Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain | Black Sheep Filmworks

Outtakes/Behind the Scenes: The best part of the wedding video?

26/08/2022 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: out-takes

We are often asked, “What doesn’t make it into the wedding film?” Well, that’s why we created “behind the scenes”…one of our favorite additional sequences for the funny, random, sometimes not so tame moments of your ‘big day”. I include this separate, edited sequence in all of the wedding films I craft, and I don’t charge for it. I never know if anything hilarious will happen, but in my last 25+ years of wedding videos, 99% of them have had an outtakes reel. It’s something that is always mentioned after the full film is received. “Freakin’ hilarious!” “The outtakes were my favorite part!” “What a great surprise at the end of that emotional roller coaster of a film…we didn’t know it was coming, and again, we were crying, but this time crying laughing!”

Editing the BTS/Outtakes is possibly my favorite part. As I am watching and listening to every word, I happen upon some gems. Usually I’m clued into them by hearing myself, or my second shooter, laugh in the unedited footage. It may be the expression of a flower girl, an uninvited party crashing javelina, or some great Dad dance moves that we needed to see a bit more of. Groomsmen tying their first bowties, way too many bridesmaids and Moms bustling the dress, and dogs in the wedding party all make for some obvious blooper fodder. But I think having filmmakers who are observant, unobtrusive, and let moments happen without directing them may be the key. We also tend to laugh pretty easily, so we may add a little fuel to the BTS fire. #sorrynotsorry You and yours can ‘be yourselves’ and let the good times roll.

Word to the wise: Watch your “BTS/Outtakes” before you share with the kids or Grandma. I have no fear of one good “F bomb” or many, but you may need to say “earmuffs” to the more sensitive folks in your fold. These moments will become part of family lore, and they are yours to revel in forever. You will be glad you invited a black sheep to capture alllllll of the moments. Your wedding goes by in a blur, it’s less than one day! Hire a great filmmaker so that you can have it, in all of its happy tears, epic dance moves, sweet glances, vows, toasts and a few bits of salty language and lots of laughter. All of that is the best part, and, it’s priceless.

Jan 12 2022

Cheers, my dear! Advice for the perfect wedding toast.

12/01/2022 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: highlights, Uncategorized

A MOB (Mother of the Bride) was asking lots of questions about wedding toasts on a phone consult recently. “Who gives the speeches? How long should they be? Where should they be in the timeline?” We chatted about all things wedding toast-y and then she said “You should blog about this! It would be so helpful.” Well, I love to help, and for my own, somewhat selfish wedding filmmaker needs, here goes. Wedding Speech tips and tricks!

We begin with a recent wedding highlight. Danielle and Neel had a gorgeous wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain last fall. Each one of the speeches helped to tell the story of D+N, and you can tell they were thought out, well written and sincerely given. Danielle and Neel met in a Hip-hop dance class, and between their EPIC first dance and celebratory fireworks, this wedding film had A LOT going for it. I still think the toasts (and the vows) are the stars.

Here are a few ideas on choosing “toasters”, writing and giving a great wedding speech.

-To the Happy Couple: ASK who in your wedding party wants to give a speech. It doesn’t have to be the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Some people are great writers AND public speakers, some are neither…you know these people well, they have been there through ALL the times. Reach out and you will find someone ready, willing and able to create and deliver that funny, kind, poignant toast.

-To the “Toasters”– Keep it tight. Your speech should be five minutes or less. People only listen to the first two minutes and the last two minutes, so make those count. You have a minute in the middle to tell us how drunk you all used to get in college, which is fine because no one is listening at that point. Open with something funny and close with something sweet.

–Try to memorize as much of the speech as you can, but please use NOTECARDS!!! No iPhones, no iPads, no shaky pieces of white paper that get out of order and then fall to the floor. If I had my way, we would have a podium with a microphone so that all ‘toasters’ had to stay in one place. You know, where I have set up good lighting, a great background, everyone can see and hear you? That’s what they do in the UK, and I have to say “Rule Brittania!”

-Stay in one place. Remember my podium idea? This is why! Women never pace, they stay still, probably because of high heels and the risk of falling. But you guys, wow, do some of you like to move! I get it, those rented tux shoes hurt and you’re nervous. Practicing your speech, notecards, and maybe drinking just enough to get you through it are keys to quelling the anxiety.

-“For those of you who don’t know me” Please do not say this. Introduce yourself, and tell us your relationship to the newlyweds. “Hi everyone, I’m Stepheny, and I have been the light of Dennis’s life since he was born, or maybe just a source of tween embarrassment when I told him that performing “The Robot” at his first middle school dance would make him incredibly popular-it did not.”

-Inside jokes:Not today, Satan! They are ‘inside’ jokes for a reason. Only a select few will understand, and find it funny. Everyone is listening, so make sure to include them.

-Be original! Don’t google wedding speeches, and use them verbatim. There are a few cringe-worthy toasts that make the rounds, and I die a little inside every time I am witness to them. “Groom, place your hand on top of the Bride’s hand. There you have it folks, that’s the last time he will ever have the upper hand.” No, just please no. I’m not giving more examples, but please, be sincere, be succinct and be YOU.

-You might get choked up, and that’s okay. Take a breath, clench your butt cheeks (seriously, this will dry up the tears, it gives your body something else to focus on for a second, so you can pull it together) and keep going. You’ve got this!

-This is for the Dads/Parents out there. Please don’t mention where everyone is from. Thank them for coming, and if you have a particularly exotic location, like the Space Station, go ahead and give a shout-out. Don’t list all of your child’s accomplishments, unless it figures in directly with how the happy couple met, or fell in love. That university soccer championship, or that JD from Yale is not why everyone is celebrating. Tell them something they don’t know, and resist the slide show with commentary.

-Toasts and Speeches should happen pre and post the wedding meal. Have a welcome toast just before eating (parents and/or newlyweds) and the rest after. We try to get reaction shots during the toasts, and obviously we cannot when people are putting food into their faces. Yikes.

-Hold the microphone just under your chin. They are not meant to work from your waist, and definitely not from below there. Enough said. On and speaking of microphones, NO OPEN MICS!!!!!!! People who shouldn’t be speaking will, and vice-versa. It also eats up valuable dancing, drinking and mingling time.

-Every speech should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Take us on a journey. Open with a laugh and end with a few joyful tears. The happy couple will thank you, as will a very happy filmmaker.

Listen to this wedding highlight for some of the best speeches ever, and great vows too! I might be a bit biased, as this is my younger brother Chad’s wedding to his ahhmazing husband Michael, but the bar was set HIGH for these “toasters”. Chad’s niece (my daughter Alexa, who is a great writer, performer, and may have heard a toast or two from the time she was In Utero) starts us off strong, and Lori bookends the finish as they both speak about these amazing souls who, even when the table, or the chapel in this case, is full, there is always room for more good, kind-hearted people.

We laughed, we cried, we danced the night away, and we captured it all, in sight and sound. This is what I do, lucky me!!

Jan 05 2021

Wedding Video? Yes, you need one!

05/01/2021 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: highlights, wedding thoughts

Wedding videos…more often than not, the “low man on the totem pole” of wedding planning and budgeting. But why?! After spending a good chunk of my life working as a filmmaker, and a lot of those films being wedding related, it seems fitting that I explore (explain?) the dark underbelly of wedding lore that is “Myths of the Wedding Video”. Let’s dive right in…oh, and I am using the words “videographer” and “filmmaker” interchangeably 😉

“Wedding videos are cheesy.”

Yes, they can be…especially those videos from the infancy of wedding video, let’s say 1990. But really, haven’t you been on the world wide web lately? Wedding videos, or wedding films as I like to call them are ahhhmazing! These films are story driven, time-shifted, chock full of beautifully recorded images (at 24 frames a second!) and crisp, clean audio. Yes, it’s like a movie, but it’s your movie of your best day ever. And, I bet, that those who had the fore site in 1990 to have their weddings videotaped, still LOVE their wedding video. I have 16mm footage of my mom playing with some puppies as a little girl, and it puts tears in my eyes…can you imagine if I had my parent’s wedding footage? I would cherish it because of it’s cheesiness, and because it’s MY PARENTS..on their wedding day, all dressed up, with their family members! So telling of a different era, so nostalgic… Anyway, go grab some popcorn, some kleenex, and watch a few current highlight films by some of the best in the business…I guarantee you will be laughing, crying and wanting to grab a drink with the newlyweds…and you don’t even know these people!

“You only watch your wedding video once.”

My brides and groom’s say they watch their videos on repeat, and find something new every time. I’ve received texts from clients, years later, that they are sitting in an airport, missing their better half, and watching their highlight film…and sharing it with a few lucky others at the gate;) I’ve read Facebook messages that Lily was watching Mommy and Daddy’s wedding film, and is obsessed with her parent’s first dance. The wedding film will become more important after many years. Friends move, loved ones pass away, and there is nothing more sentimental than seeing and hearing those that meant so much, enjoying your best day. So yes, if you hire a really good filmmaker, you will watch it many, many times.

“We have a really good photographer, so we don’t need a videographer.”

Okay, I don’t get this logic…photographs are one moment, they are evocative, can be absolutely gorgeous, and still. Very still. They do not move. Would you watch the Superbowl in a book? Would your favorite Broadway musical be just as fab in paperback? NO! So why in the world this rationalization for ONLY hiring a photographer got started, IDK. First looks, cheers-ing with your bridal party, VOWS, TOASTS, FIRST DANCES–these are all intensely AUDIO/VISUAL moments. Yes, you need a good photographer and a good/great filmmaker for this once-in-a-lifetime event. I sometimes feel like a genie, capturing all this wedding goodness, all these moments that move, and bottling them up…and then I carefully open the bottle, and go through every piece, listen to every word and create a priceless memory in sight and sound…I have the best job!

“Video is really obtrusive.”

If you hire someone who is inexperienced and/or “only about the video”, yes, they really can be obtrusive. But, I have also seen DJs, photographers, catering staff and even Aunt Peggy with an iPad, being obtrusive at weddings. You need to hire a great team. Find people who work well together, have creative chemistry and are in it for you, and your day. The technology involved in making a wedding film has become significantly smaller, we are more often than not we are mistaken for photographers. I love having great, compact tools (and yes, we filmmakers have A LOT of gear!) and leaving a minimal footprint…wedding filmmaking ninjas is what we are. My favorite compliment? “I didn’t even know you were there, but you got everything!”.

“Your wedding video should cost less than your wedding photos.”

IDK where this idea came from either, but no, really, your wedding video should cost as much or more than your photographs. Why? Between fast lenses, great audio recorders and mics, dreamy off camera lighting, monopods, gimbals…oh my, we usually have more gear and that equals a lot more $$$. Along those lines, finding and training assistant videographers is a job within itself. Video is tough, with a very broad skill set, and most videographers find live events like weddings to be very challenging. It’s “run and gun” shooting, while remaining calm, cool, collected and smiling, and making sure you get beautiful footage. And get your audio. And stay out of the photographer’s shot, and jockey for yours, all while wearing a black tie appropriate outfit that you can crawl into the flora and remain presentable. Did I mention, it’s a very broad skill set? 😉 That being said, second shooters for video are usually paid more than seconds for photography. Reason #3: Remember the “beautifully recorded images (at 24 frames per second!) and crisp, clean audio!” from Myth#1? Yes, 24 frames per second, and we edit each of those 24 frames. Our editing time is extraordinary, especially when we are telling a story, color -grading, audio-sweetening, using segue’s and time-shifting your wedding film. We are laser focused when we edit. I cannot binge watch the latest season of Succession, or catch up on “Smartless” podcasts while I edit, unlike my photographer friends. #imnotjealousatall #whoneedstobecurrentonnetflixanyway? #lovemyphotogfriends

“The camera adds 10 lbs.”

Some people are camera shy, some people don’t like the way they look in photos or video, but there are many ways around this myth. First of all, the camera does not add 10 lbs. When you hire an experienced filmmaker, they know the best angles and they know lighting. I also know that when I am editing, I am VERY aware of the most flattering moments, I am there to make you look and sound great. I’m also really good at making people comfortable in front of the camera, even true camera-phobes. I think it’s really important to get to know your filmmaker before your wedding. At least FaceTime, Skype, or chat on the phone…if you are in town, let’s go have coffee or a cocktail. Get to know the people who are capturing your memories, and make sure you like them…do they make you smile? Do they want to know your story? Do they know/care that you or your betrothed might be camera shy? Tell us…we want to know! Back to those 10 lbs…my honest opinion is: YOU NEED TO BE IN THE PICTURE! What I mean is, please don’t let this most amazing day go undocumented because of your insecurities. The adage to brides is “This day is all about you!”, but honestly, it’s not. It’s about commitment, love, honest emotions, and families coming together to celebrate all of the above. On this one day, everyone assembles for you and your beloved, they dress up, they show up, and they toast, dance, mingle and have a great time…and when it’s over, all you have left are your photos and your video. Nothing will bring you back to your wedding day like a wedding film. So, get over the myth of the 10 lbs. and book your filmmaker.

“Your photos will suffer if you hire a videographer.”

No, not if you hire a good one, and by that I mean a good videographer and a good photographer! I LOVE photography and I LOVE my photographer friends. We hang out, we have fun at weddings, enjoy creating beautiful things together…we are professional and respect each other’s art form. Get referrals from your videographer and your photographer, hire a team with great creative energy. If I have not filmed with a photographer, I will reach out a couple of weeks before the wedding so that we can discuss how we work. If they pose a lot of shots during photo session, I ask that I am given a spot in the timeline for a short video session. If they are more candid, and motion driven, we work right alongside and direct when needed, like “Hey you two, look at each other….You’re Married!” I love these moments in video, because it’s a new, honest emotion that I have captured; it resonates because it’s real. Please remember, this day is about the two of you, making the biggest promises of you life, not about photos, flowers, signature cocktails, or even wedding films. If you have the slightest inkling that any of the wedding pros that you are leaning towards do not work well with others, consider this a big red flag. We should all be there to capture this gorgeous day for you, not to build our portfolio, get that sick (and most likely, woefully unsafe) drone shot, or get on the preferred vendor’s list at your venue. We work with each other, protect each others shots and have your best interests at heart. And, if you love candid photos, you will love your wedding film…it’s full of genuine moments, in sight and sound.

“Video is so easy. Just hit ‘record’!”

I guess if you want your wedding to look like security footage, you could “just hit record”. A good wedding film is art. It takes a talented cinematographer to capture the video, to compose those 24 frames per second. You need a sound engineer to place the microphones discreetly, get a feed from the band, make sure the levels are correct, and have redundancy for them, just in case. You need a lighting designer to make sure everything is glowy and gorgeous, and that the details “pop”. A grip is necessary to carry the bags loaded with cameras, mics, cards, cables, filters, batteries, tripods, monopods, light stands, lights-you get it, this is some heavy stuff. Muscles required. An editor will take everything that has been captured so lovingly, and carefully piece it together, like the best puzzle of your best day. This will take them a long time, because they will agonize over choices-soundbites, music, order, best detail shots, pairing the groom’s reaction shot with the perfect crescendo in the song..which then changes the timing for another shot, so the editor begins again. All of these artists, come together as one person, in your wedding filmmaker. It is not easy. It can take years to learn and become and expert at the tech, the emotions, anticipating moments and nailing the shot. But it is so worth it.

“We aren’t the ‘wedding video’ type”

So, you don’t like beautifully captured moments, full of the people that you love the most, in a gorgeous setting? You don’t want to have this day, when you both had great hair and killer clothes, surrounded by your best friends, partying your a**es off, to relive? You don’t want a record of the time you dropped a chunk of change to say “I do” in the presence of your dearly beloved, and the great things they said about you while toasting the night away? You don’t want to hear your vows again? Yes, you do. Every wedding deserves a great wedding film. You are the type.

“Our biggest regret is not having a wedding film.”

Truth.

Wondering what a wedding highlight film looks, sounds and and feels like? Here’s Nikki & Sam’s, filmed at Tanque Verde Ranch. In the spirit of these two, go hire that fab wedding filmmaker, LFG!!

Nov 30 2019

Tucson:Say”Yes”to the Destination Wedding!

30/11/2019 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: highlights, out-takes, previews, wedding thoughts

Okay, so maybe I’m a little biased. I was born and raised in Tucson. I grew up swimming in our backyard pool from March through November. Flip flops, shorts and a sweatshirt (which I normally ditched by noon) were my cold weather outfit. Hiking to Seven Falls with a backpack full of my Humanities homework was my weekend hangout as I attended Salpointe Catholic High School(GO LANCERS!) Many days were spent in the glorious sunshine on the U of A mall, writing scripts and honing my camera skills…and possibly checking out the Rugby team (BEAR DOWN ARIZONA!). Tucson is a very special place to me…it’s my hometown.

After graduation, I left Tucson. I couldn’t wait to leave. Bright lights, big city…LA, San Francisco, cable tv shows, studio services, feature films…it was fun. But it was hard. Feast or famine. So I came back. I couldn’t wait to get back. The mountains, the monsoons, the Mexican food, oh, and my family that I missed terribly. I met my hunky English hubby, started Black Sheep Filmworks, rescued an Australian Shepherd, a brown tabby cat and an Australian Cattle Dog. I also gave birth to two of the finest human beings you will ever meet, Alexa and Aidan. Okay, so maybe I’m a little biased. Tucson is the place that chose me from the get-go. And the place I chose to call home when I had a choice.

YOU have a choice as well, where to hold your wedding. That most ahhhmazing day with your dearly beloved(s)….why choose Tucson for a Destination wedding? Here are my top five reasons:

1. The Scenery. Search “Tucson, Arizona” in google images and you get choices: Mountains, Skyline, Sunset, Downtown and University of Arizona, all of which are spectacular, especially the mountains and the sunsets. All sunsets with high wispy clouds are pretty, but when you have a sunset with gorgeous color AND a huge saguaro in the background, that’s ICONIC.

Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain-Destination wedding perfection!!!

2. The Venues. From The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain to the Westin La Paloma to Hacienda del Sol to Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, Tucson is full of world class resorts, spas and inns that want to pamper you and your guests with loads of Tucson hospitality. The views, the food, the pools, the golf…just basking in the warm Tucson sun, it’s AHHHmazing!

3. Margaritas. From prickly pear to mango habañero, you won’t find a better specialty cocktail. Enough said.

4. The Wedding Professionals. Or the Wedding Vendors, or “Friendors” as my friend Brie Dumais of Brie Dumais Designs likes to call us;) Hands down, some of the most talented, creative, fun, hard working, kick a** individuals you will ever have the pleasure of being around. From florists to photographers, event planners to filmmakers (!) Tucson’s talent is extraordinary. And we all like each other. We will scramble up a hill loaded with cacti and maybe a gopher snake or two (don’t worry, they’re non-venomous ;)) to get that dream shot of you and your beloved. We are used to this 100+ degree “dry” heat. We don’t over direct and under produce. Golf carts, Quarter horses and dirt bikes were probably our first mode of transportation, or our most recent, so we’ve got you covered. We know Tucson, we love it, and we want to share it with you and your besties.

5. The Feel. No place in the world feels like Tucson. It’s a sprawling city (over 227 square miles!) in the middle of four mountain ranges under a huge sunny sky 350 days a year, but it still feels like a small town. When I meet a new client, somewhere in my portfolio, you will know someone. 6 degrees of separation with Kevin Bacon? It’s about 2 to 3 degrees of separation in Tucson. From The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum to the Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson is full of natural beauty, wildlife, and history. And really nice people. Come to Tucson for your Big day, home of the best sunsets, warm sunshine, spas, saguaros…oh, I could go on and on. Okay, maybe I’m a little biased…

Destination weddings are one of my favorite things to capture…we film a lot of them. We get to know everyone beforehand with FaceTime, a pretty detailed wedding questionnaire, text conversations and even chats on the phone..if you’re into that. Come to Tucson, cheers with me over a prickly pear margarita, marry your beloved and live happily ever after. Make those “once in a lifetime” memories and invite a few black sheep to make sure you can re-live it all, over and over. Yes, I am biased, but I won’t steer you wrong; Tucson is destination wedding perfection!!!! Just watch 😉

Dec 28 2016

Your wedding is not “too cool” for a wedding video

28/12/2016 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: highlights, previews, wedding thoughts

After filming and editing weddings for just under 25 years, I have to say something. I’ve stayed quiet, kept my head down, created fab films for ahhmazing couples, but I must call you out. Yes, you. The newly engaged, or the engaged-about-to-walk-down-the-aisle, who are “not having video.” I hear it often, when I ask the engaged “Who is your videographer?”, they look slightly annoyed, and even puzzled by the question. “Oh, we aren’t having video…but we have a great photographer!”, as if the photographer is going to fill this motion picture void with their wonderful photos. FYI: they won’t, because they can’t. Photos cannot tell the same story as a visual medium that walks and talks, and the biggest regret of newlyweds, according to a recent TheKnot.com poll, is the lack of a professional wedding video. Video is no longer cheesy, and it’s no longer a luxury. It’s like a documentary film, but better, because it features you and your family and friends. In your best clothes. You won’t realize the power of it until the day after your “big day”. That’s when you will thank your lucky stars that you found your creative filmmaking genius, paid them a chunk of change and now have more memories, in sight and sound, than you realized was possible.

Here are a few misconceptions about wedding videos, and my thoughts.

Video is obtrusive.

It used to be, with big lights and even bigger cameras. But thanks to the DSLR revolution, video cameras are the same size or smaller than a standard still camera, and sometimes they are the same camera. Their low light capabilities and beautiful imagery make them the perfect choice for stealthy filmmaking. So many times I hear “I didn’t even notice you guys and you got everything.” Modern wedding filmmakers are like ninjas, with cameras.

Video is cheesy.

It used to be, with heart wipes, selective color and slow motion (oh, wait, slow-mo is back in, but I digress). The wedding video is now the wedding film, and it truly is like a movie. Most wedding videographers are really documentarians, who want to show the events of your day as they happened, but in the most emotional, timeless and entertaining way possible. I have a very detailed questionnaire that I send to my clients before their wedding, and it really shows me what is important to them. Who the key family members and friends are, the fonts used on invitations and signage, what music you love and hate, anything special to you two, and your wedding day. The knowledge of your personal stories and the details of this “best day” make it easier for us to get involved and pull the most honest, emotional moments from hours of footage. I also love to meet before the wedding, over coffee or a cocktail, and get to know you…if not, a chat via skype or facetime can make us all friends.

Video is a luxury we can’t afford.

When all is said and done, all you will have left from this most ahhmazing day is your wedding video and photos. Make room in the budget! Forgo the wedding favors, over-the-top decor, have one less dinner course and get a REALLY GREAT WEDDING FILM. Find a filmmaker in your area (I’m happy to help as I know the most incredibly talented people all over the world), look at their work, read their reviews, and email or call them. Get comfortable, see if they make you smile, and if their work makes you laugh, cry and feel connected to these people that you don’t even know. If it does, hire them. You will be so happy that you did.

I’m/My beloved is camera shy.

Most people are, but the good news is, it isn’t all about you, or your beloved. Well, it kind of is, as the betrothed, but it’s really about how people react to you. It’s how everyone gets misty during your vows and cheers during your pronouncement and recessional. It’s about your favorite great Aunt in a dance-off with your best man. It’s about the toasts. It really is about the toasts, because without a professional videographer, with really good audio knowledge and equipment, those toasts are going out into the ether, never to be heard again. This is one of the many reasons you cannot leave the wedding filmmaking to your cousin and his iphone (bless them). The video may be passable to good, but the sound will not be, and the audio is at least one half of what makes a great wedding film. So, don’t worry about being camera shy. SO many of my clients say the same thing, and are put totally at ease on the wedding day. We are fun, we want you to have fun, and we want to record the fun. No stress, only good times.

Photographers and Videographers don’t get along.

Not true. I love my photographer friends, and they refer me A LOT. We work well together, have innovative energy, and make sure everything is documented in all its glory. We are artists, and enjoy the creative process.

So you, you the “oh, we aren’t having video” types, I beg you to reconsider. Check out a few of the highlight films here, from couples just like you, who didn’t want video at first. Thankfully, a smart wedding planner, a lovingly controlling Mother-in-law-to-be, a Dad who likes to record every moment, someone who knows the power of the wedding video, intervened. You, and your most wonderful day are not “too cool” for video, in fact, it’s just the opposite. Your wedding will be so heartfelt, beautiful and timeless, it will make an ahhmazing film. Call or email your best local wedding filmmaker. You will be so happy you did.

Feb 06 2015

Destination: Tucson

06/02/2015 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: previews, wedding thoughts

Okay, so maybe I’m a little biased. I was born and raised in Tucson. I grew up swimming in our backyard pool from March through November. Flip flops, shorts and a sweatshirt (which I normally ditched by noon) were my cold weather outfit. Hiking to Seven Falls with a backpack full of my Humanities homework was my weekend hangout as I attended Salpointe Catholic High School.(GO LANCERS!) Many days were spent in the glorious sunshine on the U of A mall, writing scripts and honing my camera skills…and possibly checking out the Rugby team (BEAR DOWN ARIZONA!). Tucson is a very special place to me…it’s my hometown.

YOU have a choice as well, where to hold your wedding. That most ahhhmazing day with your dearly beloved(s)….why choose Tucson for a Destination wedding? Here are my top five reasons:

5. The Scenery. Search “Tucson, Arizona” in google images and you get choices: Mountains, Skyline, Sunset, Downtown and University of Arizona, all of which are spectacular, especially the mountains and the sunsets. All sunsets with high wispy clouds are pretty, but when you have a sunset with gorgeous color AND a huge saguaro in the background, that’s ICONIC.

4. The Venues. From The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain to the Arizona Inn to Hacienda del Sol, just to name a few, Tucson is full of world class resorts, spas and inns that want to pamper you and your guests with loads of Tucson hospitality. The views, the food, the pools, the golf…just basking in the warm Tucson sun, it’s AHHHmazing!

3. Margaritas. From prickly pear to mango habañero, you won’t find a better specialty cocktail. Enough said.

2. The Wedding Professionals. Or the Wedding Vendors, or “Friendors” as my friend Brie Dumais of Brie Dumais Designs likes to call us;) Hands down, some of the most talented, creative, fun, hard working, kick a** individuals you will ever have the pleasure of being around. From florists to photographers, event planners to filmmakers (!) Tucson’s talent is extraordinary. And we all like each other. We will scramble up a hill loaded with cacti and maybe a gopher snake or two (don’t worry, they’re non-venomous ;)) to get that dream shot of you and your beloved. We are used to this 100+ degree “dry” heat. We don’t over direct and under produce. Golf carts, Quarter horses and dirt bikes were probably our first mode of transportation, or our most recent, so we’ve got you covered. We know Tucson, we love it, and we want to share it with you and your besties.

1. The Feel. No place in the world feels like Tucson. It’s a sprawling city (over 227 square miles!) in the middle of four mountain ranges under a huge sunny sky 350 days a year, but it still feels like a small town. When I meet a new client, somewhere in my portfolio, you will know someone. 6 degrees of separation with Kevin Bacon? It’s about 2 to 3 degrees of separation in Tucson. From The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum to the Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson is full of natural beauty, wildlife, and history. And really nice people. Come to Tucson for your Big day, home of the best sunsets, warm sunshine, spas, saguaros…oh, I could go on and on. Okay, maybe I’m a little biased…

Want to see a destination:Tucson wedding in all its glory? Alison and Jelani, otherwise known as ALizona and Uncle Jeli ;), brought everyone out from Houston and beyond for an incredible wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain. From some gorgeous royal blue Badgley Mischkas, to lobster mac n’ cheese, to sparklers, to some truly epic dance moves, THIS was a night to remember!
Thanks Alison & Jelani…and ENJOY!!!

Many thanks to the following wedding rockstars:
Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Event Coordinator: Madison St.Clair
Photographer: David Sanders Filmmaker: Black Sheep Filmworks Florist: Posh Petals DJ/ Band/ Musicians: Simply Three & DJ Andrew Photo booth:Clear Choice Photo Booth

Jun 17 2014

Should your wedding “go to the dogs”?

17/06/2014 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: previews, wedding thoughts

Canines, canines…everywhere! And I as the wedding filmmaker and loyal Australian Cattle Dog mama, LOVE IT! In 22 years of capturing my lovelies’ best days, some of the most resonant moments have come from my four legged friends. They have acted as ring dog, flower grrrl, bride’s pups etc… Dogs wear their hearts on their furry sleeves, and they keep it real.

Here are a few tips for making your wedding a happy day for you and your fur baby:

1. Make sure they have a handler that they are comfortable with, who knows the dog. This should not be the bride or groom.

2. Keep their time at the wedding short. They can walk or be carried down the aisle, and then be seated with said handler. Some dogs can handle being at the altar, but some will desperately try to get front and center with their pack. A whining, jumping, drooling pup can be quite a distraction, not to mention hell on tulle.

3. Tucson’s warmth can be difficult for non-desert dogs. Our British Bulldog and bride’s grrrl, Savannah, was driven to Tucson (from New Jersey!) by her Mom (our bride Gretchen) because they knew she had to be “climate controlled” for her journey. Their wedding was at the gorgeous Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain in late December, and the weather was a sunny and mild 70 degrees. Perfect for a dog that is known to overheat.

4. Bring treats! Especially if you have a “food motivated” pup (and who doesn’t?!). This will also keep the begging and eating of non-canine approved foods to a minimum. Remember, those hors d’oeuvres will be very tasty, but can cause quite a bit of tummy upset in your dog. THAT is NOT something you want to deal with on your wedding night…

5. ETSY! Find a cute orange bow tie like Spike had at Gina and William’s INCREDIBLE Arizona Inn wedding.

Or contact your florist, and get a great pearl and flower ensemble like Savannah had at Gretchen and Eric’s Ritzy nuptials, courtesy of the AHHHmazing Colleen LaFleur (LaFleur Plantscapes +Fresh Flora).

Having a wedding with some spicy, latin flair? Well then, YES, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel can be carried down the aisle in a sombrero. Be creative, have fun with it…just try on the wedding flair and make sure the sombrero fits at the rehearsal, leaving some time for adjustments before the “big day.”

6. If you have too big of a pack to bring, consider having them on your cake. As a cake topper! Tonya and Dan are the proud owners of too many to mention rescued dogs, including a Siberian Husky and a few pit bulls. They couldn’t bring them all, so they had cake toppers made of their pups. ALSO, one of the best uses of table numbers I have ever seen was at this uber incredible day at Reflections at the Buttes. Each table number had a photograph of a dog from a local shelter, and their name was your table. The best part? All of the dogs were waiting to be adopeted! I know at least a few dogs found homes that night. As the Mom of a shelter dog and cat, I LOVE that idea.

7. Any dog who is nervous, a “nipper”, doesn’t like a lot of people, kids etc…should probably not be at your wedding. He will be happier at home, with a sitter. He can watch your wedding film later. I’ll send dog treats along with the flash drives 😉

A day to remember at the Ritz

26/07/2013 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: filmworks | In: highlights, out-takes

I was recently asked to create a mission statement for black sheep filmworks. You know, a cool one like Warby Parker’s “Do Good” or an inspiring one like Nike’s “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” After much thoughtful soul searching and a good glass of Pinot Noir, I pumped my fist in the air and loudly proclaimed “To create kick ass films and have a great time doing so.”

Profanity aside, I liked it. But then I stumbled upon the Ritz-Carlton mission statement, a part of which declares “The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.” WOW! That’s what I strive for, especially fulfilling the unexpressed wishes of my clients. So in creating this wedding film for Jeneca and Ryan, I really wanted to surpass their expectations, even if they didn’t know what to expect. Wedding films are mysterious like that. Even if you’ve watched loads of them, yours will be different. And probably, hopefully, yours will be SO MUCH BETTER. Because it’s yours, and because the black sheep knows how to surpass your expectations.

Speaking of kick ass wedding films…you’ve already seen Jeneca and Ryan’s preview. Please watch their “Behind the scenes” and see why we have a great time doing what we do. 😉

https://vimeo.com/71022042

Many thanks to the wedding superstars who lived up to the Ritz credo:

Venue: Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain
Coordinator: Lori Cajimat
Photography: Chris Richards photography
Filmmaker: Black Sheep Filmworks
Floral Design: LaFleur Plantscapes+Fresh Flora–Collen LaFleur
Entertainment/Lighting: Saytr Entertainment-Andy DePew

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