Make Better Wedding Films

‘Wholesome hustle’ is a phrase I would use to describe John & Nick’s approach to growing their podcast ‘How To Film Weddings’. No-one can deny the time, effort and vision these two have put into this project that they began back in 2018.   

Besides the educational benefit that podcasts like ours bring to wedding filmmakers, what’s sets How To Film Weddings apart (I believe) is the community support that John and Nick have built around their content. Their Facebook group (with roughly 6,400 members) is meticulously curated with weekly threads, discussions, critiques and support.   

(well managed) Facebook groups, in my opinion are one of the best tools stay-at-home-creatives have to stay connected with their peers, talk shop, ask advice and generally have the sense of community that a communal office would otherwise provide.   

On today’s show, I talk with John and Nick about how they grew their podcast and the values they use to grow their thriving community. 

Join the group here👇 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/howtofilmweddings  

HTFW on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbAv1c4j8iQ-NYVSO1F6PJQ 

Instagram: @howtofilmweddings  

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films  

Guests: John Bunn & Nick Miller - How To Film Weddings 

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

Grace & Andrew aka ‘Grandrew’ aka Bottlebrush Films have had an incredible year… After re-imagining their already successful wedding film company with a bold new look, they crafted one of the most action-packed filmmaker workshop/getaways I’ve ever seen.

It’s clear that the investment in both time and energy that these two have put in to their brand, to make it something that they love, can get excited about and can truly stand behind has already been worth it and will continue to pay back for years to come.

Branding, logos and dance-party-workshops aside, Bottlebrush Films has consistently put out some of the most fun, creative and inspiring films I’ve ever seen and they are a brand I look to as a leader in our industry for pushing the boundaries of what a wedding film can be.

Oh yeah and they have their own playlist on Musicbed… Feeling inadequate as a filmmaker yet? I know I do!

I couldn’t be more excited to have these guys on the show as we round out our first full year of SHOW LOVE. Sit back and enjoy :)

The next Lonely Hearts Film Camp is Feb 21-25th 2021: https://www.lonelyheartsfilmcamp.co/

If you can’t make the camp, Grace and Andrew offer private mentoring: https://bottlebrushfilms.com.au/education

Binge watch some epic films: https://bottlebrushfilms.com.au/

Follow them everywhere👇

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bottlebrushfilms/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO23AWXiBxuiOGtNWgEnUHg/featured

Instagram: @bottlebrushfilms

Tik Tok (yes, Tiki’s Tok): https://www.tiktok.com/@bottlebrushfilms

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films

Guest: Grace Cardona & Andrew Fenaughty - Bottlebrush Films

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

📷 SHOW LOVE Ep012 | Potent Inspiration ft. Si Moore 📷  

When Si & Soph started Bayly & Moore, they wanted to surround themselves with the best, most potent inspiration. They knew that in order to create great work, they had to consume great work. You are what you eat...  

On today’s show, I chat with Si about how we can step out from underneath the torrent of beautiful imagery we scroll past every day and take a different, more intentional approach to getting inspired.   

Throughout the show, Si rattles off an impressive list of references, so for those of you watching the video version I’ve added these images in to the show to help us all keep up!  

Sit back and enjoy :)  

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films  

Guest: Si Moore - www.baylymoore.com 

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

🎥SHOW LOVE Ep011 | The Client Experience ft. Henry Martens 🎥  

We all expect our work to stand on it’s own, and the growth of our business to directly reflect how “good” we are at making wedding films… But I’m afraid to say that isn’t the case. Obviously you need a good product, but how clients experience your work, how they remember you, how they talk about you to their friends who are about to get married has to do with an all encompassing feeling called “the client experience”.   

It’s the reason Louis Vuitton stores have staff who open the door for you, and why Apple ensure their packaging is always super satisfying to open. Neither of these things improve the product once it’s in your hand, but they work to ensure that every interaction you have with that company builds a positive experience for you, the customer.   

Today I’m talking to the legend, Henry Martens. Henry is renowned as a world class wedding filmmaker, his work speaks for itself and yet he puts real time, effort and budget towards improving his client’s experience. Most of us will take a potential client out for coffee, maybe even lunch if we really want to book the wedding. But Henry will fly across the country and take his couples out for dinner AFTER he’s booked them!  

Get the coffee ready, today’s episode is a long one and we’ve got a lot to get through!  

Use the discount code SHOWLOVE to get 20% off everything in Henry’s online store! LUTs, Presets & More: https://proluts.com/  

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films  Guest: 

Henry Martens - www.thebrothersmartens.com 

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

I'm sure we've all, at some point, dreamed about the possibility of getting paid to travel the world filming/photographing incredible weddings. So on todays episode I sit down with the legend Nisha Ravji, who is arguably the most well travelled wedding photographer in New Zealand. The laundry list of stunning locations that she's travelled to to capture weddings is enough to make most of us froth at the mouth...

Amalfi coast, Italy

Santorini, Greece

Bahamas

Banff, Canada

Fiji

Uluwutu, Bali

Paris, France

Los Angeles, USA

Tokyo, Japan

Brooklyn, New York

Isle of Skye, Scotland

Toronto, Canada

Iceland

Honolulu, Hawaii

Kerry, Ireland

... But life on the road isn't all just glitz, glamour and instagram likes. I chat with Nisha about the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between that it takes to become a "destination wedding photographer".

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films 

Guest: Nisha Ravji - www.nisharavji.com

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

*Hey guys, sorry this episode is super late! Upload failed and I didn't realise until someone gave me a heads up!!! Enjoy!*

It's time to stop hiding in the shadows and let your personality shine through! Jonathan and I chat about how you can create amazing connections with your couples and provide an incredible experience for them on the day by loosening your grip on what it traditionally means to "act professional".  

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films Guest: 

Jonathan Suckling - www.JonathanSuckling.com 

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

🎥🎤SHOW LOVE - EPISODE EIGHT! 🎤🎥

I've been in awe of Natalie's films for so long now, they just look so damn beautiful! Not only that, they are instantly recognisable as hers. So I wanted to chat to her about how exactly she found her unique visual style, how she keeps it consistent! and how we can all be more bold when tweaking and colouring our own footage into something entirely our own.

🎥🎤SHOW LOVE - EPISODE SEVEN! 🎤🎥 

Building Your Brand ft. Mel Branson from Till Death

On todays episode we look at all things branding and owning your business' vision. 

As Mel says, "it's imperative to understand what you are trying to say - with your business". When couples are looking for their wedding videographers it comes down to more than simply who makes the best films for the best price. Couples are like any other customer, they buy in to the idea what you do, who are and what you stand for, even if it's mostly subconscious. 

I asked Mel to come on today specifically because her brand stands out from the crowd as a true representation of who she is and the product she's selling. rather than trying to figure out what she thinks couples would want, she just tried to make the best, most authentic experience and trusted that it would resonate with people, which (spoiler alert) it did!

Wait til the end of the episode where we also break down an epic documentary film 'Like Coming Home' that Mel created. You can watch the doco with the link here: https://vimeo.com/349204614

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films 

Guest: Mel Branson - Till Death

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

🎥🎤SHOW LOVE - EPISODE SIX! 🎤🎥 

Get it in Writing ft. Wendy Hampton from Horrocks Hampton Lawyers

Contracts, contracts, contracts... it's something that a lot of us forget about for a long time. It's all fine and dandy until something goes wrong. So today we'll be talking all things legal with a real lawyer who can help us work through our current contracts, finding out what works, what doesn't and what might happen if we get things wrong! 

This episode isn't meant to scare anyone, but it's a friendly reminder to get your clients on the same page as you so that everyone is happy at the end of the day.

Wendy has kindly offered a FREE 30 minute phone conversation for any of our listeners who have any questions or concerns: (09) 489 9029

To find out more about her firm check out their website: https://www.horrockshampton.co.nz/

Listen to the audio version on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6fnbrTx... 

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films 

Guest: Wendy Hampton - Horrocks Hampton Lawyers

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

🎥🎤SHOW LOVE - EPISODE FIVE! 🎤🎥 

Painting a Picture ft. Lemon Tree Film House

This episode is for everyone out there wanting more authentic storytelling in their films. No gimmicks, no fads, no trends, just real, honest storytelling. Shaun and TJ are masters at telling their couples stories and getting the essence of their personality to come through in their films. 

Oh and did I mention they made an absolutely epic 19min long wedding film for a BLIND BRIDE?! Yeah, we chat about that too. We play a short 2min section of it in the episode but make sure to check out the full video linked below.

Steph & Rob's Full Wedding Film: https://vimeo.com/309080575

Listen to the audio version on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6fnbrTxCGUHuB3m3epTVyj 

Host: Ben Journée - Side Project Films 

Guest: Shaun Tolhoek - Lemon Tree Film House

Music: Doing Just Fine by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired