Introduction and the Nikah Ceremony
Nearly 8 months of absence from blogging, something spur me to write to my blog, probably due to perhaps my hands are now free from my day works or my freelancing works but also due to the fact that some individuals come to me recently wanting to learn the Malay wedding videography. Surprisingly, one comes from my own client who got married in 2004.
In many years doing the Malay wedding videography, my opinion is this. It is not as easy task as what to some as just point and shoot style video. If that were to happen, I guess, a seven year old kid would be able to take videography as his first nature. And I believe if a videographer were to do a big mistake during his pre production ( Akad Nikah) for the wedding video on one occasion, then he should roll up his video business as the words of months can spread like wild fire. Even though you don't need a degree or diploma scroll, one need some time to master the craft. And of course, it is the Malay wedding videography.
I believe as a wedding videographer, you need a lot of passions and love. Sometimes, I would rather call myself the 'love videographer' than a wedding videographer. You ask me why? It is because the wedding videos that I am recording are not only unique by its own but involving two people who are in love which ends up with tying the knots. Thus, the camera movements should interpret the motions of love. It should be done in a gentle manners as the camera moves. And why passions? It is because you must passionately record your video steadily as far as possible using either a tripod or a monopod.
And that passion of course involve your love for your video works. And that is my formula over the years as to why my customers are happy with my works.
Referring to the Akad Nikah event, what are the biggest mistakes a videographer can do. If you ask me, this is what I see. One of the biggest mistake during the Akad Nikah is by having not to capture the audio of the event. As you should know, the Akad Nikah is another name for the solemnization ceremony. It is the single most important sub event of the wedding where two people is about to be confirm as husband and wife. So it is important for videographers alike to check the audio cable and audio connector again and again so that to ensure the audio coming in to their camcorders. Always check the audio meter on the camcorders readings and also always wear a quality headphone.
It is my practice to lay the audio cable first to the designated spot where would be the Akad Nikah event take place, at least half an hour to one hour before the event takes place. I will put my Audio Technica AT897 to the microphone stand for stability and use a fresh battery for the boom microphone. Then I will tap a few time to ensure audio is receive to my Panasonic AG 102 camcorder. After a few testings and I am confident that it is working, then I will proceeds to my other duties.
There were numerous occasion when guests or the immediate family members thought that the boom microphone that I connected it to my camcorder will have the amplified sound to the surrounding. This is not so. It is meant for my camcorder. Not one but on two occasions, I have to shout to the person who acted harshly to my boom microphone to stop what he was doing because he was thinking that there was no sound generated during the event was taking place. So, it is best to consult the videographer first before doing anything as not only can cause harm to the expensive equipment but can cause the audio recording from working.
The Ijab Kabul is part of the solemnization ceremony or Akad nikah in Malay. On this part, the video stability and the audio quality is of upmost importance.
From the first day I started doing the wedding video, I have use the XLR audio cable and connectors to my camcorder. This will produce a better audio quality and more natural audio sound compared to videographers who are using the internal microphone which are attached to their videocams. I have noticed quite a numbers of videographers who are practising using the internal microphones for their video projects and especially the crucial Akad Nikah ceremony. I feel that it is either the videographers are not aware of the quality the sound that is produced or just simply for his convenient sake! I pitied the wedding couple who especially might have paid the video persons thousand of dollars for the video and yet the videoman just using the internal microphone. If this were to happen, I feel that the couple is like being robbed on the broad daylight.
Someone asked me the other day as how long the Nikah would takes? This depends on some factors. One must remember that there are some sub events takes place during the Nikah ceremony. They are the followings :-
1)The exchange of gifts conducted by the bride or groom representative
2)The Doas by either the bride or groom representative.
3)The Kadi's administration and Doas
4)The Bride' signature done by the Kadi and the Bride
5)The actual Ijab Kabul between the Kadi and the Groom
6)The Taklik Nikah
7)The ending Doa
All this would takes about 30 minutues to as fast as 15 minutes depending as how elaborate the two family members would like it to be. It is also my practice to record the whole event footage and only to edit the wanted clips as what my clients wishes.
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