Stephen - EventDV

len David Gold’s Sunnyside is one of the most exciting new literary
novels of this year, and with good reason: Gold’s one previous
novel, Carter Beats the Devil, was the most riveting, sumptuously
imagined romp through an American decade since E.L. Doctorow’s
Ragtime. When Ragtime came out in 1975, you didn’t need to know that
Doctorow had already written an even better novel, The Book of Daniel, to
recognize that he was the hottest thing going. So it was with Carter Beats
the Devil in 2001, and one suspects Gold’s star has only risen higher since
Sunnyside came out in May.
Sunnyside begins on Nov. 12, 1916, when Americans experience a
bizarre mass delusion: simultaneous, coast-to-coast sightings of the
cinema’s first millionaire writer-director-star, Charlie Chaplin. Today, a
celebrity might engineer something like this as a publicity stunt, but it
would have been nearly impossible to pull off in 1916. And the book makes
it clear that Chaplin had nothing to do with this daylong case of national
hysteria. The following morning, Chaplin, relaxing on the roof of his L.A.
bachelor pad, seems to be the only person in the country who’s unaware
that, 24 hours earlier, he’d been paged in more than 800 hotels, had
G
drowned when his skiff capsized off St. George Reef on the northern
California coast, and had caused a riot in Beaumont, Texas, when he
failed to step out and wave from an arriving train.
It’s hard to separate history from fiction in Gold’s work, and there’s no
question that Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp was enjoying a ubiquity hitherto
unimaginable for an entertainment figure at the time the book takes place.
But I’m pretty sure this particular mass delusion is Gold’s invention. That
said, one thing that’s fascinating (and believable) about the way it plays out
in the book is the ways in which people try to rationalize and explain it.
Back when I was in college in Ireland, I visited a small village called
Knock in County Mayo where, on an August day in 1879, over the course
of several hours, several villagers and a farmer half a mile away said they
saw the Virgin Mary with St. Joseph and John the Evangelist. The
Apparition at Knock is a noteworthy event in Irish and Catholic history—it
inspired a shrine and a papal visit and an airport, among other things—but
being neither Irish nor Catholic, I’d never heard of Knock until my friend
suggested we stop there on the way to her aunt’s house in Sligo. Armed
with a dangerously small knowledge of Irish history, I immediately
connected the Apparition at Knock to the Land War agitation that was
happening in rural Ireland at that time, which historian F. S. L. Lyons had
termed “a revolution of rising expectations.” It was a perfectly rational,
yet entirely fatuous, association to make with an event that had nothing to
do with the rational, secular, political world—but, for all I know, may have
been every bit as “real” as it appeared.
I was reminded of this when I read one of the interpretations of the
“Chaplin-itis” delusion recounted in Sunnyside. “There is a new, immediate
medium which we do not yet understand the psychology behind, the filmed
photoplay,” writes Professor Bamfylde Moore Carew of the American
Society for Psychical Research. “But because of the current crises of the
war and the fundamental mystery of America’s place in it—we have put out
a call to something that comforts us. We needed Charlie Chaplin … and so
he came to us. Psychologists, those alarmists, call it mass hysteria. I call it a
shared dream, a fairy tale, the birth of a myth.”
The “filmed photoplay” (a common term for movies in the silent film era)
is old hat today, of course. But there’s a new ubiquity and immediacy to its
creation and distribution that’s just as revolutionary as the emergent
motion picture medium itself was in Chaplin’s time. One of the reasons I
find it so exciting to be working in the wedding and event filmmaking world
these days is that it touches on so many of these dramatic changes taking
place in our time. As I reflect on our latest EventDV 25 all-star team, which
you can read about on the EventDV 25 baseball cards presented here, I
can’t help but think that we’re in the midst of a sweeping, awakening
change—in which personal videos are everywhere, professionally made
personal videos are most emphatically films, and the filmmakers who
make them know, celebrate, and learn from one another’s work—in large
part because it’s so easy and common for them to share it. What’s more,
the enabling factors of this change are just as significant—and as sorely
needed—now as was the mass-distributed motion picture in 1916.
We’ve been doing the EventDV 25 for 4 years now, and the changes in the
team are emblematic of the changing times. The first two all-star teams
played out pretty much as I expected: The honorees were folks who’d made
their reputations presenting seminars and winning awards at international
conferences. These honorees were (and are) great contributors to our
industry. But they were also in some sense the products of a relatively closed
loop. It wasn’t until the last 2 years that the list began to be taken over by
people who weren’t so much known for establishing their industry cred at
conferences as they were known for sharing their work and insight online.
Those who remained on the list from the convention cognoscenti were, for
the most part, those who had extended their influence through online media.
For the first 3 years, the awards program itself was presented at an
awards banquet to 100 people. What I liked about that format was the
opportunity to give honorees their awards in person and to be part of a
well-managed event with a fun crowd that laughed at some of my jokes.
But what I didn’t realize until this year, when we moved the awards
presentation to EventDV-TV and delivered the list in three segments that
racked up nearly 4,000 plays in 3 days, was that the banquet-based awards
presentations really weren’t reaching as many people as they should have
been. Much as I’d tried to use the awards presentation to convey my idea
of what the EventDV 25 was about—what made the all-stars influential and
what made their influence important in our industry—delivering it within
the confines of an awards banquet really wasn’t getting the job done.
Now that we’ve gone the online presentation route, the perception of
the EventDV 25 should be much more in tune with the list itself, which
reflects a worldwide sphere of influence that couldn’t have existed in any
other time. The idea of event videographers half a world apart influencing
one another is almost inconceivable. In a way, it’s almost crazier than
Chaplin being in a thousand places at once in 1916; after all, Chaplin’s
medium, however new, was based on mass consumption. Even if his
presence on movie screens across the country was a concept the world
was still getting used to, it certainly matched the intention of his work.
But the videography world is fundamentally different. Virtually no one in the
2008 EventDV 25 is doing work (or was elected for doing work) created for
mass commercial consumption. Most honorees are producing films
commissioned by two people and delivered, by contract, to a half-dozen at
most. The fact that these filmmakers are influencing people who are either
their competitors or their counterparts in other locales (or other continents)
that they would have no particular reason even to know about is a happy sign
of the times in largely unhappy times—and the fact that our EventDV 25 voters
chose to recognize and salute that influence is even more encouraging. Firsttime honoree Matthew Ebenezer of Shadowplay Photo & Video said it best in
a recent post about his own election on DVinfo.net: “I’m stoked that some
random guy from a small town in regional Australia who hasn’t shot many
weddings (and certainly hasn’t made much money from it) can make it onto
such a list. How and why did this guy make the list? No idea. But I think it
says a lot for the exciting future of our industry that it was even possible.”
So, how does a guy “who hasn’t shot that many weddings” make the list?
Although the EventDV 25 has often been criticized in the past for honoring
people with such unconventional resumes, to me it’s actually a sign that
what this magazine and these awards are trying to accomplish is working.
Who, as an event filmmaker, is doing things that are inspiring others and
helping to make them better? And does that necessarily correlate to how
many weddings they’ve shot and how profitable their businesses have
been? Clearly, to some voters it does, and to some it doesn’t. If the list
reflects those differences, that means videographers are voicing those
opinions through their votes, which is exactly what I want them to do.
Two pivotal figures on this year’s list have not only influenced
videographers but have launched two very different spheres of influence:
WEVA chairman Roy Chapman and WedFACT founder Walter Chelliah.
One could argue that Chapman should have made this list every year. If
you had to name one person as the architect of this industry, it would be
Chapman. But I’m excited to be honoring him now because, lifetime
achievements aside, he had such a big year in 2008: uprooting WEVA Expo
from its Las Vegas comfort zone and putting on what some say was the
best Expo ever in Orlando, and showing sound leadership in embracing
the Web 2.0 side of things with advances in WEVA’s LicenseStream
initiative and his visible and accessible presence on Facebook.
Chelliah, by contrast, has created WedFACT, this industry’s most
mesmerizing meritocracy, a breeding ground for innovation, inspiration, and
influence that has put talent in touch with talent all over the world. To say
nothing of his own arresting editing style, what Chelliah has done with
WedFACT has provided the most likely answer to Ebenezer’s question, simply
by bringing so much far-flung new talent into the mix and by reminding us of
how many different ways there are to approach a wedding film when you
bring the artist’s eye into play. When you embrace the subjectivity of vision—
which some would say is a prerequisite of making a visually distinctive film—
empirical standards of professional and artistic worth go out the window, and
the line between fact and apparition becomes almost meaningless.
So is this emerging emphasis on artistry and apparent planetwide sphere
of influence in the event filmmaking world a shared dream? A fairy tale?
The birth of a myth? A revolution of rising expectations? It’s hard to say
whether it’s one or another or a combination of all four. But whatever it is, it
sure is inspiring to watch.
Stephen
Nathans-Kelly([email protected]) is editor-inchief of EventDV and program director of EventDV-TV.com.
Comments? Email us at [email protected], or check the masthead for other
ways to contact us.
The EventDV 25
“In his films, Lee creates
a mood that
allows the audience to
be drawn into an
artful experience, withou
t ever reminding
them that a camera is in
the equation.”
—Laura Moses, Vantage
Point Productions
• BLOG: www.2dg-style.com
/blog
Lee says:
“My goal is to convince
Greek couples that a
wedding video is more
important than the
hairdresser or the styli
st. I know for a fact I’ve
changed a lot of things
in Greek wedding
videography, but I think
this one will take a whil
e.”
Lee Bakogiannakis
• Proud member of WedFACT
Alliance
• Co-founder and member of
Wedpro Greek alliance
• 2 WedFACTION awards, 2008
• 6 TPPA awards (all-Greek
wedding video contest) 2006
• Has shot more than 250 wed
dings and 150 baptisms
since 2003
2dg • Thessaloniki, Greece
WWW.2DGSTYLE.COM
LEE BAKOGIANNAKIS
.”
tivational visionary
an inspirational, mo
“Roy Chapman is
lk
dTa
dVi
We
o,
y Ritond
—Kath
ROY CHAPMAN
International
ographers Association and event
, Wedding & Event Vide
ding
• Founder & Chairman onal trade association representing wed
essi
prof
(WEVA), largest
e (1995–pres.)
videographers worldwid
95), Wedding &
ography Today (1990–19 ography Resource
Chief, Wedding Vide
in
r
t Vide
Edito
and
der
• Foun
06) , Wedding & Even
5–20
(199
e
azin
Mag
Event Videography
6)
NewBay Media (200
Guide co-produced by
event video industry’s
Event Video Expo, the WEVA Creative
Director Wedding &
der,
utive
Exec
&
der
• Foun
show (1991–pres.), Foun Committee on
trade
&
n
entio
conv
A National Select
largest international
WEVA Special
1–pres.), Founder, WEV
Excellence Awards (199 HD Development (1995–pres.), implemented Videography Hall
ent/
the Wedding & Event
Camcorder Developm
and
es.)
9–pr
(199
on
gniti
e (1999–pres.),
Awards of Industry Reco d by the WEVA Special Awards Committe editation Program
lope
Accr
of Fame (2001) as deve
al Videographer (MPV) Announced creation
ssion
Profe
ited
Mer
A
implemented the WEV inuing Education Committee (2004–pres.),
Cont
to videographers
created by the WEVA
to provide financial aid of Brides (1993 &
Response Committee
of the WEVA Disaster Katrina (1995), launched Nationwide Survey Music Licensing
M
e
devastated by Hurrican INgrooves & EMI Music Publishing, the ZOO A Latino with
1995), co-developed with s & imagers (2006–pres.), Co-developed WEV seStream
pher
unced Licen
anno
es.),
7–pr
for wedding videogra
(200
ESAV & Revista TK
for wedding
PUNTO Magazine, AMP implemented other first-ever group benefits chant Status,
Mer
7),
for videographers (200 including Business Insurance, Credit Card
e
g, and other unique
ncin
nwid
Fina
natio
nt
s
pme
pher
s, Equi
videogra
ing, new media resource continue onward. The WEVA 19th
that
WEVA online programm
s
pher
ogra
ssional vide
industry affiliates will
group benefits for profe Video Expo open to all videographers and
t
details).
Annual Wedding & Even , in Orlando, Fla. (see www.weva.com for
2009
be held Sept. 14–17,
ion of my personal
Roy says:
ment not as recognit
WEVA
“I view this appoint e, but for the cumulative success of
ional
alon
ents
hm
rall needs of profess
accomplis
ove
the
,
ade
dec
a
over
by the national/
International. For
rs have been served
phe
son or a
ogra
per
vide
one
nt
not
eve
is
, which
wedding &
ch of the Association
usands of
international outrea the power and commitment of tho gy moves us
on
nolo
ved
tech
thri
As
staff. It has
these years.
members over all
globe will
individual WEVA
phers around the
ed of light, videogra to capture and preserve digital
forward at the spe
ded
nee
ices
serv
the
influence of
continue to provide ality standards due in part to the
-qu
its history as
memories with high cy and I am proud to be a part of
lega
WEVA. This is our
ahead.”
ney
jour
iting
exc
well as the
WEVA International
Sarasota, Fla.
WWW.WEVA.COM
The EventDV 25
“Ron does so mu
ch for the event
videography indus
try, I feel like I’m
voting for 3 peop
le.”
—Chris P. Jones,
Mason Jar Films
Ron Dawson
• Creator/Executive
Pro
first online reality TV ducer of “The Longest Day,”
show about pro pho
togs
• Host/producer of
“F-Stop Beyond,” pop
ula
audio/video podcast
about nation’s top pror
photogs
• Evolved Cinematic
Stu
Media, a new media dios into Dare Dreamer
marketing agency
• Speaker at WEVA,
4EVER Group, WPPI,
and PVAs
• Co-author, with wif
e
Peachpit Press book Tasra, of forthcoming
abo
ut
cut
ting-edge ways
to grow your busine
ss
• Contributing editor,
EventDV (2005–8)
• Two-time EventDV
25 honoree
• Recognized expert
on social media and
Web 2.0
• BLOG: http://blad
eronner.com
Ron says:
“Videographers mu
st learn how to ada
pt and
embrace change if
they are to achiev
e and
maintain success.
Adapt or die.”
Dare Dream
er Media • Atlanta
WWW.DAREDREAM
ER.NET
RON DAWSON
master of
“He is, perhaps, the most underrated
.”
creative video technique in the world
—Mike Jensen, Jensen Films
s and
“Glen will unselfishly help out other
does phenomenal work.”
ctions
—Jerome Cloninger, JC/DV Produ
• Official videoblogger, Re:Frame 08
• Winner, 6 4EVER Group AAAs, 2006–7,
for Concept Video
incl. 2007 Emerald
, incl. Wedding
• Winner, 2 2006 GPVA Film Festival awards
Gold; 2005 Best in Show
• Moderator, DVinfo Wedding & Event forum
to Utilize Audio for a
• Speaker, 4EVER Group Video 07 (“How
More Emotional Edit”)
Training: Volume 1
• Instructional DVD: GmElliott Videography
Glen says:
your work. If
“Never become complacent with
you cease to
you do, that will mark the moment
grow as an artist in your craft.”
GmElliott Videography
Williamstown, N.J.
WWW.GMELLIOTTVIDEO.COM
Glen Elliott
• Finalist, 4EVER Group Iron Videographer
• 2nd Place, GPVA Battle of the Editors (2007)
GLEN ELLIOTT
The EventDV 25
ve managed to
“Julie and Alex ha
brand and fantastic
ing
combine an amaz
ess package that
work into a seaml
for serious
ard
nd
sta
the
has set
d the world.”
un
aro
videographers
t, Aubert Films
—Darrell Auber
n momentum.
hy is starting to gai
“Event videograp
porary
tem
con
,
ogy
nol
tech
Incorporating new
s, using new
g with trendsetter
branding, networkin
and producing
gging and Twitter,
media such as blo
important
the
be
l
wil
t
duc
a contemporary pro
g that momentum.”
factors in maintainin
Julie & Alex Hill
ER Group
e WEVA CEAs and 4EV
• Winners of multipl
2001
in
io
stud
g
ndin
fou
AAAs since
Edit
08 incl. Video 07 Live
• Speakers, Video 06–
7),
up NYC Summit (200
Gro
ER
4EV
ie);
(Jul
seminar
e New Orleans &
Fram
Re:
s,
ting
mee
A
LIVA & NJV
Re:Frame Austin
rame Collective
• Co-founders of ReF
umblog.com
• BLOG: www.elysi
h videography today:
wit
Biggest problem
s
Elysium Production
Irvine, Calif.
DUCTIONS.COM
WWW.ELYSIUMPRO
JULIE & ALEX HILL
tine wedding-day
“A master at taking rou
into captivating
events and turning them
his W.I.L.D.
h
wit
ies
mov
ay
g-d
weddin
.”
ues
niq
tech
C.A.M.E.R.A.
on Video Productions
—Danny Sayson, Says
• Winner, 5 PVACT awards
ittee
• PVACT Chair, elections comm
.E.R.A. shooting
• In 2008, created W.I.L.D. C.A.M
presented Shoot Ta Thrill
techniques training program;
do, Hartford, Chicago,
seminars in Philadelphia, Orlan
Boston, New Jersey
• 4-time EventDV 25 honoree
.ShootTaThrill.com
• TRAINING WEBSITE: www
STEVE FOWLER
Steve Fowler
2007 Short Form Gold;
• Winner, 16 WEVA CEAs incl.
category
Form
t
Shor
in
years
5
in
4 wins
s incl. 2006 Social Event
• Winner, 9 4EVER Group AAA
Production Diamond
Steve says:
in GREAT web video
“The latest technology
change the bad video
has the power to help us
.”
stigma one client at a time
sor, Conn.
Wind
Steven Fowler Films • East
ILMS.COM
WWW.STEVENFOWLERF
The EventDV 25
“He’s like the
little engine th
at could:
small business,
tough market.
But his
enthusiasm, en
ergy, and open
ness have
inspired many
that are starting
out.”
—LaDonna Mo
ore Aik
en, LaDonna
Visual Artistry
“By improving
our craft we’ll
improve
perception, wh
ich will bring
more respect
and higher pr
ices to our ind
ustry.”
PHILIP HINKLE
Frogman Produc
Stoughton, Wis. tions
WWW.FROGMA
NPRODUCTION
S.COM
en
, and always op
ative, talented
“Jones is innov
industry.”
the
in
ers
oth
to helping
ms
r, Fifty Foot Fil
—Paul Korve
elling
ry-style storyt
of documenta
films.”
ing
“Jones’s brand
dd
we
all
for
blueprint
should be the
dios
ay, Red 5 Stu
—Loyd Calom
pect
Jones says:
nues to gain res
industry conti
using the
“Even as our
ractive product
att
re
mo
a
igent
by developing
vice and intell
id customer ser
running a
for
latest toys, sol
on
ati
nd
ain the fou
marketing rem
ess.”
successful busin
• Waco, Texas
Chris P. Jones
MS.COM
MASONJARFIL
WWW.
Chris P. Jones
nts (www.infocus
OCUS] Video Eve
• Co-Founder, IN[F
)
videoevent.com
Frame Collective
• Co-Founder, Re:
Re:Frame Austin
r, Re:Frame 08 and
ake
• Featured spe
h Jones
wit
up
g
pin
ducer: Kee
• EventDV-TV Pro
vement
entary Editing Mo
um
Doc
New
the
• A leader in
PVA
rth
Wo
Fort
• Member, Dallas/
ntDV 25
e-getter, 2008 Eve
• Top overall vot
shooting and
film
in
s
dio
stu
g
nin
• Specialist in trai
ting
edi
ary
document
ad.com
asonjarfilms.typep
• BLOG: http://m
CHRIS P. JONES
Philip Hinkle
• 2008 WEVA CE
A Gold, Social Eve
nt Video
• 2007 AAA Dia
mond, Memorial
Video
• Semifinalist, 200
8 Iron Videograp
her
• Speaker, Video
08
• Featured Speak
er, Illinois and Iow
a PVAs
• Wisconsin Bride
“Best of “ 2006–
8
• Contributing edi
tor, EventDV
• Board member,
local NACE chapte
r
• Key education
al topics: SDEs, dis
aster recovery
• BLOG: www.frog
manproductions.
com/blog
Philip says:
The EventDV 25
at films, and she
“She produces gre
great marketing
to
s
eye
my
opened
.”
ign
and image des
s
Simon Production
—Joe Simon, Joe
entaries
, Artifact Docum
—Kristen Turick
r,
e08; featured speake
• Co-founder of Re:Fram e Austin
Fram
Re:Frame 08 and Re:
Film Maven
• 16mm & Super 8mm
dle East and filmed the
Mid
the
to
• In 2008, flew
s
ces
prin
a
of
wedding
8
• Got hitched in 200
c. 2007 Modern Bride
• Featured in Nov./De
Kristen*
ce I
has inspired me sin
“Kristen*’s work
rk is
wo
film
r
He
it.
first laid eyes on
share
is always eager to
stunning and she
ers in the industry
oth
h
wit
ge
led
her know
ions.
eos, and presentat
through forums, vid
will
she
e,
ens
ss-s
ine
to bus
From her branding
ry.”
ust
ind
r
the bar for ou
continue to raise
Bliss* Productions
San Francisco
UCTIONS.COM
WWW.BLISSPROD
KRISTEN*
“His same-day ed
its an
style continue to inf d cinematic
lue
filmmakers worldwi nce wedding
de. Hands down,
Jason is the best on
the planet.”
—Loyd Calomay,
Red
5 Studios
Jason says:
JASON MAGBANUA
“Is there any coo
ler work? Weekday
s
off, travel all ove
r the
every week. Mmmm world, filet mignon
.”
Jason Magbanua We
dding Videography
Makati City, Philippi
nes
WWW.JASONMAGB
ANUA.COM
Jason Magbanua
• Four 2008 WEVA CEA
Golds (Pre-Ceremony
,
Wedding Ceremony,
Wedding Reception,
Wedding Instant-Edit)
• Headlining speake
r, Re:Frame 2008 and
Re:Frame Austin
• Sponsored by Cineva
te and Glidetrack
• Founder of www.p
inoyvideomaker.com:
the premier
Filipino online resource
in event videography
• Three-time EventD
V 25 honoree
• BLOG: www.jason
magbanua.com/blog
The EventDV 25
and
ost progressive
“One of the m
illMotion
St
,
rld
wo
e
th
s in
dynamic team
r.”
ba
e
th
ise
ra
ing to
is always look
s
ht Filmwork
, Northern Lig
—John Moon
Patrick says:
wth phase
today is in a gro
er,
“The industry
re now than ev
Mo
n.
see
r
ve
like we’ve ne
push our craft
to
er
eth
tog
we are coming
ny fronts.”
further on so ma
Patrick adds:
what we do is
st thing about
never
“For me, the be
know and will
n’t
do
I
le
op
n is
that many pe
by it. Inspiratio
ed
pir
ins
en
meet have be
our team is
d
an
r,
ato
tiv
a powerful mo
on of our
ed by the passi
absolutely inspir
ve touched.”
ha
we
se
tho
couples and
Patrick Moreau
ugh
been fortunate eno
otive art. We’ve
•“Creator of em
y.”
wa
the
s along
to win some award
nexperience.com
E: www.stillmotio
SIT
ION
AT
UC
• ED
tillmotionblog.com
• BLOG: www.s
StillMotion
Canada
Toronto, Ontario,
.CA
OTION
WWW.STILL-M
PATRICK MOREAU
“Few people have
contributed to ou
r
industry as much
as they have. They
are
always willing to
help anyone, any
wa
can. They are an ins
y they
piration to all of us!
”
—Chris Chibuc
os, FurlaVision
• Reaching the Next
Level instructional DVD
series
• Educational topics:
Sound design, shootin
g techniques,
marketing & artistry,
stylized filming and edit
ing
• Presenters, IN[FOCU
S] 2010
Steve & Laura say:
“Our biggest proble
m as wedding vid
eographers is
mainstream accept
ance by brides. The
path to
acceptance is throug
h other vendors—
convince
them and they wil
l convince the bri
des.”
Vantage Point Produc
tions
San Dimas, Calif.
WWW.STEVEANDLA
URA.COM
Steve & Laura Mose
s
• 8 WEVA CEAs incl
uding 2008 Gold (Pre
-Ceremony)
and 2007 Gold (Pre-Cer
emony)
• 6 4EVER Group AAA
s including 2 Diamond
s
• 3-time EventDV 25
honorees
• 5-time WEVA Expo
presenters
• Speakers, ABC, NAC
E, and PVAs
• WEVA PR Committ
ee (Steve)
• Columnist, EventD
V (Laura)
OSES
STEVE & LAURA M
The EventDV 25
“The cool new kid that
has all sorts of
tricks up his sleeve. Gre
at use of film
and Glidecam—and som
etimes both at
the same time.”
—David Perry, David
Perry Films
• Recipient of 4 Telly awards,
2007–8
• BMX Cinematographer/Editor
• Camera Addict
• Subject, 3-part Keeping up
with Jones on EventDV-TV.com
• Presenter, IN[FOCUS] 2010
• BLOG: www.joesimonwed
dingfilms.com
Joe says:
“I see our industry grow
ing in the right direction
.
There is so much talent
and excitement to crea
te
something more than wed
ding videos, we are
creating art. As visual artis
ts we strive for great
storytelling and high prod
uction values. Together
we
can educate wedding vend
ors and couples about
this
revolution, the revolutio
n of wedding filmmakers!”
Joe Simon
• Independent Filmmaker/Dire
ctor of Photography
• WedFACT Advisor
Joe Simon Productions •
Austin, Texa
s
WWW.JOESIMONPRODU
CTIONS.COM
JOE SIMON
“O’Carroll applies filmma
king principles
to wedding productions
in the most
subtle and artful ways.
Films by
O’Carroll should be diss
ected and
taught in film school.”
—Chris P. Jones, Mas
on Jar
Films
• Worked as camera crew
on RED feature film,
Spiderhole; now producing origi
nal RED short film
• 2-time EventDV 25 honoree
L
MAURICE O’CARROL
• Joined all-star crew shoo
ting Glen Elliott wedding
• Board member of KMN, whic
h promotes and
develops creative talent
• WedFACT representative
• BLOG: http://velvetinestu
dios.com/news
Velvetine Studios
Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
WWW.VELVETINESTUDIOS.
COM
Maurice O’Carroll
• People’s Choice Speaker,
Re:Frame 08; topic:
Storytelling Principles
• Featured in March 2008 Even
tDV cover story on new
documentary-style wedding
filmmaking
• Started new commercial
video company, Velvetine
Studios.TV
The EventDV 25
ng
m produce amazi
“Bruce and his tea
t-class
firs
a
is
ce
Bru
hy.
wedding videograp
ine
gaz
ma
e
ux
his WedL
businessman and
it.”
to
ent
tam
tes
stands as a
t, Aubert Films
—Darrell Auber
stone Produc
—Joth Riggs,White
e
er of WedLuxe magazin
• Owner and Publish
ve
ecti
Coll
e
ram
Re:F
• Co-founder of the
e Austin
rame 08 and Re:Fram
• Featured speaker, Re:F
the Canon
use
to
rs
phe
ding videogra
• One of the first wed
5D Mk II in 2008
adian
ncial Post (national Can
• Featured in the Fina
newspaper)
rdpress
ninecreative.com/wo
• BLOG: www.cloud
Bruce says:
r craft both
rself to improve you
“ALWAYS push you
spective. It will
per
cal
hni
tec
and
from a personal
your soul.”
fuel and stimulate
e
Cloud Nine Creativ
ada
Vancouver, BC, Can
CREATIVE.COM
WWW.CLOUDNINE
BRUCE PATTERSON
lafiore, Fio
—Sharrone Ca
nent in
en a key compo
“Walter has be
aking
m
m
fil
g
in
dd
we
advancing the
CT, he has
min for WedFA
industy; as ad
and revamp
er
th
come toge
enabled us to
a. His
gm
deography sti
the wedding vi
is always
ng
iti
ed
d
an
g
style of shootin
inspired.”
and leaves me
out of the box
cumentaries
Do
rick, Artifact
—Kristen Tu
e event
od genius in th
“A misundersto
y.”
str
cinema indu
ns
uctio
iss Video Prod
—Kristen*, Bl
her mother.”
her from anot
“My lost brot
nnakis, 2dg
—Lee Bakogia
definitive projx a, Canada
Edmonton, Albert
VEPROJX.COM
WWW.DEFINITI
iah
Walter S. Chell
g work, he
alter’s amazin
“Aside from W
to put
ive
at
selfless initi
has taken the
day’s cuttingto
of
ity
un
m
together a com
ree cheers
filmmakers. Th
edge wedding
answered
s
ha
o
iah, wh
for Walter Chell
ers!”
all of our pray
re Films
WALTER S. CHELLIAH
Bruce Patterson
beautiful and his
“Bruce’s work is
able.”
industry is remark
the
to
on
uti
trib
con
tions
The EventDV 25
documentary
“Bill’s work has taken
level. He allows
wedding films to a new
the ‘cast,’ and
the viewer to connect with
es, presents a
through complex storylin
have never seen
moving portrayal that I
o. One of my
before in wedding vide
biggest inspirations!”
fact Documentaries
—Kristen Turick, Arti
• Presenter, IN[FOCUS] 2010
g.squarespace.com
• BLOG: http://humanstoryblo
William says:
evolves into event
“As event videotaping
ns
d on not to be technicia
filmmaking, we’re calle
lers with distinct points
but instead to be storytel
rpret the wedding day
of view; to not only inte
filmmaker’s look into the
story but also to offer a
story.”
lives that take part in that
William Gaff
“New Doc” cover story
• Featured in March EventDV
on Wedding Bee Pro
• Guest filmmaker/blogger
Pretty, The Brides Cafe,
Me
• Work featured on Style
and Ritzy Bee blogs
g, interviewing
• Educational topics: storytellin
WILLIAM GAFF
Va.
humanstory • Midlothian,
S.COM
WWW.HUMANSTORYFILM
“David continues to raise the bar on
concept videos and is always on the
try.
cutting edge of what’s hot in the indus
You can’t help but love him. ”
—Laura Randall, Edit 1 Media
• Founder and administrator of online forum
WeddingCinematographers.com (2007–pres.)
• Multi-year WEVA Expo speaker
article:
•Author, Nov. 2008 WEV Resource Guide
to Shoot
“Starstruck: “Paris Hilton, WEVA, and How
Celebrity Videos”
rs across
• Educates through workshops and semina
the country
• BLOG: http://blog.davidrobinfilms.com
David says:
“He who questions training only trains
doubt your
himself at asking questions. If you
s.”
powers, you give power to your doubt
david robin | films • Encino, Calif.
WWW.DAVIDROBINFILMS.COM
DAVID ROBIN
David Robin
Short Form
• 25 WEVA CEAs, including 2008 Gold for
Wedding and Photo Montage Production
• WEVA Hall of Fame, Bob LeBar Vision Award
The EventDV 25
gives
y with colors that
“Joshua has a wa
His shooting and
k.
loo
e
iqu
un
a
his videos
look
make all his videos
editing techniques
artist.”
al
ion
ept
exc
ly
like movies. A tru
s
Simon Production
—Joe Simon, Joe
Joshua Smith
instructional
Color, color correction
•Debuted Dream in
DVD, 2008
ing for
Natural Media Packag
•Debuted Loktah.com,
aphers
togr
pho
and
rs
phe
videogra
Dress spot,
ning America Trash the
• Featured in Good Mor
6/16/07
tlight)
CEA Silver (Bridal Spo
• Winner, 2006 WEVA
n Your
Ope
and
s
Eye
r
You
(“Close
• Speaker, Video 07
(“Rock the Boat”)
Mind”) and Video 08
ck the Boat”), 2007
• Speaker, LIVA (“Ro
S] 2010
OCU
IN[F
r,
ente
Pres
•
aticbride.com/blog
• BLOG: www.cinem
Joshua says:
colliding, we
and video worlds
“With the photo
e daily and
ourselves to improv engaging.”
h
pus
lly
rea
st
mu
and
that is compelling
create a product
CINEMATICBRIDE
Monroe, La.
BRIDE.COM
WWW.CINEMATIC
JOSHUA SMITH
a camera
“Matt shoots with his eye, not from
manual. His work is always captivating.”
—Geoff Charters, DOP
elling
“Matthew brings film look and storyt
in the
wedding video. He’s one of the best
”
industry when it comes to color work.
to
• WedFACT member
• First Australian to make the EventDV 25
• 1 wife, 2 cats
• BLOG: http://shadowplay.com.au/blog
Matt says:
future of our industry
“It speaks volumes for the exciting
in regional Australia
when some guy from a small town
g films can make it
who hasn't produced many weddin
the world.”
onto a list with some of the best in
Matt adds:
raphy mindset.
“I'm tired of the photography vs. videog
raphy and
It's not an either/or choice. Photog
tells one story,
videography are different. Photography
of them together tell
videography tells another, and both
day.”
the full story of a couple’s wedding
MATTHEW EBENEZ
ER
Shadowplay Photo & Video ia
Toowoomba, Queensland Austal
WWW.SHADOWPLAY.COM.AU
Matthew Ebenezer
—Konrad Czystowski, StillMotion
The EventDV 25
“I want to be like Terry
when I grow
up. She has a great eye
for shooting
and has passed it on to
her son Joe. Her
husband, Julian, is a Spi
elberg lookalike
and a marketing genius.
”
—Laura Randall, Edit
1 Media
• Co-founders and featured
presenters, Re:Frame 08
• President, LAVBP (Terry)
• Videographer of the Year,
Wedding Professional
Guild NO (2005–6)
• Champion, 2008 Iron Vide
ographer (Terry)
• Multi-year CEA winners,
Re:Frame, WEVA, 4EG spea
kers
Julian says:
“Many in our industry
—due to the introduction
of
new technology—are mov
ing from being just
‘camera people’ to dire
ctors of photography,
responsible for achievin
g artistic and technical
decisions related to the
image captured.”
Studio Vieux Carre
New Orleans
VELLA
JOE & TERRY TARA
ERRE
AND JULIAN ST. PI
WWW.STUDIOVC.COM
“They have been leaders
in our industry for
years, maintaining a leve
l of professionalism
second to none, while pro
viding training
and video productions
that have inspired
videographers all over
the world.”
Vieux Carre
• 9 training DVDs sold in 50
states and 30 foreign count
ries,
including their latest release,
Cinematic Highlights
• 39 industry awards
• WEVA Hall of Fame, 2006
• WEVA Expo speakers, 2003
–2008
• In 2008, hosted one ON one
workshops in Tulsa, Atlanta,
New
York, and Southern California
• Producers of the monthly
EventDV-TV.com show “Mak
ing
It Von Reel”
• Presenters, IN[FOCUS] 2010
Mark and Trisha say:
“We need to show a will
ingn
videographers further thei ess to help other
r craft to combine
beautiful imagery with
compelling audio to
tell the story of life unfo
lding.”
Trisha & Mark Von Lanken
—Julian St. Pierre, Stud
io
Von Wedding Films
Tulsa, Okla.
WWW.MARKANDTRISHA.C
OM
N
RK VON LANKE
TRISHA & MA
Studio Vieux Carre
• Co-founder (Julian), IN[FO
CUS] (www.infocusvideo
event.com)
The EventDV 25
“Jerome is a great
guy who loves thi
s industry
and will do anythi
ng to help anyone.
He also
makes great poste
rs and trailers.”
—S
ylvia Broeckx, Eve
r After
“Take pride in wh
at you do. Under
stand your purpos
Use your passion
e.
to drive toward exc
ellence. Never
give up. Be honest
with your clients—
and
yourself.”
Jerome adds:
“Technology is gre
at when you kno
w how to use it,
but it doesn’t make
you better just by
having it.”
JC/DV Productions
Rogersville, Tenn.
WWW.JCDV.COM
JEROME CLONINGER
“His work is flaw
less.”
—Daniel Boswel
l, DVartistry
“Dave is the com
plete package. He
is one of
the few people tha
t can do it all: sho
oting,
editing, marketing,
teaching. Eveything
he
does pushes the bar
higher for the res
t of us.”
—Kevin Walsh
, Walsh Video
First Sight Pictur
es
• 2007–8 Best Videogra
pher, MyFoxPhilly
• 2006–8 EventDV 25
• 2006 WEVA Int’l Batt
le of the Editors winner
• 5 WEVA CEAs; 4 GPV
A Film Festival Awards
• GPVA Hall of Fame
• International speake
r/trainer, 2001–prese
nt
Dave says:
“Talk to your clie
nts as a futurist: ‘Wh
production mean
at will this
to your kids or you
r grandkids?
Spend as much as
you can on the ima
sounds of today.
ges and
Nothing else will
be worth as
much, generation
s from now.”
DVideography
Philadelphia
WWW.DAVEWILLI
AMSFILMS.COM
Dave Williams
“Dave has set a tre
nd for multi-crew
management and
high-quality HD
productions.”
—Bruce Ostrou
t,
DAVE WILLIAMS
Jerome Cloninger
• “99 1st place awa
rds” from satisfied brid
es
• Featured in Sept. 200
8 EventDV print/video
article, “Cash
Cows in a Changing
Economy”
• Moderator, WedVid
Pro.com; frequent con
tributor,
VideoUniversity.com
and WedFACT
• Speaker, NPVA of
New England, March
2009
• According to legend,
named EventDV-TV.co
m
• BLOG: http://blog.
jcdv.com
• Hosting: www.jcdv-h
osting.com
Jerome says:
The EventDV 25
“Most daring and awe-inspring stuff
I have ever seen!”
—Keith Anderson, All Occasions Video Product
ions
• 15 WEVA CEAs, 7 Golds, 2001–8, incl. 2008 Bridal
Spotlight Gold
• Speakers, WEVA Expo 2005-8, WEVA/PMA 2008, Video
06-08, multiple local PVAs
• Taught 6 “Cinematic Shooting & Editing” hands-on
workshops out of their studio in 2008
• Educational DVDs: Red Velvet & Blue Skies
• Educational topics: Cinematic Shooting & Editing
Jeff & Andee say:
“What an incredible time we are in with this
industry. It is an amazing thing it is to see our
industry flooded with so many talented
cinematographers. We are just blown away when
we see some of the incredible work being produce
d
and our hope is that it will send the perceived
value of wedding cinematography skyrocketing.”
Jeff & Andee Wright
•9 4E VER Group CEAs,. 2005–7, incl. 4 Diamonds
• EventDV 25 2006-8
GHT
JEFF & ANDEE WRI
Blue Skies Cinema • Corona, Calif.
WWW.BLUESKIESCINEMA.COM
Who are the most influential
cinematographers working
in the event field right now?
wielding all-star caliber influence—in
the event filmmaking world.
2008 ALL-STAR TEAM
2008 All-Star Team
EventDV 25
WWW.EVENTDV-TV.COM
2008 All-Star Team
To answer that question, we came up with
the EVENTDV 25, a veritable all-star team
of
the 25 “hottest” videographers or
videography outfits working today. They
might not have racked up the kind of
lifetime achievement credentials that
qualify Hall of Fame candidates (though
many of them certainly have), but they’r
e
all doing all-star caliber work—and