Wrap Party Reflection

The Layer Cake Films wedding season is officially over! The wedding in San Francisco last weekend, our last one of the year, was a blast even though there was torrential downpours all day. The wedding had a Halloweenish theme and of course that was just great with me! I also worked with yet another fab photographer, Jessamyn Harris. I swear, I have so lucked out this year with the photographers I have gotten to work with. They have all been insanely talented and very accommodating. People who don't shoot film, video, or photography don't realize how hard it is to shoot next to/with someone you've never met and to have to fall in sync very quickly with them so you don't block each others shot. I have been extremely lucky to have worked with some uber-talented photographers this year.

So, this is the wrap-up for Layer Cake until next season, unless someone comes along who wants to book a wedding for sometime in the off-season, which of course I would love. Not only does it keep me on my feet but I would love to do a Christmasy/holidayish or New Yearsy event.

This has been an insane year for me and Layer Cake. I ended up booking 21 events which is just crazy for what is primarily a one woman show. I never thought people would respond to my films, editing, and love of the quirky offbeat side of weddings {i.e. filming people having fun on their day and not a lot of that overly melancholy feeling junk that seems to permeate wedding videos}. Don't get me wrong, I love emotion and a beautifully captured moment I just think there needs to be a good balance of fun and joy captured as well. I have been beyond flattered at the response to my little company and I have had so much fun this year shooting, editing, and meeting some wonderful people who otherwise I probably never would have met.

My intention when starting Layer Cake was to make it a side job, a job that fulfilled my love of making small, short little films that were quirky and fun. This was something my full time job, editing, didn't give me because with editing you don't shoot the film or deal with the people involved, you just edit other people's work. I put my editing on the back burner for most of this year to shoot for Layer Cake. As I get closer to moving toward NYC this spring, editing will have to take a front seat in my life once again. One because I miss it, and two because it pays well and I love buying stuff. ;)

Because of this I've decided to book only about 10-15 weddings for Layer Cake for 2009. I think that will be a totally manageable number for me and my crew. I don't want to book so many weddings that it isn't fun anymore, or the films start feeling uninspired. There's nothing worse than being so tired and bored that you start phoning it in. This year was beyond fun for me and I want to keep that inspiration and creativity alive for next year. I know that limiting the amount of weddings I book will mean some people may not be able to hire us, but honestly, that is the exact reason I dreamt up the Cake in a Box: for affordability and for everyone who wants super 8 shot at their wedding to get it and even if we can't be there in person to shoot it, we'll be all over that edit! :)

So that has been my few weeks of reflection as the season ended. Keep it fun, keep it quirky, keep it quality. I'm not limiting those 10-15 weddings to our home bases either {Los Angeles and NYC}. We go anywhere you want bring us so just send us an e-mail and ask!

Thank you for the amazing year!

Michelle