So far the response to our leap into 3D wedding videography has been awesome!  All of our couples signed up for next year are excited to have the first wave of true 3D wedding videos.  We also noticed we were mentioned in an article on the Zankyou website.  3D wedding videography is the future!

Aloha,

I just had an email exchange with a bride who was concerned about a clause in our contract.  She, like many other brides, did not want her video to be posted online - and I completely understand (see excerpt below).  If you haven't noticed, we only have three sample wedding videos: our Mini Love Story, and two highlight piece (one's a beach wedding).  Every wedding videographer is faced with being a businesswoman or man and someone who appreciates the artistic beauty and sanctity of your ceremony.  

I think posting every video I film would mean being whimsical with someone's private moment.  But hey, for some companies reaping the monetary benefits holds more weight.  That's because the more content they post on their site the higher the search engine ranking.  So, they are actively trading professional courtesy for more bookings.  

Of course, this is my own personal ethical code.  If I were you, I wouldn't hire anyone who believes otherwise.  Would you feel right posting videos without consulting the couple? 

When we developed our contract, we were strongly encouraged to keep the video rights.  You have to understand, the legal intent is not to aimlessly post other people's weddings all over the internet, but to prevent other companies from taking credit for our work.  They could easily post our videos all over the internet as their own, and we would have no legal recourse.

We would like to take this opportunity to make a pledge to our couples: we will never post videos publicly without your permission.  Yes, we suffer a little in search engine rankings, but I'd rather maintain respect for the craft and the sanctity of your ceremony.


Here's the section of the contract she was referring:

"Display rights: In signing this contract, The Customer is acting as agents for all members of the party and guests and grants Manoa Media LLC all rights for display, broadcast, exhibition, promotion, and advertising use of all images produced under this contract. All video masters and raw footage remain the exclusive property of Manoa Media LLC."

Manoa Productions proudly announces that it will start taking bookings for 3D wedding videos for the 2013 season.  With thanks to Panasonic for the release of the HDC-Z1o000, we now have the right tools to film in 3D HD.  Previously there was a massive gap in technology, with 3D cameras only available at the consumer and cinema level.  Which means we only had a choice between a low quality hand-held camera for under $1,000, or studio quality for over $25,000.  The HDC-Z10000 starts at about $3,400 and has two independent lenses and sensors.  Whereas previous consumer grade models had two lenses converging into one lens, into one sensor.  Needless to say, the quality was far too low for our standards.

Working with 3D cameras is more complicated than what you would expect.  Not only does the videographer have to maintain proper iris and focus control, but they have to maintain what's called "convergence."   A 3D camera mimics the human eyes.  When we only see out of one eye, everything appears 2-dimensional.  Without that second eye we are unable to judge distance and 3-dimensional shapes.  When we have both eyes open, we have to make sure they are both pointing at the same object, creating a triangulation, with both eyes converging onto that one point.  So, our eyes are never really looking straight forward, they are always converging onto the one point we want to see.  Of course, if we are looking at objects that are off in the distance one would hardly notice this convergence.  But if I were to put my finger an inch from my nose, for example, I would appear cross-eyed because the point of convergence is only a few inches away, yet the image is clear.

This makes videography in 3D more complicated.  The person behind the camera has to make sure the two lenses are pointing at the same object, all of the time.  Otherwise everything gets a little cross-eyed, and pretty annoying to watch.  In addition, we also have to make sure objects do not get in front of the point of convergence.  Try looking at something at the other end of the room, then put your hand 6 inches in front of your right eye.  You can see the other end of the room, but you also see is this annoying phantom hand floating in your field of vision.  The same effect occurs with 3D video.

Now, the main reason we are starting to take bookings in 2013, as apposed to this year, is because we need to produce sample 3D videos.  From now, until next year we will be putting together a variety of sample 3D Blu-rays to not only demonstrate our abilities, but to give you a chance to see true 3D film on your 3D-HDTV.  Since only a few people have 3D  capable computers (mostly 3D gamers), posting 3D samples on our website doesn't make sense.  So if you would like a sample Blu-ray, send us an email and we would be happy to send you a disc.

I also encourage people who are interested in a 3D wedding video to book as soon as possible.  We are the only wedding company in Hawaii (I think) that can produce true 3D film, our schedule is filling fast.  
Click here to book.

Aloha, 
We wanted to thank everyone for being patent and using our Vimeo site to watch sample videos.  We have been working on a wedding tube site so that everyone can view our work using keywords.  For instance, it makes sense for our destination couples to want to see destination wedding videos.  With our tube site, you will be able to search our videos based on keywords.  There will also be a navigation bar on the left so you can also view videos by category. So same day edit videos will be separate from slideshows, mini love stories and so on.

We are especially excited about this because we will be able to host all of the videos directly on our site.  You won't have to navigate away from us and get lost on some Youtube channel.  Plus, you will still be able link to our videos on Facebook and Twitter to keep people up to date on your wedding plans.  And even better, we will host your same day edit and highlight videos for free.  It will be much less confusing!  

If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to email us at contact@manoaproductions.com

After having a conversation with a bride on the phone today, I realized that almost everyone has a different expectation for a wedding video.  This is understandable since every company does things differently.  But are there minimum standards to look out for?  I think there are.

First, let's talk about money since its one of the primary factors in choosing a videographer.  A lot of videographers don't post their prices because they want a chance to negotiate with you.  Usually they'll start ridiculously high and see how you react, then negotiate down from there, which usually makes you feel like your getting a good deal.  My advice is to go into a situation like that with a little caution.  We proudly post our prices, for example, because we treat everyone equally and don't waste time with the negotiation dance.

Another basic expectation is for the videographer to ask what aspects of your wedding are especially important to you.  This is the starting point of any professional editor!  It's a basic question ask, and if they're not asking it, they are assuming the responsibility of deciding for you.  We always ask before and after the wedding.  It's important to discuss these points before the edit begins, because once it starts, there are no re-edits.  Unless there are major flaws, most videographers do not allow changes without a cost.  This makes sense, since most editors work at around $40 an hour.  If the bride and groom kept asking for edits no one would be able to afford a wedding video.  Manoa Productions doesn't run into these issues because we always have a good sense of what the bride and groom want.

Lastly, the most important thing to do is to ask for sample videos.  Don't confuse this with highlight videos posted online, because they only contain the good parts.  Ask for full example videos, not necessarily to watch them all the way through, but just to get a feel of how your video would turn out.  When we meet the couple we always offer to watch of few full versions.

Hi everyone, this is our first post!  We intend to use this blog to keep you in the loop with what we are up to here at Manoa Productions.  We wanted to kick it off with a short blurb about the cameras we use: the Sony NEX-VG10.  The great thing about these camcorders are their large sensors and interchangeable lenses.  Why should you care?  Having a camcorder, versus a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex), with a large sensor (creating deeper color and contrast) and an interchangeable lens (being able to use smaller lenses for beauty shots) has advantages that greatly impacts the quality of your video.

Most of the top videographers here in Hawaii are using DSLR cameras like the Canon 5D, which also have huge sensors and interchangeable lenses .  They produce a beautiful and classy picture, but with one major setback: their recording time is limited to about 20 minutes (depending on the ambient temperature).  Since DSLRs are cameras first, and camcorders second, it changes everything about how your wedding is filmed and edited-and ultimately the quality of your video.  

If you haven't noticed in your research for a wedding videographer, most of these companies only offer a "short form" edit to their bride and grooms.  This means a 20-40 minute final product for 8 hours of filming!  Of course, the short form has become a popular editing style, but it shouldn't be used to cover gaps in time as they wait for their cameras to cool between shots.  It should be a style that the bride and groom choses, not what they're forced into because of the equipment used.  Conversely, everyone else is using broadcast camcorders with fixed lenses and broad depth of field.  These cameras are great for the evening news, but dry and boring for a wedding.  I hope you would expect a video that is picturesque, not dry and void of vibrant color!

Personally, I wouldn't want to worry if my videographer's camera is going overheat and miss a special moment.  To me, it's too risky and prevents shooting longer and continuous segments.  Hence, the short and truncated editing style has become more prevalent since the popularity of the DLSR.

Don't get me wrong, the look of the Canaon 5d is unmatched!  But don't let that distract you from the bigger picture!  There are more viable alternatives than using the wrong tool for the job.  

Thankfully, Sony saw the opportunity to fill the gap by building a camcorder with a large sensor and interchangeable lens.  In case you don't know, camcorders don't have a record limit beyond the life of the battery (unless your plugged in) and the memory card (which now can hold up to 8 hours of HD video).  We saw this as the perfect opportunity shoot in DSLR quality, with no time limits, and lenses that create beautiful close-up shots of the bride and groom, and just as well from across a large banquet hall with the switch of a lens.  This makes us one of the most versatile wedding videographers on the islands, able to shoot in any setting, at any length, without making unnecessary sacrifices to the final edit- which is what really matters in the end.