2009 in the rearview

As 2009 comes to an end I wanted to look back and reflect on all the the personal and professional events that helped make it one of the best years of my life.

First the personal events.

Without question the single best event of 2009 for me was the birth of our second daughter, Sadie. She came into this world on June 3rd and has not stopped finding new and inventive ways of melting my heart. She’s smiling and rolling over and it won’t be long until she’s crawling. Of course she has seen the camera more than once and I’m working on putting together a film of her first year like I did with Mya. Nice segue to Mya here, she turned two years old in May and is going full steam ahead, no really, she doesn’t walk anywhere, she runs for no apparent reason but to get from point a to point b, really really quickly. We took her to Disney last January and to say she had the time of her life would be a ridiculous understatement. I bet we rode the flying Dumbo ride at least a dozen times and looking back at the smile on her face as if every time was the first time, I could’ve ridden it another dozen times. Those times were priceless! Every day she continues to make Reagan and I laugh at something silly she says or does but we’re also in complete awe of her desire to share and help out with her little sister. These are in fact the best days of my life and I’m certainly enjoying every minute of them. I’m looking forward to the days when Sadie and Mya are able to play together more and we’re able to do more things as a family. Certainly Mya and Sadie have the best mom in the world and I have the best wife. Reagan and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary in September and she amazes me every day with her multi tasking abilities. No joke, she can hold both girls and still find a free hand to do something else. She’s been there when the girls are sick and she’s been there when I needed her too. I truly am the luckiest man in the world.

Now the professional.

2009 has been a head spinning year. So many great things have happened and I’m truly blessed for everything. It was a year of new beginnings as I changed the studio name. I went from Glass Eye Video to Studio+Z Films. This change was something I had been working on for a long long time. It took me forever to find a name I loved and once I did, I found a great designer in Renee, owner of Ribbons of Red, to help me bring it all to life. It was important to me to not just add ‘Films’ to Glass Eye, I wanted a whole name change as I felt the studio had gone through more of a rebirth than a name change. Renee helped create not just a logo and awesome site, but also a brand. That was something I never had and I couldn’t be happier with it.

I hired the super talented Josh Emerson this year. He is an amazing asset to our Studio+Z Films team and we couldn’t have accomplished what we did this year without him! We really fine tuned our Same Day Edit that help make so many weddings unique this year.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to educate others when I presented at WEVA, Wedding & Event Videographers Association International, the worlds largest wedding videographer organization and at MIVA, Michigan’s professional Videographers Association and I have a few more speaking engagements lined up for 2010. I really enjoy public speaking and to have the opportunity to help other studios grow and achieve their goals is so rewarding.

Also at WEVA, I was incredibly honored to be awarded a Creative Excellence Award, its the Oscar or Golden Globe of our industry and to bring the first International Award for wedding filmmaking to our hometown of Cincinnati is indescribable.

One of the best moments of 2009 came when I opened the mailbox and found my copy of EventDV Magazine where there was a four page spread about my studio and the concept film I created that helped make this year the best year for me professionally. Our studio was also featured on Style Me Pretty, Rock n Roll Bride and two issues of Cincinnati Wedding Magazine.

Lastly, I just found out I was voted Best Videographer in Cincinnati by the The Knot magazine 2009/2010. What a huge honor!

Yes 2009 may be over, but 2010 is right around the corner with so many new opportunities and I’m incredibly fortunate for them all. I have a few things I’ll be unveiling soon, but I’m most looking forward to filming some of the most incredible weddings I’ve filmed so far, including quite a few destination weddings. I’m truly a blessed man and I couldn’t ask for more.

Speaking in Michigan Next Week!

I’m incredibly honored to be invited to present at the MIVA (Michigan Independent Video Association) this coming Wednesday, November 4th.  My presentation will be on concept films and how they can transform your studio.  I’ll be covering how to get started, advanced techniques, storyboarding and scripting methods as well as marketing.  I love to inspire others as much as I’ve been inspired and I’m really looking forward to this.  Good times with great people and I’m sure there will be an after party including hops and barley.  You can find more information here.  I hope to see you there!

Award Winner + Presenter: My experience at WEVA

Last week was one of the best weeks I’ve had in my life, certainly in my professional career. I attended the 19th annual WEVA Expo in Orlando. WEVA is the Wedding and Event Videographer’s Association. Every year they hold the largest conference where wedding filmmakers from all over the world come for inspiration, education, and to simply catch up with friends. This was my first experience with WEVA and I was honored twice by them. On Monday night they held the CEA awards. The Creative Excellence Award is the highest award offered in the wedding filmmaking world, it could be compared to the Golden Globe, Emmy, or maybe the Oscars in terms of what the award means to our industry. It was a very surreal moment when my name was called to come to the stage and accept an award. An incredible experience to say the least, I still can’t believe it. Fast forward to Thursday and I’m giving a presentation on Extreme Concept Films and how to use them to set yourself apart. In my five years in this business, I have certainly been inspired by some of the giants in the world and to have the opportunity to inspire others is nothing short of amazing. The hour flew by and it felt good to give back and to help others through education. I was introduced on stage by my good friend Ray Roman, which was a huge honor in itself. John Moon, an incredible filmmaker and friend  out of Indianapolis was in the front row with his wife Jen and my wife Reagan and he was awesome enough to take these pictures. What an amazing week it was, to inspire and be inspired in one place and then to bring the first WEVA International Award to Cincinnati is indescribable. I’m looking forward to next year to have the opportunity to inspire a new generation of filmmakers.

Featured in EventDV Magazine!

Every month I look forward to my issue of EventDV, a monthly magazine that is read by thousands of wedding filmmakers all over the world. Each issue is loaded with filmmaker goodies, lots of info on various products, and features on studios around the world that are standing out. Imagine how excited I was when the editor in chief calls me for an hour long interview to be featured in this very magazine! This was all part of Daphne and Jason’s Surprise Wedding Concept Film. It was an amazing opportunity to share the process of creating this film as well as my own creative evolution leading up to it. You can read the article here. I also created a Behind the Scenes episode that you can also watch on that page.   I narrate the piece like a directors cut and talk about what went into producing it and how various looks were created.   This amazing production was created with an amazing team including photo maestro Cindy Wagner and Mr. Josh Emerson, Cinematographer extraordinaire.  Needless to say this was a HUGE honor to be featured in the very magazine I run, don’t walk to the mailbox every month for, and to open it up to a four page spread of one of my films is completely indescribable.

Style Me Pretty LOVE!!!

Unbelievable! Jason and Daphne’s concept wedding film has been featured on one of the most prestigious wedding blogs out there. Its such a huge honor to have them feature this film and share it with their readers! They do such an amazing job of showcasing the hottest trends in weddings and new and inventive ways to really make your wedding unique. To be a part of their Little Black Book, their list of the best wedding vendors is an honor in itself, but to be featured on the front page is indescribable. In case you haven’t seen the concept film you can see it here, including the reveal, where the screen lifts and Daphne and Jason actually step out and get married!

Featured Speaker at WEVA Expo ‘09!

Wow! What a HUGE honor it is to be invited to give a presentation on concept films at WEVA Expo 2009! Honored is an understatement. WEVA is the Wedding and Event Videographers Association International. It is the largest organization for wedding filmmakers and to be chosen to speak to several hundred of my peers is incredible to say the least. Every year, wedding filmmakers from all over the globe convene in one location to learn, discover, and be inspired. My presentation will focus on the concept film, how to produce, market, and present it. From my Trash the Same Day Edit where I combined the Trash the Dress and the Same Day Edit to my recent production, I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences and inspiring others to think and create in ways that aren’t typically thought of in wedding films.  Reagan will be going with me and I’m really looking forward to sharing this experience with her!

Welcome to Studio+Z Films!

I cannot begin to tell you what a monumental moment this is for me. Reagan and I began thinking of changing the name a couple years ago, but could never settle on anything that really hit us. Looking back we had some really ridiculous ideas that at the time, seemed like good ones. Once we had a name we loved we began working with one of the best designers in town to create a logo and design this site. More on her later.

There are a couple reasons as to why the name change, but the main reason is it was time to leave ‘video’ behind as our work has progressed over the last couple of years to more film like in nature. We’re also have been incorporating newer tools and techniques to achieve a much fresher approach to wedding films.

Yeah, I’m going to miss Glass Eye Video, it is after all the beginning of where the studio is today, but I’m really looking forward to the future of Studio+Z Films. We have some incredible new features coming up and some exciting new films to share in the upcoming weeks.

There are a few people I really need to thank for helping me with this massive transformation. My super friends Kortnee and Ted of Kortnee Kate Photography for taking some really amazing promo shots of me. We had a blast that day playing in an abandoned house and I couldn’t be happier with the pictures!

HUGE thanks to Stephanie of Steph Carson Photography and Tine Hofmann of TM Photography for the pictures that you see on the site.

Finally, the biggest thanks to the one that had to deal with my endless questions and changes, the one that made this all possible….ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Renee Rist of Ribbons of Red. I had a vision and she ran with it. From the various logo concepts, to the minor tweaks to perfect the new one, she built this awesome custom site and blog that really blows me away. 

There it is, my first post under my new name. I really appreciate you taking the time to check it out. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

2008: In the Review

2008 was such an amazing year for me both personally and professionally.

Personally, my daughter turned a year old and advanced in ways I never saw coming. To watch her grow and explore and achieve is one of the most rewarding things about being a father. Later in the year Reagan and I discover that we’re going to be parents all over again. I am truly a lucky and blessed man to have such a beautiful wife to share with me the most precious gifts we could ever share with one another.

Professionally, I watched my business grow to unbelievable heights as I challenged myself to think more outside the box than ever before and create images that are both stunning and true to the couples they represent. Education was my investment of choice in ‘08. Learning new techniques from the industry giants which helps me perfect my craft and continue to push he envelope has been huge for me.

I made the old school meet the new school as I made the move to High Definition for a more cinematic flare but also offering Vintage Super 8 Film for a completely different nostalgic feel. I also created the first Trash the Dress films in Cincinnati and I still continue to offer the only Same Day Edit.

Style Me Pretty chose me to be in their Little Black Book of top wedding vendors in Cincinnati. I was asked to present on the hot trends of wedding cinematography at an International Special Events Society meeting as well as a luncheon for the Association of Bridal Consultants.

I moved into a new studio and I have three of the greatest studio mates anyone could ask for. It took quite a bit of time but we have the place looking super rad and I am very proud to meet my couples there and begin the experience.

I had the incredible honor of having my company hired to produce a press junket with Will Ferrell. What an amazing opportunity that was to work with one of the funniest men known to man. It was such a great day and at the end of it all I actually got Will to look into my camera and give Mya a happy birthday greeting, which I later used in her one year video.

I’ve become friends with some of the greatest names in the industry from around the world who are incredibly inspiring and holding me to higher standards, which plays into the cycle of challenging myself. I’ve also met some of the most talented people in Cincinnati, who I am very proud to call my colleagues. We too have become friends and I love working with the ones I’ve already had the pleasure of working with and I truly cannot wait to work with the ones I have yet had the honor of sharing the same event.

2008 was full of challenges and accomplishments, but the challenges set me up for greater accomplishments in 2009, which I’m ready to grab by the horns and enjoy the ride.