Musical Score During Ceremony Footage

[Lifetime]

I'd be interested to get everyone's thoughts on using an orchestral musical score during the ceremony footage. The purist side of me says to not mess with the ceremony; to leave it untouched, just as it occurred. However, the artsy side of my says that a nice bed of music sure enhances the viewing experience and adds to the emotion of the piece (and makes a long-winded priest more bearable :smile: ).

What do you think?

Dave

[vegas06]

I think it depends entirely on your editing style.
If you do a short form cinematic style video, then I can see this working.
But, if you are more of a documentary style editor, then I would stay clear of this.
I edit documentary style, but mix in a bit of cinematic so I personally use music beds for the processional and recessional only of the ceremony, and sometimes, for catholic mass services, a shorter communion montage sequence.

Other than that I try to give them the ceremony as it happens, with only the music that was used as it happened.

[DGates]

I'd leave it be. You've got lots of opportunities to edit highlights/vignettes to whatever style you'd like.

[AndrewMSV]

I'd be interested to get everyone's thoughts on using an orchestral musical score during the ceremony footage. The purist side of me says to not mess with the ceremony; to leave it untouched, just as it occurred. However, the artsy side of my says that a nice bed of music sure enhances the viewing experience and adds to the emotion of the piece (and makes a long-winded priest more bearable :smile: ).

Just a few thoughts:

1) How do you market your work? Do you sell it as documentary style (and therefore should keep as much intact and 'as-is' as possible) or do you sell it as cinematic (where all aspects become a romantic view or fairytale the-way-it-shoulda-been)? This should dictate what you should/can do.

2) What do you want you think is BETTER? Trust your instincts.

3) Brides love whatever you make for them 99.99% of the time anyway so you sweating this particular detail will result in zero difference in her reaction. Her reaction to your final product will be one of sheer, unbridled joy. Guaranteed.

[Mossy]

However, the artsy side of my says that a nice bed of music sure enhances the viewing experience and adds to the emotion of the piece (and makes a long-winded priest more bearable :smile: ).


Dave,

If you truly feel that any element in the video production process enhances your work, why not try it out?

I would characterise my own work as dreamy documentary... I aim for a heightened sense of reality. I pare my ceremonies down to 15 to 20mins and, if suits, I underscore with orchestral music (but I also offer clients an as it happened version, which rarely gets watched.

When I show my demo to couples they ask if it's possible to have similiar music in their own video. I suggest you try it for yourself; even if you don't end up giving it to the couple show it to prospective clients as an example of your style range.

Mossy

[Lifetime]

Interesting comments. Thanks. I'm glad to know there's not one right answer. As most of you know, I've only been a "pro" in this business since early this year, so I really have not had very many clients quite yet. But I guess my "style" tends to lean much more on the artistic, cinematic style rather than documentary style. I have been using a music bed under my ceremonies, and I think it turns out quite nice and really accentuates the emotion of what is taking place. So far, my couples seem to like my work, but I often wonder when I'll get the couple that gets ticked off because I "messed" with their ceremony. I do like the idea of including two versions. Good suggestion.

Dave