Ep. 013 - Remembering why we're here with Tinbox Memories

In this episode, we sit down with Bronte, the creative behind Tinbox Memories. Bronte shares her journey of building a brand that stands out through the genuine connections she forms with couples. She delves into her approach to capturing the essence of each wedding, creating films that are not just visually stunning but also deeply personal and meaningful. Her insights into developing a unique artistic style will inspire videographers looking to infuse their work with authenticity and emotion.

Bronte also talks about what to expect from her at CODA, one of the premier conventions for wedding videographers. 

You all know this by now.... reviews mean the world to us! If you took anything away from this we'd love for you to leave one for us.

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https://www.instagram.com/thatweddingvideographerpodcast

Danny Rizzo
https://www.instagram.com/rizzo.films

Jase Hunter
https://www.instagram.com/afterglowweddings

Transcript

Bronte (00:00):

If you mess up one setting, it's fine. They are not going to notice. They're just going to appreciate that shot that you've got of grandma and granddad holding hands. Are you kidding me? That is what that is in my mind, what we are there to do.

Jase (00:23):

How are you doing, man? You got it. I'm good. What's been happening in your life?

Danny (00:27):

I had my birthday at the weekend.

Jase (00:29):

You did? Yep. You did

Danny (00:30):

Have that. I think we covered that all. We

Jase (00:32):

Covered that. You spoke about your birthday yesterday as well.

Danny (00:35):

Little bit, yeah. Well, I mean this is our two days in a row of interviewing a guest, which is super exciting. We are going full steam ahead on the guest and I'm loving every second of it learning how they operate their businesses and how they go about things because it's super cool.

Jase (00:54):

Yeah. The main benefit of hosting a podcast is that we get to invite some amazing wedding videographers to come on and talk to us and we get full access. Exactly, which means you get full access.

Danny (01:05):

It's a pre mentoring session

Jase (01:06):

And today is absolutely no different because we've got an amazing guest.

Danny (01:09):

We do do Bronte from families. What's that? I don't know, man. Tim, box memory, I think I'm still a little bit hungover from the birthday celebrations. Bronte, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. No worries. It's awesome to get to speak to you. So if you could just let our listeners know a little bit about you and your business.

Bronte (01:37):

Okay, so like Danny said, I'm Bronte and I run Tin Box Memories videography. I have been going for about 10 years now, but it's a bit of an interesting start to the business because my mom actually started it. So 2013 she was in a bit of a pickle and she thought, how can I get out of this pickle? And she picked the camera and thought, I can film weddings, I can do it pretty well. I think I was going to give it a go. So she did that and really got her teeth into it. As everyone starts, you start shooting for free, you start shooting 400 pound, then 200 pound, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, she starts to take off a bit more and needed a bit of help. So as I was finishing school, I then started to help her, started to go with her to the weddings, but mostly I was editing the films because she will tell you she was a bit too old for that.

(02:41):

She just couldn't quite wrap her head around it. So I gave her a hand from there really, and I didn't really know what I wanted to do straight out of school, didn't want to go to uni. I was pretty much done learning in that way. So I helped her every weekend here and there and then was constantly helping her run the business really towards the end. Then in December of 2020, no, December of 2019, sorry, I bought the business off of her with a full diary and I hadn't really spoke to any of these couples really because my mum had the bookings and the next 12 months for absolute hell, I had no money behind me really. I just had the kit and the only way for me to make more money was to shoot these weddings, get the word of mouth, get the experience on my own, and that was basically impossible. So there was 20 booked in that year and I filmed six and I filmed them on the kit that my mom had bought, which were massive Cannon C 100, C 200 cameras. So they're like massive breaking my back and I thought, right it's time. Once I've got my teeth into these and I'm getting some cash, I need to trade these out. So then I went to Sony and then recently switched to Lumix.

Jase (04:25):

That's amazing. The dread that the overwhelms me. When you say December, 2019,

Speaker 4 (04:32):

It's just

Jase (04:34):

That's a month that was filled with so much hope for everyone because it was right at the very end of the last peak I think, and just knowing what's coming around the corner

Bronte (04:45):

Hor, it was clearly difficult and just every day I think more or less I was getting an email or a phone call that said, we're having to postpone, we are cancelling, blah blah blah. But we made it through. I held fast and it worked and we made it through. But

Jase (05:04):

Is Tim Box memories the same pre covid as it is post Covid or did you find that your style changed after that?

Bronte (05:13):

Yeah, I think it was bound to change because let's call my mom, her name's Liz. Let's call Liz the creative director. So her eye was slightly different to mine. I think that the values of the business are the same. I very much concentrate on people's family and connections they have with their family and telling that story and creating heirlooms for them to have forever over what I create for myself and for my portfolio. I take them and their family and I capture that and create a capsule almost of those. So those things about Tim Box memories are exactly the same and they've just probably grown, but style wise, yeah, it will have changed and Kit has come a long way since my mum first picked up that first camera. So it's bound to change if I go back and watch the first video. It's a difficult watch, it's

Danny (06:18):

A difficult, I think everybody's, I've actually still got mine on my grid and I go back and I watch it, but it's a nice little reminder of how far you've come because I only actually started, I think I shot that, it was during the pandemic, so I think it was about 2019. So my start was a little bit different. I actually was one of the ones that actually done pretty well in the back of Covid rather than having to live through that as hell. I obviously, I wasn't set up at the time, but yeah, I keep that on there just to go back and go, Hey, that's terrible, Danny. But it's amazing how far cheesy music, really cheesy music and it's got squiggly white writing at the start and stuff. Yeah, but there's definitely promise there. You can see some of the shots. Okay,

Jase (07:14):

Yeah, you had an eye, but then, yeah, we did something recently where we compared where we were at the same time, so we looked like show me a film from July, 2021, show me a film from July, 2022 and I was like, oh my God, he's so far ahead of me. I've been in an inch for 10 years and I'm like, Christ is that doing? Oh man. It's funny.

Danny (07:33):

But yeah, so it's super, super interesting obviously with your mom creating the business and then obviously you taking the reins. So how was that actual transition of you trying to put your stamp on it? Because I think that was

Bronte (07:53):

Quite

Danny (07:53):

Tricky.

Bronte (07:54):

It was tricky because at the time our USP was we are a mother and daughter team. We are going to capture

Speaker 4 (08:04):

This

Bronte (08:04):

Wedding as if it's me getting married and my mom is putting me in my dress. That's how we did things and I'm not married yet, I should be married. He's not here right now. I should be at least engaged

Danny (08:22):

Sweethearts aren't been together over 10 years now. He needs to get his finger out.

Bronte (08:28):

Tell me about it. So yeah, every time I'm filming and when I was with my mom, we're both looking at each other. If someone's got something that we think is a good idea, we'll look at each other and go, oh, that's nice. Make a mental note of that for my wedding. We are excited about mine and therefore we're excited about yours. And that was a difficult because some people did book us just because

Speaker 4 (08:54):

That's

Bronte (08:54):

Amazing. Mom and daughter, that's incredible.

Speaker 4 (08:57):

It

Bronte (08:57):

Was incredible, but my word, it was hard work because me and my mom are like twins. We're the same person, so two very strong headed

Speaker 4 (09:09):

Women.

Bronte (09:11):

Anyway, we were literally, we didn't even have to talk, we just knew what each of them was doing. So to have to go to the clients that had basically booked my mum and say, she's now not doing it, you are only going to have one videographer now. And it's me and having to vouch for myself really to say I do know what I'm doing. I've been doing it with her for years. I'm the one that's been editing the ones you've seen for five years. So yeah, it was tricky, but I kind of spun it so that it was just that I'm a female videographer basically, and that it's the same amount of cameras that I'm bringing and setting up and stuff. So yeah, it was a tricky transition, but I think the work just spoke for itself once it started actually coming about.

Jase (10:05):

Yeah. So does your mom still work with you then?

Bronte (10:07):

She doesn't, no. She is completely different field now. She's finding a way to retire, basically. So no, she loved it, but she doesn't miss it.

Jase (10:20):

Yeah, not still asking. You see some of the videos or anything like, oh,

Bronte (10:23):

She asks every time she's like, where's the next one? Where's the next one? She does watch them and she tells me how much she loves them.

Jase (10:29):

Yeah, it's not like a honest critique is she like,

Bronte (10:33):

No,

Jase (10:33):

I wouldn't done. You have to change that. You have change that. I wouldn't have done that. Of course, you

Danny (10:41):

Transition. How was that transition then as well, going from if you had been used to being out as a jewel, as in always having a second shooter or you being the second shooter, how was that transition of going? It's all on me now because I would imagine that would've been a little bit daunting at first,

Bronte (11:00):

And I also had this massive kit as well. It wasn't like I could dawn too on my hips or I had this huge thing that had to live on a tripod because otherwise it would've squished me. I'm only five two, I'm little. So yeah, it was hard. I don't know, but as soon as I took over I had this fire in my belly, I'm going to prove myself, I'm going to do this. So I dunno, I just made it work. I think it was difficult more that my mum very much knew how to command that

Speaker 4 (11:36):

Room in the

Bronte (11:38):

Morning. She'll walk in and she was amazing. I've never seen anything like it. She'd be friends with every woman in that bridal womb in two minutes she would tie their dresses up, tie their bows up, and I used to tell her off for doing it. I was like, mom, you to be filming that, not doing that. But actually that helps me now in the morning time it's like, just be there mate, but also get some footage. She just helped my philosophy of weddings I think more than anything.

Danny (12:13):

I think that's a good point though, because it is about making them comfortable, isn't it? Because then the second you make them comfortable, and we all know this, if you go in and enter the room, some people can be a little bit done. You are a stranger about being able to go in there and make connections really, really quickly, which is a skill and an art. It sets everybody ease and you then just slot in to the day so easily.

Jase (12:39):

Yeah. Would you mind talking through how many weddings you take per year and the packages that you offer?

Bronte (12:45):

Yeah, so this year the goal was 25 and I've got 21. The four extra is just like for that, the extra money that I like to live the lifestyle that I have.

Jase (13:00):

I had to buy those dog toys. Yeah, no dog toys this

Danny (13:05):

Year.

Bronte (13:07):

So yeah, I actually stop. I actually had to put my price down 500 quid just to get the inquiries through the door. So it was three and a half. The plan for 2026 is to go back up, but if the market doesn't want it, what am I supposed to do? So yeah, I offer one package because just time has taught me exactly what people want and people never now come back to me and say, oh, did you get this? Did you get that? Because for me, once I've finished a project, opening it back up again fills me with dread. I want to come out of that project and never open it again. So if I can deliver them and it goes with the same thing of them having everything from their most important day of their life, it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing thing for my portfolio, but every good bit of footage that I get, that I think that they would want goes in somewhere. So they get their three minute teaser, their 10 minute film speeches and their vows. I know some people charge extra for their vows or whatever. That's not for me. I'm there. I'm filming it so that you can have it forever and not come back to me and more stuff. I'm over it mate, and I'm there for 10 hours drone if I can.

Danny (14:56):

Yeah. Do you have add-ons for extra hours and stuff?

Bronte (15:02):

Hours? Yes. If they want any extra USBs. So I send my welcome packs and then in the same branding and everything, I send them A-U-S-B-I still, I think I always will just because it's something to hold, it's something to have. It's something tangible. I think I'll always send them a USB.

Danny (15:25):

Yeah. Off the digital world. Are you using Vevo for delivery? Yeah.

Bronte (15:29):

Yeah.

Danny (15:32):

Obviously we were watching your films earlier and I think there was a couple of points that we took from it. One was the image that you were getting was unreal, so you've obviously nailed your camera setting down so well for that. But also your actual style, like you said, it was really, really focused around the couple and the family and stuff, but it was really, really good storytelling and it was just to delve into a little bit about that style that you've chosen. You've touched on it a little bit, but delve into a little bit further about your actual style and obviously the kit that you use.

Bronte (16:14):

Yeah, I would say probably the ones you've watched are probably my trailer, three minute long ones.

Speaker 4 (16:22):

Once

Bronte (16:23):

It gets to my baby is like the 10 minute one, the film,

(16:28):

And I feel like I can build a better story within that time rather than the, so we are doing three minutes for socials, we are doing it so they can post it, people not get bored. If I had the choice, I would love to just deliver the 10 minute one story is all about audio in my eyes. If no one says anything good, I'm going to struggle. I'm going to struggle to edit the whole thing. I need good speeches, I need personal vows. If I can get 'em, I need letters in the morning, anything that tells me anything about this couple or their family or their friends, I need that to build a story and it doesn't always happen.

Danny (17:14):

Do you encourage that sorry button, but do you encourage that with your couples? Because I anyway do for instance, if it's an elopement, I will say to them, you're going to have to give me something here, otherwise there's not much to play with. So at all your weddings are you, when you have ation call or

Bronte (17:29):

Whatever, I generally suggest

(17:32):

I send everyone a welcome pack when they book with me, like a physical thing because I felt like they're paying three grand, they don't get anything until six months after their wedding, whatever. So I send a welcome back and in that is a tip booklet and there's a big bit about if you care about your videos, I need you to concentrate on what you're saying on the day. So write your speech, practise your speech groom, say at least a minute's worth of just nice stuff about her. Just don't neglect that. And if you can say personal vows, amazing. It's not everyone's bag. I would say 40% of my couples do a personal vow and it's up to them, it's their day. But it definitely aids the storytelling if they do.

Jase (18:29):

Yeah. Yeah, I think a welcome pack is a really powerful way to make your clients feel special, first of all, but then also educate them about what's expected from them on the day. Obviously we don't want to direct them too much to an degree that they're not enjoying their day, but we want to nudge them in the right direction and I think if you're giving them advice about what to sort of expect in the day, that's good. What else is in your welcome pack when people ambi you?

Bronte (18:55):

Yeah, it sounds a bit cheesy when you say it. I should have brought one down. Actually. It's just like luxury stationary that I had actually designed. She's called Milli Stone. She does a lot of wedding stationary and she embo something on the top that's a little note that says thank you and then is a candle, some chocolates and some matches.

Jase (19:23):

Amazing. I think it's oh,

Bronte (19:24):

And a list of suppliers, just a few for each category really. Usually we're one of the first photographer, videographer. If it's local especially, I like to recommend the people I know do a good job. I now like my client, I now want them to have the best wedding that they can possibly have and these people will help.

Jase (19:47):

And on obviously once you've got all the audio from your day when you're sitting in the edit suite for these 10 minute films, have you got a particular structure that you're putting together to build the story? Are you starting with the chapter about the bride and then the groom or have you got any particular structure that you do or are you just taking the audio and building

Bronte (20:05):

That? Yeah, it kind of depends. I always edit speeches and vows first as soon as if I have a raw wedding, I do their speeches and then their vows so I know what audio I've got to work with. That's my first point of contact and then I will start to break it down into things I think will sound good, will build the story, will make sense. If they say something about maybe a kid and I've got a shot off that kid playing, I'm like, right, okay. Just in my head, I just know that that's going to go above that part. So every wedding is unique and most of the time every film is different based on what they say. However, there's obviously weddings are all the same at the same time, aren't they? That you've got your morning, you've got your ceremony, you've got your mingle, you've got your food, you've got your dancing in. So if I'm struggling for audio, I will use the registrar saying, welcome everybody to so-and-so's wedding, just to nudge it along. Really.

Jase (21:16):

Editors that work at building a storyline usually edit in a non-linear fashion because the way that the story is built is like that. And I think that sometimes if you're editing linear, it can be easier to put it together, but when you put pressure on yourself to build a story, I know myself, I scatter it all over the place. You're chasing new ways to make an edit come together and that can sometimes hold you back. It's definitely more difficult to do that. So I just say when you've got, you're struggling with that, the red store can just help you out by just giving you a basic structure there, which definitely helps.

Bronte (21:50):

Yeah, I know when I'm filming the wedding, I know if I can get a story out of it or not. You just do, don't need, you just know what works. So if I have to push for it and someone said a reading and there was a kid screaming at the back of the church or whatever, if I can find that person and it's appropriate to do so, I'll ask them to come read it

Speaker 4 (22:14):

Again, just

Bronte (22:16):

Mic on them just, and I would say as much as I would affect someone's wedding day, I don't like that affecting it. I just would rather them not know I'm there. But if I know that that is going to make or break their film, I'll do it.

Danny (22:33):

Yeah, because when we were watching it, you're definitely sitting back a lot of the time what it looks like in terms of the lenses that you're using and just try to capture stuff. Candidly, your couple shoot stuff was epic. I think one of the ones that really stood out was Amy and Danny

Bronte (22:52):

In the field.

Danny (22:53):

Oh my word.

Bronte (22:54):

That was insane.

Danny (22:56):

You made a really stormy day look. Unreal.

Bronte (23:02):

Yeah. How good was the sky? I would rather a dramatic sky

Jase (23:05):

Than actually, it's so rare to see a powerful grey cloud in the sky. I just don't think I've seen it before in that it just looked so epic

Bronte (23:16):

In a week

Danny (23:17):

Thing. Yeah, those shots that you got in the wheat field, that starting shot as well. I was like, oh my word.

Jase (23:22):

Yeah, we were obviously analysing that and I was going, oh, how she's got this and that. I can see that you should quite wine. I think this will bring us onto the kit that you used during the day, because I find that a lot of your compositions were quite wide and it seems, I don't know if it's just that using a really wide lens or you're just really far away, but I'm really curious to see what kit it is that you're using on the wedding day.

Bronte (23:46):

I do like to be quite far back and it annoys quite a lot of photographers. Not annoy, but they're always wanting to go in because they've, and I'm like, wait, wait, wait. I'll literally be like, what if that in the couple shots, I'm a different person to what I was the rest of the day. What I am the rest of the day is I'm documenting it as it happens. Couple shots come and I'm in charge. Don't tell anyone that, but I am in charge. I'm because just leave it for that two seconds more whilst they're walking away from you just to get just a bigger shot really. Yeah, I do shoot, I am quite far away, so I would say my favourite lenses are 35 and 50,

Jase (24:40):

That with a 35. Wow. Yeah. That's great. You are And with a crop.

Bronte (24:48):

Yeah, yeah, with a crop.

Danny (24:49):

Yeah. Yeah. So it's basically,

Bronte (24:51):

Yeah,

Danny (24:52):

There was a shot that had the full house in it. 50 85.

Jase (24:55):

Yeah, there was a shot that had the full house in it. I'm like, oh wow, that's really a great composition. I struggle with it. I seem to always be tight and I always admire when I see wide charts, I'm like, why am I never getting wide?

Danny (25:05):

Are they just the Lumix primes or are you using Sigma?

Bronte (25:08):

Yeah, no, LUMIX Prime one eight. Yeah, I have got the 24 and when first switched I had 24 on one hip, the 50 on another, and the 24 was great, but then I went and watched a couple Ru Dane, he runs a retreat for local videographers and we went to that and Aaron Kenny shot some speeches and it took my breath away. They were that beautiful and I was like, dude, whatcha are you shooting that on? He goes, the 35, I was shooting on a 24, but I changed it to the 35 and the focal point made all difference,

Danny (25:48):

The image that you were just getting out of it as well, especially with that sky and just the light and stuff like that. That was awesome. That was definitely a favourite

Bronte (25:57):

That happened, doesn't it? That has to happen for you to be able to get it.

Jase (26:01):

No, totally. I think you need to obviously work well with the photographer to be able to say, right, there's a bit of patience here. I need to go back to make this worthwhile. Especially if you are using the 35 to get that shot with that sort of depth of you. It was amazing. Loved it.

Danny (26:16):

And so you're using two s five mark twos on the day?

Bronte (26:22):

Yeah, and then I have a third in my bag for speeches. Vows,

Jase (26:27):

Yeah. Yeah. So you just have one static during the ceremony speeches?

Bronte (26:30):

No. So I will pop the 35 on a tripod, mostly at the front actually. So 35 at the front, five at the back if I need it. I've got another 80 that will go on the 35, but for the most part it works. And then I hold 50 at the front.

Danny (26:51):

Do I need to go back to using just all primes? I think as soon as you start using those rhythm seven times, you just get,

Jase (26:57):

It's making me want to go back to trying it harness. I tried harness once and I had a 35 and an 85. It was cropped, so it was essentially a 1 3 5, and I really liked using the 1 3 5, but I found myself never using the 35 on the day.

Danny (27:11):

Yeah, I went through a period where I basically just used that 85 would, the memory card would basically fill up and I would have to left with the 24 at seven just because I really liked the nice tight angle. And obviously with the ux, because you can put that boost is on, it's just it's so steady on the 85, which just you can't really get with another camera, so it's a really nice image that you get out of it. So that's your setup obviously for that. And then audio-wise, t TX six sixties.

Bronte (27:43):

Yeah, that's it. I don't like covid complicate things. I like to have the smallest possible kit for me to do my job and be in the background and not disturb things too much when it's speeches and I've got two tripods, I'm holding one, everyone's got a mic on. I just feel like I'm interrupting things just too much. So any more kit than that. Lights and stuff, it's just not me.

Danny (28:12):

So you don't use lights at all

Bronte (28:15):

Now on the floor

Danny (28:16):

Maybe? Yeah. Yeah. I'm the same. Some venues need it. Venues do need

Bronte (28:23):

It. If I need some, I'll put just one on the horseshoe, just on the top. Nice little

Speaker 4 (28:31):

LED. And

Bronte (28:32):

I do. It's kind of like a spotlight just on them or whoever's having a good time on the dance floor, they look great. But apart from that, with the 1.8, I feel like I don't really need it.

Jase (28:47):

Yeah, I'm kind of leaning more towards the natural dance floor look as well. I do spotlight the dance for, but I quite like the dark and just the random DJ lights just maybe just sprinkle light and it does feel more natural, but it's quite hard to get the facial reactions and stuff. I think if it wasn't my style of film, I would do it if I had a different kind of style. But yeah, I do kind of need to see what's going on, but I can see how it looks really nice.

Danny (29:16):

But you're using a gimbal as well?

Bronte (29:18):

No.

Danny (29:19):

You're not

Bronte (29:19):

Using I have one,

Danny (29:20):

Yeah. I

Bronte (29:21):

Don't use it.

Danny (29:23):

Where would you say, do you take inspiration from anything or do you watch other folks' films and take inspiration from that, or where do you get your inspiration?

Bronte (29:33):

Be honest here. I shot weddings for 10 years and edited for 10 years, years. I can't think of anything worse than in my free time watching other people's weddings that bad.

Jase (29:50):

It's that bad. I wouldn't say it's not fair enough. It's bad. I mean, it's very rare that I get through a full film by, unless I'm watching it asked me to, but it's very rare that I'll get through a full film. So yeah, I totally get that. I think you can.

Bronte (30:06):

I do, yes. I'll see the odd shot. I follow everyone, so I'm scrolling through and scrolling through and if something really catches my eye, I will watch it. Biggest inspiration, I think it's got to be the lads near me just from chatting to them. So you've got Dan Yates, Allie Kings, Aaron Kenny. He's not near me, but he comes to everything lives around the corner just from chatting to them and talk to them about the weddings. You then think, oh, I'm going to go and watch that film and see what they were talking about.

Jase (30:45):

Yeah, it we've got quite a good community

Danny (30:47):

There.

Bronte (30:48):

Yeah,

Danny (30:49):

Jim about it. And he was talking about retreats and stuff like that, which we've managed to bag ourself and invite. Yeah, we've just taught them

Speaker 4 (30:56):

It's so good.

Danny (30:59):

Prepare yourselves this morning. Yeah, we'd love to come if you'll invite us through. And then he just added us on Facebook and we're in, and I was like, well, that was easy. There we go. So you're

Bronte (31:08):

Not allowed to steal my princess. I'm a I'm the only woman.

Jase (31:15):

Yeah,

Danny (31:15):

Change

Jase (31:16):

That. You change that,

Danny (31:16):

I suppose because as well, because there's not, I think in terms of the majority of filmmakers, it has generally been males and it's ace to see you obviously Absolutely nailing it. And there's some awesome female filmmakers out there like Becky, Ken Ross as well. She's awesome. So no, it's fantastic to see.

Bronte (31:43):

Yeah, you've got to be, I think a certain kind of person to be able to keep your head really, especially when it's busy or you work at a wedding where there is a particularly difficult male photographer. It's quite hard. I was talking to someone about it and a man and so sorry. So there was a male videographer, female photographer,

Speaker 4 (32:13):

And

Bronte (32:13):

Guests were coming up to him and saying, is she yours? Then you married? He's like, no, mate. I met her this morning. Come on, we've got to move past that now, surely. But it happens an awful lot. People think that I work for the photographer.

Jase (32:29):

Yeah, it's wild. It has actually, people have asked me and it's like, no, no, she's in charge here. She's in charge of this section. Please refer to us. Yes, I'm holding a camera, but

Bronte (32:43):

I feel like we should all wear t-shirts that just say videographer on the back. I'm sick of answering the same question. No, I can't take your photo,

Jase (32:51):

Just headphones and shades and just ignore everyone.

Danny (32:54):

I dunno about you. Right. But I've got, because obviously depending on at what stage in the day, and I say this to couples on calls, but depending on what stage of the day we're at, and when you get a guest that comes up to you, and obviously because especially like you and me, if we're waiting the whole the harness and you do look like a photographer, so they'll come up obviously the amount of times you say, no, I'm not a photographer, mate. And they're go take a look at you and go, you're at it. Just take the photo. So then sometimes, depending on how much they've had to drink, I'll just go, oh, that was a good one, thanks. And then just leg it as far as possible away from them and hopefully don't answer that shot.

Jase (33:34):

I just hold the shot and don't do it.

Bronte (33:39):

I say, I'm videoing you. And they go, ah. And I have been videoing you all day. How have you not seen the tripods? This is the thing. I don't think people see the things. We think that the tripods are really obvious. I don't think they are. People just tend to not notice or take a mental note that you are not taking photos. It doesn't matter to them. They're there to have a good time. And I have quite a good banter us relationship. If they get a bit too pissed, I like to give it back. It's great.

Speaker 4 (34:18):

It's

Bronte (34:18):

One of my favourite parts of the job actually.

Danny (34:23):

That's part and parcel. Setting them up as they walk best. Oh, sorry mate, you right down there. I think we also wanted to touch on your website because your website is awesome. Even you said that your

Jase (34:39):

Fiance. Yeah, so when I was doing my recon on you, my fiance came into the room and she's like, oh, who's this? And I was like, yes, I know this website's much better than mine. I look at this. So she was looking at it going, oh my God, I love this. I love the colours. I love everything about, and she took over the session essentially. She was just browsing through it,

Danny (34:57):

The laptop.

Jase (34:58):

It was a beautiful website. So we want to talk about your process of putting that together. Was it yourself? Did you get someone in to help you? How did the website come together?

Danny (35:08):

See that you've done that yourself? I just give you money. Did you? Yeah. Sharp.

Bronte (35:14):

And I feel like it's never good enough either. I feel like I'm always thinking that it could be better. It's very nice of you to say that because that is one of the creative things that never, it's one of the creative voices that never

Speaker 4 (35:30):

Stops

Bronte (35:32):

The website. Yeah, I made it on Squarespace actually.

Jase (35:37):

What's great about it's that it really matches your films, the colours of your films, the colour of your website. I know where I'm at when I'm on your website, so I thought it was great. I genuinely thought you had a team come in and help you out with That's

Danny (35:52):

Fantastic. I tried, right? So see, when I made my first website, I hated every single second. I did not enjoy that process whatsoever. I honestly remember just going and I didn't even have the money at the time to spend them. I'm just not doing it. I I'm not did it. I'm just going to pay somebody. I was just like, don't have the money to do

Bronte (36:13):

The writing. It's like once you've got the writing,

Danny (36:16):

You're

Speaker 4 (36:17):

All

Bronte (36:17):

Right. I feel like mine is too wordy, but I think it says too much. Did you do a coffee as well then? Yeah,

Speaker 4 (36:24):

Yeah. Hey, free this weekend. I quit my job. I can work for you.

Bronte (36:32):

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like it's too in depth actually, the website, so thanks.

Jase (36:41):

I guess the thing is that you're all about story and telling the story of your couples. So why would your website be any different about telling the story of Yeah,

Danny (36:50):

It is. That is what I remember. I snipped on your website way back when because I was like, is this epic videographer down south? And then I remember reading the whole bit about obviously with the origin, the name, and then I found it super interesting, the whole story, your mom and stuff like that. No, I think it's ace. It's really, really good. Yeah. You're a talented individual. Bronte.

Jase (37:19):

Do you have any background in graphic design or colour designer?

Bronte (37:25):

I took media at school.

Danny (37:27):

Well, there you go. Just a natural.

Bronte (37:30):

I've always had a creative mind. You'd never find me taking maths or accounting. I took drama, English and media. I can't. I'm very much a creative for sure. So my trick with the website is sit down there, sit down at the desk for two days, do nothing else. You're a total hermit. You don't eat any meals. You don't go for a walk. You're literally in that room and you'll smash it out and then you'll look at it the next day and think, I've got to redo all of it. It's horrible.

Jase (38:06):

I think that's the curse of anyone creative is that nothing you create is good enough and it's everyone else that appreciates it. But unfortunate, we're the only ones that can't appreciate our own work.

Danny (38:15):

Yeah. We are own self artist harshest critics, aren't we? I do hate. I'm the same way you on films and stuff. I just always look at other people's work and go, I am shit.

Bronte (38:29):

We're all the same. We're all the same. We all do that.

Jase (38:31):

Yeah.

Bronte (38:32):

Yeah. I definitely looked at other people's websites, mostly photographers actually, just to see what I liked and took bits of it. Each of it. Is that steel?

Jase (38:44):

No, I mean there's only so many ways that you can design a website. I mean, if you want to reinvent the wheel, absolutely. But I think the important is that you're getting about across who you are and even if you've taken some colours from another photographer's website or a layout that's not stealing who you are and that's what your website says.

Speaker 4 (39:04):

So I

Jase (39:05):

Think that's the most important thing when it comes to website, is letting the clients connect with who they potentially could have at their wedding.

Danny (39:14):

Yeah, the brand and stuff. That's just awesome. He's done a cracking, cracking job.

Jase (39:19):

Thanks. So we spoke about colours and stuff and obviously the conversation that happened pre podcast when I had to cut you off, it was all about colours. You want to dive into this again because we spoke about colours in your website and the colours in your films they match. I think I'd say there is a uniqueness to it. I'm imagining the colour in my head right now and I can't really describe it, but talk to us about

Danny (39:40):

Your core green process.

Bronte (39:41):

I like to call it crispy. I don't know what that means, but that is how I always described it. So when we moved from 10 80 kit that could only do 10 80 p to 4K, the word I was like, that is crispy, that looks, so our key for me is 4K, I just can't go back now. Yes, it makes everything slightly more difficult, but that's why willing to pay the price for that. Because when you look at it on the tv,

Speaker 4 (40:17):

Once

Bronte (40:17):

You watch it, your couple's going to watch it. It looks like a movie. I just love it. So I shoot in vlog, I've learned S log, C log and I have preferred log every time. It just allows you to do what you want with the footage and once you learn it, you are never,

Jase (40:44):

What's the basic rule with vlog? Because I know slog from Sony, but vlog, what's the basic rule with that in terms of exposure or how are you avoiding?

Bronte (40:52):

So there's a few ways you can do it. You can go from the flashing thing that I never look at that I don't even know the name of. Plus one minus whatever. I never

Danny (41:04):

Metering. Exposure. Yeah, exposure,

Bronte (41:06):

Yes. I use zebras and if I need it, the histogram is ready, accessible if I need the histogram, because how I grade is through histogram, so it kind of makes sense to make sure my exposure is right on that. But a general rule and we're working quick, something good is happening over there, change my settings. Something good is happening over there or zebras are too high needs to change it. I basically turn it down until the zebras are gone just on my subject. I'm not too bothered if my subject is stood in front of a window. I just want them to look perfect to me. It doesn't really matter if the sky is slightly blown out. So I think those saids are sent to 98 off the top of my head. I don't know if that's perfect information, but yeah, that's basically it. If you're exposed, right, you're going to get a great image. So is

Jase (42:06):

That with an MD filter or are you racking your share

Bronte (42:10):

A rack shutter. Do you?

Jase (42:11):

Yeah,

Bronte (42:12):

Don't post that. So many people do.

Danny (42:14):

Don't post that.

Jase (42:14):

Don't doubt me. You're hundred percent get out I'll that. I think the only reason I don't is because of those Dan LED lights.

Bronte (42:24):

Yes.

Jase (42:24):

They just flicker all the time. I

Bronte (42:26):

Have to say it was worse on Sony.

Jase (42:31):

Every venue has them.

Danny (42:32):

Yeah, they're cheap LEDs all the time. Yeah, I use the nds because a lot of the time, although I'm shooting in 50, I don't use a mass mass amount of slowmo, but so I just keep the end on just to try and get the normal emotion bar.

Jase (42:52):

The important thing is that we're all doing it in the way that we can best tell a story and best use of our equipment if that's racking the shutter to get the exposure right. There's nothing wrong with that. I think. I don't know why some people seem to feel shame if sha, I did that for years. I just changed because I'm like, okay, I like this kind of sliding, sliding thing, but I know my colours are wrong because then it affects the colours. So I wish I could change it back to rock and sha, but I know plenty of people who do that. It's definitely, it's a quicker way of changing

Bronte (43:20):

In my head. Am I going to miss the shot? If I have to put an empty on, yes. Am I going to maybe catch the end of that moment If I just crank my shutter, I'm going to get it. And that's all that matters to my client. They've booked me to do this job and they know what my films are like. They've hired me for that. If my kit gets in the way of me doing that job, then I'm disappointing my client.

Speaker 4 (43:51):

Doesn't

Bronte (43:51):

Matter about me, doesn't matter about my portfolio. I have nothing to do with it.

Danny (43:56):

It's

Bronte (43:56):

Completely for them.

Danny (43:58):

Yeah, because that's the thing. We talked about it with RU in that as well, is that because it's a tough job, see just with how much goes on in around you and how little control you have over the day. So yeah, things like that, it does, it makes your life easier.

Jase (44:16):

So what about lus and stuff? Have you got a specific LUTs that you've

Bronte (44:20):

Yeah, I use Russell. Ken Nichols use he ages. It works now my look, sorry, sorry, Ruth. I actually use his, so I use their conversion look for Panasonic. Then on top of that I put his green to gold. It basically mutes the greens and I love it because I hate greens, I hate too much green. And then on top of that I use one of his hestia looks

Jase (44:59):

Amazing. There you go. So that's where Danny's going immediately after this

Danny (45:03):

Got, but I use the Ferish wheel one. I can't really see.

Bronte (45:06):

Oh yeah,

Danny (45:07):

I just love the pink that comes out of it. It just looks nice. It's awesome. I really need to try vlog. I do need to try it. I might give it a go. I've got a wedding tomorrow so I might give it a go and don't overthink

Bronte (45:19):

It. I did so many tests in my house with perfect lighting and I thought if I can't get it perfect whilst I have the control, how is it going to work on a wedding day? Don't overthink it, just do it. Are you

Danny (45:36):

Banging up the noise reduction in the camera?

Bronte (45:39):

I think it's on plus two.

Danny (45:41):

Plus two. Yeah.

Bronte (45:42):

But I asked Russell, I messaged him and I said, dude, how are you getting this image out of Lumix? Because noisy af

Danny (45:50):

Do that all the time.

Bronte (45:51):

And he said nothing. I haven't anything. I was like, you haven't put noise reduction on. He was like, no,

Speaker 4 (46:01):

That's not Basically you tell the radio sheet to I know

Bronte (46:05):

How much difference it makes because by that point in the testing I was done. I had done it.

Jase (46:13):

Funny when you think, I remember when I first started I was like auto y balance. I was like auto, I didn't want to try and learn the new thing because I thought the running gun and kind of procedure, I'm going to mess something up. But if you don't practise these things then you'll never learn them. And now I'm obviously manual and everything and even so going to slog as well. That was another thing I had to learn. But just actually taking a step and don't overcomplicate it. Just learn the basics and then practise that and then you will be able to adapt it to every single time you do a shot. I think obviously you can get the results you want if you're shooting it well just now, but the advantages of shooting a log I justing are just so good. I

Bronte (46:57):

Think the only advice I'd say is make sure you get your workflow right for it before you shoot a wedding because there's nothing worse than spending 30 extra hours trying to figure that out. So get a few test shots, run it through the mill, see how it works before you shoot someone's wedding. Then

Danny (47:18):

You go definitely not just going in, jumping in the river and shooting,

Jase (47:23):

But the advice is to approach the idea somewhere. Get your camera and practise out when you're not shooting a wedding and you'll realise just how simple the process actually is once you get practise at it.

Danny (47:33):

Yeah, I'll go back. Go

Jase (47:38):

Past for next year.

Danny (47:39):

Yeah, I know. Just add it to the list of things to learn. I'm quite considering moving from a final cut as well over, so that'll be fun.

Jase (47:51):

Everyone says it's really simple if you know another platform.

Danny (47:54):

I think yeah, I think it will be. It's just, you know what it's like when you just get hit with a new interface of something you're not comfortable. You don't know where everything is and all the buttons and stuff.

Speaker 4 (48:06):

It's

Danny (48:06):

Just need to sort that out. So Coda, that's exciting,

Bronte (48:14):

Is it? Or is it terrifying?

Jase (48:16):

Well, it's exciting for us, exciting us. You piss yourself. But yeah, we'll just sit there and join the show. I'm going to

Danny (48:21):

Paint to you obviously are. If you could maybe talk about then how that came about. Obviously with Ru, I would imagine approaching you and maybe a little bit if you can touch on what your plan is to talk about it Coda and not give too much away.

Bronte (48:43):

So he text me and say, Hey dude, do you want to talk at this school conference thing? And I said, yeah, okay. I thought this year's been slow for everyone. I was like, I need to do something about it. I can't just sit back and post once a week on Instagram and just expect the work to come in. So also New Year's resolution was put yourself out there a bit more, go outside your comfort zone, which this is outside my comfort zone massively. So I was like, yeah, sure it's in Birmingham, it's only 50 minutes away. I can manage it. And then when I saw the lineup, I got excited. I think the Lawsons are amazing. I think they encompass everything that I do, but their colours are just incredible. They're lovely as well. Russell, we're best mates now, never even met.

(49:48):

But yeah, I think it's going to be cool to just be in a room of people who do what I do and understand what we go through. So I'm going to talk about a lot of what I've said today, just how I run the business really is all about the client and their takeaway memories. My dog's crying. Yes. I'm going to talk about people's take away. Things that they can have from their wedding are photos and video and they have to be right and they have to stand the test of time. And I think Ru actually wrote the word heirloom and I love that word because it is like, yes, you may watch it once when you get it back, but that USB could go in a box in the loft. You move how you get that box down in 20 years. You watch the USB and you're like, wow, that person is not here anymore. That kid is now 35. Just the feeling you get of watching your wedding back and it has nothing to do with me. They're not going to remember me, but they're going to remember the memories that they now have

(51:03):

Because of me. So I think that we haven't lost the love for four people and four weddings as an industry. However we do focus on, wow, I've got this amazing booking. It's an amazing venue. The couple are really fit. So excited for that. I'm shooting for my portfolio today.

Speaker 4 (51:27):

Yeah,

Bronte (51:27):

No, you're shooting for that couple. Just got to bring it back a few steps.

Danny (51:34):

Yeah, hundred percent. Everything should be about the couple and it's a, it is such privilege to be able to go out and capture this in such an is an important job because they will be watching it for many years to come and yeah, you're totally right. Everything should be about that couple and focus around them.

Bronte (51:59):

Families

Jase (52:00):

You can sometimes be quite easy to just fall into this. Okay, so you've got two this weekend or something and you treat it like a job. But it is important to remember in 20 years time what you do today makes a difference.

Speaker 4 (52:15):

Yeah. It's

Jase (52:16):

Best day of people's lives. And so yeah, it is important to remember that regardless of the opportunity it is for you what we're here to do. And that's important. So I was just listening to you, I'm going, oh my God, I want to hear more right now. Just

Bronte (52:30):

I think I need to perfect how to say it without lecturing everyone, but

Jase (52:36):

Yeah. Yeah, I don't think it'll be that. I think it, it's important words to hear, important words to be remembered for. And I think a lot of people need to be brought back down to like, right, yeah, that's,

Bronte (52:48):

That's the basic, that's the bottom line. If you mess up one setting, it's fine. They are not going to notice. They're just going to appreciate that shot that you've got of grandma and granddad holding hands. Are you kidding me? That is in my mind what we are there to do

Danny (53:09):

With Coda. There's a power of people coming from Scotland down. Obviously we are going and I know quite a few others and it's exciting because I think there hasn't really been anything for us videographers. It's always been photography based and I think we said this to Ru, look at the response that he's had. What sold out in how many hours? 72 hours. Yeah. Wild. Wild. What a response to that is from the community and we're just, yeah, I know Jason and I are super excited about just getting to soak everything up and just be in a room full of like-minded pots. I think that's the main thing. Like community is everything and it's

Bronte (54:02):

Bottle of wine. Nafta, I think.

Jase (54:04):

Yeah, I think it is an exciting time to be a wind videographer when they've got, especially in the uk these things have existed for photographers and for videographers elsewhere in the world. But the UK is now, we're trying to build this community. I think there's people out there who really want to build this community together and kind of grow this market to and just connect with everyone. I think it's going to be a great day. It's a shame. It's only a day I would've gone for three or four. It would be really good. So yeah, I'm looking forward to the piss up.

Danny (54:38):

Yeah, I mean that would be fun. That'll be fun as well. We ask this of everyone that comes on. What is your biggest balls up that has happened at wedding?

Bronte (54:53):

Oh, at a wedding or with the footage?

Danny (54:57):

Just Yeah, in general. Yeah.

Bronte (54:58):

It was actually when my mum was in charge. It was a wedding actually. Yeah, it was Liz. It was all Liz's fault. Don't her in there. She'll have, I basically deleted a bunch of files and erased them out the trash and couldn't get 'em back. But it wasn't a wedding, it was corporate.

Jase (55:26):

Okay, that's fine.

Bronte (55:27):

She wasn't very happy. I may have blamed it on the card reader.

Danny (55:33):

Okay. Hopefully it, Liz is not watching this podcast or listening

Bronte (55:36):

To Yeah, she did eventually manage to get the footage back in part from the sd, but wedding wise, I dunno. I can't think of one. Is that bad?

Jase (55:54):

No, that's good. That's totally good. You're right. I can think of 10, which is probably a problem.

Bronte (56:01):

The other day I walked backwards and stood in a full on swamp and nearly nearly stacked it with all my cameras on me. But I didn't stack it, but I did smell quite bad on the dance floor

Danny (56:12):

That happened to, I've just had a flashback there. I was always thinking, this is one of my biggest balls up. But one of them certainly was. So it was raining, it was at Glen course, the We church bit and it was raining and it was so slippery and I had my sketchers on that did not get really any grip and I literally, I ran to get to the other side right on Mars and I was literally like full back was dirt mud everywhere. It was like a pastel kind of shirt. And I had these kind of brown chinos on and creamy brown. I was like, it's only 12.

Jase (56:57):

I bought a bunch of shirts and boohoo before the season. I was like, oh, a bunch of PPL shirts, I'll wear that. And on the first day out wearing it, I went to pick up a box to move it away from the dress. So we had to clean shot the dress as soon as we went down. Ripped both sides here. So I thought, can I actually, is this fashionable? Could this work? It can. Please

Bronte (57:19):

Tell me you had a spare shirt.

Jase (57:21):

Oh hell no. The groomsman literally let me borrow a shirt that he wore yesterday. So I was in his sweat shirt that he wore yesterday when they were all in the hotel.

Danny (57:31):

Oh no. I know. Keep a change of clothes and after that incident I keep a change of clothes. But it's funny though, isn't it? Is because every mistake that you make and you're like, okay, we're not getting into that situation again.

Jase (57:44):

Yeah, I'm literally ready to go on holiday every single time I go a wedding, I've got a suitcase of clothes. You go because one spare shirt is not enough. No,

Danny (57:55):

You never know. Never know what could happen.

Jase (57:57):

After watching your films and kind of seeing, I was fascinated to see how you kind of get those shots, but you are just in control of the photographer. The colours are on point. Really excited to hear what you've got to say at Coda. I just want to say thank you so much for coming in the podcast. We'd love to hear how people can get in touch with you if they'd like to find out more about Bronte.

Bronte (58:19):

Perfect. So you can either follow me on Instagram, which is at tin box memories or drop me an email@infoboxmemories.co uk. My website is Tin Box Memories as well. So it's pretty easy to get in touch. I answer my dms and my emails. Even a phone call. I think my number might be out there as well. Why not? Yeah. So that's it. Really. Say bye.

Jase (58:51):

Final words better. So true. We might only share content of the dog. I

Speaker 4 (59:02):

Fluffy.

Bronte (59:03):

I did. That's all I do. Sorry, I haven't edited, but I've been playing with my dog

Jase (59:13):

At the dog store here. You can't be mad at me

Bronte (59:20):

For having me on.

Danny (59:21):

No, thank you so much for coming on. It's been awesome getting to chat with you and find out a little bit more about you. Such a cool story. And yeah, just keep it absolutely smashing it Bronte, because your work is shit hot. So is the website still in awe that you've done that by yourself? Yeah.

Jase (59:39):

Yeah. So good. Yeah. Please, everyone go ahead and check out our website because it is awesome. And take inspiration. You can do it yourself.

Danny (59:45):

Yeah, it's been proven. It can happen. You don't need to spend eight grand on a brand designer.

Speaker 4 (59:52):

Pay me.

Danny (59:55):

There

Speaker 4 (59:56):

You

Danny (59:56):

Go.