Wedding Videographer Mallorca: An Interview With The Talented Lluís…
One of the most important aspects of destination wedding planning is choosing the right professional to capture the special, once in a life time moments that surround saying ‘I do’ in paradise. So who better to talk to today for a sneak peek into that world, than one of Mallorca’s top wedding videographers, the inspirational Lluís:
Have you always lived in Mallorca, and what is it about the island that makes it so magical for a destination wedding venue? I was born on this beautiful island and I’ve filmed most of its amazing locations and exquisite venues. Mallorca is a fabulous destination because it offers a great variety of venues (rural, modern, in the mountains, by the sea…) condensed in a little territory. This means we can find several beautiful film locations separated by just a few minutes drive, to totally switch up the filming background. The island has fantastic weather conditions and an amazing light and colours, all of which allow us to enjoy outdoor celebrations most of the year.
Lluís, wedding videographer.
How did you get into videography, and is that something you do just for weddings, or other life areas too?
I have always loved telling stories, and my main tool to craft narratives is by using a video camera. I studied audiovisuals in Barcelona where my passion for filmmaking continued to grow and became my lifestyle. I’ve been working as a freelance filmmaker for 15 years. In my earlier years I worked as a video and photo journalist and I’m currently managing my own video company. I specialise in wedding videos but I also like working on documentary films, music videos, and TV.
My main goal as a wedding videographer is creating touching videos in a stunning, visual way. Working on different types of projects makes me grab the camera everyday and allows me to test new things and improve my filming gear and techniques during the off-season wedding period.
Just married in Spain.
Which great artists/videographers/photographers – of any genre – do you take your inspiration from? There are several classic and modern cinema directors and photographers I admire. Sometimes I get touched by a masterpiece’s colour and lighting, on other occasions I’m interested in the way people and feelings are transposed into images. Sometimes I get inspired by a painting, by a music video, or a commercial. Sometimes life itself can be extremely inspiring, but inspiration needs to appear while you’re working to be productive.
Watching other photographer and videographer colleagues’ work happens to be inspiring too. I love sharing ideas with them and trying new things whilst maintaining my personal style.
Every couple is different, that’s why I always ask them about their vision for their dream wedding video in order to personally craft and adapt it for them. I make videos for couples that are looking for a lifetime memory and I always do my best.
The groom with his crew in Spain.
Can you tell us a little about your favourite venues in Mallorca and why you love them so much?
Mallorca has all sorts of amazing venues that can fit any style. I personally like Majorcan ‘possessions‘ (our typical rural fincas); locations with centuries of history behind their stone walls with plenty of beautiful secret spaces to film. Capturing your chosen location is very important to me, especially filming destination weddings, and you’ll get plenty of footage of your wedding venue and surroundings in your videos.
Not all bridal couples opt to have their wedding filmed – working with just a photographer instead – why is wedding videography becoming more popular, and what angle does it bring to capturing the special moments from a wedding?
Wedding photography has been there for more than a hundred years; most of us can find a photo from our grandparents’ wedding but probably won’t find a video from our parents wedding. Wedding videography is something new and its video quality and popularity is exponentially increasing. In fact, I’ve filmed a few weddings where the bridal couple was only interested in video.
Bride & Groom at their dream wedding venue in Spain.
Video means movement, it creates a narrative and a unique atmosphere, and, as a wedding videographer, I’m a specialist at crafting amazing memories. My wedding videos are modern, natural, and documentary style.
Besides your wedding video and highlights video I always deliver a third, fully-edited video with the complete speeches from your wedding. I believe these special moments become family treasures over the years. The ability of the video to make you relive a certain moment; to feel there again, shines a light on the huge contrast between video and photography. You’ll be able to easily share your videos with your family and friends via social networks. I can also edit an extra 1 minute of highlights video if you want to share it on Instagram too.
During your wedding day you will enjoy plenty of beautiful moments with your family and friends, but you can’t be everywhere. My goal is to capture all the details and special moments you’re missing so you can watch them afterwards. I’ve had several bridal couples that confessed to me they were doubting whether to film their wedding or not, but now they’re glad to have a video that shows plenty of details they couldn’t experience during their wedding.
How do you deal with some of the high summer issues that can have an effect on filming, such as extreme heat and bright light?
Current video cameras, lenses, and post production processes are addressed in obtaining cinematic quality we couldn’t even imagine a few years ago! Of course, we love filming during the golden hour, but I’m also capable of getting amazing images under bright light. The most important thing to me is being able to adapt myself to any situation and get the best footage from it. I do this every day 😉
I also work with dual card video cameras. This means I always record the video footage simultaneously on two separate cards in order to bring extra security to the video files.
Bridal preparations.
Can you run us through your typical working day, step by step, when you are working on a wedding? My wedding video style is natural and documentary. During a wedding day I like capturing as much as possible in order to get plenty of footage for the editing process. I start filming the wedding locations and the couple preparations. I believe both the bride and groom’s preparations are very important because they allow me to capture beautiful intimate moments including you along with your closest family and friends. I usually move between both rooms during your preparations so I don’t miss any details. My filming style is discrete and from a distance, but I love suggesting to couples any filming possibilities that might appear each time I find a special location to do so. In case you’re getting ready in different locations, I recommend choosing a two camera pack in order to cover them simultaneously.
When you’re ready I film the welcome and your guests’ arrival. We record the ceremony from multiple angles; I’m particularly interested in capturing emotions; the touching way the groom looks at his bride walking down the aisle; the moment when you both finally get together at the altar; your guests’ reactions; the way you look at each other, your wedding rings… Everything will be in your videos.
A bride in the old town, Spain.
The post-ceremony cocktails is one of my favorite moments because I can film all your guests and family enjoying a great time together. We usually take the couple for a quick video and photo shoot during this moment. I always recommend planning the couple’s video session to coincide with the sunset in order to get the amazing golden hour look. My couple shootings are very natural, I will never ask you for strange or forced positions, just be yourselves, relax and enjoy the moment. It usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes, and the footage and photos we get from it are pure gold.
I will record all the speeches from your wedding and you’ll get them in a separate video.
I stay for an hour after the first dance and usually leave once I feel I have enough footage for the disco sequence. The whole day will be covered in your wedding videos.
How early in advance do you tend to get booked up? I usually get bookings a year before the wedding date, but I receive requests any time. Please consider: I only cover a wedding per date (I never subcontract videography), that’s why I always recommend checking my availability a few months in advance because the wedding season in Mallorca can get very busy during the summer period.
The bride and her bridesmaids in sunny Spain.
It’s been a challenging year working with the constrictions of the pandemic: How have you got around that? 2020 has been a terrible year for weddings. I’ve spoken with most of my video and photo colleagues and most of us only covered a few weddings this year. Fortunately for me, my TV work has increased and I’ve never stopped filming during the pandemic. It’s been a challenging year but I stay positive whilst looking forward to reliving beautiful moments with amazing couples next year.
Do you have any exciting work plans for 2021?
Absolutely. I’m glad my agenda is almost full for 2021. I’ve got plenty of projects and I’m also testing new filming gear. I plan to update my video cameras and lenses to the latest models in order to keep delivering outstanding video quality. I’m very excited about 2021!
Wedding reception under the twinkly lights.
Lluís, it has been an absolute pleasure and our heartfelt thanks for this awesome insight into your magical world. Sunshine Weddings Spain can’t wait to work with you in the new wedding season!
