Stephan is not going to lie: on July 21st 2016, he had had it. He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn’t use that word “storyteller” or read about others self professing themselves to be that, "a storyteller". If he had to sit in front of that edit suite even just one more minute pumping out what had become the standard dime-a-dozen wedding music video, he was just going to cry or worse, throw his MacPro out the window in a hissy fit.
On the one hand, the team had built a successful wedding film company that up until that point made so many couples happy, but on the other, they had become human tripods pressing a red record button as they let the insidious and often-mocked wedding video box dictate how they should do things. They had succumbed to the formulaic assembly of:
drone shot openers (here’s a challenge for you: preview any given wedding video out there, especially in Hawaii, and 95% or more of them will start with a drone shot, and what's worse, many of them will continue with a second and third drone shot, then formulaically follow those up with some detail shot of flowers or a palm tree or the admittedly beautiful Hawaii environment… go ahead, check it out);
haphazardly and randomly assembled speech snippets;
music video theme, oftentimes with lyric music underlaying those haphazardly and randomly assembled speech snippets, which of course creates a cacophony of words cross-moginating with other words.
Even though the business had been making the team a living, they couldn't go on doing the same old thing, expecting different results and happier creative lives. Something just had to change.
One day, Stephan received an email in his inbox. It was from a 5-time Emmy-Award-Winning Filmmaker, Patrick, who dared the reader to step-up and learn what it really means to "tell a story."
Stephan replied, days later plunked down $6000 and began a journey that would teach him the science and art of storytelling and would take him to far off places, really telling stories that were so far outside the box of wedding music videos that once again, he could cry. Only this time he would cry tears of joy as he and other hungry filmmakers journeyed to places like:
Japan
Okinawa
Fiji
The French Riviera
The Colorado Rockies
Portland, Oregon
and the Hawaiian Islands
… telling stories that actually applied scientific principles as well as the nuanced art of storytelling.
Since that fateful meltdown in July, 2016 in his edit suite when he exposed himself as a storytelling fraud, his team and he have been on a quest to blow up the wedding film genre box and change the expectation of what a wedding film can be.
They hope you already see the difference in their work. But what’s even more is that Stephan sincerely wants you to imagine your untold story as the one story that will top every other they have ever told and become the new gold standard that touches the audiences’ hearts and moves their minds. The team wants your story to redefine what a wedding film can be, your desires, hopes, dreams and love to raise the bar for wedding film storytelling.
Thank you so much for embarking on this journey of purpose-driven creative with Stephan and his team and they can't wait to discover your film and tell your epic story.
Illuminated Visuals is a husband and wife videography team based in Maui, Hawaii. They started their company in 2013 and...
A Maui SunsetStephan Boeker FilmsFlared LoveLens flare palm treesWhen we met...WhispersSlow MotionMaui SunsetReflections of YouBouquetTender HandsBird's Eye ViewBridal PrepHawaii, land of volcanoesClose-up at 35mmStormy LoveLove in the CloudsA Maui SunsetStephan Boeker FilmsFlared Love
My now fiancé popped the question on a beach during sunset while we were vacationing in Maui. Little did I know, Stephan was in the background capturing our perfect moment. He was so incredibly easy to work with. He was flexible enough to create a longer 5 minute version of our engagement video, which we will be sharing with our guests at our engagement party, as well as a shorter 1 minute version. The images he captured were unreal. We are still obsessing over them. I wish we could ship him out to Chicago for our actual wedding!
Sent on 03/15/2019
Stephan Boeker Films's reply:
It really was such a pleasure working with Miro to bring this to life. And then to meet you and see all that unfold in front of our eyes, well, what a treat!
Just for the record you absolutely positively CAN SHIP US OUT to Chicago for your wedding!
Heidi
· Married on 07/18/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Stephan is Amazing!!
Hiring Stephan for our webcast and wedding video was the best vendor decision we made in Maui. We wanted our friends and family who couldn't make it to share our experience and Stephan delivered! He was great to work with leading up to the wedding. The webcast and video were fantastic. We are grateful to Stephan for preserving our special day and enabling us to share it. Thanks Stephan!!!
Sent on 09/25/2019
Stephan Boeker Films's reply:
You and Kevin Rock! Despite the howling winds, power outages and the accompanying production headaches that come with that, you guys made it all smooth like buttah. Such a delight. Thank you! See you when you visit us again.
Maureen Mayer
· Married on 05/20/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Maui Beach Wedding
My husband and I eloped in Maui, but we wanted to make sure we could share our special day with our families back home. Stephan was so fun to work with and very down to earth. He did any amazing job of capturing our wedding at Makena Cove Beach, and I’d be thrilled to work with him again. Highly recommend!
The best Maui has to offer to share your special day with your loved ones that couldn't make the trip to Maui. This is a no-brainer. Have your ceremony recorded live and share it with your world! These guys are super good at what they do and know their stuff. They are unobtrusive and professional and will make sure you feel at ease and are thrilled with the results.
I've worked with Live Maui Webcast on numerous occasions and they always do such a good job of documenting the wedding. It's been such a treat for couples to share their wedding day with friends and family who could not make it.
We recommend them to all of our clients.
Live Maui Webcast got it going on. I've shot SO MANY weddings, with these guys recording in live & sending it out across the world to family & friends that just couldn't be here for the BIG event. How cool is that? Gotta love technology & "Live Maui Webcasts & DVD!"
