Inspiration from Industry Leaders Stillmotion

Writing down thoughts on paper, or, well, computer space, is what this next group of people inspired me to do.  Why do I want to share my thoughts about them with you, because they shared their thoughts with me, and I really think sometimes there is a lack of sharing in creative industries.  Everyone is so afraid of doing it, oh no, they’ll steal my ideas, oh no, I better not let them know how I do it, because then they might be better than me.  Well these guys, and I’m talking about Stillmotion, aren’t afraid to share.  Stillmotion is a group of artists, filmmakers and photographers, who shoot mainly weddings, but also quite a bit of commercial stuff, who believe that the greatest thing you can do is tell the story that is already there.  I hope they don’t mind me being liberal with what they are trying to do, these are just my thoughts.

These guys are arguably the tops in the wedding filmmaking industry.  They are as good as it gets.  I watched dozens of their movies, and every one catches me in a unique sort of way.  Unique to the respective couple they are working with at the time.  That’s one of the biggest things I learned from them this past January in Austin, TX at the In[Focus] gathering.  Every single couple has a unique story.  And we’ll never know that story, as filmmakers, unless we get to know that couple, unless we anticipate it and document it in a creative, cinematic way.  Yes, these guys have a mastery of their fancy equipment, and lots and lots of expensive toys like cameras, computers, steadicams, and sliding camera tracks.  But it all comes down to telling the story of the bride and groom.  And I LOVE that about them.

What I also love about them, is even though they are the best in the biz, they have a passion for sharing and teaching.  And it has nothing to do with making extra money at some weekend seminar.  It has to do with what’s inside of them.  The burning passion to be awesome at what they do.  To get better and better at filmmaking.  You can see it in their eyes, and hear it when they talk.  They get excited and go on and on.  I was reading on a forum somewhere and Patrick, one of the principles of the company, said “in typical StillMotion fashion, we went about an hour past our scheduled talk time”.  And I had to laugh at that, becuase they did the same thing at In[Focus].  A roomful of people were interested and they were just pouring it out, here is what we do, here is why we do it, here is how you can incorporate it into your business and make it your own.

As a former teacher, I love these guys for their passion for teaching.  A lot of people out there are in the wrong line of work.  These guys aren’t and you can tell.  It’s really refreshing to be around them and learn and push each other and be excited about getting to know clients and creating an everlasting piece of art for them, so they can share with their families for years and years.

I even thought about asking them about putting one of their highlight movies here, on my site, but then I thought that would be a little weird. I love this particular clip so much, it speaks volumes about the client.  Unique to them.  I don’t know if it’s the music by Beyonce, the camera work or the personalities of the couple, and how charismatic they are and how they draw you in.  I’ve watched this particular movie about 80 times, and I feel like I’ve gotten to know Janet and Jason (and Jahnoya).  The movie is so, THEM, it’s perfect.  So I absolutely wanted to give them some props for putting this out there.

I also wanted to give them props for pushing me.  And I also wanted to let all you know, all of you reading this, a little about me.  I am focused on telling your story, about telling it in a creative, cinematic way, about pushing myself to get the angles and cool shots.  Stillmotion has inspired me and I wanted to shout out loud my thanks for being cool and open with their knowledge and experience.  I think it’s a wonderful journey we’re all on, and I’m so psyched to be part of this wonderful industry, that I can give people something that will become a treasured heirloom to their family.  Thanks for reading, and check out Stillmotion’s other movies, and I think you’ll be inspired and look at wedding movies in a whole new light.