Most of my couples come to me looking for the same thing. They want a film they can feel and they want a film that is unique to them. Many of the wedding videos these days are very similar and have a formula that is used from one film to the next to tell the story of the day. For some people, that is okay or maybe they don’t know that there is something better out there, but nonetheless, I think that approach is boring and uninspiring. I for one did not get into this industry to create boring and uninspiring films, that’s for sure.
So, how does one actually make something that is “different” if most American weddings are similar in the flow of the day and the traditions that they include? Well, that is a great question. For me, my films are all very different in pacing, music selection, dynamics, and story. This is partly because I would get bored if I started and ended every film the same way. Where is the artistic wonder and challenge in a formula? I also do this because I do my very best to match the vibe of the day with the flow and feeling of the film. Then, on the other hand, there are 3 things that are always top of mind when I am editing that stay true in every film that I piece together. They are feeling, perspective and legacy. These three attributes are what I have found to be most important to me and what helps guide me when I am selecting music, picking audio selects that make it into the film, what moments I let breath, and how I go about telling the story.
If you think back to any great story, there is generally some sort of conflict that the protagonist has to overcome. The thing about wedding films is that there generally isn’t any conflict to overcome or at least most couples wouldn’t want that conflict included in the film. So, how do we make an amazing story without this key ingredient? Well, sometimes I am able to include some sense of conflict within my films but more often than not, the best way to invite intrigue and build hype in a film is to answer an overarching question. The questions don’t change too much, but generally I am trying to inspire a sense of curiosity into how the couple met. Sometimes there are powerful stories within that, but that is usually where I start each film.
I love using this guideline to help create inspiring introductions, but where do I go next? This is where those three things that I mentioned earlier really come into play. The first one is feeling. I never want a moment within my films to take your attention away from the video, I always want the feeling that I am trying to communicate to flow from one feeling to the next in a way that doesn’t break your attention span. Whatever the feeling is, I achieve it by incorporating all the tools at my disposal as an editor and I also have a little bit of an advantage because this is a couples wedding day, so they are inherently already going to have some sort of attachment and emotion to the film no matter what, but my goal is to elevate this feeling to a level where they can truly experience moments again and again. Deep thought goes into not just how I present a moment, but it is equally as important how I enter that moment in the film, how long it lasts, what cameras I cut to during it, what parts I show, and finally how I exit that moment. I am doing this again and again, trying to morph and create a perfectly formed puzzle until I feel that the entire story of the couple that was possible for me to to tell has been told. There are so many layers and choices that I have to make to communicate the feeling that I am trying to convey, and that is part of what makes editing so challenging. I’ll also be totally honest with you and say that I fail at doing this all the time. I’ll often create a full sequence and then have to scratch it all because I wasn’t able to find a way to connect that sequence to the next one. Or at the very least, I’ll save it and move it to maybe use it later or earlier in the film. The important thing for me is that I’ll never settle if something feels off, it has to feel right and natural.
So, let’s talk about perspective. I’m going to tell you a little secret that you probably already know. Wedding films lie or at the very least, they have bias towards something. Mine are no different, films generally only tell part of the story depending on what lens the storyteller chooses. Think of any documentary that you have watched, that director most likely found the facts and came to know the story inside and out before choosing the perspective and angle they wanted to take for the story. I do the same thing with my wedding films. I have found that our mind tends to romanticize these memories from our past. Well, good memories at least. This means that we will remember these amazing moments that happened on wedding days better than it actually was. That is the perspective I take when I edit. I am trying to compete with your memory and how these moments made you feel. That is why my films are heightened and all about feeling. I want to meet the expectations of how you remember that day and not just how the day really felt. So, more often than not, my films tell the story of that day a little better than it really was and that is because we remember it better than it really was. That is the bias that I have chosen and this choice is part of the reason why I put so much effort into creating films that are uniquely tailored to each couple, and why my films are creative in the way that they flow and tell the story.
Last but not least, we have legacy. This is really important and the driving force behind how I pick the audio selects that go into the film. How can I create a film that has a long lasting impact? Something that I love about my film is that one year into my wife and I’s marriage, my wedding film challenged me. I listened to those vows that I made to my wife and those promises that we made together and quickly realized that I was not living up to that standard. My wedding film put me in check and every time I go back and watch it, I am reminded of the husband that I promised my wife that I would be. That is legacy. That is a long lasting impact. I want my couples films to be a constant reminder that even though marriage is hard, it is important to stick to your word and be the spouse that you promised to your significant other. Legacy is also in the small moments. It is that hug from grandma, nervous jitters before a groom sees their bride, the in between moments with your closest people. The things that seem small but really communicate who you are. So that some day, maybe 100 years down the road, your child’s children can get a glimpse into who you are and feel a sense of connection to someone who might not be here anymore. That is legacy.
SO, there you have it, that is the heart behind why I do what I do and why I think it matters. It took me many years of filming weddings and lots of searching before I figured these things out for myself, but now you know why I love this art and why I hold what I do to such a high standard.