Another year, another season of the MBWF podcast! This year I’ve got the Aussie duo we all know and love @bottlebrush films joining me back on the airwaves on a regular basis and we’re kicking off the year with a bit of reflection, some predictions and some hopes for what wedding films might look like in 2023 and beyond. List of filmmakers mentioned in today's show: Henry Martens, House on the Clouds, Unique Wedding, Artem Korchagin, Jackson Grant, Films by Madeline, Kreativ Wedding ✨ Lonely Hea...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 2 min
As 2022 comes to a close, we come to the end of another season of the show. Last year I ended with Bottlebrush, and this year I’m ending Season 3 with another pair of Aussie legends, “Lovers + Legends” to be precise! Steph & Elliot are a husband + wife, photo + video duo from Brisbane Australia who have an amazing energy to their films and who balance the roles of photo + video creation seamlessly. On today’s show, we round off 2022 by talking about arguably the most important thing for a we...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Polished, elegant and consistent are words I would use to describe the work of Deanna and Grant aka Harrison Films and today’s episode is an absolute masterclass in what it takes to create a high end product. Attention to detail is key and in my discussion with them I was blown away at just how much care and thought goes into every step of the process. From location scouting, to colour grading they put in the extra step of effort and care that takes their work from good to great and it’s a philo...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 57 min•Season 3Ep. 21
The film look is something digital filmmakers have been trying to emulate for years and back in 2012, a small company in New Zealand set out to achieve that goal. A decade later, Filmconvert is the arguably the most accurate and sophisticated film emulation software on the market. On Today’s show I’m sitting down with Filmconvert’s Henessey Griffiths to discuss the science and the magic of digital film emulation as we take the guess work out of colour grading. Want to give FilmConvert Nitrate an...
Nov 21, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 20
For the first time in a LONG time, I'm sitting across the table, in the flesh with today's guests; Jesse Peters from Jesse & Jessie and Zac from Flatroc Films. On today's show, my fellow kiwis and I are cracking a beer and looking back at the crazy season that was and what we can learn from the situations we found ourselves in. We talk about burn out, parent life, work life balance, back end systems and quitting your day job to go full time on weddings. . This show is sponsored by Musicbed -...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 37 min
Sometimes, the thing that starts out as helpful support, can turn into overwhelming noise… Echo chambers, unhelpful advice and toxic opinions can start to weigh on our confidence as creatives and as business owners. On today’s show, I’m sitting down with Kaleb and Elaine from KEJ productions to hear their perspective on when to listen, when to stand up for yourself and when to block out the noise. Check out Kaleb and Elaine's Audio Course and get $75 off with the code "MBWF" http://www.kejaudiom...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 17 min
“Sound is half your story” is a mantra that I think I’ll always bring up on the podcast, I think it’s something as filmmakers we can keep coming back to and exploring, experimenting and educating ourselves in. On today’s show, I’m talking with Boomer and Sarah from Multiply Media about the marriage between music and sound design, how to tell stories with music, how to evoke memories with sound and how to manipulate the various elements of our audio in order to have each piece shine through. Make...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 17
How you open your film, sets the stage for the viewers experience as a whole. It’s a chance to put the most important elements to the couple front and centre, to make them feel like this film was made for them and no-one else. On today’s show, I’m talking with Andrea and Aaron from By The Millers about how they developed their storytelling style, how they make each film unique to their couples and why the first 30 seconds are so valuable to your film. Make sure to subscribe to Aaron's YouTube ch...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Husband and Wife duo The Augusts are a photo + video powerhouse who started their business at the start of the pandemic. On todays show, I’m chatting with them about their uniquely elegant and emotive filmmaking style and how they have developed a synergistic workflow together that allows Rebekah to capture photos and Jonah to capture video, each in the best way possible. Make sure to follow them on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theaugusts__ -------------------------------- This show is sponsore...
Sep 05, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Directing couples can often be a daunting task for videographers. So often we start our journey with wedding filmmaking by just shadowing the photographer, not knowing how and where to step in and add value. On today’s show I’m talking to Tina Phillips from Bel Zev Films about the importance of instilling confidence in your couples, how to work with rather than against the photographer on a photo shoot and how getting in front of the camera yourself will give you the tools to communicate that ex...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 5 min
I’ve spoken before about how the cornerstone of storytelling is conflict, but as wedding filmmakers, it’s not immediately obvious how we should implement conflict in a representation of the happiest day of someones life. Today, I’m sitting down with Aaron Daniel Films to learn more about his unique approach to wedding filmmaking, from world-building his brand, to writing books for his couples, to how he structures his films around the concept of mystery, placing the burden of the protagonists co...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Music is as much a part of our films as the footage and audio we capture on the day, but the skill of curating, pairing and manipulating music is often one that’s overlooked. On today’s show, I’m sitting down wth DJ and musician Thomas Rose to discuss some of the techniques videographers can use to level up the way we use music in our films. Make sure to follo This show is sponsored by Musicbed - Sign up for their Wedding Filmmaker subscription using the promo code MBWF and get your first month ...
Jul 14, 2022•53 min•Season 3Ep. 12
🚨 Get 50% off your first year with Studio Ninja - that's just US$125! 🚨 🥷 Click here and use the promo code "MBWF50" 🥷 There are parts of this job that we love and parts that we… ✨dislike✨and today’s show is about how you can streamline the backend of your business and automate a lot of the admin that’s keeping you from doing what you’re best at, making wedding films! On today’s show, I’m chatting to wedding photographer and the co-founder of Studio Ninja, Chris Garbacz about how we can use ...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Story is at the root of what we do as wedding filmmakers, we all call ourselves storytellers but how often to we consciously work on developing that specific skill? How well do you understand the anatomy of a story? On today’s show, I’m joined by McLean from Hello Tomorrow Films to discuss what goes in to a compelling story in a wedding film. If traditional filmmaking has taught us anything it’s that conflict is at the centre of the most compelling stories, but conflict often isn’t welcome on a ...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Chris Mai aka Good Co Studios, is a master of capturing intimate and immediate footage of his couples together. He’s also an educator and through mentorships and 1on1 workshops helps wedding filmmakers create a stronger connection with their couples and become more confident with their camera and their storytelling. On today’s show, I get Chris to run me through one of his full day workshops and break down some of the lessons he imparts to his students. If you'd like to know more about Chris's 1...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Filming with your intuition is something we’ve talked about before on the show. The honesty that can come through in your work when you are NOT trying to do a bunch of flashy transitions, or trying to be someone that you’re not, makes for films that showcase the real emotions of the people on screen and they are films that stand the test of time. When you trust your gut and put the needs of your couples at the core of your filmmaking process, magic can happen. Make sure to check out Madeleine's ...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Sound is half your story… This heuristic is so simple and yet so often overlooked by wedding filmmakers, myself included. On today’s show, we’re welcoming back Shannon and Jack from Forever Curious films to get a crash course in everything audio. From research and consulting with your couples, to what gear to use, right through to post production, mixing and sound design, we’ve tried to cover it all in this nearly one and a half hour long episode. So settle in with a cuppa and have your note pad...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Season 3Ep. 7
$100,000 per year is a goal that for a lot of people starting their business seems unattainable. On today’s show, David from Forestry films breaks down some of the ways we can shift our mindset towards solving people’s problems and that this is the key to growing a successful and profitable business. If you would like a step-by-step road map from David on how you can take your business to the next level then you should check out his course "The Profitable Filmmaker" available for just a few more...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 6
All of us have the part of a filmmaking process that we like more than others, it’s probably the reason we fell in love with this craft. Whether it’s filming, editing, directing, the cool gear… there’s always something that’s more “fun” than other parts of our job, like figuring out how to run a business or learning about audio. On today’s show, Matt sits down with me to discuss some of the most common shortcomings he finds when looking at other filmmakers work from around the world and why he t...
Mar 14, 2022•44 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Planning a wedding is stressful enough, but for couples in the LGBTQ+ community, there’s a whole other layer of fear and anxiety that can be part of the process when they start contacting vendors about their special day. As wedding vendors, if we want to be a supportive and safe business for these couples then we need to look with a critical eye at the gendered and patriarchal history of wedding traditions and how that still lingers in our language today. If you are interested in learning more a...
Feb 28, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 4
When you see a high heel shoe with a red sole, you know it’s a Louboutin, or at least a knock off pretending to be a Louboutin. This is an example of a brand signature, something that when people see it, the brand instantly comes to mind. Sharrone from Fiore Films is very, very aware of the power that a brand signature can have and that is why whenever you see a wedding film that is entirely shot on tripod, you know it’s Fiore Films. Make sure to follow Fiore Films on IG if you don't already! ht...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 3Ep. 3
NOTE: My microphone disconnected immediately after jumping on this call so I apologise for my audio quality! Thankfully Dylan does most of the talking and I've started using a new recording method moving forward to hopefully avoid these technical mishaps in the future! Thanks and enjoy the show. ---- Dylan Kitchener’s extremely cinematic and intimate portraits of couples are an inspiration to many. His masterful understanding of light and composition are a wonder to behold, but it’s how he direc...
Jan 31, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We're back for Season 3!!!! S3 E1 - The Art of Adapting ft. Calen Rhome - White in Revery Being able to adapt to your environment is a skill that takes time to master. You need to be confident in your tools, confident in your environment and confident in knowing what you do and don’t need to tell your story. When you think of White in Revery, you think of beautiful, smooth, polished films. No chaos, nothing out of place, simply elegant filmmaking. However, no wedding is perfect and things go wro...
Jan 18, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 1
It’s time to start to say goodbye to 2021 and also to say “seeya later” to the incredible @bottlebrushfilms who are finishing up their season on Make Better Wedding Films. I’ve got Grace and Andrew on for one final time to catch up, have a beer and hear about all the incredible projects and plans they have in store for 2022. We also answer a bunch of your questions from Instagram live. So pop a cold one, sit back and settle in. My name is Ben and this is Make Better Wedding Films… See all you wo...
Dec 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Ivan & Angela of the Unique Wedding are different to most wedding filmmakers. For them, filming the wedding is an extra. What they really offer is a multi-day experience for couples to create an incredible memory in and around their wedding day. This may or may not be a direction you want to take in your career as a wedding filmmaker but what I do hope you take away from today’s episode is an understanding of the fruit of their labour. By putting in the time that others don’t, Ivan and Angel...
Dec 14, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 22
You might be looking at aspirational, world famous, amazing wedding filmmakers and be thinking, “If only I could shadow them, if only I could watch them work, I could learn their secret sauce, the thing that makes them stand out from the rest”. The truth of the matter is… there is no secret sauce. Everyone is nervous on a wedding day, everyone finds directing uncomfortable, everyone get’s that nervous, squirmy feeling before they walk into a room full of strangers first thing on a wedding day. O...
Nov 30, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Life throws us all curve balls and today’s guests are no exception, but rather than seeking solitude in the status quo, Shannon and Jack decided it was time for them to try something bold and new. Through battling health issues and launching a brand new business at the start of a global pandemic, these two have come through with the most amazing spirit and attitude towards their life and their work, highlighting the importance of living in the moment. Make sure to follow Shannon & Jack's wor...
Nov 16, 2021•40 min
To be a creative storyteller is to be a listener, to be someone who is more interested in the story of others than their own. When it comes to wedding filmmaking, this means being passionately invested in the couple and who the are, making a film that is solely for them. This is Eric’s philosophy for wedding filmmaking and it’s how he’s able to make the emotionally charged films that he does. Start with the couple, dig deep in to who they are and let that drive your creativity and your story. Ma...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Each of us as filmmakers come to the table with a different set of skills, some coming more naturally to us than others and today’s guest is an example of how people skills and the ability to read a room are as important as knowing the ins and outs of your camera. Hunter describes himself as an extrovert, which is not a label I would assign to myself, so it was great to learn from how he approaches a wedding day, using the skills most natural to him to ensure that his couples get the best experi...
Oct 19, 2021•24 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Grace and Andrew have built an impressive audience of 120 thousand followers on Bottlebrush’s TikTok by showcasing their films and their personality, resulting in real enquires through their website. With over 1 billion monthly users now using TikTok we thought it was about time to do a deep dive on the platform, address some common concerns among videographers and talk through some ideas for how you can start using it to build your brand and get you more bookings. ---------------- Cinematic LUT...
Oct 04, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 17
