Covering a wedding during COVID

It's easy to see how drastically things have changed from a filmmaker's perspective.

Pre-covid: "Wedding films are not about grandeur, but emotions. "

Now:

1. "How do we capture people’s expressions when  they will be  wearing masks on most occasions?"

Pre-Covid: "Wedding films are about love and togetherness."

Now:
"A bulk of the family aren't going to make it to the wedding, how do we show togetherness?"

Pre-Covid:
"Our crew loves shooting wedding films, mostly for all the hospitality, and great food ;) "

Now: 
"How do we survive the entire wedding without exposing our team to some obvious risks?"

At the time when a nation-wide lockdown was enforced, our wedding planner introduced us to Praveen and Anusha, who couldn't wait any longer to get married to each other. 
Considering the restrictions and risks involved, we wanted to pen our experiences while filming their  wedding.

Rounding up the team:
We had to ensure that all on-board understood the safety aspect while covering.
To be clear that we are shooting at our own risk, we had to be respectful to those who were not willing to shoot due to safety concerns.
For those who were willing to shoot, we had to address their concerns collectively and be a 100% transparent regarding the safety provisions. We wouldn't want our own to feel like we are pushing them into a war zone.

---

No escaping from the new norm:
During our initial discussion with the couple, we let them know that there is no point ‘escaping’ from the fact that we are all facing an unprecedented time, and with that - we must embrace some new ideas which will soon be a norm in upcoming wedding films.

Take it from our learning:

1. As the wedding dates come close, keep in constant touch with the wedding planner, to know of any changes in events, since there are updates on the news every day.
2. Arrange for permission, and vehicle permits.
3. Opt for live-streaming, arrange for high-speed broadband at the venue and setup the wedding invite for anyone joining remotely.
4. Hire a wedding planner experienced with outdoor decors, and also a reliable team who follow sanitisation standards.
5. When on shoot, ensure to come in an hour earlier than usual, to know the ‘safe zones’ i.e. safe vantage points by which you can cover the wedding.
6. Emotions would be a bit hard to pick up during the shoot, considering we’ll be covering important family members in masks. So try making more use of the tele-lens to focus on the eyes.
7. From a story standpoint, find time with the couple and their families to get more content - which will help showcasing their personality. We would now have to rely on these personal moments much more than we used to, since emotions are what drive a good wedding film.​
   

What are your thoughts on how we can improvise our next wedding shoot? Do drop in a line below!

Stay safe!