My In[Focus] Experience

Well, I’m back from Austin and the first In[Focus] conference for event filmmakers… and I’m more excited about the business I’m in more than I ever. This “gathering” was special. I can’t put a finger on exactly why it was, but there was something different and fresh about it. I can spend days writing about everything I learned from all the amazing speakers. But I can spend even more raving about the things I learned just from being around all the attendees. It’s what I love about going to these events. And it’s what inspires me to work harder. 2010 is off to a great start and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.

Here’s a nice video and article by Steve Nathans-Kelley, editor of Event DV magazine, reflecting on all the things that happened at In[Focus].

If you’re an event filmmaker and missed out on In[Focus], they’ve created a learning site where you can view many of the great seminars. Check it out here.

Photos by Jet Kaiser and Joe Taravella

Get IN[FOCUS] with Red 5 Studios!

Excited to announce that I will be speaking at the IN[FOCUS] video conference this week. For more info, check out their website. And check out this video to see what I will be presenting. It’s gonna be sweet.

Valerie & Eric | Wedding Day Short Film

Hey everyone and Happy New Year! Lots of new things are in store for 2010 including a new product in our lineup: Wedding Day Short Films. Check out Valerie and Eric’s highlights, a incredibly fun celebration at MOLAA in Long Beach. And stay tuned for more news to come.

Home For Christmas - A Tribute

On Monday, I got to say farewell to my Auntie Candi who passed away in her sleep at the beginning of December. She has gone home to the Lord and will be reunited with my Uncle Paul, her husband.

I arrived at the memorial service with my camera, not thinking about shooting any video but maybe taking a few shots here and there to send to my mom who is currently in the Philippines. She was close to my auntie and I know how much she would have wanted to be here to say her goodbyes.  As I looked around, I realized that no one had a video camera. Well as an event filmmaker, I thought recording the speeches and our final moments with Auntie would better serve those who could not attend. This is one of the advantages of having the Canon 5D MkII camera which shoots beautiful HD footage as well as photos. Switching between the two can be done at a moments notice. I’m glad that I changed my mind because her grandchildren gave some of the most heartfelt tributes that I have heard at a memorial service.

My auntie was much loved, was so central to our family, and will be dearly missed. It was difficult to shoot and to hold back tears and emotion. However, capturing these moments in full motion video with sound, reminded me of how important it is to record these events and why I do what I do. I recently saw a picture of my grandfather holding a super 8 film camera.  He recorded events like I do today.  Not professionally, but it seemed like he always had it with him.  In my closet, there’s a box full of film reels that he shot that I have not seen yet. But because he captured things with his camera, I will be able to see his life through his eyes. I barely knew him since he passed away when I was only 6. But in a way, I think I do know him well. He understood the importance of documenting the most special events in life: children, marriage, and even the passing of our loved ones.  I’m glad that part of him is part of me.  I guess it’s in my blood.

My grandfather, Prax Candari, and his Super 8 camera on top the Empire State Building.

To all reading this, take the time this Christmas, to be with those you love. That is the best gift you can give.  Thank you Auntie for bringing the family together to celebrate your life and the love you shared with all of us.  We will miss you.

Three’s Company

It’s been 2 months since our little boy came into the world and it’s been quite a journey so far. Here’s some things we’ve learned as new parents.

T-Shirts are for spitting on.
Boys like to pee when they’re naked.
I now know why I have a strange fondness for vacuum cleaners.
You can never have enough baby clothes, pacifiers and burp cloths.
It is possible to sleep 2 hours at a time (though it messes you up real bad).
Grandmothers are invaluable.
Kids do grow up fast.

A year ago, we didn’t even think we’d be where we are today, holding our very own happy and healthy baby. But looking back, I believe that this was God’s plan for us and I am thankful that He gave us the time as husband and wife for those many years. For those of you reading this blog, and you’re struggling or know someone who is waiting on their blessing, know that miracles do come true.

Ours is named Jude.

Desiree & Manny | No November Rain

“How can the weatherman predict the weather, let alone the future.” - Marty McFly, Back To The Future

Well, the forecast for November 28, Desiree and Manny’s wedding day, was rain. But the showers came in the early hours of the morning and the rest of the day was perfect. Though they never had to use one, I used the the love song “Umbrella”, a cool acoustic cover by Boyce Avenue, for their Same Day Edit. Congrats, Desiree and Manny!

Be sure to also check out their concept video, a movie trailer spoof of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”!

Mr. & Mrs. Barrientos

So here it is! Our sixth and final concept video of the year! Whew. 2009 was an amazing year for spoofs and I’m excited to share with you Mr. & Mrs. Barrientos. After all, a marriage is worth fighting for.

Keep an eye out for a special cameo by yours truly.

Click on the photo above to view in HD or on your iPhone!

Judy & Derek’s Romeo + Juliet

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life

Julian St. Pierre - Gone Too Soon

I am in tears.  I just found out that Julian St. Pierre of Studio Vieux Carre, co-founder of In[Focus], passed away last night. It was just a year ago, I met Julian. I was at a conference in New Orleans and I was so excited to be there that I was up very early in the morning. I went down to get breakfast and I was the first attendee in the lobby. As I was pouring my juice, I looked up and noticed there was a man who looked exactly (I mean EXACTLY) like Steven Spielberg. Baseball cap, eyeglasses, scruffy gray beard… except he spoke like he was from New Orleans. It was Julian. He introduced himself. We chatted about the city, the people, the conference, and the world of event video. But what I remember most was smiling… and laughing. Being a “newbie” in the industry, I asked a few questions and Julian gave me some words of encouragement. I don’t remember exactly what we talked about in detail, but what I do remember is how he made me feel and the impression he made on me.

We kept in contact over the past year online and through e-mail. So I was in great shock to hear the news this morning. It was just too hard to believe. I immediately went to watch this video just to see and hear his infectious enthusiasm again.

Julian was a leader in our industry and will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Terry, her son Joe and their family.

The Force is Strong in This Family

Being a Star Wars fan, everyone thought I would name our son Luke. I’m a fan… I’m not crazy. I already named our dog Chewie (he’s a mutt that looks like a walking carpet) and our company name, Red 5, is Luke Skywalker’s pilot call sign in the attack on the first Death Star. We went with Jude Cameron, his first name coming from the Bible and one of my favorite Beatles songs, and his middle name was inspired by two of my favorite directors, Cameron Crowe and James Cameron.

Anyway, for Halloween, I couldn’t resist buying Jude his first Star Wars costumes. Yes, I bought him 2, a cute and cuddly Ewok costume and a Stormtrooper outfit. Guess which one he liked? Well, I guess it’s cooler being a bad guy, huh?

May the Force Be With You.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?

In an ice cold freezing swimming pool that’s where!!!

On Sunday, we shot our night scenes for Judy and Derek’s concept video, a spoof of Romeo+Juliet (the modern Baz Luhrmann/Leo DiCaprio/Claire Danes version). But before we packed up, we jumped into the swimming pool to shoot an intimate scene with the two starcross’d lovers. But it was cold! REALLY COLD! It felt like we were shooting Titanic! I was was tempted to have Judy recite the lines “I’ll never let go Jack, I’ll never let go.” (Note to self: next time tell the owner of the pool to have it heated before we arrive on set).

The things we’ll do to get the movie just right.

Be sure to tune in for the online premiere later this month.

Re:Frame San Francisco or “How I Had To Stop Worrying and Love To Speak”

Photo by Nelson Nunez

A year ago I was lucky enough to be one of the attendees of the first Re:Frame in New Orleans.  There’s a saying: “Iron sharpens iron”.  Meaning if you want to be the best you need to be around the best.  And essentially that’s what Re:Frame is all about.  The highest level of learning in wedding & event filmmaking in a small, intimate group setting.  I came away from that first event so inspired and excited.  It was a game changer.  Wanting to experience more, I quickly signed up for the follow-up event in Austin.

It was there in Austin, the Re:Frame Collective, made up of Julie Hill from Elysium Productions, Bruce Patterson from Cloud Nine Creative, and Kristen* from Bliss Productions approached me to speak at the next event.  Me?!!  Stand in front of a group of people and teach them something?!!  I can hold a mic, sing badly and do The Running Man to get some laughs… but say something intelligent and inspire creativity?!!  Ummm…

Quick flashback to when I was in Junior High.  Remember those days when you had to stand in front of the class and do oral reports?  I hated them.  And hated having to speak in front of people.  Why?  Because for some reason, I would break out in a cold sweat, get incredibly dizzy, and come seconds away from fainting each time I did.  It was so bad sometimes I couldn’t  even hear the words coming out of my mouth.  I would have to put my head down when I returned to my desk relieved that I had survived such horrible torture.

Flashforward to Austin.  “Sure!” I said to them as we strolled to the karaoke bar.  O. M. G.  Was I nuts?!! But it was time. I wanted to do this.  My heart was so full… I wanted to give back and this was the opportunity.

So as nervous as I was, I came to Re:Frame San Francisco, ready to speak about my experience in the industry and hoping that at least one person would take something away from my talk.  The good thing was that I had plenty of videos to share (so I would get to sit down, watch, drink lots of water and catch my breath - something they didn’t let you do in Jr. High).  After some early jitters, I was able to get through my Concept Video presentation without passing out.  Whoohoo!!  It was actually a fun experience.  The best part was being introduced by Jason Magbanua, the newest member of the RF Collective, a superstar in the world of wedding cinema, and good friend from the Philippines.  That totally made my day.

If Re:Frame was a “trilogy”, then this third installment set in San Francisco was the biggest and baddest of them all.  It was truly epic… like “The Return Of The King” or “Return Of The Jedi” (without the Ewoks).  Although I was only able to attend the first half, I felt I had learned so much in the time I was there.  Not only from the incredible speakers in our “classroom” sessions but during the in-between times just hanging out.  So much fun. And it was fun watching the faces light up on all the first time attendees who I know went home inspired and excited as I was just one short year ago.  I’ve been there, done that… and want to do it again and again and again.

Julie, Bruce, K*, and Jason: Thank You (x4).  Look forward to the next Re:Frame!

- Loyd

Also, check out this incredible video from RFSF by Philip Bloom made up entirely of stills!

Kat & Don | Wonderful As Loving Goes

When Kat and Don found me they had to go half way around the world.  Well, not literally.  But with the help of the internet. They came across a brief mention of our studio on the Weddings At Work site, a website dedicated to helping brides and grooms plan weddings… in the Philippines! Thankfully, the wedding was right here in Southern California but Kat & Don’s wedding had all the charm of a celebration “back home”.

I always enjoy a ceremony that openly invites God to be a part of it. It is a reminder of how blessed I am in my own marriage. And if you see me hiding behind the viewfinder of my camera, it’s probably because I’m shedding a tear. Ya, I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for weddings.

Kat & Don, God bless you in your new life together. Praise Him in the good times, praise Him in the tough times and always look to Him for strength and wisdom.

Check out their fun and fast paced Same Day Edit set to Dashboard Confessional’s “As Lovers Go”.

Watch it  in HD here!

Joanna & Alan | A True L.A. Wedding

The blog-a-thon continues!

I love shooting in Downtown Los Angeles.  Sure there’s lots of traffic.  But I love it when we get to shoot in locations that remind me of how cool L.A. is. Joanna and Alan’s wedding was one of those days.

Location #1: The Standard Hotel. After Joanna opened up the door for us, I scanned the room and thought: This place was made for rock stars. The guest rooms looked like they were designed for partying not sleeping. Strangest piece of furniture: The bathroom had a giant foot statue (and for you LOST fans, it was almost big enough for someone to live in. Just kidding). We also got a quick shot on the legendary rooftop lounge before security told us to move on. Wow… a breathtaking 360 degree view of Downtown L.A.!

Location #2: St. Brendan Catholic Church. Still my favorite church to shoot in in all of SoCal. I could have swam in the rose petals laid out in the center aisle! Beautiful.

Location #3: The Bank (and Neon Museum). Very L.A. chic. Whoever thought of converting an old bank lobby into an art museum/event venue is genius. Very, very cool.

This was the first wedding shoot after my “new daddy” hiatus and it was so much fun to be back. Thank you Joanna and Alan for a memorable wedding! You guys rocked the dance floor.

You can also watch their Same Day Edit in HD here!

PS - Check out (500) Days of Summer for very cool L.A. cinematography. One of my favorite movies of the year.

Photography: Evoke Photography
Event Coordinator: Skybox Event Productions

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