Monday 30 April 2012

Thank God I'm a Country Boy...

I thought I would share this adorable short film that Nick did this last week of Jackson and his Nanny Janny.   It was Jackson's first time at the local farm, and he loved it!  He fed the animals, rode on tractors, and perhaps the highlight for him was washing his hands.  By the end he was pretty tired, but it was a great day all the same.  Enjoy!!



I am so thankful to have a husband who is A.) so talented, and B.) gives us all beautiful, tangible memories with his films.  I fell so blessed to have such an amazing way to show my family and friends how Jackson is growing and thriving!  It is so amazing that just a normal day can be turned into such a beautiful keepsake.  I hope this inspires you all to pick up your camera's more often - and even if you don't have the skills that Nick does, you will have priceless images and footage that you will look back on with love.  Or you could just hire us... either way.  *wink, wink*

Here are a few of my favorite stills from the film...

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

STUDIO 1208 family fun at the farm

How cute is he?!  OMG.  I made that!

xx
Maria

Monday 23 April 2012

All Day I Dream About Shooting...David Beckham

So, clever title, huh?!  Did you get the ADIDAS reference?  If not, it is said that ADIDAS stands for All Day I Dream About Soccer...some say the S is for sex, but I am pretty sure a high school boy made that up.  Ha!  

The deal is that I am trying to win the chance to shoot an ADIDAS campaign with none other than the umm, gorgeous (sorry Nick and Posh) soccer/football star, David Beckham.  All you have to do is follow the link below, vote for my picture and then complete the vote (very important) by clicking on the link they send to the email you voted with.  Easy, and really quick!  It says you have to be a UK resident, not sure why, but that's what it says...

Here is the image you will be voting for - it is supposed to show heart and passion.  I called it "Determination".  What do you think - does it show those things?   If you think it does, then help a sister out and vote!  Tell a friend or 20.  I think you can vote multiple times too.

VOTE HERE!

rock climber hangs from cliff with one hand photo by STUDIO 1208/Maria Bentley

I wish I could remember the name of this climber - I would love to credit him.  He was such an incredible athlete, and was willing to go the extra mile for me to get this shot.  Thanks dude!

And thank you all for your help and support!  Think happy thoughts!  #WINNING

xx
Maria


Friday 20 April 2012

Together they are...Jedward!!!

HA! Some of you are scratching your heads saying, Jedward? who / what is that?!  Well, if you haven't heard of them, they are an identical twin brother boy band, which became famous after their apearance on the UK X-Factor in 2009.  They are (as Simon Cowell stated in their first audition) not very good and extremely annoying, but somehow the UK still embraces them and their quirky OTT personalities.

Here they are, so you can see who I am talking about:
Anyway, if you're still reading, you might be thinking, "where is this going?!"

Well, a few weeks ago, we were asked to make a dance party mix for Lee and Rachel's wedding.   If you didn't know already, Nick is not only a musician, but a really good DJ too, so he often gets hired to make mixes for our brides and grooms.   You might remember this one from Danny and Miriam's New York wedding.   It's amazing - download it!!

After discussing tracks with the bride and groom, Nick got to work, and then we got to talking to Lee and Rach about making cd's for all of their guests as another favor.  They thought it was a great idea, but there was just one problem - what would the cover art be?

Hmmmm.  Well, we also realized that both Lee and Rachel's middle names begin with J, and their last name is Edwards....are you doing the math?   So, we started our super secret design surprise for the bride and groom.   We knew they were totally up for it, and they gave us full artistic license.  Here is what we came up with:

Front:
STUDIO 1208 creates custom Jedward cd cover for bride and groom

Back:
STUDIO 1208 creates custom Jedward cd cover for bride and groom

HAHAHAHAHA, right?! They (and all the guests) loved it - once they realized it wasn't actually a Jedward cd.

As you can see, I had to take pictures of them beforehand to mimick the Jedward images.  They had no idea what I was asking them to do, and what it was for.  They are just really, really good sports!  I also changed the color of their jackets, since the wedding color was purple.  The mix ended up going down SO well, and as always, we want to share the mix with anyone who may have missed it, or just loves to dance.   It's free, just download it and party!

The Jedwards' Seven Four Twelve Marriage Mash-Up Mix

Thanks again and congratulations to Lee and Rach (who is actually really beautiful, btw - does NOT look like a boy, and has gorgeous hair!!!) for being such amazing sports!   If you (or someone you know) might be interested in a custom mix for your wedding or as a favor, let us know - we can get you a quote.  It doesn't cost that much, you get to hear the exact music you want to dance to -  professionally mixed AND it is a great keepsake.  Win!  It doesn't have to be a silly cover either - we just happen to be amazing at those!!!

xx
Maria

Monday 16 April 2012

Back once again for the Accordion master....

Accordion musician Dave Thomas photographed by STUDIO 1208

So as promised in our last post, we bring you then man behind the music in Daniel and Adriana's wedding film.  A fantastic recording artist, composer, accordion 'Yoda' and all round great guy....Dave Thomas.  Dave is a remarkable English musician and composer who has gained rapid momentum thanks to the marriage of Youtube and his remarkable talents with instruments.  Performing beautifully on the piano and accordion, Dave often marries the two together, the organic and metallic sounds melting into a precious lullaby.  He started out by shooting videos simply in his bedroom which have to date accrued over 15 million views on his Youtube channel.  Check out one of his new videos, 'Waking Dream'.

He was personally selected and flown out from London by the bride and groom, to soundtrack the actual wedding day in Buzios, Brazil.  His wonderful playing added an incredible atmosphere to the whole wedding day, particularly surrounding the service and the first dance.  The sumptuous soundscapes of dreamy accordion tones are featured throughout much of our film to great effect.  We managed to grab a short interview with him (over a few cerveja's of course!) in Brazil, to ask him what it was like to travel to the beautiful city of Buzios and play a gig like this!

So Dave, How did you find out you were coming to Brazil to soundtrack this incredible wedding?

"This opportunity came as a wonderful surprise.  I actually lived in Brazil a few years ago for half a year, which was one of the most incredible eye-opening experiences.  I took a lot of inspiration from the rich musical heritage and learnt enough Portuguese to integrate into the amazing Brazilian culture.  I always knew I´d be going back.
I remember when Daniel first contacted me saying that both he and and Adrianna had enjoyed my online videos and wanted to invite me to play at their wedding, not only giving me the opportunity to return to a country which I love, but offering me some shows of my own during my stay.  I was so happy for this news as you can imagine, and plus I have a lot of followers in South America who seemed as excited as I was to be able to perform here."

Accordion musician Dave Thomas photographed by STUDIO 1208

It must have been a very different experience for you!  I imagine it to be quite surreal to be playing in a situation like this. How was it as an artist?

"Well as an artist, I can’t speak for the profession in general.  But I can say that this was really something else - I was travelling through beautiful places, eating amazing food and socialising with all bride and grooms family and friends as if I was one of their own.  I felt so welcomed with these people, that come the big day it was a pleasure for me to provide the soundtrack for the special event.  It almost didn't feel like a wedding at all, the atmosphere was like nothing I have experienced before and just incredible to be a part of."

Obviously much of your own wonderful work is a combination of accordion and piano, but the music you played at the wedding was all on accordion.  What tracks did you play on the day?

"At the wedding itself, I performed a mixture of Yann Tiersen covers from the soundtrack to 2001’s “Amelie”, a few of my original music and some songs specifically chosen by Daniel and Adri for the event.  On of those I played for them was the theme music to Fellinis “Amarcord”, which I played for their first dance."

Accordion musician Dave Thomas photographed by STUDIO 1208
Can you wrap up the whole experience in ten words or less?!

"Honestly, I have so many happy memories of the whole adventure, it would be too hard to condense the experience into just a few words.  I think what made it special is that in this case when it comes to the happy couple Daniel and Adriana, they simply make beautiful things happen and people are drawn to them.  The fusion of the guests, family, and the location were simply perfect.  I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet them, soundtrack their day and now I count them as good friends!"

Thanks Dave for your time, and even more for your superb music!

Some of Dave's music is featured in Daniel and Adriana's wedding film.  If you enjoy Dave’s work, you can find more performance videos on his YouTube channel

His current releases are available now at the Itunes store here

Check out his fan page here

Thanks again Dave!

Nick xx

Friday 13 April 2012

Vamos a la Playa!

Sometimes you shoot a wedding that is so amazing, that it is only when you look back on your images and film that you can actually even remember what happened.  The whole thing is so effortless, yet it moves like a beautiful old steam locomotive, thundering past you and carrying you away into some distant land.  When you wake up from the journey, all that is left is the intense feeling that you were just part of something magnificent, like you attended a once in a life time event.

Daniel and Adriana's wedding was spectacular, yet it was never over the top or dressy.  It somehow managed to harness two cultures perfectly, and ride them along the Brazilian sun coast to a carnival by the beach.

The wedding was in a tiny white and blue church, packed to the rafters, people hanging in the doors and windows, just trying to get a glimpse.  The live soundtrack to the day was provided by a great composer and accordion player Dave Thomas, whose music is featured in our film. (Watch this space for a special feature on him soon!)

As if that wasn't enough, at some point in the night, an incredible Brazilian live band started to play and Samba dancers appeared in a swirl of luminous colors and shining beads, encouraging even the tamest of spectators to do a little limbo.

To top it all off, best man, Michael, introduced his "piece de resistance", a video message from a guest who unfortunately could not be at the wedding.  It was none other, than the 'Doggfather' himself, Mr. Snoop D.O double G, personally telling the happy couple:

"From big Snoop Dogg, congratulations on your wedding.  Stay down, stay with each other.  Two lovers together forever.  Believe dat".

Believe that indeed!  Adriana looked simply stunning in her hand made Brazilian lace dress, while Daniel looked dapper in his Bespoke suit.  As the wedding progressed and dusk settled, the melting pot of cultures partied by the beach like they had know each other for years while a whole host of dj's including Marina Gasolina kept everybody moving into the wee hours.  This was seriously one of the most memorable weddings I have ever seen in one of the most beautiful settings on earth.

So with out further hesitation..... Lets go to the Beach!
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding
STUDIO 1208 Brazilian destination wedding

And of course, we can not forget the beautiful film that Nick made... if the photos didn't give you an idea of how amazing the wedding was, the film absolutely will!



Thank you to Adriana and Daniel for letting us be a part of their wedding. We had such an incredible trip, and I think we have both decided that we want to retire in Buzios...

xx
Maria