Today we’re getting to know Aaron of Aaron Daniel Films and how he focuses a great deal of his time and energy getting to know his clients on a deeper level, pulling from them the rawest of emotions and energy on their wedding day and greatest celebrations.

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Cinematography: Aaron Daniel Films

For the experienced wedding videographer, there is one point in the day that we look forward to above anything else. Not the first kiss. Not the toasts. Not the first dance. Not even that big moment when the bride starts walking down the aisle with tears in her eyes. It’s the “photo session”. Although the wedding planner calls this the “photo session”, this is typically the only time for us filmmakers to record our creative cinematic shots. The hour we usually have to ourself and you, the couple, is our time to be the most innovative without being held to the timeline of a sermon or speech. It is our secret sauce that turns our bread and butter video into a delicacy of wedding cinema.

But how do we do this?

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There are a number of ways to record a wedding video, but the way we choose to direct our couples puts a personalized stamp on our work. And although there are infinite ways to direct, I believe the best way to direct a couple is to fully understand the couple. To understand how you interact in love. Fully understanding how partners interact leads us to understand how we can fully, easily, and seamlessly direct the ordinary into authentic-looking, believable Hollywood actor. If your wedding videographer can understand people, they can understand how to seamlessly direct you for the camera.

There are many ways to read people - like their body language, their tone of voice, and their energy - but getting deep into their psyche is the most fundamental and reliable way to understand and guide them. What I’ve found, based on the 6 years of shooting weddings, is that psychologists have already done the heavy lifting!

They’ve researched, studied, and have clinical data to give us wedding filmmakers– I honestly believe couple’s counsellors and therapists to be a treasure trove. They understand how to read and guide any forms of conflict. If, for example, they saw you freezing up for the camera, they’d know how to read your body language and backstory to speak you out of it. The therapy I believe to have the most affect deals with a concept called Attachment Theory.

For over the past 2 years, I’ve been experimenting and implementing some of the psychosocial aspects of Attachment Theory for the camera. Helping couples come into authentic positivity on camera. No feelings of awkwardness, and no signs of utterly fake smiles. (On video, it is so much easier to spot a fake smile haha).

Vendor Credits:
Photography: Photo 1 – Brandon Taylor, Photo 2: Katie Marie Photography, Photo 3: Francis Jun, Photo 4: Jin Lee | Cinematography: Aaron Daniel Films