Andrew Duncan is one of the top 200 realtors in the nation and when he gave us a call to come to Tampa to shoot some real estate videos down there, needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity. He had seen the videos (here and here) we did for Dan Hamilton & Co. in Greenville, SC and wanted us to do something similar for him in the Tampa market since no other realtor has anything like this in that part of the country.

Andrew initially had 2 homes for us to do while we were down there, but just before we left for Tampa, one of the homes closed, so we had to replace it with another home a few days before we left for our trip. When we arrived in Tampa, we toured the replacement home with Andrew and loved it. We had already crafted a story line that would work with that house and casted the talent for the video. We finalized everything for the shoot later that day and headed out for some lunch. Then, at lunch, we got a call from Andrew and found out that the replacement house wasn’t available any more, but there was good news…. Turns out there was another house in the area that was very similar and it was available… the bad news was that the house was unfurnished. So, as we hung up the phone, my initial thought was that there was no way we could do a video of a house that was unfurnished and give it a storyline. But, Kent and I decided to turn our lunch at Moe’s into a brainstorming session. It was there that we developed the storyline for this video.

With talent scheduled to show up at the house in less than 4 hours, we went with Andrew to tour the house, make our final shooting arrangement and went on a prop buying shopping spree. We decided to focus the video on having a woman moving into her new home for the first time and basically just buying and bringing the essentials with her. We wanted to showcase the home’s elegant features and also show buyers the potential with the home. Our plan was to use the homeowner unpacking her few initial purchases to lead us through the home and show us some of the key rooms and features of this home, including the beautiful landscaping, the home’s close proximity to the lake, and the quiet surrounding neighborhood.

In the end, we could not have been happier with how everything turned out. Andrew gave us full reign over the storyline and in the end, he and his team were extremely pleased with the final outcome. We also want to give a very special thanks to Amy Woodring who did an amazing job as our homeowner.

Also, you can hear Andrew talking about our visit to Tampa and what it means to real estate marketing on his podcast from his radio show on 970 WLFA in Tampa, FL by clicking here. We were mentioned on his 4-29-12 show around the 14 minute mark.

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Home Location: 11606 Lipsey Rd, Tampa, Fl
Agent: Andrew Duncan of The Duncan Duo
Actress: Amy Woodring
Duncan Duo Facebook Page: The Duncan Duo

Carmen had something very unique and special for her wedding… She had her father actually conduct the ceremony and marry she and Kyle. Throughout the day, we would talk to her father and he would caution us periodically that he was probably going to cry at some point during the ceremony. Carmen on the other hand kept saying “I’m not going to cry.” When we sat her down to film her writing her card to Kyle, she said it… When we filmed her getting her dress on, she said it… When we filmed her talking to her parents, she said it… And she almost made it… Until the first look.

This first look is very special to us, because in the weeks leading up to the wedding, Carmen and Kyle had been struggling with the decision to do a first look. On one hand, they wanted to uphold wedding tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony, but on the other hand, they really wanted to see each other and have some private time together before the wedding. So, we got together with her photographer, Josh Rigsby and decided to help them with the decision. In the end, I am so glad they went for it, because this may be one of our favorite “first looks” to date. Using the belltower at Furman University as the back drop for their first look, I think we managed to capture the emotion and beauty of that moment. Yes, it was windy, and yes, hair did get messed up, but in the end, they have a memory that will last a lifetime of sharing a private few minutes together before their ceremony in a stunning location.

Kyle and Carmen had a beautiful ceremony where her father was able to marry them. It was something very unique that provided an overwhelming amount of emotion to their wedding ceremony. After that, Kyle and Carmen finished the night with one of the biggest parties I have ever seen at the Huguenot Loft in Greenville. The Finesse Band from Columbia blew the roof off of the place and kept the party going all night long.

Kyle and Carmen, thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding day. It was truly beautiful and an awesome day to capture.

Be sure to leave a comment below for Kyle and Carmen after viewing the film.

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Ceremony Location: Furman Univeristy – Greenville, SC
Reception Location: Huguenot Loft – Greenville, SC
Photographer: Josh Rigsby – Greenville, SC
Entertainment: Finesse Band – Columbia, SC

Our relationship with Erin began a little over a year before her wedding. She was actually the hairdresser for her friend Cassie for the wedding we filmed on New Years Day in Chicago last year. Fast-forward a few months and Erin called us to do her wedding. Even though she lives in Chicago, she decided to get married in Marquette, MI, the town where she grew up. Needless to say, after visiting Marquette in July last year to film Rachel and Dan’s Portrait Video and Love Story, how could we say no?

Needless to say, Marquette is a much different town in February than it is in July. We had been tracking the weather for a few weeks leading up to our trip to Marquette and even though the weather fluctuated from a high of 8 degrees to a high of 30 degrees in a 3 week span, we knew either way, we were guaranteed snow. Being from the South, snow like this is completely foreign to us, so since we had a rare opportunity to shoot a wedding in the snow, we decided to go all out and began thinking about ways we could incorporate the snow and cold weather into their wedding video.

We knew the town meant a lot to Erin and really wanted to capture the essence of Marquette in the Winter. She even invited us up a day early to capture her rehearsal dinner. It turns out that the night of her rehearsal dinner was the start of the annual Upper Peninsula Sled Dog race. Each year, the race starts in downtown Marquette and draws thousands of spectators. We were able to capture it from the sidelines and Erin and Matthew enjoyed their rehearsal dinner right above the track. It was an incredible event to be a part of and we were really happy to be able to include the race in their video.

Erin did something really unique for her wedding day prep. Her family spent time leading up to her wedding completely renovating a house right beside their house. What makes the house so special? It was Erin’s grandmother’s house and it was the same house that her grandmother used to get ready for her wedding. It took a lot of work, but they finished the renovation just in time for Erin to continue the tradition and get ready for her wedding day in the same house.

Following the ceremony, we went down to Presque Isle with Erin and Matthew. It is one of the most pristine locations in Marquette. At the far end of Presque Isle, there is a place called Sunset Point that looks out over Lake Superior and it is stunning. What made it even more stunning is that we happened to arrive just as the sun was beginning to set over the lake and captured some footage with Erin and Matthew there. The clouds had started to thin out and that led to one of the most magnificent views you will ever see.

After that, we finished the evening up at Upfront and Company, but first we had one stop to make. From time to time, we will come up with ideas in pre-production that we figure have a 50/50 chance of actually happening. After meeting Erin and Matthew, we knew they were a fun couple and loved doing fun things, so we decided to pitch our idea of having them have a snowball fight after the wedding. To our surprise, they said yes and we are so glad they did. So, we decided to stop at a football field on the way to the reception since Matthew coaches football and stage our snowball fight there. We love it when couples go all out on their wedding day. It is such a great representation of Matthew and Erin’s relationship and to us, it represents everything your wedding day should be; a time to just be in love and have fun celebrating.

Erin and Matthew, Thank you so much for bringing us up to Marquette for your wedding. It is something we will always remember and we hope you enjoy your video as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Be sure to leave a comment below for Matthew and Erin after viewing the film.

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Ceremony Location: Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption – Marquette, MI
Reception Location: Upfront and Company – Marquette, MI
Entertainment: Lake Effect Entertainment – Marquette, MI

When we think about Tim and Betsy’s wedding, a lot of things stick out in our head… The 2 lane roads from Virginia to Delaware we had to travel, the 6 a.m. morning after shoot, the battle with the weather (that we won,) Hooman from Vesic Photography killing it on the dance floor while taking pictures… The list goes on and on. But the one thing we will probably talk about most down the road is the Dueling Pianos that provided the entertainment at their wedding. It is one of those things that we heard from the bride, but then we had no idea how it would all go down at the wedding. Needless to say, they shocked everyone with the entertainment level. The guys with Dueling Pianos International just did a phenomenal job of entertaining the guests at the reception. Needless to say, by the end of the night they made a believer out of us and we are so happy we have the chance to share some footage from the dueling pianos show in their wedding film.

For us, part of the fun with doing wedding films is trying to tell a different story than the story we told in the highlights video. For Tim and Betsy, we used their highlights film to tell a story of laughter on their wedding day and how that was such a huge part of their relationship. For their wedding film, we wanted to show the celebration their wedding day was, but also focus on the intimacy of their relationship. From there, everything else just fell into place, from the incredible speech Betsy’s father gave at the reception that we used for the beginning to the intimate footage we got on the “morning-after” shoot with Tim and Betsy. It is a piece we are especially proud of and we couldn’t be more thankful to Tim and Betsy for giving so much of themselves to their wedding video and allowing us to shoot such an incredible piece.

In case you missed their wedding highlights film, you can view it by clicking here.

Be sure to head over to Vesic Photography’s Blog to see Tim and Betsy’s wedding pictures. There’s some great stuff there.

Also, take a minute to leave a comment below for Tim and Betsy after viewing the film.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

Ceremony Location: Rehoboth Beach Country Club – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Reception Location: Rehoboth Beach Country Club – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Photographer: Vesic Photography – Winston-Salem, NC
Entertainment: Dueling Pianos International – Royal Oak, MI

Back on September, we got a call from A.J. Dunlap at A.J. Dunlap Photography. She was looking to re-launch her website around the first of the year and wanted a promo video to accompany the launch of her new site.

A.J. and Kyle make up a great husband and wife team in Raleigh, N.C. After talking to A.J. over the next few weeks, we learned that she and Kyle have a very unique approach to their clients. They spend a large amount of time getting to know their clients, both before the shoot and after. In fact, they will often have their clients over for dinner at their house and they even throw a Christmas Party for all of their couples at the end of the year. After hearing the type of relationship they form with people, we decided to make a video focusing on them, rather than their work.

Don’t get me wrong, A.J. and Kyle do amazing work. You can see for yourself right here (http://www.ajdunlap.com), which is why in the beginning we thought about doing a more traditional promo video where we show their work and show them working. However, after talking to them, we wanted to show more than just their work and instead focus on EXACTLY who A.J. and Kyle were. We wanted potential brides to see their video and know right away whether or not A.J. and Kyle were the perfect fit for their wedding. So many times, brides judge photographers solely on their work without thinking about whether or not they will get along with them and be a good personality fit, so we wanted to help potential brides get to know A.J. and Kyle before they decided to book them.

So, what did we do? Well, you can see for yourself below. We basically took our concept of a Portrait Video that we typically reserve for our wedding couples, modified it and made a photographer promo flooded with personality. With the photographer market getting flooded with so many new people, we wanted to make a video that made A.J. and Kyle stand out, and I think we did just that.

By the way, If you are wondering about the music, it’s “Darling” by Handsome and Gretyl. Head over to their website to check out the rest of their music. It is all fantastic stuff, but we felt this song MADE A.J. and Kyle’s video and was the perfect fit for the mood we were looking for. If nothing else, we can pretty much guarantee that you will be singing this song for the rest of the day….. You’re welcome. Song was used by permission and officially licensed.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

A.J’s Website: A.J. Dunlap Photography – Raleigh, NC
A.J’s Blog: A.J. Dunlap Blog – Raleigh, NC
Music: “Darling” by Handsome and Gretyl

Zach and Joanna’s wedding marked the official end to our 2011 wedding season. Our crew headed down to Myrtle Beach the day before the wedding to meet with Zach and Joanna and look at all of the locations and we were blown away with how beautiful the weather was down there.

Myrtle Beach has a lot of unique things to offer since it is a huge tourist city during the summer and on our first trip as a company to Myrtle Beach, we were lucky enough to experience one of those things. Our day started with Zach and the groomsmen at International World Tour Golf. What makes this golf course special is that it features 27 holes that were recreated from some of the most well known golf courses around the world. It truly was as impressive as it sounds.

Zach and Joanna were married at Myrtle Beach First Baptist Church and Joanna spared nothing when designing and decorating the sanctuary of the church for the ceremony. From floor to ceiling, it was meticulously decorated and everything translated beautifully on the film. Their ceremony was full of love and the church provided a perfect setting for their intimate wedding with their friends and family.

Following the ceremony, we headed over to the Waterway Palms for their reception where Zach and Joanna spent the rest of the evening surrounded by their friends and family. It was an awesome event and the perfect way to start off their married life together.

Thanks again, Zach and Joanna, for letting us be a part of your wedding day. It was a great experience and a perfect day. We wish you all the best in your married life.

Be sure to leave a comment below for Zach and Joanna after viewing the film.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

Ceremony Location: Myrtle Beach First Baptist Church – Myrtle Beach, SC
Reception Location: Waterway Palms – Myrtle Beach, SC

Ashley contacted us about a year before her wedding and at that time, she was working in New York as an event coordinator for the International Securities Exchange. Later in the year, we learned that Ashley made the move back home to the Columbia area to start up her own Event Planning business called Magnolia Events, so we knew without a doubt her wedding was going to be awesome right down to the finest detail…. and it was.

Brian and Ashley were married in a beautifully restored historic building located in downtown Columbia called 701 Whaley. This venue was perfect, because it allowed Brian and Ashley to be married in a private room upstairs, surrounded by their friends and family and then have their reception downstairs following the ceremony. Everything about her wedding and her reception had the finest details, from the staging area of their ceremony that was covered in candle light, to the cotton candy martini’s served at their reception.

The highlight of Brian and Ashley’s wedding day for us came just before her ceremony. Since Brian and Ashley were getting prepped in downtown Columbia, they decided to stage their first look at an old church just across from the State House. This was perfect for us, because it allowed us the chance to get private footage of Brian and Ashley on their wedding day, which would have been close to impossible had they not done a first look due to the fact it gets dark so early here in the Winter. After viewing the first look, we made the decision to make it a featured part of their video, because we love the glimpse it gave into their relationship. For just a short time, it is awesome to see the bride and groom let their guard down, forget the stress of a wedding day, and just enjoy their time together.

Thanks again, Brian and Ashley, for letting us be a part of your wedding day. It was a great experience and a perfect day. We wish you all the best in your married life.

Be sure to leave a comment below for Brian and Ashley after viewing the film.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

Ceremony Location: 701 Whaley – Columbia, SC
Reception Location: 701 Whaley – Columbia, SC
Photographer: Kristie Blake Photography – Bel Air, MD
Entertainment: Threshold – Fort Mill, SC

This is the second installment of the trilogy of real estate videos we shot for Hamilton & Company Real Estate Services for the River Reserve neighborhood in Piedmont. You can view the first video by clicking here.

After the success of the first video and the overwhelming response they received for the first video, both from buyers and from real estate agents across the country, we decided to revisit the whole concept of using a story to sell real estate. We worked with the team over at Hamilton & Company to develop a story that would best fit this house. From the beginning, there was no question that we needed to change gears with this house and this video. This house is a perfect home for a growing family. It has a giant finished basement where the kids can play, a huge fenced in back yard, and it is in close proximity to several parks and family friendly facilities in the area.

As I was brainstorming a concept for the second video, I decided that instead of just showing a family doing things around the house, I wanted to specifically show what a Saturday Morning would be like in this house. As a kid, I loved waking up on Saturday mornings, going into the living room to play video games or watch TV, eating breakfast with the family, and yes, even waking my parents up. So when we started developing the storyline for this video, we decided to showcase how we envisioned a family would spend Saturday mornings in this house. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the way the family completely captured the feeling of youthful family fun and hopefully it can take you back to the types of Saturday mornings you used to enjoy.

Another important feature for the team over at Hamilton & Company was that we needed to capture the family environment that can be found in the Greenville area. Since this home is only 10 minutes away from downtown Greenville, we decided to take the family to Falls Park to show off the family friendly environment that can be found in the area surrounding this home. From the pristine park to the beautiful landscaping with plenty of room for a family to play, this was the perfect setting to really showcase the best Greenville has to offer.

Be sure to let us know what you think of this new concept by leaving a comment below.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

Home Location: 131 Reserve Drive, Piedmont, SC || River Reserve Subdivision
Car Furnished By: Land Rover of Greenville – Greenville, SC

Sometimes we do things that even surprise us, and this ring shot was one of those things. We knew one of B.J. and Jane’s favorite things to do together was play pool, so of course we had to incorporate that into the video somehow. After trying a few things, we just weren’t content with doing an average “safe” ring shot, so we decided to push it a little further. The result: A fun ring shot that I think will be remembered for a while.

Jane spent the morning in Greenville at the salon getting her hair and makeup done and after filming that, we headed over to their house where we spent some time with B.J and the groomsmen. After we filmed B.J. getting ready, we had some time to kill, so we went downstairs where B.J. decided to play some pool before heading over to the ceremony.

B.J. and Jane’s ceremony at the Cliffs at Glassy Chapel was beautiful. They picked a perfect time of year to get married at the cliffs, because the fall colors were in full swing and really shined on their wedding day. Following their ceremony, we had a very unique opportunity to spend a few hours with B.J. and Jane before their reception. Since their ceremony was at 1:30 and their reception didn’t start until 6, we had plenty of time to shoot some footage with BJ and Jane around the cliffs and in downtown Greenville. After leaving the cliffs, we joined our friends from Goodman Photography in Falls Park to shoot some footage of B.J. and Jane. Then, after that, B.J. and Jane took a carriage ride around downtown Greenville before finally ending the ride at the Upcountry History Museum for their reception.

Threshold from Fort Mill provided the entertainment at the reception and did a great job keeping the party going all night.

Thanks again, B.J. and Jane, for letting us be a part of your wedding day. It was a great experience and a perfect day. We wish you all the best in your married life.

Be sure to leave a comment below for B.J. and Jane after viewing the film.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

Ceremony Location: Cliffs at Glassy Chapel – Landrum, SC
Reception Location: Upcountry History Museum – Greenville, SC
Photographer: Goodman Photography – Greenville, SC
Entertainment: Threshold – Fort Mill, SC

We would like to introduce you to a new concept for the Real Estate market :: Real Estate Films.

A few weeks ago, we were approached by the Real Estate team over at Hamilton & Company Real Estate, headed by Dan Hamilton. They were looking for a new way to market their “Luxury Homes” division. In the past, they had used traditional real estate videos, but decided for their luxury homes division, they wanted something fresh and unique. After collaborating with the team over at Hamilton & Company, we developed a new concept for the real estate market: Real Estate Films.

We took the traditional elements of Real Estate videos and decided to give them the signature Artifice Films storytelling aspect. The result is something that has not been seen before on the East Coast. Instead of the traditional real estate video, we decided to create a unique film that not only showcased the home, but also showcased the lifestyle you could have by living in this house. We wanted potential buyers to see more than the beautiful woodwork inside the home… more than the landscaping… more than the intricate details… We wanted them to see exactly what living inside this home would be like.

The concept was simple. We wanted to keep traditional elements of real estate videos and show the details of each room, but we also wanted to create a story that would hold viewer’s interest and showcase all this home truly had to offer. Another task was bringing to life traditional real estate literature. Instead of writing and telling people how close the home was to Greenville or telling them about the great downtown atmosphere Greenville had to offer, we decided to take the viewer outside the home and SHOW THEM! Finally, we wanted to show that this home was the perfect place for entertaining. The team over at Hamilton & Company, felt this home was a great place to entertain guests, so we decided to create the story around a very simple plot: A husband and wife preparing for a dinner party with friends.

Be sure to let us know what you think of this new concept by leaving a comment below.

Be sure to join our Facebook page to be notified when another wedding video is posted. Also, be sure to visit our homepage: http://www.artificefilms.com for more information about our services.

Home Location: 307 Stono Court, Piedmont, SC || River Reserve Subdivision
Actors: Nathan Luginbill, Angela Turner
Hair & Makeup: Katie Cotton
Car Furnished By: Century BMW – Greenville, SC