Mike and Ali - Red Butte Gardens

Wow. I love this wedding. This is my favorite edit of the year. Ali and Mike threw down a serious challenge for me with their song choice, and I had this Danny Boyle-inspired concept going on in my head. Split screens and rapid edits. It was a perfect fit.

And I love it. Sometimes I feel lucky to get certain weddings.

Yes, I feel lucky.

Shane and Trista Make Promises

I've really gravitated towards couple's stories as something "I do." Get it! I do? Okay, bad joke. Anyway, I really love doing these and we spend a lot of time getting these short films just right.

Shane and Trista's couple's story was no exception. We shot up at Log Haven on a breezy, late afternoon, when the leaves and the colors were changing. It was amazing really. We had the whole lake area to ourselves (with permission of course) and we spent a good solid 2 hours of filming. I tend to have general questions in mind that give me direction on additional follow-up questions for the couple. Considering that Trista has children, it was really important that we make them part of the larger story. I'm a big believer in the family unit (and whatever that means to you), so I wanted the kids to be a part of the story. I also work for some sort of thematic element to play through the interviews, thus the "I Promise" element as bookends.

When you book these with me, be ready to have ideas of your own. Bring props, have a concept in mind, maybe even a change of clothing. And plan for an afternoon. These take time, but the pay off is priceless.

George and Mindy

What can I say, other than great wedding. A compact 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. day, with plenty going on. I just love how this wedding turned out. And yes, I often start my videos with some sort of live music going on at the reception. Why? Because I love it. The band at the wedding often tells a lot about the couple. George and Mindy had a swing, bluegrass, jazzy quartet jamming at the reception. I couldn't get enough of them. During breaks, I often gravitated towards the band. They were just plain cool.

There's nothing like a wedding with military uniforms. It transcends formal. It's something else entirely. There's definitely a sense of reverence, at least on my part. These guys are doing something that many people won't be doing for their country.

Anyway, quite a day. This is a highlight of the entire day - an abbreviated version of the final wedding video - which runs about 11 minutes. Enjoy.

Michael and Lauryn

I've been known to fiddle with wedding films for my website. Color them up, change the music, rearrange and shorten the edits.

Such is the case with Michael and Lauryn's wedding film. I went old school medieval on it, pulling out the contrast, and giving it an aged look. Something akin to an HD Super8 camera (which to my knowledge doesn't exist). Keep in mind, I've also edited this in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 to give it a more widescreen effect.

Anyway, here it is. I hope you enjoy it. This couple was great and kept their cool when the reception got moved inside. Due to wind, of all things.

If you need a certain "look" to your wedding, please let me know when you book me.

Steele and Paige - Draper Temple

The weather for Steele and Paige's wedding was pretty perfect. I know that cloudy, overcast days don't necessarily cry "beautiful" for the bride and groom, but for the photography and cinematography, it's perfect. It creates something akin to a a huge diffused softbox in the sky, which means everything is evenly lit. No hot spots of sun competing with the shade. And no major dress "blowouts" with the whites.

This was a two-song edit of the hair and makeup session with Paige, and the time at the Draper temple with both of them. Steele and Paige shot around with me and Kelly from Gallery Photography just prior to the actual wedding as well as the post-temple family shoot.

I really loved shooting this wedding. It always helps when the bride and groom are excited for the day. A little interaction with me never hurts either.

This is the wedding film in it's entirety. Sit back and enjoy.

Jarom and Katie

A brief highlight of Jarom and Katies wedding, way back in March. Awesome couple. Awesome time.

Thanks for having me.

Micah and Brittney - Live from Las Vegas

I spent a lot of time with Micah and Brittney. An amazing couples story and a full day in searing Las Vegas, NV. It was May 1st and I remember it being incredibly hot. As a result, I feel like I really got to know them on a personal level. Want to have your wedding videographer really understand you two on a much more personal level? Do some sort of pre-shoot, couples story, etc. The extended relationship definitely can play out in how I related to you as a couple.

By evening the temperature had cooled and an amazing reception emerged. One of my favorites. An old truck doubled as a buffet station, signs pointed to different events, IBC bottled root beer was the beverage of the evening and beef skewers were on the grill. They even had Porta-Potties. I felt like I was at a country fair. Amazing night.

I picked up on some thematic elements in Micah and Brittney's wedding that played throughout the entire wedding film I made for them. This is why I am posting it from start to finish. It's very circular in how it was made. The end takes you back to the middle and the beginning.

I hope you enjoy it.

Ryan

Gary and Carol - 50 Years Together

Gary and Carol McFarland are my in-laws and are celebrating 50 years of marriage this year. We just had a great party for them at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building this evening and I was asked to put together a life story for them. Rather than take a completely linear approach to a life story, we focused on a Q and A that would make for a more entertaining film, rather than a traditional "timeline" approach. As a result, we captured some pretty funny stuff. If your inclined, and have about 15 minutes, take a look.

My wife Rebecca takes a lot of credit here as well. She performed the interviews, while I ran the technical side of everything.

I hope you enjoy it.

Best, Ryan

Jared and Mindy - The Teaser

Call me crazy, but I've been hoping to find a time to use a little Punch Drunk Love music in a wedding film. Well, more specifically the song "He Needs Me" from the Robert Altman movie Popeye, which was allocated for the Hawaiian encounter in Punch Drunk Love. It's the perfect romantic piece, or at least I think so. Dreamy and ethereal, it has a fantasy-like quality that I thought was perfect for a short teaser of Jared and Mindy's wedding day.

I'm not much for your run of the mill stuff, so a little mash up of their temple wedding with my own selection of music was a nice reprieve. Mind you, this isn't the video I delivered to them, just a fun reinvention of a blazing hot wedding day. Sweating bullets for two hours. And not one overheating of the camera (a technical thing). Amazing.

It was a pleasure Jared and Mindy. And I'm always up for the occasional same day edit. Keeps me on my editing toes.

Blake and Alex - The Interviews

So I have a lot of affection for this couples story I did for Blake and Alex. First off, they drove 3 hours to get it done. We then sat in the blazing sun - in a remote and dusty field - for another two hours. It was a painstaking process, but the payoff was well worth it. I had in my head a certain look for this story and managed to literally stumble across an abandoned house and enormous shed in the middle of nowhere. The perfect location. After scaring off a beautiful, pure-white barn owl, we managed to capture on of my favorite interview sessions. Pure gold.

Thanks for choosing me to do your story Blake and Alex. It was a beautiful, dusty dream.

Photography Demo for Brody

So we just finished this little piece of goodness yesterday. Two half-days of shooting and a few sporadic weeks of editing and we are done.

Brody approached me with the idea of making a demo for his studio. Something to show his clients, put on the web, play at shows, whatever.

This is the beauty that comes from a controlled setting. Which is why I recommend pre-shoots and couples stories so much. They allow you the freedom to "custom build" a piece of work. With that said, the documentary elements within this film and others I do make the final piece what it is. It fulfills the "time" and "place" needs that any reality-based piece needs.

I'm waxing philosophical here. Too many hours in film theory classes (thanks for that Andre Bazin). Anyway, enjoy it. Take it in. Consider doing something with us that gives your wedding day, baby's birth, family story a life of it's own. Something you can revisit for years to come.

Best,

Ryan

Micah + Brittney - Their Story

So I could do these couples stories all day. I love the fact that we can spend an afternoon together and make something that can be enjoyed at the wedding, as well as a stand alone piece for years to come. I'm excited for Micah and Brittney's kids to see these many years from now.

Considering finals and graduation were a week away, I'm impressed how comfortable they both were. What a fun time. Best of luck Micah and Brittney. We'll see you in Vegas next week.

Best, Ryan

Spring Special!

For a limited time, all of our half-day and full-day packages include one of our custom made photo histories. A great way to share your life with your reception guests!

Do you just need the photo history? They are only 50 bucks per song for a limited time.

Take a look!

Jarom + Katie

So this is the cool couple. Jarom and Katie met in California while both of them were working in the "industry". The film industry. Very, very cool. Katie is an actress and Jarom works in visual effects.

It gets cooler.

Jarom worked on Avatar. And Katie is an actress. And they are very genuinely nice and good people. Enough said.

This is a Couples Story that we did a few days before their wedding (yes I crammed to get this done). These couples stories are a great way to have your guests get to know you, as well as having this amazing memento for your family and children to revisit. These interviews really transcend the wedding day and give you something that is not event-specific. I love doing these. Perhaps my favorite part of working with couples.

Enjoy.

Ryan

Jacob and Candice - Bountiful, Utah

So this wedding was a simple affair. Moments with the family in the morning, temple wedding in the afternoon and casual dinner at The Pointe Restaurant in the evening. In many ways a perfect wedding.

This is a shortened edit of their wedding day. Great speeches at the dinner that night and a very loving family to share in their happiness.

Ryan

The Randy Despain Tribute to The King of Pop

So here's the deal. It's no secret that Randy Despain at Brody Dezember Photography absolutely loves, loves, loves Michael Jackson. However, the last thing I need is a tribute at the last wedding we shot together. Check it out.