a dozen people I know, several of my former brides and grooms and of course the Priest that has a commanding presence by just standing in front of you and saying nothing.  I've come to respect the title, the rank and the man that runs that church.

My last wedding at the church was for Niki and Jason McCoy.  A wonderful couple who made the day very easy and relaxed.  I can't recall how many times these two asked me if I had something to eat, did I need some water, as if they were there working for me.  It was very obvious that they put a lot of work into planning this wedding.  Niki even gave a quick Greek dance lesson right after the rehearsal, so that her bridal party would fit right in.  So take a look at the recap below.  I think when you're done you will see what I feel each time I videotape a Greek wedding.  Looking forward to the next!

Click here to see Niki & Jasons video

Are there Bridezillas

I was recently talking to a reporter for an on line blog about the wedding profession and how I deal with "bridezillas". I'm sorry but in the 10+ years I've been doing weddings I really haven't met one of these people. I think the term bridezilla was coined by Fox 40 or some other sleeze news station. I frequently get calls from networks, offering to buy my footage of bad brides. First of all, I would never...NEVER put my clients in that situation. And second, I can't think of a time when I had footage of a bride or groom acting in a way that would make a network interested.

Reality check. Brides these days are intelligent and organized. They read articles about different types of wedding and know what they want. When they come into the studio and talk with me or with my photographers, they have an idea. Of course there will always be the ones who go way left or right, but isn't that what "their day" is all about? I once had a bride who wanted to have her husbands tractor drive them off to the music "she thinks my tractor's sexy" I suggested she steal his boots and paint them white, she went even further and put rhine stones on them, it was a kick! The video was great and everyone loved it. Do what your vision tells you! Have fun. (oh yeah...I hope you're doing well, write and say hello sometime).

I was asked what the hardest bride to work with was. Sorry, once again the only dumb question is one that is asked by a reporter trying to "make a story". I like it when my clients ask questions. I was once asked what we wear to a wedding. I think that was a very intelligent question. I suspect the client had no clue but was setting a base line for when she spoke with other vendors. Do I have insurance, can they pick their own music, yes ask away. If a vendor gets annoyed with all the questions then you should seriously ask why and maybe move on. Insulting a client with an attitude of "hey I can't believe you are asking this" or "do you have any idea what my job entails" is strange and not professional. My feeling is, for the 9 hours you hire me to shoot your wedding, you own me. If you want me to shoot the puppy running down the street, then watch out puppy the production company is moving your way! Of course I frown on things like getting naked or killing someone, unnecessarily of course.

One thing about new vendors who move up the ladder quickly, and gain an attitude have to remember. We do weddings nearly every week (if we're lucky)...couples don't. We need to guide, give suggestions, show what others have done, but not act as if the client should see us as the last word, or that we should not be questioned. I leave that attitude for my doctor...OH NO there goes all the physicians weddings....darn it.

So, I keep looking at the magazine to see when my interview will publish. It's been over 6 months and nothing. I think I might have been too up front. Oh well, this is my soapbox and I get to publish my thoughts. Now I just have to figure out how to connect it to my website so others can see it.

Keep asking questions, keep reading articles. A well informed bride is a great client. There are no dumb questions there are no ugly brides! Just old fat videographers.

Toasts

I have to apologize right up front. I cannot give a toast to save my life. Sure I can think them up and I come from a long line of toasters (that's all wrong). My dad was the example of a guy who not only could come up with a really cool toast, but he could do it while walking across the dance floor to get the mic from the DJ, after having just learned the couples names in the receiving line.

But I do have a lot of experience with listening to toasts, hundreds of them. I'm the guy on the other side of the lens who has the video camera fixed on you as you speak. And even though the crowd might be rude and loud and walking to the bar or yelling to a friend, I hear every word you say. And I listen to the message.

You see, toast go back as far as the Greeks in the Sixth Century B.C. and have carried on throughout the ages. There are some superstitions about giving a toast, such as not toasting with coffee, tea or water which is thought to bring bad luck. It could also mean you don't like getting drunk and saying things that will be on Facebook when you wake up.

When I got married, everyone at the wedding started to clink their glasses. I had no clue what they were doing. Sounded cool, but I just sat there wide eyed like a bum being handed a hundred dollar bill. Then my beautiful and very intelligent wife (we are opposites that's why we attract) leaned over to her new husband and politely told me that we should kiss. From then on I was a man of the world. But I still could not give a toast for the life of me, like my old man could.

I do have some tips for those who are thrown into that glass room at the head table. Prepare yourself. Come on, if you are the best man then you know you are the first up. Traditionally the best man is suppose to toast the bride and the groom. Rewind to my dad. At my wedding he was my best man. Although he has been dead for more years than I can remember, I still see and hear his toast. He thanked everyone for coming, asked the crowd to raise their glasses to the brightest new couple on the Minnesota horizon (cute and maybe true) and then wished my wife and me all the best and asked that I perpetuate the name of Schloss (his subtle hint that children were a requirement). Bing Bang Boom...done. No long winded stories no jokes, just keep it short and sweet.

Fast forward to modern day. The groomsman who starts off with good intentions however upon hearing the audience laugh at his funny reference to the grooms boxer shorts, he becomes a stand up comedian starving for more laughter, the hype seeking out one more fix. And it goes on and on. Then each bridal party member feels they have to tell a story and before you know it, the videographer is panicking to change tapes because they only record one hour.

If you are uncertain on how to give a toast or what to say, simply google search "how to give a toast". There is a lot of reading out there. Single guys, it's a chic magnet, really. Take it from an older guy who watches you all interact at the reception. Guys who give a short good toast, get the attention of the women in the audience. And then if you get right out there and dance, well what can I say.

If you are a wedding couple and want to make sure your toasts do not exceed the length of the wedding you went though, consider giving each person at your table a small printed card that says something to the effect "you might be called upon to give a toast. If you are not a public speaker simply introduce yourself to the crowd, tell them how we met (example: John and I were roommate in college), thank everyone for coming and ask everyone to rise their glasses and join you in wishing us many wonderful years, then sit your ass down or we won't feed you!" There, now they have at least something to say other than the standard "I just know you guys will be happy forever or Maggie, of all the girls John has had, and boy there were a lot, you make him smile the most" (oh crap what a thing to say).

And in conclusion...what you should NEVER do, is give a toast that makes you cry and sounds like in the morning they will find your dead cold body, and you are now saying everything to the bride or groom that you never had the chance to say. It's a wedding...not a good bye!

So with that said, will you all lift your laptops and wish videographers all over the world, best wishes and no dropped frames!

Delta Party Barn

I've been to Los Banos dozens of times however last Saturday I shot a wedding for Molly and Sean at a place I had never heard of, The Delta Party Barn. You will never find this venue just driving the streets of Los Banos, it is hidden several miles off the beaten track just east of the main town.

As part of the Delta Farms, this venue use to be the central California stopping point for thousands of cattle being moved from Oregon south. The name describes the venue, a barn, a LARGE barn! With a medium sized dance floor, indoor tented lawn that facilitates tables for dinner along with a full sized bar and large indoor wedding room.

I enjoyed shooting the wedding here however I was faced real quick with backlight issues. You see, the audience sits in a nice medium lit section facing the bride and groom who are directly in front of a very bright background (the sun shining in through partially open barn doors). Thus, they are black spots in the video world because like your eye, the camera squints when bright light is presented. But 15 years of shooting weddings in all different environments taught me that a bight light will bring your clients "out of the dark" so to say. Some quick thinking and rubber bands let me place a strong LED spot light on a monopod directly above the couple which did the trick. To bad I didn't have duct tape. I've always believed I could live for months on a desert island with just duct tape and Jack Daniel's.

My heart was in my throat for a while but all worked out in the end. Not to toot my own horn, however this is why you hire any professional with years of experience, whether its a photographer, videographer, DJ or caterer. I was a new guy once, as we all were, and I made "new guy" mistakes. Keep this in mind when you look around. In the world of video you worry about lighting (or lack of), audio and camera placement. Wedding videographers have to be fast on their feet, you have to think quick. Weddings are nothing short of an event. When you have the luxury of planning first, then problems are easily dealt with, but in this case Sean was just back from Military deployment in Turkey and video was a last minute thought (isn't that always the way it is). We were called at the 11th hour and asked if we could cover the wedding. A chance to help out a guy in the military...a no brainer, we'll be there!

Sean was obviously a guy who knows how to dress right and Molly, wow a black and white dress, absolutely beautiful. They were a real fun couple who were very charming and wonderful to work for.

One thing you need to keep aware of at the Party Barn. Mosquitos and flies...lots of them! Although the venue provides mosquito repellant, they are everywhere! Hilmar Cheese catered the event and provided good tasting food.

It's hard on any family to be deployed in a foreign country and especially when you return for a couple of days to get married and then back to work, but we hope the wedding video will give both Molly and Sean something to watch when those lonely nights roll in and they can take themselves back to a time when things were happy and close. We wish them the best and thank Sean for his part in making us a bit more secure in this crazy world.

New Pricing New Era

With the economy as it is, we decided to look into packages that reflect more of what our customers want during these times. Our 9 hour full edit packages provide all the bells and whistles however we have received several inquiries about packages that simply cover the wedding and reception without rehearsals, pre-bridal shoots, etc.

The clients ask and we listened so our new price structure now has the Simplicity and Simplicity PLUS packages (thanks to Amy, for her naming help). These packages offer a 6 hour or 9 hour package in standard definition (high definition available for $500 on each package). We shoot with 2 cameras and one videographer (usually one to the back and one to the side seeing our brides face). The reception is shot in "documentary style" which basically means as it happens. Before we even posted the prices we have had 2 booking for the Simplicity package. This tells us that there are couples who want to document the day and save some money at the same time.

Take a look at our packages on our website www.echomedia.org and give us a call if you have questions.

Eagle Foundation

Echo Media Productions (EMP) in co-production with Model A Technology (MAT) is proud to announce that we have been hired by the American Bald Eagle Foundation of Haines Alaska to create an Eagle documentary for the Foundation. The Foundation is visited by hundreds of tourists each year to learn more about the hundreds of bald eagles that visit Haines in October and November. The foundation helps raise and return injured eagles back to the wilderness, at the same time educating the public on the birds.

Dan and Jim will be travelling to Haines during the week of September 14th to start filming the eagles along with several interviews of people who are experts in the bald eagles and their habitat. Equipment was shipped up to Haines in advance since you cannot get to Haines other than by air or sea.

We will return in November for the yearly Eagle Week Festival where (with luck) we will have a chance to interview former Governor Sarah Palin and possibly U.S. Senator Gary Hart who has expressed an interest in returning after a recent visit. Both of which have contributed to legislation towards the preservation of the birds.

We're really excited to be selected for this project. The logistics of equipment movement is finished and sponsors for the film have been signed (Wings of Alaska and The National Bank of Alaska) now we just have to get up very early and start the trek!

Stay posted to this blog for updates from the Great Norther Exposure!