2007 - Booked Out!

Thanks to the support of all you people out there, Velvetine Productions are booked solid for 2007. We have already met our quota for 2008 but interest has never been greater in our WeddingStory so again, I'm doing all I can to add some more dates to the calendar... as soon as I can find a couple of good camera persons who meet our high standards!

Cinematic Preview

In July of this year, 60 Americans descended on the beautiful Clifden in Galway. Mary & Colin and their families and friends were an absolute joy to work with. It rained and rained that day but it was beautiful day, nonetheless.

Mary and Colin asked me to put together one of my WeddingStory Trailers for them... and this is what we came up with.

Wedding Amnesia

I hear it time and time again: "The entire ceremony was a blur..."

Just this past week, two past brides of mine both commented on how they couldn't remember walking up the aisle and neither of them had any memory of my presence during their vows. I wish I could tell you that among my skillset is the power of invisibility but in truth, the enormity of the event often renders brides into a state of mild tunnel vision... and this is another great reason to choose video coverage of your day so that one can relive those moments.

Jokers On The Dancefloor

Short Film

As a wedding videographer, I've always considered myself a documentary filmmaker but this year and with the help of a fine producer, Rory Kirby, I made my first short film.

Rory and I were determined to make a film for the festival circuit and we committed ourselves to high production values that would showcase the talents of all involved. I wrote, directed and edited the film and Rory got us the best equipment he could lay his hands on and assembled a fantastic cast and crew who worked their magic on the set. The entire process was such a rewarding experience and I'm already looking forward to doing it all again as soon as some spare time presents itself to all of us.

The film is a moody comedy called A Strange Request and it has already been accepted into The Dingle Film Festival which is great news for us. The festival begins on Sept 9th and it promises to be a brilliant weekend. For more details please visit kerryiff.com

A Nervous Groom

He was the epitomy of cool at the rehearsals and up until one hour before the ceremony... but then the arse fell out of it and I could hear Francis' knees knocking inside the church as I waited outside for the arrival of his beautiful bride, Tina.

He was also a bit concerned about his speech but in my opinion, he did a great job from the moment he chucked down his cue cards and spoke from the heart.

There's Something About Mary!

I knew from the very moment that I met Mary Van De Walle in Mareid's Salon that this was going to be an amazing wedding... and amazing it was!!!

Mary and Colin are from Chicago and their family and friends all came to Clifden, Galway to celebrate their wedding. It is a weekend that will live long in my memory because these were a special bunch of people... I'm not exaggerating when I say that they treated my camera man Shane and I like family.

Michelle the coordinator from Waterlily Weddings made sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible, Michael Dillon worked his magic with the photography, Father John Gorman had the place in stitches one minute and in floods of tears the next, Mark at Rossleague Manor made sure that everyone partied into the early hours, and the band Weightless Astronauts absolutely rocked!!

Now it's just up to me to do justice to everyone with a WeddingStory... no pressure then ;)

Dillon Photography

I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Michael Dillon from Dillon Photography and I highly recommend him.

Not only is Michael a friendly person but he is a thorough professional and his work speaks for itself; in my opinion, some of the best wedding photography I've seen on this island! I mentioned to my camera man, Shane, that Michael had a good eye for composition and I was so looking forward to checking out his website to view his photos... it's impressive to say the least.

Check it out for yourself at dillonphotography.ie

Love Today

Here's an excerpt from a recent WeddingStory:

Sinead & Andrew

We've all been there: promises to keep, friends to keep happy, hectic workloads, pressure to pay bills and not a minute to one's self. At times like these I often wish I could just disappear for awhile and let everything just pass me by... but then a couple like Sinead & Andrew come along and make me remember why I'm so lucky to share in a couples wedding day. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my jaw was sore from laughing so much with Sinead, Andrew, and their families and friends.

This wedding ROCKED! So if there's nothing on the telly or if your boss is out of earshot, why not allow some time to stream these large video files and enjoy a full WeddingStory!

COMING SOON

Invited to Join New Organisation

In the USA and Canada most videographers either align themselves with WEVA or 4EG, oraganisations that offer training support to their members in the quest to improve the wedding video industry. In Britain there is the IOV. In Ireland... nothing.

WEVA and 4EG hold annual training and award ceremonies in Las Vegas and Jackonsville and I can tell you that most of the winning videographers are immensely talented and a credit to the industry.

Several of these videographers are in the process of starting their own initiative to promote excellence in the wedding video industry. They will attract the finest videographers in the business, poeple from all over the globe who are pushing boundaries and making exciting wedding videos for today's young couples. This new organisation will not only support this new wave of artists with promotional platforms and forums to encourage growth but they also want to reach out to the brides who are looking for that something special on their wedding day.

And Velvetine Productions has been invited participate and I've got to tell you I am so proud that my most respected peers have seen fit to ask us onboard.

The launch date is to be announced shortly and more details will follow here on the blog.

Congratulations Catherine & Colm

It was such a pleasure to be a part of Catherine & Colm's wedding day; a lovely couple with great families and friends but my strongest memories of this day will always be the toasts. Colm gave a great speech and the "dirt on my jacket" piece was priceless but the for me, the father of the bride stole the show. He had me in tears... with laughter!!!

Here's a glimpse at some other moments from their day.

Velvetine Continues To Grow

In the very near future we will be posting full video samples of WeddingStory on our main website so you can all see why Velvetine Productions is continually raising the bar of wedding videography in Ireland.

We have just upgraded some of our toys and software and later this year we will be training in some new team members for the 2008 season. If you were lucky enough to book us for your '08 date, good for you. Not only did you get us at this years prices but you will also benefit from our extra coverage at no additional charge.

Stay in touch here at the blog for further news on our new, exclusive service for 2008.

A Stunning Wedding

Carmel and Padraig were married in Killarney and held their reception in the fabulous Aghadoe Heights. It was an absolute pleasure to work with this couple and I really enjoyed the company of all their friends and family. Here's a small peak at some of their wedding.

Outdoors Ireland

Last Thursday, I wrapped up early and went down to Dingle for a bit of rock climbing. What a buzz! Five of us - under the supervision of Nathan Kingerlee from www.outdoorsireland.com - had a brilliant day on the cliffs around Dingle. Check out the video:

Nathan is holding a free climbing promotion on May 12th at The Gap of Dunloe. Check his website for more info; I can't recommend it highly enough!

Celebration The Party Band

I love working with these guys! Not only are they nice people but they have a genuine passion for entertaining their audiences. They do a great Siege of Ennis, waltz sets, ballads, rock & roll, and then easily transition into some hilarious comedy routines that have wedding guests and myself in stitches. Here's a very brief example of a ballad followed by a rare appearance from The Ballybunion Elvis...

I'm sure you'll all agree that The Ballybunion Elvis is a smooth operator and a real hit with the ladies but no Celebration wedding gig is complete without a couple of numbers from his good friend in this next video...

To do justice to these guys I'd nearly need to post an entire gig so you could see how dynamic this band are and they always entertain the crowd; there's never a dull moment once they turn on their lights and hit the mics. And most importantly, they will have your dance floor hopping!

Visit the website Celebration - The Band or call Sean Crowley on 0872604749 to book this band for your event.

Des Bishop & Becky

Stay Tuned

Trying to find the time to keep this Blog updated over the past few weeks has been near impossible because of all the upheaval (not only am I swamped in work and upgrading our entire equipment but I'm also moving house!) but I promise to get things back on track so keep your eyes right here for all the exciting developments ahead.

I'm also hoping to have more Featured Vendors (bands, hotels, etc who offer great services that I can show on video) and I'll also give you a peek at some of the fantastic weddings we've covered. The coming weeks and months are going to blow you away because you all ain't seen nothing yet!!! Velvetine Productions are going to raise the bar yet again and you can watch us do so from the comfort of your home. And that invitation is extended to all my Irish videographer peers who are scattered around the country and regularly visit this page and our website That's right chaps... I know you're here :)

Booking Advice

We are booked solid between now, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, and October so, if you were considering Velvetine for any dates during this period please be advised to look at other videography studios to cover your wedding event.

We are also in the process of upgrading our computer systems to meet the demands of our ever increasing workload and because of the changeover, we are trying to catch up on all email correspondence... if you're waiting to hear from hear us you can rest assured that we will reply.

All Work And No Play...

...makes Maurice a dull boy so I took off for the entire Easter weekend (though I'm going to cram in a bit of work tomorrow). Shane - who is a Mountain Leader when he isn't charming wedding guests from behind his camera - suggested that we should climb Mount Brandon. 8 of us slapped on some sunscreen and hiking boots and off we went.

Half way up I found myself looking for a nice place to lie down and die but when we eventually made the top it all seemed worthwhile - and I'll tell you, Coca Cola never tasted so good!!! Shane explained that we had burned 6,000 calories which is why the sugar rush from the cola was so fantastic.

It was a great weekend and several of us have agreed to tackle another mountain in a couple of weeks time and Shane is also going to take us rock climbing. I'd bring the camera but the truth is that I just don't have the time to edit any personal videos anymore. Pity, really... it would be nice to show everyone how friendly hill walkers and rock climbers are.

If you haven't climbed a mountain before I'd highly recommend that you try it. Contact a local hill walking club and travel with a guide or experienced climbers (can get tricky under certain weather conditions). I assure you that your body will ache but it's all worth it for the friendly people, amazing scenery, losing 6,000 calories, and the sense of achievement upon reaching the summit.

And bring a can of Coke!

2008 - Fully Booked!

In the past couple of weeks we have had to tell 3 disappointed brides-to-be that we are fully booked for 2008 and are no longer in a position to squeeze any more dates into our calendar. So, as of today, we are not accepting any further enquiries for dates in 2008 but the good news for a few lucky couples' is that we have less than a handful of remaining dates left for the 2007 season.

At the end of the summer I will explore the possibilities of expanding the Velvetine Productions team with an Assistant Editor and 2nd Camera Crew but only if I can guarantee that ALL clients receive the same high standard of work that we have become renowned for. I expect to make any announcement on these matters in and around Oct but again, until such time it is with regret that we are not in a position to take on further bookings for 2008.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients - past, present, and future - for their kind support!

2008 - Booked Out!

Unfortunately, for all who may be interested in booking us for 2008, I regret to inform you that we are already booked out for next year. Over the course of the summer, we will explore the possibilities of taking on another editor and camera crew onboard but only if I am confident enough that we can still offer ALL our clients the same high standards that one has come to expect from us.

Anyhow, I felt it was important to make this announcement because we have already had to tell 3 interested brides-to-be that we are not available for their events.

I hope to be able announce some dates after the summer but, as of now and until further notice, we are not accepting enquires for any dates in 2008. Sorry...

Keepin It Funky

Thought I'd share some more of my friends wedding video here on the Blog. This is a piece of the groom and bridal prep and it was a great opportunity for me to flex my "funky muscle" in the editing suite!

Woodard Photography

Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of filming Padraig & Carmel's fantastic wedding at the stunning Aghadoe Heights in Killarney and the experience was all the more enjoyable because I got to work with kwoodardphotography.com Keith and Evelyn are a husband and wife team who are thorough professionals, lovely people, and artists who create beautiful photography.

Fantastic weddings are made up of great people... and great vendors! And yesterday I was proud to be part an amazing event and working with so many highly regarded professionals who work to the highest standards. Keith and Evelyn certainly fall into that category and I look forward to working with them again in the near future!

Little Becky

I've just got to share this with any of you who haven't yet discovered, Little Becky, the rising star of Dublin's morning radio show 98FM. This following prank call is Becky's proposal to a demolition company. Enjoy!

Thanks to Lixxa at YouTube for the animation. Check out some more of her videos at this link.

Best Friends

I've been so lucky in life in that I grew up with the greatest bunch of lads and, to this day, we have all remained as close as ever. James was the baby of our group and we spent an awful lot of time trying to keep him out of trouble. Today he is probably the most sensible one of us - after me of course - and we were all delighted to take a trip to Dublin for the weekend and attend his wedding.

I'm always nervous at every wedding I cover and although there was no pressure on me with regard to video coverage for this one - I was sort of like the friend with a video camera - nevertheless, watching one of your best mates getting married is pretty nerve racking. Here's a sneak peek of what happened...

All in all, it was a great weekend - I got to meet Liezel's lovely parents and family from South Africa, Osias and his wife Erika invited us to visit them in Brazil (get a bed ready for us guys!), it's always a pleasure to chat with John & Margaret Pierce, and I'd great craic catching up with Liz while my mates poisoned their Baileys' with shots of brandy and Sambuccas.

Congratulations James & Liezel.

PS. Tell all your guests and mates to feel free to watch the video and leave a comment!

Vendor - Ballygarry House

I have had the pleasure of working at Ballygarry House on several occasions and not only can I highly recommend this fine hotel as a wedding venue but I would also encourage casual guests and tourists to enjoy a stay there. Located on the outskirts of Tralee, any visit or stay at Ballygarry House guarantees picturesque surroundings, elegant style, first class and friendly service, and delicious food.

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Call 066 712 3322 for more details and when you meet Padraig McGillicuddy tell him that Maurice sent you and ask him about his Six Gardens for the craic! Trust me, he'll get the joke ;)

Destination Wedding

We've been in demand throughout Ireland and we've even covered a couple of weddings in the UK but I can't tell you how happy I am that Myra & Damien have booked Velvetine Productions to cover their wedding on the island of Crete.

WeddingStory is as unique as each couple that entrusts us with their wedding memories but Myra & Damien's story is going to be different in that it will include airport departures, guests checking into hotels, wedding eve party, and Mediteranean sun, sea, and sand! They want every angle of this once in a lifetime event to be covered and captured for prosperity and they have wisely chosen a wedding video studio who can meet this challenge.

And of course, being the fun couple that they are, I'll bet I can twist their arm into allowing me to give you all a taste of what Velvetine Productions can do with a destination wedding.

Roll on September!!!

Inside Wedding Videos

It took me several years, endless training, and extensive research to get where I am with video today - and I'm still learning! Every time I bring my cameras to a wedding day event I meet new friends and make videos that exceed my clients' expectations. I've made and learned from my mistakes along the way and now I feel it's time to address my biggest mistake of all.

My biggest mistake was actually more of an oversight - I assumed that all brides knew what they wanted from their wedding video. How could they? After all, it took me several years to come to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the industry, there is a technological explosion happening around us that often baffles and divides videographers, and we the professionals are coining generic phrases like cinematic, timeshift, shortform, MTV edits, and contemporary docu-style to identify our products.

Are you lost?

If you are, well, you're not alone and these Inside Wedding Videos articles are designed to give you an insight to the past, present, and future of wedding video, what to lookout for, and advice on choosing a professional.

So, first of all, why should you choose to hire a professional videographer?

Why Have A Wedding Video?

Ask any of your married friends who don't have a wedding video what their biggest regret about their wedding day is and I can guarantee you that an overwhelming amount of them will say "I wish we had a video."

There are many types of wedding videos of varying standards which range from the sublime to "who gave our drunk uncle a camcorder?" Poorly produced video reflects badly on the industry as a whole but thankfully the horror stories are few and far between. For the most part, couples are thrilled with their wedding videos which actually grow in value as the years pass by.

A wedding video not only captures sight and sound but it also records things you may have missed that you will later cherish; your guests' reactions, the smile of a loved one, your groom preparing to go to the church, and the anticipation before you walked up the aisle to join him. These moments and memories can be relived by you time and time again and not only that, if you are blessed with children then they can share in your wedding day as well. After all, how many of you are lucky enough to have your parents or grandparents wedding video? And my next question... Would you like to have it?

Of course you would!

Couple all these good reasons with the work of a professional(s) who produce work that bares the same high standards you have come to expect from watching your favourite TV shows and I ask my final question... "Can you afford not to have a wedding video?"

Inside Wedding Videos - Present

The Present Day

The technological advances within the industry have been hugely significant. DV revolutionised video formatting and picture quality and we have already dipped our toes into the new High Definition era. All very well for two or three techno geek brides out there but what does this mean for the rest of you?

First of all, there is no excuse for technical weaknesses when it comes to your wedding video because the modern videographer has access to a wonderful range of equipment that our predecessors could only dream about while they got sunburn from the heat of their lights as they stood on the corner of a dancefloor. Today's cameras offer a picture that is rich in colour saturation, full of detail, and need just a 10 to 20W light to get a clean image at dark receptions (Velvetine Productions never use any auxiliary lighting - we work with what we've got and this is one reason we have become so popular with our clients, their guests, and the bands!) We all have access to various forms of sound recording equipment, internet training, the latest and most powerful computers, and state of the art editing suites... and despite all this, the industry still has too many amateurs running around with one decent camera and notions of making some easy money.

The average price for a wedding video in Ireland is 1,000E and that looks like easy money for a few days work to some guys.

Videographer associations are beginning to establish themselves in the UK and I would welcome a similar Irish based body that offers filmmaking training, and enforces strict qualification standards of its membership. Personally speaking, I do not accept the IOV or APV associations from the UK as recognised bodies here in Ireland. I have seen them contribute nothing to its few Irish members who pay an annual fee for the privilege.

Today, Ireland has several leading companies who are immediately visible to enquiring brides and prices for their standard services range from 1,000E to 1,500E. To the best of my knowledge, Velvetine Productions is the most expensive wedding video outfit but this cost is reflected in the quality of our product and service.

My hometown of Tralee is home to about six prominent wedding videographers but one can also find a similar number waiting in the wings offering cut price video - and poor standards! Cast the net around Kerry and one can find at least one major videographer in each big town so consumers now have more choice than ever before. One can take a costly risk with the 400E merchants, decide which one of the average priced outfits suit your taste, or delve into the higher end of the market.

So, access to better technology has offered the modern videographer opportunities to explore more creative, artistic forms of video production and deliver a superior product to his customers. On the evidence of the many wedding videos I have seen I can tell you that the industry is improving and most notably so within the last three to four years.

Wedding video is showing signs of becoming more sophisticated and it is developing genres that complement the videographer's style of expression and the personality or needs of his client base.

Inside Wedding Videos - Past

We've all seen a wedding video at some stage or another and we probably all agree that we've seen at least one awful one! I have no hesitation in admitting that I had an impressive list of excuses when friends used to ask me around to watch theirs. Poorly produced video by hobbyists masquerading as professionals has held the industry back until the present day. It is no coincidence that the wedding videographer is not held in the same high esteem as a professional photographer.

To understand this phenomena we need to look back to the earliest days of wedding videography.

Some of us are lucky enough to have some Super 8 film footage of family events and what not, but it wasn't until Sony made video cameras available to the consumers in 1980 that we became accustomed to the Video Man... and his microphone cables... and his blinding light... and his home video looking footage.

Let's be brutally honest, the vast majority of the video pioneers were amateurs who had no motion picture training, no understanding of shot composition, thought cinematic language was a foreign tongue from Scandinavia, and brandishing (necessary) lights that were powerful enough to trick birds into morning song .

But, nevertheless, video was a novelty back then and seizing upon this market demand, coupled with relative accessibility of primitive video equipment, individuals with an interest in motion picture began to set themselves up in a professional capacity.

In an industry with no governing body and hobbyists with no training, film experience, or technical ability, the Video Man was beginning to form a negative reputation with his dissatisfied customers.

In 1995 Sony released the VX1000 - a 3CCD camera that was compact, discreet, and offered better picture quality. It was the start of a technological boom which would see new low-light cameras offer broadcast quality pictures, non-linear editing suites which allowed editors to flex their creative muscle, and new delivery formats like DVD to replace the degradable VHS tapes. Nowadays, you can watch your wedding video on your mobile phone!

Inside Wedding Videos - Future

The Future

Continuous technological advances, better trained professionals, and increased competition will see wedding videography become a main priority for the majority of brides around the globe.

We are already entering the High Definition age and this technology offers the videographer stunning images which can compete with our cousins in the photography field. Within the next decade on-camera lighting will be a thing of the forgotten past so, no decent videographer will have any excuse for making wedding guests uncomfortable with his light.

Technology offers more creative freedom and, coupled with this, better trained videographers will begin to realise their full potential as the industry moves away from amateurish home video and takes a natural evolutionary step toward broadcast quality productions.

Video is becoming a huge part of modern society and today's generation are exposed to and use it in their everyday lives as a means of entertainment or self expression. Many of us own a camcorder, we have a camera on our mobile phone, we watch video on the internet, some of us upload video to the internet... Video benefits our lives in so many ways and today and tomorrow's young couples appreciate and value this medium as an important need on their wedding day.

White Noise

I don't know what's weirder... the fact that they play GAA in Cayman or that Tim needs to hear some white noise - preferably a hairdryer but a hoover will do - in order to get some sleep.

Tim and Laura are living and working on the Cayman Islands and they recently came home to Ireland to get married in Kenmare. Their DVD is almost ready but here's a look at the spoof movie trailer that I put together for this great couple.

Check out www.velvetineproductions.com for more information about our range of services.

Bridal Guide

Here's a book that might interest you. Although it is written with the American market in mind the advice can just as easily be applied in Ireland and the UK.

A good friend of mine, Jenny Lehman - who happens to be one of the top US videographers - was instrumental in editing the chapter on video. Even though she lives and works in Washington, Jenny has been a tremendous source of help to my business so when she tells me that this is a great book for brides - you can believe it's a great book for brides!

Click here for a link to Amazon bookstore for more information.

An Inconvenient Truth

Over the Christmas period I took the opportunity to catch up on a heap of films that I missed during the year. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is one I've been wanting to see for a long time and after watching it I was left feeling guilty that it wasn't at the top of my must-see list.

I urge you to watch this movie and listen to his warnings about the disastrous consequences of global warming, weigh up the evidence, visit this website for starters and take responsibility for the harm we are causing to our planet.

I shrugged off the problem and sat on my hands for far too long but we all need to wake up and realise that we are approaching a tipping point; in other words, once we go so far the disastrous effects of global warming will be irreversible.

Rent the film and visit climatecrisis.net

Turas Media

I realised last year that I could no longer juggle my corporate video ventures under the Velvetine umbrella so I began bouncing various ideas off of my camera man, Shane Pierce. How he put up with me constantly hopping ideas off him I'll never know but, between the pair of us, we came up with some great plans.

Shane is now my business partner and he is going to help me get our new venture turasmedia.com off the ground.


We will be producing corporate video to commercial businesses and we've got some great products to offer! And all you brides needn't worry, Velvetine Productions will be operating separately with yours truly at the helm offering an exclusive service to our clients.

Just make sure to book early to avoid any disappointment; dates are of limited availibilty for the next two years!