My one regret of my wedding in Porto is that I don’t have a video of it. That said, when I was married my vision of a wedding video was a stale one. I thought “Why will I ever sit down to replay an hour’s worth of video?” Before the current wave of cinema-worthy wedding teasers and features, wedding videos were there to document, in painful detail, all that occurred on the day.
We have thankfully entered an age of wedding videos that are Instagram-worthy and tear-inducing. In an effort to help you find a video maker that understands you and is ready to create something extraordinary just for you, we have put together this list. Included here are three wedding videographers in Porto, each with their own style, ready to tell your story. All three wedding video makers speak fluent English, are available to travel for wedding in the Douro Valley, Lisbon, and beyond.
We apologize now if you want to book all of them. We know it can be a tough choice.
Pedro Pinto of The Pixel Shapers
Pedro originally studied to be a sound engineer, but a few years ago he bought his first video camera, a GoPro. From then on he started to record everything that he could get close enough to film. A few weeks later he had a ton of clips in his laptop and said it felt wrong to let them “just” be there. And so he started to watch online tutorials on how to edit video and that is when something changed for him. That awesome feeling of putting together all those clips in a way that could reflect his vision or story made him want to start doing this for a living.
Finally the day came when he had the opportunity to shoot a friend’s wedding. He did so as a gift and the feeling it left him with was again a moment of happiness. Since then, what started as a hobby, suddenly became a “thing”. People who saw his videos reacted excitedly to his approach, and more and more couples started to ask him to shoot their wedding video. Pedro is now a full-time videographer and is enjoying it very much!
When asked about his style, Pedro highlights his emotional and detail-oriented approach to all of his work. Always trying to achieve a cinematic aesthetic, he focuses on telling the story as it comes, with little to no intervention on what is occurring. This plays into his philosophy on shooting weddings. Pedro says, “One thing that I’ve learned with wedding videography is that we cannot control anything at a wedding.” Things keep happening and he just has to be there to search of the most beautiful and most emotional angles that he can find, in order to deliver the best possible output.
Asked why he enjoys shooting weddings, he says that, “Weddings are filled with emotions, happiness, people having fun, celebrating love and usually beautiful scenarios. For me, this is the perfect recipe to get beautiful images and tell a good story!” Apart from that, he gets to know people when they are with a certain vulnerability, thus people show who they really are. There is no price for having the possibility of being so close to people when they experience that amount of emotions is such a short period. He also confesses to enjoying the part of joining in the celebration and dancing a bit.
And finally, when asked if there is more he wants to share with future couples, it would be, “Have fun! Be who you are! Jump! Smile! Cry! Dance! Don’t forget to eat something! Don’t think too much! Jump again, smile a bit more, dance a few more songs and please, have fun!!”
You can find out more about Pedro & The Pixel Shapers on his website, Vimeo, Instagram and Facebook (under construction).
Melanie was always drawn to storytelling – both in visual arts and literature – so she studied Directing and Screen Writing for Film and Television at the Medienakademie in her hometown of Berlin, Germany, and at the University of the West of Scotland in the UK. Her studies laid the ground work for everything she does now as a wedding videographer – from pitching and producing to filming and editing, from guiding her team and the newlyweds through the day, to picking the right music. Having this academic background, combined with years of practical experience, makes her efficient at her job without losing her signature artistic touch.
When asked about her philosophy to shooting weddings, she said “I truly believe that every wedding is unique, just like every person has their own story to tell. I love getting to know the couple and capturing their story, and trying to re-tell that story through my images.” Melanie doesn’t interfere with the day, but instead uses the naturally occurring setting of the day (light, colors, framing, sounds), to gather documentary images that reflect what truly happened. In editing, she uses narrative techniques as well as pacing, colorgrading, music etc. to recount the essence of that wonderful day in a way that is captivating and emotional.
She enjoys shooting wedding because they are always days of happiness. Wedding are happy days for the couple, the families and the guests, so why shouldn’t they be happy for the videographers as well? Capturing the joy, in all its facets, is one of her favorite parts of filmmaking. Sometimes it’s in the big laughs and radiant smiles, but more often than not, it can be found in the little details as well: the quiet tears of a grandparent, a kid playing with confetti, the pop of a champagne bottle, or the warm handshake of a proud father. Finding and eternalizing these important moments is what continues to bring her back to weddings time and time again.
She also knows that to do her job well it’s important to listen to the couple and to establish mutual trust. She knows that if they trust in her work, then she can guide them without overwhelming them or making them feel “fake”.
And finally, when asked if there is more she wants to share with future couples, it would be that, “It is a big privilege to have someone choose me to tell their story and capture one of the most important days of their lives! I feel honored whenever a couple hires me.” She also advises couples to not hesitate to engage with their vendors about their work, she recommends, “[T]o sit down with your partner and define what is really important to you, and how you would like your wedding day to be remembered. Then sit down with your vendors… Whether you decide to work with me (or not), I want it to be for the right reasons, and I want you to have all the information at your disposal!”
You can find out more about Melanie & Andorinha Films on her website (still under constuction), Vimeo, Instagram and Facebook.
Teresa Miranda of CTRL + N Produções
Since Teresa was little she had a taste for photography, and it only grew stronger over the years. Teresa studied Multimedia, which is how she met Antonio, her boyfriend and partner in CTRL + N. Together. Together they started doing photography and videography in the form of personal projects. They decided to grow themselves and their work, and it was in 2011 that CTRL+N was born. Teresa is fascinated by aesthetics and the power of an image, she is excited about the sharing of emotions and dreams. She feels grateful for having already filmed in both great metropolises and breathtaking countrysides. She is constantly challenged by her passion for art and her search for a good story, the best light, the best ambient sound, and the most incredible image.
When asked about her philosophy towards shooting a wedding she says “I have a relaxed and more documentary attitude, letting the day dictate the direction of the video.” She prides herself on adapting to each couple and the context, making each video a unique reflection of the couple. The most important thing for her is that whomever watches the video can feel the energy and atmosphere of the day. She tries to capturing the authenticity of everything that happens and the beauty in a fleeting expressions, small gestures, passing looks, and, of course, emotions.
Teresa adores weddings because she loves meeting people, especially when there exists a good mood and contagious energy flowing through everyone present. She uses that to portray the couple’s energy in a natural and creative way.
When working with a couple, Teresa knows that empathy is most important. It is essential that there is empathy and a bond between her and the couple so that everything flows easily. Only then can she give all of herself to the day and create her best work.
You can find out more about Teresa & CTRL + N Produções on their website, Vimeo, Instagram and Facebook.
Rita & Edgar of Edgar Felix Videos
Edgar first discovered his passion for videography when he was helping another photographer to make same day edit for various videos. The was the start and everything that came next originated with that moment. One year later Edgar and Rita started to work as a team together – not only as couple, which is another kind of team, but also as a full-time videography team. They really love people and their stories. And for them, capturing all the spontaneous moments and emotions is the most gratifying part of their work.
When it comes to their philosophy on weddings, they working know that people and unplanned moments are their biggest inspiration. They try not interfere with any of that on the wedding day. They work to allow their couples and the guests to feel comfortable around them, so that everyone can act naturally. They believe that everyone has their own story and particularities, something they respect immensely. They also give a lot of attention to the sounds in their films, i.e. the crashing waves, the laughter of the couple, the cars in the city, the speeches, and all of those auricular elements.
For Rita and Edgar it is an honor being chosen to record something so intimate and personal as a wedding. they enjoy it so much because they are being allowed to tell someone’s story with their film using their vision and artistic perception. It is a very intense experience and, thus, is a responsibility they take very seriously.
When asked what the most important element of shooting a wedding is, they say “We think that first of all we have to meet each other. Because being comfortable and knowing each others is critical to having an amazing final film.”
And when asked what they would want to share with couples, they say “We want to tell you something that we believe is really important: in your BIG day, please only choose things that make sense to both of you and that make you happy!” It is only one day and they don’t want couples losing time worrying about the wishes and desires of others, especially if the couple don’t like or believe in these things. They advise to be happy and trust in simplicity to make your day special.
You can find out more about Edgar & Rita & Edgar Felix Videos on their website, Vimeo, Instagram and Facebook.
Lovely blog you haave here