Monday, December 22, 2014

ALYSSA & JASON º Circles of Life º




The Mitchell trilogy concludes!

I read some Jim Carrey tweets last night. Aside from being a hilarious person, he believes that in our lives we are only able to experience a fraction of existence. "As we get older, we feel smaller." I don't have children, but I imagine that having children - three amazing daughters let's say - brings home this truth.

(In case you haven't seen it, here's that other gorgeous Mitchell wedding, from Whistler BC.)

Luckily, as time passes, the Mitchell family keeps getting bigger! The circle grows. Thinking about this stuff can make you crazy, so it's nice to have some outstanding wine, whiskey and live music to remind you of the present moment. And someone with a camera to capture it all!

We are so grateful to the Mitchells for making us a part of their unforgettable celebrations. We feel like part of the family!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

「 concept 」 STEPHANIE & JEREMY: F*REVER




After Angelina & James' concept video in the spring, it was time for a new challenge. This video is a mix of scripted and unscripted scenes. I really wanted to challenge myself to write, shoot and edit scenes that were actually planned out and rehearsed. It was the perfect collaboration with Steph and Jer as we came up with the scenes, shot take after take, and sometimes threw out scenes that didn't work. They really took full advantage of what CONCEPT can be.

When you watch, please take a moment to enjoy the opening/closing credits. It took me a full day to create them. It's a mix of time-lapse and stop motion animation, and turning the scrabble board into the worlds smallest but coolest film marquee.

There are two sections showing Steph and Jer looking through their photos. This is meant to replace the typical slide show that couples have at their wedding. I wanted to show the actual photos and have them share anecdotes about each image. And I wanted to find a neat way to segue into Steph's childhood gymnastics videos, lovingly shot by her dad.

Quick mention of Whytecliff Park. This was such a beautiful shoot! I can't get over it. I'm so happy to close the video with this gorgeous location. Thanks to Jeanie Ow for setting up this shoot - Steph and Jer's engagement shoot.

I'd like to thank Chermaine Wu for selecting the music from the Music Bed. Until the last moment I was editing without music, hoping that everything would gel once scoring was added. Chermaine chose perfect pieces and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

And most of all, thanks to Stephanie and Jeremy. They put so much thought, planning and time into this project. And they also fed me whenever they could! The upside of Jer's "hanger" issues is that I get to eat all the time.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

「 highlights 」ANGELINA & JAMES




I've had the privilege of creating CONCEPT videos with two couples this year. In case you missed it, here's Angelina and James' CONCEPT, showing their lives at work and at play. I wasn't there for the very beginning of their story, but I have seen a lot of it. And to be there filming the day when they finally tied the knot was sweet indeed.

Ang and James are two real people, with a very real connection. It's something they also share with their close circle of friends. The love and support in this tight circle of friends is always apparent and inspiring.

Visually the day was punctuated by the epic Cleveland Dam, the stunning work of Erin Gilmore, just enough flowers and pops of colour, and a lot of flying bits of things (bubbles, confetti, water, and dandelions) that were just made for slomo. And lets not forget the custom Nike kicks that James told me about approximately 100 times! Yes, they were indeed eye catching!

So hats off to two thoughtful and loving people, who are wonderful as individuals and even stronger together.

Music: Always Been You by Marie Hines, licensed from the Music Bed for Angelina & James' wedding.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

「 sde 」STEPHANIE & KEVIN




When I see someone extremely brand-aware and proud of the brands they are wearing, I don’t scoff and shake my head. I nod in acceptance and understanding. I love brands!!

I don’t think I’ve ever met a more perfectly matched couple. Stephanie is someone who instinctively speaks her mind and expresses herself, things that are very hard for many of us to do. And she truly bares her flaws, as she did today in her vows AND her speech. That takes strength.

Kevin is easily the most hip and informed groom I’ve ever worked with. He was the first person to tell me about Über and a whole host of great travel apps. More importantly, he is deeply kind and thoughtful. Like a pillow for Steph to rest her head on. Like I said, perfect!

Oh and they both love brands! This wedding was FULL of them. Yes, I’m talking about Side One, Elsa Corsi, Ganache Patisserie, The Apartment, Petite Pearl, Vancouver art Gallery and the Hyatt Regency totally tricked out by Debut events. Manolo’s replaced by H&M flats when we entered the forest. S&K are only satisfied with the best, and it was an honour to be included among them. And….sometimes even Canadian Tire is a good brand :D

My favourite parts of this video? The cross-cutting of gifts and alcohol between the bride and groom. It used to be so hard to make cross-cutting really flow, but now it comes naturally. Incorporating clips from the rehearsal was a nice surprise for S&K. Best of all was the moment where Stephanie suddenly revealed that she was wearing her mom’s Qipao from her own wedding.

Kevin hoped that the timeline would work out. It really didn’t! Stephanie and Kevin indeed know how to “milk every moment” of the day! But hey, we all enjoyed those moments just as much.

Music: I Don't Mind by Parlours, licensed for Stephanie & Kevin's wedding from The Music Bed.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

「 concept 」 ANGELINA & JAMES




Introducing CONCEPT!

This is an add-on or standalone video feature now offered by Love Story Media. It is an open-ended video project telling the story of you and the most wonderful person in your life. Angelina and James' video is mostly in the documentary format. Future videos will run the gamut from totally unscripted to written and rehearsed. Drop me a line to find out more and start developing your very own film!

I've known Jimmy and Angel for a couple years now, and as soon as they got engaged they informed me they'd like me to be their videographer. How much of an honour is that! We then chatted about doing a behind the scenes documentary about their life together. And their concept film was born!

I captured Ang and Jimmy on a variety of occasions, from a dinner party they hosted, to their engagement shoot, to a day at work. It was a blast and a great learning process as I combined all these elements into one piece. I am so happy with how it all turned out, and now I'd like to share it with you! Enjoy our first CONCEPT film!