THE DREAMERS CASE STUDY
It’s difficult to anticipate which weddings might yield themost rewarding footage, since every ceremony is different and has its own cast of players, and external influences at work. “In terms of howwe plan to cover a wedding we always have something in mind,” says Hugo, “but you can’t always anticipate the things that might happen on the day. We’ve had destination weddings at themost beautiful locations being a disappointment, but we’ve also had ‘simple’ weddings here in the Netherlands that have given us some of the best films we’ve ever produced. “That’s what keeps a wedding interesting for us: even though all the events tend to be the same, such as the preparation, ceremony and party, the way people experience these days is always different. They can be happy, melancholic, emotional, ecstatic - and sometimes amix of all of these things. We’re the kind of people that go with the flow. When a group is fun, we have fun, and that makes for very rewarding days.” and Yaël made their first move into the mediumworking with a Canon 5DMark II, a camera not even specifically designed withmoving footage inmind. Naturally, it was a compromise and the pair never warmed to the colours it produced, but it got them started and alive to the idea of motion. Then they came across the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and it was an immediate connect, although it wasn’t the easiest camera to use at a wedding. “I couldn’t find a single wedding film shot with this model,” says Hugo. “This was quite understandable since it needed an external battery, external audio, separate neutral density filters and so on. Plus, it was quite heavy with a bit of a strange form Camera choice As with somany filmmakers, Hugo
missed then it’s gone forever, and that’s serious pressure. Almost always, Hugo and Yaël find themselves working alongside a separate photographer, but they see this as a positive thing. “We tend to have the same creative eye,” says Hugo. “We look at light in the same way. Framing can differ, but that’s also something you can use to your advantage. You can learn fromeach other, use each other’s creativity. You’re a team for a day, helping each other to get the best results possible. We lovemeeting and working with different photographers.” Keeping it real Hugo and Yaël have continued to ignore wedding films by other operators, instead believing that it’s more interesting to watchmainstreamfilms and TV series and note the cinematic techniques used. “Being storytellers ourselves, that’s where we feel we’ll learn themost,” says Hugo. “How are theymoving the camera, and how does it help the story? How does music help? How do they achieve dramatic lighting? With weddings beingmostly run- and-gun and unscripted you’ll never fully incorporate those techniques. But it helps to strive to do the best you can.” The couple always work together, perhaps just splitting up for a period should the bride and groombe in different locations. It’s an approach that delivers twice the footage, multiple angles and the feel created by the use of alternative lenses, and it ensures that as little of the action of the day as possible is missed. It alsomeans that one can focus on the more creative shots while the other ensures that the ‘safe’ shots are in the bag. Knowing each other so well is an added bonus, since it can take just a single look to communicate that something, such as the shedding of an emotional tear, is happening that needs to be captured.
“They intuitively developed an approach that felt natural”
ABOVE The arrival of Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera 4K allowed The Dreamers to achieve a long-held ambition, to film an elopement, even in changeable light and weather.
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WINTER 2018 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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