Philadelphia Wedding Videos by Kenneth Stillman

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ReFrame 08
2008-02-25 14:34:00
Hot on the heels of the Video 08 Conference in Orlando I started to hear talk about a new kind of learning seminar, called ReFrame 08. Nobody knew what exactly this new venture was going to entail - until today.ReFrame is going to be a collection of some of the best wedding storytellers in the industry who will help and a coach a select group of 50 up and coming videographers who want to take their skills to a higher level.At Kenneth Stillman Video we are always looking for ways to improve our products and service to our clients. It's our dedication to this things that has made us one of the most popular and creative event videographers in the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas.
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iDo on your iPod
2008-02-25 00:39:00
Just over 2 years ago Apple released an iPod that could play videos. KSV were one of the first companies in the area to offer the wedding video on an iPod. Today many other companies have followed our lead and offer this service, except they charge for it. Some as much as $200.Apple's original slogan for the iPod was 1,000 songs in your pocket, but with the video iPod you can carry 1,000 memories in your pocket. We think your wedding day is something you should be able to share with everybody.  Just imagine being able to show all your friends at work how beautiful you looked on your wedding day.We film in HD so the picture and sound quality are superb. Check out samples of iPod wedding videos by clicking here.
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Caitlin Domanico Photography
2008-02-23 05:40:00
As a wedding videographer I get to meet many great couples, but there are some that just have a wedding that is really close to my heart. Jill and Matt, Coleen and Craig, Nicole and Franco, Carrie and Robert, Katrina and Patrick. Another wedding that always brings a tear to my eye is that of Caitlin and JP. It was just one of those magical days. Even though it's been almost a year since her wedding we still keep in touch from time to time. Caitlin has been doing photography most of her life, and since her wedding has been doing it commercially. But she doesn't do weddings. So the obvious question would be, "What is she doing on a wedding video blog?" As many of you know I have a links page on my site where I like to recommend other talented vendors that will help you have a great wedding. But as I was looking around Caitlin's website I thought to myself, "Myself, why must our recommendations to married people be limited to just the wedding?" And the answer came back that it doesn...
More About: Photography

Big Announcement!
2008-02-21 16:12:00
A group of photographers and myself are planning to do a trash the dress with several brides who are interested. We're looking for some of the most adventurous brides in the area to do this with. The wonderful Kamila Harris is handling all the details, but it will be a group effort to decide who the lucky bride(s) will be and the locations. Each bride will receive their own video of the event. For all the exciting details go to the Kamila Harris Blog.
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Toshiba ends HD DVD; Blu-Ray wins
2008-02-19 16:02:00
I am both relieved and shocked by the outcome of the announcement by Toshiba today that they will no longer manufacture HD DVD hardware. I am relieved because now I know what format to start preparing for my loyal clients who have waited patiently for their HD version of the wedding videos. I am shocked though by these results. Anybody who looked deeply into the history and specs behind the two formats would have bet that HD DVD would have won. It was, in many ways, the superior format.Blu-Ray wasn't even a finished product until about a month ago. It had some features missing that HD DVD has had from it's introduction. Internet connectivity and picture-in-picture were just a couple features that Blu-Ray was lacking.But it's all over and there is no point in arguing the merits of one format over another anymore. Blu-Ray will be the hi definition format in the future, so now I just need to wait for Apple to update their video software, and then I can start burning and shipping out...
More About: Ends , Wins

Lightscribe recognizes event videographers
2008-02-16 04:40:00
Lightscribe is a technology that allows a monochromatic image to be electronically etched into a specially coated DVD. Not only is the look very classy, but it's permanent and has many advantages over stick on labels. There is no ink to smear or fade and there is never a label that bubbles up after subjecting the DVD to the laser inside the DVD player.We have been using Lightscribe for over 2 years and are proud to say that this is the only way we offer graphics on the DVD now. It does take much longer to design and etch than a label, but our clients are worth the extra effort and time. We only want the best for them.A few months ago I was connected by their representative Russ and he asked what I thought of Lightscribe and if they could spotlight Kenneth Stillman Video as an endorsement. Well I answered with a resounding "yes".  Why wouldn't I want to help promote a great product?It's a great honor to have a worldwide corporation recognize an event videographer from Philadelp...
More About: Event , Lightscribe

Back in the thick of things
2008-02-15 07:18:00
As may of you know, my team and I worked extremely hard during the Christmas season to get many couples their videos to share with loved ones. I personally worked many 16 hour days, but in the process made myself very ill. Nothing serious, but the symptoms grabbed hold of me and didn't let go for almost a month. One day the headache would be gone, but the sneezing would be bad. Other days a sore throat kept me down. It was not a fun month but I'm glad I did it all the same. I appreciate all the emails I received from the Christmas deliveries.Now that I am back into the swing of things, I have about a month of backlog in front of me. For those October and November couples I apologize because normally you would have al least the ceremony to watch by now. For those whose videos that were scheduled to be completed shortly after New Years I apologize as well.But even though I am back and healthy things are still a little slower because I have a crazy number of weddings to get started a...
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Trash the Dress
2008-02-08 17:40:00
Kenneth Stillman Video now offers Video Trash the Dress Now why on earth would a bride want to trash her dress? Well, first let me dispel the rumor that the dress gets completely destroyed. It doesn't have to if you don't want it to. I've heard stories of brides doing a trash the dress session and having the dress cleaned and it's as good as new. The concept behind trashing the dress is very simple. Take your wedding dress that you will never wear again, and use it for a stylish fashion shoot. How cool is it? Very cool. And if you don't believe me you can check out these photos from one of South Jersey's most respected photographers, Kamila Harris. The possibilities are endless for where you can have your dress trashed. At the beach, in a field, in a river, a construction site, a train station, etc. We can follow along on a photoshoot or do a dedicated video, complete with storyline and dialogue. The choice is up to you. Either way, you have a unique opportunity to put that ...

Vendor Spotlight - Fairytale Weddings, Boston
2008-01-28 21:42:00
I met a lot of great videographers in Orlando last week. But one  of the nicest and talented people i met was Liz, Jen and Danielle from Fairytale Productions in Boston , MA. Now I wouldn't normally do a spotlight on a company that is out side of the area that we cover. But I know that sometimes brides who live in Boston hire me for a Philly wedding, so it just makes sense that it probably works the other way from time to time as well.Jen and I have chatted on a videographer's forum for a couple months now. And despite all the bickering that goes on in those forums, she always seems to have a no-nonsense approach to things. So we bumped into each other and started chatting and I met Liz and Danielle, and we compared notes on our work and the state of the wedding video industry.After looking at their site I can say they are one talented group of people. So if anybody from Philly is planning a wedding in the Boston area. Look up Fairytale Productions. You will be amazed by your wedd...
More About: Weddings , Spotlight

Video '08 Conference in Orlando
2008-01-25 18:24:00
Every year in Orlando , FL some of the best videographers in he world get together to swap ideas and learn from each other. I wasn't sure if I would be able to go due to my illness, but I made the trek anyway. I am sure glad I did. I learned lots of great things from many different people. I learned the importance of sound from Steve and Laura Moses. I learned how to make a great wedding soundtrack from Chris Jones. I learned about the marketing possibilities of Trash the Dress from Darrell Aubert. I got some tips on how to make '08 my best year ever from Eric Taylor. Joshua Smith made me think about creativity and color correction a whole new way. Got some great advice from Ron Dawson on how to expend and network. Steve Fowler talked about how to "Shoot Ta Thrill". And Jeff Wright showed how capturing your subject from many different angles get create a very emotion video.Last, but not least, was the seminar by Jason Magbanua. He is the top wedding videographer in the Philippines ...
More About: Video , Conference

Videographer Health Sweepstake
2008-01-15 00:46:00
Today is my first full day back to work since Christmas. before christmas I was working 16 - 18 hour days to get as many videos delivered as possible. I even hand delivered 11 videos on Christmas Eve, while my wife delivered 2 local clients. So I think I wore myself down, but now I am back, with just a slight sore throat and I'll be working hard to get caught up. Thank you all for your patience.
More About: Health , Sweep

Illness
2008-01-08 06:26:00
Hello all. From the discomforts of my bed, I just wanted to let you know that I have been a bit under the weather since Christmas. I have had various symptoms of the flu that seem to come and go as they choose. I nursed myself back to an acceptable state of health to film a wedding on the 5th,but I'm afraid that doing so has only made me sicker.I have been very behind on emails and phone calls and website updates, so please bare with me while I get over this ailment.Thank you.
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January, February, and March Specials
2008-01-03 00:36:00
Many couples who are on a budget choose to get married in the off-season (the winter) because some reception halls and photographers give big discounts for those months. Unfortunately, the budget is usually too tight to include a videographer. At Kenneth Stillman Video we have decided to offer a "New, off-season, super spectacular, last minute using some wedding gift money" package.This package will include everything from our basic package, plus the prologue from the standard package for the low price of $1200. See our packages here.This package includes 2 HD cameras, 1 operator (me), and 3 copies of the finished product.In order to book you must view our samples, and some of our completed videos, as we will only accept reservations over the phone or internet, and payment must be made in full through PayPal. No personal appointments will be made.To answer any questions you might have please call 267-738-1187 or email me info@kennethstillmanvideo.com.
More About: January , Specials , March , February

Getting a Wii
2007-12-19 17:56:00
All our kids have been talking about was getting a Wii for Christmas. We tried - and when i say we I mean me -  we tried so hard to get one but with not much success. I was at K-mart at 3 AM on Thanksgiving Day and was 9th in line only to be told 4 hours later that they only got 5 of them in. We are now boycotting K-mart because of this. I mean really - can't put a sign on the door? Or was this the typical bait that retailers use.Through some tactful questioning I found out that Toys R Us get about 50 every shipment. So if it's in the Sunday ad they will have at least 50. I drove over there at 2 AM the Saturday night that it snowed and wouldn't you know that  there was already about 50 people in line - covered in snow. I went home and went to sleep.Just out of giggles I decided to Google "wii inventory tracker" and came across a great site called Refresh Thing dot com. Now when you first go on there you will be really excited but then be really let down. Mainly because there a...

High Definition Video
2007-12-06 14:52:00
As many of you know, we have been a huge advocate of HD videos. We have been offering HD filming and editing for almost 2 years now. And we offer it as part of our standard package, not an upgrade for $1000, like many area videographers. The HD picture is something that is really spectacular when you see it.The question then becomes - why haven't you seen it? Where is my HD copy of my video?When I first started offering HD I explained that the HD burners had not yet hit the market. Well almost 2 years later they have it the market, but on PC (we're Mac users), and with no software to record with. So to sum up where we stand - we have the burners for PC but no software, and we have the software for Mac but no burners. Hmmmmm. Sucks, eh?But not to worry. Your HD files are backed-up as data on DVDs and are ready to be committed to HD DVD when all the pieces are in place.There is one bright spot to this whole thing and that is this - the Toshiba HD DVD players and the Xbox 360  HD DV...
More About: Video , High Definition , Definition , High , High def

Tips - How to make a good wedding video
2007-11-15 17:20:00
I have a saying, and I try and convey this message to every couple I work with - "It's hard to make a bad wedding video of people having a good time." Now that sounds overtly simple and probably thinking, "Well, duh Kenny, it's our wedding day - of course we're going to have a good time." But it's not that simple. I have seen many brides just go through the motions of their day and never really let their hair, or some will be so obsessed with everything being perfect that they never fully enjoy their day.So this will be the first of many tips on how you can make sure your wedding video is the best it can be. Once you've hired the Kenneth Stillman Video team of videographers the filming and editing are in great hands - the rest is up to you.So tip #1 is just to enjoy your day. In my experience no wedding ever goes exactly as planned - there is always some snafu, whether it be big or small. You should just "roll with the punches" or "turn lemons into lemonade" or whatever cliche...
More About: Wedding , Tips , Make , Good

Thank you, thank you
2007-11-10 06:00:00
Tomorrow marks the end of another great wedding season for KSV. We're finishing up the season in style with me and Lynn at The Downtown Club and Cindy and Jimmy at Sofitel tomorrow and then me and Lynn at Bonnet Island Estates on Sunday. We feel so blessed to have met so many wonderful couples this year and it's our honor to capture your special day and create a work of video art from the footage. Me, Jimmy and Steve will be working hard at editing to create the best videos we can so you'll want to share this with all your loved ones for a long time to come.Thank you so much for making our team part of your team, if only for a day. We capture the memories that you'll want to relive again and again, and it's only with video.
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AC/DC
2007-11-08 03:20:00
Just thought I'd let you all know that AC/DC has a new website and a DVD box set for sale.

Christmas comes early for HD DVD fans
2007-11-02 06:10:00
Just a couple days ago I reported that Walmart would be carrying the HD DVD format exclusively. The latest announcement is that K-Mart will also be carrying the HD DVD format exclusively. But wait, there's more!Tomorrow at 8 AM, Walmart will sell the Toshiba HD-A2 for $98 starting at 8 AM. I just hope my wife doesn't find out. I talked her into buying me this same exact model for Christmas last year at $500. I'll never be able to talk her into buying me anything cool every again. LOLI know the Walmart website has changing content so I took a screenshot of their web page to prove I'm not a raving lunatic. Check it out at my website.
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Toshiba HD DVD player in Wal-Mart for $200
2007-10-30 14:50:00
So a couple months back I gave a brief overview of HD video. I also gave my reasoning behind going with the HD DVD format instead of the Blu-Ray format. There has been a rumor floating around for a few month that was confirmed yesterday.Wal-Mart will begin selling a $200 HD DVD player starting next weekend. This is great news for the high definition video market as this could be the final nail in the coffin for Blu-Ray. Now the big news is not really the price, because I'm sure Sony will start to lower prices to try and compete. The real news is that Wal-Mart will carry HD DVD players EXCLUSIVELY. They will not even be carrying the Blu-Ray players ever.Why is this big news? Wal-Mart is the biggest retail store in the United States. Since most consumers shop at Wal-Mart and are not techno-geeks (like me), many customers will see the improved picture quality and grab a HD DVD player without even considering looking for an alternative. Because Wal-Mart will not be carrying Blu-Ray, mo...
More About: Player , Toshiba , Wal Mart

Groom gives me the finger
2007-10-25 16:06:00
You would think that with all the preparations that go into a wedding a simple task like putting a ring on would be a no brainer. Check out the latest video in our "only with video" section of the website.
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Vendor Spotlight - Generation Next
2007-10-23 14:15:00
The entertainment for a wedding is probably the most important vendor to consider. Great care should taken in choosing a DJ or band. Your guests will leave your wedding remembering two key items - the food and the entertainment. Choosing a band can be a daunting task, to say the least. They are more expensive than a DJ, so getting your money's worth isn't always guaranteed. Bt the one place you can turn for a fair and objectional review of bands is Kenneth Stillman Video.I have played guitar for 27 years and have been in bands for about 17 of those years. I have a good ear for music and an eye for live entertainment. I recently had the pleasure to work with one of the best bands I have ever seen. I don't mean just wedding bands - I mean best bands, period. Generation Next. I worked with them back in July and they put on one of the best shows I have ever seen. I worked again with them this past Sunday and after be blown away for a second time I just had to write about it.The guit...
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Trash The Dress - Free
2007-10-18 05:10:00
Like my previous post indicates, we are looking to add additional services. So to get the ball rolling on the Trash the Dress idea we're offering to do a TTD session at no charge. In exchange for doing it at no charge there will be a few stipulations.1. You must be a bride that I have filmed.2. You must be willing to do the TTD by the end of November.3. You must be willing to completely trash the dress. It will most likely just get dirty but I don't want the creativity to be limited.4. You must be willing to go to any location that I think would be appropriate.5. You may invite a photographer but we will not be posing for pictures. They can take candid shots and must agree to stay out of our cameras unless I would like them in the shot.6. You must be willing to have fun and be completely carefree with the dress.I will accept 1 bride on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested please email me at info@kennethstillmanvideo.com or call at 267-738-1187.
More About: Free

Possible new video options.
2007-10-15 21:10:00
At Kenneth Stillman Video we are always trying to  add services and options to our packages while still keeping our work affordable. With this in mind I have set up a poll on this blog to get an idea from past and future clients what new features or options they would be most interested in. Just so their is no misunderstanding I explain each option below.UPDATED: We only got a few votes so I take that to mean that nobody reads my blog or my options are just fine the way they are.
More About: Options

KSV as wedding resource
2007-10-10 20:52:00
At Kenneth Stillman Video our goal is to help couples have the best wedding they can. We already shoot and edit weddings better than most of the videographers in the Philadelphia area. The one area we don't have any control over is how good the wedding itself is. There's no way for us to make a couple smile, or make divorced parents get along for 8 hours, or make a DJ play SexyBack to get us some dance footage. But we do want to help out wherever possible to make things go smoothly. In an effort to help couples have a great wedding we have provided some links for vendors that are the tops in their field. They do they job well and are extremely cooperative with other vendors. My recommendations are not the typical "back-scratching" that has become a problem in the wedding industry - vendors link to other vendors just to help each other's business. The recommendations that I make are because these vendors are true professionals and will make a positive contribution to your wedding....
More About: Wedding , Resource

Van Halen
2007-10-04 18:08:00
On a non-wedding related subject - Jeanie and I went with her friend and nephew to see Van Hale n at the Wachovia Center last night. What an incredible show. We talked about how great it was all the way home. I was the only Van Halen veteran of the 3 of us - I had seen them on the Diver Down and 1984 tours, as well as seeing David Lee Roth on the tours for Skyscraper, A Little Ain't Enough and the Sam and Dave tour that he did with Sammy Hagar a few years back.They sounded fantastic except for too much reverb, but that could have been because we were way up in the second level. Eddie's playing is as tasteful and flashy as ever. Alex didn't miss a beat all night. And DLR was sounding better than ever. Many singers really go all out in the studio only to find they can't reproduce their range live, especially when they get older - Robert Plant and Elton John come to mind. But David Lee was hitting all the high notes and screeches that made him one of the best vocalists in the '80'...

One of my favorites
2007-10-03 12:45:00
We make every Prologue special and unique for each couple. They pick the music and we choreographer the video to flow with the music. A recent St. Patrick's Day beach wedding is a perfect example of that. Katrina and Pat made their wedding a very personalized event - complete with a trip to the beach in freezing cold weather, a boardwalk style photo booth, flip fops for the whole bridal party, and some fun at Ocean City's favorite pizza parlor Mack and Manco's.You can view Katrina and Pat's wedding video here.
More About: Favorites , Favor

Vendor Spotlight - Jennifer Childress
2007-10-03 00:14:00
In my first new vendor spotlight I wanted to revisit a vendor that I talked about on the last blog. Jenn and I worked together a few times at the end of 2006. With such a busy schedule this year my other teams of videographers have worked with Jenn a few times but I haven't been able to. I finally got the chance to work with her again on Saturday and we had a great time. She is always very professional to work with and we communicate very well when it comes to staying out of each other's shots.I especially love how she goes to extremes to get great shots. Wherever she has to be to make a shot happen - that's where you'll find her. Lying on the ground, on her knees in the middle of a crowd. She even ran up the staircase a few times to get some great overhead shots from the balcony. I always amazed at her energy to get the shots she wants. I work with many photographers and some won't even move the camera from their face all night. Jenn definitely knows weddings and knows how to ...
More About: Jennifer , Spotlight

Latest Video
2007-09-30 12:26:00
Ya know, I think I'm getting the hang of this wedding video thing. LOL
More About: Video

High Definition Video
2007-09-29 01:34:00
Walk in to any store that sells televisions and you're bound to find 10 aisles of high definition televisions (HDTV) and 1 aisle of standard definition televisions (SDTV). High definition is well on it's way to be coming the video standard. With this is mind I am constantly amazed at how many wedding videographers have not embraced HD. There are some that have but they want to charge up to $1000 more for it. I'm proud to say that Kenneth Stillman Video is, to the best of my knowledge, the ONLY wedding video company in Philadelphia that offers HD without charging extra. Why is HD important? That's the easiest question to answer. Your wedding video is a keepsake. It's your memories on video. And with televisions getting bigger and the prices getting smaller it's important that couples think about watching their wedding video in 20 or 30 years - not at next years family reunion. The picture clarity is the whole reason the TV industry switched from VHS to DVD, and now is switching...
More About: High Definition , Definition , High def