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On February 23, 2010, we received some HUGE news via a text message from Reagan Zugelter of Studio Z Films in Cinncinnati.  The message said that we won the EventDV Top 25, as one of the 25 hottest and most influential event filmmaking studios in the world.  While Jen was jumping up and down, I was trying to retrieve my jaw from the bottom of my cereal bowl.

It was a quiet drive into work.  No radio, no talking, just the noise of the road and the wind.  I was trying to let it all sink in.

This was not a contest that you enter.  We never asked for any votes, not that there is anything wrong with that, we just felt that personally it would mean more to us that way.   There are so many talented filmmakers in this world and many on this list are an inspiration to us.  The amazing thing about this award is the votes are cast by our peers in the industry and we are very honored.  Personaly, we feel there are many studios worthy of this award.

Wedding filmmaking has come such a long way and we are proud to be part of the new revolution in producing films that are progressive,  contemporary and just plain fun to watch.   Much of what we have learned is from various disciplines; including cinematography, photography, art, music,  magazines, etc.  But there is incredible value in collaborating with fellow filmmakers either in a formal setting or just enjoying dinner together, a drink at a bar or just sitting poolside.  Forums and Facebook have made the world so much smaller.  We have collegues all over the world who also inspire us.   It is amazing to see how we have evolved over the years, always seeking perfection, but we realize how elusive that can be.  When we started Northernlight Filmworks, it was important for us to acknowledge that we should never be comfortable with our work and to continue to evolve, to push ourselves and our equipment.   Also to not be afraid to take risks for we fear stagnation.   The other important part of our business model is that we acknowledge that God gave us these talents and because of that, we believe in giving back or paying it forward.

We want to thank all who voted for us.  It truly is an honor to be named with others who have contributed so much to our industry.

We would also like to acknowledge position number 25, which was reserved in honor of Julian St. Pierre of Studio Vieux Carre in New Orleans, who passed away last year.  His heart, spirit and love for the advancement of our industry has left a lasting imprint.

John and Jennifer Moon

Maggie [+] Hunter from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

TO MAXIMIZE PLAYING EXPERIENCE, PRESS PLAY, THEN PAUSE. ALLOW FILM TO LOAD AND THEN PRESS PLAY

A little backstory on this one. We were contacted last year by one of our former Brides, Brittany. We had filmed her wedding at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO. Brittany sent us a message and said “hey just wanted to let you know that I referred a friend to you to film her wedding, her name is Maggie.” We thanked Brittany and told her we would let her know if Maggie contacted us. Later that day, we received an inquiry through our website and the message said that Brittany had referred her to us and she really liked our work and wanted to meet with us. As usual we read through the particulars of the date, location, etc. we then happened to notice that the last name of Hilligoss. Could this be the Maggie Hilligoss we know? John hadn’t seen Maggie for years….but how many Maggie Hilligoss’s could there be in this world? We wrote her back and told her that we were available and told her that John thought he was related to her. John’s Dad and her Dad are cousins. Lots of memories with the Hilligoss family when John was little. Wow! small world. Maggie immediately wrote back and confirmed what John had suspected.

This was a beautiful wedding and we had perfect weather. Everything from the location at Woodstock Country Club to the flowers, cake and overall decor. This wedding rocked! Maggie and Hunter are such a perfect fit for each other. John went to shoot some of the guys getting ready and as he walked out poolside, the Groom and the Groomsmen were in a circle talking. They started to sing and John was blown away by how good these guys were. He filmed them and later found out they were with the group called the Buffoons. A very talented group and I encourage you to check them out. To learn more about this group and their history go HERE.

We really enjoyed experiencing this wedding, it is close to our heart and it will always be a great memory for us.

We enjoyed once again working with Jennifer Driscoll. You have to check out the amazing images, Jennifer and Jordyn captured that day. To view go HERE: Jennifer Driscoll Blog

An Officer & A Lady [Austin + Rachel] from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

FOR OPTIMAL VIEWING, PRESS PLAY AND THEN PAUSE AND ALLOW FILM TO LOAD, THEN PRESS PLAY.

We had a memorable time getting to know Austin and Rachel. As Austin described himself to me, it was city boy meets country girl. Austin is in the United States Navy and is a pilot. Rachel is from a small rural community where everyone knows everyone. It was quite evident that family and close friends are important parts of their lives. We had met with Austin and Rachel a couple times before the wedding to just learn more about them and their family. I remember walking into the restaurant and Rachel said hi to a couple people as we walked in. We sat down in the booth and her close relatives happened to be next to us in another booth. I loved this. This is what many of us are missing, myself included. Connected communities like this are what many people never get to experience. I remember thinking that those types of encounters reminded me of when I was a kid and you just seemed to always bump into people you knew. The dinner we had with Austin and Rachel really allowed us to experience a bit of that romance and nostalgia and helped us wrap our head around how we would shoot and edit the film.

We enjoyed once again working with Janie of Alanna Photography.

February is the month of love so we decided to offer some love by  offering a free upgrade to the first 3 couples that book with Northernlight Filmworks on or before February 28, 2010.  This upgrade has a value of $500.00  (no monetary credit given).   We often find that the more opportunities we have to obtain different “moments” during the day,  the more creative we can be with our storytelling.  Contact us as soon as possible and if your date is available and you are one of the first 3, you will have us for your entire wedding day.

Photo Credit – SB Childs Photography

This was a shot I took while filming a high fashion photo shoot with Fashion Photographer Polina Osherov.  I have been a long time fan of her work and was excited that she asked me to be a part of this shoot.  I am always looking for ways to keep my creativity alive and to find inspiration in many things.  I love fashion photography because it challenges you to communicate a message to the viewer in one single frame.  What I like about this image is that it is an in between shot where no direction was being given.   I love black and white photos because it is simple and was a contrast to the dramatic look of the models.

We will be producing a video to explore where Polina and her team get their inspiration and how they approach each concept or project.  There is so much I can learn from these types of shoots in terms of lighting and direction and it is valuable in applying to cinematography.  Cinematography is all about framing, composition, lighting and movement and all of these elements were experimented with during this shoot.  I talked a little with Polina, who’s father was a Cinematographer in Russia.  I would love to sit down with him some time and pick his brain.  I’m sure he has some great stories. 

Hair Design          Irina Green

Makeup Artist    Kiralee Hubbard – EyeMax

Creative Design  Nikki Sutton