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This weeks featured filmmaker is Ray Roman of Ray Roman Films.
Ray has become well known around the country for his extraordinary camera work and cinematic storytelling. I have been following Ray for the past year and am constantly amazed by the quality of his work.
I asked Ray to let me feature some of his work and to tell us a little bit about the couple, the event and how he approached the creation of this piece.
This week I am thrilled to feature Darrell Aubert of Aubert Films for a behind the scenes look into some this amazing filmmaker's wedding work.
I first saw this clip a few weeks ago and immediately wanted to feature it on Weddingbee Pro. I love this clip. Darrell captured many absolutely beautiful moments but the one that moved me the most was the letter exchange sequence about three minutes into the piece. Darrell really shows such a sensitivity to the subtle but powerful emotions of the day.
Does it seem to you that more couples are looking for personal and emotionally-rich ways to experience their wedding day? It does to me. Lately, I have noticed a lot of couples who are including more of their guests in the activities of the day. They want to acknowledge and honor these people by drawing them in as participants.
From a filmmaker’s perspective, these interactions and activities help make for a great wedding film. They get the couple and guests interacting in interesting and often touching ways.
Julia and Ryan got married at Celebrations at the Reservoir just south of Richmond Virginia. Which happens to be less than a mile from my home. Gotta love that! 
Like a lot of outdoor weddings, everyone was afraid of “what happens if it rains”. Well, it rained but it all still went very well. A few people got a little wet and the harp player had to race the 7 foot harp to cover. But the rain stopped, they dried off the chairs and the harp and went on with the ceremony. Rather then getting stressed about it, Julia and Ryan just rolled with it and trusted that, no matter what, they were going to get married.
There are a couple of reasons that I like it when a bride gets ready for her wedding day at her home.
First and foremost, there is usually good food there and the moms always feed me. Second, is that this environment can help the bride to be more comfortable, and she also tends to reflect more on how her life has brought her to this moment. The home creates such a beautifully personal and rich background for a wedding film.
Julie wanted to be at her childhood home on the morning of her wedding. She wanted her parents, sister and the girls she grew up with to be there with her too. And, she asked me to be there to document everything. I'm glad she did. Judging by the comments from all the people I talked to, it is clear that Julie is well loved. She is a beautiful person in every way.
Jeff (also known as Opie) has a slightly larger than life persona. Everyone knows and loves him. He is fearless, funny, sincere and just an all-around great person. The two of them make a really fun couple. It was a pleasure getting to know them and their family and friends.
I first saw this clip about a month ago and was not only moved by it but was also very moved by the story behind it. I know Bill (the groom) from the wedding industry and had the chance to meet Jennifer at a party a while back. They are an amazing couple.
This clip was part of a film produced by wedding filmmaker, Scott Strimple of United Wedding. Scott is a fellow Virginia-based filmmaker and someone who is truly a confidant and friend. He has helped me tremendously as I began learning to navigate the ins and out of the business. He's a good guy as are the other folks that round out United Wedding, including Martin and Stephanie.
Outer Banks Wedding/Destination wedding video from United Wedding on Vimeo.
I asked Scott to tell us a little bit about the clip.
Jamilah and Wissam Wedding from William Gaff on Vimeo.
Are there things you want to know about wedding filmmaking? Well, here's your chance.
I am adding an “Ask the Experts” kind of feature to my blog here on Weddingbee PRO. Bee made this recommendation a while back, and I thought it would be a great idea.
I am going to invite some of the most creative and innovative filmmakers in the wedding film industry to answer your questions. Any question is welcome. You might have one about content and style such as, what are the differences between cinematic and documentary?
Your questions could have more to do with tools of the trade like, what are the differences between shooting on HD video or shooting on film? What are the potential advantages or drawbacks when shooting with lights or steadicams?
They may be about the process- what approach do different filmmakers use in preparing for and shooting a wedding? How is the film tailored to each couple? How is the cost determined?
When a question is posted, I will seek out the leaders in the field that are best qualified to answer that question. Depending on the question, there may be a several people answering. They may not all agree. They may even strongly disagree.
Jamie and Greg from William Gaff on Vimeo.
This year I seem to be doing more traveling than shooting weddings. I have to admit that I really have enjoyed these shoots quite a bit. Not because I am traveling to exotic locals. I am not. In fact, I have traveled to many small towns and even some places that I have never heard of.
What I have grown to love about these traveling weddings is the experience of being totally immersed in the events of the whole wedding weekend. To meet and interview family and friends on the rehearsal day and the wedding day. To feel the excitement when people come together for the first time with people they haven't seen for years. I see how they interact during the rehearsal and the dinner that usually follows. I see the big moments and the quiet intimate ones too. The event is actually much bigger than just a one hour ceremony.
Not too long ago, I saw the film Rachel Getting Married. That film reminded me that, not only are families wonderfully complex, but it also reminded me of how all of the amazing, moving, funny and strange family stories seem to bubble to the surface during the wedding weekend. It is an incredible thing to witness as an outsider.
I attended a wedding last fall in Staunton, Virginia, a beautiful town in the Shenandoah Valley. I was invited to document the wedding weekend of Jamie and Greg. They are a fascinating couple with a great story. However, it was all of the stories told by the family and friends that really made me appreciate the fact that the wedding was not really about just this couple. It was also about their families and friends, the past and present and, most certainly, about the hope for the future. But, somehow, this wedding was also about me. Somehow, watching a wedding weekend unfold like this affected how I look at the story of my own life. It's funny how that happens. 
David Perry, of David Perry Films, is truly one of the most progressive and influential event filmmakers of our time. His work is stunning and always receives accolades from many people including industry people and brides and grooms.
Some of his recent work caught my attention because of his use of a DSLR camera that is normally considered a still camera. This is a recent development in the video/photo world. Still camera manufacturers began adding video features to their cameras. These cameras bring to video the low light abilities, shallow depth of field and resolution normally only associated with the still image or motion picture film. This new feature has been well received by both event filmmakers and event photographers. The results have been amazing.
David shows some of the best uses of this technology I have ever seen. It helps that he was an amazing filmmaker long before this camera ever came along. Here is a good example of his work along with his description of the couple and the event.
5D Mark II Wedding Teaser from David Perry on Vimeo.
Most of the time, a marriage is not fully tested until well after the wedding. However, Erin and Earl's relationship would be one that would last though many years of trials, all before the proposal even took place.
They supported one another through high school, college, the passing of loved ones and separation by a call to duty that took Earl halfway around the world. Somehow through all of this, their relationship not only held together but grew stronger. They grew up together.
The wedding day was beautiful. It took place at The Gardens at Sunday Park in Midlothian, Virginia. The weather was absolutely perfect for the ceremony and reception. The reception venue allowed for a great view of the sun setting across the lake -simply breathtaking. The event was less about the formality of ceremony and more about the coming together of a small group of people that are forever connected by the lives of this couple.
Meeting some of these people at the wedding was a truly great experience for me. This event really reminded me that weddings are about much more than ceremony or tradition. They are a celebration of complex stories of life, love, family and friends.
What a great story to help tell.
Erin and Earl Preview from William Gaff on Vimeo.
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William Gaff, Washington, DC
Vendor: Videography
Website: Human Story Films
About Me: Welcome to this conversation about wedding films. I am a filmmaker of course, but also a son and a husband and a father. In addition to those things, I consider myself to be a storyteller. However, my love for stories started long before I ever picked up a camera. Through the years I have come to believe that story is really the breath of life. I hope that these blog posts encourage the conversation not only of how great wedding films are made, but also, and maybe more importantly, why they are made.
