Jessica + Cody: The Highlight
What a gorgeous evening for a wedding, and even better that it was New Years Eve. Jessica and Cody joined their lives in front of their closest friends and family at the amazing Drees Pavilion. I remember meeting Jessica and her mom, Susan in our studio and how excited they were to have us film their day. That energy certainly carried over to the wedding day when Josh and I walked into the room to start filming the preparations. They chose the stunning Wiedemann Hill Mansion for their photos and what an incredible place that is. Geri, Josh and myself were like kids in a candy store, the possibilities are endless! There wasn’t a single dry eye when they exchanged their personal vows to one another and I’m very honored to have been there for it all.
The Team:
Planner: Viva Bella Events
Photography: Ciulla Photography
Makeup: Molly with Brideface
Hair: Sam Hills (Salon Cherry Bomb)
Megan + Jeff: Same Day Edit
I remember meeting Megan and Jeff several months ago to talk about their wedding at the Hall of Mirrors and bringing up the Same Day Edit and at the time, they weren’t sure it was something they wanted to do. I’m SO glad they changed their minds and from their emails, they’re equally glad! This is what Megan wrote in an email after the wedding, “Everyone was freaking out and telling me it was like an episode trailer for “The Hills” on MTV. You and Josh did such an amazing job. You are so talented and basically made the wedding night with the same day edit. Do you remember when we were considering not having it? I’m so glad we did!” As if that wasn’t sweet enough, Jeff sends this email, “I know Megan already thanked you but I wanted to personally let you know how much I appreciated everything you did for us this past weekend. The “Same Day Edit” blew my mind and was a very special moment for me at our wedding. You are a true artist when it comes to your work and I can tell you truly love what you do. The “SDE” was the talk of the party…” Emails like that make a bad day good and a good day even better! I wanted to try something different here and really focus on the vows they had personally written to each other. I really hope you enjoy Megan and Jeff’s Same Day Edit which played during dinner at their reception! Many thanks to Mr. Steve Lyons for the awesome reactions shots!
Planner: i-do weddings & events
Photography: Steve Lyons
Hair: Sam Hills
Make up: Nancy with Brideface
Florist: Kevin Ford
Ronald McDonald House
When I was approached to produce a film for the Ronald McDonald House, I had no idea of the journey this production would take me. Prior to this, my knowledge of the Ronald McDonald House was minimal, I didn’t know its mission or the stories of those it has helped in the past 27 years. It truly is an oasis of happiness for families going through one of the most difficult times one could ever go through. It is a place of support, love, and friendship where families from all over the world live under one roof while their children are receiving life saving treatments right next door. To see children who are receiving cancer treatments or organ transplants and all they want to do is be a kid and play with other children is indescribable and reminds me of how incredibly blessed I am. I will be forever grateful to have had this opportunity and I know from this experience, I will continue to give back to such an amazing organization that has helped countless families through the years. For more information on the Ronald McDonald House, please visit their website. I hope you enjoy this film I created for them, which played at their annual gala this past Saturday night.
Kristin + Mark: Coming Attraction
It would be difficult to ask for a better day. From the preparations at her uncle’s beautiful home to the reception at The Phoenix that evening, everything was under a stunning sky. The weather was perfect, the leaves had just started to change, I swear Kristin and Mark have connections somewhere to get a day like that! It was definitely a unique day too. Kristin and Mark didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, but were having their pre ceremony photos taken at the same time, in the same place, her uncle’s home. They even wanted to ride to the ceremony together, but still didn’t want to see each other first. I suggested they wear blindfolds and even sit next to each other in the limo bus. They loved it and even added to it by bringing along some heart shaped glasses to wear on top of the blindfolds, just to be sure. They had a blast with it all, and even though they sat next to each other on the bus, holding hands, they still never saw each other until she walked down the aisle! The very talented Steve Lyons was there as well capturing each moment and was incredible to work with. It was a perfect day for the start of their lives together. I hope you enjoy their Coming Attraction Trailer!
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.
Shannon + John: The Same Day Edit
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You simply could not have picked a better day for a wedding. Not only was the weather perfect, EVERYTHING was perfect. Shannon and John joined their lives in front of their closest friends and family and I’m incredibly honored to have been a part of it and to share their story with everyone. The energy was absolutely incredible and from getting to know them over the last couple of months I could really feel it escalate as their wedding got closer. Shannon and her bridesmaids were so awesome during preparations that morning, and John and his groomsmen were having the time of their lives starting with lunch at Behle Street Cafe, good good times! Dawn Dagenbach and her incredible team made the day flow with ease, and my rockstar photography friends Kortnee + Ted, were amazing to work with as always! After the ceremony the party kicked off at Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, which was absolutely stunning, the perfect location for a celebration. I was so excited when Shannon + John chose a Same Day Edit, they are always so much fun to produce and the reaction from the guests is always one of disbelief. They can’t believe they’re watching a highlight from that very day. They are taken on a journey and are able to see the preparations, the photo shoot, the ceremony and even parts of the reception that just happened a couple hours or minutes ago. This was no exception. Their guests loved it and I really hope you do too!
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.
Cari + Kyle: Coming Attraction
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This was a wedding I was looking forward to filming for a long time. Cari + Kyle had a gorgeous wedding at the spectacular Drees Pavilion which has one of the best views of downtown Cincinnati. I remember the anticipation of their first look as Cari stood in the gazebo looking out at the downtown backdrop and Kyle walking up behind her. You could really feel the energy, it was truly an amazing moment! From the preparations to their last dance, it was an amazing celebration. Cari and her bridesmaids were so awesome and really helped us get some amazing footage. Kevin Ford worked his floral magic and produced some of the best arrangements I’ve ever seen. The Paul Otten Band played everyone’s favorites, Robert Ramundo showed off his crazy photography skills, and this elegant event was orchestrated by the talented Elisa MacKenzie and her incredible team. It was a day filled with love and laughter and I’m truly honored to have been a part of it all. I really hope you enjoy their coming attraction!
Anne + Tim: The Same Day Edit
Anne + Tim had an AMAZING wedding. Despite the hurricane force winds that blew through Ault Park during their ceremony, everything was beautiful! It was a gorgeous setting as they saw each other for the first time on the pavilion. The energy between them is inspiring, I learned this firsthand when producing their love story that was actually part of this Same Day Edit. The Same Day Edit is a highlight of the day’s events that is produced the same day as the wedding and is shown on a large screen during the dinner at the reception. Its always a huge hit and combining it with their love story was such an amazing way to give their guests a little insight into their story. Anne + Tim had their reception at the elegant Savannah Center where Robbin made sure everything was perfect! Brad Smith was there documenting the day and it was a pleasure working with him as usual. Congratulations Anne + Tim and thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day and tell your story.
