Jay & Michelle - Same Day Edit

Jay & Michelle - Same Day Edit from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We had an amazing time getting to know Jay and Michelle, another great and memorable couple. It was simply a storybook wedding from the very beginning all the way to the wedding day. We filmed their love story video and we really learned a lot about them. Jay and Michelle could easily be our friends, the Priest made that same comment.

The wedding day was a very cold day but well worth the trip to Lafayette. When we arrived at the church to prepare for set up a couple hours before, there was a funeral mass ending. My immediate thought was, here was a family grieving over the loss of a family member and a friend. I wondered who he or she was and what they may have been or done in their life. What mark did they leave? Here we were to prepare for a day of celebration. In a sense one life ending while another young couple begins theirs. I try to always look at things and figure out what they might mean. In this instance, I think God was just reminding me that life is short and even in death, there is a celebration of ones life. As in marriage, you are celebrating the beginning of the couples life as husband and wife. I wonder what mark I will leave?

This video is a Same Day Edit video. It is a Highlight of the days events leading up to and including the wedding ceremony. Same Day Edits can be logistically challenging and needless to say, very stressful to pull off. They require a lot of preplanning and coordination. Thanks to Ryan Koral of Epic Motion in Michigan for giving me a hand with some Glidecam work and thanks to Erik Muzzy for helping out where needed. We have a very small window to digitize the footage and edit it together and then we print to tape. We can't spend the normal amount of time we usually do to color grade the work. I remember Jennifer running down the hall toward me with the final product in hand so that we could stay on our target time. There is that brief moment of when you dim the lights and hit play that you bite your nails hoping that the facility hooked up everything correctly and that our piece was coded correctly and ta da there it is!

Bridal Show - Indianapolis

Come visit with us at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show in Indianapolis at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. The show is January 3rd and 4th and we will be present both days from 11am to 4pm. This is one of the best shows all year and there will be opportunities for you to meet some of the best in the business. If you have already booked with us, stop by and say hi, we would love to visit with you.

Some suggestions. If you already know who you want to visit with, search them out first. Bookings really pick up during and after a bridal show. You might want to go around a each area at least a couple times because there will be wedding professionals in multiple areas and it can be quite easy to miss something particularly if it is crowded. Bring a small camera and take photos of things you like so that you can refer to it later. Some wedding professionals will ask that you provide your name, address, phone and e-mail so that they can followup with you after the show. Suggestion: make up some stick on mailing labels with your information on them and you can just peel and stick. This will be a huge time saver for you.

If time is an issue, see if you can set up an appointment to meet with those you are considering doing business with. Remember these are the people you will interact with and the photographer, videographer and wedding planner will most likely be with you a very large part of your day. Try to get a feel for their personality.

We will have a limited number of free admission tickets. One ticket will allow the Bride and Groom free admission. E-mail or call us if you are interested. First come first serve.

If you can't make the Bridal Show, we would be happy to meet you at our studio located on the square in downtown Noblesville. If that is not convenient, we can make other arrangements. We always encourage a face to face meeting.


If you have trouble locating us at the show, here are our cell numbers: 317-407-2648 Jennifer and 317-605-9177 John

Thanks,
John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Our 2 furry children

These are our 2 lovely labs. Tucker is our chocolate and Sydney is our yellow lab. Tucker is 6 years old and Sydney is 8 years old. We adopted Sydney from my brother Steve, when they had their first child. We had taken care of Sydney when they would go away on a trip. Tucker really liked having her around. We have had Sydney for 3 years. I never really heard Sydney bark until a few weeks after we got her. She loves to chase Tucker. Tucker loves it too. They are both great dogs and they are fun to take hiking, which is one of their favorite activities.

Tucker is an amazing dog. When he was about 6 months old, we took him to Camp Atterbury for evaluation for consideration into their search and rescue program. It was interesting watching how they test dogs for this. I remember meeting with them and they said that most of the dogs they see do not meet the standards. I guess he was letting us know that there was little chance Tucker would make it. I remember him walking up to us a period of time after running him through a series of tests and told us that it had been a long time since they have observed a dog with so much drive and they wanted to train him. We put quite a bit of time an effort into it. There was one weekend that it was just me that had to go and it was night navigation training, which was fun to learn. We were basically inserted into the middle of the woods at night with no flashlights. We had to navigate to several different points. Also learned different search techniques. I still remember the moonlight and the image of these intermittent spider webs and some were occupied by the crawly critters.

We found ourselves unable to totally commit to the search and rescue program because of the time element. Tucker is still amazing. It is fun to watch him work and he thrives on doing this. It is almost like he knows it is his job. For example, we live on a wooded lot and our home sits atop a hill. At night, I can take a small piece of rubber from a tennis ball, no larger than 1 inch and throw it into the trees and underbrush at night. I release him with the command, "go find" and to my amazement, he drops it off at my feet as if to say, "is that all you got?" It simple but fun entertainment for me. Now Sydney on the other hand. She would rather wait until Tucker finds what he needs to find and then take it away when he drops it.

These photos I took on Thanksgiving day. They love the tall grass. Tucker was running through the grass and occasionally he would hop like a deer running. He has chased a few deers, so maybe he was just seeing what it was like.


John

Wisdom - A simple word

I found this on our friend Anne Ruthmann's blog. I'm not going to describe it...just watch it.

Katie and Crash = FUN

Katie & Crash from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.


Fun fun fun. That just about sums up this wedding.

We had such a great time getting to know Katie and Crash. They had a beautiful wedding and probably one of the best receptions we worked at in 2008. So much going on we didn't know what to shoot next. Katie and Crash are the type of couple that seem to want to live life to the fullest. On their wedding day, they were surrounded by incredible friends and a wonderful family.

Thank you Katie and Crash for being such great clients and making what we do, so rewarding.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Megan and Gary - Indianapolis Wedding

Megan & Gary from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.


This was a wedding we filmed at Robert's Park in Indianapolis, IN. Megan and Gary had a beautiful wedding and reception. I always love seeing the Brides expression as she enters the aisle. Gary's reaction first in trying to see over the crowd and then seeing her for the first time was priceless. We thought Megan's father looked alot like country singer, Alan Jackson. The reception was held at the Indiana Historical Society.

We were honored to be able to capture their wedding. We worked with good friends and great photographers, Stefanie and Brock Childs with SB Childs Photography. You need to visit their website and view some of their work. Great stuff!

Thank you Megan and Gary.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Super 8 Film - Demo

Super 8 Film - Northernlight Filmworks Demo from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This short film is a demo of some of our Super 8 that we shot in 2008 from weddings in Chicago, IL , Indianapolis, IN and French Lick, IN.

As a child, I remember my uncle Ronnie always with camera in hand shooting Super 8. There is something about film that creates a warm vibe with me. I love the organic look of film and how it makes a contemporary wedding look vintage. It's not a look for everyone and our clients either like it or they don't. We typically know right away if is something that they fall in love with. I recently met with a client and we sat in our studio and she loved the look of Super 8. I am always a bit curious as to what it is they like. So I asked her. She really could not put her finger on what it was she liked most but, words like "warm", "authentic" and "intimate" were a few of the descriptors.

We purchase all of our film stock from a company in California, who maintains the film in a controlled environment. The film is fresh film stock, which is very important. After we shoot the film we send it to the same company for processing. I will give them instructions on how to process the film and to run a second pass on any special effects that I may want to use. You will see some special effects in the demo.

If you have any questions about Super 8, give us a call or e-mail us.

John Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Our New Photos

Andrew + Natalie

Andrew + Natalie from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.


This was an engagement shoot that we filmed with Kevin and Alicia Monahan with Kevin Monahan Photography. What a great couple Andrew and Natalie are. They both were very comfortable in front of the camera, which is always a big plus. We are looking forward to filming their wedding, which will be held at a quaint little place in Zionsville, IN called The Sanctuary. This will be a December wedding and everything including Zionsville Village should look spectacular. Natalie picked the song in this video and I think it fits them quite well.

Second shooting with us on this day was Kyle Brownlee.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Photos of our New Studio

We are finally settled into your new studio. It is so nice having more room and not bumping into each other. We even have a client meeting area with a few new pieces of furniture and some lamps to make it feel more like home.



This is the entrance to our building and Danita's desk where she greets our clients during regular business hours.


Another shot of the entrance of our building.

This is the conference room. We love the up lit table.

The studio looking in from the door.


Our workstations. Looking from the Client meeting area.

Same Day Edit - Notre Dame - Christine & Timothy

Same Day Edit - Notre Dame from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a Same Day Edit of a wedding we filmed at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. This was a 17 hour day for us. Steve and I got up before sunrise and made our way over to the campus after a detour to a much needed Starbucks, in order to get some sunrise shots of the church. It was beautiful watching the sun rise and hit the different parts of the church.

Producing a same day edit really forces you to focus on every shot. There is also an increase of the stress levels because of the limited time to get things accomplished. We had an issue with one of our hard drives and thanks to Jennifer for logging some of the tapes in real time and selectively pulling footage. Stress...what stress.

Christine and Timothy had a beautiful wedding. They were able to go out on the football field for some fun shots. The reception was held at the Hilton Garden Inn and the room was beautifully decorated with some incredible uplighting. It was a pleasure working with wedding coordinator Anne Landis. This was a very well organized wedding and reception.

John and Jennifer Moon

www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Abby & Russ - Fun in Bloomington

Bloomington Wedding--Abby & Russ from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

View in HD-CLICK HERE

We love the opportunity to experience new places and this wedding was certainly a beautiful wedding to remember. Abby and Russ were married in Bloomington, IN at Deer Park Manor and the reception was held outdoors under a tent at the same location. Watch the video and pay attention to who the ring bearer is. Very cool. The grounds and the facility at Deer Park Manor made this event stand out.

We had so much fun at the reception. Everyone was dancing and celebrating to the max. Helping sustain the party atmosphere was one of our favorite bands Dave & Rae. They rocked the tent. Even the Bloomington PD showed up to see them :)

We worked alongside Josh and Jeff with Ardent Stills Photography

Thank you Abby and Russ.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

ReFrame = Inspiration

We had an incredible time in New Orleans this week.  So many of the attendees and some of the speakers we have collaborated with over e-mail and different forums in an effort to improve the art of wedding cinematography.  We are proud members of ReFrame in an effort to raise the bar of the industry to bring to the front, a product that we are proud of and that all of our clients will cherish.  We are all about pushing ourselves to the very edge of profound creativity and ReFrame helps in that process.  

The French Quarter was fun and what seems to be a 24/7 party.  This was our first visit to Bourbon street and we had a late flight when we arrived.  We got into our room at the Royal Sonesta, which is very nice hotel, and we were hungry.  We ventured out into the streets of Bourbon Street and all I can say is the balcony's were full and the cross dressers were out in full force.  We ended up having a slice of pizza and watching all the action.  

Our second day, I was working on our laptop in the lounge area of the hotel.  Jen was sitting with me and then I realized she was gone for quite a while.  I heard music on the streets but this was not out of the ordinary but it sounded like a parade.  I walked out to see if that was where Jen was and as I walk out the door, what seemed to be in slow motion, beads were flying through the air.  Turning to my right there was Jen, laughing and having a great time.  But...I see that she has this award winning collection of beads around her neck.  I have never been to Bourbon Street but I know exactly how those beads are obtained :)   I said, "So....how did you get all those beads?"  She started laughing and then I noticed that they were throwing beads to everyone, even me.  

We met so many people who have become good friends and really enjoyed sharing information with each other so as to improve our craft.  The ReFrame Collective did a great job in organizing this workshop.  While we were there,  we attended a dinner / party in a combined event with ImageX.  We got to see one of my Photographer idols John Michael Cooper.  Jessica Claire and Marc Eric were also there.

You come away from an event like this with tons of ideas.  Some of these ideas will encourage us to go deeper into some techniques we already employ and others are completely new and emerging.

We will be going to Austin for another ReFrame event in April and hope to be able to show some of our work on the big screen there.

John and Jennifer

www.northernlightfilmworks.com

ReFrame

We just moved into our new studio this week and we are loving it. When we return from ReFrame, we will get some photos up.

We will be flying out on Saturday for New Orleans to attend ReFrame. ReFrame is an exclusive and intensive workshop learning new trends and techniques. We were one of 50 participants selected to attend. There will be cinematographers from around the world and the U.S. and we can't wait to meet some that we have only talked with on the phone, over e-mail or on forums. We will be shooting some Super 8 film in the French Quarter.

Stay tuned as we will try and update our blog daily on some of the sites and sounds of ReFrame. Image X will also be conducting a workshop and I am going to try and stop by and meet John Michael Cooper.

We will try and respond to any e-mails and phone calls but we will have limited access.

Thanks...and stay tuned.

John and Jennifer

www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Same Day Edit - Scott + Jessica

Scott & Jessica - Same Day Edit from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

View in HD (recommended)

This was a Same Day Edit (SDE) we produced for Scott and Jessica on Saturday. The wedding was at the beautiful Trinity United Methodist Church in Lafayette, IN.

We enjoyed working with Scott and Jessica and they both have a great personality and this was quite evident when we shot their engagement video (link below). We first met the couple when they visited our studio in Noblesville and when they left, we knew they would be fun.

For those not familiar with a Same Day Edit, we take the footage obtained during the day and produce a short video highlight of the days events. These command organization skills and the ability to stay on task under lots of pressure. The reward, however, is priceless in watching the reaction of the couple as we help them relive the days events and to see things they were not able to see.

After we shot the wedding, we pulled up to the Holiday Inn Select in Lafayette and we decided to do a Same Day Edit. These are a little more manageable when we have an assistant and when we know for sure we are going to do one. Well we didn't have an assistant and we were not planning on doing a SDE to show the couple. That's when the stress kicks in...but we thrive on it. Nobody knew but us so that took some of the stress away but we were logging footage while keeping another eye on the events taking place. After the first dance and father / daughter and mother / son dances we hit the editing hard pulling footage for the song and making very quick exposure corrections. We surprised Scott and Jessica with this and we were very happy that they liked it.

We have a scheduled SDE coming up in October at Notre Dame.


Scott and Jessica's Engagement Video View in HD Here

John and Jennifer
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

New Studio

2008 has been such a great year for us.  We have seen tremendous growth in our business and our current studio seems to be shrinking more and more every day.  When we moved in last summer it seemed like the perfect fit, and it was at the time.  It has been difficult and frustrating at times when John and I are both trying to work in the studio and we keep bumping each others desks and tripping over each other.  This has also hindered a good work flow and has slowed our production down at times.  

We were very pleased to find out a larger office space was opening up just down the hall.  So next week we will be moving into our new space.  Not only will we have more square footage but we will also have a large closet to put all our equipment in (which takes up a lot of the space we currently have).  We have such great plans for our workstations and even having a client meeting area with a few new pieces of furniture.  We are also pleased that our assistant Ryan will be bringing his workstation in and will be helping us with some editing.  

So our address starting October 1st is:  23 South 8th Street, Suite 700, Noblesville, IN 46060.

As soon as we get everything in order I will post some photos of our new space.  Stay tuned.

Jennifer

Northernlight Filmworks Featured

Northernlight Filmworks was recently featured on a cool wedding resource website. There are many blogs out there that provide cool trendy info and Elizabeth Anne Designs is one of those blogs you should frequent to get some wedding planning ideas.

Here is the link: Northernlight Filmworks on Elizabeth Anne Designs

Wedding Film - Be Yourself

It’s your film – What to expect

I’m a sucker for movies that hit all the emotions, happy, sad, funny, etc… I think many people like this genre of movies because it pulls you into the experience. If you notice, many of the award winning movies has one or two characters that you, in some way, identify with. It doesn’t mean you are just like them but on some level you identify with something about them. Maybe it is how they interact with someone they have a relationship with, a parent, husband, wife, grandparent, etc.

Since being a wedding cinematographer, I watch movies a little differently. Ever since I was a child I was always interested in photography, so composition is something that I inherently look for. How the camera moves on a dolly shot and the placement of cameras and their angles are all things I look for and study while watching a movie. If a particular scene made me move into the action, I ask myself, why? Why did that particular scene move me? Was it the dialog, the music, the cinematography? Usually it’s not just one thing it is the sum of the parts.

Wedding cinematography is a little different than shooting a movie. Ok it’s a lot different. But our approach is to somehow transfer what you experienced on the wedding day into a film that will help you experience the day again. We like to include dialog where appropriate. The music and camera angles compliment the dialog.

What makes a great wedding film? First it requires the Bride and Groom to just relax and be you around the cameras. If you like photojournalistic photography style, you will like our style. We NEVER put anything in a video that might embarrass someone or get someone in trouble. We once did a love story shoot and the Bride said the proposal was at one restaurant and the Groom said it was at another. In all honesty, the Bride was probably right. Why are women so much better at details? I digress. So the point here is to just relax and let the candidness of the day define the film.

Second, the camera or cameras need to be with you just about everywhere you go. With the exception of a few places (you know what I mean). Just think of us as your bodyguard. The best moments are really captured this way. We always run audio but again, we never want to include something that would embarrass you. We had a Bride once that and she received her wedding day gift from her soon to be husband and said, “I don’t like it”. I found out later that she was concerned we would put that into the film. No way would we ever include that in our finished product.

Third, a timeline really helps us coordinate logistically where and when things are happening and what equipment we will need. This is one of the reasons we like working with wedding coordinators. They tend to keep things well organized and if there are any changes, everyone knows about them.

This next item is so critical to a great wedding film. Lighting. First, we love warm candle lit wedding ceremonies but if that’s all the light there is, you will have a dark, grainy wedding film. This can also have a negative effect on the photographer too. Remember that the photographer needs to focus and to focus you need some light. Be sure to check that you will have some overhead lighting or window lighting. Any ambient light will help. We don’t need a lot but dark is bad for both the videographer and photographer. There are some things we can do ‘in camera’ to help with the lighting like changing the format to a slower frame rate. One of the advantages to outdoor ceremonies is the lighting is usually great to work with. During the reception, we like to use off camera lighting especially for the first dance and father / daughter and mother / son dances. We usually kill these lights when the guest dancing starts.

I guess the bottom line in all of this is that you should have fun, be authentic, keep us and your photographer involved in your day and you will be happy with the end result.



John
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Indianapolis Wedding Video Teaser - David + LeAnn

Indianapolis Wedding - David and LeAnn from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

Recommend to watch in HD : Click Here

This is a little movie like trailer we did for David and LeAnn. This was a beautiful wedding held at St. Lukes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, IN. The reception was held at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. One of the things we remember about this wedding was the heartfelt speech given by the Brides father. I have 4 daughters and the thought of going through that 4 times is going to kill me...I think.

We are looking forward to editing the Highlight and main video.

We shot alongside Andrew Scalini and the wedding was coordinated by Casey Scott of Etcetera.

Wedding Crashers



I love this movie. Curious as to how many weddings are actually crashed. We actually had an experience with some crashers at a wedding we filmed in Colorado at the Garden of the Gods Country Club last year. Beautiful place. We finished the edit and we were screening with the couple and their family and they all started pointing and saying 'it's them, it's them!". They then pulled out their pictures and showed us who they were. I then remembered the 2 sets of couples just having a great time arm in arm posing for us and laughing. These were "the crashers". The couple and family all laughed about it. Too much fun.

-John

Chicago Wedding - Kimberly & Adam - Trailer

Click To Play

Here is a trailer for Kimberly and Adam's wedding we shot near Chicago last weekend. We had so much fun filming their wedding. We also shot some Super 8 that we can't wait to get back from processing in California. The ceremony was so beautiful and reflected how much they truly love each other. They wrote their own vows which brought many to tears. The reception was also beautiful. Adam and Kimberly are such a cute couple.

We had the pleasure of working with an incredible wedding coordinator, Donna Mason with Two Becoming One, in Tinley Park, IL. Donna had a handle on everything, which make the whole day run smooth. We also had a blast working with Dawn and Stacy with QT Photography, who did an outstanding job. You can reach Dawn at dawn@qtphotography.net

Thank you to Kimberly and Adam and their families for making us feel welcome.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Juan + Lori

Click To Play

We had a fun time shooting this with Juan and Lori alongside Kevin and Alicia Monahan with Kevin Monahan Photography. This was a 3 location shoot: Chateau Thomas Winery, Downtown Plainfield and Friendship Gardens, also in Plainfield. The light that evening was really good and this is one of the best times to shoot. Juan and Lori's wedding is rapidly approaching and we are looking forward to it. They had a really cool idea and are having some Salsa instructors at the reception to teach the guests how to bust a move. I might just have to put my camera down and give it a go.

Thanks Juan and Lori for being such fun subjects. See you soon!

John
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Wedding Planning Tip

The Importance of Timelines

Every great coordinator prepares a timeline to put her clients’ nerves at ease, calm the vendors, and conduct an organized event. A timeline is the bloodline of any event. Its purpose is to eliminate stress of the vendors, bride, family members and all the team players. Almost anyone can mock a timeline, but an expert takes into consideration two main things: vendors and flexibility.

Assertiveness is an important characteristic of a coordinator, however, being flexible and going with the flow is crucial when in the moment. Anything can happen behind the scenes, so by taking the basics of the timeline and adjusting throughout the event takes experience, and lots of it!

Here are a few tips when creating your own timeline:

1. Be flexible. The day will not run minute by minute as planned. Knowing that at the end of the day you will be married is all that matters.
2. Communicate. The importance of communicating with your vendors is key. Certain vendors like to load in particular times to fit their schedule. Just ask.
3. Meet with your coordinator and photographer/videographer the week of your wedding. You have to love your coordinator and photographer/videographer. This team will be with you all day. Their personalities have to click and match your style. They will be key players throughout the event.
4. Include everyone. Double check that you have included every vendor and family member on the timeline (including each person’s name). You may know everyone involved but your mom might have never met your groom’s grandmother. Don’t forget to put the bridal party line-up, including first and last name. This helps your DJ and keeps the bridal party organized. It’s a nice touch to list the title of all songs played (first dance, etc.).
5. List emergency phone numbers. Delivery crews and cell phone numbers are a must the day of the wedding. If the limo driver doesn’t show up, you will have their number right there at your fingertips. If you cannot afford a professional, it is important to send out your timeline to your vendors 3-4 weeks prior to your event. The night of the rehearsal plan on 15-20 copies for your bridal party and family. And hire a professional, so you can relax and enjoy your wedding day.

Everyone will be impressed with your organization for a smooth day. Relax, stay calm, and enjoy your well-planned day.


Tonya J. Shadoan
Circle City Planners
Owner
317-716-7643
www.circlecityplanners.com
Check our weekly blog for more wedding tips.

Voted Indianapolis Best Wedding Videographer

We found out today that we won Channel 6 A-List as Indy's Best Wedding Videographer!

Business has been great in 2008 and we are looking at 2009 as being an even better year. We have had a blast getting to know new people, meeting new collegues and seeing new places and there is more to come.

We never want to be comfortable with were we are at and we are always looking for opportunities to improve our cinematography and editing, whether in the form of new tools or just working on our shooting skills. We will be attending ReFrame in New Orleans in October and then again in April we will be in Austin, Texas. As important it is to invest in good equipment, we believe it is equally important to invest in yourself as well.

Thanks to everyone that voted for us. View the comments here: Northernlight Filmworks A-List

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Jason + Vicky "Save the Date"



Click To Play





One of the products we offer at Northernlight Filmworks is a "Save the Date" film, which Jason and Vicky's is an example of. We shot this alongside our good friends Kevin and Alicia Monahan with Kevin Monahan Photography at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). The grounds seem to have an endless supply of cool shot locations. Just don't touch the LOVE sign in the front. Seems like security is lurking in the bushes just to nab a violator. Second shooting with me on this day was my brother Steve.

Jason and Vicky were a blast that day and were really up for anything and they stayed with it the entire time. I love the song they picked for this. I had a blast last night editing the footage. There is a considerable amount of color grading going on with this film, which adds to the edit time. I was so into this last night that I was at the studio until 1:30am....ahhh! That's why I am drinking coffee as I write this.

My favorite lyric in the song is "Our lives are made...in these small hours". It makes me think about how fast time goes by and how fast our children grow up. It is so easy in the world we live in to forget that it's the little hours of time you spend with family and friends that make up what your life is. I'm guilty as anyone about wishing a week or a day to just go by, but in retrospect those are moments that are gone forever. So...I'm going to try to "stop and smell the roses", so to speak. Now go give you Wife and kids a hug! Ok and the dog.

All still images in the film are courtesy of Kevin Monahan Photography

John

www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Robyn & Kyle Engagement Video

Robyn & Kyle from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

VIEW IN HD HERE

This is an Engagement Session Video we shot along side out good friends Nate & Amanda Reynolds of Turtle Pond Photography.

Robyn and Kyle are getting married in January 2009. Thanks Robyn and Kyle for having us come along on the shoot. It was so much fun and we are looking forward to filming your wedding in January.

Stephanie + Duane

Stephanie & Duane from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

VIEW IN HD HERE

This was a wedding we filmed in Cicero, IN at the Cicero Christian Church for Stephanie and Duane. They were great to work with and are two of the nicest people you would want to meet. As the wedding video captures, this was an emotion packed day for Stephanie. She looked very beautiful on her wedding day. Duane seemed calm, cool and collected but there is a point where he sees her coming down the isle and appears to be at a loss for words. I can only imagine that he was thinking, "Wow".

One of the things we most like about being in the wedding cinematography business is being able to experience the wedding day with the couple and to observe the relationships that they have fostered over the years. It was quite evident that family is very important to Duane and Stephanie. We never tire of seeing the emotions of Father and Daughter and Mother and Son as they prepare for this day and of course the intimate moment of the first dances.

The reception was held at the beautiful Bridgewater. The reception is on our list of one of the all time favorites. The toasts were a little like a play, a roast and a commercial rolled into one. We just might post that section later on.

Congratulations Stephanie and Duane. I keep running into the couple so I'm sure we will see each other soon :)

John and Jennifer
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Some Comments About the Highlight

John/Jennifer,
I was able to watch the video last night! WOW...that's all I can say. Duane and I are so happy with it! The moments you picked out for the day were so touching! We also both said we didn't remember you guys being around to catch all of those things.

Anyway, everyone that has seen it in my family has just raved over it! Thanks for doing such a great job.

Thanks again!!

Stephanie


I am Duane's mother and this is absolutely beautiful. I cried thru the whole thing like it was just happening. Can't wait to see the entire video.
You did an outstanding job. Thank you

-Marhsa Manion


I remember now why I was crying constantly through this wedding! Simply as beautiful and emotional as the day it happened. Stephanie and Duane are an amazing couple and Northernlight did a wonderful job capturing their love for each other! I agree with Marsha...can't WAIT to see the rest!!!

-Jennifer Deakyne

David + Deanna - Chicago Wedding

David + Deanna - Chicago Wedding from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

VIEW IN HD HERE

This was a wedding we filmed up near Chicago for David and Deanna. They were a fun couple to be around and it was fun getting to know them. We arrived the day before and scouted the area. The morning of the wedding Jen and I decided to get some early shots of the location at the Sara Lee building. All I really remember about that morning was getting kicked out of the Sara Lee building because I accidentally set off the fire alarms when I opened an unmarked door that apparently was a fire exit. You aren't doing your job unless you get in a little trouble.

The wedding was beautiful and you could really tell that David and Deanna are in love with each other. The night of the reception a strong storm came through but the party went on without any problems. We shot the wedding with Steve and Mike with SAR Studios.

John and Jennifer

Scott + Jessica

Engagement shoot documentary style By Northernlight Filmworks
View in HD  Download 720p HD Version  Visit Northernlight Filmworks's ExposureRoom Videos Page

Assisting me with this shoot was my bro Steve.

Thanks Scott and Jessica for being great subjects.

-John

Style Me Pretty

Several weeks ago we received a call from Style me Pretty, which we were familiar with and am a frequent visitor to their site. They apparently had been visiting our site as well and called to tell us how much they liked our work and wanted us to be one of their preferred vendors. As a business we get many companies wanting us to advertise with them and some are better than others. Style me Pretty, however, got our attention because we loved the content on their site first and foremost. As we talked, they explained that we would need to submit a full wedding film to further evaluate our work. As we talked a bit more, they discussed with us how they only want the best of the best.

We submitted some samples of our work, some recent work and some older work. We received a call yesterday informing us that they were very impressed with the work we do and we were formally invited to be a part of the section of their site called "Little Black Book". We will be listed under Cinematography and the Indiana section will be launched July 31st, 2008. We are familiar with some of our collegues nationwide and can tell you, they are some of the very best in the world.

We are thrilled to be a part of Style Me Pretty. Spend some time and check out the site, there is some really cool and chic stuff there.

John and Jennifer

Brock Childs - Unplugged

Brock Childs Unplugged - SB Childs Photography from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

Watch Brock in HD - CLICK HERE

We met up with our good friends and photographers, Stephanie and Brock Childs, with SB Childs Photography. Brock and I both love the Blues and he mentioned that he played the Harmonica and had actually done open mic night at the Slippery Noodle Inn. We kept saying that we needed to go do this and finally squeezed it into both of our busy schedules. We had our small camera with us and snagged some footage of not Brock the Photographer but Brock the Entertainer. We had a little fun with the montage. But all kidding aside, Brock really impressed us with his talent. Be sure to check out their work at SB Childs Photography.

John and Jennifer

Senior Photos - Michelle

Here are some shots I took for Michelle for her Senior photos. We spent some time downtown Noblesville and then explored the area a bit. Michelle was a lot of fun to work with.


John

Little Sis vs. Big Brother

Ok...anyone that knows me, knows that I am a practical joker. I have had this can of silly string that was an impulse buy. Jen's sister Julie and her husband Lyle came to visit us on Wednesday for some family photo fun. I pulled Chloe aside and covertly gave her the can of silly string so she could blast her big brother. Her eyes said it all. I knew she was thinking..."finally I can get him back for all the stuff he ever did to me". The magic moment arrived and with camera in hand and a little nod and wink from me the General, I coaxed her into a coordinated attack on Tommy. After a brief malfunction, which was enough time for Tommy to take notice, the first round went off! Splat! direct hit in the neck region. Suddenly Tommy faces his enemy and begins to try what any great American would do. NEGOTIATE. With one hand on her hip and a sassy little look, Chloe advises the enemy that she will not under any circumstances give up her bottle of Silly String. Keeping in the American spirit if he couldn't have it, well, consider this an act of war. Tommy lunges for the Silly String and the chase is on. After a brief struggle, Tommy now had in his hands a weapon of mass destruction. Chloe was blasted over and over and over. I remember thinking, "Look what I started". We were laughing so hard and I was lucky to get any decent photos of the encounter.

Tommy and Chloe....Thanks for a good laugh.

John

A Classic Wedding - Erica & Paul - Super 8 and HD

Erica + Paul from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

VIEW VIDEO IN HD HERE

FOR 1280 X 720 HD CLICK HERE (LARGE FILE)

This was an Indianapolis Wedding we filmed at Christ's Church Cathedral, which is one of our top 3 favorite churches to shoot at. The wedding of Erica and Paul was beautiful. They were great clients to work with. This was shot in HD and we also pulled out the Super 8 camera. The Super 8 is a circa 1965 Canon. We order our film on a short term as needed basis from California and the telecine work is also done in California. I love the texture that this gives to the video. Film is expensive to shoot and edit but well worth it if you are looking for something to set your wedding apart from all the others. Some questions we get are: Do we shoot an entire wedding in Super 8 or 16mm? When the client wants primary Super 8 or 16mm, approximately 60% of it is shot in that format, video is also utilized. Why is it so expensive? First the film supply is not overly robust so the film stock cost is high coupled with development of the film and any special effects. In addition, it takes more skill to shoot film and to expose it correctly. We have several more of these to shoot this year. In October, we will be in New Orleans to shoot some Super 8, 16mm and will be anxious to share some of the French Quarter footage.

We had a great time with Erica and Paul and enjoyed shooting with Erin Hession of Erin Hession Photography. Thanks to Erin for a few photos to use for Erica and Paul's DVD and cover. As usual, the Columbia Club was a great reception venue to top off the day.

Comments welcomed.

John
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

I'll Drop a Quarter

Yesterday morning Jen and I were rushing around the house preparing for the day. The first shoot was a memorial service that was being held at the Indianapolis Arts Center. We drove separate to church because I had a couple of shoots to do afterwards. Jen and the kids left for church and I was still gathering some things up. Starting to go out the door I forgot some directions that were in our room. Making my way down the the hall toward our bedroom I just made it past a cold air return register that is on the floor. As I passed by, I heard "plink". Wondering what the noise was I backed up and looked down and saw a quarter and told myself, 'I'll get that later'.

My brother Steve and I arrived at the Indianapolis Arts Center and set up for the shoot and briefly met the widow of Ed Klink, Sheila Klink. The auditorium was filled with family and friends. Ed Klink was a very successful businessman and artist.

Among the people speaking about Ed's life were his daughter's, son, and close friends. A common theme was that Ed lived life to the fullest, never wanting to waste a moment. He was very involved with his children and grand children. It was also mentioned that he made mistakes in life just like everyone else but he corrected and moved on. It was amazing to hear the stories. I was impressed with Ed, someone I never knew. Ed was a Westpoint graduate, served 2 tours of Vietnam, graduated from business school at Harvard, launched several businesses, was passionate about the mountains and fly fishing, a nationally recognized artists, an admired father and grandfather, and a loving husband.

Many of the speech's given were moving but the most moving of all, at least for me, was from his granddaughter, who was about 8 years old. She walked up with Mrs. Klink and stood as her chin barely cleared the podium. She spoke of the things she remembered. The time papaw helped make gingerbread houses, the time spent just talking and she remembered that he helped her catch her very first fish. She was so brave and was fighting back tears and had to stop looking up at Mrs. Klink saying, "I'm done". I remember thinking way to go Ed, you made your mark on this little girl.

Mrs. Klink spoke of her gratitude for everyone and the incredible support she received throughout Ed's illness. Ed ultimately succumbed to complications from Lyme disease, which occurred in 2005. Mrs. Klink and their children were with Ed during his last hours. Ed and Sheila talked non stop at the very end. One of the very last things he said to her was this: "It's Beautiful, It's You, Always There, One" Mrs. Klink went on to explain that Ed told her he wanted his memorial to be filmed and that he would come and watch it with her. He told her, you will know I'm around because I will drop a quarter. As soon as she said that I vaguely remembered a quarter I saw earlier in the day and then I remembered the quarter that I heard drop into the register. Coincidence? Possibly.

Steve and I left the Arts Center for another shoot downtown Indy, but it was on my way home about 9:30pm as I thought about the day and what it all meant. I have always believed that God wants you to experience life and yesterday was one of those experiences. What was the message I got from this? Exactly what was printed in the memorial program:
"In the end, all that really matters is
How well did you live
How well did you love
How well did you learn to let go."

I have found a new favorite artist...Ed Klink. The artwork above is one of his pieces. Just Google his name and you will find other work he has done. You can read his obituary in the Indianapolis Star

Katie + Crash - "Our Story"

Image courtesy of Turtlepond Photography


Katie & Crash - "Where's my $20.00?" from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

SEE KATIE AND CRASH IN HD HERE.

If you want a larger HD version (high speed connection only) click HERE

What a fun couple! This is a love story video we filmed for Katie and Adam AKA Crash. I hate always calling these love stories because that always sounds so mushy. We are open to any other ideas on what to name these, let us know. Anyway, a very fun and open couple who had a brief encounter one evening and then $20.00 led to another meeting. You will just have to watch to understand. Last weekend was their wedding and this video was shown at the reception. A special thanks to Chris James of Ultimate Entertainment for helping with the audio set up. We highly recommend Ultimate Entertainment. Part of this love story contains some footage of their engagement session with our good friends Amanda and Nate Reynolds with Turtlepond Photography. Amanda and Nate have an amazing gift of capturing just the right moments and being able to instinctively compose the shot.

Katie and Crash's reception was like going to a rock concert, air band style. Their reception is probably in the top 3 all time receptions we have filmed. What makes a great reception? Apart from an incredible location like the Murat Centre in downtown Indianapolis and a great DJ....it's the couples family and friends that make such an event. At the end of the video Katie and Crash make reference to how they envision the reception and it was everything and more. We have to say that Katie and Crash have 2 of the most sincere sets of parents. Katie...your father is a nut...in a good way!

Thanks for the entertainment. By the way, we got home at 1am and my ears were ringing...reminded me of coming home from one of those heavy metal concerts.

Indianapolis Wedding Video

If you like our work, vote for us. We were nominated last year and nominated again this year. It's kind of fun getting to read some of the comments and we have received many. For potential clients looking to hire an Indianapolis wedding videographer, we asked ourselves, "what sets us apart from the rest?". We believe it is a combination of things. One is that we are competitively priced. We want to create a high quality product at a fair price. In all reality it's an investment. Not that it is going to make you any money but like photographs, your wedding film is something that will archive an event. Secondly, we have our own style of how we shoot weddings. We like to approach shooting a wedding like an artist would approach his or her canvas. We spend a considerable amount of money reinvesting in the business, not only in equipment but in ourselves. We travel throughout the US collaborating with some of the industry's most talented wedding cinematographers. This year we will be in Orlando and New Orleans and next year in Austin. Our craft is an ongoing pursuit of perfection. Technology changes and so do we. We are also very aware that having the most tricked out camera does not make you a great cinematographer or photographer. We believe that capturing stunning imagery is a little bit luck and a whole lot of talent. In addition, you have to have the ability to tell a story just as a photojournalist might do while shadowing you during your wedding day. We offer the same approach.

Spend some time and view the work on our blog and on our website and subscribe to this blog to see some projects we will be posting soon.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Most Popular Wedding Dates +2009

Newly engaged or know someone who was recently engaged? Love is in the air and certainly for Valentines Day. Valentines Day in 2009, will be one of the most popular wedding dates of the year because in 2009 if falls on a Saturday. I'm sure there will be some really creative ideas coming from wedding planners, cake designers, florists, etc.. It's never too early to start planning early if this is the date you want. Many wedding professionals have the date booked already.

Another popular wedding date is forecasted for October 17, 2009. Why? It's Sweetest Day...another holiday for love.

Wedding planning can be fun but it can also be stressful. Part of the stress is trying to make decisions on who to invite, what are the colors, where to get the dress, who is going to be in the wedding, who do we invite, where do we Honeymoon...ahh! The list goes on. It is important to efficiently work through who your wedding professionals will be. This is one of the most important days of your life and you should feel very comfortable with who you hire. We always encourage our clients to meet with us before they hire us so that we get to know a little about them and they get to know us and ask us questions. Vendors that are likely to be with you for a large part of your day are Videographers, Photographers and Wedding Consultants. So spend the time to meet with them and see if they have the kind of personality you can mesh with.

Patrick & Tiffany - Our Story

Patrick & Tiffany - Our Story from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.
HIGH DEFINITION VERSION: Patrick and Tiffany in HD

We had such a wonderful experience getting to know Patrick and Tiffany. They are from Kentucky and we talked on the phone a few times and then met them in Louisville to film an engagement video we did for them, which they used as a Save The Date video. Producing a Love Story video give us more of an opportunity to connect with our couples and we really enjoy learning some of the back stories. This particular video was shown at their rehearsal party and we have also shown these at receptions as a way of introducing the Bride and Groom to each others family and friends.

Patrick and Tiffany are one of the most sincere people that we have met. They both have incredible parents and an abundance of faith that we really admire.

The wedding was held at Grace Fellowship Church in Morganfield, Kentucky on June 7, 2008 and the reception was at Camp Breckinridge Museum & Art Center. Camp Breckinridge was a really cool place and amazing story behind it. The short story is that it was a prison for German prisoners during WWII. One particular prisoner loved to paint and the Officers of the Camp asked that he do some artwork to spruce up the Officers Club a bit. The artwork was covered up with a wall fabric for a period of time and the building sat vacant for years. The building was restored and during the restoration, the artwork was discovered and research began on the origins of the artwork.

Thank you to Patrick and Tiffany and their family and friends for their hospitality while we were there.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Keys to Successful Wedding Speeches

Keys to Successful Wedding Speeches

Author: Magriet Du Plessis

Article:
Wedding speeches can often be, particularly before the event, a
source of terror - whether you are preparing as the groom,
father of the bride or best man. Even the bride and the mother
of the bride often give wedding speeches these days.

The two real keys to success with wedding speeches are:

1. Careful preparation and practice of the content of your
speech. You can use free wedding speeches to get inspiration, as
we will see.

2. Psychological preparation - anticipating how it will feel to
stand up in front of everyone at the event itself, so that you
can get comfortable with that feeling rather than being afraid
of it.

The Content of Your Wedding Speech

The first thing you need to decide is the style of speech you
wish to give. Do you want it to be humorous, witty, romantic,
poetic, or just very loving?

There are a lot of free wedding speeches available on the
Internet and reading through free wedding speeches is a great
way to get inspiration. You are unlikely to find a speech that
you will want to use word for word, but there will be elements,
choices of wording, and ideas that will spring out at you.

Be sure to write your speech out in full and then practice it
until you can tell it like a story with your notes just for
backup in case you lose your train of thought.

Psychological Preparation Before a Wedding Speech

It is perfectly natural to be nervous when you find out you are
going to be expected to give a wedding speech. This is a very
important day for the happy couple, and it is a great honor to
be asked to speak. Naturally you want to please the bride and
groom, contribute to their happy memories, and above all not to
let them down.

Similarly, if you are the host or hostess, it will be important
to you to have the opportunity to clearly communicate your
deepest feelings of appreciation and love to the guests you have
invited to share your special day with you.

The most important thing to realize, when preparing for wedding
speeches, is that you have a very friendly audience. Unlike many
forms of public speaking, where you are faced with standing up
in front of a crowd of indifferent - or worse, hostile -
listeners, at a wedding your audience will be eager to cheer you
on.

So as you can see, there is no need to be nervous of wedding
speeches, as long as you have prepared in advance.

About the author:
Do you have any idea of all the possible wedding toasts? Grab a
whole lot when you visit href="http://www.weddingspeech4u.com/?aff=meidjie&type=allspeeche
s">Wedding Speeches 4You

This is a great article to prepare you for toasts and wedding day speeches.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com