Busy week... Very busy!

Still clearing post-production backlogs for November couples! Counting all the projs from Nov 08 to Jan 09, we've got more than 15 projects to clear. Almost every couple hope to receive their video albums before CNY... And we are flying off to join Stillmotion next week!!

We need a miracle.

Perhaps we should really consider promoting the express highlights packages to cut down editing backlogs. Daniel Boswell of www.danielboswell.com pushes for same-day edits, and he is amongst the world's top 25 wedding cinematographer for 2008!

hmm...

Stephanie Sun's Family Event

We were engaged to produced a video album for Stef's dad' birthday on 4th Jan Sunday.
It was a total surprise for Mr Sng (yes, that's Stef's family name in their dialect). He was not aware of the months of preparation (by his family and friend) that went into the dinner. Mrs Sng had told him earlier that it was gonna be a simple dinner with 2 close friends. One should see his shocked face when she led him to enter the ballroom of more than a hundred guests! Priceless!

Adeline was on hand to capture that priceless expression, and I was following closely behind Mr Sng with my camera stabiliser. With 2 camera pts, nothing was missed!

Everything that followed was extremely heart-warming. With speeches by family and friends, and a special photomontage (with morphing effects) of Mr Sng as everyone recollected his younger days (of course I assisted the Sng family in producing the montage). Stef also performed her version of "Gan Lan Shu", one of her dad's fav song to the accompaniment of accapella group - Budak Pantai. Excellent performance!

Of course we took photos with Stef lah.... Thanks to Jeremy for his camera!
Sorry, we are not to post any pics or videos from this closed-door event.

Alvin

A Much Needed Break!

It's the first month of 2009 and we are finally taking a break!


Well, not really a break but we are taking a week off to Canada for a video workshop with http://www.stillmotion.ca/. One important thing I must find out is how to minimise muscle aches from all the filming that we have done. This is one of the occupational hazards that many don't know about. It would be good if we can have a good masseuse that help us with the aches, then our life will be much better... ah!

Hopefully this workshop will bring our wedding cinematography to the next level, as the workshop with http://vonweddingfilms.com/ did in 2004 in Oklahoma USA. Stillmotion is kinda well-respected amongst the local SG wedding photographers/videographers community. And I think we are the only Asian videographers who are attending this workshop!

Anyway, here's wishing everybody a wonderful Happy New Year and 2009 to be better than 2008!

PS: Despite the recession, our prices will increase in the coming days! Oh, this is because we are still below market average price...

Desmond & Hazel Wedding

I must say Hazel really takes good care of Desmond. She forbidded her friends from making him eat any yucky food during the gate-crashing. Thus the gate-crashing program was limited to performing a New Zealand tribal dance routine, a Backstreet Boys MTV dance (Desmond was pretty good at it, however I can't say the same of his buddies. I think they had 2 left feet each!) and singing a love song just outside Hazel's room.


The lack of gate-crashing content really made me worry that the highlights will not turn out well. Hence I got everyone to an open field just next to Hazel's block. Using my stabilizer and videocam, I had a quick outdoor shoot scene to spice up the highlights later.

Although I've not met Hazel until that morning (Desmond was the one who engaged us), I thought I've seen her during my NTU days. It turned out that she was indeed from NTU and she frequently dined at Canteen A during the same years there as me! We might have met before.

-- Alvin

Melvin and Isabelle Wedding

I can't help laughing at the gate-crashing games played by the bridesmaids on the groom and his buddies. It's one of the best gate-crashing ideas, truly original and creative. Out of the ordinary and absolutely hilarious!!

First, the groom and his buddies had to wiggle potato chips, coated with salt from top of their foreheads to their mouth and eat it. As a result, a trail of salt was left on their faces, leaving them 'salty-faced'.

Next, they had to use their mouth to suck out tic tacs from the plates of whip cream. Again, their faces were not spared.

Subsequently, they had to stick a pea in their nose and blow it straight into a bucket and a bowl on the floor. Expensive penalty awaited them for inaccurate shots.

Keep these ideas in mind if you are planning your wedding next...

Some updates... Isabelle was not happy with some of my shots shown during the banquet highlights. Wrote us a long email. This is a first! Apparently, I had showed too much of her pre-makeup and she had hoped that I'll not be doing too much closeup shots on her expressions for the bridal makeup segments. Apologies to Isabelle as this was not communicated to us prior. But I felt I had to shoot her closeup as she was really pretty that day! (former air stewardess ok! Pretty with great figure! dun pray pray... Melvin is one lucky chap).

--- Alvin

Bryant & Jessica Wedding

As Jessica is a big fan of Hello Kitty, you can spot Hello Kitty's stuff in her room. It won't be surprising to find the wedding ceremony in the cutesy cat's theme, which makes the wedding special. Meanwhile the bridesmaids were dressed in pink along with the guys in white. So winsome! They looked wonderful in the photos!

I love the way they say their vows at their church wedding - very clearly and firmly. It goes to show how certain they are about having each other as life partners. Bryant and Jessica, congrats!

Ke Zhong & Siew Lynn Wedding

As a very close friend of Siew Lynn's, apart from taking charge of her wedding video clips, I was one of her bridesmaids who assisted in posing challenges to the groom, Ke Zhong.

We gave him fun tasks and we love his spirit to take on the challenges readily. Siew Lynn is always so sweet-looking. Like a Princess walking down the aisle hand-in-hand with her Prince Charming, the couple simply looked beautiful.

Through the years, I have seen Siew Lynn grown from a shy teenager to a sweet young lady, to a doting girlfriend and now a caring wife. Although I don't know Ke Zhong as long as I have known Siew Lynn, I can see that he is a very thoughtful and sincere guy. I am really happy that they have found each other!

Their pre-wedding and actual day wedding highlights videos showcased their love, very much to their liking.

Limbo Rock

Heart-shaped pose

A sweet kiss...

A happy couple smiling in unison

Paul & Imelda Wedding

Finally, our dear friend, Paul's much-awaited solemnisation has arrived. Paul has arranged to have a surprise for Imelda - a video clip that showed how he proposed to his bride.

This is how Paul and lovely Imelda looks like at their solemnisation - Happy & Relax. It is so heart-warming to see a good friend get married, especially when we have known Paul for so long.

Congratulations, Paul & Imelda!

-- Adeline