Your Dream Day Wedding Planning Podcast with Kathy Piech-Lukas
Your Dream Day Wedding Planning Podcast with Kathy Piech-Lukas
Motion Moments to Heirloom Memories: Wedding Day Cinema & Content Creation with Cinsation videography
Have you ever found yourself wishing you could relive the most precious moments of your life just one more time? That's the heartstring Taylor and Mark McDaniel from Cinsation Videography Company tug at as they join us to share their personal leap into creating a business that captures the essence of love stories using video. After missing out on a wedding video of their own, they've dedicated themselves to ensuring no couple has the same regret.
As we chat with the McDaniels, we delve into the nuances of documenting 'I do's in our fast-paced digital age. From the spontaneous hilarity of a best man's prank to the intimate exchanges of vows, wedding films are evolving into cinematic experiences that stand the test of time. We shed light on the crucial collaboration between videographers and lovebirds, the game-changing benefits of multiple camera angles, and the state-of-the-art gear that sharpens those blurry moments into high-definition treasures. We also talk about the newest trend hitting the wedding scene -- Content Creator! Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a tech-savvy enthusiast, this conversation on the craft of capturing matrimonial magic is one you won't want to miss.
To listen to more episodes visit www.yourdreamday.com
Hi, welcome to Your Dream Day Podcast. I'm your host, Kathy Piech Lukas, and today we have a real treat for you. We have Taylor and Mark McDaniel who are with Cinsation Videography Company here in Cincinnati. So tell me a little bit about Cinsation. Where does the name come from?
Speaker 2:So Cinsation is a play off of Cincinnati and Cinematic and we decided to put them together to come with Cinsation. So it starts with a C, not with an S. Most people think it starts with an S, but it starts with a C and that's where it came from.
Speaker 3:Because we are "in City. Right, we are Sin City. Move over Vegas, cincinnati's the sea. And that's where it came from. Because we are sin city, right, we are sin city. Move over vegas, cincinnati's here. So what inspired you to start sensation?
Speaker 1:So what inspired me to start? Cinsation inspired us to start. Cinsation is we got married, uh, in 2017 in the courthouse. Um, it was a very small wedding. We weren't able to have video of that day, so it was one of the reasons I got the idea that maybe we need a video for other couples so they can have that for a special day.
Speaker 3:Awesome, and you were working for another videographer doing second shooting and whatnot, and then you just like, how did the whole inspiration come about? To start Cinsation?
Speaker 1:Well, what it came about for me was I really liked the idea of capturing video for other people. I love the raw emotion and I found when I was working with other people I never knew what happened in most stories afterward. So I want to be more in control of that or be more involved with that, to kind of see the whole process through. And then Taylor decided she wanted to join me in the endeavor and we just started doing it together.
Speaker 3:So one thing that I know as a planner I always tell my couples is video is a different type of documentation. I mean, people think they have to choose photography or video, and we're not going to not have photography. But study after study shows the one thing that couples regret more after the wedding is not having a video. So we're giving you the advice to book it in the front end.
Speaker 3:Yes, b ecause after several years, what happens is you lose family members, you forget the little details about the day, and video is motion documentation. It's motion documentation, whereas photography is a still documentation and if you were to ask any person, would they rather look at their grandparents' photo album or their video? Most people are going to say their video. And so when you purchase a wedding video and you get a wedding videographer, you're producing an heirloom for your family. It's not just you know, oh, one or the other, I mean, and that's you know people. I think people forget that they focus so much on oh, we have to have beautiful flowers and we have to have beautiful linens and we have to have amazing food, but at the end of the day, you are left with that documentation of the wedding day.
Speaker 1:Yes, I mean to add to that. I've spoke to a few couples afterward and I know a lot of times couples get so caught up in the actual day they forget everything that happened that day and for some of them it's like watching a movie, going back and seeing their film again, like, oh, I had no idea this was happening, or yeah, I forgot that you look that way, I mean when I came down the aisle, just things like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and another thing we know a lot of people that you know will opt to cut video and then get somebody to film for them family members, brothers, you know, boyfriends, whatever the case is and they don't know where to stand and what to get. And they're you know, they're missing out on the wedding itself too, because they're focusing on trying to get those moments. You know, when you have a videographer, we care about those moments and you know, I find myself with a big smile on my face, tears in my eyes, when they're walking down the aisle. I don't even know these brides that well. I know them well enough to know their story for us to film for them, but I don't know them on a personal level.
Speaker 1:But, oh my God, they're like my best friend and I'm watching them walk down the aisle yeah, I like what you said they're filming and I like for all of us in the industry to get away from the word video. It's really it is.
Speaker 3:It's a film.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a film and, like you said, when you look at a photo album and, just like you said, five members passed eventually stories get lost in translation and I think the cool thing for couples is to realize that you're the director and producer of your own film, so you can tell exactly what story you want to tell and everyone will remember it the exact way that you remember it.
Speaker 3:Well, and before we went on the air, you well on the air, before we started recording. We have some special for those of you who are listening on the podcast. We also record this in video. And you were having a field day with all the lights in here. I think he moved the diffuser.
Speaker 1:It's truly my passion.
Speaker 3:No, I was sitting here in awe going this is wonderful, keep playing, keep playing, because I'm like, I'm just a phone-tographer, I don't do what you do. What are some of the trends that you're seeing as far as wedding films?
Speaker 1:So some of the trends that we're seeing currently is the documentary style wedding video, which, for the normal person you think documentary is a. It's a full documentation of, uh of your wedding, but really it's the ceremony, it's reception, it's to get it ready, it's all the pieces that go together throughout your day and it's put together in a cinematic, cinematic highlight for you to review, and those are usually anywhere between five to eight minutes long. And, let's face it, we've all sat in a room with family watching family videos before and they're half an hour 45 minutes long and usually won't want to see the entire thing. But it's nice to have a shorter highlight film so you can review it over and over again with friends and family yeah, true story.
Speaker 3:So my sister got married in the mid-90s and they had a family friend do the video, which back then the video cameras were big, they were monster big and so their wedding video is two VHS cassette tapes and I'm sure it was on standard play, which meant it was two hours per cassette, hours per cassette. So four hours of wedding footage and that's. You don't see that anymore, because I think people want to actually have their friends come over and actually watch it and still be their friend afterwards, instead of making them sit there for four hours and watch this incredibly long film. But we lost my sister to cancer, and so it's.
Speaker 3:really a treasure to have her wedding video. I have it in a fireproof safe deposit box for my nephews so that you know they can watch it, cause I'm not sure if they've ever seen it, um, because I mean she died almost 20 years ago, so I don't know if they've ever seen it, but when they're ready I've got it and it'll be like bringing her back to life that day.
Speaker 2:Cool, yeah. The other trend that we notice is happening with video too is the reality TV style when it's going from not just the wedding into, like the bridal shower and, you know, the bachelorette parties and the interviews with the family members, which I think is really cool because you get those moments, you know, aside from just having them on the video, you have the full, almost interviews, where they'll sit down with the bride's father and ask, you know, questions about their childhood and things like that. It hasn't really hit here yet, I don't think. I think it's more so West Coast, West Coast.
Speaker 3:Everything takes two years to get to the Midwest. So if you're getting married in 2025, yeah, you'll be right on trend. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Which I think is cool, because the pieces and all those, all those people that you, you don't think at that time, are not going to be there anymore.
Speaker 3:Well, and another thing that's been really trendy on the West Coast and it is making its way to the Midwest is content creation. What's the difference between, like a videography, where you're doing the testimonials and whatnot making it reality style versus the content creation?
Speaker 1:So even with the cinematic highlights, which can be again anywhere between five to eight minutes, those videos are usually large in size, so it's harder to share with friends and family on social media. So that's where content creation comes into play and that's where you see all these trends on tiktok of oh gosh, what's the one I've been hearing about recently, where the um, the best man would dress up in a dress and pretend.
Speaker 3:I had a groom do that. Oh my God, it was. They, thank goodness this couple had a videographer and a photographer and I was. I knew what was happening, but the groom did not. And I had my little phone there and I'm trying not to laugh because the I mean this groomsman was like, I mean, had the white t-shirt, had a veil on belly, sticking out shorts, I mean it was just priceless. And so he comes up from behind and he, you know, taps his shoulder and he turns around and he's like, ah, but he was, he was a good sport about it, he gave, I mean, he gave his. I mean it was one of his best friends, so he gave him a big hug and everything like that.
Speaker 1:but it was priceless, yeah, and those moments and and that's why I think there's a separation between the normal wedding film and then content creation, because you want to capture those moments but maybe not necessarily include that in your, in your cinematic highlights. So those are the things that we would capture separately and then you can do with as you wish.
Speaker 3:You can share it on share it wherever you want to yeah, instagram, yeah, tiktok yeah yeah, yeah, but, like when you do tiktok videos and instagram videos, they are portrait versus landscape. So that's like another thing that you need to keep in mind. Um, you know, if you're shooting wedding video, if you're going to watch it on a television screen, it needs to be landscape. If you're shooting it to watch it on your phone, it needs to be portrait.
Speaker 1:Yes, and that's why, like that being said, I think it's a big thing for filmmakers to have a constant communication with the couples. Yes, know ahead of time what the plan is, so you know what you're shooting for.
Speaker 2:That way, when you edit, it's a lot easier for yourself yes, we're speaking from experience oh, it sounds like there's a story detail so when I first got on with mark doing videos, I kind of came into it not really knowing a lot about cameras or really even what to capture.
Speaker 2:So you know I go with him and the first one I did with you I kind of was just in charge of hitting record on the camera. That's all I had to do, which was easy. And then the next one I went to I had a little more jobs that I had to do which we talked about beforehand. So I kind of knew, but I wasn't really going into it knowing a lot and there was a few things where I would film it not the way that he had said I should film it. We were able to get what we needed out of it, but there's a lot more that goes into it behind the scenes than what's what we see on the forefront yeah, to piggyback off what you said, that there might have been some things that was captured I didn't like.
Speaker 1:That's why it's very important to have multiple shooters at your wedding. Just in case something's missed by one shooter, the other one can capture it.
Speaker 3:Well, what is some of the equipment that you use on the wedding days?
Speaker 1:So we actually run three different cameras now. So we have what's called a DJI Ronin 4D, which is a cinema grade camera, and this thing is a monster. It's a camera, it's a gimbal, it's a stabilizer all built into one. So I'm sure you see the videos on TikTok of the one video guy walking around with the entire contraption on his back that's hanging over, with the camera hanging down. That's me. So that's our A camera. We have a Sony FX 30, which is a cheaper version of the Sony FX 3. If any movie lovers out there, the creator that just recently came out this year was actually shot on that camera.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 1:So same grade of film that we use, and then we have a hybrid camera that we use for video as well as photos.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very cool. Yeah, so we can get all the angles. So he's the one that's kind of the mobile. What I consider in layman terms. He's the mobile camera, I'm kind of the secondary, and then we have a stationary. That's just that we set up to get certain things.
Speaker 3:Yes, so you're not using your iPhone? No, correct?
Speaker 2:We have an Android.
Speaker 3:Well, but no, I mean, I think it's an important point to bring up, because I had a wedding recently where I'm not sure if it was just a friend or somebody they found on Facebook, but he had. He was shooting the whole thing on his iPhone with a gimbal stabilizer and didn't even have a light on it and it was dark in the room and I'm thinking to to myself how on earth is he going to light this film, I mean, without going into adobe premiere and overexposing it?
Speaker 1:I mean so I'm on the fence about this topic because with newer technology phones they can capture really good footage. Um, a lot of cameras on phones are shooting 4k and sometimes even 8k now, but the big difference is the amount of data that you're capturing. So what I mean by that is my cinema camera. For example, after an entire day of shooting wedding event, I'll probably have one terabyte of data on there. Unless you're carrying a lot of memory cards with you with an iphone, there's no way you'll be able to capture all that. So what tends to happen is you don't shoot in 4k, right k, you're shooting a much lower resolution and therefore the quality of video goes the pixelation goes down yep, yep, yep so, yeah, we, we've seen that a lot, yeah, yeah well, and it's no different than when people put, when they upload a picture on Facebook.
Speaker 3:If they have a high resolution picture or a raw image, it's going to take 10 minutes to load, and it's because it's so compressed and it's so pixelated, whereas you know something that would be a 300 DPI picture, whereas a just a normal picture would be a 72 DPI Like. That's what you see on Facebook, but that's not the kind of thing you're going to use in a photo album, because the resolution just isn't high enough, right?
Speaker 1:And speaking of raw footage, raw images, that's something else that's trending recently, that I've noticed that afterwards, couples will ask for either raw photos or raw video.
Speaker 3:That's a big file.
Speaker 1:Yes, one of our last weddings that we worked during the fall, I think our couple I'm pretty sure the only one this year to ask us for a raw footage, and I had to politely explain to them how large that file actually is. And for anyone else out there, a couple of wives, if you're thinking about it, just to let you know. So a lot of data, and usually a videographer or photographer will probably charge you a little bit extra for it because they need something to put it on, just to give it to you yeah, and I think too it comes from.
Speaker 2:Sometimes they may feel bad about if they want something changed and they don't want to communicate. The most most important thing is communicating us communicating with our brides and grooms and them communicating with us as well, because there's a lot of moments in weddings that are not going to happen twice. A lot of it is raw. There's some of it that's staged, you know, like when we showed the dress and touching the dress and moments like that, but there's a lot of it that's raw that we want to be able to get. So the more communication there is, if there's things that they know are happening, that they can let us know and we can make sure we're there.
Speaker 2:We did a wedding one time and the bride had children and they did a dance number that nobody knew they were doing. Only the DJ knew. So we didn't get any of that footage because we didn't know that it was happening. She was pretty carefree and didn't really have a lot of things she wanted in the video, but if we would have known, that would have been something cool we could have put in there.
Speaker 3:And that actually that's not just for video, that for films, that's for everything across the board. Yeah, Be honest with your vendors. Tell them the little things that you plan to do, because the more information you give us, the better we can serve you. And that's really what wedding professionals do. We're there to make you happy, we're there to serve you. We're there to make you happy, and the more information you can give us, the better we can do that. Like, even I tell couples as a planner tell me about the family dynamics, tell me about the family politics, because if there's something that I need to know, I can protect you or nip it before it becomes an explosive problem. So I just can't stress that enough. Communicate with your vendors, be open with them. They're there for a reason. They're there to help you.
Speaker 1:Yes, and, with that being said, I think that's another important thing that couples should consider is what vendors you're working with exactly. Don't look for the cheapest one or the most most expensive one. Look for the ones that you can relate to the most or the ones that you get along with the most, because really, these people are going to be ones that you're speaking with after a day yeah and yeah, that's the only way you'll have the communication, or else they'll be just strangers in a room.
Speaker 3:Well, and the other thing too with videographers, filmmakers, you have to work with a photographer on the day of the wedding, and there's a science to that. It's not just I'm going to show up and shoot this film, Right? How do you work with?
Speaker 2:photographers. Yeah, there's a lot of things that we're getting the same thing. They're getting the photo, the still version, and we're getting the live version of it. And you know it can be challenging if there's no communication at all. We're battling for those moments and it doesn't have to be a battle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the one thing I would say about us Sensation as a company and as a couple as well. We've done this long enough. Now that there is no battle, we're pretty good about communicating with the photographers when we get there. Like Taylor said, we're catching a lot of the same moments, so it's almost like we're dancing together.
Speaker 1:We're not stepping on each other's toes. We're all placed in the right spots. We always communicate with each other. What lens are you using? Because those things matter. If they're using a wider focal length, well, they're gonna have to be a little bit closer. A little bit capture a lot of what's in frame. So well, we might have to step back a little bit as opposed to getting closer for that shot.
Speaker 2:But those are all technical things that we talk about together all the time behind the scenes and the couple will never even know about it yeah, yeah, and even beforehand, even before the day of the wedding, we try to, if we can, at least get in communication with their photographer, so then we can be on the same page of what their plan is for the day too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that's planners do the same thing. I reach out to every single vendor on the team, even if it's a family friend that's doing the officiating. I mean, I reach out to all of them, introduce myself, explain what my role is going to be, confirm what time they're arriving. Is there anything that they need? Is there anything they haven't been provided yet by the couple? And you just work as a team. You really do, yeah.
Speaker 1:Because, really, as vendors, we're all there working together to try to put the best day together for the couple. Yes, they only get that one day yeah, and that's all that matters.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly it is yeah, exactly yeah. How can people find Cinsation?
Speaker 2:so we are on all the social media platforms. We're on instagram, tiktok, facebook, under Cinsation, or My Cinsation, and we also have a website www. mycinsation. com. Yes, yes.
Speaker 3:Perfect. Yeah, well, wonderful. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for tuning in. If you want to hear additional podcasts, please go to yourdreamdaycom and go under the podcast tab. Thank you and happy planning.
