We Have a Winner!
Cynthia has won the auction where the proceeds for her wedding video go to charity (specifically, CAMFED). Congratulations and thanks to all who bid for this. It gives me great pleasure to realize that this new method for being world-conscious using technology, the Internet, and Simply Interactive was a huge success.
I look forward to doing this again in June or July. Thansk again for all participants and all of you who contac ted me for more information!
¶ 2:25 PM
Attention!
In an effort to provide the Bay Area and San Joaquin areas better, more customizable service, Simply Interactive will be adjusting our packages and prices. If you are concerned about this at all, please go to our Services page and print the prices page for videography. This will gaurantee you those prices for 6 months (until August).
Most notably, we have noticed a sharp increase in the number of people requesting a Single Camera Ceremony as-well-as Raw Video only. I will be adding one package to include the single camera day (effectively, it will be a package in-between the "Simply Divine" and "Simply Sweet" packages), and will add some information about pricing for Raw Video only packages.
If you have any questions about this at all, please contact Rusty Worden directly by calling his cell phone at 408-497-4339.
Art Leather DVD Case-Ettes For Your Wedding Video
I have been searching for some time to come up with a way to display the wedding DVD's we create in a way unlike other Wedding Video companies. Sure, everyone can print on a DVD... and everyone can print a DVD Case. But technically speaking, everyone does not necessarily have a good idea of design. My idea of design may not be your idea of "Good" Design and vice versa.
So I have been looking for some time until I came up with an idea that will allow me to completely personalize the package and presentation AND look extremely elegant as well.
These "CD Folios" by Art Leather are beautifully constructed in leather and are perfectly personalized by containing a 4X6 photo of your choice. Each of our packages now include one of these CD Folios for the bride and groom. Additional ones will, of course, be made available if you'd like to personalize a copy for the parents of the bride and groom as well.
¶ 12:34 PM
Approved Vendors -- and a Simply Interactive Forum for You!
Simply Interactive works with a lot of wedding vendors. It is important to recognize the ones that go above and beyond the call of duty -- just like we do. We are a company 100% dedicated to customer service, and as such, we enjoy working with people who realize that the customer needs to have their needs met wherever humanly possible.
So it is with this in mind that we have included the links you see to the right of this post. We have separated the categories and will soon be linking from those links to a brief synopsis of our experiences with the company in a public forum. The forum will be live by 2-6-2004 and will be advertised right here.
In this forum you can share your tips, ideas, and suggestions for other brides and brides to be. Stay tuned, and please contact us if you have any ideas or requests that will make this place a better resource for you.
¶ 12:31 PM
1.25.2004
Simply Interactive Wedding Video Services Expands
Simply Interactive started business back in 1997 as a web and multimedia company serving the greater Bay Area. Now, with great pride we are offering our multimedia, video and design services to the Bay Area AND the Northern California Valley areas (Sacramento, Stockton, Lodi, Modesto). While we have had some work in these areas in the past, we have not focused a detailed services list to this area. Starting in February, and begining with a Yellow Pages ad, Simply Interactive will focus specific attention in this area.
¶ 12:57 PM
Help the Needy AND STILL Get a Wedding Video???
So you are getting married and a planning for a wedding video. Have you ever sat back and thought about how much money is being spent on this event? Enough to feed hundreds of poor and starving children in poverty stricken lands I'm sure. If you are anything like me, the money we spend on everyday items in order to get by makes me feel a trifle guilty about the luxuries I have.
But rarely is there EVER an opportunity to maintain your lifestyle AND help a worthy cause at the same time -- hence my idea.
When I started Simply Interactive I committed my company to an attitude of giving back. This is my first attempt at creatively solving a desire of mine to help the world just a little bit using my company as the tool.
I am offering the following:
Rehearsal Coverage Preparation Coverage (one videographer with the bride, and one with the groom). 2 Camera Ceremony Coverage 2 Camera Reception Coverage 50 image Photo-Montage set to music of your choice -- and shown to your guests during the reception.
This package would normally be worth 2,350.00 - But Simply Interactive llc is offering it to the highest bidder.
Hey, you were going to get a wedding video anyway, right?
View demos at Simply Interactive
Here it is : Out of what this event auctions for, I will donate ALL proceeds above operational expenses to Netaid CAMFED (Campaign for female education) in Zimbabwe. A country wracked with poverty and HIV. A very dangerous place for women, but also a place where a little bit goes a long way. You're getting married. That is great. You will probably hear about Simply Interactive llc anyway, may as well make your money count. Bid Now!
¶ 11:38 AM
Wedding Video: Shannon and Mike
Brought to you by: Simply Interactive llc.
Congratulations to Shannon and Mike on their extremely succesful wedding day yesterday. The common wive's tale for weddings is that three things go wrong at every wedding. It is just the way these things work. Shannon and Mike could potentially have had a lot fo things go wrong because they were not only getting married, but Lifetime's show "Merge" (go enter the sweepstakes) was their doing a show on them. So not only do you have a hired photographer -- a hired videography company (Simply Interactive llc) -- but you also have a TV crew of 5, two with massive Beta Cam Camera's and one with a more subdued Panasonic miniDV cam.
To say the least, it was a production. Anytime you get two creative forces together with different goals but the same subject matter, things could potentially get interesting, but I am pleased to state that everyone at Shannon's wedding deserves the "Plays Well With Others" award. Towards the end of the evening all of us were assisting each other in getting the shots we all needed for our similar, but different shot list.
The wedding itself took place at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Belmont. The interior of the church was very beautiful, albeit a bit dark. The lighting was nice for video mainly because the TV crew had their lighting set up, but had they not been there the lighting would still have had a great effect from the stained glass windows which completely surrounded the extremely large church.
The reception was held at one of my favorite locations, the Kohl Mansion.
This mansion (now on the property of a private High School) is simply one of the most beautifully architected buildings I am aware of and has the added benefit of being exceedingly photogenic. Add to that, the staff are very considerate of both bridal party and vendors alike.
The DJ was Keith Fox of Fox DJ and he was extremly talented at reading the crowd, firing them up, and getting them involved. Every "status quo" wedding event seemed a little different because Keith was able to get the crowd involved.
At every wedding, the DJ is the Master of Ceremonies". This person is the liason between your vendors and you because he/she is the only person who knows everything going on, and when. Choose this person wisely.
¶ 11:01 AM
1.23.2004
A Brief Introduction
Brought to you by: Simply Interactive llc.
Simply Interactive is Rusty Worden's pet project-run amok. It started out in 1997 when I was just trying to think of a cool url to grab where I could practice my web and multimedia skills without having to use up my company's bandwidth for space and traffic. Not soon after that it turned into a business where I was operating as an individual contributor and designing web sites for small and medium companies in the Bay Area.
Then the "Economic Downturn" happened. Suddenly web designers were a dime-a-dozen and my side business started to dry up. I still had my regular employment at the time, and was comfortable continuing my multimedia career with them. In early 2001, I started working more with video I had created rather than video other people had created. In doing this I scoured the market for the best tools to use to edit video and found that Apple pretty much had the whole market cornered with solutions so I purchased an Apple Powerbook and two days later had created my first family video. From there I was hooked.
Keep in mind, I have been working with motion graphics and video for 8 years already, so all the principles of development already existed, it was just a new set of tools that I was learning. Well, I showed my video to a friend and she was impressed. She commented:
"That looks really nice! I wish I could have a videogrpaher for my wedding... but gosh, they are SO expensive!"
To which I responded:
"Yea, they are."
And left it at that. OK... so I am definitely a guy in that I really had no idea she was asking ME to do her wedding. It wasn't until later that night when I was talking to my wife about the encounter that she (virtually) slapped me upside the head and informed me that my friend was asking me to shoot her wedding for her.
At first I was intimidated because it is certainly a big deal. But then I was curious. So I started doing some research into what constitutes a wedding video, and started getting ideas of my own for how to personalize the videos AND my service to meet the customers needs, not my company's needs. After careful consideration and budgeting, I realized that if I were to do this for my friend it would cost a lot of money to get the equipment I'd need to do the job right. I am a perfectionist so doing an "OK" job was not an option for me.
But after doing all of that, and a market study, I realized that I had something that most videographers these days do not have. A background in web and multimedia design.
Long story short, I agreed to do the wedding for my friend and started my business in the meantime. I formed Limited Liability Company and purchased the equipment that I did not already have. By the time my friends wedding came around, my company had already done 7 other weddings.
At this point Simply Interacitve is one of the bigger wedding video companies in this area whle still maintaining a personal client/studio approach.
My entire goal with Simply Interactive is to not compete on quality. My quality stands on its own and now matter how many times I tell you my videos rock, you will still only believe what you see when I show the wedding video to you. My goal is to focus on customer service. More on that later.
¶ 11:05 AM
Wedding and Corporate Video Blog for clients and potential clients of the award-winning Simply Interactive llc. Your stop for visual media, capture and design.
Wedding
and Event DJ Dot Com This is one of Simply
Interactive's favorite resources. This
site will help you find anything you
would need for your wedding video and
helps weed out the fly-by-night operations.
Wedding
Links Galore! This is a great resource
as well. Tons of links for different
wedding vendor types and broken down
by geographic theatre.
Party Pop
This is a
huge database
of tons
of wedding
service
providers
By Recommendation
Only
This is a
website that
lists vendors
ONLY if they
have been
referred
by
one of their
clients.
REFERR
US!
Approved
Photographer Links
Mark
Stagi -
Fine Art
Wedding
Photography
Mark and I have worked together several times and one
thing that stands out aside from his actual photography
skill (which speaks for itself on his website) is his
awesome, confident, calm and unobtrusive personality
and shooting style. Every time we work together I am
reminded of how cool and confident he is. Check out
his website - he's a great guy!
Anna
Myers Photography I
have worked
with Anna
Myers twice
and have
recommended
her for corporate
jobs as well.
Both times
I worked
with her
I was stunned
at her creativity,
her ability
to get stunning
shots and
work with
ct he bride
and groom
in a comfortable,
non-stress
inducing
way. When
I work with
Anna our
video work
and our synergy
together
to create
great shots
allows both
of us to
walk away
with some
extremely
glamorous
images.
Geoff White Photography While
I have yet
to work with
Geoff, I
have seen
his work
countless
times at
bridal shows
(our booths
are constantly
near each
other). Tremendous
quality every
time I see
his new array.
You can tell
how creative
this man
is by looking
at the effort
put into
his show
booth alone...
but once
you get sucked
into his
photo albums,
you'll likely
do everything
possible
to get him
as your photographer.
Jill
Johnson @ Insza Photography This girl was absolutely
wonderful to work with. She works very
well with everyone and even amidst the
mayhem of a wedding where an entire
TV crew was trying to muscle through
the hired service providers, she still
made sure she got everything the couple
wanted.
Darren
Wong Darren
and Simply
Interactive
have worked
together
on a couple
weddings
and has one
of the highest
skill levels
we have seen.
His compositions
and quality
are impeccable
-- matched
only by
his top-notch
equipment.
Approved
DJ Links
San Jose DJs DJ Earl is an excessively helpful
individual. His dedication to his clients means he
is willing to go above the call of duty to make things
flow smoothly.
Fog City Entertainment Russ Catanach is just plain
awesome! Every time I do a wedding with him he
is always prepared. He is smooth, suave, and professional
without being humdrum or frustratingly boring. He
reads crowds well, and guides the party along. I
could not recommend them more.
Carl
Mindling Music
This gentleman is a fantastic DJ - smooth, professional,
entertaining. Aside from his technical quality, this
was one of the most easy going and in-control DJs I've
ever met. I can only imagine how he would react under
pressure - with the same eloquence.
Approved
Venue Links
Nestledown
Estates
There are
no words
that can
describe
the beauty
and serenity
of this place.
We are proud
to have been
able to shoot
there.
Capital Athletics Club - San Jose Despite
the name,
this is
a beautifully
designed
building,
inside
and out.
Great Service
and wonderful
bar/pool
table/fireplace.
Great ambiance
with vaulted
ceilings
in a victorian
interior
decor.
Palmdale
Estates - Fremont Palmdale
Estates is
a beautifully
landscaped
spacious
venue location
that uses
beautifully
designed
two-story
halls for
the reception.
Ceremonies
are outdoors
on lawns.
Byington
Winery
- Los Gatos Definitely one of
my favorite spots. The ceremony area
is at the top of a set of brick steps
and surrounded by grape vines and gorgeous,
Los Gatos hills covered in hundred year
old forest trees. The reception area
is inside of a magnificent building
covered in ivy. Indoors are huge tanks
and an immense cellar houses hundreds
of oak barrels for aging wine. Great
stuff for video and photo.
Approved
Limo Links
White Hat Limo
I can tell
you this
about White
Hat Limo,
when it
came time
to hire
a limo
service
for my
6th anniversary,
White Hat
Limo was
the first
place I
called.
Reliability,
quality
and price.
White Hat
Limo is
exceptional
in all
areas.
