All Shook Up Films

Lynn & Chris - So many Tales to Tell

2012-01-22T07:46:00.000-08:00

A wedding film is an awesome thing to create. Every wedding is unique. And it's not up to me write the script but rather to discover it. Everything said... the events of the day... the ceremony service.... the speeches at the reception; these all help tell the story, not just of the day but of an incredible love two people share. Each story is different so each wedding is different. And when I do an edit I love to see how it sometimes just falls into place. Most every time it surprises me as what I intended to do as "director" of the film is changed as something works itself in perfectly. And I have to be open to that because it isn't my story... it's yours.

The Wedding of Lynn & Chris was one completely rich with story. They just have such a neat bond. And as I have just finished editing their Main Feature Edit I wanted to share their Recap video. It gives you a glimpse into all the many wonderful little stories I had to work with. One of them was the story of Jaka, who being pregnant and on bed rest, was not able to attend the wedding. She was a bridesmaid. And although she was far away in a hospital somewhere she was still very much included in the day. Early in the day she sent Lynn flowers. Emotions started rolling. Then thanks to the amazing power of technology the bridesmaids used an iPad and FaceTime to make it so she was right there catching it all as Lynn put on the dress. It could have been an Apple commercial because they used the same technology to allow Jaka to personally deliver her speech via an iPhone. It had so much impact. Absolutely amazing.

Then Chris and his groomsmen were jamming it out crazy style when we arrived to shoot the groomsmen getting ready. It was terrific. Chris must be able to play 10 instruments, he blows me away. Music is a shared love for Lynn and Chris so it made such an addition to their film. Then... their speeches were amazing. So much content and incredible words said gave me so much to work with putting together their edit.

So as you're planning your day, the one thing I try to encourage couples to do is to really act on these things that will create that incredible story. Guys... find something different to do in the morning. I know it takes you 5 minutes to get dressed but there's so much more that you could be doing so we don't have footage of you just hanging out drinking beer. Although that's still part of the day, there are other things too. Just be creative. If you want ideas, I'd love to throw a few out. Are you going to give each other a gift? This is such an opportunity to really give a background on your love because we can film both of you receiving and reading the card. It helps build the emotion in the film and tell the story that much better. Couples... don't throw away speech at the end of the night. I know you're going to thank everyone from the flower girls to the caterers but don't forget the one who is standing beside you. Each of you should take a moment to publicly express your feelings for the one you have married. From your films perspective this will drive it home and give me the best content I can. Usually it fits near the end of the film and just emphasizes the incredible journey you've made together and why it all happened. Think about it. I love making films. You just love each other. Now let's make a movie. ACTION!

Sope & Seyi's Same Day Edit - Calgary

2011-09-09T01:37:00.000-07:00

Lately we've had the privilege of filming a few Nigerian weddings and events. Each time is so enjoyable because it's truly a celebration and for Mosope and Oluseyi it was not hard to have that feeling of celebration especially with so much dancing and culture. We were given a unique opportunity to capture not only the church ceremony but also the traditional Nigerian Ceremony. It's really a time where they praise God, and experience not just the joining of two people, but two families. There's a lot of singing, praising, bantering and dancing all in an effort for the groom and his entourage to find acceptance from the bride's family. Finally the bride and her party arrive and are greeted with dollar bills and an array of gifts on a table. Among the gifts is a box containing a ring, gifted by the groom and when Sope found it and accepted it Seyi put it on her and the families rejoiced. It really added to their recap to be able include these celebratory moments and really feel the culture deeply ingrained in the couple and all participating. It made the edit a little harder but definitely worth it when you're able to see more of a story as and allow a little more of their personality to shine through. Enjoy Sope and Seyi. A Cultural Experience.

Josie & Joel - Same Day Edit - Red Deer

2011-07-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be able to post about our first Same Day Edit of the 2011 season! And it was so nice to film on a gorgeous July day. Josie and Joel both have this serious laid back side, but also a fun and crazy side too. Filming their day was so enjoyable. For a lot of the past year the 2 of them have been living apart and so the excitement was evident. Joel had some special journals he's kept over that time where he wrote his thoughts and was counting down the days hours, and minutes until the big day. Watch for the shot. What a neat idea, and such a wonderful thing to look back on in years to come.

I must say though when they told me the ceremony was going to be held at St. Mary's Parish I was a little worried since it is a pretty dark church. I've filmed in this church before and knew the challenges of low light but since we shoot with all DSLR cameras it merely meant changes our lens choices (one of which is my new Canon 50mm 1.4). I was very happy with the result. The shots in the church were magnifique!! It was actually hard to choose during the edit which shots to put since I had such great stuff to work with from all 3 cameras. Which reminds me... I need to send out props to my 2 assistants Tyler and Jennifer who really came through for me with some fantastic content throughout the day. The groomsmen definitely gave Tyler some original stuff to work with as you'll see. We shot the day with 2 Canon 7Ds and a Canon 60D... a great combination.

And for the vows... I chose to latch onto something a little different. The priest read some of their thoughts about each other which I thought was unique. It's one of those things that really helps to the story of their love. So included parts of those instead since it really added more to it and gave the feeling of them writing their own vows.
And as for the Same Day Edit... what's interesting is a lot of times when the DJ hears we'll be stopping the dance to he gets worried it's going to kill the momentum of the evening and clear the dance floor. In almost every case the exact opposite happens. The Same Day Edit gets everyone so pumped and excited it throws everything up a notch because of the experience of reliving all those amazing moments again. Here's some incredible ones. I'm excited to share Josie and Joel's Same Day Edit. Enjoy.

Kenya Kondo - Wait Album Release - Edmonton

2011-05-13T23:12:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how my wedding films don't just appeal to brides. Lately I've been getting inquiries from others because they want me to approach an event or even business in a story-like and cinematic fashion. This is what brought Kenya Kondo, a very talented singer songwriter in Edmonton to seek me out for his album release concert. It's always a pleasure to try new things and I'm very pleased with what we were able to capture for him and his band. It was a very important night for him and he wanted us to capture not just the concert but the story surrounding the album release. The comments we were able to record from him created a perfect bio and highlight for his band. I encourage you to give a listen to his music. It's a very unique and upbeat form of alternative, jazz and rhythm and blues. Check out his website and enjoy this incredible highlight filmed at the Haven Social Club, truly a diamond in the rough when it comes to hang-outs in Edmonton.

Kelsey & Brandee's Recap - Red Deer, Sylvan Lake

2011-04-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

I know with spring finally arriving in Alberta we don't really want to think about snow anymore. But with the playoffs going on I should be able to get away with this post. The shots we did out in the hockey rink turned out just fabulous. Kelsey and Brandee's wedding was in January and although it was a little cold the freshly falling snow gave it such a warm appeal. It was the perfect day for snowmobiling so kudos to Kelsey for resisting the urge to spend a day ripping up fresh powder. When you enjoy winter, there's never a better time for a wedding. It just makes for some fun footage. Enjoy.

Details - Sinead & Brett Same Day Edit - Red Deer

2011-03-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

It's all about the details. For Sinead and Brett their relationship is all about the little things, doing those things for the other to make them happy with no thought of themselves. And it's those little things that can tie us together with emotion. That's love. In a wedding there are so many little things that make up the big picture. The flowers, the centre pieces, party favors, and heirlooms. Most importantly the people that have come so far to be a part of that day and the emotion inevitably displayed by them as they experience the joy with you. Details like Sinead's family's broach that was pinned to her dress for good luck. And the card Brett had delivered to Sinead. Thankfully a wedding film captures and preserves all those details I've described. A lot of the details hold so much story and for me it's all about uncovering it and telling it. A photo can show a detail but it can't always tell the why like film can. Why is that so special? Years from now a grandchild can watch this wedding film and feel the same emotions their grandmother felt. Film just has so much more depth and our generation is so lucky to have it. I love it when couples understand this. Sinead & Brett were such an easy couple to work with. I love it when I get a couple that says "We love your work, do whatever you have to do to make that happen, we trust you completely." It just makes what I do so much better. And we really had a great time working alongside photographer Malou Farrell of Infinite Eye. We were able to feed off each other's creative juices and it gave us some really good footage. And I also need to give a shout out to Peter Michaels from The Big 105 Live DJ Show for providing the sound and most importantly keeping the party going while I was finishing up this amazing Same Day Edit. He knows how to rock it.

Well enough said, here's Sinead and Brett's Instant Recap (our first Same Day Edit of 2011)

Dream Big! Mike & Shelley's Wedding Recap

2011-03-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

This was the first time I filmed a wedding in November here in Red Deer without a speck of snow on the ground. As much as I love winter weddings a late fall wedding still has such a neat feel to it with most of the leaves off the trees covering the ground. Add to that not just a wonderful couple but a wonderful family. Shelley and her 2 kids are so awesome and when you add someone like Mike you can see they now have what they were missing and more. He's a fun guy and when a wedding creates an instant family such as this you just can't help but smile. You can tell that for Shelley this has been a dream of hers for a long time. And from a friendship that grew slowly over the years into something more their story is really amazing. Dream big and expect great things! Truly a message we can all take to heart.

Jana & Dave - Same Day Edit - Pine Lake

2011-01-25T00:57:00.000-08:00

When I first started to get to know Jana she told me how her sister would always joke about her being born in the wrong decade and gave me a list of songs for her wedding video that were from pretty much a different generation than her own. And a few things like their get-away car and the rustic cabins at the lake were going to make her wedding video feel a little less modern. So I decided to go for the nostalgic and try to give the video itself that same feel. It's interesting that most photographers I've worked spend a lot of time working with colour and editing their images to get just the right mood. For a wedding film it should be no different. I find that taking the time to adjust the colour on my films can make a huge difference in the overall feeling you get from it. In this case I wanted to give a little bit of an older 70's style film to match the jag they drove off in. It just goes to show what can be achieved with a little tweaking on the colour spectrum. I especially love the tone it gives to the lake and the boaters pulling you in this secluded and intimate setting where closely family and friends came to celebrate with Jana and Dave. It was great to be able to close the night off with an incredible look back in this Same Day Edit.

Simoi & Kalvin - Recap

2010-09-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Okay I'm going to hijack this post to first talk about our new brand. We've been doing weddings for a while and although I love doing what I do I've never been crazy about our brand. It was something we came up with when we started our business and honestly I kind of thought I was stuck with it. Sight and Sound Creations has been a good name and brand for us but I think I've always felt that it lacked some personality. We're not boring people and our wedding films are far from boring so it makes sense that we have a brand that reflects that. For me I wanted something that I connected with in many ways and in turn something our couples would also really connect with. If that happens I think it's easy to remember us and be drawn to our services even more. This winter I was in Austin, Texas for a wedding filmmaker conference and in one session they talked in depth about branding and it made me really assess where we were at. On my way home, I took a detour to Nashville to visit my sister but not before making a much anticipated pitstop in Memphis where I visited Graceland. Yes, I'm a huge Elvis fan. It was here where the idea was born. All Shook Up Wedding Films just says everything we are about. We're passionate about couples in love. I'm even crazy at times when comes to filmmaking and getting that perfect shot or creating an amazing story in the editing suite. Anyway that's the story behind the new brand. We love it and we hope you love it as well.

Okay! Why did I choose this particular post to talk about connecting and branding. Because Simoi and Kalvin are two extremely passionate and fun people. They just have so much personality and charisma it was hard not to connect with them and enjoy every minute of their day. And passion exudes emotion so there were indeed moments of laughter and tears. With these two spirits were so high even though it poured rain all day. Nothing was going to stop them from having an incredible day. And Kalvin... well let's just say he was in a very giving mood that day. The gifts to Simoi were not few. Snow White and her seven helpers (bridesmaids). Very well thought out. It makes my job of telling the story so much easier. I love it when a story unfolds that's unique because it draws you in all the more. It was also a pleasure to meet and shoot next to Jonas and Ashley Granberg of Limelite Foto here in Red Deer. Check out the photos on their blog. I think they captured their personalities gorgeously. All right. Enjoy Simoi and Kal's recap.

Kannin & Davida - Banff Same Day Edit

2010-08-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

As Kerri and I were eating breakfast Kannin texted me. "Rain or shine it's going to be a beautiful day". That was just how excited and positive he was. Even at the rehearsal he was beaming... and his excitement was just so contagious. It truly made for such a beautiful day because of the incredible love of Kannin and Davida. It was truly enjoyable and fortunately the ceremony escaped any inclement weather and we witnessed a gorgeous scene with the mountains as a backdrop as they made their vows. Not only did we avoid the rain but also smoke from the BC fires also dissipated as well. I also had a great time shooting alongside John Bonner of John Bonner Photography. He's definitely who you'd want behind the camera if you're planning a wedding in the Banff area.
As for the Instant Recap, it all seemed to fall together. When I arrived to film the groom he was putting the finishing touches on his speech, and it was obvious that it was a really big thing for him. And the roses they used for the centre pieces were significant because he proposed with a bouquet of roses at the Toronto airport. A very cool story which will be included in their main feature edit.
To make things even more interesting this was also a surprise Same Day Edit. The couple had booked us with a lower package but the bride's sister-in-law and brother contacted me and upgraded them as a gift. Their reaction was precious. Enjoy.

On a side note. You may notice a completely different logo. We've decided to move to a new brand that appeals a little more to us as well as couples. I'll post more about it later as we complete the transition.

Celebrating A Union - Warren & Kemi Instant Recap

2010-08-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is our first time filming an African wedding and I must say that they really know how to celebrate. This was a wedding steeped in tradition and a feeling of joy and love not just from the couple, but the whole entourage of guests in attendance. It helps us to understand the true reason for a Same Day Edit or "Instant Recap" as we call it. It's all about the experience! An opportunity for all in attendance to rejoice and relive the key moments of a day that just happened. What better way to say thank you to the guests, to the caterers, the decorators, the bridal party, the parents, and everyone else involved by seeing their contribution and sharing the emotions and scenes that encapsulated a day never to be forgotten. Capturing Kemi and Warren's wedding was truly a heartwarming experience and reminded me once again why the Instant Recap has such impact. I try to make a good product, but the truth is the value lies with the couple and their family because they are the ones that cherish the memories the most. That's why we try to approach each wedding in a different way. Not only does it keep us on our toes but it helps us to see what's unique about the couple and their family and try to capture that. Here's Warren and Kemi's Instant Recap... An incredible experience. Enjoy.

When Love sparks a Flame - Tanya & Curtis Glencross

2010-06-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of capturing the moments of an amazing day for Tanya and Curtis. (And yes... that's Curtis Glencross from the Calgary Flames.) Despite a few bumps... we were able to produce a really cool Instant Recap to be played that evening. My card reader so was no good and all my footage was transferring really slow so I was sweating bullets to get it all done in time but I pulled it off. Thanks to my wife Kerri for running out and grabbing me a new one and then helping out at the reception. Special thanks to Raj from A Love Story Video Productions who helped me out with this one. He definitely got some stellar shots of the guys getting ready. Thanks to him this was our first wedding filmed all on the Canon 7D and I'm very impressed with how it all turned out. Sorry folks, this was my first celebrity wedding and for that reason this video is no longer available for public viewing. If you would really like to see it please contact me directly and I can allow you access.

Capturing the "Magic" - The Main Feature

2010-04-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Every wedding contains some magic!! Most artists have to create their own. As a wedding filmmaker I don't create the magic... it's already there. My job is to find it, capture it, and edit it in a way that's going to be engaging and entertaining. The magic for me is the story. It's what grabs you and helps you connect with the main characters. As I approach the editing process my main goal is to tell the story in a way that, even if you didn't know the bride or groom, you would learn enough about them that you would share in the excitement of the day and almost feel the emotions as the events happen. I don't need to create this... it's all there, but it is in how you tell it. Whether it's something the officiator said, those witfully worded toasts and speeches, or a quick comment at some point in the day from a relative, your story is being told. Rather than give you a boring linear timeline of the days events my style is to use to the magic that's been captured at different times during the day whenever it fits. I will use a speech to build the character of the groom as you see him getting ready to offer that empathic feeling in the audience engaging them and drawing them in. For the couple it just makes it a more meaningful wedding film for them... one they'll want to share with everyone. And you could sit down and watch it with a friend as most of my Main Feature edits are anywhere from 25-40 minutes in length.

What's different about our films. It's capturing the magic! You can see a little bit of it in our Wedding Recaps but to really see the difference you have to watch our main feature edit. It's what I try to explain to all my couples but the best way to fully understand what it is you need to see. Megan and Andrew's Main Feature is a great example of a wedding film rich with story. This is only the first 20 minutes but it gives you a good idea of what I'm talking about.

View on ExposureRoom

Kelsey & Kurtis - 2 Amazing Videos!

2010-02-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

February 5, 2010

Kelsey and Kurtis were very excited about cinematography and they were willing to do whatever they had to make their wedding film an absolute success. Since I had the chance to do a Her HisStory Segment with them it really gave me a chance to get to know them very well which made telling their story easy and filming their wedding really enjoyable. I'm posting both the Recap from the day as well as their Her HisStory segment which was shown at the reception. Some clips from that shoot will also be used in their main feature edit as that will help tell their story incredibly.

Jason & Kelsey - Soaring to Greater Heights

2010-02-07T04:32:00.002-08:00

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

From the moment I met Jason and Kelsey I could tell they were 2 of the nicest people around and I was excited to work with them. Then when they started to explain all the amazing things they had planned for their wedding day I got even more excited. It turned out to be an incredible day considering the rain held off until the evening.

Jason and Kelsey just had such a strong connection with a love for everyone and a huge love for life, God, and music. We had a blast being a part of their day. How fun is it to film a bride that’ll do just about anything including jump on a trampoline.

Heather & Greg - Jasper Wedding

2010-02-07T04:32:00.001-08:00

Monday, September 28, 2009

It wasn’t too hard to convince us to take a trip to scenic Jasper, Alberta and film Heather and Greg’s wedding. They were an amazing couple and the views were just breathtaking. It was nice to have so many incredible shots to choose from but that also made it harder to put their recap video together.

The Importance of Being Eager - Megan & Andrew

2010-02-07T04:28:00.000-08:00

Monday, October 19, 2009

Megan has been a great fan of my work for a while and was awesome to feel the excitement she had towards her wedding cinematography. When a bride understands the importance of this aspect of her day and puts total confidence in us it makes it much easier for us to do the job we need to. Megan and Andrew both just oozed love for family and friends and you could see right away why this was such an important thing for them. When you’re busy with everything on your day you may catch glimpses of your guests or say a quick “hello” and “thank you for coming”. Our job is to catch the things you might have missed and this is a big one. We’ve often had feedback on how valuable this is because it’s so nice to see the faces of the people they cared about enough to invite. It’s a big day and it all goes by so fast.

Saying I Do on the Ranch

2010-02-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

Thursday, July 9, 2009

At the very south end of Calgary is a quiet little chalet called “The Ranche”. It was the perfect setting for an intimate wedding. Mike and Callie celebrated an amazing day with family and close friends. It makes it way easier when the bride and groom trust you and give the freedom to do what you need to do. It made for some really cool shots which helps in telling the story of a beautiful day that much easier. I also filmed their love story film a while earlier which does even more to help me capture their personalities and have a connection with the couple. It’s just another reason why a Love Story Film is such a great option.

I’ll post the Love Story soon.

Lisa & Tyson

2010-02-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

When these two exchanged smiles you couldn’t help but feel the love. They made it so easy to create a fantastic recap of their day. The ceremony took place just east of Olds and the reception was at the Carstairs Community Hall. Special thanks to my brother Darce for the help with the filming. We’re starting to make a pretty good team.

A Night Of Gazing Towards Eternity

2010-02-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

Friday, April 24, 2009

It seems like I’m usually looking at buying some sort of new gear which doesn’t always go over well with my wife. The Glidecam 2000 Pro is a really cool camera stabilizer I’ve been wanting to get my hands on. After I got it I’d been practicing and waiting for an opportunity to do a really cool shoot with a couple. When I was down at my Dad’s this Easter in Cardston, Alberta I did a little more than suggest to my brother and his girlfriend that I do a mock Save The Date Engagement Shoot with the beautiful LDS temple as a backdrop. I was only wanting to do this for promotional purposes but Scott proposed to Kristi the very next day. Apparently he was planning on doing it that night but because we were doing the shoot he missed the chance. If you look at the footage they look like they’re engaged anyway. In any case with the way the temple lights up at night I couldn't have been more pleased how it turned out. Special thanks to Darc with the headlights and the words of encouragement.

Save the Date DVD’s are a great alternative to the traditional invitations... and you’d be surprised... they’re not really much more expensive.