Here comes the audio producer 💒
Here comes the audio producer 💒
How to record at a wedding
Hey there audio storytellers,
It’s been a minute. I’ve had a break from the newsletter for the past couple of months, because I’ve been home (at long, long last) visiting family and friends after way too long apart.
I also got married. I mention this because, along with the cake and the flowers and the photographer, I also commissioned an audio producer. I got the idea from the Ladio community: have a producer come along, record some ambi, and interview the guests.
It turned out to be one of the best wedding decisions I made (aside from having a crisps/chips buffet – every wedding also needs that).
So I wanted to feature a rundown of how it worked in this week’s newsletter, in case you’re interested in covering weddings as part of your production services.
Where I found the producer:
I posted a short message on Public Radio NYC and Nick Selby got in touch.
What I asked for:
Ambi, ceremony, speeches, interviews with guests.
All the raw tape as well as a short highlights cut.
Paid $800 for two days’ work (wedding day and edit day).
How it worked:
We told the guests at the beginning that Nick would be there, and to go over and chat to him. I also gave Nick a list of interview questions, and asked my cousin to be on hand to usher guests to him. From our perspective it worked brilliantly. Nick fitted right in, and the guests loved the novelty of being interviewed.
I wasn’t sure how this project would turn out, but I was thrilled with the result. As producers, I don’t need to tell you how viscerally audio transports you to a moment. It was magic hearing all our friends and family share their thoughts. and well wishes It’s genuinely something I’ll treasure forever.
I asked Nick a few questions about how it worked from his side…
What was the most challenging part of this job?
Understanding the relationships of close-knit family and friends; you need a guide. I didn’t want to leave anyone out but also didn’t want to over-include.
Also, trying to frog-march guests out of their revelry into some interviews without harshing everyone’s mellow and blowing the mood of the day, while simultaneously battling live music and other background noise, is a challenge! Finally, taking good notes about who was speaking, their relationship to the bride and groom, and highlights noted, is essential.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
The Sennheiser 416s were just right for their side rejection, but I would try to arrive more than an hour before the event, in order to record ambient sound before any music starts and guests arrive. Also ambi is a great job for something like the stereo capsule on a Zoom or Tascam recorder as opposed to standing up two shotgun mics on stands. Ensuring a much more isolated recording environment is tough so I would consider bringing a portable microphone isolation chamber. Oh, and bring good, shielded 15m microphone cables! I would have run everything through a transcription service like sonix.ai before starting the edit had I thought it through properly.
I would also in hindsight insist on body mics and/or my own wireless mic for the ceremony. Live and learn!
How does it compare to other audio production jobs?
Boy, the stakes are high! It’s always important and we feel a sense of responsibility to get the sound right, but when it’s potentially a lifetime of memories, the price of getting it wrong feels a little higher.
What advice would you have for audio producers wanting to add the wedding production string to their bow?
I really loved this as a gig, and would love to do more of them. This is a hugely rewarding kind of project. I thought it was a wonderful idea, and anyone considering it should know it requires probably more work than other live recording gigs in my experience.
I would also mention music clearances: if the couple wants to use recorded music then it should be explained clearly that it precludes them from making the recording public without getting clearances and paying royalties. That is another issue with the recording of interviews: if the recorded music is audible, then it’s not just background noise, it needs to be cleared/paid.
In addition to all the technical commitment, there’s also a sense of trying to capture not just the sounds but the emotions of the day, and that’s a really rewarding thing. I certainly want to get better at this and make it part of my offerings; I chatted with Clare’s photographer and I think that a collaboration with a wedding photographer could be a logical next step for a really amazing package.
Nick used…
Sound Devices MixPre6; two Sennheiser 416s; K-Tek fishpole; floor stand; Magnus VT4000 tripod (for MixPre); Mogami Gold microphone cables.
Jobs
♌ Producer, Narrative ~ Kast Media ~ Los Angeles, CA
♌ Junior Audio Producer & Host ~ Finimize ~ London, UK
♌ Senior Producer ~ American Public Media ~ Remote, US
♌ Senior Producer ~ Wondry ~ West Hollywood, CA
♌ Production Intern, Fall 2022 ~ Storycorps ~ Brooklyn, NY
Classes and more
🦁 Behind The Mic: Channeling Your Authentic Voice ~ Sound Path class ~ September 11 - October 16
🦁 Jewish Media Fellowship ~ New Voices ~ academic yearlong fellowship for Jewish writers, journalists, and media-makers ages 18-22 or otherwise enrolled in an undergraduate program
🦁 Pitch podcasts to the Resonate Podcast Festival ~ deadline 23 August
🦁 Mixing and Scoring for Podcasts and Radio ~ SoundPath class ~ September 13, September 27 and October 11
Thanks for reading folks — please do share with anyone you think might benefit from this newsletter.