Choosing a great photographer...

Planning a wedding is a serious undertaking. The ammount of time it takes to plan the average wedding, is daunting. One of the cornerstones of remembering your special day (aside from Forever Films shooting your wedding) is finding the right photographer. When I say the RIGHT photographer, I mean a photographer who's work you love. This being said, everyone is different. Some people like a photo-journalistic style while others may like a more traditional classic style, and some...don't know the difference and just want a the best "deal". When it comes to remembering your big wedding day, I suggest you analyze your budget and put the money where you feel it is most important. I always say that "you can get a good meal any night of the week". What I mean by this is that although food is a very important aspect of the day (for the guest), does that justify blowing 80-90% of your budget on a meal that  is gone forever in 45 minutes? I have always been a real advocate of putting the money where it lasts the longest. In the case of a wedding that would be your Videography and your photography. These are things that last Forever, unlike a meal or flowers... So, what is important to you?
Over the years shooting weddings we have worked along side many photographers. Just like anything, there are some that are great to work with, and some that are not so fun. This being said, I suggest you choose a photographer that you like...as a person. I suggest you choose someone willing to be flexible with the way YOU want things done. There are SO many photographers out there that do things the same way every time without consideration to your wishes. Pick a photographer is flexible and puts YOU first. I have been on shoots and wondered if the photographer thinks he/she IS the bride....bad deal. Choosing the right photographer determines the pictures that will be on your walls for a LONG TIME. There are SO many wonderful photographers out there. Do not settle if you do not like the one you are talking to. For a few GREAT references below, and on our website.
Mike and I had the most wonderful coffee appointment with one of the best photographers we know. Before I go any further, I will tell you, I have not ever featured a photographer in my blog before. I say this because we have worked with her. Maribeth at Red Ribbon Studios in Minneapolis, MN is the real deal. When I asked her "What is your ideal bride" she made it clear that she only wants to work with people who really want to work with her....What a rock-star. Her work is very photo-journalistic. She catches the action as it happens. It comes from a background of shooting anything from news stories to high-end weddings. She has been featured in Martha Stewart weddings, and also has appeared in many other major publications. The best part is...she is a total sweetheart. If you want to meet someone who is passionate about every minute of work she does, Maribeth is it. I have witnessed firsthand the fun, passion and professionalism (not to mention the amazing photos) she exhibits. If you are looking for the best, look no more. You can find Maribeth and Red Ribbon Studios at http://redribbonstudio.com/ Here you can view her work, and get in touch with her for bookings.

Below is the Highlight video from the wedding we shot with Maribeth. Enjoy!

Cleaning the cameras...

I always have my eye on new equipment. I think it is a good thing to stay on top of the newest products and trends to keep our work the best it can be. At at a certain point it really just comes down to raw talent. You can have the best gear in the world but if your hand shakes...you get my point. So anyhow we just got a Glidecam! I am very excited about this. It is a device that makes moving shots beautiful! It works by using counterweights to make the camera balance better. Blah Blah Techie talk.... It is HEAVY. I am going to need to start lifting weights just to hold onto this thing. I have been practicing with it, and it really does work!

We were cleaning the cameras today. It is fun to sit down and check them out. A good inspection has proven to be a good thing! We are shooting a wedding this weekend, and I wanted to make sure the lenses were nice and clean! We found out that the wedding we are shooting could be featured in a magazine! Wow how cool would that be...

I know this has been a boring blog, but it is all I had today! I hope you enjoy your day!

Charles

A whole new life.

In today's fast pace society where we hardly have time to stop and thing about anything, I sit back and look at the amazing things around me. I look at my family, I look at my business, I look at everything around and it is hard not to be thankful of it all. It makes me think about when I got married. Going to weddings on a regular basis as a way of life (as a wedding film maker) I sometimes find even I take the moment for granted. The day Jessica and I got married was the single most important day that I remember. Much more powerful than graduation, school, confirmation, or any other moment in my life. I think about what a whole new world I live in now, because of Jessica. It makes me think about the beginning  of a new life that I get to witness and capture on camera. That moment when the Pastor or Priest says " I now pronounce you man and wife". That eternal bond. That love. That excitment. Sometimes because I am so caught up in the midst of filming it, I forget how amazing it is to be able to preserve that precious moment it time that will never happen again. I must admit: every time I sit down to edit a new film, I have a 5-10 minute time where I am in absolute awe of how powerful that moment is. EVERY TIME. I insist that I edit all of our work (at least at this point) because of the power and beauty of of that experience.

It all comes back to marriage. We preserve the most pure relationship, the most powerfull bond known to human kind. Marriage is the ultimate committment. Marriage is the ultimate sacrifice. Marriage is the ultimate gift of life. If you are married and reading this, take the time to thank your husband or wife today. Thank them for loving you.

Charles

My Wedding Online

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A wedding concert?

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Back in mid December, we had the opportunity to shoot a wedding at the Fine Line music cafe in Downtown Minneapolis, MN. The Fine Line is a well known spot where artists from John Mayer and Jack Johnson to Lady Gaga and Ke$ha have played. It was the most unique wedding we have ever shot. I am in the midst of editing this wedding right now, and I must say...It was a blast. Toni and Larry decided that they wanted a local folk band to play before, during, and after the ceremony! It was great because the ceremony was broken up with songs, readings and other elements of a wedding, just in a concert-like setting. Way cool. Another thing we are doing for them is taking all of the music from the night and creating a custom CD set. This way they can pop in the music from their special day any time. Way Fun and way unique!

On a different note, I can not believe that it is not even the end of January, and our 2010 calendar nearly booked! We have weddings all over Minnesota, California and even Virginia! Wow! If you would have asked me a year ago if we would be traveling the country shooting weddings, I would have laughed at you! Today it is a reality. On Tuesday, I wrote about how booking out of state is no big deal. That is proving to be true. So many people use the internet to find the work they love, and if it happens to be 1,000 miles away, we just get on a plane. I am really blow away by how small the world is becoming.

A note to all who read this: Share our website with everyone! It is great entertainment to watch.

Until next time

Charles

Booking out of state...

I woke up this morning to the sound of workers outside putting salt on my path and driveway. I though to myself: it did not snow...why are there people hastily working to get salt out? Then it occurred to me that THERE IS a SNOWSTORM on the way! Ahh. Just when I thought it would let up, and I would wash the salt residue off my car...enough ranting...
Next week I am headed to Miami (thank goodness) for a couple days. I am really looking forward to the brief amount of sunshine I will get. This brings me to the topic of shooting out of state. Due to the Internet's vast reach, finding a videographer or videography company that you love that is out of state, is not an uncommon thing. Many times we get calls and emails saying "oh I would love to hire forever films but I did not know you were not in my state. Is that a problem?". Our reply is often "not a problem at all." Often times I think the understanding is that if you are out of state, you are out of reach. That is definitely not the case. When you get married, people come in from all over the place, including out of state. So...is it so weird to have your photographer or videographer do the same? The cost of travel is so low, and anywhere in the country is nearly a 3 hour plane ride away...so...should you be afraid to book out of state? Absolutely not. If you fall in love with the work of someone who is not within a 20minute drive, fear not. The world is getting smaller by the day. So go ahead, hire that guy who looks like Fabio that flies in from Key West to shoot...or you could call us at forever films. We would love to come capture the big day. No matter where it is...

Charles

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Winter weekend

I can only speculate that winter in Minnesota is no different than living in  Antarctica for 6-8 months EVERY YEAR. Please do not misunderstand that statement. I love Minnesota for the great people, the gorgeous summers, the lakes, and of course my family. I will say that if I had not been born here, I would not ever live here. Another great thing is that we are somewhat in the middle of the country (everywhere in the USA is 2-3 hours max). As I have said before, I love where I live, but I am getting sick of being inside so much.

On a different note: The wedding film business is so much fun! I will say one GREAT thing about Minnesota is our brides and grooms are all so friendly. "Minnesota nice", I guess. We have been booking more and more weddings out of state. It is a lot of fun to hop on a plane, shoot the most perfect day of a couple's life, see places I have never seen, and come home with new friends in different corners of the country.

I have been thinking: I have never blogged and this blog is attached to our website...I see other videographers and wedding film makers write blogs about videography and their business. I just do not see how I could write every single day about being a videographer.
So...BE advised: I don't really know what I am doing (in writing a blog). Put a camera in my hand any day of the week and I am in my element, but blogging? This is going to take some practice...Bear with me.

Charles

Following your passion?!

I was on facebook this afternoon looking at all the wall posts of things that my friends think are interesting. I came across a link to a video that inspired me. A guy named Gary Vayerchuk started a video blog online that is all about wine. www.WineLibrary.com . It was a youtube video of him speaking at a conference in 2008. It is too bad that it took this long for me to find this video. Gary (a younger, energetic wine connoisseur) outlined how in today's world, we HAVE to follow our passions. What he means is DO SOMETHING that you love, and you WILL make a living at it.
It makes me think: back at the turn of the century (1900) the majority of people owned some sort of business, and very few worked for them. Today however, it is just the opposite. I think we spend too much time doing things we hate, and do not spend our time on what we are passionate about. In the age of the internet, it is so easy to get distracted with the constant noise...checking email 200 times a day, answering the phone whenever it rings, abusing the information we have available today. I just think, What would life be like, if we all followed our passion? My guess is the world would be a happier place. Relationships would flourish, and personal contact would be different. I was having a convorsation with someone close to me (not immediate family) and i realized, the entire time she was on her phone talking to someone else... can we EVER just be where we are?? What is even more funny is coming to terms with the fact that I am guilty of the same...on a regular basis. Not good. So....What does this have to do with wedding videography? I dont know. I guess it means that I do it because I love it, and not because it is just a job. I guess I would not be doing it if I did not have a passion for it. I love wedding films. I am obsessed. I catch my self watching others work...sometimes too much. Thats all for now...
Charles

Engaged.

Engaged. It is an interesting word. It seems that the more time that goes by, the more friends get engaged and married. I am starting to feel old. It is such an interesting term. Engaged. In the world of wedding films, "engaged" is such a bliss full word. SO many exciting new things to experience and do. It is funny because when I meet people that are an item, but not engaged or married, I naturally think "well what the heck are you waiting for..." I find that girls are much more interested in getting engaged, and guys are a little more conservative. Sometimes I think too conservative. Now, I am NOT saying that if you are in a relationship you should just get engaged. It is a serious commitment that lasts FOREVER. Ahhhh...THATS why we named it FOREVER FILMS.  Anyhow, it is just something that has been on my mind. I must admit: when I find out someone is engaged, it is a bit difficult to hold back the obvious "you should really look at our work" feeling. I just love shooting weddings and can not help but think about it all the time. More dicipline to practice.... I guess it is part of being a human. Another day of blogging done. I know that if nobody but Jessica and my mom Vicki (who seem to be my only fans) read this, it will be fun for me to look back on. If you are reading this, say hi sometime. It would be nice if you would recriprocate. :)


Charles

Just another day?

It is 11:56am on a Tuesday morning. I woke up, let Nala (our 6 month old german shepherd puppy) out, and did my normal routine which consists of taking my vitamins, eating a healthy breakfast, and getting prepared for work.
When I got to the office i was thinking about a great book I have been reading that talks about how we abuse information today. How we have phones and email interrupting our important work tasks all day long. It went on to talk about how being productive is not about checking your email 150 times a day, answering every phone call and having everyday be broken up by distraction. So...I am trying something new. In efforts to be more productive during my time I am changing just one thing. I am disabling the NEW EMAIL alert sound, and checking my email only 2 times a day. I am on day 3 of this experiment. I am learning how HARD to just say no to my urge to look at my email every 3 minutes. I knew discipline was hard, but this is beyond discipline.. its more like a change in lifestyle. Why am i writing this? I don't know. I am trying to keep up with my committment to blog.

Forever Films is on it's 2nd day with a new website. I can't help but be anxious to know if people like it... If you have had a look at the new site and like it, let me know. ForeverFilmStudios.com is the address. My email is Charles@EideCom.com I would love your feedback. But don't expect an immediate reply :)

If you are in Minnesota, Stay warm today.

Charles

Up really late

Up late. Just got done reading the Videomaker Magazine that came in the mail today. I can not believe how fast time goes when you are reading something interesting. They had a great article about wedding videography. It was great to say the least.

Anyhow, It is 1:14am. I am sitting up in bed because I can not sleep. We launched our new Forever Films website today, and things are really happening. I love what I do. I love the people I work with, I do NOT love having a har time winding down at night.

Jessica is 20 weeks pregnant now. This Thursday we find out if it is a boy or a girl. We took an online test that says it is a boy. I am hoping so...however we will be thrilled either way. This is our first. We are new to the whole process and are loving it all.

Jessica and I have been spending a lot of time together lately. It is really nice. Recently we discovered the show "Lost" on Netflix. It is SO addicting. We are halfway thru the first season. I can not believe I did not get into this earlier...Netflix sure makes it nice, we stream the video in HD to my laptop, or our TV. WOW how do they do that. You could be a full time couch potato...if only you could make a living watching "lost" on netflix.

Okay I am sure no body is reading this now, and I am just rambling. I am trying to be consistent writing in my blog but it is such a tough habit to form. Who even reads this stuff?! I know, I know, it is the hip new popular thing to do, but I am just struggling to get into the habit. Plus I am terrible at spelling. Thank goodness for spell check(the little red squiggly lines), Mike and Jessica to watch my back for spelling and grammar boo boos. They are my editors i guess...

Enough rambling. Time to attempt to sleep.

Charles

Why Minnesota?

As most people know, Minnesota is known for its incredible summers. Lakes, boating, sunshine...What they fail to mention is that in the winter you wake up to an outside temperature of 17 degrees BELOW ZERO. -17degrees Fahrenheit less thank "brisk" or "refreshing". It is Painful.

Enough ranting about the weather...

Mike and I are working hard getting our new website off the ground today. It is beautiful and has a new theater section that is a bunch of fun! We have shot a few GREAT weddings in the past couple weeks. One was for two police officers in a local town. They were so much fun. They had a Huge wedding party too...Congrats again to Kevin and Kenna!

Back in December we had the opportunity to shoot a wedding at the Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis. Larry and Toni were great. They had a popular folk band play at and during the ceremony. It was a blast.

Anyhow, We are working hard, having fun creating memories for you!,

Until next time,

Charles