Event filmmaking is all about the storytelling. The stories that we tell are all made up of smaller story sequences. When shooting a story sequence, one must anticipate the action. A good storyteller will be on their toes all day.

Questions to consider while shooting…

• Where’s the action headed?
• Where do I need to position myself to be in the right spot?
• What shots do I need to shoot to get me from point A to point B?
• What do I need to shoot to get the most story out of this scenario?

As you are shooting, one must constantly ask themselves, “Does this tell a story?” If it doesn’t, move on to something that does. You only have so much time during a live event shoot to get what you need. Don’t waste time shooting things that don’t matter.

While practicing effective story shooting you’ll come to realize that you’ll actually shoot less and edit less, but your films with be richer than ever before. Stay alert and focus on what matters.

I’d love to hear some of your thoughts on how you achieve the most story from your shoots. Please comment below.

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

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When Dani and I were married back in May 2008, we had two of our assistants shoot our wedding video (I helped shoot the father/daughter dance which made for a really cool photo op). Our assistants shot with my cameras and I ended up taking all the cameras and footage with me at the end of the wedding day. During our honeymoon, Dani and I ended up watching all of the footage from our wedding on one of the TV’s in our cabin. It was so much fun for us as a couple to just sit and watch our own raw footage the day after. I haven’t forgotten this over the last few years and I try to apply what I learned with my own wedding experience to our continuing workflow.

No matter how much our industry moves forward, we still need to be honest with ourselves and remember that we are documenting a real event involving real people with real emotion.

I understand that we want to knock our clients socks off and we should. That’s what they are usually looking for in a modern event filmmaker. Doc edits aren’t going to be something that you’ll share on your blog or use for marketing, but it is going to be something that the couple and their close family will treasure more than you ever know. We don’t typically have the emotion connection to the people giving the toasts, but the couple does. If you highlighted the father of the bride’s toast within the feature, the couple will love to remember all the “dad being dad” quirks that might otherwise be hidden forever if you didn’t share it with the couple. The full ceremony and toasts still have value even if portions of them didn’t support the story you are trying to tell in the feature.

Do you offer extended/documentary edits to your couples? What methods are you using to up-sell them? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Thanks for watching!

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

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You’ll want to provide your couple with an experience, not just a disc. Enhancing your packaging and providing your couples with a pleasant viewing experience will be something that they won’t soon forget. Put yourself in the couple’s place, what is going to enhance their first viewing experience? Consider adding some popcorn, candy, tissues, or a giftbasket. Anything you can think of that fits the couple and is consistent with your brand. Don’t forget to include a hand-written thank you card.

Comment below and share some of your packaging ideas; things that have worked or not worked with your company in the past.

Thanks for watching!

Mentioned websites:
Great alternatives to standard DVD/Blu-ray cases
jewelboxing.com
loktah.com

Websites for packaging and shipping ideas/solutions
uline.com
packagingsource.com

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Giving your clients a digital copy not only creates a convenient off-site back up, it also enables them to share your work more easily. There are tons of online companies that offer custom flash drives, I’ve had great luck with Flashbay & usbmemorydirect.com.

Do you offer digital copies on flash drives or other medium? Feel free to share your experiences by commenting below. The IN[FOCUS] community would  love to hear what works well for you and your company.

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

So you just completed a wedding film and it looks awesome. You are now very excited to share it with the couple. How do you present your finished product to them? Do you invite them over to your studio for their official first viewing or send them a package with their film inside?

Think about it. Where are you going to achieve the best first impression? Put yourself in their shoes. If you (the couple) are going to watch a movie about your relationship and wedding, it’s probably going to make you cry, where would you want to be for this?

If you’ve done your job correctly, they are going to love their film no matter where they watch it, but enjoying it from the comfort of their own cozy living room with add to the emotional experience. If you were to ask your couples how and where they want to view their film for the first time, you will find out that they will choose their own homes.

Many of us have beautiful studios with a lot invested in providing a great viewing platform and we’d love to host the couple for a viewing party, BUT If we think about what our clients truly want, and not so much what we want, we will choose to not do this.

Putting your couple first and creating an experience for them to enjoy within their own home is essential for a powerful and lasting first impression of their film…and, more importantly, will lead to more excitement, referrals, and bookings.

Jet Kaiser
Putting couples first since 2005

Jet

Jet Kaiser saved up enough money to by his first camcorder at the age of 14 and he's been creating films ever since. He eventually created the Indianapolis-based, Jet Kaiser Films where he collaborates his with his lovely wife, Dani. Together they produce cinematic, story-rich, "motion pictures for those in LOVE™ "

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Is this your next intern? Click to watch!

For the first time I tried to track down one or two helpers to do some light editing, but encountered a few hurdles.  I live 3.5 hrs from Boston, and everyone on CraigsList was too far away and overqualified. Local filmmakers were busy with their business, and word of mouth wasn’t working, so I had to get creative.

As a product of our High School Graphics Program years ago, I decided to check in and see what the students were learning. Filming with DSLRs, Final Cut Pro, Photography and more! To my surprise I got calls from a hand full of interested students!  I landed an incredible helper, Alex, going into his Jr. Year, and this has been an eye opener for my business, and more importantly Alex has taught me a lot, kept me on my toes, and inspired me.

Next time you are struggling to find good part time help, think outside the box. With two more years in High School, I don’t think I have to worry about Alex opening up shop anytime soon, so if you are worried about friendly competition, it most likely won’t come from this seasoned pool of teens. Bonus = they aren’t as expensive as hiring a college grad/seasoned pro, and are up for most any projects you need done, ie photo montages when your clients still insist you do it even when Animoto is cheaper!

Alex recently filmed and edited a music video  (ABOVE) for a school project. Gorilla filmmaking at it’s best!

So next time you need some help, explore your local school system.  They’re young, creative, cheap, and they might help you take your business to the next level!

Meg Simone

Wedding filmmaker, avid skier, and travel enthusiast!

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At IN[FOCUS] 2011, featured presenter Adam Forgione of Pennylane Productions “planted seeds” in the attendees for 3 hours sharing how they can better run their businesses.

In this clip, Adam exhorts that you can run an artistic business based upon routine systems – systems do not eliminate artistry.

Adam is coming to New Jersey June 7-8 for 2 days of intensive, hands-on, Short Form workshops. Click here to read about it and register!

I also appears that the Pennylane crew has begun producing their own reality show about the inner workings of a video production office.  Looks to be hilarious!  Check it out by clicking here.

The Reporter

Team IN[FOCUS] believes that there's no better life than living it as a filmmaker, and we empower you to survive, thrive, and serve in that capacity through the most progressive means of education and community.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

At IN[FOCUS] 2011, featured presenter Adam Forgione of Pennylane Productions “planted seeds” in the attendees for 3 hours sharing how they can better run their businesses.

In this clip, Adam challenges you to think outside where your studio is, and how you can move it to a Mature Company.

Adam is coming to New Jersey June 7-8 for 2 days of intensive, hands-on, Short Form workshops. Click here to read about it and register!

The Reporter

Team IN[FOCUS] believes that there's no better life than living it as a filmmaker, and we empower you to survive, thrive, and serve in that capacity through the most progressive means of education and community.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

At IN[FOCUS] 2011, Daniel Boswell from Imagique challenged attendees to consider adding photography to their filmmaking studios, leveraging the power of their Filmmaking brand to sell photography and subcontracting out the work.

In this clip, Daniel discusses some of the many resources available for those who want to add photography, but don’t want to add a lot of hassle. The entire post-production process is outsourceable, you can make residual income on the merchandise, and the systems are all automated, just waiting for you to take advantage of them.

This is a taste of the 10+ hours of seminars we have online from our 2011 event. You may buy these 8 seminars by clicking on the button below. The price remains at a discounted rate of $197 until we get them all uploaded and polished ($250 thereafter). To know more about which seminars are included in the bundle, and to login to view them, click here.

The Reporter

Team IN[FOCUS] believes that there's no better life than living it as a filmmaker, and we empower you to survive, thrive, and serve in that capacity through the most progressive means of education and community.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

At IN[FOCUS] 2011, Daniel Boswell from Imagique challenged attendees to consider adding photography to their filmmaking studios, leveraging the power of their Filmmaking brand to sell photography and subcontracting out the work.

In this clip, Daniel discusses how you can shift your team around to accommodate photography and cinema at a single event, and he mentions where you might find some young, eager, and hungry photographers to add to your team.

This is a taste of the 10+ hours of seminars we have online from our 2011 event. You may buy these 8 seminars by clicking on the button below. The price remains at a discounted rate of $197 until we get them all uploaded and polished ($250 thereafter). To know more about which seminars are included in the bundle, and to login to view them, click here.

The Reporter

Team IN[FOCUS] believes that there's no better life than living it as a filmmaker, and we empower you to survive, thrive, and serve in that capacity through the most progressive means of education and community.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts