We were excited to be filming Amy and Andrew's wedding at The Chatham Bars Inn on Oct 10. Not only was Amy our June bride, Rachel's sister (so we already felt like part of the family!) but we knew that handsome Andrew would be in his formal military attire; that Amy would be a most unpretentious and beautiful bride; and that the warmth and love of this family would make the day full of sunshine, no matter what the New England weather brought. Fortunately for everyone, while the morning appeared grey and cloudy, by the time we arrived at the site, the skies were clearing and when Amy walked down the aisle, the sky was a bright blue, her veil was billowing around her dad in the off -shore breeze, and the sun was warm enough so that everyone was delighted to be outside.
Chad Michael Peters worked his floral and decorating magic with peaches and pinks and greens and plums and the simple chuppah was a perfect canopy framing the beach in the background. The bride, her mom and attendants rode the small distance from their rooms to the ceremony site in a charming cobalt blue trolley. During their ride everyone broke into a spontaneous and spirited chorus of "Going to the Chapel."
Amy had asked us to create a growing up and dating montage of her and Andrew in advance of the wedding, and while the cocktail hour was happening our fabulous team of Corinne and Trevor edited in scenes of the couple from the morning getting ready and from the ceremony through the post wedding kiss. Once the guests were seated in the reception, we showed the montaqe and same day edit, with Amy and Andrew entering the reception to wild applause right after the guests watched their first married kiss on the screen. We have to admit, it was a great way to make an entrance!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Rushika and Roberto
Some times a small wedding makes a very big impression. Rushika and Roberto met with us not long before their wedding, having realized that many family members from Australia and Italy would be unable to attend their wedding. They very much wanted to share the day with them as much as possible, and like most of our couples wanted to send home as much of the day as possible - which is why they sought us out. And which is why we instantly wanted to document their wedding for them.
I rode to the ceremony with Rushika and her dad, and captured a great story from them about how much Rushika felt she and her dad were alike, strong and stubborn people; and why each of them had chosen to marry partners who were easy going and sweet- tempered. Seeing Rushika and her dad banter back and forth en route to the St. Cecilia's in Boston's South End, allowed me an intimate glimpse into the warmth and camaraderie of this father/daughter relationship.
BTW, I love Catholic weddings at St. Cecilia's! Not only is the church bright and and beautiful with round, embracing arches; but Father John is a most welcoming and loving priest - charming everyone by recounting memories of watching his loving parents dancing in his childhood kitchen, and how that image still represents to him a strong symbol of married love.
Following their beautiful ceremony, everyone adjourned to The Lenox Hotel Ballroom, where Entertainment Specialist's Mike Amado kept the guests on the dance floor all night. The couple were the most gracious of hosts, even taking the time to drop in on us when we were having dinner, and then asking the waiters to serve us wine with our meal!
Roberto is quite an expert in music and gave us an interesting challenge by asking us to use specific pieces of music for various parts of the highlights film we created for Rushika's dad to bring back to Australia.
There was so much love and delight at this small and wonderful wedding that we can't wait to work on the full-length film!
I rode to the ceremony with Rushika and her dad, and captured a great story from them about how much Rushika felt she and her dad were alike, strong and stubborn people; and why each of them had chosen to marry partners who were easy going and sweet- tempered. Seeing Rushika and her dad banter back and forth en route to the St. Cecilia's in Boston's South End, allowed me an intimate glimpse into the warmth and camaraderie of this father/daughter relationship.
BTW, I love Catholic weddings at St. Cecilia's! Not only is the church bright and and beautiful with round, embracing arches; but Father John is a most welcoming and loving priest - charming everyone by recounting memories of watching his loving parents dancing in his childhood kitchen, and how that image still represents to him a strong symbol of married love.
Following their beautiful ceremony, everyone adjourned to The Lenox Hotel Ballroom, where Entertainment Specialist's Mike Amado kept the guests on the dance floor all night. The couple were the most gracious of hosts, even taking the time to drop in on us when we were having dinner, and then asking the waiters to serve us wine with our meal!
Roberto is quite an expert in music and gave us an interesting challenge by asking us to use specific pieces of music for various parts of the highlights film we created for Rushika's dad to bring back to Australia.
There was so much love and delight at this small and wonderful wedding that we can't wait to work on the full-length film!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Home Stretch!!
October 10, 2009 is the Big Weekend. We're off to 3 fabulous weddings, one at The Chatham Bars, one at The Intercontinental in Boston, and one, a private wedding at an undisclosed location.
We're thrilled to be so busy, and to be working with so many wonderful couples and families, filming weddings and rehearsal dinners, but as we're already well on our way to dividing up our equipment into 3 large piles, checking off lists and making sure we have everything (and everyone!) we'll need for Friday and Saturday night, I have to admit, my heart rate is a bit faster than usual.
We're very lucky to have trained so many talented cinematographers over the past 4 years. And, even luckier, that they still want to work with us as part of our studio. As we continue to grow, we make sure that we maintain the right synergy of talent, personalities and skills to ensure that each team that attends a wedding is made up of just the right mix of people.
Right now we have 3 teams. One is Jack's team; one mine, and one Lauren's. Each wedding has its own requirements, so team members get to work with all of us at one time or another, but everyone seems to have a particular specialty. Trevor and Jean are our Same Day Edit Experts. Jack, Travis and Trevor are our Tech Specialists. Travis and Jack are lighting artists, and Jean, Lauren and Jack are our guaranteed top shooters. I specialize in stories and interviews, closeup filming and bridal prep. Lauren's great on fashion shoots and making sure everything's organized as is Jack. Joe is a welcome new team member who shoots beautifully and sensitively. We're welcoming back Ben, who worked with us several years ago as a grad student in film at Emerson, and who brings with him KJ. We're also welcoming Lauren's long-time friend Kyler, who joins us from Maryland.
After this weekend, I plan to sit down and review the Summer and catch up on all the weddings I haven't written about yet - including adding links to new clips. Stay tuned!
We're thrilled to be so busy, and to be working with so many wonderful couples and families, filming weddings and rehearsal dinners, but as we're already well on our way to dividing up our equipment into 3 large piles, checking off lists and making sure we have everything (and everyone!) we'll need for Friday and Saturday night, I have to admit, my heart rate is a bit faster than usual.
We're very lucky to have trained so many talented cinematographers over the past 4 years. And, even luckier, that they still want to work with us as part of our studio. As we continue to grow, we make sure that we maintain the right synergy of talent, personalities and skills to ensure that each team that attends a wedding is made up of just the right mix of people.
Right now we have 3 teams. One is Jack's team; one mine, and one Lauren's. Each wedding has its own requirements, so team members get to work with all of us at one time or another, but everyone seems to have a particular specialty. Trevor and Jean are our Same Day Edit Experts. Jack, Travis and Trevor are our Tech Specialists. Travis and Jack are lighting artists, and Jean, Lauren and Jack are our guaranteed top shooters. I specialize in stories and interviews, closeup filming and bridal prep. Lauren's great on fashion shoots and making sure everything's organized as is Jack. Joe is a welcome new team member who shoots beautifully and sensitively. We're welcoming back Ben, who worked with us several years ago as a grad student in film at Emerson, and who brings with him KJ. We're also welcoming Lauren's long-time friend Kyler, who joins us from Maryland.
After this weekend, I plan to sit down and review the Summer and catch up on all the weddings I haven't written about yet - including adding links to new clips. Stay tuned!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Here...BeCause
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You've probably seen more pink ribbons around town than usual, and more events raising money for the cure than usual. Most of us know women, friends, mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers - who have been affected by breast cancer. Fewer of us are aware that breast cancer can also affect men, and in growing numbers, younger and younger women.
While most breast cancer organizations are working hard to find a cure for this all-too common disease, one local foundation is using art to fund research into environmental causes of the disease. Many people today believe that toxins poured into our environment in increasing amounts post world war 2 are responsible for triggering the onset of breast cancer. Since more money is to be made from curing breast cancer (pharmaceutical companies vie for new and better drugs) - and less money is to be made from understanding the cause of breast cancer; basic research money is hard to come by.
ArtBecause uses art projects of various kinds to raise research money for promising research into environmental causes of breast cancer. This year, Jack, Lauren and I had the honor of working on a film to be part of ArtBecause's 2009-2010 fundraising efforts.
"Here...Because" is a short film documenting a photo shoot staged by David Fox - where we had the opportunity to interview the models and their families regarding their experiences with breast cancer, the shoot and the ArtBeCause Project.
The film was seen for the first time at the ArtBeCause Gala Wednesday evening, October 8 at the Ritz Carleton in Boston.
ArtBeCause.Org
While most breast cancer organizations are working hard to find a cure for this all-too common disease, one local foundation is using art to fund research into environmental causes of the disease. Many people today believe that toxins poured into our environment in increasing amounts post world war 2 are responsible for triggering the onset of breast cancer. Since more money is to be made from curing breast cancer (pharmaceutical companies vie for new and better drugs) - and less money is to be made from understanding the cause of breast cancer; basic research money is hard to come by.
ArtBecause uses art projects of various kinds to raise research money for promising research into environmental causes of breast cancer. This year, Jack, Lauren and I had the honor of working on a film to be part of ArtBecause's 2009-2010 fundraising efforts.
"Here...Because" is a short film documenting a photo shoot staged by David Fox - where we had the opportunity to interview the models and their families regarding their experiences with breast cancer, the shoot and the ArtBeCause Project.
The film was seen for the first time at the ArtBeCause Gala Wednesday evening, October 8 at the Ritz Carleton in Boston.
ArtBeCause.Org
Saturday, October 3, 2009
News Bulletin!!
2009 was not only our fifth anniversary of doing business officially as GENERATIONS, but it's also marked our big name change from GENERATIONS videostories to GENERATIONS cinemastories. The more we thought about being being lumped in with wedding videographers (cheesy!) the more we wanted to distinguish our work as different; more dialogue based; less concerned with new technology and trendy looks and most concerned about real people and capturing their intimate stories.
So- we're now GENERATIONS cinemastories, or just GENERATIONS. We've also added a third partner and a new division: Lauren Schumacher, who came to us a year and a half ago as a fabulous film editor, still a student at Emerson College, proved herself to be so indispensable to our studio, that when she began talking about wanting to start her own business we offered her Cinemastories - a division of our parent company, that now films and produces wedding films that are smaller, less expensive versions of our classic GENERATIONS feature films. That way we get to keep Lauren (Yeaahh!!) and she gets to have her own company. We're all happy now - and for those of you who have yearned for a GENERATIONS' wedding film (or know someone who does but can't swing our rates!) have them call and we'll refer them to Lauren's Cinemastories.
To see some of Lauren's amazing work, check out our Movie Theatre and watch Lindsey and Nate, or Varina and Michael.
So- we're now GENERATIONS cinemastories, or just GENERATIONS. We've also added a third partner and a new division: Lauren Schumacher, who came to us a year and a half ago as a fabulous film editor, still a student at Emerson College, proved herself to be so indispensable to our studio, that when she began talking about wanting to start her own business we offered her Cinemastories - a division of our parent company, that now films and produces wedding films that are smaller, less expensive versions of our classic GENERATIONS feature films. That way we get to keep Lauren (Yeaahh!!) and she gets to have her own company. We're all happy now - and for those of you who have yearned for a GENERATIONS' wedding film (or know someone who does but can't swing our rates!) have them call and we'll refer them to Lauren's Cinemastories.
To see some of Lauren's amazing work, check out our Movie Theatre and watch Lindsey and Nate, or Varina and Michael.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Catching up!!
Seems like we've been skipping along from wedding to wedding since May. What a wonderful way to live and work! Just being, and loving being surrounded by lots of love, lots of loving couples and families... lots of opportunities to be a part of intimate celebrations.
Last weekend while our wonderful Team 2 was holding down the fort with bride and groom My and Francesco and the Four Seasons in Boston (a big THANK YOU! to always fabulous Tasha Bracken and her great team from SD Events) Jack and I hauled our cams on to a plane, checked our equipment and took off to Baltimore to film my old HS buddy's daughter's wedding.
Laurie was the perfect bride. And, mixing being an honored guest with working the wedding, gave me the opportunity to join the girls' night out at a lovely restaurant; have my mani/pedi (while filming everyone else getting their's) with the girls; and having the friend - of - the -family privilege of being able to ask the groom to read (out loud) the card Laurie sent to him prior to seeing him ("Do I have to read it out loud?' -"Please, Brian, just for me !!") So we got to film intimate moments that were even more intimate than usual, got to eat better food than our usual vendor meals, and even got to squeeze in a few dances ourselves to a very good dj.
It was a whirlwind of a weekend with minimal sleep, but we had a great time and know we got amazing footage. We were even able to recruit a family member to shoot 3rd camera for us!
Last weekend while our wonderful Team 2 was holding down the fort with bride and groom My and Francesco and the Four Seasons in Boston (a big THANK YOU! to always fabulous Tasha Bracken and her great team from SD Events) Jack and I hauled our cams on to a plane, checked our equipment and took off to Baltimore to film my old HS buddy's daughter's wedding.
Laurie was the perfect bride. And, mixing being an honored guest with working the wedding, gave me the opportunity to join the girls' night out at a lovely restaurant; have my mani/pedi (while filming everyone else getting their's) with the girls; and having the friend - of - the -family privilege of being able to ask the groom to read (out loud) the card Laurie sent to him prior to seeing him ("Do I have to read it out loud?' -"Please, Brian, just for me !!") So we got to film intimate moments that were even more intimate than usual, got to eat better food than our usual vendor meals, and even got to squeeze in a few dances ourselves to a very good dj.
It was a whirlwind of a weekend with minimal sleep, but we had a great time and know we got amazing footage. We were even able to recruit a family member to shoot 3rd camera for us!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Gina and Stephen
Gina and Stephen were a match made in heaven. This couple wasn't supposed to be - they met at a friends' wedding and people kept trying to fix Gina up with Stephen's older brother's friends - but cupid has a way of ignoring facts like age and background.
They fell in love just about at first site, or first song - as Gina was taken by Stephen's singing and guitar playing.
This was a couple who were surrounded by all their friends and family and the love and warmth of their wedding made us smile all night. The priest who married them was a family friend; and the processional was more like a parade - as sisters and brothers and aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces and nephews trooped down the aisle ahead of Gina and her dad.
Gina was so gracious, that even while she waited in the vestibule outside the sanctuary with her dad, she can be heard thanking the nun who helped arrange the ceremony and had presided over the rehearsal - reminding everyone of the solemnity of the occasion.
I particularly loved the habit Stephen and Gina had of talking at the same time. It was a charming example of two people who had parallel stories to tell - both with the spontaneity and enthusiasm that so described their relationship.
Here, then, is Gina and Stephen!
They fell in love just about at first site, or first song - as Gina was taken by Stephen's singing and guitar playing.
This was a couple who were surrounded by all their friends and family and the love and warmth of their wedding made us smile all night. The priest who married them was a family friend; and the processional was more like a parade - as sisters and brothers and aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces and nephews trooped down the aisle ahead of Gina and her dad.
Gina was so gracious, that even while she waited in the vestibule outside the sanctuary with her dad, she can be heard thanking the nun who helped arrange the ceremony and had presided over the rehearsal - reminding everyone of the solemnity of the occasion.
I particularly loved the habit Stephen and Gina had of talking at the same time. It was a charming example of two people who had parallel stories to tell - both with the spontaneity and enthusiasm that so described their relationship.
Here, then, is Gina and Stephen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
