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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

Eric & Bridget Save the Date from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

PRESS PLAY, THEN PAUSE AND ALLOW TO LOAD, THEN PRESS PLAY

This was a fun little engagement shoot we did with Kevin and Alicia Monahan with Kevin Monahan Photography. It’s always a collaborative effort when we shoot with Kevin and Alicia. We spent all of our time on the campus of Notre Dame. Eric graduated from Notre Dame and Bridget was obtaining her Masters Degree there. We love shooting at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. It’s such a beautiful church. We are always amazed at the architecture and just how warm and colorful it is inside. Walking around campus, you can’t help but feel all the history this University holds.

We are looking forward to their wedding this summer and will be producing a Same Day Edit for them to be shown at the reception.

These little engagement videos are a fun way to get your guests excited about the wedding day and can also be used as a gentle reminder to get the RSVP’s in.

Nina + Bill from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

PRESS PLAY THEN PAUSE TO ALLOW FILM TO LOAD-THEN PLAY

This is the trailer for a wedding we filmed near Chicago on Saturday. This is just to tease you a bit. The wedding was held at the historic Union Station in the Grand Ballroom in Joliet, IL. We enjoyed spending some time with Nina and her family at her Grandmother and Grandfathers house, while she was getting ready. We love spending time with the family to learn a little bit about their story. I always leave wanting to spend more time with them. At the house, I noticed some old wedding photos, some dating back to the 1800’s, that were proudly displayed on their walls. Nina’s Grandmother talked about each one. We were able to document some of the important memories that Nina has. Every wedding couple has a story and it is very important for us to be able to extract those little stories. We believe that memories are far more important than any material thing you will ever receive. I found it interesting that Ninas fondest memory of her Grandfather was when she was riding home in the backseat of a car. Her Grandfather was holding her close and she cherishes a photo of that moment. Life is full of these little moments. We are all fading flowers and as time goes by the memories and the stories preserved by photos and film increase in value.

We look forward to editing this wedding day story.

John and Jennifer Moon

Venue Union Station Grand Ballroom
Photographer Wedding Story Studio – Ian Dharma
DJ Manna Music – Phil Szaflarski

Andrew + Katy from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We were keeping our eye on the weather for this wedding. I kept pulling my iPhone out to check the radar to see if we would have any windows of opportunity to get some shots outside. There were small little windows to get some quick shots. We ventured inside the Indiana State Museum and there was some square dancing going on. We kept thinking of ways to use this moment. We talked to the guy running the square dancing to see if we could get Andrew and Katy involved. They welcomed them with open arms. Many of the couples dancing had been married 40 and 50 plus years. It was an interesting contrast seeing Andrew and Katy in the middle of these older square dancers. It was fun listening to the banter of marriage advice given to them as they walked out.

Katy looked so beautiful. One of our favorite parts is when Katy had her dress on and she and her Mom had one of those mother daughter moments. A moment realizing that the wedding day is a milestone. Andrew and Katy looked great together and we loved their personalized vows.

Church Tabernacle Presbyterian Church
Venue Mariott-Indianapolis Downtown

Nehemiah Vision Ministries from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

It will be a year this March since we were down in Haiti filming a documentary and discovering what Nehemiah Vision Ministries has done with investing in the children of Haiti. Our experience in Haiti had an impact on us and continues to work on our heart. I remember my wife Jennifer reading a Twitter post that a large quake struck Haiti. I searched the internet for any information of the severity. Being in Port Au Prince, in March I recalled how densely populated the city was. The next news I heard was that the city was in a dust cloud and many of the building had collapsed. While we were in Haiti, we stayed with the Pierre family and immediately thought of them and wondered if they were ok. Through the stateside contacts with Nehemiah Vision Ministries we found out that Esperandieu Pierre and his son Nathan were in Trinidad but that his wife, young son and older daughter were in Haiti. It wasn’t until today that Esperandeau received word that his family in Haiti were safe. There is no word on the condition of his home and how the tiny village of Chambrun was affected, the school and the children’s home. Esperandieu is now stuck in Providenciales Read the rest of this entry »

What is it about art, movies, documentaries, novel’s and images that seem to grab you and pull you in? Is it the imagery? Composition? Framing? Structure? Content? Music score? It’s probably a cohesive mix of all of these elements.

At Northernlight Filmworks we have been delving more and more into the wedding day story. For 2010, we are going to continue with our search for the story. We believe that everyone has something to share. Something that explains a unique aspect of a couples relationship. Often times it is stories of how they met, how the Groom proposed or the first time that the words “I Love You” materialized into a pivotal moment of their relationship.

Interacting with the couple, we learn about the significant parts of their lives. We learn about their goals, hopes and dreams. We love knowing about the couple, their family, and their friends. Their wedding day, in turn, becomes more meaningful to us. Stories and personalities add texture and enhance our wedding films. Our couples are more than clients to us. They are friends who for a brief moment in time, allow us into a very intimate part of their life. You are not going to find us aggressively asking people to say something on camera. We tend to take a very laid back candid approach. If we sense a discomfort then it is not something that is authentic for that individual. From experience, we learn to identify when to get the footage we need. Often we hear clients say, “we never even knew you were there”. That’s they way we want it because we want what is real.

Have you every started watching a documentary and you notice the footage is a little rough around the edges? As the characters in the documentary are introduced you find that you are drawn into the subject matter and there is a transition where the imagery becomes secondary to the content. We still believe that beautiful images play an important role but content can be equally and many times more powerful than the cinematography. We like to find a great balance between the two.

We are very excited about the weddings we have for 2010, it’s going to be a fun year.