Northernlight Filmworks-Indianapolis Wedding Video

Goodbye Old Blog

2009-10-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

Thank you for visiting but we thought it was time to build a new blog and would like to redirect you to our new blog at:

http://www.northernlightfilmworks.com/blog/

Northernlight Filmworks on LensFlare35

2009-10-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

John was recently interviewed by an organization that provides resources to photographers called LensFlare35. LensFlare35 happened to see one of our recent films that we used the Canon 5D Mark II. It was the Heirloom Session that was previously highlighted on our blog. John enjoyed speaking with the show's host Dave Warner. You can check out the interview here...LensFlare35... and some other cool interviews on the site.

Jennifer + Jaime | The Mercados|

2009-10-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Jennifer + Jaime from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a wedding we filmed in Indianapolis, IN at Saint Mary's Catholic Church. This is one of the city's most beautiful old churches. As luck would have it, we actually filmed a wedding the day before in this same church and the Groom from the first wedding knew the couple for the wedding the next day. Jennifer and Jaime were so easy to work with and they really meshed with our laid back kind of style. The reception was held at the Conrad, downtown Indianapolis. We worked with Rockstar photographer Chad Franz, who we had a blast working with.

Heirloom Session | Moore Family |

2009-10-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Heirloom Session - Moore Family from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

NOTE: Press PLAY then PAUSE and allow the video to load before playing.
This is a new offering by Northernlight Filmworks. It's called the Heirloom Collection. The concept is that we capture moments during the family photo session. These moments give legs to the personality of the family and how they interact with each other, including the photographer. Our style is to film very similar to a lifestyle shoot. We believe that this style is best at capturing the authentic personalities. In addition to the photo session, we also offer the parents the ability to talk about each child and to discuss funny stories or milestones. This provides the parents the opportunity to talk about their own relationship and how it has evolved as a family. We also like to offer the opportunity for the children to sit with each other or by themselves and just talk. Our job is to help them relax and to engage and interact with each other. Can you imagine, 20 years from now, watching a mini documentary about your young family? Priceless.

We look at what we do as poetry in motion. Life is short and we want to be able to help families document their lives and those important milestones or moments in time.

The Heirloom Collection doesn't stop with young families. It could be young couples without children or even Grandparents. Each Heirloom project is unique and hand made to each client. Life is a documentary.

We shot this session with Carpenter Photography and Design, who did an amazing job with the images. The relationship the photographer has with their client is critical in getting the images you see in this film. The Moore family were so much fun. It was fun watching how the children engaged with each other and their parents. They sure do love each other.

Thank you to the Moore Family for letting us in on just a little snapshot of your life and your family. The children are so cute and they are going to break some hearts someday.

Victoria & Jason

2009-09-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Vicky & Jason from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We really enjoyed Vicky and Jason and their wedding and reception was beautiful. We met with them a couple times before the wedding and filmed their engagement shoot, which you can see here: http://northernlightfilmworks.blogspot.com/2008/08/jason-vicki-save-date.html

We used a little Super 8 film to sprinkle in their wedding highlight. The wedding was held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Indianapolis, which is a beautiful church. We worked again with our good friends Kevin and Alicia Monahan with Kevin Monahan Photography. We had perfect weather on the wedding day. The wedding planner was April Foster of April Foster Events and she did an amazing job and was very helpful. Having a planner takes so much of the stress away from planning to even the wedding day itself. The reception was at the Crowne Plaza, which just happens to be one of our favorite places to work. The staff there are first class. Souled Out Band rocked through the night, they are such an entertaining band.

While editing this film, I kept thinking about how much these two are in love. You can see it in their eyes and just how much fun they have with each other. When we spend a period of time getting to know our couples, the films always mean more to us and Jason and Vicky were certainly no different. Jason and Vicky are two of the nicest people you could meet. We wish them all the best. I'm sure we will remain in contact with them.

John & Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com
Wedding Cinematography

Woodstock CC Classic - Maggie & Hunter

2009-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Woodstock Country Club Classic - Maggie & Hunter from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This is a short trailer of a wedding we recently shot at Woodstock Country Club in Indianapolis, IN. The wedding was beautiful and was something you might find in Town and Country Magazine. Everything from the Bride her dress, flowers, cake and setting set the stage for a memorable wedding. We enjoyed working with Photographer Jennifer Driscoll. The flowers by Posh Petals were amazing. The intro to this film features members from the Buffoons, which Hunter was a member. Cool stuff. More of them in the final edit.

Congratulations to Maggie and Hunter who are currently on their Honeymoon in Aruba.

Northernlight Filmworks
Wedding Cinematography
*Watch for our new website*

We are Featured on "The Bride's Cafe"

2009-09-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

We were excited to learn that some of our Super 8 Film work is being featured on a popular wedding blog called The Bride's Cafe. If you want to stalk a blog, this is one to keep an eye on for the latest trends and to get some ideas for your wedding.

The film featured is a film we shot at the Ambassador House for the now married Jessica. The Ambassador House is one of those quaint places you might find in a magazine and is a fabulous place to have your wedding and reception. We shot this along with our good friend and Photographer Jennifer Driscoll. This shoot really fit her style so well. Jennifer does an amazing job creating art out of photography. Kiralee of eyeMAX was the makeup artist and she did a superb job as always.

We shot with a vintage 1965 Canon Super 8 camera and used a combination of color and black and white film stock. Film has a romantic feel to it and has an organic quality to it aside from screaming Vintage. It's not so much about obtaining a crystal clear image as it is about setting a mood and film is an archival medium that allows us to be artists and to think in terms of cinematography and being selective about each shot. In addition to Super 8, we also shoot 16mm film. We really love 16mm and particularly the black and white stock....beautiful stuff. All of our film is purchased from a lab in California on an as needed basis so that it is always fresh. The film negatives are then sent to the same lab for processing and any special effects passes that we might want.

We have also been shooting 35mm high definition, which has the look and feel of true movie cinema. The 35mm HD is a nice compliment to any film stock that we might shoot.

We are Featured in an International Magazine

2009-09-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

We were interviewed some time ago about a concept video we produce. When we started doing them, it was something that we didn't see being done, so we tested the waters a bit. We started offering Save The Date videos for couples to use as they see fit. The couple could purchase DVD's to send out or at no extra charge send out a link to the digital file or if they had a wedding website, they could embed the file in their site. The great thing about it was it was original and set us apart and it was also something unique and cool for our clients to use.

Each one of the Save The Date videos we produce are different than any other that we do, primarily because we plan it that way and we also look to the personality of the couple.

Here is a link to a digital copy of the magazine should your heart desire. http://www.eventdv.net/Articles/News/Feature/Coming-Attractions-Selling-and-Producing-'Save-the-Date'-Videos-56016.htm

The Wedding of Aaron and Cindy

2009-08-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Wedding of Aaron and Cindy from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We absolutely love when couples put a lot of thought into making their wedding unique. Cindy and Aaron's wedding is to date the most unique wedding we have ever captured. We found out while Cindy was at the salon that she and her mother made her wedding dress, and this was not your typical dress. She asked Aaron how he envisioned her walking down the isle and that is what created. Cindy loves butterflies and the entire wedding theme revolved around butterflies, from some of the fabric in her dress, to the flower girls, to Cindy's wedding band, to the cake, to the matron of honor's speech. Cindy and Aaron even wrote their own vows, which always makes me tear up. We had the pleasure to film in the beautiful Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. the stained glass windows are breath taking. The reception was held at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana. One of the highlights of the reception was the amazing band they selected, Crawpuppies. Thanks Cindy and Aaron for choosing us to document your day. We had a blast!

Romantic Super 8 Film

2009-08-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

Alicia & Chad - In romantic Super 8 from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This is a short film shot all in Super 8 film. Super 8 film was very popular back in the late 60's and early 70's. We shoot this on a vintage Canon Super 8 camera. The film is ordered on an as needed basis from California. We shoot the film and then have it processed at the same lab in California.

Super 8 does have a different feel to it. The texture is more organic than video and it enhances the romantic feeling of the day.

We also shoot 16mm film with another vintage 16mm Canon camera. 16mm is a very beautiful format.

This particular film of Alicia and Chad was shot at the historic Scottish Rite Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

Haiti

2009-08-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Nehemiah Vision Ministries from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This is a very short documentary of our trip into Haiti. This trip really opened my eyes to an incredible need and how even my worst day does not even compare. Simple things we take for granted are a luxury in Haiti. Haiti has been hit hard by natural disasters and it was quite evident as we flew along the coast.

We believe in paying it forward. Every year, we focus on a project that allows us to use our talents and resources to bring awareness or to further a cause we believe in.

A special thanks to Nehemiah Vision Ministries for flying us down to Haiti and a special thanks to Espérandieu Pierre for allowing us to stay at his home....the food was great!

John

Emily & Clint - At the Columbia Club

2009-08-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Emily and Clint - Columbia Club from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a beautiful wedding we filmed at The Columbia Club in Indianapolis, IN. We always enjoy filming there. The history of the facility alone radiates romance. We really enjoyed spending time with Emily and Clint. Emily's father gave such an eloquent speech and it adds great depth to the film. We spent just a brief moment with Emily right before she descended downstairs and we always love the authentic feelings we get at moments like that. We also spent a few moments with Clint right before he walked in for the ceremony.

We worked with Eventfull Planning, who did an amazing job. We heard both Emily and her Mother comment on how happy they were with the way things looked. The wedding day is full of unexpected things and Eventfull Planning kept the event moving along and on time. We also worked with Photographer Stuart Meyer of Stuart Meyer Photography for the first time. DJ Bryan Whitis, who we always enjoy working with, kept things alive and well and rocked the place. The yummy cake was from Classic Cakes and the floral arrangements were from Posh Petals (some beautiful flowers).

Northernlight Filmworks - Opening doors to your Story

2009-07-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Northernlight Filmworks from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This is just a short sample of some of the weddings we shot recently. There are many tools that we use to help communicate the story of you and your wedding day. We enjoy the different personalities that each couple offers and the interesting backdrops that help establish sense of place. To us, each wedding has it's own texture and although every wedding is somewhat structurally similar, we believe that each has it's own identity.

Thank you for taking the time to view and comment.

Randi & Whitney

2009-07-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Randi & Whitney from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was such a fun and beautiful wedding to witness. Randi has a natural beauty about her and is complimented by an authentic personality. Randi and Whitney were surrounded by great friends and family. We always enjoy just putting our cameras down, sitting back and watching the interaction between those people that have touched the couples life. There are moments during this film that we tried to capture that told a bit of a story of the day. One of our favorite moments in the film is when Randi is with her Grandfather preparing to walk down the isle to be escorted to her Father who stood in wait midway, center isle. This to us is a pivotal moment. We never asked Randi what she was thinking but all the planning all the times she dreamed as a child of getting married the memories, the anticipation and excitement was expressed right then and there.

The wedding party was so much fun and we enjoyed heading down to Broadripple to Chumley's to document them hanging out with their wedding party before going to the reception. The reception was held at the faboulous Indiana State Museum and was beautifully decorated.

We worked with some of the best in the business that day. Tonya Shadoan of Circle City Planners did an amazing job with all of the details. Setting that aside, Tonya and Randi developed a great friendship and that is one of the reasons you will see Tonya in the film. Jennifer Driscoll and her assistant Jordyn were the photographers and Jennifer worked her magic in stills and she was even wearing a cast. And DJ Brian Whitis, who did a phonomial job keeping the party going.

Thank you Randi and Whitney for making this a memory for us.

Sean + Sam - Converse, IN

2009-06-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

Sean + Sam from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

PRESS PLAY AND THEN PAUSE AND ALLOW THE VIDEO TO LOAD. ITS A LARGE FILE. WE THINK ITS WORTH THE WAIT.

We enjoyed filming Sean and Samantha's (Sam) wedding last Friday. This is an express edit that we offer as an upgrade. Just because it says express doesn't mean we sacrifice quality. We spent the same amount of time and effort in terms of editing and color grading. Sean and Sam will be celebrating again this weekend in New Jersey so that family and friends there can experience this special time in their life.

We really had a good vibe going with this couple. You can really tell that Sean and Sam are so much in love with each other. They had wonderful family and friends and the moment we walked through the door we felt welcomed.

It was a pleasure working for the first time with Jessica of Lemon Grass Photography.

Emily & Clint - Columbia Club

2009-05-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Emily and Clint - A Columbia Club Classic from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a refreshing wedding for us and we really enjoyed the beauty surrounding the couple. It was quite evident that both Emily and Clint were close to family and friends and this is a centerpiece of both of their lives. We love the opportunity we have to just sit back and observe the relationships and listen to what they say to each other and how they interact. The wedding day goes by so quickly and we enjoy the responsibility of documenting the day. We build our edits on the basis that everyone has a wedding day story to tell.

We enjoyed working with Teresa and Deanna with Eventful Planning. I have to say, they did an amazing job with the decor and the entire Wedding ran so smooth, even with some time crunch situations. A special thanks to AJ at the Columbia Club for making our job so much easier. Brian Whitis was the DJ who kept the momentum moving and we always enjoy working with him. The cake was created by Classic Cakes. We worked with Stuart Meyer of Stuart Meyer Photography.

In[Focus]

2009-05-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

We recently were asked to be part of In[Focus] as featured experts and to contribute as bloggers. There is so much happening right now in the world of wedding cinematography and we are excited to be part of this wave. In[Focus] was born out of a need to continue to educate and raise the bar for those interested in event videography. In fact, the tag line for In[Focus] is "Progressive Education for the Modern Videographer". We look forward to covering some of the tools and techniques we use and to share that to help propel other studios. We are big on looking for and finding things to inspire us and we will share this as well. Just like an artist uses different brushes and colors of paint to express and communicate the art to the viewer, we believe that the tools we use are only a means to communicate your wedding day story.

Randi & Whitney - MARRIED!

2009-04-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Randi & Whitney from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a beautiful wedding we filmed last weekend and this is just a short teaser for the final film. Randi and Whitney really made our job much easier and they had faith in our production ability and allowed us to be creative with getting the shots that we felt would enhance their film. It was a touching moment when Randi's Grandfather walked her halfway down the aisle to hand her off to her Father who then walked her to her waiting Groom, Whitney.

We had the pleasure of working as a team with Photographer Jennifer Driscoll and Jordyn Kirtley and Assistant Cherilyn Grubba. Jennifer has this amazing ability to connect with her clients, which only helps in getting the best shots. We also worked with Tonya Shadoan of Circle City Planners and my hat goes off to Tonya in her ability to keep things running so smooth and the details of the Wedding and the reception looked stunning. The wedding was at Saint Maria Goretti in Westfield, IN. The reception was held at the Indiana State Museum, which we really enjoyed. The reception was kept alive and well by DJ Brian Whitis.

Thank you Randi and Whitney.

John and Jennifer

ReFrame Austin

2009-04-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

We will soon be heading to the wonderful State of Texas to attend ReFrame, which will be held in Austin. We are looking forward to seeing some good friends from around the country and around the world. This will be a 3 day workshop to help hone our cinematography and filmmaking skills. This is an opportunity to learn from some of the top studios around and to collaborate and build relationships. We were in New Orleans last year and could not wait for the next ReFrame. We love any opportunity to study our craft. We will be working with some of the newest equipment available and will be meeting with some amazing talent while at ReFrame.

We believe that pushing our skills and our equipment to the edge will only bring about the best in our ability to create a custom handmade film, just for you and loved by your family.

Thanks,
John, Jennifer and Steve
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

The [Art] of Wedding Cinema

2009-04-07T19:08:00.001-07:00

Konrad and Michael discussing Cinevate 35mm adapters.

Ryan Koral and myself working with the Canon 5D Mark II rig

One thing we promised ourselves nearly 5 years ago was that we never wanted to be comfortable with the status quo. As visual artists we need to remain open to new ideas and techniques and to evolve over time. We were invited by Ryan Koral of Epic Motion in Michigan, to attend "The Art of Wedding Cinema" workshop. The workshop was presented by Still Motion, which just happens to be one of the most influential studios around. About 3 or 4 years ago, I stumbled upon the work of Patrick Moreau of Still Motion and have been a fan ever since. Two other presenters with Still Motion, Michael Y. Wong and Konrad Czystowski. I had watched both of their work before they joined Still Motion.

Wedding Cinematography has progressed to such a high level and many of our collegues around the world have amazing talent. The sharing of information and the constructive feedback they share has and continues to improve our ability to provide a wedding film with higher and higher production value.

The Still Motion workshop was an opportunity for us to learn and network with some good friends. But more importantly, setting the technical aspects aside, we learned more about using our skills to communicate a story. We have tools at our disposal and we select those tools as an artist would choose a brush or a color of paint. We discussed optics, light, composition, color grading, etc. We believe that education is an investment in ourselves and our company, which translates into a wedding film that you invested in.

We will be heading to Austin, TX toward the end of April to attend ReFrame, which is a multi-day workshop. We will be among a group of elite wedding filmmakers from the US and abroad.

Photos provided by Studio67.

John & Jennifer

Haiti Documentary

2009-03-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

The genesis of this project started a couple years ago with a chance meeting with Esperandieu Pierre and Aarron Sherick with Nehemiah Vision Ministries. Pastor Pierre was in the States trying to raise money for a water well in Chambrun Haiti. As he spoke of the need for clean water, I remembered thinking how we, myself included, take for granted the water that we have. We turn the faucet and expect water to come out. I approached Pastor Pierre and offered to donate my services and talents to help propel the message to a larger audience. Fast forward to a couple months ago and Pastor Pierre was in the US again and we met at our studio and to my surprise, he asked if he could just fly us down to Haiti to shoot what we needed. I told him we would be honored to do this. I would be lying if I told you I was not a little concerned with our safety after reading the US State Department warnings. I then remembered Pastor Steve Poe from Northview Christian Church who once said, "God tends to nudge and present opportunities and you just have to be able to recognize them and sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone to make a difference." My hesitation was brief after remembering this short but powerful message and I recognized this as my "nudge".

I had performed some research before our trip to Haiti, seeing pictures and learning about the history and the struggles the people of Haiti have gone through and continue to experience. It was a realization that humanity often gets caught up with disputes between governments. The people of Haiti, like you, me and your children have hopes and dreams and have prayers they want answered. Haiti is a melting pot of every social problem you can think of. Working on this project gave me a new appreciation for law and order and that we have an infrastructure that is probably the best in the world. I left the US hearing news of the recession and bailouts and arrived in a country that has an extremely poor economy. The poorest nation in the western hemisphere. People in this country are in survival mode, doing what they need to do to survive, which includes adults and children looking for food in dumps along with dogs and pigs. Women and teens using their bodies as a means of income or for food. There is a multitude of health problems and many people cannot read or write. My brother Steve purchased a wood carving from one of the markets and we asked the man to write Haiti on the bottom....he could not spell his own country. People in Haiti are begging you for money, not for any vice, but for food, to get them through a day or two.

We spent much of our time in a small village which once thrived as a community of people who worked and harvested sugar cane. This was once a lush area. The fields of sugar cane are gone for a number of reasons. There is nothing here. The trees on the mountains were stripped long ago and all is left is the bare mountainside as far as the eye can see. I say there is nothing here, except for small children and adults looking for hope and direction. It was not uncommon to see a little boy or little girl with little clothing on, dirty, and hungry. A young girl while at the school Nehemiah Vision Ministry built, had to lay down on the ground because she was so hungry. Some children will go days without eating. You hear stories of children making mud cakes. Mud cakes are a combination of mud and butter, mixed and then left to bake in the sun. There is no nutritional value but it kills the hunger they feel. But when the children saw us, an incredible contagious smile spread across their face. It broke my heart to look into their eyes knowing their parents were dead or had abandoned them. There are still some children that have a mother or father present but they are all in need. In need of affection, love, food, medical, education, etc.

We met a little girl named Fedlane who was approximately 5 or 6 years old. She was abandoned by her mother and she was found under a small bush, near death, covered with flies. Nehemiah Vision Ministries rescued her and nursed her back to health thanks to the medical mission team. Fedlane and many other children are being cared for at the childrens home in Chambrun, which was created by Nehemiah Vision Ministries for the people of this small community. Images of Fedlane and others will be with me forever.

This was an amazing experience for me and my brother Steve, who also shot with me. As we captured images through our lense and although we witnessed many things this way, we would debrief at the end of each day, sometimes quietly sitting and thinking and other times discussing what we saw and the stories we heard. You wonder how and why we are so blessed. Why not them? Possibly they do feel blessed. Blessed for what they do have. We realized that we have the luxury of traveling to this part of the world but we also have the luxury of escape.

Our trip was short but one last message was sent my way. On our way to the airport Steve pulled to the side of the road to visit one of the street vendors one final time, looking for something to take back. I stood outside our vehicle and watched as Steve negotiated with the street vendor. I felt a slight tug on my shirt and I turned around to see a young boy about 7 years old. He was barefoot and his clothing was tattered and worn. His face and arms were dirty. He didn't speak any english except to say "one dollar?" Without hesitation I pulled my cash out and found a dollar bill between some other higher currency. I handed it to him and he rolled it up, placed it in his pocket and he gave me a hug. This made me think quite a bit because this was a boy who should have been in school. Who was he? What is his story? Our flight back to the States, I looked out my window watching the clouds and thought about the little boy. I wondered why I didn't give him more money. Why not the $5.00 bill or the $10.00 or $20.00. It was one of those moments I wished that I could go back and do over.

Thanks to Esperandieu Pierre and his wife Deanne for there hospitality during our stay. Special thanks to our new friends Aaron Sherrick and Aaron Elliot and for being help behind the scenes.

We look forward to piecing the footage together.

John

Paige & Jonny

2009-03-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

Paige & Jonny from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We had a wonderful time filming the wedding of Paige and Jonny. This was our first time at St. Luke's Catholic Church and it was wonderful to work there. We decided to arrive a little early and get our establishing shots. There were so many things inside and outside the church to shoot. My favorite shot was inside the sanctuary and the sun light was coming through the stained glass. We were so excited to work with our good friends Nate & Amanda Reynolds of Turtle Pond Photography. We always have a great time when we get to work with them.

We also had the pleasure of working at the Historic Grand Hall at Union Station downtown Indianapolis. The staff there where fabulous and this is one our favorite places downtown to shoot.

Allyson & John

2009-03-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

Allyson & John from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.
We had a wonderful time filming Allyson & John's wedding. We met with the entire bridal party at the White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis for photos before the Ceremony. The very talented Melody & Jeremy Carpenter of Carpenter Photography & Design did an amazing job on the photos and we had a blast working with them.

The ceremony took place at New Hope Church in Greenwood, IN and the reception was at the Indiana Historical Society in downtown Indianapolis.

We could tell from the start that this was going to be a very fun wedding. As soon as the girls arrived at the park they were laughing. Allyson's father gave a very humorous speech at the reception that had everyone laughing, including me. Everyone was on their feet dancing the night away and having a great time.

Thank you John & Allyson for letting us be a part of your day.

Whitney and Mike

2009-02-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

Whitney & Mike from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a beautiful wedding we filmed in the quaint little town of French Lick, Indiana at French Lick Resort. This resort dates back to the mid 1800's and the water in the Springs was thought to be "miracle water". The original Hotel burned in 1897 and was rebuilt by 1901. The Hotel has been visited by gangsters and even a Presidential candidate in 1931, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

This was an emotional journey for both Whitney and Mike. The importance of family seems to always surface when we film a wedding. Even through all the tension, the heat and stress of the day, they always seem to turn out just right for the couple. Whitney looked beautiful in her wedding dress and even though I saw it on her before hand, seeing her come down the aisle in it was breathtaking. We shot alongside Bobbi and Mike who were tons of fun.

Thank you Whitney and Mike.

2009 Bride's Choice Award

2009-02-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Northernlight Filmworks has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Northernlight Filmworks is one of the very best videography companies.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

Northernlight Filmworks would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award.

Haiti

2009-02-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we are leaving for Haiti to film a short documentary about a school and a church through Nehemiah Vision Ministries. We are moving closer to our goal of $3,000.00. The money will be used to install a lift kit on their bus to keep it out of the water and mud as best as possible. So far, we have raised $820.00. We are departing on March 12th and hope to have the full amount before we leave.

If you would like to contribute to this cause, please send a check made payable to Nehemiah Vision Ministries. Please mail your contribution to Northernlight Filmworks 23 South 8th Street, Suite 700 Noblesville, IN 46060. Your cancelled check should suffice for a tax receipt but if you would like a receipt, please indicate to us that you would like one.

Thanks so far to:

Genesis Church
Jack & Myrna Moon
Tim and Madelyn Clark
Andrew & Brittany Ramsey
Michele and Todd Reel
Metody Popov and Kendra Allen
Scott & Becky Miller
William Reiner

Featured on April Foster Events

2009-02-10T12:11:00.001-08:00

We had the pleasure of meeting April Foster of April Foster Events and sharing a little bit about us and our studio. We are looking forward to working with April this year. She has a very nice blog with lots of helpful information.

You can read our feature here: April Foster Events

Thanks April for taking the time to meet with us.

John, Jennifer & Steve
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

LeAnn and David - Indianapolis Wedding

2009-02-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

LeAnn & David from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.
This was a beautiful wedding we filmed for LeAnn and David. A great couple and a great family. This was a memorable wedding for us since we filmed their engagement shoot, the rehearsal dinner and then the wedding. The rehearsal dinner was more like a wedding reception and the guests had a great time. The dinner was held at the Woodstock Country Club.

We filmed this in high definition and you will also see a section where we shot Super 8 film. Primarily this was when LeAnn was getting ready. We worked with Wedding Planner Casey Scott of Etcetera, who did a remarkable job. Andrew Scalini was the photographer.

The wedding was held at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis and the reception was at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, one of our favorite places to shoot.

This edit is an example of our long version highlights. These do take longer to edit because of the focus in building the edit to tell the story of the wedding within about a 20 minute window. There is also several hours involved in color grading each clip.

The most memorable part of this wedding for us was the speech that LeAnn's father gave. It was moving and emotional. We love witnessing the families and how they recall the important memories. It's not the "stuff" but the things you do with each other. The moments that seem suspended in time until you come back to retrieve them.

Sincerely,
John and Jennifer Moon
"Don't forget the story of who you are"
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Super 8 Film - Bridal Elegance Jessica

2009-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

Super 8 Film - Bridal Elegance - Jessica from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.
This was a Bridal Elegance shoot we did with Jessica, who is getting married later this year. She is a natural in front of the camera and could easily grace the cover of any style or bridal magazine. This was our first to shoot alongside the incredibly talented Jennifer Driscoll. Jennifer has the most authentic and sincere personality, which is so critical when connecting with couples.

The location is a rising star as a unique venue for weddings. The house is called "The Ambassador House". This is a historical structure dating back over 170 years ago. Go here Ambassador House, to read more about the history.

This film was shot with Super 8 film stock. We used Kodak film both in color and black and white stock. The film was processed at a lab in California. There are 3 or 4 shots that we shot using 35mm lense adapter, which gives video a very film like look. These are just a few of the tools that we utilize to give your wedding film a professional timeless look.

After spending the day shooting, we collected our thoughts and recreated in our mind what we thought the day portrayed. I kept getting a French style vibe. Jessica just had this French elegant style look that day. The song French Song by Kate Walsh was a perfect fit. If you like folk style music, you have to check out Kate Walsh.

A special thanks to April Hensley at the Ambassador House for allowing us access to the home and for being so patient. The makeup was done by one of our all time favorite makeup artists, Kiralee with EyeMax by Kiralee. Jessicas stunning hair was done by Irina Green. Flowers were donated by McNamara Florist. Thanks for Leslie Jones of Leslie Jones Weddings & Events for handling the wedding dress for us. We are grateful to be surrounded by true professionals who are passionate about what they do.

Finally, thank you Jessica for being so gracious with your time and sucking it up and walking around on that cold day. Your soon to be husband will certainly have one of the most beautiful brides.

Thanks,
John and Jennifer
'Life-Love-Laughter'
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Make a Difference - Haiti

2009-01-29T14:36:00.001-08:00

John and Steve will be traveling to Haiti to film a short documentary about a school and a church in Haiti. We need your help. We made contact with Nehemiah Visioin Ministries today to find out what their most immediate needs are. They indicated that their bus needs a lift kit for safe passage after a heavy rain. The cost of installing a lift kit is $3,000.00.

The departure date for this trip will be somewhere around March 12th and we would like to raise the needed $3,000.00 before that date. There is not a lot of time but we know it can be done.

If we just get 600 people to give $5.00 it's a done deal. We will be posting photos and some video of the trip. If you would please help us spread the word, I know there is a village in Haiti that would be so grateful as would we.

Please make the check out to Nehemiah Vision Ministries and send to our studio at 23 South 8th Street, Suite 700, Noblesville, IN 46060. Your cancelled check should serve as a tax receipt but if you would like a receipt, please indicate so and we would be happy to e-mail or mail you a receipt.

Thank you.
John, Jennifer and Steve

6 years of marriage

2009-01-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, January 25th will be our 6 year anniversary. It's hard to believe 6 years have gone by. We are so blessed with our 5 children, family, and friends. Thanks for all your love and support. We are so thankful for our growing business and the best clients.

I was looking at our photo album remembering our wedding day. So many emotions were flowing. I remember crying as soon as I got my dress on. I was so overcome with happines. I had found my Prince Charming. Then when I walked down the isle and saw him waiting there for me. Wow, did he look awesome in his suit. I am reminded of our wedding day weekly as our clients get up in front of their family and friends to say their vows. I always look over at John when the vows are being said. That is one of the perks of our job.

Happy Anniversary John! I love you and I am so blessed to be your wife. You truely are my soul mate and other half. I can't wait to discover what our next 6 years have in store for us.

Jen

Adam and Kimberly - A Classic Wedding

2009-01-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

Adam & Kimberly from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We travelled to Chicago to film Adam and Kimberly's wedding. We didn't get a chance to meet Adam and Kim before the wedding but thanks to Facebook, we were able to peek a little into their personalities. We remembered when we first arrived and walked into the house where Kim was getting ready and how beautiful she was. She thanked us for traveling up to Chicago, which meant a lot to us because we were the ones that wanted to thank them for hiring us. We love starting the day out with the Bride and seeing how the day starts out slow and the banter of talk and laughter between family and friends gravitates to a frenzy of activity. Kimberly had this romantic charm to her that begged to be captured on Super 8 film. We shot about 3 rolls of Super 8 film and mixed it in with the HD footage. Kimberly's dress was stunning and it complimented her very well. We met up with Adam and his buds at his house. Adam is one of those guys who probably treats everyone the same, strangers or friends. Thanks Adam for the cheeseburgers :)

There are several moments that we love. The moment the Groom sees his Bride coming down the isle, the vows, the kiss, etc.. We also enjoy observing the relationship that the daughter has with her father. Kimberly's Dad gave a wonderful speech that really made us realize that its sometimes the simple things you do with your children that matter the most. Those things that create memories are often hidden in the moment, but in time, those moments become so cherished. The Father Son relationship was very evident with Adams father and his strong commitment to faith and family. We couldn't help to notice how obviously close Adam was to his mother and their emotional Mother Son dance.

Thank you Adam and Kimberly.

Life Love Laughter
John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Patrick + Tiffany = Southern Charm

2009-01-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Patrick and Tiffany - Southern Charm from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a mini destination wedding for us. The place: Morganfield, Kentucky. A small southern town was the backdrop of this emotion filled wedding of Patrick and Tiffany. Being in Morganfield for a few days really helped us observe the family, friends and the couple and how they all interacted with each other. It was always quite evident from the first time we spoke with Patrick on the phone, that relationships and family were top on their list. Being in the wings we picked up on how well connected the family was to the town of Morganfield. Not in a political sense but a connection of the heart. The Groom and the Brides family seemed to dance in concert with each other and lean heavily on their faith. The family's of both were so sincere and the hospitality was very much appreciated. We had an opportunity to interview both Patrick and Tiffany and these are always very relaxed and it just becomes a conversation, which inherently brings out true and authentic emotions. Spending time with the couple without being invasive props the edit up as being true and sincere.

My colleague Chris Jones of Mason Jar Films, coined the term "Indie Cinematic" and that's how this edit feels to us.

Thank you Patrick and Tiffany, for making this a memory for us and we wish you both all the best in your quest to leave your mark in life.

Sincerely,
John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Molly and Jeff

2009-01-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

Molly & Jeff from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was a wedding we filmed for Molly and Jeff in Anderson, IN. We also filmed their love story, which was shown at the reception. We love doing the interviews because it helps us get in touch with personalities and to observe the chemistry of the couple. The wedding was beautiful.

We worked alongside one of our favorite photographers, Matthew Gordon. We always enjoy seeing the work he places on his blog.

Experience the Difference - Wedding Cinematography

2009-01-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

Photo by SB Childs Photography

It's hard to believe that 2009 is here. We had an outstanding year in 2008 and we met some of the greatest couples and worked with some of the best wedding professionals around. We have so many memorable stories and funny things happen. We keep saying that we need to keep a journal and write a book someday. When all 3 of us are working together the chemistry is so good and we really do enjoy the work we do. We made several trips to Chicago this year and we always enjoy filming there.

In 2008 we were voted Indiana's number one videographer by Channel 6. Setting the award aside, it was the heart felt comments that we received from current and former clients. We traveled to New Orleans as part of an elite group of wedding cinematographers called ReFrame, to network and discuss techniques and just have fun. In April we will be traveling to Austin for ReFrame again. But before that, John will be traveling to Haiti to film a short documentary on a school that has been built and a water well project. Stay tuned for that.

2009 is going to be yet another great year. We are very excited about some new collaborations that we have in the works. We will continue to film weddings in HD, explore some new technology and continue to push our work to the edge. We are always aware that the heart of your film rests with the story of the courtship, the proposal and the wedding day itself. Too often we get caught up in the technology and how great HD looks or the latest and greatest camera. We have been guilty of that ourselves. But our commitment is to focus on the relationships. The parents, the couple, family and friends. Wedding Cinematography is as much about the stories as it is the imagery. Our style is not to be invasive but to capture those candid moments. This is one of the most important days of your life and we take the responsibility of capturing those brief moments in time seriously.

Northernlight Filmworks produces highly customized films so that your wedding film will be tailored to your personality and to mirror the emotions of the day. What sets us apart from others is our ability to be true storytellers. We specialize in wedding cinematography. If you want your wedding to have a more vintage romantic feel, we are the only studio in Indiana that shoots Super 8 and 16mm film for weddings. All stock is purchased fresh and processed in California. (Super 8 sample) We also shoot with 35mm adapters to give the video a more film like appearance. Northernlight Filmworks also offers Same Day Edits. A Same Day Edit is a highlight of the day, which is shown during the reception. (Sample here)

As always, we look forward to meeting new couples and fostering a positive relationship from the day we meet and beyond. We have so many former clients that we feel are friends. Its always bitter sweet for us as we pack up our gear at the reception and say our goodbyes.

Give us a call or e-mail us and we would be glad to meet with you at our studio downtown Noblesville or wherever it is most convenient for you. We are rapidly booking dates for 2009 and we are looking forward to some fun places this year.

John, Jennifer & Steve Moon
Northernlight Filmworks

Schedule Consultation

If you like Jack Johnson

2009-01-06T13:47:00.001-08:00

I happened to run across this artist on Pandora radio on my iPhone over the holidays. If you like Jack Johnson, you will love Donavon Frankenreiter. It's such great cruzin music and if you close your eyes, you just might flash back to those days of doing nothing but diggin your toes in the sand and staring out at the ocean blue. When I first heard his music it had the same vibe as Jack Johnson and I did a little research and discovered that they are actually good friends. The lyrics and the music itself have such great depth and soul to it.

I love the song "Life, Love, Laughter". Isn't that what we all want :) I told Jennifer last night that the song was going to be our theme song for 2009. I can't wait to see him in concert sometime.

Check the song out here.

Adam + Laura

2009-01-05T04:50:00.000-08:00

Adam + Laura from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This was an engagement shoot that we shot for Adam and Laura. They will be able to use this as a Save The Date video announcement. This is not meant to replace the traditional Save The Date cards but only to enhance them.

This was shot at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) grounds and also at Broadripple Village. We liked how the two location contrasted with each other. We shot for the first time with Jessica Strickland, who does some amazing work and she does a great job in relaxing the couple to bring out the natural personalities, which makes our job much easier.

Adam and Laura were so much fun and they just rolled with whatever the environment was and made this a fun evening. We are looking forward to spending the day with Adam and Laura on their wedding day.

John, Jennifer and Steve
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Jay & Michelle - Same Day Edit

2008-12-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-10T13:40:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T20:42:00.000-08:00

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

Katie and Crash = FUN

2008-11-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T14:48:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

Andrew + Natalie

2008-10-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T13:43:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-08-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-29T08:49:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-17T15:35:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-07-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

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

Tessa + Evan Highlight

2008-06-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

CLICK IMAGE TO PLAY
After you click the image to play, press the pause button and let video load. This is a high definition video.

This is the Highlight video of Tessa and Evan. This was a wedding held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, IN. We had the pleasure of filming their Love Story and this let us in a bit on how they met and how Evan proposed to Tessa. Evan is currently on another tour of Iraq.

The song used in the video was by Bryan Adams and this was Tessa and Evans First Dance song.

Thanks Evan and Tessa for being such great clients.

John and Jennifer Moon
www.northernlightfilmworks.com

Something cOOL and hIP

2008-06-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

While at the Summer Bridal Show at the Allisonville Nursery on Sunday, we came across a really fun idea for your reception. We had the pleasure of meeting David Johnson, President of Indy Photo Booth. At the end of the day, David let us sample the booth and as you can tell, we were in one of those quirky moods. We really love this concept and we are always looking for things that are different and unique. In talking with David he said they have an authentic 1940's photo booth. We got to talking about the fact that we shoot Super 8 film and how his service adds a little uniqueness to the wedding and is vintage like Super 8. Please don't think this will replace your photographer....as you can tell by our pictures, not a lot of control over content. But hey its very candid. What we would like to do is hide one of our cameras in the booth and just let it roll as people get in. Now that would be a fun edit! Anyway check out Indy Photo Booth.

John
www.northernlightfilmworks.com
Indianapolis Wedding Video

Trash The Dress - Brittany

2008-05-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

*All images are copyright of Kevin Monahan Photography

We had a blast filming a Trash the Dress session with one of our former Brides, Brittany. We filmed Andrew and Brittany Ramsey's wedding last June in Colorado at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO. The couple has since relocated to Boston. Andrew and Brittany flew in from Boston last week and we filmed this last Sunday. We scouted for a location and found a beautiful farm in Mooresville, IN. The farm is owned by Mutt and Joyce Robinson. Their home was featured on HGTV last year. A special thanks to Mutt and Joyce for allowing us to use their property. This was an edgy kind of shoot and I had to laugh as I saw Mutt up on the hill looking down at us while Brittany was in the water with her dress on. Mutt had this bewildered frozen smile and then said; "They sure do things different now".

There are varying opinions about these kind of shoots and I've heard everything from "How Cool" to "Why on earth would someone want to do this?" From the Brides point of view there can be a host of reasons. Some have the opinion that after the wedding, it's going to be tucked away and never be seen for years. Some Brides have said that this is the ultimate committment to her husband in that, there will be no next time. It may be something that she wants to express and for her, this is one way of communicating to her husband and a direct expression of her personality. Some Brides may not have any hidden meaning or expression, they just want to have FUN!

From the artist point of view, Videographer / Photographer you have to push the creativity and to be able to use the environment you are in to enhance your subject and to tell the story. These types of shoots allow the gloves to come off so to speak, for the videographer / Photographer and let the moments and inspirations dictate the flow of the shoot.

This was so much fun. I feel like we came full circle with Brittany. We shot their love story months before the June wedding and then we had the pleasure of filming Andrew and Brittany's wedding, which was a great memory in and of itself. Now here we are nearly one year later having a blast playing in the mud and water. The cows even had a look about them trying to figure things out.

We invited our good friends and photographers, Kevin and Alicia Monahan with Kevin Monahan Photography. They are increadibly talented and they consistently produce stunning imagery. Alicia sent me the very first photo with the torch and I was simply blown away. Thanks Kevin and Alicia for bouncing the creativity around.

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to build a torch and as I planned this shoot there just had to be a torch. It took a little time to build but it turned out very Indiana Jones like.

We had two of our assistants, Steve Moon and Ryan Riggs. Steve was camera backup and managed the fog and fire stuff. Ryan ran the Glidecam all day. Special thanks to Nikki Mecklenburg from LaPosh in Sheridan, IN for doing hair and makeup for Brittany.

Stay tuned for the video we shot. Filmed in High Definition. Also shot some Super8 film. We have a very edgy song that was selected for the video. We have all the footage logged. The first step is to rough cut the footage and then we go through a time intensive color grading process and then fine tune the edit and then complete final color grading. Taking the time to boost colors and getting a nice contrast takes time but it will show in the end product.

We have another Trash the Dress shoot scheduled this summer so be on the lookout for that one as well. We have a few open dates if anyone else is interested in these types of shoots, even if we were not your videographer, let us know and we can meet for a consultation. Just shoot us an e-mail at info@northernlightfilmworks.com or give me a call at 317-605-9177.

Comments welcome.

Live life....Have fun.

-John

A Great Father Daughter Song

2008-05-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'm always searching for some new music and ran across this Christian artist, Natalie Grant. I found a song that would be PERFECT for a Father Daughter dance. Dancing to this song with the fog machine would really be powerful. Actually it might even work for a highlight video too. The title of the song is "Always Be Your Baby".

Let me know what you think of it.

John

Jeff & Lindsay - Huber's Orchard & Winery

2008-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

High Definition.

Here is a trailer we did for Jeff & Lindsay, which was held at the beautiful Huber's Orchard & Winery in Starlight Indiana. Jen and I want to return when we have more time to enjoy some southern Indiana wine. Lindsay looked beautiful on her wedding day and her parent's, I'm sure, were very proud. We had a great time with Jeff and Lindsay. We worked with Photographer Sara Petty, who nailed some great stills of the couple. The staff at Huber's Orchard & Winery were very helpful and accomodating.

We kept our eye in the radar since rain was forcast and this was an outdoor wedding. It was a little windy but we avoided any rain.

Congratulations Lindsay and Jeff....Hope you enjoyed your Honeymoon!

David & Deanna -Downers Grove Wedding

2008-05-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

Large file...give it some time to load. Requires Quicktime 7.

This is a HD trailer of a wedding we filmed in Downers Grove, Illinois. We met Deanna and David earlier this year and found them to be really great couple. The wedding ceremony and reception were held at the Sara Lee building. We tried to get some shots early in the morning and got permission from the security guard. While in the Ballroom area there was a really inviting shot I had to get on the deck outside. I looked at the door and all I saw was the word "EXIT". I looked around and saw several other doors that looked the same. I asked Jennifer, "You don't think this is a fire exit do you?" She didn't think so. So...I pushed the door open and the alarm sounded. You should have seen Jennifer walk away from me like...I'm not with him. So the Sara Lee guard came marching in and proceeded to lecture us on the fact that this was a secure building. There are spies who want the brownie recipe. We explained how we got ourselves in such a predicament to no avail. We promptly excused ourselves from the premises.....BUT I got my shot! This same day I accidentally got in the wrong lane for paying a toll and blew right through it. Of course they have a photo of my plate. So we got close to where we were supposed to be and I had to make a U-turn. No sign anywhere saying you couldn't...but when I did a local cop pointed and shook his finger at me. What a day...felt like some kind of fugitive on the run!

After all of that, Deanna and David had a beautiful wedding that really ended our day on a positive note. SAR Studios photographed the wedding and they were a pleasure to work with.

September 13, 2008 Opening

2008-04-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

We had a cancellation for Saturday, September 13, 2008. So if you are interested in booking that date we now have it open. Please contact us at either 317-407-2648 or 317-605-9177 to book it.

Erica + Paul -Christ Church Cathedral

2008-04-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is a High Definition trailer for Erica and Paul's wedding last weekend. It was touch and go, whether we were going to get rained on...but it turned out to be a great day and evening. The wedding was a beautiful wedding held at Christ Church Cathedral on Monument Circle. As usual, we got there early to get some creative shots of the architecture and some shots to establish place.

Paul and Erica were a blast to shoot. Escaping the reception at the Columbia Club, we made our way to the circle to get some really cool, "high fashion" shots. Erin Hession was the photographer and we collaborated very well together all day and evening. It's so nice working with a high caliber photographer who you have chemistry with....It equates to a better product for the client. Assisting Erin was Melissa and Erin's husband, John. We previewed some of their shots and the quality was incredible.

I love Christ Church Cathedral. It's one of those storybook type of churches that you imagine. Kind of like a Dickens Village church. While I was inside I met a couple from Russia and another couple from Brazil who were admiring the church.

We shot in HD and also broke out our Super 8. Super 8 is actual film and gives the video a vintage look. We have to ship the footage off to California for processing and then we will digitize to get it onto our editing system. Look for our Highlight of this wedding, which will incorporate some Super 8 footage.

Thanks,
John and Jennifer

Tessa + Evan

2008-04-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

*PLAY VIDEO TRAILER HERE> Requires high speed connection.

This is a wedding trailer we filmed in High Definition. The Highlight is a coming soon attraction. This is actually the second wedding for Tessa and Evan within a year. Not to different people but to each other and no they didn't divorce and remarry. Evan is serving his country in the Army and the two really met as a matter of fate. Tessa had been on a cruise and Evan was on his way back from a tour in Iraq. Tessa wasn't even supposed to be on that flight but her Mom helped her change flights and well the rest is history. The two hit it off quickly on the flight home and a series of phone calls, e-mails and simple meetings bonded the two together. The first wedding was planned in a very short period of time because Evan was to be deployed again back to Iraq. They were married but then the deployment was delayed. Tessa like any girl wanted to really celebrate so they planned a re-affirmation ceremony. This was held at the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis, IN.

We also filmed their Love Story, which they talked about how they met, how the relationship kept moving forward and how Evan proposed. I love doing these because we feel a bit more connected to the couple. I admire both Tessa and Evan. They have carried on a long distance relationship and rely upon writing each other to stay in touch. Honor is how I describe Evan. He has and is placing his life in danger for his country while in Iraq. We talked about his first tour and how his next tour, which he leaves this month, and how they are different. He said, he always knew the danger and even more so now but the difference this time is that he not only is responsible for his fellow soldiers but he also has a Wife that he loves and needs to take care of. Evan talked about how, he is not afraid to die because of his strong faith, he knows where he is going. He talked about how he loves his Tess and looks forward to return to take care of her.

As we have said before, we learn something from each wedding we film. Not from an artistic or technical perspective but we learn something about the people and their relationships. For this wedding, it made me take a step back and realize first how lucky we are to have brave men and women fighting for our country and secondly it made me reflect on Jennifer and how I get to see her every day and we sometimes take for granted those times that we are together, particularly when you compare it to the Tess and Evan.

Evan is looking forward to the end of his military duty so that he and Tess can really start their lives together.

We wish Evan a safe return from the big sandbox.

Thank you Tess and Evan for being great clients.....and Mom Thanks for finding us!

John and Jennifer

Michael Treinen - Follow Up

2008-04-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is just a follow-up to a previous post and also to say thanks to those of you that donated. I was very skeptical that they were going to be able to raise $500K in less than a week but it happened. Just goes to show you the power of the internet but more importantly the good will that still exists in this world. Living here in Noblesville, we heard many stories like the little girl who emptied her purse with her allowance to a teenager who had been saving all year for her Senior trip only to give it all to help Michael. Although these were monetary gifts it really shows these were gifts from the heart.

From The Indianapolis Star

"April 10, 2008-Jane Younce
We witnessed a miracle and humanity's kindness during fundraiser for Treinen$856,000 given to Treinen medical fund shows God's work
Pat Dorwin found herself smack dab in the middle of a miracle this week.
I'm glad I had the chance to sit down and talk with the Harris Bank employee, because media accounts couldn't possibly convey the information or emotion felt by Pat and her fellow coworkers as something larger than life took place this past week in Noblesville.
It started with a simple e-mail asking for a small donation for Michael Treinen, a 2007 Noblesville High School graduate who is desperately in need of a bone-marrow transplant but at his $1 million lifetime insurance limit. Michael's friends and classmates collected money, businesses and churches gave money and local restaurants donated proceeds of their sales. All of this effort was to raise more than $500,000 for Treinen's transplant after he hit the limit.
For several days, people poured into the Noblesville Harris Bank branch to make donations. So far this week, about $856,000 has been raised to offset the cost of the transplant. Employees from other branches had to be brought in to help with processing the donations.
I sat with goose bumps and tears in my eyes as Pat described how one little girl, who was barely visible above the countertop, gave her purse to Pat and told her to open it. The purse contained around $9.76. The little girl said it was all her allowance money, and money she had earned by picking up sticks in the yard. I asked Pat how she keeps from crying, to which she replied, "I didn't."
Pat also talked about people from around the country calling in, asking if the Treinen fund was legitimate and when the bank confirmed it, donations poured in from all over the nation and abroad. One lady on the phone said she had just been laid off from her job, but she thought she could afford to send $20. Oh, the tug of the heartstrings. Kids broke their piggy banks, teenagers emptied their pockets and hundreds of thousands of coins rolled into the branch.
I cannot imagine the worry and exhaustion the Treinen family has been through since their son's diagnosis. But "ask and you shall receive," was surely put to the test and the heavens opened. It shouldn't be a surprise that the man upstairs was listening or that he allowed us to experience a miracle when we were least expecting it. God is all about miracles. Sometimes we just have to be bold enough to ask. The Treinen family went beyond bold.
And in the face of this miracle, we have seen the face of humanity -- and it is good. Today it seems that when one turns on the television or picks up a newspaper, all we get are murders and deaths. Night after night we are subjected to images of violence on the news. Seldom are we subjected to something so pure and holy.
But it happened last week in Noblesville. And the ripple effects from this miracle are sure to be felt around the world. I truly believe every single person who donated, whether it was $5 or $5,000, will be touched in an awesome way. I know Pat will never forget the experience."

Ingrid & Chris

2008-04-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

Ingrid & Chris from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

High bandwidth video here.

We had a great time getting to know Ingrid and Chris. The wedding was at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN. The church provided some interesting architechural shots, which we always make a point to get. We worked with the talented photographer, Erin Hession.

Ingrid is a beautiful girl and this was really evident on her wedding day. Ingrid has a classic look to her and she was a blast to film. Chris was so easy going, I'm not sure if he was nervous or not. The couple had Stefan Rautenberg conduct the ceremony. Stefan flew in from Germany and is part of their family.

You will see in the Highlight some cut away shots to the last dance lesson that Ingrid and Chris had just before their wedding. I love it when couples have taken the time to learn a dance for their "First Dance".

The reception was held at the Omni in Indianapolis. A special thanks to them for being very accomodating. We would finally like to thank Ingrid and Chris for making this another memory for us.

John and Jennifer
Northernlight Filmworks

Sabrina + Brian

2008-04-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Sabrina + Brian from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

This is the Highlight from Sabrina and Brian's wedding. The wedding was held at Oakbrook Community Church in Kokomo, IN. The couple planned a beautiful wedding and had a great first dance that they took lessons for. It was obvious that Brian and his sister have a special bond and this was highlighted in the video. Surrounded by family and friends, Sabrina and Brian celebrated into the evening at Pastoriffic, which provided a quaint backdrop for their wedding. Keeping things moving along was one of our favorite DJ's, Mike Jones who owns Music Magic.

A special thanks to Sabrina and Brian for being such great clients.

John and Jennifer Moon

Urgent Help!

2008-04-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

We are asking for help for cash donations for Michael Treinen. Michael has been giving cancer a good fight and he is in urgent need of a transplant and a donor has been found. Insurance has run out and we would like for you to consider a donation, small or large. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to fight cancer, both for Michael and his family but to also be faced with the financial strain of dealing with the cost of treatment to help save a life. It is amazing how people who care about other people can come together to fight the good fight.

Click on Michael Treinen to read about him.

Donations should be sent to:

Michael Treinen Medical Trust Fund
c/o Mr. Sid Loomis
Harris Bank
107 W. Logan St.
Noblesville, IN 46060

Thanks for you help.

John and Jennifer Moon

ReDesign

2008-03-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

We did a slight redesign to our website to take care of those who had trouble with the Flash site loading. We added a mirror site in html, which should load rapidly. Special thanks to Chad Jackson of Pingstorm for getting this done. As with most sites, video takes a bit of patience to view. Usually the best thing to do is to click on the link of the video you want to view, then hit the pause button to allow the video to load about 1/2 way. This should give you enough buffer so the play head doesn't catch up. Remember that bandwidth is King and if you have a lot of demand on your server the bandwidth will drop and so will the playability (is that even a word?). Now... watching HD can be a little different. HD usually takes longer to load because there is so much more image data, which is why HD looks so good. If you visit our site or even a competitor's site have a little patience while trying to watch the video. As always, we encourage you to request a DVD demo or come into our studio.

We can run some HD through our Apple TV for you to watch.

We are getting close to our busy season kickoff and are very excited. We have a new site that we will be announcing very soon. As soon as we are close to going live, we will announce the name and site location. We look forward to some exciting things in the future. We have an interesting shoot in May and will probably put some photos up first and then the video will follow.

We have been busy networking with some of the nations top wedding videographers, sharing ideas and really hoping to raise the level of the video / film experience.

Thanks,

John

Our client loved this artist-and so do we

2008-03-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

One of our clients wrote to tell us what they thought about their wedding video...well here is what they said:

"Hi there! We just wanted to say thanks again for your hard work and awesome piece of art you created out of our wedding video. It will stay with us forever as a memory of our special day together! We love it!"

-Kellie and Josh

Part of the wedding highlight featured a song by one of my new favorite artists Kate Walsh titled "Your Song". Kellie and Josh particularly liked this artist as well. This is such a simple melody and to me, the words and the structure of the song make it a soon to be hit. She has another song titled "Tonight", which I really like as well. Kate is an artists from Brighton, UK and here is her MySpace link: http://www.myspace.com/katewalsh

Check out her entire album...I would recommend the entire albums of "Tim's House" and"Clocktower Park"

Thanks,

John

Re:Frame

2008-02-27T05:27:00.001-08:00

We will be attending Re:Frame08 this coming October in New Orleans. We are excited to be a part of the new era of videographers. We totally believe in the Re:Frame vision, and here it is:

VISION

"Re:Frame is a community of storytellers who came together in 2007 with a clear vision: that being an event filmmaker is pretty freak'n cool, and it's about damn time we have a movement that relfects that. Through various forms of community, Re:Frame will continually find, develop and promote an exclusive list of filmmakers who will be messengers of event filmmaking to a world that longs to re:live the emotion, passion, and joy of life."

Re:fine your talent

Re:new your spirit

Re:fresh your mind

Re:Frame

This year, we will be announcing some new concepts at Northernlight to keep event filmmaking new, engaging and dynamic and more importantly memorable for our clients. Re:Frame will certainly be a collaborative event and we are looking forward to doing some shooting in the French Quarter. I have had an interest in photography from an early age and Re:Frame08 will be in conjunction with ImageX. ImageX will have 10 of the nations top photographers present for workshops. So I will be hauling my Nikon with me. I had a discussion with one of our other shooters and we were discussing photography this week. Staying close to photography makes you a better filmmaker. You have to pay particular attention to exposure, lighting, speed, frame, and composition. Just like being a good shooter makes you a better editor and being a good editor makes you a better videographer, they all feed off of each other.

We really can't wait to introduce you to some of the new things we will be doing this year, so stay tuned to the blog.

John and Jennifer

Fun with Anne Ruthmann

2008-02-25T20:32:00.001-08:00

THE DUCKPIN BOWLING GANG

Anne Ruthman-Spotlight- "The Gag Reel" from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

We recently shot a promo for Anne Ruthmann of Anne Ruthmann Photography. This girl knows how to have fun! Anne flew in 2 clients and 1 client was from the Indianapolis area. Anne has this knack about attracting really great people...probably has a lot to do with Anne's character and she IS a Character! We laughed so much that weekend. We spent about 6 or 7 hours getting interviews and some b-roll footage. It was amazing to see how these couples, who had never met previously, seemed to be long lost friends. Its all about personality and seeing how Anne is so outgoing it shouldn't have surprised us how all the couples had this natural chemistry going on.

We all (our kids too!) went out to eat and then duckpin bowling compliments of Anne. What fun that was. We wore the kids out. We got home about 1AM and the next morning the kids looked like they went 12 rounds. They said, "boy Anne sure is fun".

We hope to have the edit done on the promo sometime in April and then the project goes off to get a custom music score done. Stay tuned.

Desiree + Kyle Part II

2008-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Desiree + Kyle - Part II from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

Desiree indicated that she really like 60's music and specifically the Beatles. We took out the original song that we selected for this e-shoot and added the new song. This just goes to show you how much of a role music scores add to film or video. Watch them both and even though the footage is exactly the same, the feel of the piece is slightly different. (Version I is on a previous post below)

We spend hours every week researching music so that we will know where to turn for the right moment. I'm a big fan of the Indie music scene. Partly because many of them are unknown and there is a certain amount of satisfaction in finding an unknown artist that people haven't heard yet.

Thanks,
John and Jennifer

Josh & Kellie - In Harmony

2008-02-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

Josh & Kellie - In Harmony from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

What a pleasure it is getting to know your clients. We met Josh and Kelly last year and talked with them about their background and how they met. Both are teachers and both love music. Josh and Kellie met on eHarmony and we produced a love story incorporating how they met and how Josh proposed to Kellie. The lovestory was shown at their reception. We were very impressed with how committed they both were with their faith. A lot of that has to do with the the caliber of family they both come from.

We say this often but we just can't emphasize it enough to say that we are so lucky to be associated with great people. We look at each wedding as a journey. Although it is very demanding and stressful work, we absolutely love everything about it. The reward for us is not so much the monetary aspect but the reward in being able to communicate the feeling of the day, tell a story and to assist in archiving these moments that but for the sake of video and photos would only be an etching in our memory. It was an honor that Kellie, Josh and their family welcomed us in documenting their snap shot in time.

Thanks,
John and Jennifer

Scott + Laura

2008-02-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

Scott + Laura from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

Here is an engagement shoot we did with Scott and Laura along with their photographer Claire Corbin. We had a lot of fun doing this shoot downtown Indy. They picked one of my favorite singers, Jack Johnson. We are excited to be filming their wedding and know from meeting and working with them that they are going to be a blast to shoot and my bets are the wedding will be fun. The photos in the video were provided by Claire, who did an awesome job.

Thanks,
John and Jennifer

A Regret

2008-02-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

Julie Hill of Elysium Productions pointed this video out. This was a video found on You Tube that communicates a message we hear often and that is "We regret not hiring a professional to film our wedding". We usually hear these comments after a friend or family member views one of our videos. We also hear this at Bridal Shows. I agree with Julie in that the video is a little corny but the message is important.

Feel free to comment on your thoughts about this video.

John and Jennifer

Only Accepting 2 More Weddings for 2008

2008-02-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

We are just a few weddings away from our max for 2008. We have a few dates open in March, April and November. If you are getting married in these month and want to book with us please contact us as soon as possible to reserve your date. We are also starting to book for 2009. Don't wait until the last minute to book.

You can contact us by email at info@northernlightfilmworks.com or by phone 317-407-2648 or 317-605-9177.

John and Jennifer

Jack Johnson = Great Album

2008-02-08T17:17:00.001-08:00

Ok I am a huge Jack Johnson fan and just got his new album, "Sleep Through the Static". Every song is great and usually I get an album and there are usually some bad ones, that's what made iTunes so great.

Everytime I listen to any of his songs I just picture myself barefoot and under a palm tree, beach chair and a select adult beverage!

Check out the album.

Northernlight Filmworks-Indianapolis Wedding Video

Goodbye Old Blog

Northernlight Filmworks on LensFlare35

Jennifer + Jaime | The Mercados|

Heirloom Session | Moore Family |

Victoria & Jason

Woodstock CC Classic - Maggie & Hunter

We are Featured on "The Bride's Cafe"

We are Featured in an International Magazine

The Wedding of Aaron and Cindy

Romantic Super 8 Film

Haiti

Emily & Clint - At the Columbia Club

Northernlight Filmworks - Opening doors to your Story

Randi & Whitney

Sean + Sam - Converse, IN

Emily & Clint - Columbia Club

In[Focus]

Randi & Whitney - MARRIED!

ReFrame Austin

The [Art] of Wedding Cinema

Haiti Documentary

Paige & Jonny

Allyson & John

Whitney and Mike

2009 Bride's Choice Award

Haiti

Featured on April Foster Events

LeAnn and David - Indianapolis Wedding

Super 8 Film - Bridal Elegance *Jessica*

Make a Difference - Haiti

6 years of marriage

Adam and Kimberly - A Classic Wedding

Patrick + Tiffany = Southern Charm

Molly and Jeff

Experience the Difference - Wedding Cinematography

If you like Jack Johnson

Adam + Laura

Jay & Michelle - Same Day Edit

Bridal Show - Indianapolis

Our 2 furry children

Wisdom - A simple word

Katie and Crash = FUN

Megan and Gary - Indianapolis Wedding

Super 8 Film - Demo

Our New Photos

Andrew + Natalie

Photos of our New Studio

Same Day Edit - Notre Dame - Christine & Timothy

Abby & Russ - Fun in Bloomington

ReFrame = Inspiration

ReFrame

Same Day Edit - Scott + Jessica

New Studio

Northernlight Filmworks Featured

Wedding Film - Be Yourself

Indianapolis Wedding Video Teaser - David + LeAnn

Wedding Crashers

Chicago Wedding - Kimberly & Adam - Trailer

Juan + Lori

Wedding Planning Tip

Voted Indianapolis Best Wedding Videographer

Jason + Vicky "Save the Date"

Robyn & Kyle Engagement Video

Stephanie + Duane

David + Deanna - Chicago Wedding

Scott + Jessica

Style Me Pretty

Brock Childs - Unplugged

Senior Photos - Michelle

Little Sis vs. Big Brother

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

I'll Drop a Quarter

Katie + Crash - "Our Story"

Indianapolis Wedding Video

Most Popular Wedding Dates +2009

Patrick & Tiffany - Our Story

Keys to Successful Wedding Speeches

Tessa + Evan Highlight

Something cOOL and hIP

Super 8 Film - Bridal Elegance Jessica