Jason + Kristina // An Eclectic SDE

What do Donuts, Kanye Glasses, Lucha Libre Masks, Cardboard Cutouts, Bobble Heads, Cinderella, and Utility Knives have in common??? LOL, this Same Day Edit of course!

Jason + Kristina is one of the most enjoyable couples we have been able to work with and their personality and style is in a class all its own. When we first arrived at the beautiful Hilton in Pasadena, we couldn't help but notice the life size cardboard cutouts of these two sitting in Kristina's suite. We simply had to find a corky way to incorporate those into the open for this larger than life SDE.

Jason, the self proclaimed King of Donuts, decided to give all of his groomsmen Lucha Libre masks and they in turn decided to wear them, which was beyond entertaining. From the "Power Up" to the Kung Fu Demonstration during the grand entrance, there was plenty of camera chemistry to go around.

As the reception ran along, the party grew larger and as the Same Day Edit was presented to over 250 guests, the footage was barely a couple hours old.

Special thanks to Joe Paxton from Atmosphere Entertainment for providing a rockin' reception, as always. Thank you also to Theresa from Hustle and Bustle Events for keeping the night on track.

And here it is, Jason + Kristina // an eclectic SDE . . .

Michael + Rachel // Unwritten Love

Just days before the filming of this wedding, we contacted Michael + Rachel's amazing coordinator, Kelly from Mint Weddings (shameless plug: if you need a superior coordinator look no further than Kelly!), to go over the final timeline. It was then that we were told that Scott Russo from the band Unwritten Law was going to be singing an acoustic version of "Cailin" for their first dance.

You see, Unwritten Law is one of Michael + Rachel's all time favorite bands and what better way to surprise your wife-to-be than to bring the lead singer from the band to your wedding to perform your song for the first dance. . . . . tough to beat that one.

So as Rachel sat clueless upstairs at their ultra lounge reception for hours, Scott carefully snuck in the back door to the downstairs club and needless to say, it was an epic surprise. When looking to put together Michael + Rachel's highlights, how could we not make use of such a great performance and memorable moment?

So here you have it, Michael + Rachel // Unwritten Love

Enjoy! -Steve

From Weddings to Energy Drinks

When we were first contacted by Rockstar Energy Drink to put together a concept video for their models, we were taken back to learn that they had found us because of a blog post from a wedding. . .

It is so rewarding and so much fun to take so many of the techniques we apply to weddings and bring them to life in the corporate model as well. So here is the concept video we put together for Rockstar Energy Drink. {Follow Up Note: We just filmed another feature for Rockstar, so stay tuned for another fun post :-)}

April + Casey ~ The Matron of Honor

Periodically, we have the privilege of filming a sibling of a past bride or groom and it is always both a pleasure and a blast as we get to see old faces and reunite with some of our favorites.

April is the younger sister or Danielle, whose wedding we filmed several years back. Since we recently posted a fun clip highlighting the Best Man, why not give the Matron of Honor her due?

Plus, to make things a little more fun, we couldn't help but show the commotion that took place prior to the ceremony with the bridesmaids as they frantically recited their last minute rehearsal of where and how to stand just minutes before the ceremony began. . .

A special thank you to Scott Soluk with Off the Record Entertainment for being so easy to work with and helpful at the reception.

Without further adieu, April + Casey.

It Runs in the Family

While I am most certainly a filmmaker, I would still consider my craft a form of photography. After all, movies are nothing but a succession of images shown one frame after another to simulate the look of "motion". So, in a round-a-bout way, I consider myself a photographer, too. :-)

Over the past two weeks, my father was cleaning out my grandfather's house and he found a few cameras that had been stored away for many decades by now. One belongs to my grandfather. It is the F-2 Nikon series for all you Nikon junkies out there. A cool camera that still works just fine I might add. My grandfather used to go to the Dodger games with a Media Pass and photograph the players back in the Koufax, Drysdale era. My father grew up in the press box at the Ravine and I still haven't forgiven him for wearing and losing, might I add, BOTH ballcaps that Don Drysdale wore during the 1963 and 1965 world series. I suppose you take those things for granted when you are a kid. He also decided it was best to play catch with a ball that was signed by the ENTIRE 1963 world series Dodgers team (for those that don't know or care, in the right condition, that ball would be worth over $10,000 today). I still have the ball, but you can barely make out any of the signatures. Another story for another blog post. In any case, my grandfather's camera is sightly vintage, but nothing like the other camera my father found in my grandfather's closet.

I must admit that I didn't think I would be as fascinated as I was today and I must say it is such a cool feeling to hold your great-grandfather's camera. I never knew the man, but I could only imagine the pictures he must have taken and how great he felt when he first held this camera.

The Eastman Kodak No. 3a - Autographic Junior Model-A was made from 1914-1926. My grandfather wasn't able to tell me what year it was purchased, but based on the fact that it is a Model A (there was a Model B and C), and the last patent on the casing shows 1917 as the date, I think this camera was likely purchased around 1918, which would make it 92 years old.

The shutter still works and the camera is in surprisingly decent condition. A little rust and the side strap is broken off, but all in all, I think it would still take a picture. Such a great little piece of history and I'm so stoked to have such an amazing family heirloom sitting in the studio. There are now 3 different generations of cameras proudly sitting on display.

My Grandfathers Nikon F-2 Series. . .

My Great Grandfather's Eastman Kodak No. 3a Autographic Junior Model-A . . .

3 Generations and their respective gear . . .

Such a Sick Family Heirloom!