Formerly KB Studios, Brian has relaunched his business as Weaver Films with a brand new name to reflect the direction of his new brand. While his branding and name has changed, the quality of his work remains unmatched and the reason and passion behind his work continues to thrive.
So without further ado, let’s put Brian in the hot seat with The Wedding Blue Book.
First things first. Tell us about Weaver Films and how you became a wedding videographer.
After getting married in 2016, I understood the importance of capturing my personal wedding day with video because we didn’t have one. With my music production background, I began perfecting my storytelling craft by capturing my friends’ wedding days. In 2018, I launched KB Studios where I turned my passion to profession.
With a background in music, do you tend to draw inspiration from music?
I would say yes. I’ve always had a passion for storytelling and have considered myself to be a creative person. From writing songs to making humorous movies with my neighbor’s dad’s camcorder, I’ve always enjoyed the creative outlet it has provided. Music videos were something that I would work on with my band and began to truly spark my interest in video.
I have always been one who wants to ensure others around me are happy and know cople’s are valued. I think it’s funny how my goal to make people feel special and my love for video and creative storytelling has meshed to help fulfill my purpose by capturing one of the most important day of the couples life.
Speaking of wedding days, what is your favorite aspect about getting to be a key player in someone’s wedding day?
I love seeing all of the heartfelt emotion that comes with someone’s special day. Whether it’s seeing the groom smile when he sees his bride during the first look or the father-of-the-bride tearing up knowing that his little girl is ready to start a life of her own. These moments keep me grounded and give me purpose by knowing that they will have the footage for a lifetime to share with generations and generations.
What is your approach to video on the wedding day?
My approach on a wedding day as a videographer is to arrive early and familiarize myself with the location, communicate with the couple, capture details, be unobtrusive, stay flexible, and focus on storytelling. I always, always bring backup equipment just in case something goes wrong. Being a videographer is a big responsibility, but it’s also a privilege to be able to capture such a special occasion. I always stay focused, professional, and above all, enjoy the process of documenting this moment in the couple’s lives.
How do you describe your editing style?
I’ve always loved the light and airy look, but couldn’t figure out how to achieve it for quite sometime. I’ve been perfecting it for the past year and I’m really loving how my weddings films are looking these days. I like to go in chronological order on my wedding edits and tell the story as if they are reliving the day, from getting ready to the grand exit.
What do you think makes your business stand apart from the rest?
I feel like I stand apart from the rest because I simply care. I care about people and their well-being. I believe I have high-quality client service skills and that creates a lasting impression on the couple. I come into the wedding day with great attention to detail. For example, if the bride’s ring is slightly crooked while she is taking photographs or if the groom has some white fuzzies on his expensive suit, I will be there to lighten the stress and correct the problem.
What should couples consider before booking a videographer?
A diversified portfolio would be number one for me personally. I take a simplistic yet clean approach to my website and socials along with a lot of wedding films to look through. Reviews and testimonials also play a huge part in the couple deciding which videographer would be a great fit for their wedding day.
What’s something you wish couples knew about videography?
I think it’s important for couples to realize that videography comes with a lot of sacrifice and hard work. Your wedding videographer has to have 4x as much gear as your photographer. Prior to your wedding day, we are preparing the gear, charging twenty batteries, formatting SD cards, balancing the gimbal, and loading the car up with tripods and six different bags – it’s a lot!
Then, after your wedding day and being highly-focused for often eight hours straight, we drive home and immediately upload 7 to 10 SD cards to make sure that our footage is backed up and safe. We enjoy it, but the behind-the-scenes is truly work.
And, of course, there is the mundane office work and certifications we do have to maintain. You know – answering emails, zoom calls, traveling, insurance, drone license, licensed music subscription sites, and learning new video editing skills and adapting to what’s new and what the couples want can be challenging, but rewarding all at the same time.
So, what does your typical work day look like for you?
My typical work day consist of taking the kids to school and heading to the office. I will first respond to all of my emails and then start editing.
We know you have a story or two. Is there a wedding or wedding day moment that stands out to you that you’d like to share?
I had the privilege of capturing a bride zip lining in Eureka Springs in her wedding dress after the ceremony. I took a crack at it, too with my camera about 70 feet off the ground. It was pretty wild!
What’s one of the most sentimental moments you’ve captured?
Believe it or not, not every wedding day is butterflies and rainbows. I have captured weddings where the bride’s dad has recently passed away from drowning in a boating accident. I have captured a wedding where the bride is in her early 20’s and is wearing a wig because she is battling cancer. I have filmed a wedding where the bride and groom’s little girl has been in and out of Children’s Hospital several times throughout the years. No one can escape being tested from life and everyone will experience hardships. It really does open my eyes and remind myself to enjoy life and to keep working on improving myself.
Do you have any advice you want to share with couples?
My wife has always said that she regrets not booking a videographer for our beach wedding in 2016 and I 100 percent agree. It saddens us that we can’t look back at our wedding film or raw footage and reflect on those cherished memories. Wedding videography is becoming more and more mainstream and couples are still putting videographers on the back burner until the last minute. I have probably had to turn down at least 30 couples this year due to me being already booked on their wedding date.
Before we wrap up, will you share a little bit about your wedding packages and how couples can contact you?
My starting package includes the following: 8 hours of wedding coverage, a social media wedding teaser edited no later than 7 days after the big day, four to seven minute wedding film, drone footage, 3 to 4 cameras during the ceremony, small microphones on the bride, groom, and officiant, licensed music, and audio overlay. I also offer all the raw footage and a ceremony video from start to finish as add-ons.
To inquire couples can fill out the contact form on my website.
If you’re a bride or groom reading this, there is one thing we want you to know (& it really is truth!) – too many couples consider videography an optional service to be added on later in the planning process if there is room in the budget. But, take it from Kaitie (our founder), that it is the biggest thing she regrets not having on her wedding day. We will be diving more into why video is such an important aspect of your wedding day and why you shouldn’t wait until last minute to secure a videographer in another blog BUT until then, make sure to reach out to Brian Weaver with Weaver Films. We promise you will be so glad that you did!!
Website: weaverfilms.co
Instagram: Weaver Films