Thank you Mr. Telly!

A majority of the time we, at CinematicTouch, do what we do because we greatly enjoy what we do.  The long hours of editing, lack of sunshine, lack of social life, and lack of sleep is overshadowed by the many thank you cards and emotional emails we get from our clients saying how they enjoyed watching their wedding video.  The satisfaction from our clients is what drives us to do more.

However, every once in a while, it is truly rewarding to be recognized within your industry for your creative work and we at CinematicTouch are truly honored to have garnered such recognition from the one and only Telly Awards.  It is an incredible feeling when holding the famous statue in my hands as I still can’t believe I am holding what is considered the equivalence of an Oscar but for the video production industry.  We thank the Telly Awards for their generous award and we will use it to remind us to continually improve our work as well as our videography industry.

 

You are such a tease!

One concept that is becoming more and more popluar this year is the Wedding Teaser or Wedding Trailer.  Since we showed you what a wedding trailer looked like in an earlier post, I thought that it would be of interest to my valued clients and readers that you also see what a Wedding Teaser looks like.  The two are essentially the same in the sense that they build anticipation and interest in the upcoming wedding film but the main difference is in the length of time.  The Teaser is noticeably shorter (about 1 minute) but that doesn’t mean that it’s any less powerful.  With the right music and images, you can get a very moving piece that will keep the audience screaming for more.  We really like putting the Teasers together because it give us instant gratification way in advance.  It lets us show off to the couple (usually right when they get back from their honeymoon) all the best shots we captured of their wedding and can get some early feedback on our work.  Every one of my clients loves the fact that they get a sneak peak at their video by watching the teaser and are happy to wait while we work on finishing up the wedding film for them.

Below is a wedding teaser sample of Jodi and Josh’s wedding that we recently shot in April in Los Gatos.  The music is so powerful and enchanting…I just love how it adds to the video.

Enjoy!

Bridal Elegance Reloaded

Usually around this time of the year, many videographers start planning their annual pilgrimage to the dessert oasis of Las Vegas, Nevada (coming up in August) for the International Wedding and Events Videographer’s Association (WEVA) EXPO.  As such, it’s important that you don’t show up empty handed (or even more importantly, leave empty handed).  Every year, videographers compete to see who is the best of the best.  And this year for the first time, CinematicTouch plans to submit four entries into competition, just for kicks.  A sort of roll the dice and see what happens.  One of the categories that we’ll be competing in this year is the “Bridal Spotlight Production”.  It’s intent is to basically show the beauty and elegance of the bride and her dress….sounds kinda cheesy I know… but you’d be surprise how non-cheesy it can be with a little bit of creativity.

So…I searched for a bride that is not only beautiful but also adventurous and we spent a day just shooting at various locations (ie. vineyard, private estate, etc.).  The possibilities are endless with this because for future bridal elegance videos, I plan to shoot at more contrasting locations like streets of San Francisco (ie. North Beach),  countryside stables/barns, and inside old abandoned buildings.  I am also tempted to do something underwater or “IN” the ocean.  The stark contrast of the beautiful bride in her wedding gown against the juxtoposing background makes for great visual impact.  I can’t wait to see how that will turn out!  Anybody interested? 

Anyhow, since this one is our first bridal elegance video, let us know what you think and how we can better improve upon it.

So I Married An Ax Murderer – A Magical Event

I had the distinct pleasure of shooting Amanada and Stephen’s wedding last year in San Francisco at the famous St. John’s Presbyterian Church and then at the exclusive War Memorial Opera House for the reception.  Once a quaint little church only known by the locals, the church got it’s Hollywood notoriety soon after they filmed the 1993 comedy ”So I Married an Ax Murderer” starring Mike Myers and Nacy Travis.  The dark rich colors of the church’s wood interior made me realize how color can greatly enhance one’s visual experience.  I would later find myself utilizing some of the rich natural tones in the “wedding film” we produced for the couple (more on what a “wedding film” is later).  Another memorable moment I recall when we finally got to the Opera House was when Amanda and Stephen were just spending some quiet time together (with champagne glasses in hand) looking out the balcony of the opera house while motorists drove past.  I could clearly recall the congratulatory blarring of horns as these motorists greeted our newlyweded couple.  I was so foturnate to have been able to capture this moment for them on video.

A wedding film is essentially a short form (30-45 minutes) video recap of the wedding day.  Most of my clients prefer this concept over the traditional full length (1-2 hours) version of their wedding day.  The wedding film is much more refined and you basically end up with only the good parts of the day put together so that it maintains a level of interest from the viewer throughout the entire video clip.  Most of my clients say that they felt it was a movie they were watching because every scene led to the next and the story unfolded naturally.  Whatever dull moments like long sermons from the officiator get shortened so that only the important parts are used to tell the story.  Our goal is to make it so you’ll never have to feel like you want fast forward through any given segment of your video.  As you continue to watch the video sample below, play close attention to the vintage-style color schemes we utilized to give it the timeless feel.  Also, notice how one segment (ie. ceremony) naturally flows into the next (ie. reception) without any distinct breaks.  It may look easy and effortless when watching but let me assure you it takes plenty of planning, fine tuning, and thought to make sure the images flow with the underlying story. 

 Enjoy!

 Due to filesize limitations on YouTube.com, I am providing a direct link to my server instead:

http://www.cinematictouch.com/amanda_sample.htm