A wedding cinematographer’s guide to Run and Gun filming with the Sony A7Sii: Menus

Ever since I made my first video reviewing the Sony A7Sii last year, people have been asking me about my camera settings. I never made a comprehensive video speaking about all the different features and settings that I use with the A7Sii when filming weddings, but that all changes today. Today I will be sharing with you how I setup my camera for filming weddings and other events in the “Run and Gun” style of shooting. Meaning: Quick setup times, near instantaneous changing of frame rates and resolution, and rapid dialing in of necessities such as white balance, aperture, and ISO.

While I wish I could share all these settings with you in one quick five-minute video, the customization capabilities of the A7Sii are quite a large topic. As I was composing my talking points I realized it would be best to split one video into a series of four, covering the menus, mode dial, custom buttons, and function menu.

Why four separate videos? Because once I started working through all I would need to speak about, I realized that my settings are worth more than a quick overview. It isn’t enough to simply tell you what settings I use; I also want to tell you why I use them. That way you aren’t going out and filming with them because “Matt said these are good settings,” but instead because you’ve tried them out and know they are good  for your workflow and shooting style.

With the intention of teaching you the “why” and not just the “how,” I believe it is best to start with a good foundation, and there is nothing more foundational to the A7Sii than the menu system. This may be an understatement to say that Sony’s menu systems on the camera are a bit convoluted. Organization is lacking, camera settings aren’t where you think they would be, and there are whole headings that I question the importance of.

Thankfully, this video in all of its 38 minutes of glory is here to help you understand the menu system, access what you need, and ignore what you don’t. “But Matt” you say, “Why do you have to talk about the menus, I just want to know how to change my settings quickly.” To which I will say, “We will get there!”

Look at all these settings!
Look at all these settings!

The goal at the end of this video series is for you to NEVER have to go into the menus at all to change your settings (aside from maybe formatting a memory card). You’ll be capable of changing your needed settings with one or two quick button presses, which is ideal for the “Run and Gun” style of shooting.

I love this camera, and I loved it even more once I had it customized to the way I film. I hope that this series helps you love your A7Sii too. Expect parts 2-4 to come out very soon.

If you have any questions about this video or the camera settings, feel free to get in touch.

My breath of life, my other half, my Cinderella // Two ceremonies, one wedding day, at the Joule Hotel in Dallas

When I was young, I didn’t like trying new things. I wore the same clothes, ate the same food, read a lot of books, and didn’t get out much. Thankfully this all changed around the time that I left for college, when I made a conscious decision to break out of my shell and attempt to be cool. Whether I was successful at being cool is debatable, but I did manage to make some friends and find a wife, so I consider that a win.

These days, I try to put myself in the position to try new things as often as possible. For example, when we go out on a date, my wife and I have a rule that we can’t go to the same restaurant twice. Another example: I create tutorial and review videos to help random strangers on the Internet.  I still do enjoy wearing the same clothes and reading though, so I guess everything hasn’t changed.

Now why am I telling you all about my awkward younger years? What does me trying new things have to do with Suneera and Amos’ wedding? Quick answer: Because their wedding was something new that I haven’t done before.

Two Ceremonies, Together

Longer answer: This wedding was a major step outside of my comfort zone. Instead of one wedding ceremony, I would be filming two. The first of which would be a traditional Indian ceremony, with all the outfits, music, and flower petals (so many flower petals!), that I had never experienced before. But due to my desire to try new things – and especially film new weddings – I was glad to do it.

Thankfully, Suneera and Amos were patient with me, as I learned all about Saris, Sherwanis, Garlands, and Talis. There was so much to keep track of, but throughout it all I was grateful for the chance to experience another culture’s traditions and ceremonies. Suneera and Amos, as you can see from the video, are such a sweet couple and I am glad I was able to film their wedding.

I learned a lot that day, and I’m looking forward to learning more in the future. So if you are planning a wedding and it looks like something that I haven’t filmed before, please get in touch. I would love to try something new.

Check out Suneera and Amos wedding highlight below: