Beyond the Awards

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Leanne Perrins, a wedding filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience, who has also expanded into commercial filmmaking.

Leanne has seen the wedding film industry change dramatically, from filming on tape and charging £200 for a wedding, to the rise of cinematic filmmaking, social media, content creators and AI. She’s also spent years judging awards, and this year joined the judging panel for the British Wedding Film Festival.

We talk about what actually catches a judge’s attention, why technically impressive films don’t always become the most memorable, and why Leanne believes you should enter the film you love rather than trying to second-guess what a judge wants to see.

We also get into trends, sound design, natural audio, the return of the camcorder look, content creators, and whether wedding filmmakers are sometimes too concerned with what everyone else is doing.

If you’re looking for a reminder to trust your own creative instincts and make the work you actually love, this one’s for you.

The British Wedding Film Festival

⁠⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠

Leanne Perrins

https://bloominglovelyfilms.co.uk

https://www.leanneperrins.co.uk/

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio)

⁠⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)

⁠⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠

Vidflow

https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we're joined by Becky of Thompson Wedding Films, who was shortlisted for Best Storytelling at the British Wedding Film Festival.

Becky has been filming weddings for ten years, starting out with little filmmaking experience before leaving teaching to make wedding films full time. Since then, her approach has evolved considerably: from a very minimal, documentary way of filming to working with multiple cameras, while constantly questioning what actually makes her films better.

We talk about storytelling, awards, inspiration and the pressure of being influenced by so much work online. Becky shares why she sometimes thinks having more cameras and chasing the perfect shot can actually take you away from the wedding itself, and why talking to people and understanding what's happening emotionally can be just as important as getting the right footage.

We also get into long-form wedding films, using real conversations and ambient audio, why she loves weddings at home and in marquees, the problem with overly engineered moments, her own podcast The Becky Sessions, and the changing wedding filmmaking industry.

The British Wedding Film Festival

⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠

Thompson Wedding Films

https://thompsonweddingfilms.co.uk

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio)

⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)

⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠

Vidflow

https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we're joined by Indian photographer and podcaster Shanaya Arora for a conversation about something that's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: when did weddings become content?

Shanaya shares her thoughts on the growing influence of Instagram and social media, couples chasing viral moments, and the danger of being so focused on creating the perfect wedding that we forget to actually experience it.

We talk about why the most meaningful moments are often the ones that aren't planned, and why authenticity matters more than ever in wedding filmmaking.And, of course, we get into AI, and what happens when we can no longer tell the difference between what was captured and what was created.

A different kind of Beyond the Awards conversation, but one that asks a pretty important question: are we documenting weddings, or are we creating content?

The British Wedding Film Festival

https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com

Shanaya Arora

https://www.instagram.com/shanayaaroraa

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio)

https://www.lunedemielstudio.com

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)

https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com

Vidflow

https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

This week on Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Roo, founder of Coda and winner of this year’s Educator of the Year award.

But this conversation isn’t really about education. It’s about community, and why creating spaces for filmmakers to meet, share ideas and learn from one another can be just as important as the work itself.

Roo talks about his journey into wedding filmmaking, how Coda grew into a thriving community, and why he doesn’t see himself as the voice of the industry, but as the person in the middle connecting great people with an audience.

We also discuss the importance of staying curious, the changing landscape of British wedding filmmaking, the value of sharing knowledge, and why everyone, no matter how experienced, has something to teach.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

Roo Films: roo-films.com

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠

This week on Beyond the Awards, we sit down with festival judge Badal Jain, co-founder of Badal Raja Company, to unpack his incredible 24-year journey from a jobless journalist to one of India’s most sought-after ultra-luxury wedding filmmakers.

Having captured everything from intimate celebrations to mind-boggling receptions with up to 200,000 guests, Badal brings a unique, deep-rooted perspective on what it takes to document love on a monumental scale.

We discuss the evolution of wedding cinema, why story should always come before trends, and how approaching a wedding like a documentary allows you to preserve something far more valuable than a social media post: real family history.

In this episode, we cover:

• Handling massive Sscale: What it's really like managing production for multi-day events with thousands of guests.
• Documentary over content: Why long-form narrative films will always outlast short-form social media trends.
• The 24-Hour edit: How delivering same-day cuts acts as the ultimate business card for high-end clients.
• Festival insights: What separates a good submission from an award-winning story in the eyes of a judge.
• Stripping back the gear: Moving away from heavy equipment and why a single 35mm lens is often all you need.

If you want to learn more about ultra-luxury weddings while keeping authentic human emotion at the heart of your work, then this episode is for you.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

Badal Jain: badalrajacompany.com

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

In this episode of Beyond the Awards, Festival judge and acclaimed filmmaker Toby joins Joce and Jeff to lift the curtain on what separates award-winning work from the rest of the pack.

Having reviewed hundreds of festival entries, and created history himself with one of the most-watched wedding films of all time. Toby breaks down what catches a judge’s eye in the first 30 seconds. We discuss why playing it safe is the fastest way to get overlooked, the subtle line between bold artistic choices and forced trends, and how to maintain authentic emotion when pushing your creative limits.

If you want to know what it truly takes to create an award-winning wedding film, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• The 30-second rule: What grabs a judge's attention immediately and makes a submission stand out.
• Boldness vs. playing safe: Why taking creative risks pays off over generic templates.
• The trend trap: Why crowbarring in trendy effects like Super 8 or drone shots can hurt your film.
• Going viral: Toby's experience filming high-end weddings, and handling 41M+ views.
• Future-Proofing your style: Why raw, honest storytelling will always beat hyper-polished or AI-driven edits.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

Handcraft Pictures: handcraftpictures.com

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris, founder of Storybox Cinema, to talk about his decade-long journey from starting out small, to shooting multi-day, ultra-luxury weddings around the world.

Today, we’re taking a peek behind the curtain of luxury weddings to talk about managing the elevated expectations of high-end couples and planners, and the reality of filming in world-class destinations.

Chris shares the raw, real hustle behind his success, from sleeping in sketchy $50 NYC hostels with a black-tie suit in hand, to bolding his way into a high-end planner network.

We also dive into why he shoots exclusively on RED cinema cameras, how he uses vertical reels as his primary creative outlet, and why face-to-face connection will always outperform Facebook ads.

If you’re ready to back yourself and go after the work you actually want, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Chris leveraged his photojournalism/commercial background into high-end wedding films.
• The bold moves (and personalised video folders) that unlocked relationships with top global planners.
• Scaling Storybox: Transitioning from a solo filmmaker to building a global team of cinema pros.
• Why shooting on RED Komodos gives clients instant trust and simplifies his raw workflow.
• The Reel era: Shifting creative energy toward short-form vertical reels without sacrificing full-film quality.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

Storybox Cinema: storyboxcinema.com

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

In this episode of Beyond the Awards, we are joined by James Tracey, an award-winning documentary wedding videographer from Yorkshire. Boasting over 14 years of experience and 500+ weddings under his belt, James was nominated at the British Wedding Film Festival in the highly coveted Best Use of Cinematic Language category.

This episode is a deep-dive masterclass in how to use editing theories, visual metaphors, and deliberate pacing to communicate complex, unwritten emotions to your audience.

We discuss:

• Cinematography vs. Cinematic language: Why beautiful lighting and composition are only half the battle.
• The psychology of the edit: How to tap into the viewer's subconscious.
• Manipulating time and space: The mechanics of match cuts, eye-tracing, and time ellipsis
• Case study: James pulls back the curtain on his nominated film, detailing how he structured a non-linear narrative to mirror a bride's lifelong dream.
• Creative risk-taking: Why James actively edits to stimulate his own creativity rather than just pleasing couples.

If you’ve ever wondered how to transition from a filmmaker who simply documents events to a visual storyteller who manipulates time, space, and emotion, this masterclass with James Tracey is the episode you cannot afford to miss.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

James Tracey: jamestraceyfilms.co.uk

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

In this episode of Beyond the Awards, we sit down with Jason from Afterglow Wedding Films to explore his journey from a heavily micromanaged corporate photography job to becoming one of Scotland's most innovative wedding videographers.

Jason shares how a pre-lockdown epiphany gave him the freedom to break the traditional wedding video mold, moving away from slow-motion orchestral edits to inject genuine energy and personality into his work.

We dive deep into the logistics and creative thrills of crafting highly unique, themed wedding films, including his award-nominated Wes Anderson teaser, an immersive The Office edit, and his upcoming Trainspotting and Halloween horror-themed projects.

Jason discusses how he balances heavily directed cinematic aesthetics with preserving authentic, comfortable moments for the couple, and why the Festival left him feeling inspired for the season ahead.

If you’ve ever wondered how to break the traditional mold and inject true personality into your creative work, this conversation is for you.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

Afterglow Wedding Films: afterglowweddings.com

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

On this episode of Beyond the Awards, we are joined by Rob, the creative force behind Pretty in White. A seasoned filmmaker with a background in art school and illustration, Rob was nominated for both Best Cinematography and Best Use of Music at the festival for his striking, vampire-themed film, Till Death and Beyond.

Despite finding an aesthetic that clients love and pay for, Rob opens up about the creative danger of getting comfortable. In this conversation, he discusses the vital importance of pushing beyond what works, breaking out of your own creative bubble, and refusing to let your style hit a definitive full stop.

Inside this episode, we discuss:

• Pushing beyond what works: Why slipping into previous formulas that successfully make money is a creative trap, and how the festival reminded Rob that wedding films should always be a blank slate.
• Manufacturing the vibe: Pushing the boundaries of audio design by taking inspiration from classic cinema to build high-tension, manufactured crowd energy that never actually happened on the day.
• The danger of the creative bubble: Why Rob avoids watching other wedding films to protect his own taste, the risk of becoming derivative early on, and how to balance staying in your own lane with finding outside inspiration.
• The intimidation of worldwide talent: How seeing "wild styles" from international filmmakers can shock you out of treading water and push you to completely up your game.

If you’ve ever felt like you're treading water in your business or just repeating the same successful formulas over and over, Rob’s perspective on continuous creative evolution is exactly what you need to hear.

The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

GUEST

Pretty in White: prettyinwhite.com

HOSTS

Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDFLOW

Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠