Hey! So... we're just getting started.
We're not the guys who have decades of experience, but we do have a few things I think are pretty cool.
First, we're young. We get the culture of couples these days. If you want to serenade your husband by singing like T-Pain,
we get it (though we would strongly advise against it).
Second, we have new ideas. I've looked a lot at the wedding video industry, and was kind of getting sick of all the videos that kinda just go through the motions. First Dance, Father-Daughter Dance, Toasts, Cake Cut. All good stuff, but wouldn't it be better to tell the stories of why these things are significant? Helllooooo, he's frickin' giving his daughter away here. Let's tell THAT story.
And third, we loooove what we do. Like... there are so many cool people we get to meet, beautiful moments we get to see, and awfully hilarious dance moves busted out. And the reward is that we get to give couples a film that we know will be one of the most significant and meaningful films they will ever see. We love it.
It's pretty crazy that you found us right now.
Let's meet up sometime and you can see our energy in person.
And they’re back! You’ll probably remember this good looking couple from a few other videos we’ve made for them. Dan and Danielle wanted us to make every kind of film we knew how to, and so we have an Engagement Film, a Love Story, and a Wedding Highlights. Now I’m so proud to show you guys Dan and Danielle’s Wedding Film!
I’ve always loved the symbolism of circles in weddings. The most clear example is the wedding ring which symbolizes a love that knows no end. In this wedding, there seemed to be a circular structure to a lot of the ceremony. First, the Greek Orthodox Church is a huge domed cylynder. When I first walked into that hall, I was stunned. No Joke. I looked upwards to the ceiling and couldn’t contemplate how long it must have taken to create that much detail in the artwork. My breath was taken away.
In their ceremony, Dan and Danielle also take their first married steps in a circle. The symbolism is religious and represents them in perfect orbit around the center of life.
So, in developing a storytelling form for their wedding film, I wanted to really bring about the theme of everything coming full circle. In the editing, we used some footage from the earlier films we made for them. The wedding is a culmination of six years of love, and to show that time period, I used the footage from the past. I think it really gets the feeling across. Shaun and I also ended the film with a sequence that goes back through the day, as if the circle is continuing. It was a new approach, and I think it’s a great way to end the film.
I want to extend a huge thank you to Dan and Danielle for trusting us as a new company. When I first met with Danielle, I think I only had one wedding video completed for Sandbox Love, and it was a Save the Date. Now here we are, having come so far, and everything really is coming full circle. I’m a little sad about the completion of working with Dan and Danielle, but I am overjoyed with all of the films we have made for them, and even more happy about seeing their relationship as husband and wife take off. Congratulations you guys.
Let me preface by saying, I’m having a really hard time coming up with words for this piece because it’s hard for me to express the passion with which I believe in videography. So I’ll do my best…
Here is a film that we created to show the importance of good wedding filmmaking. In my experience with brides, I’ve noticed a general commonality in how videography is ranked on the budget list. It’s generally a pretty low priority, and I can kinda understand why it got that way. When preparing for a wedding day, brides and planners tend to focus on what that day looks like. What is the experience of the wedding? What will the guests think? Of course, everybody wants their wedding to be as glam and as stylish as they can make it. So folks tend to spend on that and often overlook how their wedding will be remembered.
So the Don Draper in us asked, what’s the best way we can show people the tremendous value in wedding filmmaking? And we came up with this idea: let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the next generation. What do these films mean to them. It’s gathering around the TV with your fam, pointing out to your children and saying, “See how handsome your Dad looked!” Or, “There’s Uncle Mark! That’s what he looked like with hair!”
My favorite line from this film is “Often times, allowing us to meet the person we used to be.” How true is that? And how else can that “person we used to be” be captured than by video.
One thing I want to stress is that this isn’t just an ad for Sandbox Love. We’re trying to make the case for why you should have a great filmmaking team present on your wedding day. It doesn’t have to be us, but get a professional. Someone who can capture the moments that would go unnoticed. Because when a filmmaker is there on your wedding day, those moments will be remembered by you and by all who have the pleasure of seeing your wedding story on film.
Here’s a fun one for you guys. Every now and then a couple comes along whose only direction to you is, “make it rad.” Well, that pretty much opens the doors for some wild stuff. Take a look. We go crazy at the end.
Jared and Christy were a phenomenal couple to work with. First, they’re incredibly photogenic, and know how to work with the camera to get model caliber shots. They’re naturals at posing, love to smile, and interact in such a romantic way. Second, they’re masters at friendly banter. Hanging out with them is like hanging out with two comedians trying to duke it out with straight faces. It’s hilarious.
Jared himself is an accomplished filmmaker; the co-founder of RedTail Media. Not only that, but I’ve been impressed by his photography for a number of years. To have him put his trust in me to tell the story of his wedding is a personal highlight of mine. And with the freedom he gave us, we decided to do some things that had never been done before. In a wedding video anyway.
In the last montage, we have a lot of awesome things going on. We had an idea to shoot still pictures at rapid fire over the course of the day, with lots of movement in them. Then when I was editing, I did a little time remapping to speed them up and slow them down at key parts. We also did that with a modified Canon 5D where the regular sensor was replaced with a UV sensor. So all of those weird looking bluish pictures are actually photos using nothing but the Ultra-violet color spectrum. Say wha!?
There are a lot of other nifty camera trinkets we used. But the real question is “WHY?” Well, with Jared being an image connoisseur like us, I felt it would be the best way to capture the excitement of his wedding. It felt like a whirlwind of energy on that dance floor, and that’s how it feels now. We’re siked at how it all came together!
A few shout outs. This was the first time I got to work alongside photographer Jeffrey Neal, whose work I have also admired for years. I actually edited his demo about a year ago, starring none other than… Jared and Christy! I also want to thank Peter Merry who was a fantastic MC and DJ for the reception. Randy Tooker from Lake Forest Limousine who was not only a great guy, but extremely enthusiastic about me mounting a camera inside the limo. I also want to thank photographer Josh Elliot for shooting with Jeffrey (and for the style tips.) Jared and Christy brought together an awesome team for their wedding, and they really trusted their vendors to run with what they’re good at… which really shows just how chill they are.
Christy -Jesse, it’s hard for me to condense my thoughts into a few sentences! I ABSOLUTELY loved it!!! You are so incredibly talented and captured the passion and uniqueness of our relationship beautifully. Watching it brought tears to my eyes and brought me right back to our wedding day! I especially loved the montage at the end… it’s awesome!! I am so glad that we have a unique wedding video, unlike all of the other boring ones that everyone else has. We can’t thank you enough!!
Jared-Dude. That was beyond good filmmaking, that was beyond good storytelling, that was moment-capturing.
This is exactly why I want to keep exploiting your talents for my own projects and why I’m gonna quit complementing you and your team’s unbelievable genius right now, because I still need to be able to afford you.
Thanks again man, that was amazing.
Jared
Amo -It’s amazing how you keep coming up with such original and unique pieces – that fast motion sequence at the end is awesome!!!
Ashley Maxwell-JESSE! Are you kidding me? UHMAZING! Can we work together like a million times this year?? Pretty please??? That was out of this world!
I can’t believe we’re about to hit 2011! It’s crazyness! We’ve been official for about 6 months now and what a 6 months it has been! I want to take a moment and recap some of the amazing moments we’ve had this year.
We started off with a bang. We filmed Neda and Sati’s week long wedding event in Beverly Hills and San Diego. It was a chance for the team to get close while on the road, and work together to show everybody what we can do. We showed Neda and Sati’s Love Story at their first reception, and at the end of the week we showed them the highlights of the week. We then did a little PR for the video and got it shown all over the place, including Snippet & Ink!
We continued the momentum by filming with Danielle and Dan, who wanted us to make them every kind of film we offered: A Save the Date, Love Story, Highlights, and Featurette. They also introduced us to Ashley Maxwell, whose photography and love of life is incredibly inspiring. We shot together soon after for Allison and Craig’s wedding, which was featured on Every Last Detail!
Lisa and Nigel wanted us to deliver our most valued film, now called our Signature Film. We spent some time figuring out the best way to tell their story, and came up with a masterpiece. Also, Lisa’s friend and photographer Georgia Gregory was a delight to work with.
We then went back down to Southern California to film with Jared and Christy (Coming SOON!) which was amazing for a few reasons. First, Jared is an incredible photographer and when I asked about what he was looking for, he said, “just go crazy.” So we did. Also, I got to shoot alongside superstar photographer Jeffrey Neal, whose work I’ve followed for a while, working with him only indirectly before.
Charlie and Morgan’s Save the Date was the first wedding related video I had shot on my own, and filming their wedding in August was a symbol of everything coming full circle. By this time we had seen some minor press around our work, and things were really starting to fly. Charlie and Morgan’s film was featured on The Bride’s Cafe, who also invited us to be a part of their Créme De La Créme section. Wild! We were like 4 months old…
We then filmed a wedding with Alex and Jane inside of San Francisco’s City Hall! Epic!! The cinematic opportunities inside of that historic building are endless. One of the coolest shots of the year was shot by Vitalie as Alex and Jane were married in a tea ceremony. Their whole wedding is absolutely gorgeous and the video will be out in January!
And we ended the year with another bang. Kathryn from Snippet & Ink decided we’d be a perfect fit for her wedding! While getting to know Kathryn and Ryan, Rob and I started to build a great friendship with them. Her wedding was in a vintage style that really fit Sandbox Love’s style. Pretty stoked to show you the magic of the Kathryn’s day.
All of these weddings, when you add ‘em up, mean a couple things. First, we got to shoot in a variety of venues: City Hall, a candlelit church, a winery, and in a backyard. Second, we developed friendships with couples who genuinely love our work, but also appreciate who we are. This year really showed me that it is possible to be more than “videographers.” Sure, we’re holding the camera, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bob our heads to the beat.
When I think about the invention of this company, I’m filled with pride. At Danielle and Dan’s wedding, I turned to Nick and Vitalie and said to them, “This is what I wanted when I started Sandbox Love. You guys…my friends, talking camera lingo, swapping lenses, and filming the most important day in these couple’s lives, and doing it well. Thank you for being a part of it.”
So when I look at a bottle of wine in 15 years, and it has 2010 on the label, I’ll think to myself, “2010. That was a good year.”
So glad you had a great year! Obviously it was an important year for us too! You said in your recent post that film is often a low priority. After we saw your film for Neda and Sati, I knew you guys would give us the most important memory. Napkins, nametags, flowers–I won’t remember those years down the line (maybe D will), but I will remember the love and fun and optimism of that day, which you guys captured so perfectly!
Hey Everyone! Nick, Vitalie and I just wanted to wish everybody a happy holiday season! Over the last few months we have built up a number of fans and we are extremely grateful to have people that care so much about the stories we’re telling. Now in winter, we’ll be working through a couple more weddings to show you guys soon. Then it’s on to the next wedding season! I can’t wait!
Ta-Da! Charlie and Morgan’s Wedding Film! There is so much I want to say about filming with Charlie and Morgan, but first I think you should check out their film because, well, I think it’s an awesome reflection of their style, energy, and love.
I have so many favorite parts of their film, but one part that I absolutely love is the credits. While I was filming their wedding, I realized the deeper significance of the location. The wedding took place in the backyard of Morgan’s dad’s house. Charlie has already said that it’s his favorite place in the world. But more than that, this location is where Charlie proposed to Morgan, where we filmed their Save the Date video, and now… where they were married. But then, even MORE than that, it’s where their children will run around and where they will continue to build memory upon memory.
Ending the video with a short montage of clips all at that location was truly based off Charlie’s closing words to his vows. ”We’ve already experienced so much together, and I can’t wait to experience so much more.” I love that. It’s a great outro that spans different seasons, and sets the tone for a beautiful future.
Working with Morgan and Charlie over the last year (almost) has been awesome. We’ve been hanging out, grabbing dinner, filming, and really focusing on what their experience has been like. We are SO excited for them and their families. They have been a dream to work with and we’re so proud to have been a part of their wedding experience.
Patrick (D) Nelson -sublime. congratulations to you all for moving forward in life with unyielding momentum. Best of luck
-Pat
Evan Lindenmayer -Yo Yo my man. As always, incredible job. You guys definitely captured the weekend better than anyone could have imagined. You can guarantee that you guys will be capturing my own wedding sometime down the line. Again, amazing work.
Jason Maxwell-You guys are ridiculous!! I can not wait for Ashley and I to renew our vows so you guys can document it for us.
Dan Cohen -J.T. My Man! An absolutely incredible job plucking the best moments from a beautiful wedding day! You conquered it masterfully! See ya soon buddy.
michele hofherr-amazing job at capturing a beautiful day!! I will spread the word of sandbox love for sure!!
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