Style Me Pretty is THE BEST and most popular bridal blog out there. It’s oozing with creativity, inspiration, and wonderful vendors. We are honored to be part of their exclusive club of the “best of the best” vendors from all over the country in their “Little Black Book“. But something that has really picked up a lot of interest lately on their blog is their creative concept, “Inspiration to Reality” shoots. They storyboard an idea, and wedding pros get together and bring that idea to, reality! We are thrilled to team up with Wilmington, NC’s cream of the crop vendors to produce this coastal, dreamy, and very romantic film called, “The Dream”. Here what Style Me Pretty had to say about the film!

” We are going to round out the inspiration festivities with the dreamiest of videos by uber talent Matt Davis of Lifestage Films. He was up at the crack of dawn to film this little ballad and it was so worth it! Quite frankly, we are left speechless and that rarely happens. It is so beautiful, so ethereal, and such a perfect end to the day. Sit back and take a load off  and enjoy one of the prettiest films we have seen in a long, long time.”

Millie Holloman produced some Ah-mazing pictures of the shoot as well, so be sure to check those out for a different perspective on the day. Here is Life Stage Films’ approach to this SMP “Inspiration to Reality” Film -

What was so crazy about this shoot is that we all had to arrive before the sun rose, at 4:30 AM! Salt Harbor Designs and High Performance Lighting we already at work at 3 AM, setting up the scene, and creating some VERY unique beach lighting with Edison lights. Our original model couple fell through at the last minute, but Lindsey and Gray jumped in enthusiastic and ready to go! They were perfect actually. We know Lindsey from Bald Head Island events so it was great to catch up and laugh (half-asleep) before the shoot began.

Salt Harbor did an amazing job at setting up the decor and “feel” for this shoot. With a freaking bed on the beach, a tiny boat, perfectly designed brunch table, and many more tiny intricacies that made this shoot a day in Heaven. That’s where the premise for “The Dream” starts…

I knew it was a perfect time to get a timelapse of the sunrise coming over our little corner of the Atlantic Ocean. But I had to have a reason for doing that. I didn’t want it to be just for the sake of being beautiful (which it was!). Seeing those colors painted across the sky as the morning went on was an amazing feeling. It was also an inspiration into creating a “daydream” sequence. With everything we had set up for the couple, it truly felt like a “dream” day. It felt like a place that couple has kept to themselves. Some place no one else knows about. A place where they can be free, and in love. So, the timelapse of the gorgeous sunrise was intended to show that although time was passing into daylight, the couple was actually entering into their own’ Dreamworld”. A perfect day by the ocean. An intimate dream. We wanted it to feel like an escape. I think we pulled it off.

We hope you enjoy this ethereal and intimate escape into “The Dream”.

Here’s a list of the creative folks that were involved with the shoot:

Event Design and Styling by Salt Harbor Designs
Sweets and Cake by  Flower & Flour
Floral by Salt Harbor Designs
Photography by Millie Holloman
Film by Life Stage Films
Lighting by High Performance Lighting
Rentals provided by Harborside Event Rentals
Hair and Makeup by Melissa Kinnamon – NSalo Salon
Shot on Location at Fort Fisher, NC.

Life Stage Films – Super 8mm Demo from Matt Davis on Vimeo.

You would think in today’s age of HD this and HD that, people would have forgotten old film along time ago. But you see, its more popular than ever. Super 8mm and 16mm are special. Just something about it draws you in. And that translates into a very emotional experience when a wedding is filmed in vintage Super 8mm film. LifeStage is excited and proud to offer the addition of Super 8mm film for your wedding. It’s such a unique experience that we are the only wedding video studio in the region to offer it (3 that we know of in NC).

But we hear you asking, “Guys, what’s so great about it. Its so shaky, there’s no sound and its not a very high quality image. Why would I want this”?

The only response we really have is to ask yourself the feeling you get when you watch old home movies. When you watch old film. Its nostalgic. Super 8 film feels like a faded memory. And its feminine. Its not as harsh as some HD videos tend to be (not ours of course). But when you add film to an HD wedding video it adds so much character to it, it adds another dimension. Super 8mm film is perfect not only for the bride that wants something spectacular and unique, but for the bride who may not want video to begin with. Its kind of the “anti-video”. It doesn’t have the realness of video. It’s…surreal. Its hard not to feel nostalgic when watching Super 8mm films, but please don’t take our word for it. Watch our new sampler demo and let us know what you think. We would be happy to make it available to you for your wedding.

Life Stage Videography = Good Music

I’ll let you all in on a little secret…I never planned on being a wedding videographer. I always thought wedding videos were either really corny, or really boring. On top of that, I never had to think about them because they weren’t important to me. Didn’t know much about them. Melissa and I were married right out of college, and our ENTIRE wedding budget was $4,000. Needless to say, we had a friend videotape our wedding. That’s all we will say…

I have a point… Inadvertently, I became a videographer. I wanted to film documentaries on what churches were doing overseas. I fell into weddings. I began to LOVE the rush of wedding videography. It’s different from any other type of production. There is an excitement that rushes through my body before the ceremony. No 2nd takes…no do overs. Thinking to myself, “What is going to happen next” while still focusing on getting a killer creative shot.

You see, the difference in my friend “videotaping” our wedding and the videos we make, is that we hope they aren’t merely “video recordings” at all. We hope they evoke emotion and excitement, much like a movie does. We couldn’t do that without our love for music. One of my jobs through out a typical day, is to research music. Find artists off the beaten path. Close my eyes, and feel the music in terms of the personalities of our couples and the footage of their wedding in front of me. Music is everything…to everyone! We put a huge emphasis not only on finding creative and emotional tunes, but using music that makes you immediately think of your wedding video anytime you hear it. Not to step on anyone’s toes, but we feel Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” is a bit…well, not a good choice. We hope to get away from the typical. Before we shoot a wedding, we encourage our brides and groom’s to visit a website we made that has a list of our recommended choices for your video our highlights movie. That with the addition of your personal preferences, we know each video will be unique and personal, without the “cheese”. We want some interaction here – Leave a comment stating any overused, corny or outdated wedding songs, love songs or songs that make you feel sick to your stomach. This should be fun!

Matt

“Whenever you‚Äôre interviewing florists, ask to see work that the actual designer has done. Many times florists have general pictures, books, or things that the company has done previously. But you want to find a designer who best fits you, so seeing their own work is extremely important. Also, make sure that the designer you meet with will be the one actually overseeing your wedding. Bring materials to the interview that will help the designer get a sense of your style. Clippings from magazines are great, but think beyond this. What materials, colors, styles are pleasing to your eye. I would suggest even bringing a box of things that represent your tastes. I once had a bride who brought a box with several items‚Äîcolor swatches, a feather, some Spanish moss, a glass from her grandmother‚Äôs kitchen, a program from a wedding she had attended. These things together helped give me a good sense of her style and made it tremendously easier to personalize her wedding. Inspiration boards are another wonderful idea‚Äîplace clippings of different materials, textures, ideas and colors together on a board and bring them to your florist/designer interviews. For sample inspiration boards see www.stylemepretty.com I think the goal of any good designer is to create personalized, custom-tailored atmosphere. You do not want your wedding to feel like every other wedding your guests have attended this year. Your guests should leave feeling like they have had an experience that was different and that truly represented your styles, tastes, and personalities. Finding a designer willing to spend the time to get to know you and your tastes is so very important, and whatever you can do to help your designer learn your personality helps make for a great experience all around.”

Well, now that Christmas and Valentine’s Day have come and gone, we decided we would like to know about all of your engagement proposals. And what better way than a contest! We want to hear from you! From now until Easter (March 23rd), write to us by commenting on this blog posting or email us at info@lifestagefilms.com. Tell us your proposal story. This can be from the perspective of the guy or girl. On March 24th, we will announce the MOST creative, romantic or unique proposal, and you will receive your very own “Love Story” video. This is an awesome way of re-telling how you met, your lives together and any funny and endearing stories between you. We use a casual interview setting as well as an afternoon around your town (NC only) filming you both. You can view an example of this on our wedding website under “Movies”. This isn’t limited to those that were just engaged, so even if you are married, tell us your story! It’s still a great keepsake, but for those newly engaged, its a great video to show at your reception or rehearsal dinner that will truly “wow” your guests and give everyone a break from the usual “picture slideshow”. This contest is also for our current clients as well! May the best story win!

To let you know a little bit more about us outside of wedding videography, we couldn’t resist showing everyone our own “Engagement Story”. Below is a video shot while we were in college. Matt was an actor at Tweetsie Railroad , a “wild west” them park in the mountains of N.C. He created a show (secretly) to propose to Melissa. She was tricked into coming in the park for the day, only to be “kidnapped” by Indians. After over 200 of their friends, family and public park-goers hopped on the steam train. You’ll just have to watch this clip to find out what happens! (The quality of this video is in no way representative of Life Stage Videography…)

“These candle carvers make centerpiece possibilities endless, and I think can make a stunning statement. In my head, I see a rectangular table covered in a pure white tablecloth, with a single row of green apples all the way down the center, and then just 1 yellow apple for interest.”