-
Richie & Jeeho: a sun-soaked Palm Springs wedding trailer from Modern 8 Films
Sometimes we notice that east coast wedding photographers and filmmakers get a little freaked out by too much sunlight and go running for the cover of shade. We love how California studios know how to embrace the light. That’s certainly what Modern 8 Films did for this Palm Springs wedding. With no shade in sight, the sunshine became a part of the story. I loved how it’s integrated into the film, like the blown-out shot of the bride and her father entering the church.
Two other things stood out for me with this trailer. One was the excellent use of a GoPro to bring the pool at the Ace Hotel into the story and introduce a nice analogy between marriage and “taking the plunge.” Second was the soundtrack from With Etiquette. A lot of live event filmmakers use The Music Bed (and I love it myself), but With Etiquette is a great place to search for music that’s a little more off the beaten path and not as commonly heard in other trailers.
Trailer by Modern 8 Films.
Music: I See You All The Time by Music You Can Swim To, licensed through withetiquette.com
Read More » -
Ryan & Stephanie | The first ever trailer by First Look Films
This trailer came in via submission from self-described “new wedding filmmaker” Noah Ruderman of First Look Films. So new, in fact, that Ryan & Stephanie is the first ever trailer he has put forth into the world.
Now, the first ever trailer we released can be found online. If you search really hard. But we’d never submit anywhere because, frankly, it wasn’t very good. I mean, the couple were very happy with it, but we knew we had a lot to learn and improve on.
And while Noah certainly has a few things he could polish up, this is a pretty phenomenal first go-round. He’s certainly shooting with better kit that we had on our first wedding – in particular, a lot of L-series glass, and a 5D Mark III – but he also shot this on his own, which is a feat in itself. Unless you’re a shooting freak of nature, I’d always recommend a crew of at least two. The storytelling stands out, and I love how he weaves different elements of the day together to tell a pretty complete story of the wedding.
And those areas to work on are the ones we all struggle with most at first. Color – both white balance choices on the day, and grading in post. There’s a quick back and forth between two shots at 3 minutes that makes the issue most obvious, but shooting outside in that sort of sunlight is a challenge even for seasoned pros. The music is a touch too overwrought for my taste, and I feel that rather than supporting the narrative, it detracts from it slightly. And Noah’s biggest mistake, obviously, is persevering with Final Cut Pro when everyone sensible has come over to Premiere Pro. For the record, I’m the Adobe hipster – I was using Premiere in 1999.
So, filmmakers, how does seeing Noah’s first trailer compare to your memories of your own first time? Was your first trailer this good? What’s the biggest thing you learned after your first time that you now bring to your work?
Trailer by First Look Films
Music: Letting Go by James Dooley licensed from songfreedom.com
Read More » -
Where do you find your inspiration as a wedding filmmaker? Roshambo, a film from Free People
I’ve written before about the importance of finding inspiration as a live event filmmaker. Most of us film dozens of weddings and events each year, and with that comes a risk of getting stale. I make and watch a lot of films about love. When it starts to feel formulaic, that’s when I know I need to go outside my usual realm for inspiration.
That’s where Roshambo comes in. This isn’t a live event film. It’s essentially an ad to sell clothes for Free People. But oh, what an ad. This is a story about the connection between two people and the role that chance, luck and risk play in falling in love. I’ve watched it several times and I never stop tearing up. I love the camerawork, and it’s made me think about different ways I can approach filming couples on their wedding day. Every couple we work with has a story– they all have their own “Roshambo”. If as filmmakers we can find our way to it, we have the chance to make something very special.
Roshambo also reminds me that all love is risk, so are all weddings, and so is every time we turn on a camera and capture someone’s story. There’s no point playing it safe when it comes to love, or to love stories.
This film was made by The Mill in collaboration with Starworks Group.
Read More » -
Linda & Samir | A Central Park wedding film by Moho Creative
I have a filmmaker crush on Moho Creative. They’re yet another husband and wife team and they do super fun stuff in the edit that produces trailers like this one for Linda & Samir.
This film has a beautiful, calm sense of pacing – slow slides (which are really hard to without a motor) and not too quick on the cuts.
Trailer by Moho Creative
Music: Aerials by Lights & Motion, licensed from The Music Bed
Read More » -
For filmmakers: Using the Canon C100 for live events from Joe Simon Films
This one is especially for all you live event filmmakers and is a super interesting watch. Live event filmmaker Joe Simon takes the C100 through its paces and compares its dynamic range, low light capabilities and overall functionality to the 5d Mark III.
Get ready to geek out, and no doubt start saving your pennies so your studio can upgrade…
Music licensed from The Music Bed.
Read More » -
Kristine & Chad | A wedding film by PhotoHouse Films
There comes a time in every wedding filmmaker’s life when he or she is at a wedding reception, rigged up with some sort of camera stabilization device (I’m a Steadicam Pilot kind of guy, but hoping to be a Movi kind of a guy soon) and in front of him forms an arch of people’s hands, through which other people are running.
I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. The filmmaker is faced with a simple choice. Go through the arch too, or hang back. Here’s to making the right choice.
Trailer by PhotoHouse Films
Music: You and Me by Ben Rector and When I Am Old And Grey (Cinematic Joy Remix) by The Candle Park Stars, both licensed from The Music Bed
Read More » -
Megan & Matthew | A wedding film by JB Videography
Lately there’s been a lot of talk about new cameras in the indie filmmaking world. We just had NAB, the annual trade show where manufacturers try to out-do each with product announcements. This year Black Magic Design stole the show with a camera that will shoot 4K resolution but cost only $4k. But as the neverendingly awesome Phillip Bloompoints out, you wouldn’t buy the same tennis racquet that Roger Federer uses and expect to be winning a grand slam by the weekend.
So here’s a trailer that shot on what some would consider inferior equipment, yet still looks fantastic. JB Videography shot this on a Canon T3i – which is considered a consumer rather than professional camera body, and has some significant limitations when shooting video – and Tokina lenses. Can you tell the difference if you look closely? Maybe. Does it matter? You tell me.
Trailer by JB Videography
Music: Always With You by Loud Harp, licensed from The Music Bed
Read More » -
Azalea Festival | A live event film by Blueberry Fusion
Much as we love a good wedding film, we also love to mix it up with other types of live event films, and here’s a great example of one from Blueberry Fusion. The energy here is spectacular and the overcranked footage looks incredible. Great stuff.
Live event film by Blueberry Fusion
Music: Heart Starts Beating by Lovelite licensed from The Music Bed.
Read More » -
Kari & Garrett & Lightsabers | A wedding film by Switzerfilm
There is nothing more a filmmaker likes than something unique to latch onto in a couple. Something that is central to the relationship and that can be central to the wedding film. Sure, Switzerfilm got lucky with a couple whose wedding vows were all about Star Wars, but boy did they run with the idea. And even once the duel is done, there’s so much to love in this trailer – great shooting, exquisite coloring, creative use of Andrew Kramer‘s lens flares. For any filmmakers who don’t think going the extra mile for their couples is worth it, watch this.
Trailer by Switzerfilm
Music: White Dress by Parachute, licensed from songfreedom.com
Read More » -
Matt & Emily | A wedding film by Leigh Zeidner Pictures
We loved this recent piece on nofilmschool.com about the lack of women directors in Hollywood. In wedding filmmaking too, we tend to find most of our peers are dudes. I don’t want to kick the hornets’ nest of what respective talents men and women bring to filmmaking, but I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of male filmmakers find some of the emotional aspects of wedding filmmaking a little harder than the technical.
This trailer from Leigh Zeidner is all about the emotional, and hits home hard because of it. Great use of audio and some judicious shooting make for a powerful trailer.
Trailer by Leigh Zeidner Films
Music: Celeste by Les Enfants licensed through The Music Bed & The Traveler’s Blues by Austin Craig with permission from the artist.
Read More »
