As we're approaching my favorite time of the year, I'm spending more and more time outside because frankly, it's beautiful! I love being in the warmth of the sun and getting some editing done in a nice shady spot with a great view.
Last week, while editing with my favorite latte in hand (a "Cinderella" drink, pumpkin spice + white mocha, if you haven't tried it, you're missing out!), I felt that rush of serotonin from finishing up a highlight edit that I had been working on for what seemed like forever. Sometimes, editing highlight after highlight - starts to feel mundane and I have to take a few creative breaks in order to come back with a fresh mind and killer ideas.
Because where do original ideas come from? Certainly not while hammering at my keyboard, trying to edit out that one baby screaming during the father of the bride's speech! Because rest assured, there is always that one child at any wedding!
The source location of my ideas aren't always easy to pin down - and they are often all over the place, from different moments and interactions I encounter on the daily. They usually come when I'm out & about and enjoying life - like experiencing something new or catching up with an old friend. It's rarely about the actual activity but more about my perspective and the feeling I can take away.
For wedding highlights, I strive to capture the overall sentiment I think describes the wedding day and the couple. I try to show the rawness of innocent moments, without overdoing it but still trying to translate them visually in an aesthetically pleasing way. It's definitely a hard line to walk at times, but occasionally, creativity hits and makes this line intensely less hard to fight. I find commonly from watching wedding highlight after wedding highlight, that it's so easy for videographers (photographers not excluded) to create a piece of work, albeit beautiful, is far less than honest. Authenticity and originality are often sacrificed for glamorization and over-dramatization.
Authenticity and originality are often sacrificed for glamorization and over-dramatization.
Let me clarify. Sure, as a videographer, I want to impress you visually. I also want to move you. But I also want you to feel connected to the film in an honest way. Mostly, I want you to walk away after watching the film that I accurately captured the day and your sentiments as a couple. Not every type of love out there is theatrical and Hollywood-glam with light streaks and dramatic voiceovers. Some love feels classic and vintage. Others are quiet, intentional, and loyal. Just as every single couple and wedding day is different, I want all of my highlights to feel unique. Using the same type of detail shots and couple poses for every film would be going against who I strive to be as a filmmaker and human - creative and honest.
This isn't always easy to do, and like any artist, it will always be a hard fight when you see every other video on the wedding market using this one amazing revolving shot - to not do the same thing. Because, if you're looking at each wedding as a stand-alone art piece, it just doesn't make sense to use that shot in every highlight edit, just like how a dramatic plot twist or cliffhanger doesn't work for every book.
That's why I limit the time I spend comparing my work to other wedding vendors, because my best ideas rarely come from watching other artists, but instead from experiencing life and refining my perspective. Only then will I have a source to draw from at the end of the day that keeps me honest and true to my vision.
Photos Featured From The Leverettes | Quail Branch Lodge