Greetings, IN[FOCUS] Bloggers!

As a frequent IN[FOCUS] blog follower, I’m so excited to be writing this right now. My name is Jet Kaiser. I’m the owner of Jet Kaiser Films, which is based out of Indianapolis, Indiana.

JKF was born while I was studying video & multimedia at Ivy Tech State College back in 2005. I shot my first wedding in February 2006 and I knew right then that this was going to be my life. The last 5 years have been beyond what we could’ve dreamed.

The ‘we’ is myself, my best friend & wife, Dani, along with one assistant. Dani & I were married May 17^th, 2008 & we both attended IN[FOCUS] 2010 in Austin (if we look familiar).

We are now shooting everything with Canon EOS DSLR & Super 8mm with all of our projects being edited on Final Cut Pro 7.  JKF has grown into a unique, innovative filmmaking company and I am so anxious to share some of the things that we’ve learned along the way.

Stay tuned!
Jet Kaiser
Jet Kaiser Films

What up everyone! Eric Kmetz here…SO pumped to be a part of the IN[FOCUS] blog this year!! I can’t wait to interact and collaborate with the other bloggers and you guys, the readers! I’ve been a full-time employee at Epic Motion in Royal Oak for just about a year now. I’ve had such amazing experiences so far, and a lot of them are thanks to the interactions I’ve had with other professionals in our industry.

Before we go any further, take a second to follow me on twitter. I post lots of funny things. It will make you giggle. @erickmetz I think that there is a ton that I will be able to take away from this experience, I’m going to use this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. For those who know me….we’re going to have a lot of laughs and shenanigans along the way. If you don’t know what I mean….take a look at the 2nd half of this video. I think you’ll understand.

Sea ya soon.

E

Photo by Anne Skidmore

Well, I have to admit I’m pretty excited to see my face among a line up of such incredible talent! I didn’t think a contribution to such an awesome organization would be on my lists of accomplishments for a few more years, so I’m humbled to be a part of IN[FOCUS]. I’ll be the first to point out I don’t shoot with a steady hand, I’m afraid of Same Day Edits, and I have so much to learn about business and this industry. What I am excited about is life! Making the most of each day. Traveling, exploring, skiing, playing outdoors, meeting new people, learning new stories, and above all having fun. I’m looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm about life and this  indusrtry with you! :) Meg Simone – Meg Simone Films

 (ed. note – Casey was last seen Monday in Maui, Hawaii sleeping in the back of an SUV in a Wal-Mart parking lot due to the roads and businesses being closed down on account of massive brushfires.

While we know that he is in the safe company of Patrick Moreau, along with their new Cinevate 135mm fire-hydrant adapters, we can only assume that our heroes will charge/glide into the action head-on, saving untold women, children, their feats beautifully documented in cinemascope.

Due to the priority of rescuing faunae and florae alike, Casey’s posts for Wednesday and Thursday might be pushed back until after he briefs the island about the prudence of each returning to his or her home.  In the meantime, stay tuned to the IN[FOCUS] blog for more quality entries this week from the rest of our team and for updates to Casey and Patrick’s adventures in the land of volcanoes.

And now, on to Casey…)                                                                    

When I think back…way back, and reach deep down into my recesses of my subconscious, I can dig up my earliest memories of life.

Although most of what I can recall is in faded bits and pieces, a couple things come alive in vivid color (with surround sound, 1080p resolution, and 12+ stops of dynamic range). These recollections are of me with a pen, pencil and a piece of paper. 

Drawing. Sketching. Doodling. Story-boarding. 

This is what I did for days on end, until my fingers ached. 

I was constantly trying to take what existed in my imagination and give it life on paper. 

This paradigm still continues today; however, the medium has changed – from spiral bound notebooks to a format that is much more representative of my imagination – the motion picture.

In my mind I am still constantly sketching out the ideas and stories of the people whom I encounter.  My goal with wedding cinema it to take the lives and experiences of couples and piece them together in a narrative that unfolds in an evocative, emotional, and creative way that is true to the narrative of the ones it represents.

I look forward to sharing some of what goes on in my Mind and in my Castle and trust that it will help you in your journey of becoming a better storyteller as well.

~Casey W., Mind|Castle Studios

IN[FOCUS] blogger Joey Mathews of 31Films gives us more of a look at his studio, talking about his team, his marketing, his windmill-powered editing system, and of course, shows off more Infant Shooting Techniques!

Get to know IN[FOCUS] blogger Joey Mathews with 31 Films  even better with part II of III in his feature on EventDV-TV.

To our Friends in the industry, greetings from Soulbox Productions in Dallas, Texas!

Corbin and I live like we film: in the now, in the present. We capture and produce our wedding films with the same energy, style and atmosphere in which they take place. The uniqueness and individualism of our clients is what makes our work so fulfilling.

It is amazing to us that our clients are just like us. They find us through our work: creative, energetic, carefree, organized and detail-oriented (which, I have to admit, the latter two are more Corbin’s traits than mine).

We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of such an incredible experience as IN[FOCUS]. We look forward to learning from the IN[FOCUS] Readers and Community as well.

Corbin and I are so grateful to have found this path in our lives. It has been a fun and adventurous road, from making our first film more than 8 years ago (Beyond Doors – 2001), to shooting weddings of all stripes today, the many friends and relationships we’ve established have been reward enough.

You may experience our most recent work at our Film Blog, but we wanted to share with you a clip from one of our super8 highlight films below.  

Enjoy!

D&C 

Greetings from North Carolina, home of the 2009 NCAA Champion UNC Tar Heels. Matt Davis with Life Stage Videography here with ya.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to contribute to this fine community. You see, I didn’t have a passion for video/film production until a few years ago. Didn’t study it in college. Never had a camera growing up. 

My wife and I were living in Acapulco, Mexico as missionaries at a children’s orphanage. I was using my business degree with finance/marketing to help the organization bring in funds. I had access to a little Sony Handycam and decided the best way for others to become aware of our true needs was by making a documentary of sorts. 

Apart from Sony, I have to thank Microsoft Movie Maker for launching me into the exciting world of video production! 

I fell in love with creating video, and when we returned home, I decided it was all or nothing.  Melissa and I were recently married and poor as dirt, so I figured it was the best time to start a business, having nothing to lose. 

I THOUGHT weddings would be the easiest way to make money with video. I figured “anyone can do that.”  Boy was I WRONG. 

But in the process, I realized that our industry is full of people just like me – people starting out and not doing very good work.  That’s where my excitement for being a part of this community comes in. After taking my lumps and learning from others’ successes, I am honored to share my successes and failures with other aspiring individuals to better lead them along in their journey.

These are exciting days for our industry.  In a time where divorce is just as popular as getting married, I feel we all have a duty to create the best videos we possibly can to positively influence the couples we serve…to help them remember why they first fell in love. 

It is both a demanding and rewarding job, and I am glad you are along for the ride.

P.S. I have moved on from Windows Movie Maker….;)

P.P.S. Enjoy my sample below, and check out my blog for more!