Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Last Thursday we received some brilliant news, Ever After Video Production was named as Finalist for the EventDV Magazine Top25 of Hottest and Most Influential Event Filmmakers. EventDV Magazine is one the leading magazines in our industry and every year they hold this poll. This year they also decided to include the finalists to this Top25 list. “The main idea here was to highlight a number of studios who are clearly “on the bubble,” edging ever so closer to cracking the EventDV 25 and stepping into the spotlight as all-stars in the coming years.”, Stephen Nathans-Kelly, Editor in Chief of EventDV Magazine)

So in essence we are now classed among the Top50 Most Influential videographers in the World! How amazing is that!?! Now why is this so special? Well, this isn’t just any kind of popularity voting system where you can ask your mum and dad and all your friends to vote for you, this poll only accepts votes from fellow professional event filmmakers. So the votes come from our peers across the world, they had the confidence in us and considered us worthy of their votes. We were really taken aback that we made this list and feel truly humbled by this. Jerome Cloniger, of JC/DV Productions, a 2-times EventDV Top 25 honoree himself, said this about us: “Sylvia and Niels truly care about their work and clients. They will never hesitate to help someone out no matter what time of day (or night) it may be.” We look up to all the other filmmakers on the list, many of them have been our favourites in the industry for years now. To be listed among them is just such a great honour. So a BIG MASSIVE THANK YOU to all who voted for us!!!

And to make this ever so slightly even more exceptional, we’re actually the only UK company on the list!

As it says in the article: We’re a force to be reckoned with!

The Friday before last, Niels and I set off early in the morning, a car fully loaded, to the Black Mountains in Wales for the Ever After Weekend Workshop. We’d been preparing for this weekend for a couple of months and it was finally all coming together. We had kept an eye on the weather forecast for a while but it kept changing from nice and sunny to wintery snow showers on an hourly basis, so we were prepared for both the best and the worst weather. Well, it turned out to be pretty much the worst. The day and night before we set off it started snowing big time in Capel-y-Ffin and our accommodation for the weekend was high up in the hills. We arrived in the afternoon to find that getting up the driveway may be an issue. We’re talking a 200 metres steep driveway covered in snow. After trying to dig out a path for close to 2 hours, we finally had to give up and carry everything up. This included all the camera equipment, a large television, training materials and probably most importantly all the food and drinks. Only one 4×4 car managed to make it up the hill that evening. The Ever After Weekend Workshop was quickly renamed as “Adventures by Ever After”. Luckily everybody made it safe and well, including our bride and groom, Tineke and Wim, who came over from Belgium especially.

By the next morning we had a fresh load of snow, but now everyone could clearly see the amazing setting we were in. We started the day with a session on filming techniques which was then put into practise during our first shoot out session, a bridal prep. We had enrolled the help of Kate Petersen as the hair and make up artist.  After lunch, there was another shoot out session with Rob Burress from ShootingHip.com where we demonstrated how to make the most out of a photo session and how to work with and around a photographer. Then, after a session on marketing, we finished the day with a lovely dinner and drinks.

The last day began with a seminar on sound, from acquisition to clean up and disaster recovery methods. This turned out to be quite the eye opener for most. Then it was time for the last shoot out of the weekend where everyone could put to practise some more of the skills and ideas we taught them the day before. After lunch it was time for the big editing session. This covered all the bases: from how to shorten ceremonies and speeches cleverly, to getting the most out of music;  from colour correcting and colour grading to final delivery.

We certainly gave our attendees a lot to take home and think about, all were perfectly satiated and excited about their next weddings where they could put all the things they learned to practise. And going back down that hill that proved to be such a pain on Friday evening, was by now a doddle.

We can’t wait to organise another training weekend, but looking at our diary for the next few months, we’re pretty full up with weddings, so it may be a while yet.

Photos kindly provided by Rob at ShootingHip, you can find more photos on Rob’s blog.

More information on the training we give can be found on the Ever After Video Training website.

Every year the Ever After team tries to attend at least 1 videographer’s convention. Apart from a great oppportunity to meet fellow videographers from across the globe and some inspiring seminars, the WEVA International convention also hosts the annual Creative Excellence Award ceremony. Hundreds of videographers send in their work to be judged by a jury of peers, the results are announced during the openingsgala dinner of this convention in Orlando. After scooping last year’s ‘Best Wedding Day Film’ in the UK, we plucked up the courage to sent in some work for the WEVA Creative Excellence Awards (CEA’s). We were truly honoured and surprised when we heard our name. By the time we got to the podium to receive our CEA for best Shortform, we were leaping with joy both for winning and for the congratulations we received from some of the best studios worldwide. During the rest of the convention, we attend some great seminars that inspirated and challenged some ideas. The atmosphere of sharing and support from studios with distinct ideas and traditions is what makes one proud to be a Wedding Videographer. Thanks to all you guys and girls who have made this once again a memorable trip.

Our WEVA Creative Excellence Award

 I have some more UK news as well. Ever After is happy to announce that we will host 2 seminars at this year’s IOV convention in Coventry. One seminar will introduce the concept of Shortform Wedding Films, the other will focus on marketing in the brave new world of Social Media. We look forward to sharing our passion and ideas with our UK collegues.

OK, I admit it, I’m knackered. Yesterday, we filmed the last wedding of the summer season, complete with Same Day Edit. Today is the first day off our time off, well kind of… supposedly…
But I couldn’t possibly leave you for a while without putting that Same Day Edit on the blog. So let me quickly tell about Claire and Paul. Claire and Paul are a wonderful couple fromYorkshire who tied the knot yesterday at Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire (that’s one of our favourite venues here up north). It was a beautiful day, although at times somewhat on the chilly side. The wedding video was very important to them, they are part time videographers themselves, so decided that for their wedding, only the best would do. Well, that’s us! We showed their Same Day Edit just before the first dance and they loved it (as did all the guests), so mission accomplished. Thanks to Jon from Exclusive Entertainments everyone was gathered around the screen to enjoy it.  By now, Claire and Paul should be on their way, half way around the world, for a fabulous 3 week holiday in Australia. But for everybody else, here it is, Claire and Paul’s Same Day Edit!

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As I mentioned above, we’re taking a little bit of time off. So if you are trying to reach us and don’t get a reply straight away, please don’t worry! We will get back to you as soon as we can (if you need to reach us, it’s best to email us). We’ll back in the office on 23 September.

Ever After has again been shortlisted for an IoV Award for Best Wedding Day Film! Kelly and Wayne’s Fairytale Wedding Film is the one who made into the short list. Their wedding was shot at Allerton Castle. Last year, we won the Award for Best Wedding Day Film with a wedding film shot at the same location… Is this a good sign? Let’s hope so! The results will be announced on 14 October.

Now on a totally different note… It’s the middle of summer (not that you’d always be able to tell by the rather abysmal weather we’ve been having here in Sheffield lately). Yet go into a large department store, greeting card shop or just about any hotel with a function suite, and you are reminded that there are only a 136 days left until Christmas. Whoop dee doo… So I’m wondering if it would be too much of a crime to join in for a moment by sharing a clip of wedding we filmed around Christmas time last year??? I think I’ll take risk.

I’ve shared a trailer to this particular wedding a few months ago, it’s Alison and Leigh’s wedding. This time I’d like to share the highlights as they are a bit different. Rather than using a pop or rock song or a movie soundtrack as usual, these highlights are set to a piece proper classical music, Vaughan Williams’ Theme by Thomas Tallis. As Alison is a classically trained musician and music it teacher it made perfect sense to use this music. It did provide me with a few challenges but I think it worked out nicely.
Alison and Leigh at the Priest House Hotel in Derbyshire.

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A month without a blog entry! Ouch!!! Well, let’s just get started again with a trailer to wet your appetite for the summer season.
Let me present to you, Cathy and Craig, who got hitched on 2 May this year at Chandlers Ford Methodist Church, with a reception afterwards at the beautiful Avington Park near Winchester, Hampshire. The day felt like an ideal summer’s day, nice warm sunny weather which complemented Cathy and Craig’s vibrant colour scheme perfectly.
Cathy and Craig are quite the adventurous couple, who love to travel. Craig, better know as Trigga, even proposed under water on a scuba diving trip. Their fun loving spirit was apparent throughout the wedding day: from an extract of a Winnie the Pooh story as a reading during the service and waltzing down the aisle together at the end of the service to a photo session in the reeds by the water at Avington Park and a first dance involving more lifts then we’ve ever seen in one dance! All in all, a really fun day. For their honeymoon, they went to Bhutan, supposedly one of the happiest countries in the world, seems like just the right choice for this couple.
We also had a very enjoyable day working their photographer, David Pullum. You can see some of the fantastic photos he took that day on his blog.
So here it is, the trailer to their wedding video. I hope you will enjoy it, if you do please leave us a comment.

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In the past few videos I’ve been trying to prove that the summer of 2008 had some gloriously beautiful sunny days. Unfortunately, September 5th wasn’t one of them. It poured all day long, not a glimmer of sunshine to be spotted. But this wasn’t going to ruin Emma and Ben’s wedding day! Their wedding was at the Moat House Hotel in Staffordshire, a 14th century manor house, now lovely family run hotel. Emma’s wedding dress was just beautiful and the way it sparkled in the evening made it magical. Emma and Ben also had some ice sculptures made which were quite the focal point on the day.

Here are their highlights! If you’d like to order your own copy of their DVD, please proceed here and use the password you’ve been given by Emma and Ben.

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On a side note, Ever After has been offering training to other videographers since last October. Things have been progressing well, and last month we had our first big 2 day training workshop here in Sheffield. We now have a brand new website for the training side of Ever After, along with a flashy new trailer promoting our 2 day workshops. We’d also like to take this opportunity to announce our next big training weekend, which will be on 27 and 28 June, again in the Sheffield area.

Alison and Leigh’s story is probably as romantic as you can get. They met while on a cruise in the Caribbean. The romantic setting and their great personalities made sure this would be a chance meeting they’d never forget. As luck would have it, they didn’t live to far apart back in the UK and a loving relationship blossomed. Since that sailing, they have enjoyed many more cruises and other travels together. Back in December, they finally tied the knot at Alison’s family church in Leicestershire. The reception was held at the charming Priest House Hotel in Derbyshire. A gorgeous setting for Alison and Leigh’s dream winter wedding. As we filmed their ‘True Fairytale’ a few weeks earlier, we had the privilege of really getting to know them quite well. And as we have a common passion for cruises and travelling, we really felt more like friends than as videographers.
Their wedding was certainly a reflection of their personalities: an unforgettable day in a romantic setting with a dash of music provided by a string quartet . With Alison being a classical violinist and music teacher, this was certainly the right choice for them. In the evening, the entertainment was a ceilidh, providing a perfect ending for a perfect day.
As Alison and Leigh are about to embark on yet another fantastic cruise, this time to the Far East, I thought it would be the right time to share this trailer with before they set off. Their full wedding video will be ready for them as they return home!

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WOW, what can I say!?! We just had 2 amazing days at the IOV Convention in Coventry.
Niels was on the wedding question time panel first thing on Wednesday morning, an hour and a half of questions to help our fellow videographers. We then had some time to go check out the exhibition, or so we thought. The moment we came out of the question time session, we were grabbed by BBC Radio Coventry for an interview going out live on the breakfast program regarding the MCPS Awards and our Trash the Dress clip. Afterwards we were also asked for another slightly more elaborate interview that would be broadcasted the next morning. Managed to get a quick bite to eat and then  it was time to give our seminar on Key Ingredients to Beautiful Films. The room was packed, people were even standing at the back. We were obviously very pleased with the turn out and from the reactions we received afterwards, it looked liked the attendants really enjoyed it too. After the seminar so many people kept chatting to us about the ideas we had given them. Time to go the Awards reception, met up with some very kind videographers, some of them we already knew from the professional video forums, so it was nice to put a face to the names. The awards ceremony itself had a little hick up, somehow they had managed to forget to bring the awards! Quite funny really! We had entered some of our work in 3 categories: the Musical Marriage Awards, the IOV Open Category and the IOV Best Wedding Day Film. I already knew we were short listed for the 2 latter competitions, so I would at least leave with a ‘highly commended’ award. Well, it turned quite good for us. We were a runner up in the Musical Marriage Award for our Trash the Dress clip, receiving a £100 cheque. In the Open Category, where there were entries from the whole videography industry with big budget productions, we were awarded 2nd place for our Showreel! Quite chuffed with that one. But the best was yet to come with the Best Wedding Day Film category: WE WON 1ST PLACE!!!  It was the first year that we entered any of our work into the awards and to have won 1st place, it was  fabulous! I don’t think I’ve ever been this popular! I also immediately texted a message to Claire and Brian, the stars of the winning wedding video, who very pleasantly surprised (just like me).
Day 2 of the convention, I was still on cloud 9. I was so surprised by the number of people congratulating us, I was so happy! We had to give our seminar again, it was fun to be introduced as the award winner. Yet again, after the seminar we had plenty of people come up to us to thank us for all information and ideas and congratulate us with the award. Niels finally managed to get a quick look around the exhibition and then it was my turn to sit on the question time panel which was actually a lot of fun, not quite as scary as I had imagined. After that we had to head back to home to Sheffield, had a quick take away and fell asleep.
Back to reality now, I have wedding videos to edit!

our Award for Claire & Brian's wedding video

Our Award for our Showreel in the Open Category

We’ve entered 2 short wedding clips into a competition, The MCPS Musical Marriage Award. To our surprise both our clips were short-listed for the award. The winner will be decided by popular vote. This is where we are hoping that you will come in and add your vote.

To vote you just need to visit the MCPS website, decide on your favourite clip, add your contact details and just submit your vote. No need to sign up for anything.

Our clips are the “Trash the Dress” and the “Emma & Gavin: Photoshoot” clip. We’ve featured both of these clips on this blog before. We loved both those clips and we received many raving comments about them, so we thought they might be worthy of an award. The Trash the Dress was a special after the wedding shoot done in Belgium back in May and required a brave bride to pose in a few somewhat unconventional places, including a muddy pond. Emma & Gavin’s wedding day photo shoot at Hassop Hall in Derbyshire was a bit less audacious, but was just as much fun, which can obviously be seen in the clip.

Obviously, we would be very grateful to receive your vote, but there might also be something in it for you as there is also a chance to with £100 worth of HMV vouchers. And if you really like our work, please pass this information on to all your friends and family too… ok, maybe that’s a bit of a cheeky request.

Voting closes on 13 October.

We will know the results on 15 October at the IOV Convention at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.