Beyond the Awards

This week, we’re joined by Sky London from Aloha London Films to talk about composition, creative choices, and finding your own style as a wedding filmmaker.Sky was shortlisted at the British Wedding Film Festival for his Beyond the Wedding film, a Wes Anderson-inspired save-the-date short. We talk about stepping outside your comfort zone, the potential of films beyond the wedding day, and whether there’s more opportunity for filmmakers to offer couples something different.We get into the difference between cinematography and cinematic language, why Sky prefers a slower, more emotional approach to filmmaking, and how to balance staying true to your style with the pressure to keep up with industry trends. We also discuss directing couples, creating stronger portraits, and what Sky took away from being shortlisted at BWFF for his Wes Anderson-inspired Beyond the Wedding film.If you’re a wedding filmmaker looking to develop your creative voice and make work that feels like you, this one’s for you.The British Wedding Film Festival⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Aloha London Filmshttps://alohalondonfilms.comJoce (Lune de Miel Studio)⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Vidflow⁠⁠https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Laura and Pete Lawson, co-founders of the British Wedding Film Festival.With the entry deadline approaching, we talk about why it’s worth putting your work forward, even when you’re not sure it’s good enough. From imposter syndrome and comparing yourself to other filmmakers, to choosing a film you might have written off because the wedding day was difficult, we discuss why you can be your own harshest critic, and why you never know what might resonate with the judges.We also get into the inspiration that comes from seeing other filmmakers’ work, the creative opportunities that can come from stepping outside your usual wedding films, and how simply taking action can help build confidence.If you’ve been sitting on a film, waiting for the right moment or wondering whether to enter this year’s Festival, this episode is your nudge to back yourself and give it a go.---Submit your films now: ⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com/awards-2026⁠Submissions close 1st December 2026.Joce (Lune de Miel Studio)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laura & Pete (Lawson Films) ⁠⁠lawsonfilms.co.ukVidflow⁠⁠⁠https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Neil Collins, a documentary wedding filmmaker from Sussex.We get into the wedding filmmaking community, whether it can feel cliquey, why some talented filmmakers can go unnoticed, and whether social media and awards sometimes amplify the loudest voices.We also talk about the pressure to follow trends, the rise of short-form content, and whether we’re making films for couples or for Instagram. Plus, Neil shares his thoughts on the British Wedding Film Festival, last year’s winners, and why he thinks professional filmmakers need to keep pushing long-form wedding films.If you’ve ever wondered where you fit into the wedding filmmaking community, or whether you fit into it at all, this one’s for you.The British Wedding Film Festival⁠⁠⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠Neil Collins Filmshttps://neilcollinsfilms.com/Joce (Lune de Miel Studio)⁠⁠⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)⁠⁠⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠Vidflow⁠https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Leanne Perrins, a wedding filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience, who has also expanded into commercial filmmaking.Leanne has seen the wedding film industry change dramatically, from filming on tape and charging £200 for a wedding, to the rise of cinematic filmmaking, social media, content creators and AI. She’s also spent years judging awards, and this year joined the judging panel for the British Wedding Film Festival.We talk about what actually catches a judge’s attention, why technically impressive films don’t always become the most memorable, and why Leanne believes you should enter the film you love rather than trying to second-guess what a judge wants to see.We also get into trends, sound design, natural audio, the return of the camcorder look, content creators, and whether wedding filmmakers are sometimes too concerned with what everyone else is doing.If you’re looking for a reminder to trust your own creative instincts and make the work you actually love, this one’s for you.The British Wedding Film Festival⁠⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠Leanne Perrinshttps://bloominglovelyfilms.co.ukhttps://www.leanneperrins.co.uk/Joce (Lune de Miel Studio)⁠⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)⁠⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠Vidflowhttps://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestivalDeliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we're joined by Becky of Thompson Wedding Films, who was shortlisted for Best Storytelling at the British Wedding Film Festival.Becky has been filming weddings for ten years, starting out with little filmmaking experience before leaving teaching to make wedding films full time. Since then, her approach has evolved considerably: from a very minimal, documentary way of filming to working with multiple cameras, while constantly questioning what actually makes her films better.We talk about storytelling, awards, inspiration and the pressure of being influenced by so much work online. Becky shares why she sometimes thinks having more cameras and chasing the perfect shot can actually take you away from the wedding itself, and why talking to people and understanding what's happening emotionally can be just as important as getting the right footage.We also get into long-form wedding films, using real conversations and ambient audio, why she loves weddings at home and in marquees, the problem with overly engineered moments, her own podcast The Becky Sessions, and the changing wedding filmmaking industry.The British Wedding Film Festival⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠Thompson Wedding Filmshttps://thompsonweddingfilms.co.ukJoce (Lune de Miel Studio)⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals)⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠Vidflowhttps://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestivalDeliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.