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

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This is a Same Day Edit (SDE), which we produced for Bridget and Eric. The couple wanted all their guests to experience the day with them and this was shown at the reception right before open dancing. We filmed the wedding at one of our favorite places, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. When you walk into this church, it presents jaw dropping beauty and a certain reverence about it. We enjoyed spending the day with the couple and their friends and family. Another great wedding with heartfelt speeches will make this an heirloom for the couple.

So what exactly is a Same Day Edit? Throughout the day, our team is very focused on filming as they always are. But in the case of a Same Day Edit, conscience and focused decisions are made on identifying clips that will be used for the edit. It’s about finding moments to use to help move the story forward of how the day unfolded. Footage is aquired and we are constantly working on ingesting the footage into our system and editing throughout the day on our laptop. Pulling one of these off requires special attention to logistics and making sure that we have the right people in the right places when needed. We are still editing even during the early stages of the reception. Once we have the sequence down, we adjust audio, color grade and export the movie. We arrange audio with the DJ or band and it’s showtime. The most enjoyable thing about a Same Day Edit is seeing and watching the reaction of the couple and their guests. Producing a Same Day Edit is very stressful and does a number on your physical and mental energy. But when you observe the couple and their guests laughing, crying and sometimes cheering, it is well worth the time and effort. If you are interested in having us produce this for your wedding, let us know and we can talk it over.

We enjoyed working once again with our good friends Kevin and Alicia Monahan of Kevin Monahan Photography. The reception was held at Morris Park Country Club and we enjoyed working again with Anne Landis, who did an amazing job designing this wedding. A special thanks to Shawn Saros of ProShow for getting us some awesome audio for the SDE. Shawn kept the crowd energized.

Comments are welcome.

When the wedding season finally winds down a bit and the weather is starting to turn colder in Indiana in November, Jennifer will be heading out on a Royal Caribbean Cruise.  As Co-Founder of POSH, she and Reagan Zugelter of Studio Z Films will be leading a group of talented female filmmakers and photographers for a retreat.  This is the first of it’s kind.  The retreat was specifically designed to give the participants a chance to relax, network and learn some things along the way.  There will be some on hands shooting on a private island.   The size of the group is limited in order to keep it intimate.  Learning in this type of atmosphere allows more hands on training and it allows participants to connect with other females in the industry to talk about their experiences and to learn from others.  Many times it is the casual conversations where people potentially learn the most.

This is also a great opportunity for photographers who have an interest in exploring the world of filmmaking.   Many of the same principles in photography transfer or relate to cinematography.  The use of light, exposure, composition, etc.   Working in both disciplines are complimentary to each other and will make you a better visual artist.

The deadline to signup is rapidly approaching.  Visit POSH for more information.

Dani {+} Dan from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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Wow…what a fun couple this was. We really enjoyed working with Dan and Dani. The wedding was at St. Jude Catholic Church and the reception was held at the Indiana State Museum. We loved the energy of all of their friends, it made it so much fun. We tried something new on this to see how it would work. We gave Dan’s brother Bob one of our small cameras to document some of the behind the scenes things. You will see a small excerpt of the footage in this highlight. The “un-censored video was so funny”. We will definitely do this again. That camera is now affectionately referred to as the “Bob Cam”. Dan and Dani will get a full chapter with just that footage.

We enjoyed working with one of our favorites and good friends Amanda and Kyle Wilcher with Amanda Wilcher Photgraphers. They captured some amazing images that day.

Thanks to Dan and Dani, it was an adventure

Heirloom Session – Moore Family from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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Northernlight Filmworks is teaming up with Carpenter Photography Design for a product we have developed called the Heirloom Session. Watch for these sessions to evolve to a more dynamic representation of your family. Each of these sessions are custom made according to the client. Whether it is a simple documentation of the session itself to authentic interviews from the family. Either way, the Heirloom Session is meant to be just that, an Heirloom.

After you watch this video, visit Carpenter Photography Design to find out how that special Mom can win a free session.

Afton {and} Joe from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a wedding we filmed in Indianapolis, IN. The wedding was at Geist Christian Church. The ceremony was beautiful and it was very apparent that Afton and her Father have a great Father / Daughter relationship. The anticipation of walking down the aisle with his daughter, made us wonder what was going through his mind. Afton and Joe have quite a story of how they met and the romance involved a long distance relationship. We believe that every single wedding has a distinct story and personality and this wedding involved a story of fate and faith. Just goes to show you that if you want to make a long distance relationship, it certainly can be done, but it takes work. But Joe and Afton remind us that if you love someone, it is work that is well worth the effort.

The reception was held at the Skyline Club, which is the same location where Joe proposed to Afton. We worked with Ardent Stills Photography.

Thanks Afton and Joe!
John and Jen

Each wedding that we film, we approach it by looking for the unique textures, small and large that make up the personality of the wedding.  We have filmed a growing number of weddings where the Bride and Groom have written their own vows.  On one occasion they both wrote them on the morning of their wedding day.   From a storytelling perspective, we love this.  We had one couple write their own vows and they never shared what each had written until they read them to each other  in front of a captive audience.  It was amazing how certain aspects of the vows mirrored each other.   We like personalized vows because it takes the expectation away from your guests.  Many of your guests have attended weddings where the traditional vows were exchanged, but once they hear a deviation from the norm, they seem to be more attentive.  Writing your own vows is certainly not for everyone  but it is well worth considering and adds another layer of a personal memorable touch.

Writing Your Vows Tips by Style Me Pretty
1. When it comes to writing your vows, keep it simple. Your guests and your partner will appreciate it that much more.

2. Some churches do not allow for custom vows. Make sure to check with your officiant before you get your heart set.

3. A great way to include your own vows without the stress of starting from scratch, is to personalize the more traditional vows. A handwritten letter to your partner, read aloud, is a great way to do this.

4. Make sure you are comfortable with the tone of your vows. If joking around is a part of your everyday life, it will feel seamless tucked inside your vows. If you are more subdued, skip the jokes and just say what you feel.

5. If you get stuck when coming up with what you want to say, look to old stories, photographs and memories with your partner. Allow the words to come from those moments.
Northernlight Filmworks

Keith {and} Amanda from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a wedding we filmed at Northminister Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN. We loved the bright yellow color of the inside of this church. It was a beautiful wedding. Prior to the wedding we met with Amanda and Keith for dinner and learned a little more about them and also found out that it was not too long ago that Amanda lost her father. We are sure he was smiling on this day. The reception was held in the Garden Pavillion at the Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana. We worked for the first time with Dan and Brooke of Brand Photodesigngo and had a great time.  Amanda’s makeup artist was done by eyeMAX by Kiralee.

Thank you Amanda and Keith for choosing Northernlight Filmworks to film your wedding day.

We will be featuring some of our client’s that we have had, and we would like to introduce you to Andrew and Brittany. We filmed their wedding in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the Garden of the Gods. This was such a memorable wedding for us. The setting was so beautiful and more importantly, Andrew and Brittany are such great people. We love keeping up with them and their travels.

Andrew & Brittany
We are approaching our third anniversary, and as it gets closer we have been reflecting on our three years as Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey. It’s been a whirlwind of adventures. Since our wedding, we’ve moved across the country to Boston, and have traveled to Italy, South Africa, and Spain, as well as thoroughly explored the east coast, from Montreal to Charleston. Our family has grown by one with the addition of our crazy golden retriever, Rugby. He usually accompanies us on all the adventures, watching from the back seat. Since we were married right after graduating college, we feel like our wedding really kicked off the beginning of our adventure. As all weddings are, it was such a memorable and meaningful event in our lives. When we think back to those moments, we truly realize how fast life flies by. When we think about all of the events that have happened in these three years it occurs to us that our wedding highlight video has played a big role that we never expected it to. It seems that when we crave a little nostalgia, which is typically when we are doing something exciting and capturing new memories, we flip open the laptop and watch the highlight video that the Moons created for us. We watched it in a cabin on Martha’s Vineyard on our first anniversary, a pension (B&B) in Spain for Valentine’s Day, and many other times while simply being at home and enjoying each other’s company. As odd as it sounds, it really helps bring us back to our beginning, and reminds us to appreciate all of our blessings and reminds us not to take each other for granted. As we prepare to pack up and move back across the country to California, it’s comforting to know that we have this video to watch for years and years to come. It will continue to serve as the constant memory tying our past adventures to our future ones. It is by far the best memory we have from our wedding and we will never be able to thank John and Jennifer enough for this gift!

Andrew and Brit

Bekah + Gino from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a wedding we filmed in Crawfordsville, Indiana and was one we were looking forward to. While Bekah was getting ready, I noticed what appeared to be vintage hats. Bekah spent some time finding these hats and they are authentic vintage hats. Part of the day Bekah and the girls got ready at her childhood home and we really love this because it allows us to look at family pictures and little things around the home that mean something to the Bride or Groom. As you watch this, we included a shot of a music instrument because Bekah and her family are so talented. Bekah has a beautiful voice. If you remember Luke Menard from American Idol, well that’s her brother. We can always gauge the closeness of the family by the speeches and we could tell there was an incredible bond on both Gino and Bekah’s sides of the family.

The wedding ceremony was more than a ceremony, it was an experience. Gino was surprised by a song that Bekah sang to him, which caught him a little off guard.

We enjoyed working with Brock and Stefanie Childs with SB Childs Photography…..it’s always a fun time. Check out the images they captured HERE

Jim Cerone was the DJ and as always, he kept the event alive and energized. Was great working with him as well. Jim has a little cameo appearance in this film.

John and Jennifer

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