This weekend sees me filming my last wedding of the summer season. I have not stopped.
Busy again in December…and then into next year. Where did this one go. Did anyone notice if there was a summer or have we gone straight from warm rain to cold rain. This said we had a lot of dry sunny days for out wedding shoots so I can’t complain.
The editing is going well….still the last four weddings shot to edi,t but they will be done on time….things are going well.
I will also find time to catch up with the blog and link up some of the weddings so you can make comments and see what is going on
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Well busy is good, but it is the blog that suffers. Today the sun is out and I get a chance to write whilst Corina and Jason’s film does its render…I will check it through tonight and get it is the post to the tomorrow all being well. Tom and Luisa’s has also gone out. Next I am working on Gemma and Kelvin. Will write more about their wedding soon.
I am filming another wedding Friday and the two after I get back from the aikido summer school I am off to.
August is a wedding every week and September is much the same. Time off….what is that something that might happen in november when things go slacked for a couple of weeks.
It’s a good job that my work and my hobby are one and the same, and I don’t mind spending my free evening editing 
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Finding time is my main problem at the moment.
This last week has been intense…we have been editing our dance short film….’there is a crack in everything’ as well as filming a second, first communion for St Joseph’s in Clydach. Have to get this edited next week too.
There is a que of weddings I am working through. I am well on the way to finishing Huw and Kats, and have nearly finished the montage for Corina and Jason. I should get the Montage on the web site by Monday night, and Huw and Kats film to them for the end of next week.
Today I have put discs in the post and done some of my admin, and I now need a rest….looking forwards to a day off tomorrow.
I am not going to touch my computer, or edit, this will be a first for about there weeks. I have no visiting bride and grooms either. Days off when you run your own business are few and far between, but are really important to keeping it all fresh and focused.
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Welcome home….hope you had a lovely honeymoon. The montage for your wedding is up on our website!
The day itself….
It wasn’t a great weather day when we arrived at St Benedict’s RC Church in Sketty, but it wasn’t raining. The church itself is light and airy. Tom arrived in good time and Luisa made a wonderful entrance, walking slowly, elegantly smiling all the way at Tom. Got lovely shots of the vows. 
I love the curved hallway entrance, it makes the backwards walk filming as they exit the church exciting……I managed to avoid falling over!
It began to drizzle as we stepped outside….I love to see the umbrellas coming out, they make a great backdrop to shoot against. Mark Button was the photographer today….and he moved us swiftly on to the Oxwich Bay Hotel. Timing and detail are what he focuses on.
What I love about Swansea is that it can be tipping down in town and yet a short drive out to Gower and the sun is shining again. It made the light great for the Photo shoot. Luisa shouted across to us….”I am so glad I had the Video, I feel like I missed everything, I only noticed Tom in the church, nothing else” Now I know I made the right decision to stay out on the ceremony shot, to get her dad’s reactions in as well.
The Oxwich bay hotel on a dry day is beautiful, the marquee overlooks the bay and the views are stunning. From a filming point of view I love the way there is space for the guests to mill around on the lawn, we can get into the background and just shoot everything without people being aware of us.
Sunday morning, and we are up early trying to find all the bits I need. Ieuan (my son), and Steve are ‘helping’. I just need a cup of coffee. It was a long shoot yesterday.
Ocean View Windmill Gower, turn right just after the Greyhound Pub in Oldwalls and then turn left at their sign….As we drive up the lane towards the farm I begin to see the stunning views, what a great location, peaceful, rural, beautiful. Ocean View Windmills Gower is a new venue, I think they are going to become one of the popular ones.
The fayre is in the marquee, which is perched on the edge of fields overlooking North Gower and stunning views over the Loughor estuary. Inside it is light, plenty of space, yet with the cosy feeling you get from marquee weddings. They have a stone-floored and oak-beamed room leading off the marquee which is where the ceremonies will take place. It has been beautifully done.
Ieuan is delighted to find we have been put next to the chocolate fountain ‘Augustus Gloop‘ what a fab name.
Ben gets excited too when he turns up….can’t take his eyes off the marsh mellows.
So we spend a relaxed, enjoyable day showing off our wedding films and trying not to eat all the chocolate fruit and sweets, the chocolate fountain girls are very patient with us.
When Steph turned up I wandered over to Tony Kludge’s stand to catch up with any gossip. I have worked with Tony a couple of times, he’s to be recommended. We find we have another wedding together later in the year, this will be good.
I also chat with a video booth (the woman, not the booth itself!). We swap notes on the fact that people ask me to do evening messages, and they get asked to film the day…..and how different what we each do is. I have an idea….watch this space.
So: packing up, I hope some of the interest we have had turns in to bookings. I would love to film a wedding here. It is going to be a relaxed, professional and idyllic venue….looking forwards….I would get married at this venue.
A long but Lovely day.
Woke to see drizzle, the special Gower stuff that soaks you through before you have more than your toes outside the door; not what any of us wanted to see.
Ben was on time, and as usual bouncing, ready to go. He always gets excited at the start of a shoot and wants to get there early.
We found Corina’s house without problem, she was still at the hairdressers, so we opened the ‘brides preparation shoot’ with her dad watching for her, what a nice guy. The horse and carriage were the next to arrive. When the girls bounced back everyone was in a great mood.
Then the photographers arrived….we have worked well with all the photographers up until now…. our relaxed easygoing way leads to good working relationships. For me working together is what it is all about, it is the bride’s and groom’s day after all, harmony is what they need from us. The woman photographer put me straight in my place by telling me that they were not having us filming them taking photos after the wedding. “We do not allow the videographers to follow us” …..harmonious. This was not a time for conflict: we would have to get the best documentary of her day working around them.
Corina banned the bridesmaids as she got dressed, her dress was a surprise….they were convinced it was pink. We got some great reactions from all when she floated down the stairs and they all got their first glimpse….there were tears from both Mom and Dad.
At the chapel Jason was slightly less chilled, quite often the grooms are the more nervous about getting their vows right in front of everyone.
This was the first time I had filmed at Bethel Chapel in Penclawdd, it is beautiful inside. Being able to shoot from above gives us a really clear shot. Corina entered to a brass band… loved it. The Minster did a great service, heartfelt words.
The horse and carriage swept them up and trotted off through the village, stunning and well mannered greys…. Katie Carriages, to be recommended.
The reception was at The Stradey Park Hotel, We sneaked into the room to get the table and cake shoots before anyone disturbed them….a fairytale theme, but not cheesy, ‘Panache‘, the wedding planner had managed to get a magical feel to it all.
The rest of the afternoon flowed well, the speeches were fun, and with Ben rejuvenated by a coffee (thank you Corina) and great plate of sandwiches, filming the first dance went very well.
Driving home we were both in a good mood, there is nothing better when it has been a good day and the shoot has gone well
I will add a couple of pictures to this when I have finished the capture.
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Kat and Huw’s montage is edited up, and has made its way to our website for you to see! There will be more notes on here soon, please come back in a day or so and see!
I am enjoying this one, there were a few surprises to film. Nice service at Bethel Unithed Reform Church in Sketty, and then to The Stunning Margam Orangery in Margam. The sun shone and we managed to get some beautiful footage for the romantic walk. Worked with the Photographer Graham Smith, from ‘All about the image‘ , had a fun time working together, we seem to have the same eye for shots and humor.
Margam orangery is elegant, and a large, light space, great to film in. Ruins and statues, grand steps and fountains. There was plenty of space for the lion dance when it made its surprise entrance after the speeches. Great to film, is the lion spitting cabbage over me lucky? Highly recommend them.
did I get eaten…..no just a lens full of cabbage
Listening to the music I am using on their edit as I type….I had forgotten how much I love Pachelbel’s Canon, they have given me a good mixture of songs…ones I have not used before.
Can’t wait to do the romantic walk section…. it will be beautiful
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Busy week, capturing, editing, admin. I am getting quite a few inquires at the moment and a fair number of bookings both for the end of this year and next. Love being busy but just wished there were more hours in a day.
My computer is rendering my New demo DVD which is why I have found the time to write the Blog.
This afternoon I will do the final touches of Lynn and Chris; Steve and I proof watched it last night, looking good, just a couple of improvements….render tonight and it should be in the post by the weekend.
Huw and Katherine’s wedding is the film in Edit next…..I have nearly finished the montage should be on the web page by the weekend.
We are a small production company who specialise in weddings, events, and documentaries.
Storytelling and recreating the moment is one of our strengths. Our ability to understand who we are making our films about helps us get individual and unique results. We film what we see and then edit to create a personal story.
We don’t direct, letting events unfold naturally and capture the moments, and the sound bites, and emotion. We have worked hard at being able to blend into the background yet still capture the heart of the event. People forget we are there…… until they get the finished film.
The team.
Jane …. the owner, manager, and vision of Gower Video. I have been working with film and video for years, having done a degree somewhere back in time. I have changed with the technology as it as advance…..love where it is going…..creativity is the limit.
Ben … Cameraman ….. Tall to contrast my shortness, Ben gets the focus pulls and steady cam shots. He never stops and as a consequence is always hungry. The more you feed him the better he works:) Ben did a film degree too, and also works as a technology teacher.
Steve … Techie….does all the cleaver stuff with web pages and video on phones. he is always telling me stuff can’t be done… and I never believe him.
Steph………Has just joined the team, she is young, creative and has a passion for learning film and photography. She is also tall…
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Sunday and the sun is out … and I am recovering from two days of intense filming.
Saturday saw us film Luisa and Toms Wedding. Started capturing the footage this morning, there is some stunning film in the dunes at Oxwich, and the vows are beautiful. Always good to know there is good stuff in the can. Ben was my other cameraman, he is getting good with the steady cam, floating through crowds . Steph came along for the experience, this was her second wedding, she is learning the ebb and flow of wedding shooting. Not sure what she thinks about the whole process.. it is unlike most jobs.
The ceremony was at St Benedict’s R C Church in Sketty. Light and airy, and the sound carries well, there is also plenty of room which is good as they had a large amount of guests. I love the curved hallway entrance, it makes the backwards filming walk as they exit the church exciting……I managed to not fall over.
It began to drizzle as we stepped outside….I love to see the multi-coloured umbrellas coming out, they makes great backdrop to shoot against. Worked with the Photographer Mark Button today….and he moved us swiftly on to the Oxwich Bay Hotel. Timing and Detail are what he focuses on.
What I love about Swansea is that it can be tipping down in town and yet a short drive out to Gower and the sun is shining again. It made the light great for the Photo shoot. Luisa shouted across to us….”I am so glad I had the Video, I feel like I missed everything, I only noticed Tom in the church, nothing else” Now I know I made the right decision to stay out on the ceremony shot, to get her dads reations in as well.
The Oxwich bay hotel on a dry day is beautiful, the marque overlooks the bay and the views are stunning. From a filming point of view I love the way there is space for the guests to mill around on the lawn, we can get into the background and just shoot everything without people being aware of us.
Got home about 8.30 hungry and tired. Put the camera batteries straight on charge ready for the ‘first communion shoot sat morning’ an early morning start……which went well. Look forwards to the edit now
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