Beyond the Awards

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.

For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we're joined by Indian photographer and podcaster Shanaya Arora for a conversation about something that's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: when did weddings become content?Shanaya shares her thoughts on the growing influence of Instagram and social media, couples chasing viral moments, and the danger of being so focused on creating the perfect wedding that we forget to actually experience it.We talk about why the most meaningful moments are often the ones that aren't planned, and why authenticity matters more than ever in wedding filmmaking.And, of course, we get into AI, and what happens when we can no longer tell the difference between what was captured and what was created.A different kind of Beyond the Awards conversation, but one that asks a pretty important question: are we documenting weddings, or are we creating content?The British Wedding Film Festivalhttps://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.comShanaya Arorahttps://www.instagram.com/shanayaaroraaJoce (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.

This week on Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Roo, founder of Coda and winner of this year’s Educator of the Year award.But this conversation isn’t really about education. It’s about community, and why creating spaces for filmmakers to meet, share ideas and learn from one another can be just as important as the work itself.Roo talks about his journey into wedding filmmaking, how Coda grew into a thriving community, and why he doesn’t see himself as the voice of the industry, but as the person in the middle connecting great people with an audience.We also discuss the importance of staying curious, the changing landscape of British wedding filmmaking, the value of sharing knowledge, and why everyone, no matter how experienced, has something to teach.The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GUESTRoo Films: roo-films.comHOSTSJoce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VIDFLOWDeliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠