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I’ve admired the work of Naomi Raiselle for quite a while now. Naomi’s studio, Generations Cinemastories, produces documentary wedding films in the Boston area.
She has the amazing ability to capture the true spirit of the event and the true essence of the characters involved. Their work is intimate, unpretentious, real and moving. I asked her to show us an example and tell us a little about the couple and the event.
Lindsey and Nate
Lindsey and Nate came to see us well over a year before their wedding. It was an immediate “click” with these two. They loved our work, and we loved them but they couldn’t afford us. Although we were willing to adjust our rate downward a bit (they were so lovely and SO in love!) there was still just too big of a gap between their budget and our rates.
Throughout the year we heard from Lindsey – and Lindsey heard from us. As we came up with a few new packages, I would contact Lindsey, and Lindsey would tell me that she and Nate were trying to save up.
Not surprisingly (since these things DO tend to work out!) the date remained unbooked, and just a month or so before the wedding, Lindsey’s mom called to tell me that she and her husband had decided to give the couple our services as their wedding gift. We were thrilled, and needless to say, when I called Lindsey to tell her we were filming her wedding, she was over the top excited.
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This week, I wanted to show something a little bit different than what I usually do.
A few months ago, I heard about a new wedding related event that was going to take place in the Portsmouth/Norfolk area of Virginia. Normally, bridal shows don’t appeal to me very much but this one sounded different. They were going to try to create an event that is informative and showcases the latest trends and talent in the area. However, to do this, they were planning on staging a mock wedding that included everything from the bride getting ready, to the ceremony, the cocktail hour and the reception. They were going to do this in front of a live audience.
The idea intrigued me. To me, it sounded more Broadway than bridal. So I met with the show’s creator Michelle Kilgore to ask if she wouldn’t mind if I documented the event. She agreed.
When I first met with Michelle, I discovered that she was energetic and had a larger than life way of talking about what she does for a living and what she was planning for this show. However, it was also obvious to me that she was an incredibly smart and sincere person and might be able to pull this show off.
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This week’s featured filmmakers are the husband and wife team, Steve and Laura Moses of Vantage Point Productions. Steve and Laura are not only terrific filmmakers but also leaders in their industry. They have supported and educated other filmmakers for many years. They are just really good people. Additionally, they seem to really have the ability to understand their clients and produce films that are special to each and every couple and each event. This week’s clip is a great example of that.
Untitled from Vantage Point Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.
I asked Laura to tell us about the couple, the event and how she and Steve approached the filming of this event.
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“Senior year was when I couldn’t get enough of April Powers”- Dustin
Dustin fell in love with April in high school and despite many ups and downs, he never fell out of love with her.
I first met April and Dustin nearly a year before their wedding and could tell right away that they were the real deal. Their relationship had already been tested several times. Dustin was so open and willing to describe how he dealt with his parents’ divorce and how that made a huge impact on the way he thought about commitment and marriage. Part of their story is how he came to realize what was really important to him.
What you can’t tell from watching he film is that April and Dustin sat shivering for a two hour interview on a cold day in the woods about 100 yards from the place that they would marry in a week’s time. They were so open to my requests and my questions. They were really good sports and great storytellers.
Thanks April and Dustin.
April and Dustin from William Gaff on Vimeo.
I am so thrilled to present this weeks featured filmmaker, Oleg Kaylan.
Oleg lives and produces wedding films in Moscow, Russia. His work is absolutely beautiful. His cinematography is amazing but it was his intimate honest storytelling style is what drew me to his work. Below is the first clip of his that I saw.
Venchanie_Murom, Russian Church Wedding, Feb 2009 By Oleg Kalyan
Sometimes, it’s the less than graceful moments that are often the most fun and the ones that can be the most heartwarming ones. I have always thought that the dressing and primping of the bride is one of the funniest times of the day. From my experience, brides that have the most fun on their wedding day are the same brides that not only see the humor in all of the chaos, awkwardness and silliness of the day, but actually enjoy it and look forward to it.
Photos by Robert Henshaw-Suder
The featured filmmaker this week is Bruce Patterson of Cloud Nine Creative. Bruce is responsible for some of the most amazing wedding images I have ever seen. His work continues to inspire many people in the wedding film industry. I feel fortunate that Bruce was willing to not only share his work but tell us a little bit about his approach to creating this beautiful wedding film.
Images courtesy of www.bebbstudios.com
I am so pleased to present Joth Riggs of Whitestone Productions as today’s featured filmmaker. Joth’s work has inspired me a great deal since hearing of him about a year ago and seeing his work. His cinematography and editing are perfectly executed, and his storytelling skills are among the best in the business.
This is not surprising as Joth is a seasoned film professional outside of the wedding world as well. He is a Directors Guild of America member with a list of film and television credits that will fill an IMDB page or two. He is a great example of the current rise in experienced filmmakers and film school grads getting into wedding films, infusing this fast growing industry with new blood.
The following clip from Joth is one of my favorite clips of the year. I asked him to tell us a little about the event and the approach used in the filming it.
Here’s what Joth wrote:
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We know from high school writing class that character development is an important tool for a writer to have. In filmmaking, some of the same rules apply and character development is equally important..
Photos by Eagle Eye Photography
In wedding films, of course, we tell the story of our protagonists (our couple), but it is often our supporting cast and their stories that add a richness to the film. These supporting characters tell us so much more about our couple, about who they are and how they found their place in this world.
My filmmaking style is most likely the result of watching films in my two favorite genres, romantic comedy (yes, I just admitted that) and interview driven documentary.
The first one might have obvious applications in wedding films, but the latter may not be as obvious to some. Who in their right mind would want to interview people on their wedding day much less be interviewed?
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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.
