Happy Holidays!

WOW. 2010 is almost over. Sitting here in a short lull on Christmas Day reflecting on the amazing year we've just had and feeling so grateful to all our couples, our colleagues, our clients, our friends. Today I feel like Jack and I are one of the luckiest couples in the world to be able to do such creative work with such wonderful, loving, people. I mean, how lucky can two people get? Every time we film a wedding (most weekends!) we get to vicariously renew our own vows. It's downright heart expanding to see and hear so many different variations on the theme of married love - from watching and listening to the newly wed couple, to hearing the stories of their parents' and grandparents' marriages.
I feel so honored to witness to these intimate stories; to capture them on film for all time and all future generations.

Between the weddings this year we filmed bar and bat mitzvahs as well. From the traditional and simple, to the grand and spiritually innovative, bar and bat mitzvahs took us back in time to the ancient Hebrew ritual, and forward in time to a child's launch into a new phase of life. Jack and I both share Jewish backgrounds, which give us a personal understanding of the meaning and importance of the bar/bat mitzvah experience.

This year we also documented the dedication of the brand new Mandel Center for the Humanities at Brandeis. The building, with every material, shape and design approved by the Mandel brothers themselves, is a stunning and inspired architectural work.
We had the honor of getting to meet one of the Mandels, and spent an afternoon and evening listening to and filming Mr. Mandel, the head of the Mandel foundation; one of the architects who conceived of the building's design; and the outgoing president of Brandeis, Jehuda Reinharz. It was truly Awe-some to be surrounded by so many eloquent world visionaries.

Woven in and thorough this year were assorted projects: Our ongoing filming for the New England Food Foundation; NACE and ISES meetings. Our highlights of the 6ONE7 Gala at the Mandarin Oriental for the Home for Little Wanderers; Person + Killian's 2010 Party; Boston Youth Moves Gala (planned by David Handy); The Family Service of Greater Boston Gala with ISES (planned by Jill Moran); Our regular web spotlights for Jim Solomon for the Fireplace Restaurant in Brookline; The Fireplace's annual Latin Festival; and the commissioned film, TIKKUN, about holocaust survivors and their children.

In looking back,we're thrilled to have spent most of our time making a difference in others' lives and want to do even more in 2011.

Thanks so much to our third partner, Lauren, who films, edits, designs, and so muçh more. Lauren's been with us for four years now, and she's been a big part of our studio's growth.

A huge bushel of gratitude to our Emerson and BU film interns who come to our studio bearing gifts of creativity and inspiration and let us meet our own needs to teach storytelling and technique in film making.

If you, our readers, are or know of couples that are wedding in February or March 2011 - and have a heart-opening story and no cinematographer to tell it - let us know. We have a special deal for one lucky couple. Send us your stories and wedding dates and we'll announce the deal in mid January. Contest closes January 12.