Nesting Newbies™, Newbisode 1, has launched and is already getting some buzz! Newbisode 2 isn’t far behind and the team outdid themselves as we all begin to get in the newbie groove. Chef Lea McIntosh is at her best when she’s teaching and in this Newbisode Michael and Wendy Mantilla ask her lots of questions (we like to call them Newbie Q’s). They are a lively couple and the set was full of fun and laughter as they learned how to cook Chef Lea’s Moroccan-style Seafood Stew over a Saffron Risotto. Michael kicked things up a notch when he used “SHAZAM!” – His own newbie twist on a famous exclamation while adding an ingredient to the pot. It was a hilarious and unexpected moment.
On the set in the Rutt of Los Altos kitchen, everything is laid out in preparation, including the plump Christopher Ranch Garlic cloves.
Teachable moments include how to use a professional knife…
Michael and Wendy are creating something together in the kitchen and are confident they can do it on their own the next time.
The seafood stew simmers for just a few more minutes before tasting…
Chef Lea uses a Calphalon stock pot and answers Wendy’s question about what kind of pots to use. Calphalon was so excited about the show’s concept and this unscripted Newbie Q, they became a sponsor! Chef Lea also taught Wendy and Michael how to use the leftover risotto in crab cakes. Everyone on the set enjoyed a taste when the segment was over – we were chirping about it for hours.
The Newbisode segues into a Mediterranean seaside table top designed by Jodi Murphy and David Braddy using items from Bloomingdale’s Stanford, fresh flowers, lemons and seashells proving once again that you can entertain in style without breaking the budget.
Vanessa Rockey, the show’s hair stylist brought make-up expert Julie Acosta and together they primped and prepared Chef Lea and Wendy to look their best under the harsh camera lights. Natalie Wi of Allure West Studios was on hand to document the happenings (she photographed all of these images) and take her stunning food shots. For more details, images, recipes…and soon the Newbisode…go to nestingewbies.com. Bon Appetweet ™
I recently received an interesting message from a fellow videographer that really got me thinking:
I came across your blog because I’m working on an article about how us videographers need to be working together (even though we are competitors) to promote the industry. I want to include sound and practical advice on reaching potential brides. Logic tells me that the number of weddings that do not use video is far, far greater than the number that does. We need to capture that part of the market. Any suggestions would be great.
You are correct, the majority of weddings, at least in the markets I am familiar with, do not hire professional wedding videographers. I believe WEVA has commissioned studies on the subject and can offer hard statistics.
There are a number of things we can do as videographers to help change our industry for the better. Primarily we need to concentrate on educating other wedding professionals, and consequently brides and grooms, on the value of video. The easiest way is to befriend the photographers and event planners/coordinators and after working with them at a few events they will begin to see you as an asset and team player and not a nuisance.
Photographers who are not pro video tend to think that videographers are low on the totem pole and do nothing but get in their way and disrupt their workflow. Planner/Coordinators not pro video think that videography is a waste of budget and better left to a family member. As professional videographers we need to dilligently work to dispel these stereotypes.
It is very important that all professional videographers strive to raise the bar for our industry by helping out one another. To this day many videographers, I would say the majority, have poor quality websites. I understand that most of us videographers, already being computer savy, fashion ourselves somewhat of web designers but that is something that should be left to professionals. It’s as simple as buying a BluDomain template (http://www.bludomain.com/) or a Showit Sites account (http://showitfast.com/#/showit-sites/). These are very creative high quality sites that add a tremendous value to your company. A videographers website is their face to the world and it directly reflects the quality and level of profesionalism representing your company.
Videographers also tend to shy away from sharing their work with their peers for fear of giving away their secrets or because they are simply unsure of the quality of their work and afraid of critisism. As trends change and the world begins to view video in a whole new light our work as wedding videographers needs to change, forever evolving. Now is not the time to withdraw ourselves from our community of creative professionals in fear but rather push out and not be afraid to receive a little (or a lot of) constructive criticism. Eventualy we will all find ourselves more often then not pushing the envelope. We will begin to see things in the works of others that intrigues us, then adapt it and put a personal twist on it making it your own. This is how art evolves. This is how we evolve as an industry.
So I say all of us videographers should go out and join the local Professional Videographers Associations and encourage all of our peers to do the same. This is the first step in uniting the video industry. Next attend many of the social events for wedding and event professionals and represent our industry proudly to the other event professionals.
Video is quickly becoming a strong marketing tool for photographers and event professionals and what better way to show your value to a photographer or coordinator/planner than by offering to and creating promotional videos for use as hand-outs or displaying on their website or blog.
I love what I do and it saddens me when I hear people speak poorly of our industry. With your help and many others we can succeed in raising the perception of the event videographer and changing our industry for the better.
On a regular basis I receive some new scam via email, as often as once a day. I am amazed at how poorly they are put together, so much that I feel very very sorry for anyone who falls victim to such scams. Here is the latest one I received. The usual email scam is a simple “I would like to buy your products”, but this one is a bit more detailed. Too bad whomever sent it to me didn’t realize that my company has nothing to do with any of the products listed in the email.
Wedding Enquiry
Greetings,
How are you today? I guess great. I Williams David, My lovely daughter found her heartthrob early last year and they are going to wed by 25th September, 2009. For the
Love I have for my daughter, I decided to carter for the wedding as a Surprise package for her and her fiancé.Please i want you to handle the wedding arrangements as the wedding organizer. Do get back to me with any of the services which you can provide as regards to the wedding arrangement of my daughter.
- Wedding Gown for bride: colour: White,Bridal Gowns, Bridal Corsets, Bridesmaids, Evening Wear and accessories.
- Number for Bride’s maids: 12.Bride’s maid
- Vehicles: Rolls Royce or Jaguar.
- Tuxedo Suits & TROUSER for the groom: Colour: Black, Size: Regular M, 40 R.
- Tuxedo Suits for the best man: Colour: Black, Size: Regular M, 45 R.
- Accessories for bride: headpieces, jewelry and make-up with hair styles
- Shoes for bride: Silver /white stiletto heels Size: 24
- Shoes for the groom: Bostonian Ardlay Size: 38
- Location for the wedding and reception: Must be arrange by the wedding Organizer
- Lodging for the guests for an estimate of 45 people (25th September to 27th September): Must be arrange and book by the wedding Organizer
- Wedding cakes: Tiered Frosted Wedding Cake
- Decorations/ Photographer: Must be arrange by the wedding Organizer
Do calculate and get back to me with the Rate, Expenses and Grand Total Cost in GB Pounds of the whole arrangement ASAP.
I await your urgent reply.
Kindest Regards
Dr Williams David
Tel +447045710044
I apologize for not posting in a while. This past month has been just plain crazy. I have some posts coming up here that happened over the past couple weeks so check back soon.
In the mean time I have recently had the opportunity to work with a wonderful hairstylist on the set of Nesting Newbies, Vanessa Rockey of Hairchitects in Campbell. Over the past two years my wife, Amy, has tried many salons and stylists in search of someone who can give her an A-line haircut she would be pleased with, to no avail. While filming the last Nesting Newbies episode I learned from Vanessa that she specializes in a-lines. So I had my wife make an appointment with my fingers crossed.
This afternoon Amy and I drove out to Campbell in search of her elusive a-line. I just recently picked up a new camera, a Canon 5D mkII, and had to play with it so I brought it along to to document the event.
Vanessa worked her magic on my wife and Amy couldn’t be more pleased!
Back in January I produced a promotional video for Photographer Dennis Menendez. Some of the promo video was footage of Dennis shooting and Engagement photo session with a soon to be married couple, Nathanael and Sarah. Well, this past weekend I shot Nathanael’s and Sarah’s wedding. It took place at a private residence in Templeton, about 4 hours South of the Bay Area. My wife and I recently had our 7th wedding anniversary and decided to turn this trip into a nice weekend together to celebrate.
We left Saturday morning to drive down to Paso Robles where we were going to stay for the night and decided to take PCH all the way down. We couldn’t have chosen a better route! It was beautiful, the scenery stunning. It made me realize how lucky I am to live in such a wonderful place. I remembered I had my old point-n-shoot in the car so I took some photos along the way. Not too shabby for a 5-year-old Olympus point-n-shoot! (and of course a lil help from Photoshop ;o)
Purple Flower
It's not every day you see Moo Cows hangin' at the beach!
Wow!
See the fog rolling in over the far off hills?
The beautiful coast just before the fog came in.
I think this is the most widely photographed costal bridge in CA
It’s time to tweet about two exciting projects in the works – Nesting Newbies and The Lea Show. A team of very talented people have been working to produce two internet shows. Nesting Newbies is a cooking, entertaining and decorating show featuring Lea McIntosh who is using her culinary training to teach newlyweds and those newly out on their own how to cook great food and entertain in style…and on a budget.
We always say “Leave it to Lea” when we need to find great resources for, well, anything and we’re showcasing her discoveries in The Lea Show. Experts and interesting talents show Lea how to do what they do on each episode. Lea asks the questions and the audience learns great insights, tips and “how tos” right along with her.
Lea and Vanessa arrived bright and early to begin hair and make-up while Pat and Betsy started food prepping and setting up. Natalie Wi was there to photograph the day’s events, including all the behind the scenes pandemonium. I arrived with the items on loan from Bloomingdale’s Stanford so that we could create our featured “Bella Notte Bistro Chic” tabletop. I had challenged David Braddy, a florist extraordinaire, to come up with something magical. I was doing the “happy dance” when he arrived because he had woven curly willow together anchored by two urns to create an arch over the table with a lantern attached in the center. It was beautiful, easy to make, and inexpensive! Perfect, since the goal is to show “newbies” how to stylishly entertain without breaking their budgets.
Diane Phillips of DK Designs dropped by to deliver two of her floral creations for the set of The Lea Show. Diane was the first guest artisan featured on The Lea Show (soon to be aired) and it was great to have her beautiful work decorate this episode’s set.
We learned so much from the first taping of Nesting Newbies that we decided to redo it and asked our first newbies, Lacee and Tejas Naik to come back again. The energy was high and when it was time for “Quiet on the Set” we were all in awe of what we were seeing. The chemistry between Chef Lea and the newbies was fantastic and the interaction, inspirational. Lea invited the Newbies into the cooking process and I think we all learned something new. Personally, I discovered how to properly cut an onion and hold a knife properly…and I’m not a newbie!
Jonathan Murphy dropped by to meet everyone in person as he will be doing the voiceover opening for the shows.
Soon Jung Wi, Natalie’s husband arrived with their three adorable kids who were quickly called into “crew” duties while Jung prepared for his segment on The Lea Show. Jung and Natalie own Allure West Studios and Jung, a master photographer, also teaches people how to get the most out of their digital cameras. He busted so many “megapixel myths” and taught Lea (and us) what to look for when buying a digital camera. With so much valuable information, Lea invited him back for a future episode to teach her (and the audience) how to take better digital shots.
By the time we wrapped it was a long day but one that was fulfilling and fun! James is editing the shows, the opening illustrations are being created and soon we will launch the first episodes of Nesting Newbies and The Lea Show. Sweet! – JM
In early May I will be traveling to Tampa Bay, FL with Michael Soo of Soo Photography to assist him with a photo shoot and to shoot video for his promotional video.
One aspect of Michael’s business is commercial photography. He was hired to shoot the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar last year and has been asked to do it again this year. It promises to be a lot of fun but there is a lot of work to be done as well. My goal will be to capture Michael doing what he does best. This footage will be used in Michael Soo’s promotional video that he and I are working on.
I’ll be away from May 8th to the 15th. Of course I will bring along my laptop and be editing away on current projects. You can still reach me but you may need to leave a message which I will return ASAP.
First I must apologize for not posting much recently. Things have been quite crazy lately and I am trying to get back into rhythm.
I recently met with a wonderful couple at my studio and while they were interviewing me I realized that they must be asking questions they found in an obsolete publication or website. After the meeting I went searching the Internet for information relevant to hiring a professional videographer and quickly found out that there wasn’t much, and what I found was mostly years old predating high definition video. What information I did find was mostly written by people other than videographers and instructed the couple to ask questions in which they would have no clue what the correct answer would be or even understand the answer (for example ‘does the videographer shoot with a 3-CCD camera?’).
I decided to come up with a list of relevant items to consider while interviewing professional videographers. Here goes:
Style – Watch many samples online and get a feel for the style of video you are looking for. While it may be hard to classify a videographer’s style you will know what you like when you see it. Styles will range from basic documentary to very artistic. Long-form vs. Short-Form. If you are looking for something artistic try to find something that matches your personality. Ask the videographer how they describe their style. While many of the words he/she uses may be ambiguous, matching them to his/her work and then comparing that to other videographers, and how they describe themselves, will help you decide what styles you prefer and what terms you should be using while searching for the perfect videographer.
Equipment – Unless you are very knowledgable on the latest video equipment don’t worry about asking what equipment the videographer is using. If you are happy with the sound and video quality in the samples the videographer shows you that’s all you need to know. Listen to a sample of the vows during a ceremony, and a sample of reception toasts. Make sure the video samples are in focus (unless it is intentionally out of focus for effect) and the lighting and color look natural (again, unless it is intentional for effect). If the videographer is using obsolete equipment it will definitely show in their sample work.
Who’s Shooting/Editing – Some videographers are a one-man-show while others use hired help, while some others have many employees. One way is not necessarily better than the other. Again, look at many samples from your videographer. As long as they are consistent then you can feel comfortable in knowing that regardless of the resources your videographer employs to capture your wedding day the samples you viewed will be representative of what the end product will be. Chances are that if the style you choose is very artistic and stylized the videographer is a one-man-show.
There are some videography companies who employ many shooters and editors. If you interview a company such as this and you find that their samples vary in style then ask if you can choose which style you prefer and then find out which of their employees had a hand in creating that style and make sure you can have them work on your video. If the company can not guarantee which of their employees will be available to shoot/edit your video then they can’t with a straight face guarantee the style of the end product. You’ll probably not want to consider them then.
Turnaround – OK, so this is something that surprises most brides and grooms but it shouldn’t, taking some things into consideration. If the videographer you have chosen is a one-man-show as I mentioned earlier and if videography is their full-time job then it isn’t unusual for them to have a 10 or 12-month turnaround. They are most likely shooting 20 or more weddings a year (some as many as 40, I should know!) and not only are they spending 40, 80, or even 100 hours to edit your video they also have to operate their business. That means marketing and advertising, attending networking events, accounts-payable/receivable, meeting and working with clients, checking and answering emails, etc…
The larger a company is (the more employees they have) usually the faster their turnaround will be. Of course there are always the part-timers who only take on a handful of weddings a year and they usually sport a quick turnaround as well.
Remember that you will have this video, movie if you will, for the rest of your life. It can’t be re shot. It’s gotta be perfect. Let your videographer take their time on creating the masterpiece you commissioned them to. Its great if you can get your video a few weeks after your wedding but don’t be disappointed if it takes longer. If they can deliver your wedding movie in time for your first anniversary imagine how much more special it will be. By then most of the details have faded from your memory, and so the video will remind you that much more effectively how happy and special that day was.
High Definition – This shouldn’t be a consideration. I am unaware of any videographers in the Bay Area who are NOT shooting in HD yet. Some videgraphers create your wedding movie in high definition by default while others offer it as an upgrade. Regardless of how it’s offered it’s a must that it is offered. If the videographer can not offer you high definition then unless their work is mind-bendingly awesome you should consider a more up-to-date videographer. Even if you don’t currently own a high-definition television or Blu-Ray player there is no reason not to get your video in high definition. Very soon now you will not even be able to buy standard definition TVs. Ten years from now you’ll be glad you chose to have your wedding movie produced in high definition.
Price – I understand that while your budget for video will determine what class of videographer you can choose from, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. It’s not always “apples to apples” either. Just because both videographers offer 2 cameras for 6 hours of coverage doesn’t mean they should be in a price war, there may not even be a comparison. Wedding Videography is still in its adolescence and some videographers have a hard time charging what they are really worth so it is possible that that cheap videographer is a “diamond in the rough” though more often now that cheap videographer has cheap-looking videos. Give yourself a decent budget for video. You should budget the same for videography that you budget for photography. I didn’t want to say it, but, you get what you pay for.
Do I really need a Professional Videographer? – OK, so I asked the question. Here’s the answer: YES. Just because everyone and their momma owns a DLSR camera you’re not going to let just anyone shoot your photos. Just because Grammy makes a mean apple pie you’re not going to impose on her for your dream cake. These things require skill, artistry, and knowledge that only hundreds of hours of experience can provide. Sure, cousin Bill may be a student at San Francisco Art Institute, and his film project was really cool, but how many weddings has he attended? Does he have the experience required to anticipate all of those one-take moments? You really don’t want to hear, “Oh man! Can you cut the cake again? I was in the bathroom!”
I’m sure I will be adding to this list but these things will get you started and help you in your decision making process. Good luck!
Leave it to Lea McIntosh to bring a talented team together to each focus on and do what they do best. It begins at 7 AM when Lea and her faithful crew, Pat, Betsy & Aunt Lonni, arrive at the beautiful Rutt of Los Altos showroom to begin setting up a cooking segment for an exciting new internet show (to be announced soon!) aimed at newlyweds, almost weds and those who are living away from mom & dad’s for the very first time.
James Burkart of Burkart Videography shows up with his lovely wife, Amy, to set up cameras and lighting. Filming will take place in three separate areas of the Rutt showroom. Meanwhile, Vanessa Rockey – a rockin’ hair stylist from Updo Artistry/Hair by Ness starts taming Lea’s raven tresses, and Tiffany Chiang, DesignHer Image, gets Lea’s face camera ready. Lacee and Diane (more about them later) wait in the wings for their turns.
Natalie Wi – incredible photographer and co-owner of Allure West Studios – is snapping shots at every turn, documenting the day. She is collaborating with Lea on a future coffee table book. I arrive around 9:00 AM in Penelope (my MINI Cooper) filled to the brim with china, crystal, flatware, & linens I borrowed from Bloomingdale’s Stanford, along with seashells and tea lights for staging a fresh take on a Mediterranean seaside table setting. Just as I show up, David Braddy, floral designer, pulls up – thank heavens, because I need the help to unload. He’s made lovely arrangements for the kitchen set display and tablescape.
It’s a happy pandemonium inside, and you can just feel the creative energy everywhere. Carl Mindling, Lea’s on-air co-host for the cooking show, is working with Betsy to get everything prepped and ready to go. Lacee and Tejas Naik, newlyweds, are joining Lea and Carl on camera. They’re getting miked so they can ask questions while Lea and Carl demonstrate easy ways to cook and entertain. Amy Burkart, the director, is reviewing the script and making last minute notations.
Diane Phillips of DK Designs is setting up in another area. She’s arranging her custom clay floral pieces and laying out her tools to get ready for the filming of the “how to” show. She’s so organized! She’ll be teaching Lea how to create a dendrobium orchid favor box. Diane will be the premiere guest on Lea’s new show (to be announced soon!) featuring creative people & their work..
By 11 AM it’s LIGHTS! CAMERAS!…and NO action! We all hear ‘bleep’ just as the power goes out. I know what you’re thinking…we blew a fuse; but on this sunny Saturday morning there is an anomalous power outage in downtown Los Altos. There’s an estimate of TWO hours until it’s fixed…oh, and did I forget to mention that Lacee and Tejas have to leave for the airport by 12:30?
Well, as the rest of the gang try to figure out a Plan B, Natalie takes shots of the tablescape, and I take advantage of her downtime to do a kitchen vignette shot with sock monkey for Rutt of Los Altos…part of their new ad campaign Lea & I developed. It sounds like an odd idea, but it’s really getting a great reaction after the first ad we recently launched : )
Lea is about to release the newlyweds and send them on their way when – ‘bleep’ – power’s back on! Cooking segment begins, and even with several takes (it was the first time, you know), Lacee & Tejas get out the door at 12:30…okay it’s 12:38, but who noticed?
Diane and Lea are up now and the rest of us watched in awe at how adept Diane is at making flowers out of this unique soft clay. Lea was an impressive first-timer but it is clear that Diane is a master artist, especially when you see how she hand-crafts each flower one petal at a time. It was a great session!
After some pick up shots, a short segment describing the table setting, more photographs, lots of clean up, the day was a wrap at 6 PM. The two new shows will air on The Wedding Chat and soon Newbies will learn to nest and we’ll all learn insights into others’ creative pursuits…yes, Leave it to Lea - JM
I will be leaving next week Thursday to Hawaii to shoot the wedding of a wonderful couple. It will take place on the island of Oahu. I will be bringing my laptop with me and editing while I’m there. I will be out of the office until Monday afternoon but I will be checking my email from time to time.
If this post sounds similar to Andrew Hsu’s it’s bcause he’s gonna be there as well as a Groomsman!
