Rewinding Romance
Bride & Groom // Sony CCD - TRV138 Handycam // Los Angeles, CA
If you grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s, you most likely used a camcorder to film moments or create home videos with your friends and family. The pixels were low, the grain was high, and the video was mostly a bunch of silly faces that lost focus as you stuck your tongue out inches away from the lens. If you are a future bride looking for a nostalgic and vintage aesthetic - you might consider a camcorder wedding videographer to capture all the love like a 2005 high school romance.
Don’t get me wrong, a digital 4k wedding video can take my breath away. I have watched more heartfelt wedding videos online than films that come out of Hollywood, but I think people are craving unique - nostalgia for the time before the immediacy of iPhones and TikTok videos . Just think about this - there was a time when you would filmed your best friends dressed up in your older sister’s clothes to make a dance video on your dad’s Sony camcorder and it took you 20 years to see. Not saying that your wedding video would take more than the 4-6 weeks turnaround time, but what I am saying is - if you are wanting your wedding video to feel like your best friend is filming - you need to have a videographer who uses a camcorder (me!)
Rachelle & Enrique really wanted the feeling that their best friend filmed their wedding day. They wanted the imperfect shots, the grainy feels, and the unfocused zoom in’s to their favorite people dancing the night away. When I was approached for doing an only camcorder wedding video, I was so excited. I thought to myself, “these are my people - my type of client”. I grew up being filmed and filming with camcorders - probably over a 100 tapes from my dad filming to me making my friend’s do a skit in my childhood living room floor.
I brought two of my favorite camcorders - the Panasonic PalmSight PV-L557 VHS-C Analog Camcorder and the Sony CCD-TRV 138 Hi8 Tape Handycam. I love that the Palmsight camcorder has more stabilization in the shots and the colors are more vibrant, but the Sony Handycam allows for the date and time to be displayed - and I love seeing “2024” with a grainy picture. I also like that I can digitize the Sony Handycam footage on the road- just a couple cords hooked up to the laptop and camera (I use Elgato Video Capture). The PalmSight VHS-C Camcorder requires a VHS player with tape that holds the tape - etc (VHS players are heavy!).
Rachelle & Enrique’s wedding was not only absolutely stunning, but such a blast. The love for each other and for their family & friends filled the room as they danced the night away. Oh, and don’t forget that they showed their love through a late night snack - In and Out Burgers.