Joe & Krislyn
Malibu Canyon still green, and a film cut short on purpose. Sound on.
Short, on purpose.
Joe and Krislyn were married at Calamigos Ranch, up in Malibu Canyon, and their film runs a little over three minutes. That is deliberate. Not every couple wants the long version, and a tight cut travels further, because people actually watch it all the way through and then send it to someone else.
The frame that carries it is the two of them out on the open ground with the canyon still green behind them, which only happens for a few weeks of the year up there. Most of the year those hills are gold. Theirs came at the right time.
Which site.
The thing to know about Calamigos is that it is not one venue. The ranch spreads across Malibu Canyon with several separate wedding sites on it, each with its own trees, its own light and its own walk between ceremony and dinner, so "we are getting married at Calamigos" does not tell a filmmaker much on its own. Ask which site you have and tell us, because the plan changes with the answer. What holds across all of them is the canopy: mature oaks and redwoods break the midday sun into patches, which is kind to faces but unforgiving if you meter for it badly, and the open hillsides only come good in the last stretch of the afternoon. More on the property in our notes on filming at Calamigos Ranch.
Do you film weddings at Calamigos Ranch?
Yes, and more than once. Joe and Krislyn's is one of three films we have made in Malibu Canyon at Calamigos Ranch. The property runs several separate wedding sites across the canyon, so knowing which one you have booked changes the plan entirely, and we know how each of them films.
How much does a Calamigos Ranch wedding videographer cost?
Our collections run from $6,000 for The Moment to $10,000 for The Legacy, our most complete collection. Each one is a full cinematic wedding film of your day plus a custom wedding website. Everything is set out on our Collections page.
What is the light like in Malibu Canyon?
Dappled and green through the middle of the day, because the canyon sites sit under mature oaks and redwoods that break the sun into patches. That is flattering but tricky to expose for, so we work with it rather than fight it, and we save the open hillsides for late in the day when the canyon walls have softened everything.
Can you shoot a shorter film?
Yes. Joe and Krislyn's runs a little over three minutes, which is shorter than most of our films. Some couples want the whole day at length and some want something tight enough to send to everyone they know. We cut to whichever serves the day, and you tell us which you would rather have.
Will we notice you during the day?
Barely. We film the day as it happens rather than staging it, staying close but out of the way. Most couples tell us afterwards that they forgot anyone was filming.