Laughternoon Break

We just can't get enough of this clip. It's just... well.... see for yourself.

YAY for GREEN FESTIVAL!

It's our favorite time of year....

The leaves are turning... pumpkin soup is in season.... Starbucks brings back it's peppermint hot chocolate {yum}.... and The Green Festival rolls into town!

Just blocks from our office, sustainable and fair-trade organizations from around the country converge to put together the most kick-ass 3 day weekend of earth friendly products and seminars. Yes the smell of patchouli and body odor may fill the air, but it is well worth it once you're inside. The veggie food, handmade goods and new green technologies are amazing. Last year we saw everything from silk worm shawls from Vietnam {which we bought} to solar powered toilets. It's also so fun to people watch, it's like a post-tribal burning man reunion.

Another reason we love going {besides the epic amount of free tea and vegan goods} is the seminars. Learning about how to run an earth friendly business that gives back to the SF community is serious stuff here at Bliss*. Last year we went to hear and support our friends Ari & Eric at Back To Earth Organic Catering as they taught about how to grow a sustainable company while staying fiscally transparent. Good stuff! This year they have names like Chuck D and Dr. Cornel West speaking. Wow!

If you are wondering if the Green Festival is heading your way, check out their website at: www.greenfestival.org .

Ahem....

For Realz.

Fashion + Art = Lampshades Film!

{for best viewing, press pause just after hitting play to allow the film to load. Wait for it to load fully before watching}

I am so excited to share the film that we produced for Gump's. This was a fabulous runway fashion show of amazing lampshades designed by artists, celebrities and designers. As a lover of fashion, I've always enjoyed shooting models on Black and White 16mm film. It just has a wonderful texture, especially for a behind-the-scenes feel. Not only was this so much fun for us to shoot and edit, but as an art school graduate I love that the money went to a great cause - a scholarship fund for California College of the Arts (CCA). Enjoy!

Re:Post from Sparkliatti:: Feed Me

This is a brilliant post from our dear friend Sasha at Sparkliatti. Enjoy!
Today we introduce a new segment -- the "Sparkliatti Lesson" These lessons are geared mainly for brides but hopefully other vendors will gleen a little bit out of it as well.

One reason why I selected Feeding Your Vendors as the first "Lesson" is that it's something that you can easily put into production when you're figuring out your budget.

The first lesson is on feeding your vendors. It's unfortunate, but my contract spells out the kind of meals that we are fed at weddings -- even if I'm the one organizing the menu and calling in your final counts. I cannot stress to you enough that if you do not think about your vendor meals, the vendors will be in a hurry to go home and stop & McDonald's on the way. In other words, a well fed vendor is a happy vendor.

Some things to remember:

1. Vendors working four consecutive hours or more are served a HOT MEAL. Most vendor meals are 50% of the guest meal cost.

2. Vendors should always be seated within earshot of the wedding festivities or they could miss the toasts, cake cutting or anything else spontaneously happening that is either moved up or not on the timeline.

3. Vendors should NEVER sit at tables in the room with the guests. Why? Because it's just tacky. That's right, I said it.

4. Vendors should NEVER go through the buffet line with the guests. Once again...tacky. It's not that hard for the caterer to put some of the buffet into disposible containers and deliver it buffet style to the vendor area.

5. If you have a band that needs to be fed - serve them separately before the other vendors. for a few reasons: a) they notoriously eat all the food and leave a huge mess of nothing for all the other vendors & b) if you feed them first, their breaks will be shorter later.

Don't even get me started on the fact that I was once served a moldy sandwich at a very well known wedding venue in San Francisco.

Now, let me explain how this works. You've asked to add vendor meals to your banquet order or menu pricing and the caterer or site has given you a cost. What you need to know now is...is that a hot meal? Buffet? Or is it a box lunch with a soggy sandwich, chips and apple juice? Please ask and use this rule of thumb: Whether it's a buffet of lasagne, salad, bread and cookies or a seated meal of chicken, salad and potatoes. Does not matter, usuallly, to the vendors.

Also and MOST IMPORTANTLY the vendors need to eat at the same time or before the guests. Do you want your photographer noshing while you're supposed to do your first dance? Then why is it so difficult for caterers to understand that it's in the client's best interest to feed us all early? It all cooks at the same time, so what the heck? I don't understand it but Brides - stand up and make a point to tell the caterer that this is NECESSARY no matter how much they try to convince you that it's not necessary or it's "not how they normally do it". What.ever.

When seating your vendors, it's typical that there is a kitchen area or a room within earshot where teh vendors can toss their items down, plug in their battery packs for the photographer & video and have a meal. Not all vendors dine at the same time so it's a great idea to have a buffet for them and as stated above PLEASE feed the band separately. As much as we "love" the band -- nothing is more irritating to a vendor than a needy band who just showed up an hour ago and wants their food and we've been there for 10 hours doing hard labor and had a Diet Coke and some stale crackers from the trunk of our car.

Just remember, while it may cost you a few extra bucks, a happy, well fed vendor is more willing to work harder, longer and be less irritable. In the long run, it makes you the best bride ever!

Food for thought....when was the last time you worked 8 hours straight WITHOUT a break?

Rocky Mountain High

Just wanted to let you all know that Kristen* is still in Colorado on personal leave and will be back in the office Wednesday. If you need to get in touch, Madelaine is in the office this week from 12-5pm or reachable by email at blissvideo[@]earthlink[dot]net.

Happy Anniversary! :: Alana & Javier

A year ago, we had the wonderful pleasure of working with Cara & Erin at Caravents in Los Angeles to film the wedding of Alana and Javier at The Vintage Estate in the Napa Valley. Their event was designed by the always inspiring R.Jack Balthazar who created a "modern harvest" feel. Alana and Javier are no strangers to beautiful design, they are the design team behind Me Art & Design which creates modern minimalist cards with custom illustration printed on high end papers.

This is just a taste of their gorgeous event which we filmed mostly on Super 8mm film sprinkled with bits of video here and there for a documentary feel.

Enjoy!

Laughternoon Break

Julie Hill from Elysium sent me this and I fell off my chair. Brilliant! I wish I could have been at this wedding.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Here We Go!

It's going to be a busy week{end} and coming week!

We are heading off to LA for a modestly HUGE event with our gal pals event designer Sasha Souza and photographer Elizabeth Messina. We are so excited about this party.... can't spill the beans now, but *hopefully* we can share some of the cool and outrageous moments that are to come. The decor alone is going to be off the grill and we are pulling out all the stops with multiple 16mm cams, High-Def cams and steadicam. This party will have over 30 vendor companies.... I think we {vendors} even get our own deluxe bathroom trailer... whoohoo! Let's hear it for air conditioning and faux wood walls.

But even more exciting than hot towels and scented handsoap is:

This is where it is at! From Sunday-Thursday our offices will be closed as we spend time with fellow photographers and videographers in the great city of New Orleans for Re:Frame 08.

Kristen* will be speaking on Super 8mm film and the use of branding and marketing to an intimate group of about 50 studios from all over the world. We *LOVE* New Orleans, especially the french quarter area and are excited to be coming back to be a part of this incredible industry experience. If you are a event video company or a photographer that is interested in film or being a part of a new experience in the wedding field, you must head on over to Re:Frame and check it out.

Exciting news is going to be hitting the net as each day unfolds over at the Re:Frame blog...... stay tuned!

~ Constant Rotation ~

Radiohead "True Love Waits"

One of my favorite songs to listen to when I travel.... which lately has been all the time. I especially love starting the song just as the plane starts to pick up speed for take off. {try it sometime} :)

Happy Anniversary! :: Wendy & Frank

A year ago today we were celebrating the marriage of Wendy and Frank at a private estate deep in the Wine Country. Not sure what's harder to believe... that a year has already past, or that it was raining in September!

This fabulous wedding was created by the always wonderful Annena Sorenson at Annena & Co. and designed by the one and only Kathleen Deery. Kathleen created a warm and yummy rustic charm palette filled with baby birds nests, vintage ribbons and woven branches surrounded by candlelight. Check out Wendy's ethereal Jenny Packham gown {a personal fave}. Love! Love! Love it! San Francisco photographer Karina Marie Diaz took fabulous photos like the one below. It's always a pleasure working with this team of talented women in the Bay Area.

So in honor of Wendy and Frank and their fabulous wedding, we share with you a small snippet of their wedding shot on Super 8mm film. Their wedding was filmed with a mixture of neg and reversal stocks and transferred to enhance the organic and rustic tones of their party. Enjoy!

Fashion + Art = Lampshades!

"Most brilliant ideas begin with a lightbulb. This one began with a lampshade. Gump's handed a basic shade to an array of artists, designers and celebrities, and asked them to create one-of-a-kind works to be auctioned in support of a new endowed scholarship to the California College of the Arts (CCA). Their works will be presented in one gala evening, atop the heads of models on the catwalk, in what will surely rank as one of the most inspired fashion shows ever staged."

This past Wednesday we had the distinct pleasure of shooting a very unique fashion show for Gump's. What a blast! It was so cool to be able to shoot so many incredible designs as well as to see such an array of San Francisco's most respected artists and designers come out to support such a fun and fabulous event. As an added bonus, our neighbor and good friend Kathleen Deery (her studio is just behind ours) designed the shows finale shade and it was truly decadent.

There are still shades available on the online auction here if you are interested in donating for a great cause: Clothes Off Our Backs.

We are busy editing the film from the event but will be sure to feature it here when it's ready!

From Miss to Mrs.

photo by Elizabeth Messina

What an amazing day it was! It the coming months I'll be blogging about the ups and downs and the do's and don'ts that I experienced in this crazy wedding process. What kept me sane was my all-star team of friends in this industry that pulled out all the stops to make that weekend one of the best weekends of mine and my husbands life.

Vote for Us! ::pretty please::

Wow! We just found out that we were nominated for SF Gate's Best of the Bay. It would mean so much if you could take a moment to vote for us! All you have to do is:

:: Click here ::
Create a Login and Vote!

It's also a great way to look up yummy eats and services. We've already cast our votes for favorite tea house { Leland Tea Company } and coffee shops { Philz }.

From Wedding Videographer to Bride...

An enchanted and magical wedding occurred this past weekend. Bliss* will have limited office hours for the month of Aug as Kristen* is taking some down time to enjoy wedded bliss! (haha, get it? oh that was bad). Studio Manager guru Galen will be in the office on Monday's & Thursday's from 9:30am-5:30pm to take calls. The sparkle ship will be back to full speed on August 26th.

It's been a while

With the start of our destination weddings in May, wedding season has kicked into high gear and sadly, our blog has been neglected. So much has been going on. Full disclosure is coming soon but here is a glimpse at some of the exciting things happening in the world of Bliss*:

New Toys! The Sony XD Camera for our HD clients. Now we can offer weddings in a variety of formats including 24p, 16x9 and 1080i in addition to Standard 4x3 and our 16mm and Super 8mm packages.


Marriage? Yes! That's right... in a matter of weeks Miss Bliss* herself will be getting hitched and sharing her journey through the good, bad and crazy as an industry bride trying to plan 'the wedding of her dreams' in just 6 months.

Tapeless Format. Goodbye tapes, hello tiny memory cards! Greener, cleaner and more efficient. (a little scary to adjust to... but no different than photographers who shoot digital). Now raw footage will be digital from the moment it's first captured. Exciting!


New Crew! In June we welcomed a new studio manager to the Bliss* team. Galen is an organization wizard whose passion for fashion has him getting his degree at the Academy of Art University, our Alma Mater. So happy to have him onboard.


Travel. Lots and lots. This weekend takes us to Santa Barbara and in a few weeks we will be heading to Colorado. We are looking forward to the season chilling out so we can hunker down and edit and showcase some of the amazing events we've been privileged to capture this year.

More info and clips coming soon!

Today is the Day!

Hey Gang K* here. So excited for today. Got my tickets for Sex and the City and got them at matinee price! YaY! (movies are overpriced - both in production and in sales... but that's another blog entry for a slow rainy day).

Taking the fiance with me..... yes, my guy *LOVES* Sex and the City. I got him hooked a few years back from the DVD's which I would watch on repeat. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous to see it, I am afraid that it will be sad or tragic with all the death rumors and the idea of losing one of the characters (like Mr. Big whose been rumored most) just makes me sad in my heart. Okay, it's official. I'm a junkie!

Go jump on Fandango people and get yourself a ticket! I promise no spoilers.

We are back...

and moving slowly. Z was incredible. Unlike any other destination we've been to. The food, the people, the location. We are hard at work on getting back to edit deadlines and returning calls so for now we will just leave you with a few photos from our journey which we shared working alongside the wonderful photographer Suzy Clement and Jeff Brown from Brown Hot Events.

Promo: Hello! Lucky

We couldn't leave for the week without sharing some sort of {CINEMA} with you. Earlier this year we had the privilege of creating some promotional materials for the super swell gals Sabrina and Eunice over at Hello! Lucky.

For those of you living in a cave, Hello! Lucky is a super fun, hip and sassy letterpress and custom stationary company run by the most stylish sisters ever. Just check out their ::Blog::

This is one of two films that we created for them. We fell in love with the letterpress process while filming Eunice and Sabrina and have such a deeper respect and love for this printing technique. For us, it's very similar to the care and expertise that goes into shooting Super 8 & 16mm film. Like film, letterpress is a dying craft, but one that is being brought back to life by artists that choose to express their voice through hand crafted work rather than mass production. Though many jump on the bandwagon now, I'm sure you'll see that with Hello! Lucky, the difference is in the details and their couture approach.

{{hmmm... sounds like another company we know of ;) }}

Destination: Zihuatanejo

It's almost comical how much traveling has been going on around here...

We have spent more time on planes, buses, taxi's and tuk-tuks than we have in our own home's for the months of April and May. So with that said, we head back down to our neighbors of the South, this time to the beautiful fishing village of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

Lots of Super 8 and 16mm film goodness will be had as well as inhalation of guacamole ala poolside when we get a chance to rest.

Our office will be closed until we return on May 27th.

Hasta Luego!

the inside scoop

{The Red Carpet Paparazzi-Fest / Modern Bride's Executive Editor: Kara Corridan & Kristen*}

Hey! Kristen* here. Wanted to share some of the photos from the Trendsetter Awards. This year was a blast as always but what made it extra special was that I was able to spend it with my good friend and 2008 Trendsetter Elizabeth Messina. So without further ado....

{Modern Bride Editor-in-Chief : Antonia van der Meer / The Swag Bags! so freakin cool}

{Table Decor: Photo 1 - Michelle Rago / Photo 2 - Antony Todd / Photo 3 - Jane Packer}

{Kristen* & NY based Event Designer Michelle Rago / Cake guru Ron-Ben Israel inhaling Michelle's table herbs}

{Daisy Fuentes presenting an award to Spanx Creator Sarah Blakely /photographer Elizabeth Messina}

{Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester / 2008 Trendsetter and make-up icon Bobbi Brown / Dancing with the Stars Maksim Chmerkovskiy and first dance choreographer to our 2006 clients Martha and Fernando Vargas}

Congratulations 2008 Trendsetters!

As promised, {drum roll please...} here is the video we produced for the 2008 Modern Bride Awards to open up the show. It features profiles of our friends at Fifty Foot Films, Back To Earth Organic, I Dream of Cake, Mark's Garden & Sasha Souza Events. 

Thanks again you guys for allowing us to follow you around for the day and make this 'behind the scenes' of your creative process. Totally inspiring!

The Wedding Oscars

We are back in the land of Carrie Bradshaw this week (NYC) to do some socialite schmoozing and fashion flaunting of our own this week. Each Spring Modern Bride Magazine has their annual "25 Trendsetters Awards" at a super fabulous hotel in Manhattan complete with red carpet, celebs, paparazzi and wedding industry heavyweights. Truly, this IS the wedding industry event of the year.

We were honored with the Trendsetter Award back in 2006 and since then, Modern Bride has commissioned us to create their "video opener" for the awards show. It's a thrilling and intimidating event because you never know who your going to see or sit next to! Last year we rubbed elbows with Deepak Chopra, met Michael J. Fox & Carolina Herrera {random?!} and in 2006 was greeted with a big kiss on the cheek from none other than Aidan himself..... John Corbett! {: Talk about a freak out! Move over Bo Derek! :}

This year is a special year for us because we actually created 2 videos for the awards one of which was a collaboration with Re:Frame, the organization we Co-Founded with 5 other companies. We can't disclose too much until the event occurs, but we will be sure to give you the inside scoop of who/what/where/huh? and post the videos once the party takes place!

Ahhh.... The Anticipation

May is a glorious month. It is the month that Carrie Bradshaw returns to our lives and brings with her a whole new ferosh + fabulous wardrobe courtesy of costume designing goddess Patricia Field. Bring on the Prada, Louboutin and V.Westwood...We're ready!



{and for the record, she should have never broken up with Aidan}

Going to Guatemala

*photo courtesy of http://antiguadailyphoto.com

Our office is closed until May 6th while Kristen* and the crew head down to La Antigua Guatemala for the wedding of one of our "elegante" NY couples. This year has been a pretty heavy travel year so far which is why the blog has not been given the love it deserves. But we promise lots of great content in the coming months.

La Antigua is this incredibly charming Spanish Colonial Town set amongst coffee plantations, flower farms and volcanoes. The city is filled with amazing ruins and hotels that are 5 century old monasteries! We are so excited and honored to be able to capture this location on 16mm film and Super 8mm. We look forward to sharing some of our journey here in the future.

Hasta Luego!

Off to NYC

April has been a busy travel month. We will be in New York this week for shoots. More details to come...

Only in San Francisco

The Olympic Torch just ran through our office!!!

Well, almost.

We have been surrounded all day by helicopters, cops, protesters and a sea of Chinese flags. Got a good laugh at the naked protesters who think the Olympics should stay true to it's Greek heritage. Naked Pole Vault? No thanks.

Video Inspiration: Beirut

Live. One Take. Beautifully Simple.

{wouldn't this be a gorgeous version to walk down the aisle to?}

Yay! For Shout-Outs!

We are honored to have been featured this past Wed on DC Event Planner Maria Cooke's fabulous blog {RITZY BEE}. Maria gives the 411 to brides and industry insiders on what's hot, where to get it and the details that make a difference. Show some love!

Put it on a Pedestal Please!

There are a few guilty pleasures that we have here at Bliss*. One is collecting vintage camera's and the other is displaying them on adorable cake stands. Clara French just took our obsession to the next level!
Ceramicist Micaela has been working in clay for over 19 years and her passion for pottery is evident in the detail of each design. But the even more uber-cool thing about Clara French is that you can RENT these lovely darlings in addition to purchasing them! How fabulous for a reception or baby shower!? And if that's not enough, they offer tableware as well. Another great gift idea for your registry or for your gal pals getting hitched.

Bahama Bliss

Location: Harbour Island, Bahamas
Event Designer: Sasha Souza Events
Photographers: Alisha & Brook
Reception: Rock House

Bliss* Loves Harbour Island!

This is one of our absolute most favorite locations on the planet! If you are looking for a fun yet chill destination beach wedding, consider the magical island of Harbour Island in the Bahamas. AND DON'T FORGET TO BRING US ALONG! [Seriously, we'll give you a great deal - that's how much Kristen* adores this place.]

When you arrive you will feel as though you've been transported back in time to the days of pirates and treasure. The beaches are stunning. The people are the friendliest you'll ever find and the food is fantastic. It's no wonder magazines like Pottery Barn and films such as Pirates of the Caribbean choose to shoot at this little oasis, you simply can't get a bad shot!

Get Your Glam On: Hand Mirrors

It's a little known secret that during the course of your wedding day, one of the most coveted shots for videographers and photographers is when the bride goes to check out her makeup with a hand mirror or compact.

It sounds silly, but it's true. There's just something spontaneous and beautiful about being able to get that shot. So with this in mind, we thought we'd give you one more thing to add to that list of 'To Do's' before the big day: find a fabulous mirror!

One of the best ways to find a unique mirror at an affordable price is Ebay. These compacts above were just a small taste of what is available and some of these little darlings are as inexpensive as $1! There are so many amazing mirrors out there, you can really have fun with it and find something that reflects your personality and style. This small, often-overlooked detail can make the most beautiful heirloom image.

Above photos by Elizabeth Messina.

Re:Frame Officially Launches!!!

The Re:Frame Collective (a combination of 6 award-winning studios from across North America, including Bliss*) officially launched today, announcing plans for a conference in New Orleans in October of this year. If you are a budding event filmmaker or an existing studio interested in getting hands-on experience in an intimate setting of no more than 50 attendees visit Re:Frame for more information.

EventDV Magazine also released a great article today which explains the concept in greater detail.

Giraffe + Zebra = LOVE : SaddleRock Style :

Malibu Madness from bliss productions on Vimeo.

Marni and Eric's wedding just plain rocked!

Crafted by designer Michael Willms and gorgeously photographed (look at these amazing photos!) by uber-talented Los Angeles photographer Susan Bordelon this wedding was non-stop laughter and emotion the whole day through.

Both Marni & Eric are no strangers to the camera (she's an actress, he's a documentary director whose film Word Wars we love) so together they became a super force which included hours up on hours of great footage.

Since candid with lots of natural sound bytes was Marni & Erics vibe, we shot their wedding on video using just a few rolls of reversal Super 8mm. This is the opening trailer for their feature-length film. Enjoy!