previews

Reflections at the Buttes wedding preview-Brandy & Phil


So…Brandy and I have a lot in common. We both know and love Amelia and Aron Schmidt, she’s a collegiate swim coach at LSU, I love to watch competitive swimming and eating spicy cajun food and we both LOVE the Good Egg restaurant. She loves it because it’s her family business and it’s amazing. I love it because it has a special connection with my son Aidan. 11 + years ago we were having lunch at the Good Egg where I gave my husband a card with a really cute mama and baby polar bear. Yes, I was telling him that we were pregnant for the second time. He should have guessed as I only ordered decaf coffee, which is normally not my style. Nine months later, I was having breakfast at the Good Egg with my mom, and I started having contractions. Cut to TMC and later that day we were blessed with Aidan James Keith. I had no idea that Brandy’s family owned the Good Egg, but when I suggested Starbucks as a meeting place, she suggested the Good Egg and I was very happy. After our meeting, during which I got to chat with her fiance Phil, her mom, dad and brother, she sent me home with pancakes and bacon for Aidan. All was right in the world.
Cut to April 27, 2011. This was a day unlike any other. From soccer to swimming, suspenders and bow ties, beer brewed by Brandy’s Dad, goggles and redcards (Phil is the soccer guru), to a surprise “Thriller” flash mob…ummm…WOW! Brandy was beautiful, Reflections at the Buttes looked grand, and Phil was simply the cutest groom ever. Family and friends were overjoyed by this union, and partied until the wee hours.
Many thanks to the Collins, Maben and Schmidt families. You treated us like family.
Thanks also to Neal Kreuser, and the staff at Reflections. We had a great time creating with you!
WARNING!!! VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED: Many cupcakes were harmed during the filming of the gorgeous love fest 😉
Music:Leslie and the Badgers
Old Timers (Edit)  Licensed through Song Freedom

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Z mansion’s finest day


Fun, happy and random. Great moments at the Z Mansion on a gorgeous March afternoon. Melaney and Richard didn’t stop smiling the entire day, except for a few tears of joy during the vows. This was a great party, with a beautiful and clever crowd.
Many thanks to the wedding experts who made this great day even better:
Venue: Z Mansion
Photographer: Amanda Rockafellow
Filmmaker: Black Sheep Filmworks

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Spring has sprung–more of my favorite wedding moments!


This perfect spring day was one that I was really looking forward to. I had never met Heidi and Dave, but they were flying in from NYC to meet with little ol’ me and go over their wedding plans. The first thing that struck me about this pairing was, besides their obvious physical beauty, their CONNECTION. They were so in tune with each other about every little wedding detail, finishing each others sentences…you know…connected! I asked them what they were most looking forward to and Heidi got tears in her eyes as she said “Just to say ‘I do'”. Dave wiped her tears away and gently held her face in his hands. WOW! Now do you see why I was looking forward to it?

So my favorite moment was their “first look”. Normally, I don’t like the whole “first look” concept. I am a romantic, and one of the best moments from my wedding was hearing the string quartet, taking my dad’s arm, walking a few steps down the aisle and seeing my husband to be for the first time that day. His eyes welled up a bit, and then he smiled at me. I couldn’t wait to get to the end of that aisle! The drama of that moment still brings tears to my eyes. BUT, sometimes “first looks” are perfection. Heidi and Dave’s was the best one ever. It’s in the preview, so watch it. His reaction to her is priceless.

Lot’s of other favorite moments…shooting with the fantastic Jacob Chinn and his talented second shooter Holly Seeber. The floral design from Tanya Krantz of In Full Bloom Floral Studio was truly inspired. And of course, working with Cindy West at Tucson Country Club is a delight. And not just because they have a mesquite grove for lovely ceremonies, or just because you can have fireworks after your cake cut! No, it’s just such a warm and elegant venue. From witty groomsmen and charming bridesmaids, to a ceremony full of love and an enthusiastic hora, to heart-felt toasts and fireworks…I had lots of favorite moments. Heidi and Dave…thanks for choosing black sheep filmworks to film all of those fabulous moments!

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Destination weddings-have sheep will travel…

Andrea & James by Chris Richards

Andrea & James just sent this out, and I received it last week. I’m having major craft envy.

Andrea & James’ save the date

save the date

It’s a “Save the Date” for their wedding next September, with a “ticket” with all of their wedding info. SO CUTE! They are getting married on the Colorado river, on the border of Bullhead city, AZ and Laughlin, NV.  They have a beach theme, and Andrea’s dad is planning a flotilla on the river to honor the bride and groom! I can’t wait!  I got to know them at Andrea’s sister Brie’s wedding here in Tucson in June of 2009.  Brie and Jon’s wedding was gorgeous, with one of the many highlights being the Same Day Edit we showed to family & friends during the reception. We laughed & cried, and ended the eve to applause and “Bravo!”  AND WE GET TO DO IT AGAIN! Chris Richards, who took the AMAZING pics of Brie & Jon’s big day, is also traveling from Tucson to shoot Andrea & James nuptials. The “dream team” will be on the river!  We are honored and super excited to be the filmmakers for Andrea & James…BRAVO!!  Just for fun, here are the out-takes from Brie and Jon’s wedding. This should give you some idea why we are SO excited to grab this same crew, and  take this show on the road!

http://www.vimeo.com/17682290

As I titled this “have sheep will travel”, we also had the privilege of flying to Jackson, WY to film Dana & Adam’s wedding in July. I had never been to the Grand Teton National Forest, and it’s so majestic, I kept asking myself “Am I doing this justice?” I think we all feel like that when trying to capture the scope of something so grand. We want the viewer to not only see what we see, but to feel what we feel. This is one of the reasons that weddings are my biggest joy, and my biggest challenge. I want to capture what is the most special to the client, but also all the details which make the story rich and real.  The anticipation and wonder in the air at Dana & Adam’s wedding was almost palpable–and one of the things I love about destination weddings. Once you get there, you and your loved ones are on vacation. You can relax, go for a hike, get a massage, hang out with family…it’s a great way to get mentally and physically prepared for the “big day.” Like Dana/Adam and Andrea/James you have to be uber organized, and be able to let go of the little things. I was told having us along also helped ease the stress, relieving the “fear of the unknown.”  Dana & Adam knew how we worked, and they didn’t have to “babysit” us. We knew where to be and when, and filmed all of those little moments that are so easy to forget. We even got to go on a float trip down the Snake river with our bride and groom and family. The bald eagles were fishing and even took a few rapids. How many couples get to have something like that professionally filmed?  It also helps to hire professionals like Carrie Patterson of Carrie Patterson Photography. She photographed Dana & Adam’s wedding with so much style and calm creative energy. She made us feel at home and was a joy to work with. AND her photographs are STUNNING! The ceremony and reception were held at Couloir Restaurant at the top of the mountain. Amazing views as we took the Bridger gondola to the summit. The ceremony was breathtaking, with the Long family singers left not a dry eye in the house with their renditions of “Love me tender” and “Here, there and everywhere”.  As is the case with Derickson weddings, it rained…no, it poured, but this time the rain held off until just after the ceremony. We even had a rainbow! The food was fabulous, the dancing-fierce, and S’mores instead of cake. It was incredible—so glad we got to capture it in all it’s glory! We also have the honor of filming sister Darcy’s marriage to Anthony in Feb. 2011…I hear it has a baseball theme…let’s just hope the rain holds off.  And if not, we may get some more stunning “kissing in the rain” footage!  Here is Dana and Adam’s preview-Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/16665381

Yes, I shoot video with my Canon 7

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Hacienda del Sol-Moira & Sean’s preview

http://www.vimeo.com/15131103

First wedding vendor picked was…Stepheny Keith of Black Sheep filmworks! Okay, maybe Hacienda del Sol was picked first because they had a venue when Moira and her mom, Mary, contacted me, but I was honored to be a close second.  Hacienda is one of my favorite Tucson venues, just the right blend of “Old West” elegance, there is no bad backdrop. We had a great time working with Courtney & Erin from www.erinheartscourt.com…truly creative and low-key photographers from L.A.  The Creative Events team kicked this event into high-gear (do they have another gear?), and all went swimmingly.  Moira and Sean are gorgeous, wicked smart and savvy, and I think their preview does all of these qualities justice.   Thanks to Sean for picking such great music, and thanks to all for such a lovely and FUN day!

AND thank YOU for looking at the blog of the black sheep–stay tuned!

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Blog, blog black sheep…

http://vimeo.com/11448386

Lots of sunshine, laughter and yarmulkes at this Shenanaganza…Jeannie and Ari gave us a few ideas, such as their appreciation for the Guy Ritchie movie “Snatch”–we took it and ran with it! They let us pick the song, so “I want you to” by Weezer was the natural choice. Jeannie and Ari loved it, we love it, hope you do to!

On a different note, it’s May. Really?!  I know they say that as you age, time seems to speed up, but this is ridiculous. It seems like just yesterday I was at In[FOCUS], a top-notch event filmmaker get-together held in Austin at the end of January. The creative energy was amazing, and I had a great time catching up with old friends and making lots of new ones. I can’t wait until the next filmmaker events, such as the POSH event (a cruise to the Bahamas for female filmmakers!) and IN[FOCUS] 2011.

We have been very busy here at black sheep. Besides creating “Snatchified” previews like Jeannie and Ari’s, the spring has been a whirlwind of weddings, films for non-profit organizations, and learning how to use my latest baby, my Canon 7D.  We are also in the process of re branding.  Don’t worry, the black sheep is here to stay, but the word “video” is out.  We are now black sheep filmworks, with the blessing of the wonderful John and Jenn Moon of Northernlight Filmworks (http://www.northernlightfilmworks.com), who are top event filmmakers based in Indianapolis.  In trying to find an available URL, the word filmworks popped up, and I liked it, but it rang a bell.  Oh yeah, Northernlight Filmworks…after contacting the Moon’s they said ‘go for it, we like the sound of black sheep filmworks’.  They create amazing films, and are a source of inspiration for me and many other event filmmakers.  Thank you to John and Jen for being so generous and sharing with me.

I will keep you posted on the re brand.  This blog is new, and should be easier for most because the clips are in Flash posted on Vimeo.  We are working on a new website, and some great new black sheep are on their way.  We are creating a wedding sheep, a corporate sheep, and a blog sheep.  Just you wait!

Enjoy this latest preview, it’s pretty fun.

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