Inspiration and Pre-Production:
I can’t tell you how extremely excited I was for this one. My friends Ronald and Amanda, who I knew from my days at Poly (specifically AACF) were recently engaged this past summer, and one of the things that they wanted to do was create a save-the-date video to announce their Big Day. They asked me to tackle this job, which I was more than happy to accept. Knowing that this would be the first wedding-category video I would be doing with my new equipment, I wanted to make sure I had everything mostly planned out to capture the fun and beauty that this couple naturally exhibited.

They asked that the location be filmed specifically in SLO since their relationship had developed in that town. All of the specific locations in SLO that they chose represented something special about their relationship. So the question was how we could utilize all of these different locations but still create a coherent “story” with them. I spent those summer days jotting down ideas and sketching out potential shots.. and at some point, the idea of using a Viewmaster toy popped in my head as a great prop to use for transitions.

Production:
I asked a few friends in SLO to assist me with this shoot. I also had my Flycam Nano out for the first time, so while I had some crude tracking shots to work with, I also needed a stationary cameraman at the same time set up on the tripod. The other assistants helped capturing photos (see below) and helped with composition.

We drove all around SLO (and Shell Beach) to get the necessary shots, but I think what we ended up not only showcases some great places in SLO, but also brings together the natural charisma that Ronald and Amanda share.

Production Photos (by Ryan Quon):

Final Product: