Alyssa was enjoying a peaceful afternoon at a Bellingham coffee shop when the roses started piling up. It must be Tyler.

Hidden Camera Engagement Video With Willowcraft Media

It was mid July. Erin and I (Fred) were picking cherries at her Aunts orchard when Mike Lang called us, asking if we would like to shoot a short documentary of an upcoming trip he was planning.  Knowing that adventure always follows Mike around, we couldn’t refuse the offer.  He wanted a follow-up film to the full-length cancer advocacy documentary (Wrong Way To Hope)  Aaron Bryant and I had produced a couple years ago.  This time it was on boats. Sailboats. This time it was a short film.

Check out http://www.ebbflowstory.com/ for resources.

Mike sums up the film well:

“The idea for this film came out of Mike and Bonnie Lang’s experiences facilitating adventure trips, retreats and conferences with young adult survivors. Through the many conversations and group discussions with survivors, they realized how much each person’s story was able to help others and they were always amazed at the wisdom that came from the sharing those stories. Mike and Bonnie recognized that many young adult survivors didn’t realize they had a profound story or did not know where to start when sharing their story.

The goal of this film is to look at the stories of young adults with cancer using the concrete five phase story structure as the framework. Through the film we hope to encourage survivors to view their lives as epic stories; stories that need to be told to others so that the wisdom gained from the journey will not be lost. We understand that life is complicated and cannot always be categorized into five simple phases, but we think it is a good place to start.

We hope you enjoy the film. Know that your level of connectedness with the film may depend on where you are at in your cancer journey. We encourage you to come back and watch the film periodically and join the conversation with your comments and thoughts on the Survive & Thrive Facebook page. Thanks for watching!

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When choosing a videography or wedding film company skill is extremely important. So is experience, gear and creativity. However after filming numerous weddings, I am convinced that having videographers who you feel comfortable forming a working friendship with is perhaps more essential. This relational aspect is mutually beneficial. It makes the bridal party and family more comfortable with a camera in their face and it gives the videographer the trust and confidence he/she needs to get the best shots possible.

My wedding filmmaker friend, Brian Russell, once told me that he gets the best footage and can tell the most compelling story when he is welcomed into the wedding party like an extra groomsman. He still maintains the utmost professionally, but as an “insider” he can capture the full range of unfettered emotion and beauty.

This way of filming requires that the bride and groom find a videographer that they feel comfortable with. I am not saying the filmmaker has to be a socialite (after all many of us are a little awkward and nerdy) however, I think trust is the key. This trust frees the bride up to be herself, make requests and opens up communication about ideas and important shots. One way trust can be built is by having a conversation over a cup of coffee or on the phone with the videographer before the wedding (I recommend in person). Get to know your videographer and let them get to know you (even if it is awkward at first). The creative results and the reduced stress level will be worth it.

This beautiful mid-september wedding was energized by the great attitude of Brad, Brooke, their families and our friends at Evantide Photography. The Bellingham Golf & Country Club was as an ideal backdrop. Look for the rich greens of early fall behind the wedding party during the ceremony.

You can probably tell that we enjoyed getting to shoot the couple’s sparkler illuminated exit and transition into their “classic” getaway car.

Signature story piece for Pregnancy Choices of Skagit Valley.

A fun-loving military couple married on September 4th, 2011
Location: Lairmont Manor Bellingham, WA

“Amsterdam” – The Ascetic Junkies used on license.

Mike from Wrong Way To Hope needed some marketing materials for our new project and so in a few short hours we came up with a name, logo and rough cut teaser for the upcoming short film: Ebb & Flow

After a busy September shooting schedule of 3 weddings and 1 doc film in 8 days, Hands On Films was excited to get editing. This is the first of many wedding trailers from the 2011 season.

Fred & Erin experiment with some barefoot-wear innovations.  We give Vibram 5 Fingers “a run for the money”.

Ryan worked on popping the question while Hands On Films disguised a couple cameras on the top of the new Logos Software building AKA Bellingham Flatiron.