The How To Film Weddings Show
The How To Film Weddings Show is a weekly conversation with filmmakers, wedding pros, and creative storytellers from all over the industry looking to raise the standard, together.
The How To Film Weddings Show
The Filmmakers Turning Love into Cinema Ft By The Gatewoods
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Jaired Sullivan
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Meet the filmmakers who fell in love filming weddings together and turn love into cinema consistently.
By The Gatewoods
/ bythegatewoods
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speaker-0: I told her it's my three C's, being creative, calm, and confident.
speaker-1: This is Angie and Brooks, two wedding filmmakers who started in two completely different creative worlds.
speaker-2: So he started the company first and then I was still actually in college and I was going to school for health science and nursing so something completely different.
speaker-1: And over time, these two worlds collided and evolved into a wedding film brand that feels so much more than traditional videography. Their work is artful, playful, emotive, and deeply human. It pulls you in, and it leaves you wanting more. And once you understand where both of them started in their creative journey, you can clearly see that distinction in their style. And how their individuality isn't lost in collaboration, it's preserved. And this episode isn't just... about wedding videographers. It's also a love story.
speaker-0: That was the fall of 2018. We met up for coffee. The bride connected us just to talk video. So we met up at a coffee shop and we talked video for like 30 minutes and then before you know it, three hours had passed.
speaker-2: thought about telling him that I liked him and he could tell that I was thinking about something so he was like, what are you thinking about? And I was like, hey, I just thought it would be cool, know, like we've been vibing really well and ⁓ you know, I just kind of feel like there's something here but if there's not, it's totally cool and I still want to work with you. I wanted to like make sure it wasn't going to be weird, you know.
speaker-1: Brooks explains his three C's mindset as a way to stay present and shoot with intention, and they close with advice for beginners. How to experiment often, don't trap yourself in a rigid style box, and trust that voice and confidence are built one wedding at a time. This is the How to Film Wedding Show. All right, well, Angie and Brooks, welcome to the How to Film Weddings show. I am so excited you are here, so excited to talk all things weddings, just to kick things off. Number one, tell us who you are, what you do, and how long you've been filming weddings.
speaker-0: Yes, we are Brooks and Angie with by the gate woods and we've been filming weddings since 2015 and The company originally started with just me in 2015 and then me and Angie linked up in 2019 and Really like that is that is our whole story because you know, I started shooting weddings and through weddings it not only gave me a career and you know, an outlet for my creativity, but gave me the best thing my wife, so.
speaker-2: were working together before we started dating. like film is truly our connecting piece. So he started the company first and then I was still actually in college and I was going to school for health science and nursing. So something completely different, but ⁓ I kind of fell in love with filming on the side during college and my best friend got married and Brooks was the videographer at her wedding. And so at the time I was shooting and kind of playing around with photo and film and I watched her wedding video and I didn't remember Brooks that much from the day. As a bridesmaid you know, you're like very busy and there's a lot going on. ⁓ But I was like, whoever created this film really touched a part of me and my soul and I just. I connected to it, even though I wasn't creating films on that level yet. I was like, this is just, it speaks to me and how I want to film and the emotions I want to capture. have to know who this company is. I'll work for them for free. ⁓ So she connected us and it wasn't until a year later. So at this point I had already branched off, started my own company right out of college. Was just doing like kind of commercial work at first ⁓ and got some gigs, but Brooks and I met up for coffee and.
speaker-0: That was the fall of 2018. We met up for coffee to just the bride connected us just to talk video. So we met up at a coffee shop and we talked video for like 30 minutes and then before you know it, three hours had passed and we talked about everything under the moon, music, travel, adventures, all that. And so that was the fall of 2018. The beginning of 2019, I reached back out to Angie and I was like, Hey, are you looking to like keep going with your own company or would you be open to shooting with me? So she was open and then the first wedding of 2019, we shot together and it went so well that it didn't matter if the couples for the year only booked one videographer. I reached out, I was like, do you want two and I won't even charge you? So we ended up shooting every wedding together that year and just from like carpooling together, talking more on the rides and. being around love, filming weddings, we ended up falling in love.
speaker-2: Yeah. And I think it's funny because like we're both, ⁓ like you said before, you know, we got on like, we kind of have this like kind of quiet presence. And I feel like that's who we are as people. We're kind of quiet and introspective and introverts at the end of the day. So I feel like if it wasn't for film, we might not have crossed paths or really, you know, gotten the chance to know each other on the level that we did. So it was like through these long car rides to the weddings and we got to like. talk about much deeper topics and then obviously on the wedding day you're surrounded by love. So we kind of were crushing on each other for a long time before either one of us made a move. We were friends first and we shared the love of film and I learned a lot working with Bricks in the beginning and caught on really quick and I think our styles really complimented each other. For sure. Yeah, so it was... I actually ended up making the first move, which I'd never done before. Shout out to Angie. Yeah, it was funny. going too, too much into it, but it was, I didn't know that Brooks played guitar and I also play guitar. So it was one night after a wedding, we decided to hang out and he started playing guitar and I was like, what? You didn't tell me this. And then we were passing the guitar back and forth, just playing music. then I... had thought about telling him that I liked him and he could tell that I was thinking about something. So he was like, what are you thinking about? And I was like, hey, I just thought it would be cool. know, like we've been vibing really well and ⁓ you know, I just kind of feel like there's something here, but if there's not, it's totally cool. And I still want to work with you. I wanted to like make sure it wasn't going to be weird, you know, cause we had such a good thing going, but ⁓ thankfully he felt the same way.
speaker-0: For sure, was so stoked.
speaker-2: So then we, you know, that rest of the year 2019, that was like the summer. And so we pretty much just were inseparable after that. then 2020, we both went full time with filming. And of course, that was the year of COVID. So it was kind of like a crazy year together to go into filming weddings full time. But we made it through that. And we always say if we made it through that, we can make it through anything. Yeah. That's kind of like the long spiel of our story.
speaker-1: No, I love that story. I think it's great. I think it's beautiful. ⁓ Before weddings, let's just go back a little bit. Before weddings were kind of on the radar. ⁓ Where were you both at in your creative journeys? Because, you know, I'm watching your films and I'm seeing just like these distinctive like styles and traits and characteristics that, ⁓ you know, after looking at your story online, I'm like, wow, that's just like fuses so beautifully. So I'd love to just kind of unpack ⁓ your creative journey.
speaker-0: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and I agree. feel like we both what we bring to the table mesh is so well together. So like my my background with film was I was always the skater and skier. So my friends, you know, growing up sent I mean, the camera and the I don't know if you can see it, but in the background, like I got my first camera from my aunt. It was a hand me down when I was in middle school, I think. So, you know, we'd be filming whatever and then skating and skiing kind of had the culture of, you you skate all season long, you're gathering clips and at the end of the season you put together your edit. Same thing with skiing, once it's too cold to skate, we'd ski, do the same thing. And it was a very like music and visual based edit. so like, I... My top passion was the skating and skiing, but I always loved the filming and like how to do different angles, how to make, you know, the pacing look different and choose your music to like fit everything. So that was my background. And then in high school, I went to the career center for a couple of years for TV multimedia. And honestly, that's why I didn't pursue film in college was because my professor at the time made it sound like if I pursued this, I'd be doing news coverage and stuff. And to me, that was just boring. It's obviously much more than that, but I guess my mind was constrained into there. So I didn't go to college for it, but I always kept up with it. then during college, I got a job with a startup event tech company, and they created custom apps for conferences and events. So was always on the road traveling to them. I started like bringing my camera along and taking photos in the city at night or like going around and just filming the city as it is and making, you know, short Instagram videos and travel videos. So that was my background. And then Angie's the amazing storyteller in the group.
speaker-2: ⁓ you are too. ⁓ Yeah, mine was a little different, kind of more just creating films with my friends. Growing up, we had like a camcorder and that evolved as like technology evolved, but my mom, she did such a good job of like recording all of our moments as kids. And I think she was like the first introduction to film that I had in that way. I'm so lucky to have all of those home videos. And I think as I got older, I started to capture those moments with me and my friends. Like I loved being that person for our friend group and kind of just, yeah, just the nostalgia and the memories. ⁓ And then I did love creating like some short skits and stuff and kind of coming up with funny, I was really into mad TV back in the day. so just like creating like the, I don't know, it was just, it was just fun to create. ⁓ And, but I never like saw myself taking it further until later on in life. But so I'd say, yeah, capturing moments and memories was just kind of a part of my life as I grew up.
speaker-1: You know, there comes a time in every wedding videographer's journey where we run into a ceiling, whether that ceiling is we aren't finding as much joy as we used to, whether that ceiling is we are trying to scale, but we don't know how because we're managing everything by ourselves and we want to be able to spend more time with our family. But we're just stuck in this hamster wheel. And for me, one way that I have been able to the life that I want outside of my business and not be so tied to the business is by delegating, by outsourcing things that take up a majority of my time. And a majority of most of our time as wedding videographers is the editing. And that's why I use Uncut Gems. Uncut Gems is a high quality video editing service that I have been using for the last three years in my business. They have been saving me so much time, they help eliminate my backlog year after year. And they give me back those precious moments that I just would have missed if I had been stuck to my computer day in and day out. And they have been kind enough to offer you guys 60 percent off on your first edit when you use the HTFW. Now, I know outsourcing isn't for everyone, but if you find yourself stuck year after year, if you're trying to find a way out, if you just need a little bit of that pressure taken off of your plate. I definitely recommend Uncut Gems because they have done just that for me and so much more. So if you're interested and want to learn more about their services, you can find the link down below. I was watching some of y'all's films and I particularly loved Ali and Justin's intro. And I want to pull it up here because it's so good. There was a part in the intro where I was just like, okay, this is like, I, I, I wish my creative brain could have thought of something like this and I would love to just kind of unpack. like the thought process with it. But let me just pull it up real quick because it was it's so good.
speaker-0: you Alexandra Julia Mulligan. Six years ago, we met at a wedding.
speaker-1: Seven years. Like, okay, hold on. I love every bit of that. And that's 18 seconds of just pure magic right here. I mean, we start off with just this beautiful parallax shot at the pier. And I love the grain transition too. I've always just been so like enamored by those grain transitions that feel so seamless. Like it's just, it's just beautiful. And then this transition right here where you're like, clicking, it's almost like you're scrolling through memories. Like that's what it feels like for me. And so I, yeah, I'd love to just kind of like unpack like the thought process behind that because I, I was just like, okay, whoa, like that really just like pulls you in and makes you really just like want to stick around to like hear more about these people. Um, so yeah, I thought that was job well done on the creative.
speaker-0: Thank you so much. No, that's so awesome to hear. Yeah, that was a really fun intro to make. And I feel like with like the wedding industry as a whole is growing and there's there is so much knowledge out there and like assets and stuff to learn. So I feel like that was ⁓ a challenge and a just fun project to try to start out something new with like mostly just created sounds and a slow build, almost, you know, like a, just a curve up to like this pinnacle. And within that, it's like, how do you, how do you create the feeling of that buildup and then drop off to have that dramatic, you know, just like. Kind of like you said, like I want to keep watching like what what's going on almost like a trailer before the movie, right? It's like Because I feel like we did that a lot in the past But it would be a lot longer maybe like a minute intro to kind of hype you up to it So this was a much shortened version And then just like adding all those layers. So like that that first shot We kind of had it laid out, but then it's how do you? How do you transition that to? gain more attention. So that transition with the grain and then we take a lot of inspiration from other filmmakers with the sound. it's like incorporating sound and it's like bring it all to life. And then hand, I feel like we spent a lot of time hand picking every shot and like when we do our selects or like call through our footage, we're looking through every clip and pulling every tiny selection. So like when we did that intro, It's like what can showcase the full wedding, all sorts of emotion in that short timeframe. ⁓ So that's kind of like the overall gist, if that makes sense. ⁓
speaker-1: It makes me think too. It's I mean you you've been filming weddings, you know since what you said 2015 and so it's like For me one of the hardest parts And I mean the most challenging but also the most fascinating at the same time about this craft is just mastering the ability to capture spontaneous moments Creatively and beautifully every single time I'd love to hear more about like, how do you walk into each wedding day with just curiosity, like instead of just assumptions, which is easy to do for a lot of us who have been through the repetitions of it, you know? Yeah.
speaker-0: Yeah, for sure. ⁓ I'll let you take this one because I feel like you got it. But there is one thing that's like super duper cheesy, but it's always been something that I've focused on before weddings. And when me and Angie started filming weddings, I told her it's my three C's. So before every wedding, kind of like take a couple moments at home and like meditate and pray on being creative, calm. and confident because I feel like if I can be those three things, it allows me to drop into the moment and be super present and be able to be observing the day, but take that step back and almost anticipate what's gonna happen. And then that gives us the time to prepare accordingly and try to shoot it as well as we.
speaker-2: Yeah. I'll never forget the three C's. three C's. Taking me all the way back to 2018. Yeah, I think a lot of what you said and what you said too, Jared, like there's no way to really like prepare, like you can kind of like assume. But I think that's one thing weddings have taught me is like you can't really prepare because there's so many things that... you know, go off script on a wedding day or not according to plan as much as you can plan. ⁓ So I think a big part of why we like being filmmakers is the ability to kind of take a step back and observe ⁓ and just kind of take in the emotions of the people surrounding us and the connections and the, yeah, and the relationships that are in the room. ⁓ So I think that really helps is when we first show up, kind of just, we are a little bit more quiet and observant, especially in that like getting ready time period and just kind of seeing like, okay, like who is, you know, who are like the big key players in the room and ⁓ family members and everything like that so that we can kind of lean into those throughout the day and kind of focus on where we want to put our attention. throughout the day. So kind of using intuition, I guess, a lot of like intuition throughout the day.
speaker-1: Yeah, I love that being quiet observers and just I think just that introspective nature is is definitely evident in a lot of your work. I'm just seeing like just the the authenticity just being poured out into this and it does help just being like just calm and creative and confident going into the day because I feel like I'm introverted and maybe y'all can attest to this too, but like I also have this like it's like chaos is like internalized for me. So like, yeah, I go into wedding day where I'm like on the outside I look cool as a cucumber, but on the inside I'm sweating bullets. I'm freaking out a little bit. Like I just like, cause I want to do a good job. You know, you want to make something really beautiful and impactful for this family. And you know, like you said before, like reflecting the day before the wedding, my mantra going into the wedding day, I say just like a little prayer is like, Lord, just let me be present. Let me just be, you know, like, get out of my own head, get out of my own way, because I am a lot of times overthinking and just over analyze, analyzing certain aspects of the process where if I just like took a deep breath for a second, and then just let it all out. He's like, okay. your best bet is to use that 24 to 70 instead of the 35 right here because they're going to be jumping from bridal portraits to like family to cocktail, whatever it is that I'm just over analyzing, whether it's gear, whether it's positioning, framing, you know, all of those things. And it definitely just helps. One, it helps. when you've done it long enough where you kind of know the repetition at least to some degree. But I still get nervous before every wedding, which is a good sign. ⁓ But no, I love the three C's. I'm going to write that down because that's something I need to constantly say to myself after every wedding. So I think that's great. ⁓ I'd love to hear your thought. What would you say is the hardest part about filming weddings?
speaker-2: Maybe I would say for me, it's one of the hardest things that it's kind of tied to that is like when couples have really high expectations for the day and you know, maybe it's weather or a vendor that, you know, like something's running behind or whatever it is and seeing them getting pulled out of the moment is really, is really tough. you know, like we want so much for them to just be able to be carefree and present ⁓ in the day and in the moment. And even sometimes with photographers too, like if our style is a little bit different than theirs and seeing the couple not necessarily being able to like drop in and be present with each other, I'd say that's one of the toughest parts to be able to kind of try to still film authentically and capture them being comfortable. So we try to like have to pivot and kind of Okay, if the couple's going through a really hard time, or even if it's a family member that's causing them to feel a certain way, how do we pivot around that? And what can we focus on filming instead in that moment?
speaker-0: Right. In the little interaction that we do have, like how do we get them back to that like grounded sense, you know? Because it's twofold, right? It's like, most importantly, we want them to enjoy their day. Like this is one of the biggest days of their life. And that also ties into the product that we're able to film and give to them is like the more... the more presence and happy, not even happy, it's just presence, whatever they're feeling in the moment, like them just being there is evident when you film them. So we want that for them, and then that in turn shows in their films too.
speaker-1: think that's such a strong answer too. That's so true. I feel like one of the hardest parts about filming weddings is it's more so things outside of your control. You know, it's just like the emotions that someone's feeling, whether it's bride, the groom, that you can't necessarily, you can try to make them feel a bit more comfortable, confident, and at ease on the day. But yeah, that is always something that has been a big like challenge for me because sometimes I don't want to I don't want to over like you know step or you know I don't want to say the wrong thing again that's just my own internalization and over analyzing things but I do think that's one of the challenging aspects because a good wedding film I mean it really does matter about like how present not just you are on the day but how present your couple is how present other people and the family and everyone connecting on the day how present they are with each other and maybe how vulnerable is the chemistry there. If there's no chemistry, it's just, it's really hard to manufacture. And I don't even like saying that word because we're not really manufacturing non-existence. We're capturing what is and we're just kind of elevating, you know, what already unfolded in a sense and just telling that story in a beautiful way. But yeah, that's that's such a big challenge. then I would say just like more practically, I feel like the transition pieces, like the transition from like ceremony to cocktail or from like, especially if you have a stacked timeline from like first look to like portrait ceremony, reception, all of those things. I feel like especially if you're solo, which I don't have to worry about because you're your dynamic do over there. But for me and like the solo wedding filmmaker over here. Yeah, that's a hard piece for me. ⁓ And usually I mitigate it by just like arriving an hour early, getting my lights over at reception where it needs to be, ⁓ and just staying minimal ⁓ day of, which has been a huge help.
speaker-0: No, but still in big respect, because I'm the guy who moves the gear and even with Angie there, it's like solo shooters. It's a lot. Because even if you do set up your lights for reception, you still got your audio gear, tripods, and it's a lot of moving pieces.
speaker-2: Sweating at a time. I'm like usually filming cocktail hour and like I'm like, ⁓ I just got some great shots for like beads of sweat.
speaker-0: Had to shoot some reception details ⁓ to get my, you know, get back calm again. But no, and for sure.
speaker-1: The last question that I actually have for you both ⁓ is one that I feel like all the beginners out there are just gonna really appreciate. ⁓ Because you've been filming weddings long enough, I wanna just dive into your sage advice ⁓ for any beginner struggling artist out there who's just trying to crack that creative code within their work, where they just feel like they're stuck, they feel like they're just kind of imitating right now, there's no distinctive qualities to their film. ⁓ Yeah, just like any advice that you have for the younger filmmakers out there.
speaker-0: No, for sure. Yeah, I mean, off the top of my head, would say, you know, don't don't be afraid to experiment because there are so many styles out there and even outside of weddings, like there's so much inspiration to take from. ⁓ So even if it's not wedding films, like you may not want to experiment on someone's wedding day film, but like passion projects are huge. ⁓
speaker-2: I love that.
speaker-0: finding anything that inspires you and really to like find your voice and your creativity and yeah, and just go for it. just know that there's nothing, I think the beauty of what we do is that there's nothing really wrong that you can do. It's all an expression of like what is within and how you see the world and you know, it's your angle on it. So I feel like the more, different angles you can hit from that and just test out and try. You know, can find. And kind of to go off script a little, I feel like we even do that ourselves in a weird way with our films, because like all of our films, we tell our couples have like an overarching style, but if you watch a number of our films, a lot of them have totally different feels and we honestly love them. because we get a variety of different couples and stories and just personalities and it's a fun, creative, ⁓ like challenge.
speaker-2: to fit into a box. I think that's one thing we've tried to go away from is the idea that you have to have a niche or you have to, if you have a style, it has to be that way forever. We really like to try to experiment and cater to the personalities of the couples that we film and try to let that be the inspiration.
speaker-0: And it almost like frees you up because at least for us because like since we don't have like a very strict niche we're able to from wedding to wedding like change it up and like try different stuff out and We're huge music people. So being able to like change the music vibe a little bit just to like You know compliment the couple in the day is it's it's really fun for us and it keeps things fresh Because with weddings, burnout is so real. At the end of every season, it's hard to find music. There's so many things. it keeps that fresh. Yeah. Yeah, kind of lost words. But yeah, that's...
speaker-2: I would also say, because I struggled with this a lot in the beginning, like when you're really new and feeling like you're not really sure your place as like a vendor, you can feel really small in the beginning, especially like, you know, working with other vendors and feel like it's easy to get kind of swept up in it all. And just knowing that like every wedding and every season, like it gets easier, you become more confident with time. And to know that everybody's there to like, serve a purpose for the couple and like no role is too small or anything like that. Like you matter, you're important. So just move through the day that way and get the shots that you need to get and yeah, that's.
speaker-1: This is Angie and Brooks, two wedding filmmakers who started in two completely different creative worlds.
speaker-2: So he started the company first and then I was still actually in college and I was going to school for health science and nursing so something completely different.
speaker-1: And over time, these two worlds collided and evolved into a wedding film brand that feels so much more than traditional videography. Their work is artful, playful, emotive, and deeply human. It pulls you in, and it leaves you wanting more. And once you understand where both of them started in their creative journey, you can clearly see that distinction in their style. And how their individuality isn't lost in collaboration, it's preserved. And this episode isn't just... about wedding videographers. It's also a love story.
speaker-0: That was the fall of 2018. We met up for coffee. The bride connected us just to talk video. So we met up at a coffee shop and we talked video for like 30 minutes and then before you know it, three hours had passed.
speaker-2: thought about telling him that I liked him and he could tell that I was thinking about something so he was like, what are you thinking about? And I was like, hey, I just thought it would be cool, know, like we've been vibing really well and ⁓ you know, I just kind of feel like there's something here but if there's not, it's totally cool and I still want to work with you. I wanted to like make sure it wasn't going to be weird, you know.
speaker-1: Brooks explains his three C's mindset as a way to stay present and shoot with intention, and they close with advice for beginners. How to experiment often, don't trap yourself in a rigid style box, and trust that voice and confidence are built one wedding at a time. This is the How to Film Wedding Show. All right, well, Angie and Brooks, welcome to the How to Film Weddings show. I am so excited you are here, so excited to talk all things weddings, just to kick things off. Number one, tell us who you are, what you do, and how long you've been filming weddings.
speaker-0: Yes, we are Brooks and Angie with by the gate woods and we've been filming weddings since 2015 and The company originally started with just me in 2015 and then me and Angie linked up in 2019 and Really like that is that is our whole story because you know, I started shooting weddings and through weddings it not only gave me a career and you know, an outlet for my creativity, but gave me the best thing my wife, so.
speaker-2: were working together before we started dating. like film is truly our connecting piece. So he started the company first and then I was still actually in college and I was going to school for health science and nursing. So something completely different, but ⁓ I kind of fell in love with filming on the side during college and my best friend got married and Brooks was the videographer at her wedding. And so at the time I was shooting and kind of playing around with photo and film and I watched her wedding video and I didn't remember Brooks that much from the day. As a bridesmaid you know, you're like very busy and there's a lot going on. ⁓ But I was like, whoever created this film really touched a part of me and my soul and I just. I connected to it, even though I wasn't creating films on that level yet. I was like, this is just, it speaks to me and how I want to film and the emotions I want to capture. have to know who this company is. I'll work for them for free. ⁓ So she connected us and it wasn't until a year later. So at this point I had already branched off, started my own company right out of college. Was just doing like kind of commercial work at first ⁓ and got some gigs, but Brooks and I met up for coffee and.
speaker-0: That was the fall of 2018. We met up for coffee to just the bride connected us just to talk video. So we met up at a coffee shop and we talked video for like 30 minutes and then before you know it, three hours had passed and we talked about everything under the moon, music, travel, adventures, all that. And so that was the fall of 2018. The beginning of 2019, I reached back out to Angie and I was like, Hey, are you looking to like keep going with your own company or would you be open to shooting with me? So she was open and then the first wedding of 2019, we shot together and it went so well that it didn't matter if the couples for the year only booked one videographer. I reached out, I was like, do you want two and I won't even charge you? So we ended up shooting every wedding together that year and just from like carpooling together, talking more on the rides and. being around love, filming weddings, we ended up falling in love.
speaker-2: Yeah. And I think it's funny because like we're both, ⁓ like you said before, you know, we got on like, we kind of have this like kind of quiet presence. And I feel like that's who we are as people. We're kind of quiet and introspective and introverts at the end of the day. So I feel like if it wasn't for film, we might not have crossed paths or really, you know, gotten the chance to know each other on the level that we did. So it was like through these long car rides to the weddings and we got to like. talk about much deeper topics and then obviously on the wedding day you're surrounded by love. So we kind of were crushing on each other for a long time before either one of us made a move. We were friends first and we shared the love of film and I learned a lot working with Bricks in the beginning and caught on really quick and I think our styles really complimented each other. For sure. Yeah, so it was... I actually ended up making the first move, which I'd never done before. Shout out to Angie. Yeah, it was funny. going too, too much into it, but it was, I didn't know that Brooks played guitar and I also play guitar. So it was one night after a wedding, we decided to hang out and he started playing guitar and I was like, what? You didn't tell me this. And then we were passing the guitar back and forth, just playing music. then I... had thought about telling him that I liked him and he could tell that I was thinking about something. So he was like, what are you thinking about? And I was like, hey, I just thought it would be cool. know, like we've been vibing really well and ⁓ you know, I just kind of feel like there's something here, but if there's not, it's totally cool. And I still want to work with you. I wanted to like make sure it wasn't going to be weird, you know, cause we had such a good thing going, but ⁓ thankfully he felt the same way.
speaker-0: For sure, was so stoked.
speaker-2: So then we, you know, that rest of the year 2019, that was like the summer. And so we pretty much just were inseparable after that. then 2020, we both went full time with filming. And of course, that was the year of COVID. So it was kind of like a crazy year together to go into filming weddings full time. But we made it through that. And we always say if we made it through that, we can make it through anything. Yeah. That's kind of like the long spiel of our story.
speaker-1: No, I love that story. I think it's great. I think it's beautiful. ⁓ Before weddings, let's just go back a little bit. Before weddings were kind of on the radar. ⁓ Where were you both at in your creative journeys? Because, you know, I'm watching your films and I'm seeing just like these distinctive like styles and traits and characteristics that, ⁓ you know, after looking at your story online, I'm like, wow, that's just like fuses so beautifully. So I'd love to just kind of unpack ⁓ your creative journey.
speaker-0: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and I agree. feel like we both what we bring to the table mesh is so well together. So like my my background with film was I was always the skater and skier. So my friends, you know, growing up sent I mean, the camera and the I don't know if you can see it, but in the background, like I got my first camera from my aunt. It was a hand me down when I was in middle school, I think. So, you know, we'd be filming whatever and then skating and skiing kind of had the culture of, you you skate all season long, you're gathering clips and at the end of the season you put together your edit. Same thing with skiing, once it's too cold to skate, we'd ski, do the same thing. And it was a very like music and visual based edit. so like, I... My top passion was the skating and skiing, but I always loved the filming and like how to do different angles, how to make, you know, the pacing look different and choose your music to like fit everything. So that was my background. And then in high school, I went to the career center for a couple of years for TV multimedia. And honestly, that's why I didn't pursue film in college was because my professor at the time made it sound like if I pursued this, I'd be doing news coverage and stuff. And to me, that was just boring. It's obviously much more than that, but I guess my mind was constrained into there. So I didn't go to college for it, but I always kept up with it. then during college, I got a job with a startup event tech company, and they created custom apps for conferences and events. So was always on the road traveling to them. I started like bringing my camera along and taking photos in the city at night or like going around and just filming the city as it is and making, you know, short Instagram videos and travel videos. So that was my background. And then Angie's the amazing storyteller in the group.
speaker-2: ⁓ you are too. ⁓ Yeah, mine was a little different, kind of more just creating films with my friends. Growing up, we had like a camcorder and that evolved as like technology evolved, but my mom, she did such a good job of like recording all of our moments as kids. And I think she was like the first introduction to film that I had in that way. I'm so lucky to have all of those home videos. And I think as I got older, I started to capture those moments with me and my friends. Like I loved being that person for our friend group and kind of just, yeah, just the nostalgia and the memories. ⁓ And then I did love creating like some short skits and stuff and kind of coming up with funny, I was really into mad TV back in the day. so just like creating like the, I don't know, it was just, it was just fun to create. ⁓ And, but I never like saw myself taking it further until later on in life. But so I'd say, yeah, capturing moments and memories was just kind of a part of my life as I grew up.
speaker-1: You know, there comes a time in every wedding videographer's journey where we run into a ceiling, whether that ceiling is we aren't finding as much joy as we used to, whether that ceiling is we are trying to scale, but we don't know how because we're managing everything by ourselves and we want to be able to spend more time with our family. But we're just stuck in this hamster wheel. And for me, one way that I have been able to the life that I want outside of my business and not be so tied to the business is by delegating, by outsourcing things that take up a majority of my time. And a majority of most of our time as wedding videographers is the editing. And that's why I use Uncut Gems. Uncut Gems is a high quality video editing service that I have been using for the last three years in my business. They have been saving me so much time, they help eliminate my backlog year after year. And they give me back those precious moments that I just would have missed if I had been stuck to my computer day in and day out. And they have been kind enough to offer you guys 60 percent off on your first edit when you use the HTFW. Now, I know outsourcing isn't for everyone, but if you find yourself stuck year after year, if you're trying to find a way out, if you just need a little bit of that pressure taken off of your plate. I definitely recommend Uncut Gems because they have done just that for me and so much more. So if you're interested and want to learn more about their services, you can find the link down below. I was watching some of y'all's films and I particularly loved Ali and Justin's intro. And I want to pull it up here because it's so good. There was a part in the intro where I was just like, okay, this is like, I, I, I wish my creative brain could have thought of something like this and I would love to just kind of unpack. like the thought process with it. But let me just pull it up real quick because it was it's so good.
speaker-0: you Alexandra Julia Mulligan. Six years ago, we met at a wedding.
speaker-1: Seven years. Like, okay, hold on. I love every bit of that. And that's 18 seconds of just pure magic right here. I mean, we start off with just this beautiful parallax shot at the pier. And I love the grain transition too. I've always just been so like enamored by those grain transitions that feel so seamless. Like it's just, it's just beautiful. And then this transition right here where you're like, clicking, it's almost like you're scrolling through memories. Like that's what it feels like for me. And so I, yeah, I'd love to just kind of like unpack like the thought process behind that because I, I was just like, okay, whoa, like that really just like pulls you in and makes you really just like want to stick around to like hear more about these people. Um, so yeah, I thought that was job well done on the creative.
speaker-0: Thank you so much. No, that's so awesome to hear. Yeah, that was a really fun intro to make. And I feel like with like the wedding industry as a whole is growing and there's there is so much knowledge out there and like assets and stuff to learn. So I feel like that was ⁓ a challenge and a just fun project to try to start out something new with like mostly just created sounds and a slow build, almost, you know, like a, just a curve up to like this pinnacle. And within that, it's like, how do you, how do you create the feeling of that buildup and then drop off to have that dramatic, you know, just like. Kind of like you said, like I want to keep watching like what what's going on almost like a trailer before the movie, right? It's like Because I feel like we did that a lot in the past But it would be a lot longer maybe like a minute intro to kind of hype you up to it So this was a much shortened version And then just like adding all those layers. So like that that first shot We kind of had it laid out, but then it's how do you? How do you transition that to? gain more attention. So that transition with the grain and then we take a lot of inspiration from other filmmakers with the sound. it's like incorporating sound and it's like bring it all to life. And then hand, I feel like we spent a lot of time hand picking every shot and like when we do our selects or like call through our footage, we're looking through every clip and pulling every tiny selection. So like when we did that intro, It's like what can showcase the full wedding, all sorts of emotion in that short timeframe. ⁓ So that's kind of like the overall gist, if that makes sense. ⁓
speaker-1: It makes me think too. It's I mean you you've been filming weddings, you know since what you said 2015 and so it's like For me one of the hardest parts And I mean the most challenging but also the most fascinating at the same time about this craft is just mastering the ability to capture spontaneous moments Creatively and beautifully every single time I'd love to hear more about like, how do you walk into each wedding day with just curiosity, like instead of just assumptions, which is easy to do for a lot of us who have been through the repetitions of it, you know? Yeah.
speaker-0: Yeah, for sure. ⁓ I'll let you take this one because I feel like you got it. But there is one thing that's like super duper cheesy, but it's always been something that I've focused on before weddings. And when me and Angie started filming weddings, I told her it's my three C's. So before every wedding, kind of like take a couple moments at home and like meditate and pray on being creative, calm. and confident because I feel like if I can be those three things, it allows me to drop into the moment and be super present and be able to be observing the day, but take that step back and almost anticipate what's gonna happen. And then that gives us the time to prepare accordingly and try to shoot it as well as we.
speaker-2: Yeah. I'll never forget the three C's. three C's. Taking me all the way back to 2018. Yeah, I think a lot of what you said and what you said too, Jared, like there's no way to really like prepare, like you can kind of like assume. But I think that's one thing weddings have taught me is like you can't really prepare because there's so many things that... you know, go off script on a wedding day or not according to plan as much as you can plan. ⁓ So I think a big part of why we like being filmmakers is the ability to kind of take a step back and observe ⁓ and just kind of take in the emotions of the people surrounding us and the connections and the, yeah, and the relationships that are in the room. ⁓ So I think that really helps is when we first show up, kind of just, we are a little bit more quiet and observant, especially in that like getting ready time period and just kind of seeing like, okay, like who is, you know, who are like the big key players in the room and ⁓ family members and everything like that so that we can kind of lean into those throughout the day and kind of focus on where we want to put our attention. throughout the day. So kind of using intuition, I guess, a lot of like intuition throughout the day.
speaker-1: Yeah, I love that being quiet observers and just I think just that introspective nature is is definitely evident in a lot of your work. I'm just seeing like just the the authenticity just being poured out into this and it does help just being like just calm and creative and confident going into the day because I feel like I'm introverted and maybe y'all can attest to this too, but like I also have this like it's like chaos is like internalized for me. So like, yeah, I go into wedding day where I'm like on the outside I look cool as a cucumber, but on the inside I'm sweating bullets. I'm freaking out a little bit. Like I just like, cause I want to do a good job. You know, you want to make something really beautiful and impactful for this family. And you know, like you said before, like reflecting the day before the wedding, my mantra going into the wedding day, I say just like a little prayer is like, Lord, just let me be present. Let me just be, you know, like, get out of my own head, get out of my own way, because I am a lot of times overthinking and just over analyze, analyzing certain aspects of the process where if I just like took a deep breath for a second, and then just let it all out. He's like, okay. your best bet is to use that 24 to 70 instead of the 35 right here because they're going to be jumping from bridal portraits to like family to cocktail, whatever it is that I'm just over analyzing, whether it's gear, whether it's positioning, framing, you know, all of those things. And it definitely just helps. One, it helps. when you've done it long enough where you kind of know the repetition at least to some degree. But I still get nervous before every wedding, which is a good sign. ⁓ But no, I love the three C's. I'm going to write that down because that's something I need to constantly say to myself after every wedding. So I think that's great. ⁓ I'd love to hear your thought. What would you say is the hardest part about filming weddings?
speaker-2: Maybe I would say for me, it's one of the hardest things that it's kind of tied to that is like when couples have really high expectations for the day and you know, maybe it's weather or a vendor that, you know, like something's running behind or whatever it is and seeing them getting pulled out of the moment is really, is really tough. you know, like we want so much for them to just be able to be carefree and present ⁓ in the day and in the moment. And even sometimes with photographers too, like if our style is a little bit different than theirs and seeing the couple not necessarily being able to like drop in and be present with each other, I'd say that's one of the toughest parts to be able to kind of try to still film authentically and capture them being comfortable. So we try to like have to pivot and kind of Okay, if the couple's going through a really hard time, or even if it's a family member that's causing them to feel a certain way, how do we pivot around that? And what can we focus on filming instead in that moment?
speaker-0: Right. In the little interaction that we do have, like how do we get them back to that like grounded sense, you know? Because it's twofold, right? It's like, most importantly, we want them to enjoy their day. Like this is one of the biggest days of their life. And that also ties into the product that we're able to film and give to them is like the more... the more presence and happy, not even happy, it's just presence, whatever they're feeling in the moment, like them just being there is evident when you film them. So we want that for them, and then that in turn shows in their films too.
speaker-1: think that's such a strong answer too. That's so true. I feel like one of the hardest parts about filming weddings is it's more so things outside of your control. You know, it's just like the emotions that someone's feeling, whether it's bride, the groom, that you can't necessarily, you can try to make them feel a bit more comfortable, confident, and at ease on the day. But yeah, that is always something that has been a big like challenge for me because sometimes I don't want to I don't want to over like you know step or you know I don't want to say the wrong thing again that's just my own internalization and over analyzing things but I do think that's one of the challenging aspects because a good wedding film I mean it really does matter about like how present not just you are on the day but how present your couple is how present other people and the family and everyone connecting on the day how present they are with each other and maybe how vulnerable is the chemistry there. If there's no chemistry, it's just, it's really hard to manufacture. And I don't even like saying that word because we're not really manufacturing non-existence. We're capturing what is and we're just kind of elevating, you know, what already unfolded in a sense and just telling that story in a beautiful way. But yeah, that's that's such a big challenge. then I would say just like more practically, I feel like the transition pieces, like the transition from like ceremony to cocktail or from like, especially if you have a stacked timeline from like first look to like portrait ceremony, reception, all of those things. I feel like especially if you're solo, which I don't have to worry about because you're your dynamic do over there. But for me and like the solo wedding filmmaker over here. Yeah, that's a hard piece for me. ⁓ And usually I mitigate it by just like arriving an hour early, getting my lights over at reception where it needs to be, ⁓ and just staying minimal ⁓ day of, which has been a huge help.
speaker-0: No, but still in big respect, because I'm the guy who moves the gear and even with Angie there, it's like solo shooters. It's a lot. Because even if you do set up your lights for reception, you still got your audio gear, tripods, and it's a lot of moving pieces.
speaker-2: Sweating at a time. I'm like usually filming cocktail hour and like I'm like, ⁓ I just got some great shots for like beads of sweat.
speaker-0: Had to shoot some reception details ⁓ to get my, you know, get back calm again. But no, and for sure.
speaker-1: The last question that I actually have for you both ⁓ is one that I feel like all the beginners out there are just gonna really appreciate. ⁓ Because you've been filming weddings long enough, I wanna just dive into your sage advice ⁓ for any beginner struggling artist out there who's just trying to crack that creative code within their work, where they just feel like they're stuck, they feel like they're just kind of imitating right now, there's no distinctive qualities to their film. ⁓ Yeah, just like any advice that you have for the younger filmmakers out there.
speaker-0: No, for sure. Yeah, I mean, off the top of my head, would say, you know, don't don't be afraid to experiment because there are so many styles out there and even outside of weddings, like there's so much inspiration to take from. ⁓ So even if it's not wedding films, like you may not want to experiment on someone's wedding day film, but like passion projects are huge. ⁓
speaker-2: I love that.
speaker-0: finding anything that inspires you and really to like find your voice and your creativity and yeah, and just go for it. just know that there's nothing, I think the beauty of what we do is that there's nothing really wrong that you can do. It's all an expression of like what is within and how you see the world and you know, it's your angle on it. So I feel like the more, different angles you can hit from that and just test out and try. You know, can find. And kind of to go off script a little, I feel like we even do that ourselves in a weird way with our films, because like all of our films, we tell our couples have like an overarching style, but if you watch a number of our films, a lot of them have totally different feels and we honestly love them. because we get a variety of different couples and stories and just personalities and it's a fun, creative, ⁓ like challenge.
speaker-2: to fit into a box. I think that's one thing we've tried to go away from is the idea that you have to have a niche or you have to, if you have a style, it has to be that way forever. We really like to try to experiment and cater to the personalities of the couples that we film and try to let that be the inspiration.
speaker-0: And it almost like frees you up because at least for us because like since we don't have like a very strict niche we're able to from wedding to wedding like change it up and like try different stuff out and We're huge music people. So being able to like change the music vibe a little bit just to like You know compliment the couple in the day is it's it's really fun for us and it keeps things fresh Because with weddings, burnout is so real. At the end of every season, it's hard to find music. There's so many things. it keeps that fresh. Yeah. Yeah, kind of lost words. But yeah, that's...
speaker-2: I would also say, because I struggled with this a lot in the beginning, like when you're really new and feeling like you're not really sure your place as like a vendor, you can feel really small in the beginning, especially like, you know, working with other vendors and feel like it's easy to get kind of swept up in it all. And just knowing that like every wedding and every season, like it gets easier, you become more confident with time. And to know that everybody's there to like, serve a purpose for the couple and like no role is too small or anything like that. Like you matter, you're important. So just move through the day that way and get the shots that you need to get and yeah, that's.