New Ways to Share Your Story

I am delighted to now offer you photo book service! This is an awesome way to make something unique and useful with all those photos you have building up on your hard drive. Come on, admit it. They are just sitting there taking up precious space. Don't worry, I'm guilty of it too :)

A customized photo book makes a special Christmas gift too. Here are a few ideas that make incredible books: Baby Stories, Anniversary, Through the Years, Photos from your Hobbies, Vacations, Memories of a Loved One, Adoption Lifebooks, just to name a few.

If you have seen the books from Shutterfly or a similar site, the books are similar EXCEPT all you have to do is send us the photos. WE DO THE REST! I look forward to working with each individual to create a book that is special to you and allow you to love looking at your photographs and sharing them with others! click on my profile to email me for more info about this service.

Back in the Editing Studio

Hi all! With the recent baby addition to our family and the fact that I've been in pre-production for weeks, I finally got back to the editing suite last week- yippee! Here's a favorite clip from my current project. This is from a 10-year anniversary movie. It is all still photos, but as you'll see there is SO much one can do with just stills. Never under-estimate the power of photographs for your movie project!

Back to Work

I took the last 6 weeks off as we added an other child to our family! This week I am back at work. I'm so excited to get back at it! This week I'm starting a 10-year Anniversary movie. The wife is giving this to the husband for their anniversary gift. I've got some great ideas in the works to make this movie a wonderful tribute to the many wonderful memories this couple has created together over the decade. Stay tuned!

The Beauty of Ink Splats

I am always observing the way things behave in the natural world. I then take those things and try to simulate them in my video productions. For example, the way paper falls to the ground. I use this idea to make photographs appear to be falling through space. Or the way water moves. It never ceases to inspire me. Anyway, I recently stumbled on the idea of black ink falling and "splatting" onto paper. It is so beautiful and random in the shapes it makes when it hits paper. So I decided to give this look a try in a recent video piece. I am in love with ink splats now. Here is the result. Very interesting.

Still Alive

Sorry there's been no new post in forever. It has been crazy busy with trade shows and editing lots of family's' movies and adoption stories. I have a really fun new intro to share with you. I'll try to get it up here in the next few days. Happy Summer :)

Going Down Under

I love that I get to travel the world vicariously through my clients. One day I'll be in China witnessing an adoption, the next day I'll be spending the summer in Venezuela. It really is an amazing and cheap way to travel! Last week I got to go scuba diving in Australia. This one was really fun and I love the music. I experimented with a bit of motion graphics, which makes the photos appear as if in 3-d space. I love this look and it makes the photos so interesting to view.
Good'Ay Mate!!

Earth Calling

I just finished an adoption movie in which the family wanted me to incorporate Google Earth to show their long flight from San Fran to Taiwan. I had been messing around with the idea for months. So I was thrilled to finally have the chance to give it a try. I think it is very effective. And it looks awfully cool too.

A Family Reflects

One of my recent families has posted a beautiful commentary on their blog of their experience in having an adoption movie made for their family. They talk about having so much video and photos from their trip to China that they simply didn't know what to do with it all. Can you relate? It is always so awesome to help people organize their memories in a way that is "user-friendly". They also posted the entire movie :)

Beautiful Gotcha

Everytime I edit an adoption story I feel so much emotion when I get to the part where baby and parents meet for the first time. I've seen it hundreds of times and I never tire of it. It is a life changing moment, immortalized forever on video. I just finished a movie where the first moments of a family united where so touching and beautiful - you just need to take a peek at this amazing footage!

Using Vines in Adoption Videos

I am so into growing vines right now. I adore this look, it adds so much to a video. Not only is it beautiful, but I think it is appropriate for baby/adoption videos because it symbolizes growth. Take a look at the sample to see what in the world I'm talking about!

Preservatives for your Memories

Apparently, filmmaking is genetic. My grandfather was a filmmaker. He enjoyed experimenting with cameras, film, and later sound. This week I'm in the process of transferring these precious images and sounds to DVD. It reminds me how important it is to preserve these things.

If you or the generation before you has old films or vhs tapes, I strongly encourage you to have them transferred to DVD or miniDV. With time these films will disentigrate. VHS has a shelf-life of 15-20 years. Eventually the images become too dark to see and the tape becomes brittle. The old films are only slightly better. Typically you can get these formats transferred to DVD at a rate of .17-.25 cents per foot. It can be a pricey to get a high quality transfer, but I think it is so worth it. These films are all we have to remember our grandparents and the events which defined their lives.

If you cannot have your old stuff transferred, there are a few things you can to help maintain them in how you store them. Store the films and vhs tapes in tupperware containers. This will prevent moisture and dust from seeping in. Store your film bins in a dark dry place that is neither too hot nor cold. Realize that this will not ensure the films will last forever but it might buy them some time. Unless they are transferred to a digital format, they will eventually fade away.

Photo Fun

There is no limit to what can be done with photos. Imagination run wild! Here's a short photo clip I created from a recent movie.

Welcome to the Cave

Here is where I spend the greater part of my day. My studio, aka The Cave. You can't tell from the picture, but this room is about 10x10...and perfect for making movies. I've got everything I need right here. Pretty fancy, eh? Yep, here's where I hunker down and spend "quality time" with my clients, piecing together their movie creations each day. Welcome!

Sneak Peek

I love learning new techniques that enhance the beauty of my clients' movies. Here's a sneak peek of a brand-new title I'm currently creating.

Perfection in every Picture

Do you have photos that are almost good? It is frustrating to have a good picture ruined by red-eye, too dark, or off-center. Luckily with today's technology these problems are easily fixed. Notice the photos on the left with a serious red-eye problem and the date stamp in the corner. Then the ones on the right, voila! All better! When I receive photos from a client I carefully inspect each one to see if enhancements or corrections can make the photo better. Your photos are precious. These extra touches make each of your photographs stunningly beautiful.

New Look for 2008

I'm excited to share one of the new packaging designs for this year. The DVD case and label are critically important. They are the first glimpse my clients see when they receive their movie package. This design is simple yet elegant. Right away the family gets to see a photo of their little one. I think it's a perfect look to introduce a family to their special DVD.

Photos in 3-D

I just learned this little camera move technique. It creates the illusion of the photos floating in 3D space. What a fun way to view pictures!