Hey guys, sorry we missed a couple Feature of the Month’s, but after a small hiatus here is our latest feature!

This month we will be looking at the bridal prep segment from Maria and Anthony Cartiera’s wedding on July 23^rd, 2011.  Maria was at the Hilton in Hartford, CT before departing for St. Ann’s Church for the ceremony.  To see the whole ceremony and the wonderful reception at Anthony’s Ocean View, watch the entire wedding film, and others, on our website; http://www.stevenfowlerfilms.com/movie_gallery.html.

We had a fun time working with photographer, Sam Chinigo and the good people from After Hours DJ Entertainment.

Enjoy!!

-Tom Grenier

Choosing a wedding and event filmmaker for your special day can prove to be more difficult than you originally thought. Hopefully I can alleviate some of the stress of searching with some advice as a filmmaker to a future bride or groom so that you pick the filmmaker that best fits your needs. Most brides dream about their wedding day and every minute detail that goes into making that day happen, you want a filmmaker who will accurately capture all those little things that make your wedding day special.

Experience!

The first thing to look for in a filmmaker is experience. There are many inexperienced filmmakers starting out who promote themselves for weddings because they believe that shooting weddings are easy, which could not be farther from the truth. Not all wedding films are produced with the same amount of quality which is a direct result of the filmmaker’s skill and equipment. Notice if the filmmaker has won any local or national awards, this is a good indicator that they have competitively better quality and are respected in the event filmmaking community. Also meet the filmmaker at their place of business, notice the level of professionalism that goes on in their studio.

You want to book your wedding filmmaker as soon as possible. An experienced filmmaker will be able to help you with your wedding plans, giving you their opinion on vendors and venues as well as photographers. It would be a good idea to ask the photographers opinion of the filmmaker as well since they may have worked with them in the past.

The Demo Reel

A filmmaker’s demo shows his or her best shots cut together in a flashy way set to some upbeat yet touching music. Beware of the demo reel. This is a representation of the best that the filmmaker has to offer, so the demo may be misleading. Ask to watch a recently finished wedding. Then you can see an entire wedding film and be accurately able to assess the filmmaker’s quality of work. Don’t stop at one, the more wedding films you watch, the better you’ll be able to judge which filmmaker has the most consistent standard of quality. Another reason to watch a finished wedding film is to judge the audio quality. In a demo the shots are set to music and played in a montage, so it is impossible to know if your vows will sound crisp and clear, or if they will sound like they were shot in a wind tunnel.

Here are some things to consider while watching the video:

1. Is the video in good quality (High Definition/Bluray)?
2. Do the colors look bright and accurate?
3. Is there fuzziness or graininess?
4. Is the audio of good quality and is there any distortion?
5. Do you like the titles and special effects?
6. Is the editing smooth or choppy and amateurish?
7. Does it look like something you would see on TV?
8. Is there anything missing that you would’ve liked to see in the video?

The Crew

A successful wedding film needs more than just one skilled filmmaker with a nice camera, but rather a whole crew. Some filmmakers will only shoot with a minimum of two or three people, depending on the style you wish your wedding day to be captured in. If you want a documentary style video, then you may have one filmmaker, but if you want a cinematic wedding with dramatic cuts and artistic shots, then at least two filmmakers are absolutely essential. The work doesn’t stop when the cameras shut off, ask about the editing process as well, such as; is there a dedicated editor in the studio? Ask about your filmmaker’s crew and their experience. If you have a good crew, they will be able to feed off each other’s artistic abilities producing an exceptional video.

Price

It is hard to say what a good price for a wedding film is, but don’t be afraid to spend some money. The price will rely on such factors as what you want included in the film, what style you want your wedding filmed in, etc. Remember that a wedding film has longevity. It will outlast the flowers which will wilt and the top of the cake which will be eaten at some anniversary dinner. A good filmmaker will usually cost just as much as a good photographer. The film will provide you with not only images of your wedding, but voices, music, and scenes from your most cherished day. A wedding film can become an invaluable item that you watch over and over with friends and family, some of whom may not have been able to make it, or not even born yet; or it could be something you watch once and regret not paying a little extra for better quality.

Personality

The personality of your filmmaker is also important. You want to be able to get along with your filmmaker and feel comfortable around them. They will be with you on your most intimate day with your friends and family and although we filmmakers try to be as unobtrusive as possible, we are not invisible and need to know how to interact with others.

In summary, you want a filmmaker who has experience, good examples of their work, an equally professional crew, and a great personality. Hopefully this criterion helps you with your decision and you are rewarded with a wedding film that you will cherish from your first anniversary to your fiftieth.

Here is a link to our movie gallery which features our most recently finished wedding films in their entirety,  enjoy!

http://www.stevenfowlerfilms.com/movie_gallery.html

Also here are some testimonials from past clients.  Get a feel for what they liked about their wedding film.

The Feature of the Month for March is the ceremony scene from Eliza and Patrick Toffler’s wedding movie. Eliza and Patrick were married on May 28, 2011 at St. Peter’s Church in Higganum, CT. Thank you to Lam Photography for providing us with images to use within the movie. We hope you enjoy the scene.

~Marc

February’s Feature of the Month is Kristina and Josh Orlen’s wedding movie. Kristina and Josh were married on July 16, 2011 at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. Their Reception was held at The Hotel Northampton in Northampton, MA. Enjoy!

~Marc Manzi

January’s Feature of the Month is the Recap scene from Kristina and Josh Orlen’s wedding movie. Kristina and Josh were married on July 16, 2011 at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. Their Reception was held at The Hotel Northampton in Northampton, MA. The guys had a great time shooting alongside Dani Fine Photography during the event. We hope you enjoy the scene.

~Marc Manzi

September’s Feature of the Month is Tricia and Juan Eslava’s wedding trailer. Tricia and Juan were married on Friday August 26,  2011. Their ceremony took place at St. James Parish in Groton, MA. The reception was held at the Barn at Gibbet Hill in Groton MA. I always enjoy when I get the opportunity to edit a wedding trailer. Steve, Kevin and Tom did a great job capturing the beauty of Tricia and Juan’s wedding. Our camera crew had a great time working alongside Justin Mott Photography and Boston’s Best Wedding Band, “Kahootz”. Thank you to Roy Ashen from Triple Scoop Music for providing the music for Tricia and Juan’s Trailer. Enjoy!

~Marc

 

As a business owner, you always hope that your valuable tools never break down. For me, my cameras serve as a lifeline for my business. I’m sure anyone in the event filmmaking or video production business can relate to me when I say that a camera is a vital tool. Anyway, last week when I noticed there was something wrong with one of my cameras you would think that I would be worried since this happened days before a shoot. However, I knew that I had a company to rely on, Armato’s Pro Video.

In the past 25 years I have had a camera malfunction only twice, and both times I turned to Armato’s Pro Video. Without hesitation Paul Armato and Dennis Hopkins from Armato’s Pro Video were right there to make sure I had a camera repaired in time for my next shoot. I can not say enough about what these guys went though to make sure my camera was repaired quickly and professionally. When they discovered the repair was outside what they could do at their repair facility they immediately hand delivered my camera to Sony’s factory repair facility in NJ. By the way, Sony’s repair facility usually has a 6 to 8 week turn around time and they somehow got my camera repaired in two days. My guess is they have a great relationship with the guys at Sony.

I feel the need to let you know that when you purchase a camera from Armato’s Pro Video not only do you get amazing customer service but they have loaner program where if they can’t repair your camera in a reasonable time they’ll loan you one free of charge. So needless to say I knew that if they couldn’t get my camera repaired in time they would loan me one until it was.

In my opinion the first step in buying a camera is finding a reputable company that will stand behind you after the initial purchase. So when you’re in the market for your next camera give these guys a call and forget the box houses. Dennis and Paul from Armato’s are honest reputable guys that WILL be there for you when you need them and you never know when that might happen.

Steve Fowler
Steven Fowler Films / VIDEOEXPERTS

Couldn’t be more excited! Why you might ask? Next week, I will be speaking at The Illinois Videographers Association’s Fifth Annual IVA Filmmakers Expo.  It’s such an honor to be invited back again to speak at the expo. I love giving back to an industry that has been a passion of mine for the past 25 years. This year, I will be giving away some awesome freebies from my sponsors including iPlayerHD and Pexagon so I hope to see you there.

Be sure to like Steven Fowler Films on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @StevenFowler for updates and pictures while I am at the expo! Event filmmakers, don’t miss out on this incredible learning and networking opportunity. I hope to see you there!

~ Steve

This past Saturday, April 30^th in West Hartford Center we had filmed The Lux Bond and Green’s Diamond Dash brought to you by SCVNGR. I had the pleasure of producing this shoot with the help of Cameron Rogers for filming, Marc Manzi for an incredible job on editing, and Pierce Kuchle for his help at the shoot. This production was a ton of fun with a lot of high energy from all of the participants. Hundreds of participants flooded West Hartford Center to participate in the diamond dash in hopes of winning a $12,000 A. Jaffe diamond ring. Participants were receiving clues via text message on their phones. We were running just as much as the participants were throughout West Hartford Center/ Blue Back Square. Our final edited video of the footage from event is incredible, and it was so exciting to relive the moment when Kaitlin Stacy and John Voglesong wining the ring! There was so much excitement and emotion that Kaitlin and John conveyed! I wanted to thank the sponsors from the event: Lux Bond & Green, LaViera Photography, Kiss 95.7, J.T. Chamo The Tuxedo Place, Stylish Impressions, and NBC Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Danielle Nielsen, Producer

“We are proud to announce that Steven Fowler Films has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 Pick.” This is the third time we have been presented with this honor and we couldn’t be more thrilled.  It is TRULY an honor to be voted with venues as The Society Room, The Riverview and The Candlewood Inn. Photographers like Carrie Draghi Photography, Brian Ambrose Photography and none other than Steve DePino. We were also excited to see Sharon Elizabeth Floral Designs, Rob Alberti’s Event Services and our good neighbors After Hours DJ Entertainment. We certainly must not forget the great service and food of Jordan Caterers.  Thanks again to the dedicated team at Steven Fowler Films for going above and beyond making sure our event films are exactly what our clients want. Lastly, but not least!  Thanks to all the brides who voted for us again!  Here’s to another year of truly outstanding event film making.

~ Steve