In between shooting and editing weddings, I’ve recently had the pleasure of filming and editing a promotional video for my friend, and one of Ireland’s best leading vocalists, Naoise Stuart-Kelly. Naoise is a very well trained and professional singer, definitely the best I’ve ever heard at a wedding…and perhaps she’s available for your big day too. At every wedding I’ve seen her and her team perform at, they have literally elevated the ceremony to a special, memorable place.
Naoise started Encore Occasions in 2007 and since then has performed and co-ordinated music for hundreds of weddings in Ireland, the UK and Europe. You can go to see Naoise in Dublin this summer, performing each evening, from June to September, in the new stage production Celtic Rising.
I thought I’d share the promo video with you. Click on ‘More’ under the two clips below to view individual songs. Check out Naoise’s website for Encore Occasions by clicking here.
I’m always a happy camper when filming a wedding at Dunboyne Castle in Co. Meath. It’s definitely one of my favorite wedding venues to film in. Gorgeous grounds close to the hotel for your photography session, not too far from home for me.
The staff are tuned in, and are always aware of everything that is going on, especially Tom, who you’ll probably deal with when getting married there. Wedding days always flow smoothly at Dunboyne Castle thanks to Tom and the staff, and I’m looking forward to filming a wedding there again soon. Here’s a small collection of some wedding video clips from Dunboyne Castle…
You’ll surely remember the snow we had at the close of ‘09 and the beginning of ‘10? I’ll never forget the road conditions coming back from James & Trisha’s wedding that night in December. I’ve never driven so slow in all my life.
The magical day preceding the harsh weather conditions was a different story for the couple who had just got married. Trisha & James tied the knot in Edenderry, Co. Offaly and then celebrated at the gorgeous Ballykealey Manor Hotel in Co. Carlow. Their photographer for the day was a pleasure to work with. It was my first time working with him. His name is Alan Mooney. You can visit his website and view his amazing work by clicking here.
Here’s a shot taken directly from James & Trisha’s wedding video:
Trisha offers a great service that you might be interested in when planning your own big day. It’s called ‘Little Wedding Crechers’ and you can visit the website by clicking here.
I’ve seen her services in action — and it works! A lot of couples face a dilemma when planning their big day: invite the children or not. ‘Little Wedding Crechers’ are here to help you.
Trisha and James were delighted with their wedding DVD and were very nice to send in a testimonial a few weeks ago. (Click to enlarge)
Well, I’ve started a Twitter wedding video/personal page. I want to connect with you and keep you up to date.
I’ll ‘tweet’ about all things wedding video, about all things new and what’s to come, what I’m at and what I’m working on. And if you’re a film fan check out our weekly ‘Film of the Week’ tweet and share your thoughts.
In July 2009, I had the pleasure of filming two concerts for Metallica in Copenhagen, Denmark. Metallica are one of the greatest and most successful bands of all time. I was chosen to be part of a group of only about a dozen freelance videographers from all over the world. It was a great experience and a dream come true to work on a project that involved artists who I greatly admire.
Here’s a photo montage of myself and the four members of Metallica. Top left is myself with bassist Robert Trujillo, and to the right is myself and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett (always ranked 0n top ten lists as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, right up there with Hendrix). I’m pictured with Lars Ulrich (drummer) on the bottom left, and vocalist/lyricist/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield on the bottom right.
I was there for two days in a row at The Forum in Copenhagen. The backstage experience was fantastic. The band are very warm and open to everyone. I was filming the last two of five concerts in Copenhagan, the drummer’s home turf. Since it was the first time Lars Ulrich had been home in quite some time, and the fact that he was performing for five nights at The Forum, it meant that all of his family and friends were there and he had his hands full to say the least.
Soundcheck on the first day was a great experience. It was very intimate, and it made me stop and reflect for a moment. I felt honored to be using my skills on a project for Metallica. It was just us the videographers, Metallica, and the other technicians. Here’s a low-res backstage shot I took at lunch time on my mobile phone:
In addition to the two full concerts, I shot an interview with James Hetfield, which I’m told will feature as an ‘extra’ on the DVD. The interview took place in the “tuning room”, the holiest of holies I’m told – not just anyone is allowed to enter that space (I must be special).
Here’s a clip to show the power, ferocity and dare I say…elegance of their live performances. Nothing Else Matters is the song (The Black Album, 1991). I have been asked to use this song on a couple of wedding videos/DVDs in the past and it has always worked very well.
Here is a great music video (more like a short film) by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg (‘Festen’). Vinterberg was in attendance, as a guest of Lars Ulrich. And although I didn’t see him, Vinterberg was accompanied by another well known Dane, and one of my favorite filmmakers, Lars Von Trier (‘Dancer In The Dark’, ‘Dogville’, ‘Anti-Christ’).
This music video/short film is for the first single off Metallica’s latest album ‘Death Magnetic’ and is entitled ‘The Day That Never Comes’. It is an incredibly well shot and produced music video. When you have a filmmaker of the calibre of Vinterberg making your music video, you wouldn’t expect anything less.
The Copenhagen DVD is due to be released sometime in 2010 I’m told. It may be a two DVD set, and there was also talk of it being released on Blu-Ray disc in a ‘Fan Can’. I will be proud of my on-screen credit.
If you haven’t seen Martin Scorsese’s classic 1980 film Raging Bull, to me, that’s like saying you’ve been living on earth all these years without seeing the sun or the moon. It’s that good. Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and others give searingly honest and towering performances. It is not just a film. It is a slice of life. Having watched it recently on Blu-Ray for the first time, it was like experiencing the actual film for the first time all over again.
The following clip, which is a short montage from the middle of the film, is my favourite wedding scene in any movie. It is a simple, haunting piece of great, nostalgic filmmaking. When the time is right, and when circumstances fit, I hope to do a homage to this scene at some stage on a future wedding video. So if any of your grooms out there are boxers, let’s get this happening.
When I watch this clip I’m very grateful that I don’t have to shoot weddings on 16mm or 8mm film. Thank science for the wonders of digital technology. Enjoy!
I’ve finally set up a blog. A new year. A new blog. Well, it’s my first blog. I still don’t “get” the whole Twitter thing, so until I do I think it can wait. One Twitter page I like is: http://twitter.com/kevwilliamson.
I hope that you my dear readers will visit often and that we can stay connected. Whether you are a client, a bride, a groom, sister of a bride, filmmaker, wedding supplier — you are very welcome. Please don’t be afraid to comment on any post – it will keep the blog alive.
To my clients, I hope that you will gain a more in-depth knowledge of who I am and what I do. Although I live in Dublin, I specialize in filming and editing weddings throughout Ireland, and have had the pleasure of filming hundreds of weddings for couples in literally every county. (more…)
