O Come All Ye Faithful at Long Beach State

David and I went to the Beach for the Winter Festival Concert 2008! We were invited once again to film the concert for President F. King Alexander of California State University Long Beach. This was the first year the students in the music studies program were able to perform baring the name of the Bob Cole Conservatory. This concert combines the Bob Cole Conservatory students with also the other choirs who are from any major at CSULB. If you aren't a conservatory student all one must do is try-out for the part to be a part of the concert. Not that trying out is easy! So sit back and enjoy 3 excerpts from the Winter Concert 2008! Enjoy!

A Very Modern Rendition of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Mary Had A Baby

The Film and The Vows

Anaheim Hills Photo Session

MyFOX Los Angeles Top 5!

Well the results are in and Charles Lauren Films is in the top 5 of all videography businesses in Los Angeles! Thank you all so much who voted, this is a great honor! We will continue to work as hard as we can to make amazing videos and provide great customer service.

Cheers!

David and Kelsey

11-22-2008 Complete Overview

Erica and Shaun are two sweet and cool people! We created a video for Shaun's sister's wedding in 2006. This wedding took place at a church in Newhall and the reception was at The Odyssey in Granada Hills.

The entertainment was provided by J&M Entertainment with Sean as the MC. He has the most amazing tricks and activities to keep the pacing of the reception frantic and the guests on their feet all the time.

The coordinator and the person who designed the flowers, lighting, tables and decorations was Ada Doron from Fleur Creations. We worked with her on Erica and Shaun's maid of honor and best man's wedding a few years ago and it was just as gorgeous.

The photographer was Digishots Photography who had a lot of pocketwizards and was able to quickly setup a studio right in front of the Odysssey as we fought the setting sun and rising darkness.

Enjoy this short-form 15 minute video of their full wedding! Happy Thanksgiving! We will have a lot to post after the turkey!

Into the Fire

This past weekend was a very stressful and tragic time in our Southern Californian wildfire history. Thankfully, David and I, as well as our home was safe. We are always thankful during the fire season every year that we are urbanites in our living situation and don’t have to worry about the possibility of our home being destroyed in a wildfire. However, many of our videography/clergy/and photography friends are not. Many of them are very much in the outer realm of urban sprawl. They live in some of the prettiest areas, but the most dangerous as well.

This blog is dedicated to them :

The Clergy Network (Yorba Linda) whose entire family is safe-yay!, Honored Occasions (Brea), Jeff (a videographer)(Diamond Bar), Robles Video (Brea), Mike (a videographer)(Brea), Anaheim Hills Golf Club (venue site)(Anaheim Hills), Nixon Library (venue site)(Yorba Linda) And Kelsey’s family (in Brea/Carbon Canyon).

And everyone else-who has been affected…

David and I had a shoot on Saturday morning in Norwalk at the McKenna BMW. We got on our way at around 9am getting onto our Freeway (the 405 by Venice Blvd.) Immediately, since we had known the Sayre Fire was burning, we looked toward the valley. A terrifying gloomy bowl of smoke seemed to be just over the Hollywood Hills layering the San Fernando Valley with ash and smoke. At once David and I said a prayer thanking God that it wasn’t November 22^nd , 2008. We have a wedding where the church is in Valencia and the reception is in the San Fernando Valley right next to Sylmar. As we all know the 5 FWY was closed and the wedding probably would have been canceled.

Next, as we made the interchange from the 405 FWY to the 105 FWY, David and I saw a big plume of white smoke toward Anaheim/Brea Hills. David and I literally at the same time exchange a gasp and said “holy smakers!” under our breath or something to that effect-if you get our drift. We knew another fire had started. By the afternoon when we were still filming, the black smoke enveloped us and the BMWs. Outside the ash was everywhere. When we had our lunch break, there was a TV in the lobby and our worst fears were confirmed. The fire had begun to overtake Orange County. We knew Southern California was now in the midst of another awful fire.

The film shoot was over in the evening. Once we got home, we immediately called our relatives in Brea- to find out they had been asked to evacuate and were able to escape with their documents and important things in their car. Their house was 5 houses from being destroyed. Thanks to the firefighters it was saved. As I also told you, we have heard from our friends at the Clergy Network whose entire family experienced the fire in one way or another, but came out well and with their houses too. They told us the apartment they use to live in was one of the 50 units consumed by the fire.

As our population increases, so does our urban sprawl and the potential for wildfires to come into the backyards of the ones we love. My family loves where they live and couldn’t see it any other way. We on the other hand will take being on a boring paved street in the middle of a dense beach community anytime- even though we miss the deer and bobcats! I guess we will have to be thankful we have the squirrels and raccoons.

And lastly, thank you to our firefighters in LA and Orange County. They did an amazing job. Many people lost many things, but most importantly all of our families are safe and in the end that’s what matters.

This is a video clip of what the guy we were filming that day said about the fire...

Luis and Amanda's Wedding November 8, 2008

This was Luis and Amanda's wedding. Until about a week ago they had not planned to have their big day filmed. We had just worked with Alexandra who is the owner/wedding coordinator from Sterling Engagements . She called us about a week ago and told us she was a bridesmaid in her friends wedding and they didn't have a videographer-so we answered the call. Thanks to Amanda's parents and family they chipped in for the wedding video. The family and friends kept the video as a surprise to Amanda until the day of the wedding. When we showed up, Amanda was excited and thrilled to be having a video. After all it is once in a lifetime- we wish Amanda and Luis all the best!

11-08-08 Highlight Reel

I had a great time at Eva and Steve's wedding on Saturday. The location of the reception, Arbat Banquet Hall in Burbank, was really interesting. The area where the guests can mingle during the cocktail hour is painted with clouds and a blue sky, like a hotel in Las Vegas. The food came in waves and the bridal party did the wave! Both families were great to work with, which you will see in this Highlight Reel. The toasts were heartfelt and there were so many musical groups the party never stopped. The photographers were Connie and Jeff from Chou Photography. They are so much fun to work with and make being a videographer very easy. Please watch this video and let Eva and Steve know what you think!

When Your Favorite Man Chips Your Favorite Bowl

This is a personal blog, in case you hadn't guessed by the subject title. David and I live in a house that was built in the 1930's. We have always liked retro things. I am in love with its alcove ceilings, art deco bathroom and the back deck that looks onto my yard of orange trees and bougainvilleas that the squirrels and raccoons frequently visit. This is home. This home however, is a little on the elder side and as such it doesn't have a dishwasher. Since it's just David and I for now we haven’t had the need to update it yet. I see washing dishes as a time to chit chat with David and just chill out. It's no problem to do a little washing in the sink. I am the washer and he is the dryer. This way we get it done twice as fast and can hang out together. Even though we already work with each other, sometimes you need your "own time" as you probably know. Well tonight I had to finish up a love story and David had finished his work early. I asked him if he would mind washing the few dishes we had in the sink. He said that it would be fine and left me to the editing bay, while he went to wash the dishes. About 15 minutes later he comes into my editing room. I ask him what's up. He says he chipped one of my bowls. I said “Which one?” secretly hoping it wasn't my starfish/seashell decor one that I really like. He said "Oh that one with the seashells on it." I know it's just a bowl and he's my guy- but I was a little miffed. After all, I had bought this bowl on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. This bowl isn't just a bowl. This bowl reminds me of the idyllic days of summer, the Island Home ferry coming into port at Vineyard Haven and the lighthouse signaling the end of the day with its beam so bright. This was THEE bowl. But, I love David more so, I kindly replied "You do know what this bowl means to me don't you?" and he replied with his head hung low "Yes, I do." I then said "Well, I guess you'll have to take me back to Martha's Vineyard to get me another one." and smiled coyly. He said "Sure thing." After all it is just a bowl.

Alvin and Ann Marie's Highlight Reel

     This was a fantastic day for us and Alvin + Ann Marie! They had amazing locations so we were able to get some amazing shots. It also helped that Alvin and Ann Marie are so in love. Their pre-ceremony was at the Hilton in Long Beach- which is where they had their first look.  We teamed up with Nate and Jaclyn from The Image is Found who are super creative photographers, so we worked well together, since we like being super creative too!

Their wedding then went to St. Anthony's church and then the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA). Being at MOLAA was awesome because through our years in Long Beach we've done many video projects for them. We have seen MOLAA become what it is today, thanks in large part to the former museum director, Gregorio Luke. He has now left that position, since the museum is finally completed. If he had not been the vision behind the museum Alvin and Ann wouldn't have had such a cool dive to have their reception at! 

      All in all everything turned out amazing, as you will see from this clip. Congratulations once more to Alvin and Ann Marie- you guys are truly one of a kind!  

Matt and Kerry's Highlight Reel

Matt and Kerry were amazing from the beginning.  We could definitely tell that we were going to have some fun with them, since they both have amazing personalities and can't seem to stop smiling- we wonder why?! They saw each other beforehand at the hotel since Kerry inadvertently left her dress at home- we think she did it on purpose! That didn't matter though, since she was getting dressed in the park- their first look would still be a big surprise. We then follow them to their amazing reception at The Hacienda in Santa Ana. Go ahead and take a peak!

Why Hire A Professional Videographer?

     Our groom Matt decided to have a little fun. He wasn't suppose to see Kerry before hand, but Kerry inadvertently left her wedding dress at the house- so Matt had to bring it to her. We secretly think that she did it on purpose to see Matt beforehand! 

     So here is Matt with no video training whatsoever filming his wedding day. No offense Matt, but we can see why it is necessary to hire a professional! :-) And how very important it is not to assume "Uncle Joe" will get those amazing shots. Your wedding day is the most important day in your life- and the biggest regret of all brides is not hiring a videographer. 

     We all know we are in a bit of an economic crunch, but don't crunch out in videography just to save a few dollars for your honeymoon- it is your wedding day, a once in a lifetime event, so go ahead splurge a little .... you will be glad you did.

October 3, 2008 Same Day Edit

This was the wedding of Kirsten and Gavin. They had their wedding at the Hotel Laguna which is usually pretty busy in the summer, but on their wedding night they were just about the only ones on the beach - except another bride and groom with their photographer! David and I felt sad for the other bride and groom because they were really get some great shots with the photographer, but there was no videographer- which I know they will regret. Thankfully, Kirsten and Gavin had a videographer to capture their amazing day- because you definitely can't just send back pictures to New Zealand, which is where they are originally from! They were both born there and their mothers were best friends while they were growing up. Kirsten family moved to California though- so it wouldn't be until later when Gavin would hook up with her again. We made them a highlight reel right away so they could show all of their relatives back in New Zealand who were unable to attend. Take a look...

Back in Black on the Roof Top

This was Bergt and Wendy's wedding at the Marriott Hotel in Marina del Rey. We had the awesome pleasure of working with Chris Humphreys Photography . We also were quite lucky because it had rained the previous night and on their wedding day the sun decided to come out! It again would rain that night during the reception- but for the entire day, the sun was smiling on them. Which is also funny, because I just was checking up on our friends Chris Humphreys website and on it the song that plays is one of my favorites by Joe Purdy, I love the Rain Most - which goes on to say- when it stops, which is exactly what it did for Bergt and Wendy. Check out the clips bellow to see some highlights of their day!

Wendy and Bergt's Highlights

Wendy and Bergt's Ceremony Introduction

October 11, 2008 Same Day Edit

This was the wedding of Carriane and Lalo Chavez. It was simply fantastic. David and I loaded up our camera gear and headed down south to San Diego County for their wedding in Fallbrook. Carriane and Lalo were first getting ready at the hotel Pala and then headed off to The Grand Tradition for their ceremony and reception.

The location was looking great and it was just chilly enough to be delightful. However, nothing was cold about the reception, the partying was not stop thanks to Jason at Visions Entertainment. We've worked with him many times before and he is one of our favorite DJs around. After you watch this clip scroll down to the post labeled Saint Monica's and the Biltmore- we also did that wedding with him, among many others. It's so important to have a good DJ and Jason always delivers.

All in all it was a great wedding from the horse drawn carriage ride down the isle to the grand exit with sparklers Carriane and Lalo will cherish this wedding day for the rest of their lives.

October 10, 2008 Same Day Edit

Jocelyn and Miguel's wedding was a blast! It started out at the Westin in Pasadena and then we moved to St. Andrew's for a beautiful ceremony and finally back to the Westin for the reception to finish it off. Joce and Mick had 18 bridesmaids in all, which made for a fun and zany wedding day.

We again had th pleasure of working with Taipei LA which we had worked with before on Jerrica and Roger's Wedding whose same day edit is in a previous post as well. Tommy from Taipei LA did a fabulous job and we had a great time with him.

All in all it was an awesome wedding celebration and the Pasadena Rose Parade has nothing on Joce's red rose centerpieces! The room looked phenomenal thanks to Darling Flowers and the hard work of Carla with Morningdawn Creations event planning.

And again it was a great party thanks to Sean at J+M Entertainment, who we haven't worked with before but definitely would love to see at another great event, since he was always keeping us in the loop before starting any special event. Although we are always ready to go, it definitely is nice to have a few second warning so we are ready to capture the memories as they unfold.

It was a stellar cast of vendors and guests to be sure- take a look -

A Love Poem to Long Beach

This is a fun poetic video we made for the State of the Arts Luncheon for The Arts Council for Long Beach. It uses a custom written poem by Mindy Nettifee. It is an artistic look at what the city is doing to make itself Greener. Please enjoy it!

Saint Monica's and Biltmore Highlight Reel

Hello! It has been a little while since a post, we have been working around the clock to finish a lot of projects during September, we have many weddings coming up and are still holding up! This is a highlight reel from a great couple we did last year, Marissa and Roque. Let us know what you think of it :-)

Apparently Minnesota is like Siberia

We are working on Bergt and Wendy's wedding and thought this was a pretty funny clip from the toasts. When Bergt's family moved from Germany to America, the first place they lived was Minnesota. This is what Bergt's father had to say about that....

Happy Birds Taking a Bath in Long Beach

This was for an eco Long Beach video we are in the process of making. This isn't actually a clients video about happy birds in Long Beach! It's basically a blooper reel of the flora and fauna of the city- which a lot of birds are involved in. The song playing is also of no relation, it's about bats not eating people-only bugs and birds not eating people only berries-which is fun all in itself! Enjoy! The eco video will be up on Sunday- stay tunned for it, I feel a film festival coming on! ;-)

Vote for Us! ::please:-)

We found out that we were again nominated for MyFoxLA's Hitlist! oh I mean Hotlist! If anyone who is interested could stop by there and give us a vote, we would really appreciate it! You can also find winners from last year in just about every category of service you need in LA, it helps everyone find the coolest wedding vendors and life services vendors.

Click Here to Vote!! Thanks!

A Man and His Love for the Steadicam

As some of you might know we do a lot of sweeping amazing shots that pull in and out and really move the medium of video into the realm of cinematic. Well those shots are accomplished by the use of a stedicam.

Which brings me to closet space. Now this is a rather odd topic since what on earth would a stedicam have to do with my closet space? Nothing really, except I have 5 boxes that have stedicams in them that take up all my closet space- that's what!

Now I know some of my girlfriends complain about closet space and that their guys stuff is taking up too much room- one complaint was my friend's husband seemed to have stored his entire bachelor pad in boxes shoved in the closet. He says you never know when you might need a beer hat again. I think there's a word for that- does public storage ring any bells or maybe even the goodwill?

The epidemic of stedicams really came about when we found out the company that makes them was going out of business. Hence the extra purchase of 5 of them. He already owned 2- and was worried he might never get another chance to have one with the company on the rocks. He even keeps one off sight in case something drastic happened to the equipment. His desire for it is insatiable!

The thing is good solid metal so it wouldn't ever really break or die off and you could probably get someone to reproduce it after seening what one looks like, if you needed another one. But David was scared that because the company was going out of business he might never have another chance to obtain one.

So our unopened stedicams sit waiting patiently in my closet. They sit there waiting for the day that will never come- since the original one hasn't nor probably ever will break. I could be assuming things, but after 5 years of using the it, it's still going strong.

Oh well, does anyone know the number of a contractor who can knock out a wall for me, so I can make a bigger closet?

8-30-08 Same Day Edit

This was the wedding of Ashley and Michael Hontz. We had been awaiting this wedding for some time, since Michael's Mom had called us almost a year ago to book us for the date. She had been at another wedding we filmed and saw our work- and loved it- of course!
Their wedding was held at the Padua Hills Theatre and Dining Room in Claremont- which strangely we had never been to before- except once, which as it turned out, was the week before theirs. Teresa + Matthew's wedding! We will post their same day edit soon. It's a great venue. It is right at the base of the mountains in a wilderness area. Right off of Baseline/Mt. Baldy Road. That was pretty exciting, since it's nestled in an olive grove. It also has some great scenic views of the valley below.
We filmed their wedding two days after we got back from our trip to the east coast (more on that later), so we were nicely rested and pretty much ready to head back into the season of weddings, as always!
Congrats once again to the Hontz and Alten family!

Our Return from Boston

We got back last week from a very fun and educational trip around New England and New York. We will be talking about some of the very interesting stories and places that we saw in the coming weeks. Kelsey and I have had 5 weddings since we got back so we have been tired and not very busy on the posting front! 

In the picture above, we were in a gigantic book store in Boston and happened to come across a reference to Charles Lauren Films on the East Coast, very fun! Love when that happens!

6-28-08 Preview

This was a really fun wedding! Julie and Alan's family worked night and day setting up the decorations at the ballroom of the Calamigos Equestrian Center. There were smiles all around and we hope they enjoy their preview!

The Brain In Love

I was watching a video from TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), which is a conference held every year with amazing speakers and information. This video has a lot of great facts on why we fall in love, how it happens and why it is so mysterious and wonderful.

To all of our married couples and future couples, enjoy the magic!

8-10-08 Same Day Edit

This was Jerrica and Roger's wedding at the Japanese Gardens at CSULB. They had a lot of fun as you can see and it was just as fun for us filming them! This time it was my (Kelsey's) turn to step up to the editing bench of same day edits. We had a little bit less time than normal, since the event venue closes down pretty much at the stroke of ten- and there was a lot going on to get it to fit within the time schedule. A good 20 minutes versus 45 may seem like a drop in the hat, but in the world of same day edits- believe me I was noticing the clock tick tock!

The Japanese Gardens is a great location for the smaller weddings, when a couple want a bit more intimacy. It can hold about 100 people- so it isn't one of our big 200+ family weddings- which was different too! Locations really define the couple and every experience is always an amazing one. That’s why we love filming weddings- even if it turns out to be a venue we’ve been at one-hundred times, it's always something new. From the waters of the Koi Pond to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion the life of wedding videography is always lovely! ;-)

Thank You Note and Weekend Olympics

We are getting ready for a busy weekend! Weddings on 8-9 and 8-10! Everyone must be in the Olympic spirit!

I hope everyone who can will watch the various video segments on the athlete backgrounds, biographies and place descriptors during the games to get great ideas for love stories and hear of the moment music! That is what I always like to do.

We received a beautiful thank you note from one of our recent weddings. They were an amazing couple to work with!

Jennifer and Jeremy's Preview 8-02-08

Here is a Preview/Highlight Reel of this last Saturday's wedding. Jennifer and Jeremy have an amazing family and group of friends. This wedding was different because all of the reception and dancing took place in the daylight under an atrium at the Sheraton Pasadena. This gave a lot of room and light for steadicam shots during the formal dances.

The church had great meaning for the families as well because Jennifer's parents were married in the same church! The photo session with the great backgrounds took place at Caltech.

Lightsaber Battle for a Toast

As I promised, I went back into our archives and got the Lightsaber battle that Anjulynn and her brother did at her sister's wedding! We filmed Alex and Anjulynn's wedding a few weeks ago. You really should watch this clip...

The Importance of Families and Home Movies

The night before her wedding, Randi's father made everyone watch home movies since her birth. They soon discovered the close-knit relationships their family has in San Pedro. Brian, who Randi was marrying, went to pre-school with her and the two fathers had known each other for decades. This shows a little bit of their family history, Randi getting dressed, the ceremony setup and guest arrivals. Brian actually made the wooden archway where they were married. They brought it in their truck early in the morning to the grassy ceremony site. It was a very personal 7-7-07.

July 7, 2007 was Take Your Daughter For A Walk Day

It was one year ago this week that brides all around America went to Las Vegas and any other place they could find to get married. 

Last year on 7-7-07 brides and their fathers all around the county came in droves to take a very special walk down the aisle. It was such a big event it was declared a national holiday, "Fathers Take Your Daughter for a Walk Day," as Randi's father so proudly stated last year on 7-7-07.

Randi's father also had a lot to say about childhood memories and the best way to capture and preserve them forever. You will find this in our next post. Randi and Brian's wedding took place by the sea in San Pedro and the reception was at the Doubletree Hotel in San Pedro. The photographer was one of our good friends Britney Alves from Turn Loose The Art.

Jennifer and Wayland's Highlight Reel

June 21, 2008 Same Day Edit

Anjulynn and Alex's wedding was a great reunion for us with many of our friends. We did her sister's wedding in 2005, so seeing all of the family members again after all these years was amazing. Anjulynn's sister has a new baby and we are still looking for a great girl for her brother! It was one of those classic hot wedding days...high humidity, very thirsty bridal party members, people sweating! 

We were lucky that photo session at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach even happened since the Long Beach Jazz Festival was happening just to the right. 

Anjulynn and Alex are very creative people who love Hans Zimmer and Star Wars, like us! For her sister's wedding, Anjulynn and her brother (the one with the blue finger nails) made a very unique toast that I will have to post in the next few days.

The vendors were Honored Occasions and Harvard Photography. 

The Very Personal Nature of a Wedding Video

We love to see our client's reactions to the videos that we make for them. Presenting a video to our brides and grooms is like opening night of a big budget movie that we made and we are sitting in the theater, hoping the crowd laughts and cries at just the right moments.

Unlike many wedding services, where you are doing what you normally do in life, such as deciding what kind of food to order, what color dresses you want or the kind of chairs that go with the look you are creating, when you hire a videography team, you are hiring someone who is going to be thinking about what you like and making something very personal for you.

Kelsey and I put all of our time and effort in life into making custom videos that are uniquely fit for each client. That is why we like to think of our relationship with our clients as someone who is painting your portrait. Our role of creating something huge and specific for you is different than if you were to go to Aaron Brothers and get nice paintings to hang around your reception or put on your tables. It is not a product that we can mass produce or keep in a warehouse. Each time we go to a wedding we are starting from scratch with a complete blank canvass. Our choices of what to film, what questions we should ask, the things we shoud anticipage, the perfect angles are all from our experience and the flow of the day that is unique to each bridal party.

We spend a lot of time looking at the footage and thinking about what each couple would like to see based on what we have talked about, how their day went, the songs that they choose, etc. Most of the fun and satisfaction we get from making wedding videos comes from trying very hard to make something that will amazing the couple and family that we are creating the video for. That is why it feels great when we get to hear back about the results of our work.

We got this email today:

Hi Kelsey & David,


Thank you so much for the video, we watched it yesterday and we were amazed on the outcome.
Both of you definitely have a gift for making wedding day seem like a movie. We are very pleased with the video and hopefully we can use you again for the sake of having another video. We are still in awe on the work that the both of you have done. We cannot thank you enough on the wonderful job the both of you have done. Hopefully we can see each other soon.

Take care

Roque & Marissa


Thank you for the nice words!

Loving What You Do

Brought to you by our favorite priest, Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson of Saint Monica's Parish in Santa Monica. This is one of his great wedding homilies.

Super 8 Film Arrives from the Past

Super 8 Film used to be the only reasonable way for a family to document their lives through a moving camera. Important family moments have been captured using the unique look of this genuine film stock since 1965. You probably have some old Super 8 Films of your grandparents. We in fact shot many of our early films on Super 8 and 16mm film.

Now Charles Lauren Films is offering this amazing and artistic format as another way for our couples to find a way to visually express their love! We can use a mixture of Super 8 within you High Definition Wedding Video, or we can make you an amazing independent video that will wow your friends with a look they may have never seen before in a wedding video!

Call us today to discuss any of your questions on this creative medium.

Watch this short clip for a taste of what Super 8 can look like at your wedding!

A Telephone Testimonial

Our Clients Are Raving About Us!

Storybook Opening

Jennifer and Jed's Same Day Edit, May 30, 2008

On Friday we took a drive up to Agoura Hills for all the pre-ceremony excitement of Jennifer and Jed's wedding day, then finally ending up in one of our favorite locations Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. We hooked up with Michael from Getlin Media who was doing a smashing job capturing all the sights in photos for them.

Jed and Jennifer are two people who are simply perfect for each other and value their friends and family more than anything. During the reception there were so many toasts from their loved ones and even a song dedicated to them, sung by their cousin-it was amazing! As entertainment for the night, there was an authentic Chinese musical group serenading the guests through dinner. After that we showed the Love Story that we made for them (see the previous blog post) mixed in with this Same Day Edit. Enjoy!

Jennifer and Jed's Love Story

May 17, 2008 Same Day Edit

Yesterday we shot Michelle and Tony's wedding at the Hotel Laguna in Laguna Beach. It was a beautiful, warm day and the beach was packed with people. It was a very unique and family oriented wedding because their families made all of the flowers, the chair covers, the runner, they baked the wedding cake, made all of the centerpieces and even made Michelle's dress! That took a lot of work.
The photographer was Katie Robertson from Red Loft Studios. She is a fellow graduate from the Cal State Long Beach School of Film and she was great to work with. Another item of note, lobsters played a prominent role in the wedding, as you will see in the Same Day Edit. They are fans of Friends, well, you'll see....

May 11, 2008 Same Day Edit

Here is the Same Day Edit we did yesterday for Aspasia and Petros. It is hard to find such a joyful couple with a family who are excellent dancers. I liked Petro's bachelor pad, that place was amazing! Kelsey and I also loved the ceremony, the singing was beautiful. We got to work with George Sillas who made the day run smoothly, capturing some great pictures. Their guests also seemed to enjoy this video, we noticed a few crowds around the laptop we had playing near the gift table. It was everything but the "Fat" in My Big Fat Greek Wedding! Enjoy!

Click the magazine pages to enlarge them!

2008 The Knot Best of Weddings Videographer

Charles Lauren Films was picked by local brides like you as the best vendor of wedding videography for 2008 in the Los Angeles region!!! Thank you all brides who voted for us- we truly appreciate the nod!
It has been our goal to always maintain the highest professional standard and creativity in wedding videography since we began just 5 years ago. Our company is growing thanks to brides like you who know the best when they see it! Anybody think we should have a party? Strictly business of course- ;-)

Our Great Friend Tricia's Opening

Dara & Kevin

Dara and Kevin wanted a new approach to wedding videography at their Japanese Garden location - at least some of the sections. Their idea was to be a bit new age and upbeat with a dash of heavy metal for Kevin's sake! Now this may be too fast and fun for a few of you romantics- but as a cool intro to their day we think it makes the cake for fun and frivolity. In fact here's what Dara and Kevin have to say about the video we made them...

"We looked at the video again...it truly is wonderful. It looks so "hollywood"...not like every other wedding video I've seen. You two are great at what you do."
-Dara and Kevin

Music to Our Ears

This was pretty neat. The wedding was shot at Rancho Las Lomas and Redd Street Band were the musical talents for the evening- serenading the guests while they ate dinner and the like- pretty awesome.

Did You Get the Order? ah In-N-Out burgers yummy!

Ryan our groom was checking to see if his microphone was working by asking us if he could order an In-N-Out burger and animal style fries- need I say more, just watch the clip.

The Ball and Chain

This is a common statement that you will hear at weddings if you happen to find a ball and chain lying around at your reception location. This ball and chain was actually on a table for the cigar maker who was making fresh rolled cigars at the wedding for all of the guests who wanted one.
Disclaimer: Smoking can kill you- but it's so Cuban! It reminds us of Andy Garcia and the movie Lost City. So we'll let it slide, besides it made for a great party.

The Right Stuff

Anything was possible. The following video is taken from our production for Smithsonian Week in Long Beach 2008. It highlights how aviation (military, private and commercial) was born in Long Beach and how even now with the plant mostly decommissioned the love and spirit of aviation will live on with the instillations of art throughout Douglas Park by the local artists.

Douglas Park

A lot of people have been finding this site through google when looking for information on Douglas Park. Please watch the video above to learn about where this development came from and what it means to the thousands of people who made the planes that made history.

Kelsey and I have been working the last week on a video about the artwork and redevelopment of the Douglas manufacturing facility at the Long Beach Airport. A few years ago they tore down the hangers that they used to build DC-3s and C-47s during World War II, the many cargo planes, fighter jets in the Korean and Vietnam war, the jetliners like the DC-8, DC-10, MD-11, MD-80 and the Boeing 717 after they acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997.

The Douglas Park Official Site

It has been very trying for the community of Long Beach since the aviation manufacturing industry was the main employer next to the port. The plans for what the new land should be turned into have been changing a lot over the past three years. It was going to be mixed use with residential, commercial and retail in 2006. Now it seems that they have decided on light industrial and research. There was no honest hope of ever having housing so close to an airport. Long Beach Airport has already been crippled enough by the residents who live on either side of the flight path. The daily flights have a cap and no commercial plane can land after 10:00 pm. That is insane because if a flight is delayed and will be arriving later than 10, they must be diverted to Burbank or another airport. People who live near airports should appreciate that airports bring huge amounts of revenue and jobs and are the backbone of our modern world. Without local airports that provide easy access for tourists, commercial and shipping companies, our disintegrating infrastructure will have even more load to bear. Without local airports, people wouldn't learn to fly and we would be running out of commercial pilots.

I really wanted the parcels that are next to the taxiway to be sold as homes with hanger access like John Travolta's house in Florida. If you go the link below, you will see that they even do weddings at the clubhouse there :-) Jumbolair is a private airport, however. Long Beach is public and might not attract million dollar air estates. That would be cool though.

Jumbolair

I have been immersing myself in Douglas airplanes to help find the best way to tell the story. There are so many DC-3 videos on youtube it is amazing, you can even learn how to start one! Engine number two first.

The video will be shown at the Smithsonian Week opening Gala on March 9, so you can all see it there. I will post it here as soon as it is done. On the top of this post is a photo with the crew from the shoot.

Back to work.

The Youtuber Generation

I was reading in one of my favorite magazines, The Economist, that 2008 is the United Nation's International Year of the Potato! Potatoes are great, especially if they are served during the reception and we are hungry from running around all day. Rosemary potatoes, garlic potatoes, they have Twice Baked Potatoes at Anaheim Hills Golf Course that are very good. I'll bet some of you even had a Mr. Potato Head toy!

Here is the article:

IT IS the world's fourth-most-important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. It provides more calories, more quickly, using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant. It is, of course, the potato.

The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato (see article). It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals, by helping to alleviate poverty, improve food security and promote economic development. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato's unusual history (see article) means it is well worth celebrating by readers of The Economist—because the potato is intertwined with economic development, trade liberalisation and globalisation.

Unlikely though it seems, the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to cultivate, so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England, as people there specialised in livestock farming and domestic industry, while farmers in the south (where the soil was more suitable) concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident, this concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readily available, and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”.

The potato promoted free trade by contributing to the abolition of Britain's Corn Laws—the cause which prompted the founding of The Economist in 1843. The Corn Laws restricted imports of grain into the United Kingdom in order to protect domestic wheat producers. Landowners supported the laws, since cheap imported grain would reduce their income, but industrialists opposed them because imports would drive down the cost of food, allowing people to spend more on manufactured goods. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition—and more's the pity. It was the tragedy of the Irish potato famine of 1845, in which 1m Irish perished when the potato crop on which they subsisted succumbed to blight. The need to import grain to relieve the situation in Ireland forced the government, which was dominated by landowners who backed the Corn Laws, to reverse its position.

This paved the way for liberalisation in other areas, and free trade became British policy. As the Duke of Wellington complained at the time, “rotten potatoes have done it all.”

Read the Full Article from The Economist

Tony and Michelle 5-17-2008

Their wedding blog

She said:

Charles Lauren Films: We decided that we definitely did want our day to be captured on film. Normally I would turn to my own brother for a project such as this, since filming and editing is something he does in his "spare time," but since he is in my wedding party I need him in front of the camera, not behind. So, thus began the frustrating quest to find someone who could capture the day in a beautiful way without the NEED to resort to fancy tricks of editing to make the film worthwhile to watch. Anyone can learn to add fancy special effects, but you need a good product to begin with. We were having trouble finding someone with an artistic eye...well, one that didn't want to charge a fortune, anyways. We hadn't planned on spending much for vidoegraphy; but after seeing what was out there, we decided to spend just a bit more in order to get a good product. Again, Tony and I both fell in love with this vendor! It is a team of Charles and his wife. Tony and I really liked their website demo AND their prices; and after meeting with the both of them and getting to see an actual finished product...wow! We were ready to sign about 5 minutes into the movie!!! Their films are absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Yes, they do have effects added in editing...but they aren't the "cheesy" fades of the past. THIS is some beautiful stuff! And, like I mentioned before, they do their filming in an artistic way, so the movie is just beautiful throughout. Yes, movie. This isn't just a video capture of the day...it feels like you are watching a feature film. We are excited to be working with them.

A Dance Under the Sky

Chip and Gina pulled out all the stops- beginning their first dance under the skies of San Juan Capistrano at the famous El Adobe Restaurant. Registered as a California State Historical Landmark, it was built in 1797. The former President, Richard Nixon enjoyed meals prepared for him during his administration by an El Adobe Chef and when it first opened as a restaurant it was for a wedding reception for a general at Camp Pendleton. All and all the El Adobe has a historic tradition and is even said to be haunted by a ghost now and then. Perhaps it's Tricky Dick wanting some of their great salsa and chips?

Train Tracks, Bridal Party and Friends

This is clip from a photo session transition from the ceremony of Gina and Chip to their reception venue at the El Adobe. So here's to train tracks, bridal parties and friends...

Bitter Sweet Toasts

When Mark and Tiffany decided to have their recessional be to the song "Bittersweet Symphony" we thought it was only fitting to create this...

Tiffany and Mark

Many people have talked to us about the great poses in this video, and we can thank the much beloved photographer Jasmine Star for making the love of this couple and the fun of their bridal party stand out!

Wedding Paperwork

This was a great one. Philip and Michele were jazzed about Charles Lauren Films from the start...so much that they put us on their wedding blog. So we can only return the favor! Here is an excerpt from their ceremony that really can be taken to heart.

A Japanese Garden Wedding

This is one of the many weddings we have done at the Japanese Gardens. It's an awesome place to shoot at! We are their official wedding videography vendors, so we are at the gardens quite a lot- but we never get tired of it. There is always something exciting going on and as an alumni of the University from the Film program it's always exciting to go back to where we began.

If you are having your wedding at the Japanese Gardens at Cal State Long Beach and would like to see more samples of our work done there- please contact us on the phone at 888-544-3399 or email us at love@charleslauren.com and we'd be happy to show you more of this wonderful location and the awesome weddings that have taken place there!

But for now please enjoy the following clip...

Shutter's On the Beach

Joanne and Andrew's Preview

Okay, Okay. I know. I can't get enough of Hans Zimmer. This highlight reel is edited to music from the motion picture The Island. And I've been editing to this song since The Island first came out- it's nothing new. We had this song pegged way before any of the commercials/trailers/etc. had decided to use this music as their flagship theme. Of course because it's so awesome- so we hope you don't mind another dose of one of our favorite composers!

Anyway, enough rambling! We were fortunate enough to work with Ira Lippke on Joanne and Andrew's wedding. As some of you might know- he is one amazing photographer, his work is in countless magazines and the like. We added some of his photos in this "Preview" because it was a nice little touch to this amazing couples day- and they requested it. We usually don't add the photographers work in our videos- just because video is about moving images and you have your photographer to do their work and we are the videographer to do our work- and we compliment each other, but aren't the same thing. Your amazing photos are for your wall and albums to be shared and then your video is for an awesome party with friends, a moving reminder of your day on your anniversary and etc. But when it's Ira- we can't complain- take a look and see what you think...

A Life Story

As you may remember back in October we had the privileged of making Ray and Sonja a love story for their wedding day. That was a great day.

Unfortunately, this past January Sonja's father passed away. Leaving three children, a wife and many friends. We were asked by the family to make a "life story" video to be shown at his funeral. When we made this video Maurice had less than a week to live. Yet the family was still upbeat and able to recount the memories they had of him and who he was.

This is a short clip- the entire video is 30 minutes in length... but hopefully it will give you taste of who he was and the legacy he has left behind as Lord and Master. ;-)

Jack Sparrow in the Phone

Well what can be said when Jack Sparrow calls? Not much... just watch the clip and you'll understand.

Full on Media Representation

Normally we don't get too obtrusive when filming weddings- but Evan and Elena's wedding was a little exception. They gave us the go ahead to be right next to them when they had their "first look" at each other before their wedding, because they didn't want to miss capturing the once in a lifetime moment on video. David and I were literally 1/2 a foot from failing into the pool at Shutter's on the Beach in Santa Monica and we didn't mind- the close ups show it all and what a first look is all about!

Once Is Never Enough

Usually, I don't post too many movie review comments on our blog, unless they are wedding related- "Did anyone see that amazing movie Father of the Bride?"- just kidding. In all seriousness though, there is a movie that you will fall in love with more than once- and that movie is strangely enough called "Once". While I was watching it I kept telling David that it really looks like it was shot in High Definition, he agreed. We then popped in the behind the scenes and low and behold our High Definition camera we shoot the weddings with, the Sony Z1U was the sole camera for the film! This might not seem so cool, but it's just fun to see our equipment getting time on the big screen. This was a real story and it was shot with a real camera. Sometimes Hollywood forgets that when they shoot their blockbuster films. Not that blockbusters are bad, but it’s good to focus on the real stories. That’s why we do what we do at CL Films, we want to focus on the real stories of people and the special once in a moment events that happen in their lives. You are the real story, you are the movie- let us film you once and capture the love and memories of the greatest moments in your lives. That way they will be replayed…more than once and should be. Go see the film too while you’re at it and see what my HD camera is smiling about.

The Journey Homeward Bound

Misa Hasalikova is perhaps the sweetest and kindest person you will ever meet- unless it’s on a volleyball court opposing her and the LBSU team. While Alexis is off to the Olympics, Misa is homeward bound. She joined the team 2 years ago- coming from the Czech Republic. It was a difficult road to pursue, leaving her family and everything she knew behind to come and play- but when you want to play the best volleyball in the world you come to the beach to do it. The video says it all- watch it and be inspired to take your own journeys in 2008!

The New Year Takes Us to the Olympics in Beijing

We produced this video of volleyball player Alexis Crimes, who will be joining the Woman's USA Volleyball Team in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics. She was the middle blocker for the LBSU Woman’s Volleyball Team and is said to have been one of the best middle blockers in the country. Unfortunately, the team was defeated in the NCAA tournament against USC- but we will never forget what a remarkable and powerful team we had play volleyball at the pyramid and beyond this year. They were the truest representation of LBSU Volleyball and they will be sadly missed. So, with their season being over it was our job once again to commemorate it. Enjoy the following clip and be sure to look and root for Alexis Crimes in Beijing! Go Beach and Go USA!