To quote the DJ (James from Soundwave Entertainment) at Crystal and Angelo's wedding, "I haven't seen dancing like that in a while!" There was some fancy footwork going on at their beautiful Bella Collina wedding this past Saturday. And in the clip below, the dancing was just getting started!
  MVI 9428-Vimeo HD Encode from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Check out these clips from Bruce and Raffy's amazing wedding! Coordinator Eddie Diaz, from Encore Creations, did an awesome job with this one. The Church Street Ballroom was completely transformed from floor to ceiling to create the perfect nightclub atmosphere. Definitely one of the coolest receptions I've been to in a while. 
Bruce + Raffy's Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Bruce + Raffy's Reception from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Check out these clips from Ray and Ashley's beautiful wedding at The Winter Park Racket Club  last November.  It was such a pleasure to work with vendors that I know and love, like The Nielsens Photography and Design, Lee Forest Design, and Uptown Music.  

Ray & Ashley - Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Ray & Ashley - PreCeremony from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Ashley and Ray received their video yesterday and sent this awesome email after watching it:

Dear Schuyler, 

We were totally surprised when we had a package today since we were expecting it later this week, but what an amazing surprise!  We cannot thank you enough for capturing every detail of our amazing wedding day. You had me crying all over again, and I think you even got Ray teary eyed.  I honestly cannot put into words how fortunate we are to now be able to relive the whole day and have this beautiful piece of artwork that we can share with our current and future family!  

Please feel free to post any videos as we have watched it all and are absolutely in love with each and every minute and cannot wait to share it!

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

Ashley

Here's a frame from Erica and Andrew's wedding that we shot at Rosen Shingle Creek on Saturday. We worked with some awesome vendors, like Les and Wendy from Soundwave, photographer Misty Miotto, Amanda from Eventfully Yours, and Francesca from Rosen Shingle Creek. Good people + good music = great night!

And We're Back!

We took a little vacation from posting to our blog, and we have been quite busy in the time we've been away! Not only have we been shooting many beautiful weddings and putting together some amazing wedding videos, we're also in the process of totally revamping our website and social media pages. We're incredibly excited about launching our new website this Spring, as well as sharing our latest and greatest addiction: Pinterest! Our Pinterest page has a couple different wedding boards that we are constantly adding to and we would love it if you followed us! But before you rush over to our awesome Pinterest page, (we know, it's tempting.) check out some of our most recent work below!


Carly & Scott - Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

To see more of our magic in action, take a peek at our Vimeo page! And we promise, it won't be long until our next blog post, so stay tuned!

Bride's Choice Awards 2012

{Winter Park,FL} – January 26, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Perfect Sky Productions has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Videography!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Perfect Sky Productions was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Perfect Sky Productions is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Perfect Sky Productions for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Perfect Sky Productions is one of the very best Videographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/perfect-sky-productions-winter-park/fa54d1d2dcaf349f.html.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.
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Lizette and Victor - One cool couple.

 One cool couple, that's all we really want. When you get the right couple that really knows what they want in their vendors, location, style and vibe, it makes the whole process beautifully easy. Lizette and Victor Acevedo was one of those great couples. They where laid back, easy going and very detailed on what was most important to them. Great couples make great weddings, period. They kept true to who they where and focused on what was most important to them, family. They brought their family together with lots of love and personal warmth. Here is a little hint of their vibe.

Lizette & Victor - Love Story from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
The post ceremony was a joy to shoot. I was working with Sterling Photography , J.R. knows his stuff. We worked together to create some great shots of this beautiful couple with the perfect backdrop of Casa Feliz and its classic ambiance.  Once again the personality of the couple made all of the difference. Casa Feliz has some sweet spots to shoot.

Lizette & Victor - Post Ceremony from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
All this was masterfully executed by the team at Wonderful Weddings. Susie Weiss has put together a great package of vendors and location with the Golden Ticket, an all inclusive package that fits Casa Feliz perfectly. The perfect party was hosted by Maria Shafer - Celebration Expert. I almost smashed her foot, just a little. She is the type of DJ who knows the vibe of the wedding guests and knows how to have a good time with everyone around her. Here is a great Cinematic Recap of Lizette and Victor's Wedding.

Lizette & Victor - Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Radha & Mahesh - My Personal Opus

I think I now know what giving birth is like,  metaphorically of course. I have finished my biggest wedding ever and it felt like I was in labour for days, one month to be exact. It took me one month to edit down one terabyte of footage to a one hour and ten minute artistic edit. This was no easy task and I am a stronger editor for doing it. Possibly closer to insanity but better for it.
Radha and Mahesh gave me the perfect wedding film situation, one that every wedding filmmaker dreams of. It was a perfect combination of color, texture, beauty, location, exotic performances, emotion, elephants, music, family and artistic creative freedom. They wanted me to be me. I love them for it. So what follows is almost every montage in the wedding. Why, you ask? Ego, pure indulgent ego and the need for self gratification. That, and it is really, really good and Radha and Mahesh would love to share it. So you know, clients needs alway come first. So Radha and Mahesh this show is for you.
The first clip I will share with you is Radha's Henna night followed by each of the couples Grah Shantis. Any one who knows me can attest to my love of a good Bridal Prep and this my friends is one hell of a pre-wedding day Bridal Prep. What I love more than the Henna's great visuals, is the true level of love and emotion both families show to each other at their ceremonies. Truly beautiful to watch that love.

Radha & Mahesh - Radha's Henna & Grah Shantis from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Mehndi

Where there is Henna there is a Mehndi Party. This was the first time the two families are together and they waste no time on having a good time. More beautiful colors, great music and a room full of love and happiness. This is my second night of really good Indian food and a great cup of Chai. They really welcomed me and I got the ink to prove it. Yes I got a Henna and no it is not just for girls. My symbol meant 'Bad Ass'. Why all the girls kept giggling at me when they saw it, I will never know.

Radha & Mahesh - Mehndi Party from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Garba Rass
Garba Rass means to dance. Not only did Radha and Mahesh dance but so did most every guest at this beautiful event. To top that off they had professional dancers really add a unique and authenic touch. I love the human body in motion, especially when the rhythm and movement have the art of telling a story, communicating an emotion. Wow, I am sounding a little pretentious. It is all part of the ego thing. Any way I found this great piece of music and I hope I captured a little Bollywood vibe.

Radha & Mahesh - Garba Rass from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo
Bridal Prep is usually one of most emotional times of the day. It offers a great combination of mood, drama, beauty and detail. Radha gave me a great combination of both and a very interesting shriek. This strange noise is well known among Radha's friends and family. How can you keep a bride calm who is about to view her husband to-be riding in on an elephant? You don't do a thing but keep rolling. I can only imagine how much extra she weighed after all the adornments and clothing that is lavishly put on.

Radha & Mahesh - Bridal Prep from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Baraat & Procession
I love the movie Slumdog Millionair. Danny Boyle is pure genius. When Radha and Mahesh suggested in using this song and one other from the movie it was a no brain er. Now, we are at the elephant. I was giddy like a school girl at the mere mention of the elephant when I first met with the couple. Like the scene in Jerry Maguire with "You had me at hello", I was "You had me at the elephant".

Radha & Mahesh - Baraat and Procession from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Post ceremony and pre-reception gave us more great opportunities with the elephant and a jib. More Bollywood inspired shooting here. We really wanted to shoot a music video with Radha singing to one of her original songs but we couldn't fit it in. Besides, we have an #$%!ing elephant to play with. By the way, when you hear rushing water when you are near an elephant, run! In the middle of some great Bridal Party shots, the elephant had do some elephant business and lets say it was a lot. The couple was energetic and ready to capture some great footage.
The decor for the reception was outstanding. Most wedding filmmakers love detail and a great room setup. This had it all plus very professional lighting. Any filmmaker who does not like a room filled with professional light is either blind or not very good filmmaker.

Radha & Mahesh - Post Ceremony from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Radha and Mahesh's First Dance
Pardon the pun 'It's the same old song and dance'. But for most part that is what the first dance is. I have seen my share of great first dances. They consist of a great music track, a beautiful couple and a few months of dance lessons. Well Radha is a great singer and her brother a great musician and the combination came up with four original songs composed and performed by the dynamic sibling duo. So now take the formula and add an original song, original choreography and stage lighting. This one will be a very tough first dance to beat.

Radha & Mahesh - First Dance from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Hey, who invited Cirque du Soliel?
So I mentioned Ravé, Radha's brother is great musician. Well just a speech from the brother may seem a little anti-climatic once you write music with your sister. So Ravé performs an original composition called 'Rain'. Oh yeah, and he performs it blindfolded. I was hoping he was going to light the piano on fire and go into full Rock Star mode, complete with set destruction, but I can settle for this. The beautiful dance and acrobatic performances where a stand alone show but they seem to fit perfectly with this song.

Radha & Mahesh - Ravé performes 'Rain' from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Lets just finish up with some great music, great dancing and very happy families. The rest of the night was just a great party.

Radha & Mahesh - Reception from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
All wrapped up in a pretty bow.
So this is the final montage, the Cinematic Recap. Normally I can create one of these in half a day or so, but try to take 18 hrs of footage and edit it down to five minutes. Lets just say I cursed and spat at my timeline. Too many shots hit the cutting room floor painfully. I almost broke my rule of only one song for the recap. I stayed true to my mantra and eventually shed enough tears and sweat to get it down to one song. I hope this gives you a great general overview of this wonderful event. I really enjoyed shooting and editing this. Would I tackle another four day marathon, who knows. If they had two elephants, I would be there.

Radha & Mahesh - Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Credits:
Cinematography-Perfect Sky Productions
Coordinator-Christina Horton
Photography-E.P. Pro Studio
Make up-Evelisse
Henna-Sangita Patel
Decor-Suhaag Gardens
Ceiling Drapery-Special Event Decorators
DJ-Dudha Productions
Lighting and Performers-EC Model and Talent
Audio/Visual-Swank AV
Location-Hyatt Grand Cypress
Elephant-Animals in Motion

A Wedding Filmmakers Dream

Let me just check off the list of things that make an incredibly beautiful wedding film.

1. Good looking couple with a great personalities. Check
2. Beautiful Colors and Textures. Check
3. Colorful and exotic rituals and traditions. Check
4. Great family. Check
5. Incredible food. Check
6. Fantastic locations. Check


Now throw in some really incredible things.

1. A bride who sings her own wedding music and a brother who composes and produces it. Check
2. Exotic and beautiful performances. Check
3. An Elephant. Yes an elephant. Check
Now this is just a small taste of what is to come. I didn't even touch upon the rehearsal dinner and party. The wedding day itself a beautiful epic. This will be one great big challenge.


Radha & Mahesh Wedding Trailer from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Platinum Wedding at Waldorf Astoria Orlando

Wow! That is only way I can describe this wedding.
    The Harper/ Dorko wedding had many firsts for me. It was the first time I have shot the wedding of a 'Mother of the Bride'. It is a great feeling when the mother of a former bride/client calls you up to shoot her wedding. This will be the fourth wedding I have done for this group of family and friends, I guess I am an honorary member of the family now.
    Speaking of going back to a very first, the Bride's daughter, was the very first wedding that I worked with the incredible Susie Weiss of Wonderful Weddings. Through that very first wedding, I started to develop a great relationship with Wonderful Weddings and a great relationship with the Harper Family.
     It was the first major wedding at the brand new beautiful Waldorf Astoria in Orlando. This resort is beautiful and the service was phenomenal. I never felt like a vendor, I felt like a guest the whole time.
It was the first Platinum Wedding I have shot. This wedding was going to be featured and the bride pulled out the last minute. Good thing, they would have just got in my way.
     It was the first wedding I could dedicate the talents of my partner and his Canon 5D Mark II just to artistic shots. And it payed off with some killer moments.
Finally this was my first wedding with a charity casino after party. The talented artist from Flourish created a mini casino complete with slot machines and a slot machine groom's cake. All the proceeds went to four of the couples favorite charities. That is pretty cool.

Linda & Andrew's Wedding Trailer from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.
Cast & Crew:
Bride - Linda Harper
Groom - Andrew Dorko
Cinematographer/Editor - Perfect Sky Productions
Cinematographer - Douglas Howard
Cinematographer - Seth Cohen
Wedding Coordinator - Wonderful Weddings (Susie, Donna & Elaine)
Photographer - Nu Visions in Photography (Kurt & Stephanie)
Floral and Design - Flourish Floral Productions
Hair & Make-up - Marjorie Robinson
Location - Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Cakes- Bake Me A Cake
Chocolate Fountain - Chocolate Traditions
Cocktail Music - Hapara Music
Reception Music - Fifth Avenue
After Party - Fun Factory

Jackie & Danny's Wedding

This was a great couple with a great vibe in music.  Classic locations with Knowles Memorial Chapel and Country Club of Orlando. I really enjoyed working with them and shooting their great day.

Jackie & Danny's Pre-ceremony Montage from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.


Jackie & Danny's Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Cast & Crew
Bride: Jackie Smtih
Groom: Danny Smith
Cinematographer: Perfect Sky Productions
Photographer: Robert McClory
DJ-MC: Chuck Amstone-Solid Gold Entertainment
Pre-Ceremony-Grand Bohemian Orlando
Ceremony: Knowles Memorial Chapel
Reception: Country Club of Orlando

Goodbye 4x3, Hello HD.

    When you have lived most of your creative life thinking in a 4x3 box, it is hard to let go. Standard definition (SD) video and its standard picture dimension became so en-grained in my creative mind. I could compose the most beautiful and creative shots without thinking twice in this 4x3 format. Then came along SD in 16x9. Now as a filmmaker, I welcomed the cameras that shot natively in this format. If I wanted the effect on my old camera, I would have to add a letterbox filter in post production.  I love the cinematic look of 16x9, but at the time, most Brides still owned traditional TVs that had a 4x3 screen. Most, not all, did not like their wedding film to be displayed with those evil black bars on top and bottom. The artist and filmmaker in me cringed when people would rent 'Full Screen' versions of movies as opposed to watching it how God and the filmmaker intended, in its native and glorious 16x9. As time progressed, more and more brides liked the aesthetic look that 16x9 would give. I still played it safe, I only used it for ceremonies and cinematic recaps.

Catherine & Geoff's Cinematic Recap from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Adventures in Canon 7D land, now with 7d vision!

'Don't, Don't, Don't believe the hype!' Drop the beat and cue Flavor Flav it is time to drop some lyrical musings on and about Canon's 7D. Don't believe the hype, take it for fact. This camera and the 5d Mark II are the start of a new revolution.

First let me say this without any hesitation, I love this camera. Now is it a timeless, perfect type love? No, but pretty damn close.

Megan & Bobby

As a wedding filmmaker you always hope for a beautiful backdrops to film against. Beautifully lit hotel rooms, houses or grand ballrooms with space to work in is always a big plus. With Megan and Bobby's Wedding I had the pleasure of two great settings.

The first great setting was Megan's parents house. A classic Winter Park home with Spanish stylings through out. Lots of windows and french doors let in great ambient light and I love natural light. The house its self had wonderful furniture and great architecture to shoot through and frame with. Megan was a breeze to work with, allowing Damon Tucci and I a lot of creative control. The house, the bride and the bridal party all came together to create a perfect atmosphere. I love this bridal prep for so many great reasons.

Megan & Bobby's Pre-Ceremony from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

Kelsey & Chas' Wedding

A perfect wedding, we all know there is no such thing. The gods of nuptials will never allow it, but occasionally we will get very close. I have one of those cosmic events with Kelsey & Chas' Wedding.

It all started with one excited Maid of Honor, Katie. Once the news of her sisters engagement reached her ears, she quickly jumped into planner mode. Having worked for one of the best planners in Central Florida, she was armed with knowledge and experience needed to get the ball rolling. She set up the initial meetings and more importantly was a driving factor in the push for a wedding film. With out her passion and commitment, I may never had a chance to meet with Kelsey and Chas.

More importantly, Katie insisted that Kelsey and Chas do a Couple Interview. It was so important, she made it her wedding gift to them. I mention this for one very important reason, it is all about getting a chance to make a 'personal connection'. Photographers get a great opportunity with the engagement session to build a bond with the couple. Getting the time to really get to know the bride and groom. In turn, they produce images that reflect more of the couples personalities and style. They also create a stronger trust with the couple on the big day, which just makes for smoother photo sessions and more personal work. The same thing applies to wedding filmmakers, when they get the opportunity to create a love story or engagement movie, we are given the same great opportunity to really get to know the couple. I did just that and I got more emotionaly attached to both the couple and Katie. Besides all the warm fuzzies of it all, it really gave me more insight into what I think would 'move' them most.

Kelsey & Chas' Interview Montage from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.

A Night for the Senses

So what happens when you take one ex-sommelier(professional wine geek), several wine and food fanatics, gourmet food, live entertainment, artisan chocolate, wonderful floral aromas and very, hip, very cool photography and mix it all up? You get 'A Night for the Senses' and one great event. Thank you to all the great guests and vendors that made the night perfect.

Bridal Elegance & Trashing the Dress

Doug and I had a little challenge not too long ago, a competition of editing styles called an 'Edit Off'. Doug and Lee had shot a beautiful wedding out at the Ritz Carlton for this great couple, Erin and Michael. The wedding was stunning and we loved the footage so we each wanted to cut a teaser trailer for the wedding. Well, our pride, fragile egos and manly chest thumping bravado produced a little competition of wedding trailers. Lisa Konecny of E Events loved the ideal as well and encouraged the competition, it's a win win for the couple. After we produced each trailer we posted them online and had friends, colleagues, the couple and their friends vote on their favorite trailer. Thanks Brittany Sobering for getting the trailer out to such a wide audience, you are now our talent agent. You can follow the video odyssey below. The final video will answer the burning questions, 'Who got the mad editing skills?'.

Megan & Bobby's Wedding

The first part of this blog should be sung, not read. The melody is 'These are a few of my favorite things'.

Susie on duty and Damon on photo

Perfect blue skies and warm fuzzy moments

DJPJ spinning the records so smooth

These are a few of my favorite things

Brian & Richard adding touches from Flourish

Dougie with Lee Day and Jay looks like Opie

The Ritz being Ritzy the Church being holy

These are few of my favorite things

When the shot rocks

When the brides hot

When I'm feeling glad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I know this all so fab!

Now take a bow (really, no one heard you singing). It was just like your morning shower concert, except I hope you were not naked at the time. Now that the singing is out of the way, I have to get serious for a moment.  Let's talk Megan and Bobby's Wedding, what a great event. Here is my run down of the day.

Sienna & Giovanni's Wedding Trailer

Wedding trailers are a great way to build anticipation for the finished video that is to come. It is like a little piece of visual 'Crack' to get your fix. Some of the best moments compiled together to tease you. I love to see the different styles out there. My friend Arami Camacho at Elegante Films cuts a mean trailer. I want to eat popcorn when is see his. This is my take on the Wedding Trailer for a great couple, Sienna and Giovanni. They recently got hitched at Buena Vista Palace, in Lake Buena Vista Florida. Sienna is great friends with the coordinator, Angela Bachelor. Angela put together a great team to capture Sienna's day. Photography was beautifully captured by FatCatz Photography, these girls are cool and very fun to work with. Make up was masterfully applied by LeJeune-PCA. Patricia never complains when I steal some of her light. And she lets me get up all in her equipment. Thanks for putting up with me. The beautiful flowers where crafted by Josephine at Morning Gloria. Last, but by no means least, entertainment was provided by Jay with Liquid Entertainment. He is one funny and slightly deranged(very, very deranged)guy. Oh ya, he is one hell of a DJ. There goes all of my kudos, I will expect some cash form each of you mentioned. Much love to all I got to work with, except Angela, we just put up with her. Check out the trailer. I would love any feedback. Positive pays, negative makes me sad.

Sienna & Giovanni's Wedding Trailer from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.


The Flipbook People

Warning: This is not a paid advertisement. Face it, who would hire me to sell anything. "Damn it Jim! I am just videographer." I saw this great new wedding ideal at the Orlando Wedding Guild luncheon I attended a few weeks back. The company is called The Flipbook People. They create custom flipbooks from seven seconds of video. Why the hell am I typing. Hands hurt, fingers sore, please watch the video. Check them out. 

Sky's Video Blog: The Flipbook People from Perfect Sky Productions on Vimeo.