If you want to be free, all you have to do is read

sweetpeacinema July 1, 2015

This post is far afield from weddings and commercial work, but we hope it inspires you a little bit, nonetheless.Last year, we discovered the Emerging Readers program of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.Volunteers are matched with a child at one of the United Way partner agencies and buys books for that child three times per year.When I was a kid, I loved reading. I can still remember the thrills of reading “Black Stallion,” “Little House on the Prairie,” and “Man o’ War.”I was captivated by the great sea adventures and races of “Black Stallion.” I can still remember reading how Laura Ingalls Wilder was thrilled to receive the gift of white sugar at Christmastime in order to make special treats, and how hard her parents worked to keep their farm afloat. I was hooked for life on how reading could transport me to places I’d never heard of and introduce me to people that I’d love to have made friends with.So, that’s why I volunteered to get books for Thomas, a third-grader in Milwaukee Public Schools. Not only did I have the pleasure of giving my reading buddy some new books, but I treated myself to three great outings to Half Price Books, scouring the shelves for my reading buddy, hoping the array of topics and types of books would be age-appropriate and fun. I also included a few fun toys — rewards for his reading efforts — and a handwritten note, explaining how much reading has meant to me over the years and how much fun it can bring into Thomas’ life.Now, how does all of this relate to Sweet Pea Cinema?This year we attended a fantastic week-long conference on video production, and one of the big takeaways for us was that we should really carve out time to do a couple of passion projects each year. I couldn’t think of a better program to support with a video than the Emerging Readers program, so I contacted the program’s director and asked if I could film during the last book drop-off of the year. Jessica Wagner Schulz was on board.We settled on the final book drop-off of the year for kids at the United Community Center. Filming and just plain watching the kids open their packages was a great way to spend a morning, and developing the video was a labor of love, too. Special thanks to United Way’s Brian McKaig, who contributed footage from an earlier book drop-off! A big thanks to Joe Gerhke, a member of the United Way’s Emerging Leaders group, for agreeing to be interviewed and explain why the program means so much to him and his family. I also have to thank the UCC’s Joanna Rivas and Erika Ysaias for helping with the drop-off, and Jessica from the United Way, for letting us film and helping our efforts on that day, too.Lastly, I’d like to thank the 108 emerging readers who joined the program and showed such an enthusiasm for reading.I started out the video with a little quote from Frederick Douglass, and I think it’s fitting to end this post with it:

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

So, we hope you enjoy this little art piece and don’t hesitate to volunteer for the Emerging Readers program!If you’d like to get more information about the Emerging Readers program, please visit the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County or call (414) 263-8100.Cheers,cindy profile pic II           

Faith and love at St. Josaphat and Mount Mary

sweetpeacinema June 27, 2015

When faced with profound humility and love you cannot help but be humbled.That’s how we felt on Emma and Sean’s wedding day earlier this month, which started with a moving Mass at the stunning Basilica of St. Josaphat and ended with a rousing party at Mount Mary University, a gem of a learning institution that also makes for a beautiful reception venue.Every wedding we film brings something unique. But this marriage … this one brought something really beautiful to our work and lives.Our groom Sean had thought for a long time about a ritual that represented so much about his faith, and he wanted to share that act with his new bride, as well as his closest family and friends.So, at the start of their reception, Sean took his bride in hand and read from the Bible, the Book of John, Chapter 13, verses 1-5. It’s the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples in an act of blessing, servitude, leadership and love. Sean then led Emma to a chair, where a pitcher of water and bowl had been set nearby. He gently and carefully washed her feet and dried them.Humility. Faith. Servitude and love. We can’t think of more fitting words or acts to begin a marriage.So please enjoy this Sneak Peek, the foundation of which is Sean washing the feet of Emma in the waning golden hours of their wedding day. Congratulations to a truly lovely couple, and we can’t wait to produce the rest of their wedding film.Cheers,CindyIf you’d like more information about the people and places in this wedding, check out these links:Wedding service: Basilica of St. Josaphat, MilwaukeeReception: Mount Mary University, MilwaukeeBride’s gown: Bliss Bridal, BrookfieldGroom’s attire: Mike Bjorn’s Fine Clothing, KenoshaFlowers: DMH Custom Floral DesignsPhotography: Cream City WeddingsDJ: Gigi’s Cupcakes 

Milwaukee lakefront: Fog, beauty and seagulls

sweetpeacinema June 26, 2015

These days, we often start our days early. Super early. Like 4:30 a.m. early.Painful, yes. But necessary these days, as we have a standing appointment with our youngest for dialysis at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa. Some day, I’ll write more about this medial journey, but for now, I’d like to concentrate on how we’re making use of the four hours of treatment when we really don’t need to be present. Initially, it was just getting our patient there and hanging out, doing work and trying to stay awake. Now, we’ve settled into a comfortable routine — as comfortable and normal as we can — and feel that we can use some of this early morning time to work on our craft.So this morning, we decided to capture some footage we needed for a project, and then explore the Milwaukee lakefront,  which is always stunning and ripe with opportunities for filming.This morning was no exception.Our first stop was Old Saint Mary Parish, where we filmed two weddings. Recently, one of those couples decided to add a cinematic film for their anniversary to supplement their documentary films, and I wanted to add extra value to the establishing shots of their church. So off we went.St. Mary’s is a gorgeous, Cream City brick building built in 1847 by German Catholic immigrants and designed by Victor Schulte, a Prussian immigrant. It has a beautiful spire with a gold cross at its peak, which looks pretty smashing on film, although you won’t see it in the accompanying footage, because we were going for a more subdued look with the facade and carved nameplate of the church.One thing we had forgotten about flying our aerial camera at the lakefront was how disturbing the drone is to the seagulls. Seriously, just one climb past the cross on the church and suddenly a flock of seagulls started circling, belting out their harsh “eeeeek” repeatedly, which we took to mean “Get the heck out of our airspace.” While none of them got super close, it’s always a risk to have birds flying near out little bird, so we quickly got our shots and landed our Phantom.Next we moved on to the Milwaukee Art Museum, thinking the fog rolling in would look mysterious and cool surrounding the Quadracci Pavilion, designed by Santiago Calatrava. And while the clip is lovely, I really prefer seeing that lakefront gem gleaming in an early morning sunrise as opposed to fog.Our last shot was kind of a lark, as we were planning to have breakfast at the Mad Rooster (go there if you haven’t), but they didn’t open until 7 a.m. So, I had seen an interesting angle of a statue of Milwaukee’s first mayor, Solomon Juneau, which commands a bluff spot in Juneau Park. This statue faces the city instead of the lake, which I think is unusual, but I guess appropriate for the first elected official to watch over the city.I had seen the statue from below as we drove along Lincoln Memorial Drive, and thought a shot of Solomon from below, then climbing up along the bluff to the tall buildings and fog would sum up our outing. And I think it worked.So that was our adventurous Friday morning on the lakefront. What’s your favorite place along the shore?Of course, stay tuned for more wedding highlights in the coming weeks, and more early morning filming!Happy Friday,Cindy

A Cedar Valley Preserve wedding in western Wisconsin

sweetpeacinema June 8, 2015

Our first wedding of the season could not have been more beautiful or fun!Let me introduce you to Elizabeth and Zack. She’s a lovely young lady from western Wisconsin and he’s a Southern gentleman from Texas who tied the knot on Memorial Day weekend at a private hunt club in Spring Green just down the street from Taliesin. You know, that little country house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.We loved everything about Elizabeth and Zack’s wedding. First, the people. Elizabeth’s family — mom Shelly and dad Ryan — transformed the lodge and grounds into a fitting spot for their only daughter’s nuptials, along with a little help from Elizabeth’s twin brothers.Zack not only brought a pickup truck’s worth of energetic groomsmen from Texas, he also was joined by his dad Mark and mom Michelle, and sister, too. We were bowled over by the polite manners of these gents from the south, and impressed with their amazing skills on the dance floor, showing all the Cheeseheads how smooth a Texas two-step is! (At least that’s what I think the dance was!)Next, let’s talk about the location. The Cedar Valley Preserve sits amid 200 acres of rolling hills and farmland along the Wisconsin River, and the main building of 8,000 square feet was rebuilt from an old barn on the property. It retains its rustic charm but is sparkling new with soaring wood beams, gorgeous stone fireplaces and interesting architectural features.Elizabeth and Zack made full use of the property, too, having their ceremony in a picturesque spot with a pergola and stone columns that offered a scenic view of the front of the preserve and surrounding farms.And that brings me to my amazing husband, Dean, who went the extra mile trudging all over the property to get footage that I think really shows how special this place is. As always, he’s the best part of my life, and I couldn’t operate Sweet Pea without him! Thanks, honey!We had the pleasure of working with photographer Emily Schmidt again, and we can’t say enough about her shooting style and collaborative nature. She always makes us feel like we’re part of a team, which is the best way to work for our couples. And a big thanks to Scott Schiltz of Prime Time DJ, who kept the day and night’s schedule flowing smoothly.We wish Eli and Zack the very best, and are so proud of their Sneak Peek, which we think turned out smashingly!Happy Monday!CindyIf you’d like more information on the team of vendors that help make Elizabeth and Zack’s day a success, see the links below:

Baby Q! Life Films by Sweet Pea Cinema

sweetpeacinema May 6, 2015


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Our friends and clients Ashley and Jeff have always been up for anything.When they called last year, it was no surprise that they wanted to embark on an ambitious video project: to capture the months of planning and fun leading up to the birth of their first child.At this point, Ashley wasn’t even pregnant. But they knew how special this time in their life was going to be, and they also knew — having been one of our first Sweet Pea wedding film couples — how extraordinary a story can be told through video, audio, music and professional editing.But there was a big problem.Jeff and Ashley lived hundreds of miles away in Arkansas, making it impossible for us to jump into our car with our professional video and audio gear to be able to record the small and large moments of this incredibly special time in their lives.So we got creative.Jeff and Ashley researched baby films and had a pretty good idea of the style they were going after. We chatted by phone, Skype and email to come up with a strategy for filming, sharing files and my approach to editing.And then they got busy … in more ways than one.Ashley got pregnant soon after they began trying, and a whirlwind of activities unfolded. First, telling their families. Then a few trips, including a “babymoon” to Disney. And getting a nursery outfitted for the little person they’d begun to call “baby Q.”When I received their first batch of footage through the mail, I couldn’t wait to plug in the drive and start watching. And I have to admit to being a little worried about what I might find, just in terms of the quality of the clips, knowing that most of it was captured on an iPhone.Would it be too blurry? Would the audio be muffled? How would the white balance play out? Not to mention little to zero stabilization for the shots.But as per usual, this can-do couple nailed it!First, they took my biggest piece of advice: turn the phone horizontally, so that the frame would be filled with the image. I also advised them to try to record in quiet spaces, so that audio would be OK, and also to try to film near natural sources of light.They did a great job of capturing everything from Ashley’s belly starting to bulge, to their baby shower, to Jeff building a crib from scratch. From scratch!Then it was the moment for Caden Q to arrive.That happens to be the one moment they couldn’t record was the their child’s actual birth, because Ashley ended up needing a C-section, and phones were completely off limits. But thanks to Ever After Portraiture, we’ve included a few stills, which also makes this my first “fusion” project as well.Of course, knowing Ashley and Jeff so well, I would have loved to have shared in some of these moments.  But one thing’s for certain: the emotion and story Ashley and Jeff recorded mainly with their iPhone is brimming with emotion, heart and character. It suits them perfectly.As their editor, I couldn’t help myself, and we ended up directing an opening title sequence, as well as doing a little live shooting directing via FaceTime, helping Ash and Jeff by remotely directing a little session with their new bundle of joy to finish the film.But 99% of the footage is all theirs, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have helped them create this lasting memory of the Quaintance family growing from two to three!Congrats Ashley, Jeff and the star of the show, Caden!Cheers,Cindy

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