Is It Real or Is It Fake?

I saw a story on a blog the other day.

The author, Mark Christiansen who is well-respected in the visual effects industry, noted that parts of the Olympic Games opening ceremonies were faked for the TV audience. If you saw the opening ceremonies, the parts he’s referring to are the ‘footprints in the sky’ created with fireworks. The live audience did see footprints in the sky, but the TV audience saw a different set of footprints that had been computer-generated. It’s similar to having someone lip-synch the national anthem at the start of a baseball game.  Oh, but that happened at the opening ceremonies too!  The very cute 9-year old girl who performed the song was lip-synching to another girl's vocal track.  

As soon as the lip-synching was leaked, the world press had a field day calling the incident "Olympic Karaoke", "Hoax! Made in China", "The Great Beijing Lip-synch Switcheroo", and "China's Wrong Child Policy".

But back to the 'footprints in the sky."  There may have been very good reasons to ‘fake it’. Maybe the Chinese were afraid that the fireworks would be rained out. Or maybe the faked fireworks were more vibrant or easier for the TV audience to see. But it gives us a slightly uneasy feeling because the performance was portrayed as real when it wasn’t.

With the technology that’s available and the skill of today’s technicians and artists, you can’t always trust that what you see is the unvarnished truth. And, this sleight-of-hand can be done almost undetectably. So what’s the big deal? Well, an enjoyable pyrotechnic show at the Olympics whether real or faked is no big deal, although this was a fake on a pretty big scale. We all need be a little bit skeptical, like the folks in Missouri, the “Show-Me” state.

How does this apply to brides who are searching for the best professionals in each category? Scrutinize online reviews with a grain of salt.  Sure, there are less-than-professional vendors out there who deserve the 3, 5 10, even 20 bad reviews they get.  These are to be taken seriously because these companies routinely disappoint brides.  Chat rooms serve brides well in these cases.

On the other hand, there isn't one professional I know who hasn't been unfairly slammed with a bad review online.  In the first year we were in business, an unscrupulous competitor whom we had never met, posing as a bride, said some pretty nasty things about us that hurt us deeply since we care very much about giving our best to every bride. We provided evidence of the fraud to the hosting site, but they would not remove the post.  Thankfully, that was our only brush with 'the dark side'.

So, if you see virtually all excellent posts about a professional, and then you see a negative post, be skeptical.  Check it out for yourself.

Color Part II: Color Grading

In my last post, Color, Part I we discussed the need for color correction in a wedding movie because there are many different lighting conditions which are not ideal, and over which we have little control. Accurate color, particularly in skin tones, makes a big difference to the overall quality of the movie.  We are one of the few wedding cinematographers who color correct all of our movies.

In Color, Part II, we will discuss color grading, which is giving a specific look that enhances the mood of a scene or of the whole movie.

Here are two paintings by Andrew Wyeth.  In one he uses warm golden tones; in the other, cooler more subdued tones.  Which is preferable?  To us, the answer depends on which matches the mood you are trying to convey.

  

In No Country For Old Men, a dark drama, the colorist created a torrid, washed-out dust-bowl, lonely and melancholy look.   Mama Mia, an upbeat musical, used bright, primary, super-saturated colors.  Memoirs of a Geisha used dramatic lighting, shadow and light, which was slightly underexposed to enhance the drama and gravity in each scene.  

We will sometimes select a color palette and texture to emphasize the mood of a part of the wedding day.  For one of our very soft-spoken sweet brides, we selected a pastel palette, with an almost watercolor feel which perfectly matched her personality.  

On another occasion, as our bride descended a grand staircase, she shared some very emotional moments with her father who shed tears of joy as he saw her in her wedding gown and veil for the first time.   As they waited in a dark ballroom to walk down the aisle, they looked just like the Vermeer painting on the left, Girl with a Pearl Earring. Their faces seemed to emerge from the darkness with one side deeply in shadow, the other bathed in golden late afternoon sun.  Although we did not design the lighting and did not direct them to stand in a certain spot, we were able to recognize this great opportunity and put the camera in a position to capture it perfectly.  So sometimes, color grading can be accomplished while filming, rather than in post-production.

Until a few years ago, color grading was relatively rare in Hollywood.  But now, 95% of films are color graded.  Just as with feature films, we color grade in order to create a specific mood. We feel that color grading is just part of doing the best we can for each of our clients.

Here are some interesting websites that explore color:

Color Theory - www.worqx.com/color

Fashion & Color Trends - www.fashiontrendsetter.com

Meaning of Colors - www.sibagraphics.com/colour.php

Color Part I: Color Correction

Color is all around us.  We notice it from a young age when we are 'coloring' with our box of Crayolas.  We play with colorful toys like a bright yellow pail and shovel, a little red wagon and a bright green 'First Computer'. 

As we get older, we make color choices for the places we live and work, the cars we drive and the clothes we wear.  There are companies which make a good business of color - Pantone, Benjamin Moore, and every Paris fashion designer.

Why do we care?  Because colors have meaning.  

In our business, we believe since color is important to our brides, it is important to portray color correctly throughout a scene.  Accurate color is one of the 6 basic criteria of evaluating videography.  [See s

idebar Videography Criteria to the lower right of this post.]  We are one of the few wedding cinematographers in the country who do extensive color work in post-production includi

ng adjusting the colors, luminance/brightness, and contrast to match the shots from our multiple cameras.

First, before we shoot a single frame, we calibrate each of our cameras to produce true and accurate color, and to match each other perfectly.  Then, we fine-tune the color balance on our cameras at the event to further ensure a perfect match among cameras.  

Lighting and color can vary wildly from a bride's preparation filmed under yellow incandescent lights, to a ceremony shot in (blue) shade outdoors, and a rece

ption filmed in a (red) wine cave. In post-production, we make adjustments to ensure it is not too jarring to go from one scene to the next. It's relatively easy to make these adjustments on a single photograph 

with Photoshop. But when you're operating on each clip (clip=a series of frames that encapsulate a single scene or action) of a 30 to 40 minute movie, it's not a trivial task.  

There are about 1200 clips in one of our wedding movies.  Sometimes one clip requires several color and exposure adjustments as a bride and groom walk down the aisle from the candle lit interior of a cathedral out the doors into bril

liant sunlight.   It is more art than science, so a lot of practice and a lot of patience is required.  

We color correct because we have very little control over lighting at a wedding.  And yet, we want skin tones to look flattering and the scene to be pleasing to the eye.  So, we film as well as circumstances allow, then color correct in post-production. Here is a scene which is too blue.

Now, here is the same scene with color enhancement to make the scene warmer.   It's more pleasing to our eyes because this is what we are accustomed to seeing.  Even when the scene really is too blue, our brains correct what our eyes see.

These days, there are so many different televisions each with multiple color adjustments. When we deliver our movies, how can we be certain the true colors will be seen?   We use a calibrated color monitor. That means we can be 100% certain that the colors in the movie are accurate. And these days, we like to deliver the movie and see for ourselves how it looks on the screen. Frequently our clients thank us for making recommendations for tuning up the TV's color not just so they can see their wedding movie in real color, but so they can view broadcast TV shows and Blockbuster videos in accurate color too.

Once you've mastered accurate color, what's the next frontier?  In Hollywood, digital colorists are giving movies a certain look through the process of 'color grading'.  In Color, Part II, we'll explore color grading.

BlogHer

I met a most interesting lady at a weekly dinner last night. Elisa Camahort, one of the founders of the very popular BlogHer.com. 

She's a mover and a shaker. She saw a need for a community of bloggers back in 2006 and a scant 2 years later over 2200 bloggers are interconnected worldwide, providing a tremendous resource in diverse fields from health to finance to law to mommy issues to feminism. The BlogHer annual conferences have attracted keynote speakers such as Arianna Huffington, Elizabeth Edwards and Carol Lin (CNN).

Elisa's accomplishments are impressive. But what really impressed me about Elisa was her passion for what she does. She spoke with fervor about why she started the business and what she was trying to accomplish. She provides a welcoming environment for both women and men to help one another by sharing information. Many of the blogs are quite inspiring - like the cancer survivors. Many are informative and entertaining on topics a little less earth-shattering - like the BeautyHacks comparing Creme de la Mer's $125/oz anti aging cream to Olay's Regenerist Cream at $15/oz. [The verdict: they are both good.]

In a world that is increasingly isolating (if measured by the number of people connected to electronic devices rather than talking with people), BlogHer is an entity that brings people back together.  Way to go Elisa!

A Calmer Gentler World

I used to be a Type A personality with a CAPITAL A! I lived my life in CAPITAL LETTERS. EXCLAMATION MARK! But over the years I calmed down quite a bit. And even more so recently when I resolved to try to take 5 minutes - just 5 minutes a day - to breathe and relax. It's been a struggle to remember to integrate it into my life. But, when I'm in the car waiting at a red light and have nothing better to do, I somehow manage to do it.

I believe there's been a reaction to my action. I see a kinder, calmer, gentler world out there. Take last night. I went to Whole Foods to satisfy my craving for fresh oysters. Felix, the man behind the counter stepped up to serve me, with a smile. I told him what I wanted. As he reached into the tank to retrieve the mollusks, he accidentally squirted me with water - all over. Rather than getting mad, I laughed and thanked him for cooling me off. He was a bit horrified, asked if I was OK, and offered me a towel. But it was nothing. As he was shucking those little guys, he was explaining the difference among oysters, and how to tell if they are fresh. [Tap the shell. If it sounds like a rock, it's OK. If it sounds a little hollow, it is not OK.] By the time he was done, he'd filled my order, given me two samples, and sneaked in two extra oysters to make up for the soaking.

It's a small thing, but rich or poor, we all like to get a little something for nothing every now and again. I knew I'd be coming back many more times to buy oysters from Felix. Felix's act of kindness made me feel gentler as I moved on to the checkout. There, the cashier rang up my produce incorrectly four times. She was getting more and more flustered even though I told her not to worry, I was in no hurry, it was OK. I didn't have the heart to call her attention to another error. So, I headed over to customer service to correct the error.

The customer service manager confirmed I'd been overcharged. She cheerly refunded the entire amount for the produce in crisp dollars bills. I smiled and waited expectantly for her to weigh the red trevesino and tell me what I owed. But, she just smiled back, thanked me for my patience with the cashier, said it was their error, and apologized for my inconvenience. She said, "No charge." For the second time that night I felt calm begets calm. A smile begets a smile. In my Type A world, there would only have been misery. In my calmer, gentler world there is only peace.

The Flirty Guide

My ears were burning! Stacie Tamaki, founder of The Flirty Guide blogged about us yesterday. She has her finger on the pulse of 100's if not 1000's of professionals in the wedding industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. She's very selective about who she chooses to feature on The Flirty Guide, so we were all the more honored when she chose to shine a spotlight on us. Here is what she said:

"Savadelis Films never does anything the fast or easy way, they only know one way to do things: The right way.

The amount of preparation they devote to each client is, to me, beyond impressive. Their professionalism always leaves me in a bit of awe because they are uncompromising in producing films of the highest quality no matter how much effort it takes for them to do so.

Their impeccably edited wedding films range in style from modern, romantic, documentary, to period pieces. You can view two samples here and can also visit their website portfolio page to view more trailers. Especially view "Come What May." It's only 1 minute and 22 seconds long and is one my favorites. From the moment the groom sweeps his bride off of her feet at the top of the staircase, the reception montage is high energy and exciting because of how beautifully it was filmed and edited..

"Fever" (A fun, high energy, dance, reception trailer)

Chuck and Jewel Savadelis are absolutely passionate about creating films that tell the story of the wedding day. I know a lot of companies in many industries say they are passionate about what they do but Savadelis Films doesn't just talk the talk... They produce films that back it up. They work exclusively in High Def and a third camera at each event is standard, not an option. There is nothing accidental, lucky or left to chance when it comes to gathering the elements they'll need to create their finished films. Rather it is planning, forethought and intention that guarantee the quality of their content. After, they insist on editing each and every video in-house to ensure the highest level of quality and control during the editing process.

"Memoirs of a Wedding"
(A venue, pre-ceremony, ceremony, reception montage trailer)

Watch one of their video trailers and you might not know what to call them or what they do. To many of their fans their work transcends traditional videography. Recently, after viewing their "Fever" trailer, I listened to one bride describe their work using words like "cinematography" and "mini-movie" to another bride who had asked her about a videographer recommendation.

I'm so proud to have them on The Flirty Guide and to be able to introduce them to you here today :D"

Thank you Stacie! By the way, Stacie was just interviewed by Ralph Mucci on The Wedding Planning Audiocast because she is widely considered to be one of the Top 10 wedding bloggers in the country.

She's right up there with Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty (we're featured in San Francisco and in Napa),
Christy Weber of Junebug Weddings,
Vane Broussard of The Brooklyn Bride,
Melissa of Melissa's Smitten and
Janie Medley of The Bride's Cafe.

Liberated!

The other day we had a little visitor in our house - a hummingbird! We live in an Eichler-like home with sliding glass doors in every room leading to an interior atrium and an exterior garden. All of our doors were open and we were enjoying a nice breeze. Then we heard some chirping. We looked around and there, up near the top of the 16' ceiling near the clerestory windows was a little hummingbird beating his wings furiously.

We tried to guide him down to one of the open doors, but the chirping got louder, and his stress was increasing. So we left the room and he found a splinter on the beams on which to rest. When we came back, he was lying on the floor, poor exhausted thing. So we scooped him up and gently put him outside. It only took a moment for him to fly into the nearest tree. There are times when I know how frustrated and then how liberated that little bird felt.

Our cat was very disappointed that she wasn't given an opportunity to get 'up close and personal'.

Mary's Wedding

Mom and I went to see a short play yesterday at the California Theater Center, Mary's Wedding. This wasn't a lavish production, but it was very moving. It had just two actors. But what a magnificent job they did!

The play is set on the eve of World War I in which a young woman recounts a dream, more like a nightmare at times, that involves two scenes that are beautifully interwoven: Mary and Charlie's early courtship in a barn safe at home and Charlie's harrowing experiences on the battlefield. Though the action jumps in time and place, "Mary's Wedding" was well-balanced in its alternating story lines of love and war. At times it was pure poetry.

The characters seemed so real. Mary was chaste and demure in a silky white dress that looked like a nightgown. But she displayed more mature qualities of intelligence, compassion and strength when she calmed Charlie's fears during the thunderstorms. Charlie was confident and daring on the battlefield, but sheepish and youthful when meeting Mary's mother over tea. They had many dimensions, some conflicting, like all of us.

The story was one that transcends time and place -- the agony of being separated from a loved one. And it was about regret over what might have been. You know it's a good play or movie when you were mesmerized during the performance and speechless when it was over.

Bliss

After the last post about Happiness, I decided to go out and actively pursue a little Happiness. So what is happiness? The Oxford Happiness Inventory, a broad measure of psychological well-being measures happiness as an aggregate of self-esteem, sense of purpose, social interest and kindness, sense of humor and aesthetic appreciation. Aesthetic appreciation - yes! That's for me!

So, Chuck and I decided to finally use the wonderful gift certificate our friends Linda Hylen (Julia Morgan Ballroom), Terry Adams (Nob Hill Ensembles), Teri Menchini (La Bocca Fina Catering), Leighsa Smyser (Branch Out), and Marilyn Tabatsky (Have Your Cake) gave us five years ago for a stay at the Gables Inn in Sausalito. Our anniversary was coming up, so this was a perfect opportunity. This was a beautiful piece of architecture, so we were off on our aesthetic journey.

The Gables Inn was indeed charming and romantic, very clean, spacious, comfortable, and run by very nice people. We went to various corners of the Bay Area and played tourist for 3 days.

We started our journey at Audobon Canyon Ranch in Bolinas, near Stinson Beach, which is only open on weekends through July 13. What a wonderful preserve. There were over 50 egrets and herons nesting in the trees. These elegant birds which are 5' tall swoop down to the lagoon for some fishing, then fly back up to the treetops to feed their young. You get a remarkable view from across the canyon with high-powered telescopes placed at strategic places and docents ready to answer any questions. We were so glad the third-generation owners of this tract of land decided to preserve it so we could all see the beauty of nature and the grace of these birds, rather than selling to a major corporation that had designs to fashion a resort with golf course, condo's and other activities that would have driven the birds away forever.

We took a leisurely drive to Limantour Beach, walked and enjoyed the view, which was just exquisite. Then, we had dinner at the Olema Inn out on a terrace overlooking a tranquil garden. Lovely.

The next day, we visited the Conservatory of Flowers where one room was dedicated to butterflies - live butterflies flying in every direction. They were beautiful, but it was the wonder and joy on the faces of the little children that was even more terrific. We should all be like little kids - seeing things as if for the first time.

Then we went on a docent-led tour of Women Impressionists at the Legion of Honor. Our docent was such a skilled storyteller that she allowed you to get inside the heads of four very talented painters and understand the restricted lives they lived and how it affected their paintings. Before we took the tour, we wandered through the exhibit. We had commented that the subject of many of the paintings were women and children. The women in the paintings seemed to have a far-off gaze as though they had time on their hands, they were bored or sad, or trapped in some unhappiness or another.

After the tour, we understood why. In the late 19th century, respectable women required a chaperone to go out in public. And even then, many public places were off limits to decent women. Women of this strata of society had few duties. They were not even allowed to care for their own children; a nanny did that. This shaped the way women lived. Many of the male impressionist painters of the same time were free to paint either portraits or landscapes or anything they chose to. Thank you Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales and Marie Bracquemond for making inroads for all the women who came after you!

On our third day, finally relaxed and almost entirely blissed out, we got up late, had breakfast with some international visitors, then slowly drove home via Route 1 past Half Moon Bay where we scouted a few locations for a piece were are filming for a bride and groom in early July.

It didn't take long to rediscover what relaxation and happiness are. And, we didn't have to travel far to find it.

Happiness

I just had to go see S*x and the City, so I went with one of my good friends, Stacie, founder of The Flirty Guide.

So here we are with our gal pals Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte 5 years after the TV show ends. Carrie and Mr. Big finally tied the knot. But will it lead to Happiness, with a capital 'H'? Probably not. The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky says that only 10% of our happiness can be attributed to life circumstances such as whether you are rich or poor, beautiful or plain, healthy or unhealthy, married or single. So now just because Carrie is married and is much richer because she married Mr. Big, her happiness will probably not change much.

Of our four heroines, it seems that Charlotte understands the secret of Happiness best. When Samantha asks her, "How often are you happy in your relationship?" Charlotte answers; "Every day." Sam asks again, "Every day?!!" and Charlotte answers, "Well, not all day every day but yes, every day." That would seem to be because Charlotte (always my favorite of the bunch) has a variety of traits shared by the happiest people.

o They express gratitude.
o They practice acts of kindness.
o They cultivate optimism.
o They savor life's pleasures.
o They learn to forgive.
o They practice spirituality.
o They exercise and are active.
o They are committed to pursuing lifelong goals and ambitions.
o They show poise and strength in the face of adversity.
o They nurture relationships.

To me, Charlotte is definitely a heroine for living life to the fullest every day. Every day? Yes, every day.

Baguette Quartette

Yesterday I attended a fabulous affair hosted by the incomparable Paula Le Duc, renowned as one of the best caterers in the Bay Area, and with good reason. The event was held at Beaulieu Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in wine country. The food was fabulous, the sun was shining, with just the hint of a breeze to blow the fine linens gently.

I was in the company of some of the best event planners in the business: Julie Nunn Martin, Rebecca Feeny, Traci Steuteville, Brooke Menconi, Angela Nelson, Mary Mix, Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini, Kathryn Kalabokes, Dee Merz and Kristjan Gavin among others. It was a heavenly day.

One of the carefully planned elements was the musical group Baguette Quartette playing real parisian cafe music. Oh my goodness! I have never liked accordion music, but this entirely changed my mind. This quartet of talented musicians played lively pieces from the 1920's and 1930's. If you closed your eyes you could imagine yourself in pre-war Paris at an outdoor cafe watching the beautiful people walk by.

When we edit an event, we get to observe how good or how bad a musical group is.
o Do they play on key? Do they hit any sour notes?
o Do they play as a group in a cohesive manner or does it sound like they have never played together before?
o Is there a nice balance among the instruments or do they all scream louder and louder to compete for your attention?
o Do the musicians play with expression, feeling and intensity - with passion?
o Do they transcend the notes on the page and take you to a another place?
o Do they entertain you?

Well, this group was perfect -they were technically excellent, they were beautifully balanced, they played at a perfect volume to lend an air to the party yet not so loud that you had to shout to be heard. They went beyond that. They dressed the part of 1930's Parisians and their repertoire was thoroughly unique. Mon dieu! They were superb! They made beautiful music and delighted our hearts.

A Trio of Quirky Little Movies

What makes a good movie?

Well, it has to have a good story that compels you to keep watching until the end. The choice of camera angle should be surprising but completely consistent with the story. The script and acting should feel natural and authentic. And the editing should not call attention to itself.

Sometimes a great movie is epic, such as Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Indiana Jones, Schindler's List. But sometimes it can be a quirky little picture. Here are three for your consideration:

Scotland, PA (2001)

This is a satire that retells Shakespeare's Macbeth, while satirizing fast food and suburbia. Joe and Pat McBeth work at Duncan's hamburgers joint in the small Pennsylvania town of Scotland, in the 1970's, They plot and carry out Duncan's murder and it looks like they will get away with it. That is until Christopher Walken, as police lieutenant Ernie McDuff starts investigating and brings a "Twin Peaks"-esque feel to the movie. He delivers his lines with his usual unconventional cadence and it's perfect here.

There are plenty of great lines - "We're not bad people, we're just underachievers that have to make up for lost time." and plenty of little jokes - Duncan, it seems, made a fortune by selling a chain of donut stores.

Strictly Ballroom (1993)

Before Baz Luhrmann produced Moulin Rouge and La Boheme, he wrote and directed this little gem. It spoofs the stuffy world of ballroom dancing in which two young competitors attempt to be spontaneous and improvise novel dance steps while being told by The Federation that "there are no new steps". There is a madness in most of the characters that only the dancing couple seem to notice. This is a charming tale of taking on the powers that be and winning on your own terms.

Kinky Boots (2005)

The crazy thing about this movie is that it is based on a true story. A young man with ambitions to shake the dust of a small town off his boots and move to the big city is forced to reconsider when his father, the third generation to run a traditional men's shoe factory, dies suddenly. Charlie, the son, comes back to town, only to discover the company is about to go under. He searches for a way to keep all the workers employed. Ah ha! He finds a new niche market: thigh-high boots with stiletto heels that will bear up under the weight of a man, for drag queens.

There is a transformation not just of the products the factory turns out, but of people's prejudices about each other, resulting in triumph all around.

For more movies that are out of the mainstream, see Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival.

On Wealth and Ethics

I was encouraged by Brent's appreciative comment to write a little more about Peter White's philosophy about ethics and wealth. Mr. White's principal interest is helping people find meaning in the context of material abundance. I am quoting liberally from Alice Cornwell Strauss who wrote a wonderful article on her fellow alum from Kenyon College. The full text can be found here. I have excerpted a few points that can apply to any business.

After returning from a summer at a dude ranch at the age of 13, Mr. White said, "I learned that there were other things of value besides the material things on which we tend to place too much emphasis. Once you have satisfied the basic survival needs, you must find meaning in your life. If you find meaning, the rest flows."

He applied this to his current business. His work stresses facilitation over advice. "Getting the family to decide what it wants to do and where it wants to go is the sine qua non of effective consulting. The real work is listening, making sure that everyone who has a stake in decisions also has a say, creating a safe place for the group to come together as people trying to solve a problem or reach an answer together, and moving the group toward resolution."

By age 32, Mr. White had achieved material success, was a partner at the fourth largest law firm in America and was deputy counsel for the House Ethics Committee. After chasing success but not finding happiness, White founded International Skye Associates, to provide personal counseling services in the field of private wealth and philanthropy. He stressed "taking advantage of opportunities and solving problems according to the needs and goals of each family as defined by them, integrating modern thinking about business and finance with timeless wisdom from religion, philosophy, and the social sciences. The Rockefeller Family was an early client.

Mr. White's concerns led him to expand his services to offer the Skye Summer Institute, an educational program for young adults who had inherited considerable wealth centered on living a complete and purposeful life, helping them to realize what's important to them in life. An heir to the General Electric Company fortune, remarked that White's "emphasis on finding meaning in their lives--and not focusing on their money--helps them evolve from being merely wealthy people to being wealthy with a cause to spend their money on."

In Mr. White's opinion, you can "indoctrinate people when they are young, or you can shame them when they are older, but real philanthropy comes from going beyond one's own immediate needs, being connected to the world and realizing that the world is hurting in many ways and that one can do something to alleviate that hurt."

In the words of the "king of soul" Sam Cooke, if we all took this view, "what a wonderful world this can be".

The Ten Elements of Care by Peter White

Peter White has spent more than 20 years counseling wealthy parents and privileged children about how to better understand the adverse effects of wealth and to search for more meaningful lives. Over time he created a list of the 10 things parents should provide for their children, which he called “The 10 Elements of Care.” It seems like a good list regardless of the amount of wealth in a family. In fact, #3-#7 are general principles we share with our clients and they with us, and in doing so, we often arrive at #2.

1. Necessaries — food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, basic education.

2. Affection — This involves “the great big person who takes care of me opening him or herself to me, making him or herself vulnerable and human in a way, connecting with me physically and in spirit, and thus affirms my significance as a person.”

3. Affirmation and Support — This is basically about expressing sincere belief in the child: “You want to be a cheerleader – or a doctor or an astronaut – and you can do it!”

4. Boundaries — Peter says that “we are living in an age where the lack of boundaries for children is epidemic. Boundaries, of course, reflect a closing value – that certain, reasonably well-defined behaviors are unacceptable, and that when these behaviors occur, unpleasant consequences will result.”

5. Guidance — “Telling and showing children how to cope, how to deal, how to create, how to succeed. Guidance involves how-to techniques such as how to do the dishes or drive a car but at essence guidance is about beliefs — belief in the sense of action motivated and circumscribed by values held by the parents. In the wealth context, guidance on budgeting is essential, and guidance on philanthropy, which may come from participating in family philanthropy together as a group, are good examples. Parents of wealthy kids are worried about passing their values to their children, but they needn’t worry about that if they are present to them, in quality and non-quality times.”

6. Respect — “This is really about listening. It is respectful to listen seriously to what the other person is saying seriously and to empathize with what the other is feeling genuinely.”

7. Trust — This means “relying on the other to act responsibly,” and to allow someone the opportunity to do the wrong thing.

8. Forgiveness — This is not about the glib “I forgive you.” “Forgiveness does not erase the hurt; by definition, it feels the hurt but decides to carry on the relationship despite the hurt.”

9. Religion or Spirituality — “My experience over the last 20 years tells me that children raised in an environment of religion tend to be more in touch with themselves than those who are not. When I use the word religion, I am not referring only to the organized religions — though I am not excluding them either — but I am speaking about an aspiration to higher and enduring truth.”

10. Letting Go — This is the most difficult and along with Necessaries and Affection, the most important. We must say to our kids, ‘I’ve done the lion’s share of the motherly or fatherly work, and I’m here and will be here for you as long as I can be; but the responsibility for you is now yours.’ ”

Real Events

I attended a fabulous event this week at Merryvale Vineyards, sponsored by a terrific caterer, Real Events. Gaspar Sayoc, the Director of Sales and Marketing at Real Events in St Helena, 707-963-0100, not only knows how to cater exceptional food, but he knows how to create an exceptional experience.

We have long been fans of the Real Restaurant Group which includes Fog City Diner, Betelnut, Buckeye Roadhouse, Bix, Tra Vigne and 8 more hip, spirited, reasonable restaurants in the Bay Area. And now, the Group is offering catering and event coordination. Because of its origins, one unique aspect of Real Events is that it feels more like a restaurant experience than a stodgy ol' banquet experience.

Signature dishes from the various Real Restaurants were offered at serving stations including sushi and assorted pot stickers; deeply decadent and velvety macaroni and cheese, prime rib with three out-of-this-world sauces and so much more. It allowed guests to move freely and it kept the party lively. Gaspar is the master of orchestrating a party so it has energy and sizzle. If we had to do it all again, this is exactly the format we would choose for any event we hosted. It allows you to eat as much or as little as you wish, and it gives you a CHOICE.

Other professionals who contributed to the success were:

Merryvale Vineyards- they served superb wines which were thoughtfully paired with the fabulous foods. Their Cask Room (see photo above) is exactly what you envision when you think of a Napa Valley wine cellar. Dark and atmospheric.

Julie Stevens Design - Julie and Anthony created large, lush floral arrangements for each food station that echoed the theme whether asian cuisine, California cuisine, comfort food, or the dessert bar. My favorite was the profusion of cascading white phaelanopsis orchids from backlit blue glass vases. It looked like the orchids were suspended in mid-air.

Weddings With Michael Peterson - Michael carefully created a song list that was perfect for the occasion, and was played at the perfect sound level so you could comfortably speak and hear your companion. You know how uncomfortable it can be when the music is so loud you are screaming and still can't be heard. Michael provides very sleek, modern speakers that blend into the decor, not those huge, ugly black boxes you usually see. Michael perfectly created the mood that Gaspar had in mind - casual, sophisticated, fun.

Heavenly Sounds at Grace Cathedral

We just filmed a commitment ceremony at Grace Cathedral. What a magnificent house of worship! Everyone we worked with was so wonderful: Mary Wood, the wedding administrator, Jayson Kincaid the Production Director, and Elaine the verger.

The Gregorian chants and the 1273-pipe organ echoed and reverberated magnificently in every corner, calming and uplifting our spirits. We were all transported to another realm. We wanted our couple to be able to feel this same spirit every time they watched and listened to their ceremony, so we recorded it in surround sound. Now, when they listen, the sound will be as close as possible to the real thing.

The 275 guests then walked a block to the
Mark Hopkins where they were treated to a fabulous cocktail party and 5-course dinner. Lisa Tomasi, Catering Manager, really pulled out all the stops and treated our couple and their guests like royalty. Rebecca Reategui, the wedding designer, and Karen Axel of Tapestry Flowers, designed a ballroom that made you think you were in a rooftop garden with bowers of orchids and twinkling lights everywhere. We were delighted to be working with Michelle Walker of Michelle Walker Photography - always so pleasant, and soooo talented.

A big hit of the evening was the chocolate tasting and favor-making provided by Cocoabella. Each guest was invited to select 10 chocolates from among 50 choices. The hand dipped chocolates were from the best chocolatiers in the world such as Michael Cluizel, Christopher Elbow, Knipschildt. The chocolates were then carefully arranged in little blue boxes and finished with ribbon to take home as a favor.

There were energetic performances of Phillipine folk dances from the Hiyas Dance Group , a photo booth provided by Red Cheese, and so much more.

On Film Editing

I've been reading a good book lately. A real page turner. Well, at least it is to me. It's "On Film Editing" by the film director Edward Dmytryk, most famous for directing The Caine Mutiny and 50 other movies. He started out as a film editor, and has some insights that are as relevant today as when he wrote the book 25 years ago. Here are some of his pearls of wisdom.

Dmytryk makes a distinction between a cutter and an editor. A cutter is a technician who merely assembles the pieces, mostly in the order they were shot. An editor is a thinking, creative person who carefully juxtaposes cuts to obtain the greatest audience involvement, to allow the viewer to be caught up in the mood, to arouse the viewer's own emotional responses. And a good editor senses the viewer's attention span, holding a shot long enough to deliver its desired effect, but never so long that interest fades, and never repeatng a clever shot.

Dmytryk notes:

o Film is the most dynamic of all the arts and is the most popular art form in the world.
o The development of film technique has been primarily the development of editing.
o Without film editing, the best movie would be only a photographed stage play.
o Film editing is the art of filmmaking.
o By means of a "cut", a filmmaker can fly through space and time, and can intensify emotions.
o A film's first viewing should evoke an emotional reaction.
o Substance first, then form.
o Reactions are essential to a good movie. Cause and effect, action and reaction.
o The "human situation" is what good films are all about and technical skill counts for nothing if it is used only to make films which have little to do with humanity.

An editor...

o ...Improves a film by eliminating redundancies, by creative manipulation of the film's pace and the timing of reactions.
o The finer the editor's technique, the less noticeable is his contribution.

Here are some movies that are beautifully edited. Through careful arrangement of images and sounds, they create strong emotions such as joy or sadness, desire or revulsion, compassion or anger, confidence or fear, triumph or despair. And they make you feel that way every time you watch them. They make you care.

Amadeus
Apollo 13
Citizen Kane
The Color Purple
Crash
E.T.
Field of Dreams
The Godfather
High Noon
It's a Wonderful Life
Jaws
Joy Luck Club
Mr. Holland's Opus
Ordinary People
Rainman
Rear Window
Seabiscuit
The Verdict
You've Got Mail

It's Not Easy Being Green

Yesterday I attended an event at the newly renovated Bently Reserve. I am reminded of what a beautiful venue this is! In this 85-year old majestic and stately structure, Jon Retsky of Got Light and Neil Adams of Blueprint Studios designed a very contemporary, airy, fresh feeling. Hot lighting punctuated with cool, white leather seating areas surrounding a custom-made 360-degree bar in the center of the room created drama and intimacy. McCall's fabulous catering added to the opulent and festive mood with groaning boards of sushi, caviar stations, passed hors d'ouevres- one tastier than the next. A fun time was had by all. Thank you Vivian Perez, Events Manager, for your kind invitation!

But what is so noteworthy is that such a beautiful place, with all of the latest technology in the conference center upstairs, is GREEN. This doesn't just mean that the floors are made from sustainable Brazilian cherrywood forests. Being certified Green entails a deep commitment to use 75% recycled materials in construction, to reduce energy consumption, to diligently recycle, and to serve local organic food from local green caterers.

I had a chance to speak with the modest, nattily-dressed Chris Bently, owner of the Bently Reserve. He is youthful, cultured, has a droll sense of humor, is unpretentious and has a great joie de vivre. He owns several historic properties around the Bay Area, all operating under strict green business practices. It is refreshing to see that what's good for the environment can also be good for business. It may not BE easy being green, but with a great sense of style, Chris Bently makes it LOOK easy.

What Happens When the Bubble Bursts?

We're not usually fans of special effects, because when they are not well-done, they are cheesy. Let's face it. That's more the norm than the exception. But every now and again, an extraordinary special effect perfectly suits a situation. That's the case with this 90-second commerical with very cool slow motion effects. It was shot with a special high speed video camera.

Over a century ago, Eadweard Muybridge completed one of the first scientific slow motion studies. He was commissioned by Leland Stanford Sr, then governor of California, to photograph his race horse Occident to find out whether the horse ever had all four feet off the ground at any one point in time. Today, you can apply super slow motion as an artistic device. The frame rate of the camera that captured the scenes in this commercial was 2000 frames/second. For comparison, standard video is shot at 30 frames/second. In order to see every tiny movement of the water droplets exploding from the burst balloons in a continuous series of perfectly sharp images, you need a camera capable of very high frame rates.

Oh, and the horse was completely airborne for a fraction of a second.

Brides of March

Every now and again we all need to do something a little different, something a little crazy. So, Chuck and I went to see the 10th Annual Brides of March last Saturday in San Francisco and produced a little 3-minute gem. Hundreds of ladies (and men) dressed up in their white wedding gowns and converged on Union Square, making a quick stop at Shreve & Co to admire the engagement rings. Oh what a vision of loveliness!

Here's what people are saying about our movie.


"Finally. A movie that shows the fair, sweet, innocent side of San Francisco."
---Mayor Gavin Newsom

"If you are searching for enlightenment, you will not find it here."
---His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

"Joel and Ethan Coen, step aside. Here come Chuck and Jewel."
---Chuck's Mother

We hope you enjoy the show.

The Ritz Carlton

I attended a wonderful event yesterday which the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay hosted for their Preferred Vendors. They hosted a half-day conference which encouraged open communication about how we can work together to better serve our joint clients. Debra Hertzog and Tony White are the most farsighted, innovative and creative people when it comes to serving their clients well.

What a beautiful venue! We've enjoyed working there because of the view, the fabulous food, but most of all, because of the people who work there. They treat us like a guest even though we are there to serve our brides and grooms. There's no other place like it. And if they treat us like a pampered guest, imagine how they treat their brides and grooms and their hotel guests.

We are honored to be on the Preferred Vendor List. Some of our favorite people share that honor:

Bridal Consultant: Jubilee Lau
Day of Wedding Planners: Jean Marks,
A Bride's Best Friend, 415.216.6139
Cakes: Elegant Cheesecakes, Butterfly Cakes
DJ: Ron Grandia
Entertainment: Bay Music
Florist: Florabella Designs
Furniture Rental: Neil Adams, 415.563.6816
Hair/Makeup: Armando
Harpist: Harpeggio
Lighting: Got Light?, Enhanced Lighting
Linens: Wildflower Linens, Classic Party Rentals
Photographers: Geoff White, Michelle Walker, Kevin Chin
Stationery: Alia Designs

Because of the level of service the Ritz Carlton offers and their world-renown, they are in great demand. So, if you are looking for a site for a fabulous wedding, call them as soon as you are engaged.

Macbook Air Bling With Gold And Swarovski Crystal

Under "I can't live without it", file this: Selfridges & Co in London is offering just 20 Golden Age Macbook Airs. Over 12,000 Swarovski crystals were applied by hand, over 24K gold, covering every inch of the case. At $39,750 they will be going fast. For more well-dressed electronics, go to Bling My Thing.

Look Who's Talking, Part II

One of our most favorite officiants, Diana Morgan, surprised us recently and blogged about us on February 28. Thank You Diana!! Here's what she said.



I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing people in my travels. Today I want to talk about two of those people, Jewel and Chuck Savadelis, owners of Savadelis Films.

I recently had the opportunity to view one of the amazing Savadelis Films of a wedding in which I participated. It is particularly relevant that I was the officiant because of my experience of viewing the movie.

Let me see if I can begin to describe this experience. I was at the wedding. I was there the entire day. Yet when I viewed the movie, in some ways, it was as if I hadn't really been there. It was almost like I was watching the full experience that I was involved in, but had only experienced maybe 30% of it in person. From the views of the ceremony site to the reception site, to the different stages of the day, it was like reliving the experience of being at the wedding and viewing it for the first time all at once. I kept thinking, "I don't remember that... ", "How could I have missed that?"

Subtle things...like I was noticing the drops of condensation dripping down the outside of the glass of champagne and the sparkles of the bubbles in the glass... I didn't notice that the first time.

On the wedding day, I didn't get to see the bride and groom each individually getting ready for the day. Who does, except maybe the moms...and the photographers? But Jewel and Chuck captured every moment of emotion on film.

I didn't get to see so many things, but the movie captured EVERYTHING! As I watched the movie of this wedding, my eyes welled up with tears. I felt like I was there and it was happening all over again.

All I can say is if I had my wedding to do all over again, the only thing I would change is that I would have Jewel and Chuck create my wedding movie. Then I would actually watch it over and over again, and show it to people. (Unfortunately, all I have is the video that a kind friend shot which I watched a few times and tucked away for posterity... sigh...)

Take a look at their site and call them!

Look Who's Talking, Part I

One of our most favorite event planners, Jubilee Lau surprised us recently and blogged about us on February 23. Here's what she said. Thank You Jubilee!!



There's No Take Two!

Are you considering a wedding video? If the answer is no, may I urge you to RECONSIDER! I think this is the #1 regret of many couples. After the wedding day, they realize how quickly the day had gone by and they wish they could relive it all over again. Well, you can. Sort of. By hiring a wonderful, fabulous cinematographer like Chuck and Jewel Savadelis you can come close to reliving the most special day of your lives.

I've had the pleasure of working with Savadelis Films on many weddings, and they have always amazed me in their ability to capture in the most genuine way the love, the joy, and all the different emotions that arise on the wedding day. Their videos are movies, but in no way are they surreal. In fact, the movies are so tastefully shot and edited that it can even bring tears and laughter to a total stranger.

'How do they do that?' you may ask.

I think it lies in their passion for what they do. They shoot each wedding with heart. Prior to the wedding day, they go to great lengths to understand the couple. They try to grasp the couple's vision of the wedding, they note who the key family members and special guests are (as well as where they are seated at the ceremony and reception!), and they treat each wedding as a very special, unique day. They don't go by a 'must shoot' list, because they capture each detail as it unfolds naturally. Yet, they never miss an important moment...like when the groom first lays eyes on his bride. There is so much preparation that they do prior to the wedding day, such as meeting with me to go through the timeline intensively because they do not like to leave anything to chance.

I've heard so many couples say that they can relive their wedding through the photos. Let me tell you, I have the greatest respect for photographers but you must realize that it's a completely different medium! Tell me how photographs can make you relive that toast by your Best Man that made everyone roaring with laughter. Tell me how photographs can make you relive that beautiful first dance as husband and wife to that special song you picked. You can't! You may remember the toast a year from your wedding day, maybe even five years. But 30 years go by, and how can you remember? How can you describe it to your children, to the children of your Best Man?

Every couple deserves a wedding video. Remember, on your wedding day there's no 'Take Two', so get the best videographers you can to capture it!

Sample video from a wedding that I did with Chuck and Jewel at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay:

MAC Version
PC Version

Mona Lisa Smile

Is the world’s most enigmatic smile a fake? Is Mona Lisa really smiling or is she faking it?

Because real and fake smiles are controlled by different parts of the brain, different muscles are used to create them – and this indicates whether a smile is genuine or not. When faking a smile, the brain signals the major muscles in the cheeks to contract and pull the corners of the mouth outwards.


Genuine smiles are triggered by feelings of pleasure which pass through the part of the brain that processes emotion. When a smile is real, the eyes crease up, and the end of the eyebrows dip slightly.

Looking at the right side of the painting of Mona Lisa it is instantly evident that she has definite up-turned lips for a smile.

But her eye on this side does not show 'laughter lines' at the outer corner of the eyes where the skin crinkles up. There is no smile evident in this eye. Overall, this side of her face indicates her mouth is smiling but her eye is not part of it. This is a gentle 'polite smile' we all can turn on and off at will.


On the picture's left side, the body language indications are reversed. Her lips do not have a smiling up-turn, but, we can see that this eye hints of the tension associated with a true smile. The upper and lower eye lids have a slight upward pull at the outer edge. But a smiling eye without a smiling mouth contributes to an uneasy feeling of mystery and bewilderment of this painting.

The body language indicators are conflicting in this face. It is easy to understand how this could happen if Leonardo painted different parts of her face at different times. Her mood may have been different over several days. Her left eye may be her Monday eye, her right eye may show her Tuesday mood, her right mouth side possibly Wednesday, and maybe he painted her left mouth last and that gentle smile was for Leonardo on Thursday as he finished his masterpiece!

So the answer to whether Mona Lisa is smiling or not is...it depends.

So what does this have to do with us? We spend a lot of time behind the camera lens and in the editing suite. We are practiced observers and can spot a fake smile from 50 paces. Fake smiles rarely "make the cut" into our wedding movies. Although it is a very subtle cue, viewers can also spot a fake and can feel there is something "a bit off" even if they can't place a finger on the inauthentic smile. That is why we film a lot on a wedding day; so we can be very, very picky and make each wedding movie feel unstudied and real, in the best possible way.

Some brides fear they will not look good in their wedding movie. We find that people who behave in a contrived fashion don't look their best. So, we don't pose people, ask for "re-enactments" (which can never capture the original feeling), or ask people to do cheesy unnatural things like throwing the veil over the groom's head of having the groom dip the bride. Because we allow the action to unfold naturally, we are much more likely to capture people's natural expressions. And, people are less anxious because they are engaged in actions that they would naturally do. So...with us, everyone looks their best.

Editing Oscar Award Winning Movies

Here is a 7-minute video of the 5 Academy Award nominees for Best Editing. Mark Helfrich, who edited Rambo, Predator, Rush Hour, Family Man, X-Men and 30 more movies, gives incisive commentary on the style of each of the nominees and why they were chosen.

Excellent editing is a series of decisions. One key decision is the length of the individual clips. In the Bourne Ultimatum the clips were unusually short (1-2 sec), creating a tense, edgy feeling. In No Country for Old Men, the clips were rather long (7-8 sec) and also led to an almost unbearable tension. In There Will Be Blood, the unflinching camera stays on a static shot of Daniel Day Lewis for an unheard of 25 seconds, cuts away for 6 seconds, then returns for another 25 seconds. The editing does not allow you to look away. It compels you to be involved.

The key is to know which length of cut should be used in different parts of a movie and to understand the impact of that decision. During a particularly emotional vow or toast, we tend towards longer edits to capture the passion and intensity. And when the intensity is boiling just under the surface, and is expressed in a very subtle way, it's even more important to "hold the gaze" and not cut away or it would dilute the impact.

During a fast dancing piece, 1-second cuts (or faster) convey the high level of energy. As Mark Helfrich says, "Imagine having to sift through all your footage to find that perfect 1-second part of the take and stringing these 1-second shots end-to-end to create a fantastic story. A great amount of effort goes into it...and the results are fantastic." Exactly.

Another decision is whether to tell the story in a linear or non-linear way. In Into the Wild, the story was told in a very non-linear way, jumping from the present to the past and back again. Actor Hal Holbrook credits his Supporting Actor nomination to the editing on this film.

Another decision is which 'take' to choose. Good editing can put together the best of each take. How does this apply to us, since we don't direct on the wedding day or ask for a second take? We still have 2 or 3 or 4 camera angles on certain scenes and need to select the angle which is most flattering and which tells the story the best.

Another decision is whether or not to use music. In No Country for Old Men at the moment of greatest intensity, there is no music, just the sounds the protagonist would hear. And because there is no music, each sound is intensified.

World's Best Film Festivals

Tonight something interesting is going to happen at the Academy Awards. I can predict with 100% confidence that the Best Picture Oscar will go home with a film-festival filmmaker because all five films nominated for Best Picture were seen at the world's top film festivals. This trend started In 2005 when Crash was the first film festival acquisition (2004 Toronto Film Festival) to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Atonement debuted on opening night at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. Michael Clayton premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival and was later seen at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. Juno, made on a budget of only $6.5 million, was judged Best Film at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. No Country for Old Men by the Coen Brothers premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, six months before its limited commercial release in the U.S. It was also seen at the New York Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival. And There Will Be Blood's director, Paul Thomas Anderson just won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival for Best Director.

Is this a good trend? I think so. We can derive so much inspiration from people all around the world who have different experiences, different views of the world, and different styles of visually expressing themselves. Is it ever a bad idea to gain a greater global understanding?

So, in order to get a jump on next year's Academy Award nominees, here are the World's Top Film Festivals, based upon popularity, quality of films, and prestige.

Cannes International Film Festival - May 14-25, 2008

Cannes is graced by some of Hollywood's A-list celebrities, and its roster of past winners includes: "Easy Rider" (1969), "Taxi Driver" (1976), "Apocalypse Now" (1979), "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "Fargo" (1996).

Venice Film Festival - Aug 27-Sep 6, 2008

The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. It evolved out of a Venice art exhibition in the mid-1930's. Federico Fellini once said that "entering the Film Palace of the Venice Film Festival was like passing a final exam."

Berlin Film Festival - Feb 1-Mar 1, 2009

The Berlin Film Festival was founded in 1951, just six years after the end of World War II, as part of an attempt to restore Germany to its former artistic glory. The first film screened at the Festival was Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca". The Berlin Film Festival quickly gained momentum, and within a few years it rivaled Cannes and Venice as one of the premiere film festivals in the world.

There are plenty more film festivals from Anchorage to Zanzibar. Here is the A-List of international film festivals, according to the International Federation of Film Producers Association:

Mar del Plata International Film Festival- Apr 24-May 8, 2008
Shanghai International Film Festival -June 14-22, 2008
Moscow International Film Festival - June 18-27, 2008
Locarno Film Festival - Aug 6-16, 2008
Montreal Film Festival - Aug 21-Sep 1, 2008
Fresh Film Festival- Aug 27-31, 2008
Cairo Film Festival - Aug 29-Sep 1
Toronto International Film Festival - Sep 4-13, 2008
San Sebastian Film Festival - Sep 18-27, 2008
Tokyo Film Festival - October, 2008

Festivals well-known for showcasing independent films are:

Sundance Film Festival - Jan 17-27, 2008
Vail Film Festival - Apr 3-6, 2008
Sonoma Valley Film Festival - Apr 9-13, 2008
Tribeca Film Festival - Apr 23-May 4, 2008
Telluride Film Festival - Aug 29-Sep 1, 2008
New York Film Festival - Sep, 2008
Raindance Film Festival - Oct 1-12, 2008

And a few festivals close to home are:
Cinequest Film Festival - Feb 27-Mar 9, 2008
San Francisco International Film Festival - Apr 24-May 8, 2008

If you can't attend in person, then live vicariously through these blogs of the goings-on at the latest film festivals:
Film Festival Today
Short Film Review
Independent Films

Extravagant Valentine's Day Gifts

Valentine's Day is a day of fantasy. Since we are fantasizing, we might as well go all the way. Here are some extravagant Valentine gifts that will put the romance in your day (and night).

For Her

Champagne: Krug, Clos du Mesnil 1995 - $750 per bottle; comes from one small walled vineyard of just 4.5 acres; only 12,624 bottles were produced in the 1995 vintage.
Chocolates: Knipschildt $250 per dark chocolate truffle
Perfume: Clive Christian No. 1: $2,350 per ounce
Romantic Getaway: Private Reserve, Soneva Gili Resort & Spa, Maldives, $10,000 per night; 15,000 sq ft suite in 6 buildings built over the water; 2 personal assistants included.

For Him

Lamborghini Murcielago, $362,000; This convertible is sleek , fast and stylish. Or for a million dollars more, you could buy a Bugatti Veyron.


Or you could pack a picnic lunch, and read her the poem you wrote for her under a spreading oak tree.

Savadelis Films Featured in Your Wedding Day Magazine

We were surprised and delighted to open the latest Spring 2008 issue of the beautiful magazine, Your Wedding Day and see ourselves mentioned in 'Things We Love'. Event planner extraordinaire Cindy Danbom of Belle Notte Events shared what's hot in San Francisco including Miette, The Pampered Girl, the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus, the SF Giants, Courting Eileen invitations and...us! Here's what she said about us:


SAVADELIS FILMS
A good movie tells a story. It's a series of unfolding moments - as is your wedding. Savadelis Films professionally and poignantly documents your wedding for those who couldn't be there as well as for everyone who attended. Chuck and Jewel Savadelis can also broadcast your wedding day live to friends and family members around the world.

Thanks Cindy!

Savadelis Films Featured in Brides.com

We've been featured and quoted in the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Brides.com - in at least three editions - Northern California, New York and Philadelphia! Here's the text:


For guests who can't attend, weddings can be streamed online in real time. "It used to require a permanent setup with Internet access," says Jewel Savadelis of Savadelis Films in San Francisco. "Now all you need is a cell phone signal." Improved technology, including faster Internet connections, guarantees a higher quality video than ever before - think YouTube, not webcam. "Couples can share their wedding videos the same way they share their photos," says Jewel. With online hosting, through your videographer or through sites like Viddia.com, your wedding video can be easily emailed, or downloaded to a video iPod.

"One of the most creative ideas we've seen lately: sending guests a video save-the-date. "It's sort of a tease - it lets guests know to expect a wedding full of surprises," says Jewel. These videos range from simple, personal messages to extravagant productions. Typically, videographers use shots from the venue and interviews with the couple, to give guests a sense of what's to come.

High -definition DVD packages are becoming increasingly available, and while HD will become the standard eventually, the preferred format remains foggy. [Note: The world of technology moves fast. Since my interview last autumn, the format wars have been decided. It's 99% certain that Blu-Ray and not HD DVD will be the standard.] Talk to your videographer about the pros and cons of an HD DVD; if you're alredy hooked up at home, we think it's a great investment.

Some videographers are using a "surround sound" approach to capture more of an event's auditory details. "In addition to mic'ing the couple, readers, officiant and musicians during the ceremony, a sound engineer also places a few mic's discreetly throughout the space," says Jewel. "Those mic's record guests' reactions. It's a big hit," she says.