Posts Tagged ‘chicago wedding video’

We started our brand of story telling when we bought our canon XL1 back in 1995? I cant remember the date exactly, it was the year after the camera came out. My husband James has always been interested in film and as a philosophy major he studied with professors at University of Houston who loved to delve into the deeper meaning of films.  He continued to study film and directors – their intent, successes and vision as well as how to integrate his own vision into his work.

When we started doing wedding video in chicago it was at best a pathetic genre of beast. Chicago wedding video was namely huge cameras operated by large male camera operators in tuxedos, nothing by the way of interaction or intimacy transpired from that beast–but lots of post effects did including my favorite to date- flames on the dance floor!

Not to mention the format was hideous. I studied painting and video in art school at KCAI in the late 80s and the video format offended my sense of beauty. What was cool was the XL1′s ability to shoot in “frame mode” which I adored. It made video look more like film and the product which we originally simply handed to the client right after we dumped it to VHS more palatable.

What made our wedding video business in chicago take hold though was not the format but our ability to dive in and get things a big dude with a big camera couldn’t get – say intimate moments as the bride put on her lipstick getting ready in her grandma’s bedroom. fig wedding cinematography was born. Since then our emphasis on replicating what works: social and emotional intelligence training, which we have been studying and implementing since 1999.

What also works is training film students not only in social and emotional intelligence but in our brand of storytelling and interaction, each of whom have taken the training and their skills to new heights.  Add to that the format changes that have revolutionized the industry and our ability to have film/photo cameras tape high quality sequences that are broadcast quality.

Add to that our unique processes: having team meeting to review the challenges making the films as well as cry over the amazing results from the interactions –has been a standard all these years that we value highly.
Not only is the work fabulous, but each and every client is shown in their best light with our best shot and making a film we and our clients will show for years to come.

I remember when we decided to do this and watching the wedding videos people showed us – I couldn’t believe it. They were either staged soap operas or horrid effects-ridden with unfortunate angles of what I am sure were at least interesting individuals. I try to put myself in each clients position and as I am no beauty queen couldn’t see myself going that route, not to mention it wasn’t exactly grounded in reality to stage and play act at a real life event fraught with tension and existing story that we are missing by being so weird and indulgent and the other direction was such an assault to my sensibilities i realized that no way I would do that. Why weren’t some different angles considered, why didn’t they turn off that overhead light, why didn’t he/she ask her to move over a bit…etc. Again, fig wedding cinema was born. We say wedding films chicago or wedding cinema chicago rather than wedding video. We have come so freaking far! Its wonderful.

Our films tell stories. James is adamant that the first cut is without music, it should stand on it’s own and carry the story, the music should add not carry the piece. Our team views and works in includes our other disciplines as the whole event is considered when planning our film. Strategy is half the challenge.

Another very cool thing about fig directors/filmmakers is their event cross training in weddings and private events in chicago and across the nation. We are the eskimos of the event world with more distinctions for “snow” in the event world.
Finally we do so much with seemingly so little and and probably ultimately we are super fun to work with which makes the product the experience as well as the DVD or online film.

17 years. That is the age of the fig films wedding archive. This short is a compilation from the archive of silent wedding films shot in Chicago between 1993 and 2010. Using vintage Super8 cameras, fig filmmakers create these vintage silent shorts for Chicago couples. The film has an original score titled: On this Day by fig composer/musician Eric Hillman.

“On this day, I was inspired by the timeless quality of the footage. It has such rich emotion and joy represented on the faces of the people. I wanted to capture that with the score.” ~Eric Hillman

Super8 film was released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak. It is the equivalent of what a camcorder is to video today.

The film is a reversal film, meaning it eliminated the need for an expensive work print off of the negative, making it an attractive medium for filmmakers, artists and family documentarians to create films. Reversal film has an emulsion that can be processed to create the work print on the same strip of film. Later adopted by Fugifilm and Polaroid.

Adopted by filmmakers like Oliver Stone and used in films like The Doors, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, U Turn, and JFK this silent film format is still alive today. Super8 film festivals are held in both the US and the UK. Festivals like Flicker Film Festival and Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival.

Fig films adopted this medium to shoot weddings for its timeless feeling. Offering an artistic and traditional option to couples.

Find out more about our wedding films at www.figweddings.net.