One of the things that sets a Hollywood movie apart from an amateur’s video of his vacation is variety of angles and distances used in filming.  A director will have many cameras shooting the same scene and use various methods to follow the action according to the mood he is trying to set.  Dallas Wedding videos need the same variety.

Imagine how many ways there are to film a man walking down a road.  He could be filmed from the front or the back or anywhere along both sides.  The shot can be a closeup or wide angle.  The camera could move with the walking man or remain stationary while the man moves.  Usually when we’re watching a movie, the director allows the audience to see scenes shot in all these different ways and more.

Wedding videos should be recorded in the same way.  To make a wedding video enjoyable for the audience, it should be shot from various angles and with a variety of treatments.  We’ve talked to brides who didn’t want a wedding video at all, until they saw one of our videos.  They imagined one camera sitting at the back of the ceremony and wondered who would ever want to sit and watch that.  Seeing the variety and excitement of a LeniCam wedding video gave them a completely different point of view.

Getting a Variety of Shots

We can add variety to our videos with the settings on our professional-grade HD videocameras.  This is where our choice of equipment and the  experience of our videographers really count.  Deciding how much light to allow and choosing whether to get a close-up or wide angle depend on the capabilities of the camera and the ability of the cameraperson.

Another method to add variety to a video is to have multiple videocameras.  Then the action can move back and forth between focal points.  For instance, when the doors open on the bride, viewers want to see how beautiful she is, but they also want to see the look on the groom’s face when he sees her in that moment.  In our multi-camera shoots, one camera is stationed at the back of the church to record the groom, while a camera at the front of the church captures the bride.  Our lenses allow us to get both closeups and wide angle shots, while our producer edits and mixes the shot to make watching the video seem as natural as it feels to be sitting in the room watching the wedding live.

Multiple cameras with multiple audio feeds also help us cover up slips of the tongue or ungraceful moments.  When we go back to the studio with all the audio and video footage from a wedding, we can work all kinds of miracles.  Take for instance a bride who forgot to throw away her chewing gum.  By mixing the footage from different cameras and doing a little fancy editing, we completely eradicated any evidence of the gum-chewing.

Even when there is only one camera there are editing tricks that can give a multi-camera look to a single camera shoot.  For instance, if the venue will allow our cameraman to use a tripod with a dolly, he can move from place to place.  The frames between the two angles which show his movement can be edited up.

These are just a few tricks of the trade LeniCam uses to make your event video look like a Hollywood movie.  Contact us today for the wedding video of your dreams

Heather and Jacob

Heather and Jacob’s Ceremony and Reception in Dallas Wedding Videos

Heather and Jacob at Chandler’s Gardens in Celina, Texas

In a quiet glade, among tall trees, guests listened to crickets chirping and breezes sighing as they waited for a wedding ceremony to begin. Jacob was nervously awaiting his bride in his place next to the minister. The laughing and jokes from moments ago had disappeared Heather appeared on her father’s arm and Jacob broke into a smile. Heather and Jacob were married at Chandler’s Gardens in Celina, Texas.

Before the wedding, Heather sat patiently as her long brown tresses were urged into a cascade of curls. Then she slipped into a sleeveless lace wedding gown with a scoop neckline and a beaded empire waistline. The lace ended in scallops at the hemline and spread out into a train. A finger-tip length tulle veil was trimmed in opalescent beads and crystals.

The bride’s bouquet was made of green hydrangeas accented with fragrant white blossoms. She wore white lace platform pumps with a peek-a-boo toe and large bow. The high heels made it difficult to maneuver the uneven ground, so she was glad she was on the steadfast arm of her father as she entered the woodland glade. As the father stepped up to the rustic wooden arch where the groom waited, the minister asked who was giving the bride in marriage. With tears breaking his voice, the father replied, “With the Lord Jesus’s help, my wife and I.”

The sweet ceremony continued as the bride and groom promised their love to one another and exchanged rings. They also poured different colors of sand from separate bottles into a single vessel, to symbolize the mixing of their two lives. The couple held hands as they shared their first kiss as man and wife. You could tell that Jacob would have thrown his arms around Heather if not for the hands of his demure bride. His arm provided the support she needed to negotiate her way back down the aisle.
A fun-filled reception with a buffet of Spring Creek Barbeque was held in a white tent. As the guests entered they wrote messages to the couple on small white hearts which were then slipped into a keepsake frame. After the barbeque buffet, the wedding dessert was a tower of cupcakes. The crowd enjoyed the cake cutting, bouquet toss and garter toss. The couple topped off the evening by opening the generous, thoughtful gifts of their guests.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions – Dallas Wedding Videos

We love outdoor weddings, especially in a lovely wooded setting like Chandler’s Gardens. The charming sounds which accented the woodland glade were just right for the guests at the wedding. On a video the crickets, breeze and other natural sounds would have been distracting.

That’s why we put a wireless microphone on Jacob and the minister. These microphones picked up the important words being said while the microphone on our camera picked up the ambient noises. Back in our studio we were able to edit and mix the sounds to create the pleasant audio experience of the wedding in the couple’s wedding video.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

Samantha and Damien’s Ceremony in Dallas Wedding Videos

Samantha and Damien at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Plano, TX

The church was buzzing with matrimonial activity. A beautiful bride was helped into her gorgeous gown while her charming father helped her nervous groom insert studs into his tuxedo shirt. Samantha and Damien were married at Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Plano, Texas.

As Samantha climbed up through the pleated organza ruffles of her wedding dress, a bridesmaid peeked through the opening in the top and said, “There’s a girl in there” – and what a pretty girl it was. The bride emerged from the strapless gown maneuvering its straight neckline into place. She stood before a mirror as a bridesmaid laced up the gown’s corset closing. The front of the fit-and-flare gown was bedecked with lace encrusted in pearls and crystals which spiraled down the shirred satin of the torso-hugging bodice. The ruffles on the skirt wound round and round, to the tip of her train. Dark brown hair trimmed in pearls could be seen through a pearl-studded tulle veil trimmed in satin. Pearls and crystal also glowed from the bride’s earrings, necklace and bracelet. The effect was stunning.

Samantha’s bridesmaids wore short, one-shouldered dresses in deep purple, which matched the purple silk boutonnieres on the groomsmen. The bride carried a large mixed bouquet complimented by the bridesmaid’s bouquets which were a smaller version of the bride’s. The church was decorated with large arrangements of white flowers accented with red carnations. Everything went smoothly thanks to Vana Nutt, the church’s wedding coordinator.

As Damien stood at the front of the church waiting for his bride to enter the church he was visibly nervous, but excited about ceremony. Just moments before he’d recorded a message for Samantha, “I love you so very much. I’m glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

During the traditional ceremony, the bride and groom lit a unity candle to symbolize their new life. After the priest pronounced them man and wife, he hesitated before allowing them to kiss. The short pause was electric with anticipation. Given permission to kiss his bride, Damien dipped her deeply for the affectionate caress. The couple delivered roses to their mothers as they left the front of the church.

After the ceremony, family, friends and participants posed for Frederick Ruffner of F.A.R.J. Photography (link to Photographer). After one pose the bride delivered a hug to the priest. In another pose, the groom was especially grateful for the opportunity to give his bride a greatly extended kiss. When the pictures were over, the bride and groom disappeared through an ornate gate and turned a corner into their new life.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions, Dallas Wedding Videos

Samantha and Damien got ready in different parts of the church, but through the magic of video they will always be able to enjoy those moments together. This highlight is just a quick sample of their full length wedding video. LeniCam provided five combo DVD/BluRay packages to the bride and groom and posted this highlight online to be shared with family and friends.

In this ceremony-only, one-camera shoot, we used our experience in recording, editing and mixing to make it appear as if multiple cameras were shooting from a variety of angles. This enhances the viewing experience. Another trick we’ve learned is to put a wireless microphone on the groom’s lapel so that every word of the vows can be heard clearly on the video.

We promised Samantha and Damien that no matter what happened – good and bad – on their wedding day, they would love their wedding video; and they did.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

Christine and Walt’s Love Story Joins Dallas Wedding Videos Gallery

Christine and Walt

From the beginning everyone knew Christine was going far.  She attacked life with eagerness, fervor and impatience.  She wanted to get her hands on things, climb a little higher and dance whenever the chance arose.

Her parents encouraged Christine’s adventurous spirit, taking her on vacations around the world and introducing her to a variety of experiences.  When Christine showed an interest in percussion, rehearsals filled their home with drumming.  On a trip to Turkey, while others shopped the bazaars, Christine learned pottery-making and weaving.  Even Christine’s faith, colored by her curiosity, took her on far flung mission trips.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, Walt was living a similar life.  His family had cultural ties to Sri Lanka, so traveling the world to visit family took Walt as many places as Christine visited.  He also had an ear for music, but rather than percussion instruments and dance, he chose keyboards and the trumpet.  Walt’s faith took him to the streets where he played keyboard for sidewalk services.  Walt’s gentle spirit and enthusiasm for life were apparent in the smile he took with him, wherever he was.

Once Christine had high school behind her, she studied in Madrid, Spain and Monterrey, Mexico through Baylor University, earning her degree in International Business.  Though Dallas was her family’s home, it could no longer hold her.  She went to South Korea to teach English.

In one of those turns of fate that suggests a little heavenly assistance, Walt also went to South Korea to teach English after he graduated.  That’s where the couple met.  How could the beautiful Christine resist the handsome Walt?  When their time in South Korea came to an end, both found jobs in Vancouver.

The friendship which began in South Korea blossomed into true love in Vancouver.  The couple continued their travels and enjoyed the beautiful outdoor experiences available in British Columbia.  When they decided to get married, they chose a park in Vancouver for their ceremony and then enjoyed receptions in both Toronto and Dallas.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions – Dallas Wedding Videos

Christine and Walt wanted a quiet, intimate wedding day and then they wanted to slip away to a romantic honeymoon in Hawaii.  How could they get the wedding experience they wanted and still share their happiness with family and friends spread out all over the world?  A Love Story Video from LeniCam Video Productions solved their conundrum.

Creating Christine and Walt’s video was a true labor of love for our founder and producer, John Lenihan.  He’s the dad who captured her life on film, from her very first moments.  Of course, this video was special to him, but what he’s learned being Christine’s dad; he brings to every video he produces.

Christine and Walt had their simple ceremony in a beautiful Vancouver Park.  They escaped to Hawaii for their romantic Hawaiian honeymoon.  Then they had two receptions, one in Toronto and one in Dallas.  For the Dallas reception, John gathered up memories from both Christine and Walt.  He wove the photos and video together with special music.

The end result is a lasting tribute to the families of the bride and groom, as well as the story of their romance, topped off with memories of their Toronto reception and the Hawaiian honeymoon.  The beautiful video was the centerpiece of the Dallas reception.  It will also be enjoyed by family and friends who were not able to be in Dallas.  Best of all, Christine and Walt will have it to enjoy for all of their lives.