Sydney Wedding & Event Video DVD Specialists

Encore Media | Pollies for Small Business 2008

2008-08-12T15:31:00.003+10:00

Yesterday, Encore Media participated in the annual "Pollies for Small Business" programme.

Organised locally by Hornsby & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry this annual event sees politicians both federal and state roll their sleeves up and get to work in the coalface of small business in their local area.

We were privileged to have our local member Judy Hopwood MP visit our studio and learn about all the processes involved in creating our video productions. It is a great chance for small business owners to voice their concerns and provide feedback to those representing us in government.

Carol & Ben - Lebanese/Indian Wedding

2008-08-04T13:53:00.003+10:00

It's not often you get a chance to enjoy both Lebanese and Indian Culture in the one wedding. However, we were fortunate to be able to shoot the wedding of Carol & Ben earlier in the year down in Wollongong.

It was a pretty full on day with plenty of dancing (did I mention it was a Lebanese wedding) and a Bollywood dance show which was highly entertaining.

The reception was held at Portofino International, Wollongong. It was my first time at Portofino and I was impressed by their profesionalism and the atmosphere of the room.

I think we managed to capture all the excitement and action of the day. I certainly slept well when I finally arrived back home.

Mel & Damo - Hunter Valley

2008-06-25T15:33:00.006+10:00

At the end of last month we had the pleasure of filming in the sensational Hunter Valley. This was for the wedding of Mel & Damo, who are a very fun-loving and adventurous couple.

The location was amazing with the sun going down and some very cool hay bales to play with. Luke from Luke Gow Photography and his assistant Thierry were great to work with and set up some fantastic shots. You can view some of his shots from the wedding here.

We haven't got around to editing the full wedding yet however I wanted to just put together a small snippet of the photo shoot to show everyone how beautiful it was. Enjoy.

Trailer for Kate & Nick- 10.05.08

2008-05-13T15:33:00.004+10:00

Still recovering from another busy weekend. On saturday we had the privilege of shooting Kate & Nick's wedding. It was a fantastic day with two very loving families coming together. Lots of emotion, lots of fun.

I also had the chance to work with Vincent Lai & his brother Milton. 2 very professional and creative photographers.

Check out the 2 pink spotlights on the backdrop during the ceremony. Great touch.

Here is the trailer:

An Inspiration!

2008-04-10T14:38:00.004+10:00

Last week, I had the honour of recording a trivia/fundraising night for a close friend of mine who is suffering a rare form of cancer. He is a real champion and with the support of his amazing wife, three beautiful children and literally hundreds of friends is fighting this awful disease head on.

This video was by far the hardest I've had to put together but I wanted to share the recap with you all to help raise awareness for Rob. I can't imagine that I would have as much dignity and courage as Rob, if I were in his situation. He is truly an inspiration.

This event was organised by members of the NSW Police and demonstrates what a close- knit community they are. Well done to all the organisers.

If you would like to donate even a small amount (everything helps) please contact me for further details.

It's a girl!

2008-04-01T09:50:00.002+11:00

I don't normally post personal notes on this blog but due to the many enquiries from our clients keen to know the latest news I have decided to post a short message.

Also, when you have a new addition to the family it's hard not to tell the world. It is such an amazing feeling to have a baby.My wife and I have been fortunate to have 3 beautiful children.

Our latest arrived on the 20th March, just before Easter. We now have two girls and one boy and couldn't be happier.

My good friend Kate from über photography (one of the best photography teams in Australia) came over and took some great pics of the new bub and family.

For weddings and/or portraits you can't go past über photography.

Pre-Wedding Video- Roni & Robert

2008-04-01T09:35:00.003+11:00

Although it is common practice for photographers to shoot pre-wedding photos not many people are aware that we can also do the same with our video productions.

Some of the advantages of having a pre-wedding shoot are:
* The couple are generally more relaxed
* More time to shoot, allows for extra locations if needed
* Locations are less crowded during the week
* It's a chance for us to get to know the couple better which inevitably makes it easier to work together on the actual wedding day.
* It's a great record for the couple.
* Often, if the photographer is willing we can shoot it together to save time.
* They are also just simply fun to do.

Here is an example of a recent pre-wedding shoot we did for Roni & Robert who flew out from their home in London.

Australia Day Wedding

2008-03-03T17:38:00.004+11:00

What better way to celebrate Australia day than by attending the wedding of an Irish Groom and Croatian bride. Perfect weather, family and guests from all over the globe, loads of fun and probably a few sore heads the following day.

Here is the trailer:

Hunter Valley Weddings

2008-02-20T12:37:00.003+11:00

Although Sydney would have to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world to be able to shoot weddings, we are fortunate to have so many amazing places nearby.

Last week I was down at Wollongong with it's fabulous beaches. Last month I was in the Hunter Valley for a wedding that also co-incided with my own wedding anniversary.

I have put together the highlights and I am sure you'll agree that Fiona and Tim are a great looking couple. It was a fun trip and the guests were still partying well into the night long after I left.

This wedding was shot in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley.

Sydney Harbour

2008-02-03T11:58:00.000+11:00

At Encore we provide a number of styles of edit to suit each couple. These can be in long or short form.

Todays post is a long form photo session we did last year around one of the most beautiful locations in the world, Sydney Harbour. It was a glorious day and working with the great people from Candid Pro Photography makes it easy to get great footage.

Shirley & Fedric are also a fantastic couple and kept us busy with 2 Tea cermonies on top of the usual workload. I will load up some footage of the tea ceremonies soon but for now here is photo session.

Another fun wedding day edit!

2007-12-17T17:11:00.000+11:00

This past Saturday Sam and I were privileged to be involved in the wedding celebrations of Houn and Viet.

They are such a genuine and fun loving couple. Very relaxed and extremely thoughtful. It was a pleasure working with them.

Another bonus abou this job is that we get to meet many great photographers. Saturday was no exception. It was the first time to work with Wiki and Ilona from FotoExpression .They worked hard all day getting some fantastic shots which were also shown at the reception.

I even included a shot of Wiki in our same day edit below. (See if you can spot him lying down on the job.....)

Happy Holidays

2007-12-17T17:08:00.000+11:00

Well, it's the busiest time of year so we don't get too much time for relaxing around here. Just wanted to wish everyone a Great Christmas. We thank you for all your support this year and look forward to some exciting times in 2008 (not least of which is the birth of my 3rd child....nothing beats that!)

The studio will be closed between Xmas and New Year while we get some much needed R&R so we can be back and ready to serve you again in the months ahead.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

All the best and may all your dreams come true in 2008!

Same Day Edits

2007-12-14T14:03:00.001+11:00

Always trying to be at the forefront of wedding videography. We have now introduced our same day edit service.

For those looking for something different you can now "WOW" your guests with apresentation of your day to be shown during the reception.

These are very stressful (for the editors/camerapeople) but well worth it to see the great reactions we get from the audience.

As a taste please enjoy this clip we put together for Thip and Sanh.

Photo Montages with a Difference

2007-11-10T15:40:00.000+11:00

Just for something different, I thought I would post one of our photo montages on here.

Not everyone knows that we offer this service but we can and often do put together photo montages for receptions, parties, live events or simply as an option on the final DVD.

This particular montage is made up from still shots from the video. I particularly like the sunset shots toward the end.

Mind you the stunning bride also helps......

New Equipment

2007-09-25T12:18:00.001+10:00

Being in the video business there are always new pieces of equipment (toys) coming onto the market. Most of them are great fun but on the downside they are not cheap.

Hence it was with great delight that I made my most recent purchase. A great camera that gives fantastic pictures and all for less than $100. Yep, that's right $100. Sure beats the $1000's that I spent on my other cameras.

Here is a picture of it:

That's right, it's a Super 8mm film camera. It is something I have been thinking about for awhile and have been waiting for the right time to get into it. The plan is to shoot some weddings, obviously not the whole wedding on 8mm, with this camera and create a stunning highlights piece.

The look and colour of film is amazing. It certainly is totally different to video and adds a little extra dimension that is hard to describe.

Now I just have to go out and get some footage. Stay tuned for updates.

New Flyer

2007-09-20T04:54:00.000+10:00

My poor blog is probably starting to feel abit neglected. The last month or so has been hectic with shooting, editing and wedding expos.

I had a brochure made up to hand out to couples at the last expo we attended. I'm pretty happy with how it looks. Thanks to Steve and Mel for allowing me to use their picture.

I think it looks great but would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Importance of Editing!

2007-07-09T16:11:00.000+10:00

It's been a very hectic month or two. Lots of shooting, lots of editing... and still lots of editing to do!!!

Fortunately, August is one of the slowest months and this gives us a chance to catch up on the editing and administration side of the business.

I was browsing the web recently and come upon an interesting article. It basically talked about editing and how crucial it is to the final product. It posed the question, what is more important, good shooting or good editing? Well, of course the easy answer is that both are important. That is true however, I agree with the author in that even with great shots, the story can still get lost and disjointed if the editing is not up to par.

If I had the choice of average camera work and great editing over great camera work and average editing I would place more importance on the editing.

It is the editing that can connect different events of the day, the emotion, the drama and the fun. Rather than just editing from beginning of the day to the end of the day, we try to link the common parts that occur during a wedding day. For example, the father watching his daughter getting ready, father walking his daughter down the aisle, the father give a speech about his pride and joy, the father and daughter sharing a dance. These are all special moments that when linked together during editing can have enormous effect on the viewer and make the video much more meaningful.

This is just one example, however the day is full of these small but important moments and it is up to the editor to find them and put them all together to tell the story of the bride and groom. I strongly believe every couple is unique and so is their story.

Although it takes alot more time to edit, the final wedding video should reflect this
uniqueness and represent the bride and groom in a way that suits their personalities.

Hopefully I have succeeded in doing this for todays highlight clip. This is Tanya and Trent's highlights edit. They are a fantastic couple and if you ever get a chance to chat with Tanya, bring a seat because you will be there for awhile...she loves to talk!!!!

Great friends Wedding!

2007-06-09T07:25:00.000+10:00

Here is a wedding I have looked forward to editing for awhile. The groom, Steve, I have known since he was born. His family and mine grew up together and he really is like another brother to me.

It was a busy day as I was wearing two hats, MC and sometime cameraman. Dave from DnM Video Productions shot most of the day and did a fantastic job as usual.

Mel looks stunning and Steve looks great too. Here is the trailer.

WEVA Seminars in Melbourne

2007-05-09T16:03:00.000+10:00

What a week it's been. WEVA (Wedding and Event Videographers Association) held the first training seminars for Australian Videographers last week in Melbourne and of course I wasn't going to miss a chance to learn from some of the best in the world.
So my good friend, Dave and I packed our bags and made the journey south of the border.

It was a full on couple of days with Chris Chibucos from Furlavision Productions, Natalie Neal from Glass Slipper Productions, Jenny Lehman from Jenny Lehman Film and Video, Eng Tiong Teo from Pilgrim Pictures, Ross Herewini from efilms and Dave Williams from DVideography sharing their years of experience and skill.

On top of that, Dave Williams and Chris Chibucos came along to one of Dave's weddings in Sydney the following Sunday. We had four of us shooting and I am sure it will come up great. It was a blast to work with and see those two in action.

Hopefully utilising some of my newfound knowledge I have put together a trailer of Jen and Ashley's wedding. It is a slightly different style to what I am used to but I think it came up well. What do you think?

Outdoor Ceremony Trailer

2007-04-04T14:22:00.000+10:00

On a great day, outdoor ceremonies can be absolutely beautiful and Fiona & Joel's wedding was no exception. It was a perfect day for shooting and we had 3 cameras running for the ceremony, 2 for the rest of the day.

Having an extra camera really makes such a huge difference. Some of the shots in this new trailer would not have been possible if it wasn't for having a second cameraman. (Thanks Dave!)

Of course there are extra costs involved however, if you have the budget for it, I highly recommend 2 cameras for a complete coverage of your wedding.

Hope you enjoy the trailer. Now to start on the real editing!!!

Pre-Wedding Shoot!

2007-03-20T18:34:00.000+11:00

This is another pre-wedding/love story clip. This time I have just taken the footage that I edited to music. I have taken out the interview questions in between each section, hence the subtle advertising in between each section. (You'll understand what I mean when you watch the clip...)

After re-doing our packages, I have decided to include the Pre-Wedding Shoot as part of our top package. It is still available as an option of course but the top package offers the best value.

Feel free to contact me for further info....

Take 2!

2007-03-15T14:43:00.000+11:00

One thing I really like about doing the pre-wedding shoot is the relaxed atmosphere. We usually have no time constraints, can easily re-do a segment if needed and have lots of fun in the process. This latest clip is the outtakes reel from the crazy Ash and Jen shoot.

These guys are a blast. Never a dull moment and definetly not camera shy. There wedding is this Saturday at the Chinese Gardens, Darling Harbour. What a sensational location.
Can't wait...

Movie Trailer

2007-02-24T08:52:00.000+11:00

Here's a little idea I got off an American colleague. I know everyone is waiting anxiously to see their own video and I am certainly working 24/7 to edit them as soon as possible. In the meantime, I have made up a small trailer for Vanessa and John who were married in January this year. Let me know what you think.

Vanessa and John were married in Appin. It was a lovely day as I didn't have to battle city traffic, hustle for a parking spot or worry about getting lost. Not to mention that the scenery was outstanding for the location shoot. Enjoy the vid!

The Sopranos?

2007-02-09T18:05:00.000+11:00

Well, no it's not the Sopranos. Here is a short clip of Helen and Ilias taken on a rather hot day in December.

The Ceremony was held at St. Ioannis Greek Orthodox Church followed by the reception at Lauriston House who always put on a great night.

Due to time constraints we were unable to head off to a seperate location for photos and video so had a number of sessions in and around Lauriston House. This is one scene set-up by the creative Gordon Jovic the photographer on the day.

Something a little different!

2007-01-29T18:17:00.000+11:00

This clip was alot of fun to put together. Jayvie and Phil, were featured in our Love Story Video and were a fun-loving, very relaxed couple.

For every wedding I shoot, my main goal is to capture the essence and feeling of the couple. Everyone is unique and I believe every video should also be unique.

After shooting the Jayvie and Phil's special day I put together this preparation which is a little different to our usual style. However it more accurately represents Jayvie and Phil's personailty and tastes.

It was great fun putting together and I look forward to completing the rest of their video.

By all means feel free to leave comments or suggestions. We love getting feedback.