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Bridget {and} Eric from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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We always enjoy filming a wedding at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame and Morris Park Country Club. We met with Bridget and Eric about a year before the wedding to shoot a Save The Date video for them. The campus of Notre Dame is full of history and beautiful architecture. The day of the wedding, we also produced a Same Day Edit for them. A Same Day Edit is where we will shoot and edit throughout the day and then produce a highlight of the day, which is shown on the big screen at the reception for the couple and guests to enjoy.

We enjoyed working with Bridget and Eric and they made it such a fun and memorable experience for us.

Wedding Professionals
Photographer: Kevin Monahan Photography
Florist: Michael Angelo’s
Cake: Rascia’s Cake Design
DJ: ProShow
Coordinator: Anne Landis of Morris Park Country Club

Here is their Save The Date video.

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

Here is the Same Day Edit

Bridget {and} Eric – Notre Dame Same Day Edit from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

Casimir {and} Andrea from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a wedding we filmed in Indianapolis, Indiana at the beautiful St. John’s Catholic Church in downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Central Library. Casimir and Andrea dated briefly in High School and went their separate ways. As fate would have it, they reconnected while attending Purdue University and now they are Husband and Wife. We are always intrigued by our couples relationship, how they met, and little twists of fate, their family, etc. There is always a story to tell. They had a beautiful wedding all the way around. We enjoyed once again working with our good friends Brock and Stefanie Childs of SB Childs Photography.

Vendors

Hair and Makeup: WIP Downtown
Photographers: Brock and Stefanie Childs, SB Childs Photography
Wedding Coordinator: Nora Kuzel, Central Library
DJ: Jason Fritz, Pro-Sound Entertainment, Inc
Florist: JP Parker Flowers
Cake Artist: Willow Branch Bakery

I am very excited to be speaking along with Steve Zugelter of Studio Z Films in New Orleans in January for In[Focus]. In[Focus] is an educational seminar for the event filmmaking industry. We will be speaking on branding. It is such an honor to be speaking at this incredible educational event. It is amazing to see the positive changes in our industry and to watch many studios elevate their work to a very high level. With the success of event filmmakers all over the world, we believe that properly branding your studio to reflect who you are, not only as a studio but the individual as well.

Molly from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This is yet another Heirloom shoot that we did for this wonderful family. The first year is such a milestone, not only the child but for the parents as well. For many parents, this is a period of adjustment and it does change the dynamics of the Husband Wife relationship. It was quite evident that this family has all of their priorities in place. There is something about having a child that can bring a couple even closer together. It is always an experience filming these Heirloom sessions because they all seem to take on a personality of their own, which is exactly what we like. We love to learn about people, their backgrounds and a little bit of there own story. Molly is such a cute little girl and we loved observing the dynamics of this family that day.

Our Heirloom sessions are shot exclusively with Carpenter Photography and Design. We would like to hear what you think about this Heirloom shoot.

Stefanie {and} Bryan from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This wedding will go down as one of the upper tier most beautiful weddings we had in 2010. A credit to Stefanie’s vision and Kim King Smith Events. We always seem to luck out and get great couples with equally great families. The wedding was at St. John’s downtown, which is one of our favorite old churches to shoot at. The old churches really have a lot of character and there is a certain romance about them. We shot quite a bit of 16mm film and Super 8 film for this wedding. There is some black and white film that was shot and this is true black and white film stock. Film always adds to the romantic feel of the wedding. Film has natural grain in it and imperfections that give the wedding film some texture.

The reception was at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, which is also one of our top places to shoot. The reception was over the top beautiful. How about that cake from Heavenly Sweets…it tastes as good as it looks.

Thank you Stefanie and Bryan for choosing Northernlight Filmworks to film your wedding!

**Photo credit: Video place holder image is courtesy The Studio Photography.

Church St. Johns
Venue Indiana Roof Ballroom
Event Planner Kim King Smith Events
Cake Heavenly Sweets
Flowers McNamara
Photography The Studio
Band Zanna-Doo

This video is quite funny and the delivery is very good. It is, however, not something that would probably go over very well for a toast that you may give. But this video does give you some clues on the structure of a toast. There is a beginning a middle and an end and the length is perfect.

The toasts are one of the areas where we look to obtain sound bites and can often involve some time shifting to set the stage for the wedding day. We try to suggest to our clients that they ask their friends or family to prepare ahead of time for their toast that they will deliver at the reception. Sometimes we hear “Oh my brother or my Dad is not the sentimental type”. It doesn’t have to be mushy stuff but certainly they have some memories that mean something to them or certain events that they love to recall. There are always touchpoints in peoples lives that they can pull from to include in their toasts and these are very important. We had a Best Man recently tell a funny story of a baseball game they played when they were younger. He said in that speech that it’s those simple funny memories that they will always remember. Have fun with the toast but also be respectful and authentic. Below are 10 tips to think about as you prepare for the honor of being asked to give a toast.

1. PREPARE SOME NOTES: Just start writing some thoughts down on paper or your computer. If it’s your friend, think about how you met, funny stories, why you remained friends, what you admire about the person, personality qualities, etc. The Father of the Bride can certainly pull from many memories. Did you ever remember thinking of this day when she was a child? What do you admire about her? What do you admire about the Groom? If the Groom asked your permission to marry your daughter, recall that day. What went through your mind at the time?

2. DELIVER THE SPEECH IN A MANNER YOU ARE COMFORTABLE: Don’t try and deliver a speech that you feel you can’t pull off, because you won’t and it will show. Be yourself.

3. IT’S NORMAL TO BE NERVOUS: Don’t let this be a barrier for you. It really is ok to be nervous and most people are. If you are nervous it’s ok to let people know this. Just letting people know you are nervous is actually a calming effect for yourself. Once you get started, you will be fine. The more prepared you are the less nervous you will be.

4. DON’T CONSUME TOO MUCH ALCOHOL BEFORE THE TOAST: The video above is funny but if you are too drunk to give a speech, it’s going to embarrass the couple and later you.

5. BE RESPECTFUL OF THE COUPLE AND GUESTS: It’s ok to have fun but remember this is one of the most important days of this couple’s lives and a lot of money has been spent. If you think something you are planning to say or do, run it by someone for another opinion.

6. KEEP THE TOAST OR SPEECH AT A REASONABLE LENGTH: You don’t want the toast to drag on. It should be delivered at a pace so that people don’t get bored but not too short that it seems unsincere. Anything over 5 min is going to probably cause people to drift.

7. HAVE THE DJ OR BAND ANNOUNCE THE TOASTS: There is nothing worse than someone trying to give a heartfelt toast and the guests are talking and moving about. Have the master of ceremonies give a 5 minute and then a 2 minute warning.

8. SPEECH SHOULD HAVE A BEGINNING MIDDLE AND END: Watch a movie trailer and see how they get a message across in such a short amount of time. Some of your favorite movies that kept your interest had a distinct beginning, middle and end. Construct your toast that way. This will help you with pacing and delivery as well.

9. STAY IN THE LIGHT: Receptions are notorious for being dark environments but if there is available light, stay in the light so that the couple and guests can see you. This is also going to benefit the photographer and videographer in documenting this important part of the day. Face the couple when you are referring to them and it’s ok to turn to the audience when telling a story about the Bride or Groom. Try not to pace back and forth.

10. PRACTICE YOUR TOAST: You spent all this time thinking about what you are going to say and you captured some notes, you need to practice it so you are comfortable with it. Practice at least a couple of times. Do this with someone or by yourself.

Relax and have fun with it.

Scott {and} Stephanie from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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What a classy family! We had the pleasure of filming this wedding in Indianapolis, Indiana. Such a great family on both sides. We felt so incredibly welcome. The Bride, Stephanie, had this perpetual smile all day long. She has one of those infectious smiles. One of our favorite times of the day is the morning when the Bride is getting ready. We don’t film that entire time but bits and pieces. It is during that time we see the relationships and the personalities of the Bride’s family and friends revealed to some extent. Scott was in such a great mood all day long and they both really just soaked it all in. Below is the e-mail we received from Stephanie.

“The movie along with the ceremony and reception were awesome!! We couldn’t be happier! The filming and production…everything amazing! Thank you so much! We also loved the special touches on the DVD cases. ~ Stephanie”

Photographer Jennifer Driscoll
Venue Central Library
Band Cocktail Sax Band
Florist Coby Palmer Designs
Cake Heavinly Sweets

**Photo credit Jennifer Driscoll for video place holder image. It rocks!

Mannequins {Behind the Scenes} from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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Some of our work recently appeared on IndyStyle TV on WISH TV 8 and this video is the full HD version of what appeared.

This is another fashion shoot we did with Polina Osherov and Stylist Nikki Sutton. These types of shoots really help expand my creative vision and to see different ways to compose a shot and to give me an opportunity to play with light a bit. It’s also inspiring to see how this team of creatives work together. It was fun to see a conceptual project progress from an idea to the final product. There is so much time involved in pulling a high caliber shoot like this off. There is an immense amount of time involved in working the logistics out, including the shoot location and obtaining permission to lining up the models, wardrobe, makeup, hair stylist and even some set construction.

This was a hot sticky day inside this early 1920′s manufacturing building but nobody complained and it resulted in some amazing work by Polina. Models Vika and Tyrie did an amazing job even in the heat.

This is really a huge team effort and a team that has chemistry. I always say that a creative team is like 2 people dancing and the good dancers know the next step and if there is a mis-step the partner knows how to compensate. It’s no different with a fashion assignment like this. This team has it going on and they have the creative chemistry to pull it off.

Special Thanks to Kings Image for wardrobe

Photographer Polina Osherov
First Assistant Esther Wolf
Stylist Nikki Sutton
Makeup Artist Kiralee Hubbard – Eyemax
Hair Stylist Irina Green
Cinema Assist Brock Childs

Models: Vika Kotlova and Tyrie Rudolph (They were amazing!)

Hopkins Heirloom from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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I remember as a child sitting and talking with my Grandmother and listening to her stories and just observing how she lived her life. It wasn’t until I was a grown adult that I realized the impact that she had on my life from her influence on my faith to her value of hard work and education.

It has been 1yr ago that my wife Jennifer lost her Grandfather to cancer. We had talked about sitting with her Grandparents to do something similar to this but the door had closed on that opportunity. But it did remind us how important it is to not only rely upon memories but to somehow memorialize the people that have shaped and molded you into who you are. Life moves on and sometimes we have to observe it in our rearview mirror only to realize that moments no matter how insignificant at the time mean so much in the present. After you watch this short video, think about those that are important in your life, spend some time with them. Soak it all in.

Our Heirloom sessions have been a joint effort between our studio and Carpenter Photography and Design. These sessions are about telling a story, no matter the length of the video. It is an un-hurried session capturing images and video. I enjoy capturing the authentic moments in between photos because this is where you get those little soundbites and the interraction between people. Sometimes we ask questions and other times we just let things play out. Mel Carpenter and I seem to have this certain chemistry where she knows some of the questions to ask and we just play on that like it’s a dance.

The Hopkins family shoot was a true joy to film. We had promoted this session and had asked people to submit their story as to why they would be a great candidate for this Heirloom session. We remembered that one of the Grandchildren, Serena had wrote to us. It was more about a focus on her Grandparents than it was her. We thought this was important because it caused us to then reflect on the dynamics of how these sessions evolve. In this case it was a focus on the Grandparents.

We sat down with the Grandchildren to get their take on how Grandma and Grandpa impacted their lives and continue to have an influence on their lives. This short video doesn’t tell their whole story but it does shed some light on their character and personality. It was never about material things, it was as simple as spending a little time here and there that mean the most.

Feel free to comment and share with us who has impacted your life.

Below was the lovely message we received from Serena.

“I know you can’t see me right now, but I’m in tears. It’s a beautiful representation of a beautiful love, truly the greatest of all heirlooms I could ask for. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ”

I spent 3 days last week in the West Indies on the island of St. Lucia for a shoot. This was a very last minute shoot and was on the plane within 24 hrs of accepting the job. It was rush getting a few things packed and my gear organized and strategically packed. I traveled alone on this trip but I don’t mind this. I do enjoy traveling with my wife and family but there is something about traveling alone that causes you to focus a bit more. I find that I meet more people this way and I love talking to people to get their story.

My connecting flight out of Atlanta I sat in the middle seat. On my right was a man named John and to my left a woman named Karen. John and I talked quite a bit. He is a biology professor at Saint Mary’s College and he was on his way to St. Lucia for a job interview at a university on the island. John is originally from Trinidad and his wife and 2 children are still there. I learned more about his areas of expertise. He is currently working on research involving antibiotics to try and resolve why they sometimes cause hearing loss. Instead of lab rats, they use Zebra fish to run tests. One of the most widely researched fish in the world with an immense amount of data about this special fish. John was an interesting person. Karen was on her way to St. Lucia to go on a barefoot cruise. She was an emergency room nurse and actually was a consultant for the TV show 24.

As I sat quietly, John asked me where I was staying. I told him I had no idea. He gave me a puzzled look. I said “really, I don’t know, they never told me”. He asked if I was going to be on the north or south end of the island. I just shook my head, shrugged my shoulders and told him that I really didn’t know but I would meet up with my contact at the airport. I was ok with this but John in his accent said, “no way would i ever do that, it would make me too nervous”. I told John that I just look at these trips as adventures and just go with the flow.

The island was just breathtaking to see and I stayed in a beautiful villa. The water is turquoise blue as is typical for the caribbean. I always find locations like this very peaceful. There were pocket of St. Lucia that reminded me of things I saw in Haiti. I always come away from places like this realizing how blessed we are in America. The hospitality incredible and I felt very welcome. There is so much to do in St. Lucia but really didn’t have the time to do them. I did get a hike in to a fort from the late 1700′s. I tried some local cuisine and loved everything i tried. I even tried coconut juice from a street vendor who used his machete to cut the coconut open. It was kind of a bland taste.

I met some very fun people. Asha, Tyrone, Bridgette and Agnes. They are all from St. Lucia with the exception of Tyrone, who I discovered grew up in Gary, IN. I really enjoyed the short amount of time I spent working with them.

This is an incredible place for a destination wedding. There are so many places to choose for a destination wedding here.

My first full day of shooting, I was up before the sun at 4:30am. I did not crawl into bed until 1:30am the next day. My last day in St. Lucia, I went to a local beach for a morning swim with Bridgette and Agnes. The caribbean water was the perfect temperature at 8:00am. We talked about the history of the island. I remember floating on my back looking up at the sky. The water covered my ears so I couldn’t hear. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

I look forward to returning some day but would like to take Jen with me on the next trip.

John