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Wedding films are often seen as simple event videos, but Luke Bernardi is changing that. In this episode, Dane Shoemaker sits down with Luke, the founder of Bernardi Films, to talk about how he’s transforming wedding filmmaking with original music, reality TV-style interviews, and cinematic storytelling. Luke shares his journey from freelancing for top studios to launching his own brand, the challenges he’s faced, and how he sets himself apart in the industry. He also discusses the business side of wedding videography, from pricing strategies to client expectations, and why sound design plays a crucial role in his films. Tune in to hear Luke’s unique approach to filmmaking, the impact of storytelling in weddings, and his vision for the future of Bernardi Films.
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Welcome to the Shoemaker Films Podcast.
This podcast explores stories of local businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives, while also offering tactical tips and valuable knowledge on video marketing, social media, and navigating the digital landscape.
At Shoemaker Films, we focus on crafting professional video content that can help your businesses thrive online. Whether you're looking to launch a new product, tell your brand story, or engage with your audience on social media, we're here to help!
Looking to elevate your brand? Let's work together!
Visit our website at https://shoemakerfilms.com/
Follow us on Instagram @shoemaker.films
We use ClickUp to manage all of our video projects, collaborate with team members, and stay on top of our content schedule. Sign up for a free account here: https://try.web.clickup.com/shoemakerfilms
//////////////////////////////////////////////
Welcome to the Shoemaker Films Podcast.
This podcast explores stories of local businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives, while also offering tactical tips and valuable knowledge on video marketing, social media, and navigating the digital landscape.
At Shoemaker Films, we focus on crafting professional video content that can help your businesses thrive online. Whether you're looking to launch a new product, tell your brand story, or engage with your audience on social media, we're here to help!
Looking to elevate your brand? Let's work together!
Visit our website at https://shoemakerfilms.com/
Follow us on Instagram @shoemaker.films
We use ClickUp to manage all of our video projects, collaborate with team members, and stay on top of our content schedule. Sign up for a free account here: https://try.web.clickup.com/shoemakerfilms
Creators and Guests
What is FounderGPS?
FounderGPS is the official podcast of Shoemaker Films. Join host Dane Shoemaker in 1-on-1 conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, and creators across the globe. Join the adventure with guests as they share their experience building in public and explore the platforms and culture across the digital marketing and business landscape. Watch and listen to inspiring stories while gaining some practical business advice. Visit www.shoemakerfilms.com for more details on our company, and stay up to date by following us on Instagram @shoemakerfilms
This is the Shoemaker Films podcast.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Shoemaker Films podcast. I'm Dane Shoemaker. I'm here with Luke Bernardi, Bernardi Films. Luke, how are you doing today?
Speaker 3:I'm doing fantastic. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Of course. This is this is fun. I think feel like we started following each other on Instagram maybe a year ago or something like that. And I don't do, wedding films at all, but I'm just blown away by the quality of the work you do.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's such a wide variety that's out there that you're getting with wedding stuff, but I feel like these are, like, these are, like, high end films. And some of them are, like, reality shows too. Right? Like, I wanna dig into that a little bit. But, can you tell me about, you know, how you got into this?
Speaker 2:You know, what's your business like? Your little bit of your background?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. So first, I wanna start. I feel like there's a perception about wedding films, that they're kind of a lower tier art form, especially in the filmmaking community. I feel like people view wedding films as just a thing you do to make a little extra money. But, you know, I've been doing wedding films for about ten years now, and I've really just decided how can we elevate the art forms that's a more respected, form of, like, filmmaking.
Speaker 3:And so the way we we do that is through original compositions. So we're making our own music to the wedding film. We're the only video company in the world that makes our own wedding film music. And we also incorporate those reality TV style interviews. So we're interviewing the friends and family.
Speaker 3:We're interviewing the parents, the bridal party, and we're telling the story from the perspective of the people that know the couple the most.
Speaker 2:What is that what is that process? I mean, well, before we get into that, like, how did you what's been the evolution of, like, when what was your first wedding that you shot, and, like, what has that progression looked like over the last couple years or decade? I don't know how long you've been in the business.
Speaker 3:So Yeah. So I've been I started filming weddings when I was in high school. I got really lucky. I had a great mentor in high school, Jeff Ash, who kinda brought me along as an assistant for his business and kinda just showed me the basics. And man, my wedding films from when I first started to now, it's completely, it's completely different, to imagine, like yeah.
Speaker 3:Basically, I've been doing this for about over a decade now. And so I've been working for all the top studios, just, you know, you kind of freelance in the beginning. You're just working for whoever you can find to give you jobs. Right? In 2020, we all lost our jobs, essentially, in the wedding industry.
Speaker 3:So I use that time to just kind of reflect and be like, I need to be in control of my own financial future. You know, I can't be dependent on other people, for my life. You know? So I decided to start my own business and just use all the things that I've learned from those past ten years and all the good things and all the bad things to avoid. And I started Bernardi films and then the original music thing came in because I've been a musician my whole life.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm really a musician that got a camera. Right? So I was like, how can I work this musician this like talent that I have into my films? And so I was like, why don't we just make our own music to the wedding film? Because I found that everything was everything was just too dramatic or either too campy, you know, with, like, royalty free music.
Speaker 2:There's always so much stock free, you know, stock royalty music out there that, you know, there's probably a lot, but
Speaker 3:yeah. Exactly. Yeah. I I was it was came out of necessity.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So and I feel like your style is partly the sounds that you use. You know? We're so visual as, like, filmmakers and photographers. But, really, your sound is equally as important to what your style is. So I'm like, why don't we make our own sounds?
Speaker 3:You know? Mhmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I always say that, like, video or, you know, videos are are audio is the most important part. Right? Especially, like, I do a lot of podcasts, so, obviously, podcasts are gonna be they have to be audio. You can listen to podcasts in the car.
Speaker 2:But if you're listening to, like, a brand story or any video, I always start with the music first and then layer on the, you know, interviews and then layer on the b roll last. So, like, the visual part is actually, like, the least important part of a video in my in my opinion. So I'm I'm aligned a % with that that statement.
Speaker 3:Yeah. When when we watch movies, what the characters say we're not watching silent movies. You know? We wanna hear the the dialogue between the characters, and I feel like that applies to wedding filmmaking as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah. We've I feel like, there's definitely science behind it, but, like, I feel like auditory stuff is, like, jars more emotions. Like, you know, you hear something, like, you know, like the like an ice cream truck or something like that, and that immediately brings you back to, like, summer when you were, like, 10 years old or something like that, and you start feeling nostalgic and and stuff like that. So, yeah, I feel like audio music is really sets the tone for for something. So, do you do do you compose all original stuff for every every video that you do, every wedding film?
Speaker 2:Or
Speaker 3:Oh, we do it for the teasers right now. We do we do occasionally do it for the full wedding film. That's a bit a bit more involved of a process. But for our teasers that we post on on Instagram, we're doing original music.
Speaker 2:And a lot of it's yeah. I I mean, I gotta go back and watch some of them, but it's like it's it's like cinematic. So you have these, like, piano hits Yeah. And then, like, you know, these, like, you know, strings and stuff like that. So how do you, how do you let's just go into that.
Speaker 2:How do you come I mean, how do you come up with musical compositions? I mean, what what tools are you using? What instruments are you playing? You know, what's that process like?
Speaker 3:You're right. So we use a lot of, samples through Splice, a sample company. Yeah. And we kinda get, like, the the, like, sounds and the instrumental hits through there. But I'm a piano player as well as a guitar player and a a vocalist.
Speaker 3:So we are composing, like, actual songs with lyrics occasionally when when we feel like it fits. Yeah. And so we'll ask couples. We'll be like, hey. What are four artists that you love?
Speaker 3:Or, like, what's the last concert that you've seen? And they'll give us they'll give us artists, and we'll base that music in that world. So kind of like a aggregate of all the artists that they list will kind of make something that's kind of inspired by that. Yeah. A a lot of videographers, honestly, I've gotten a lot of negative DMs from other videographers.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Then do you know you're doing something good? Yeah. Yeah. When Pete, you're getting hate on Instagram.
Speaker 3:I get I got a I get a lot of hate from other videographers on Instagram.
Speaker 2:Like, you're making you're making me look bad, buddy? Or, like, what?
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's like, oh, now we have to be musicians. I've I get that comment all the time. They're like, it's already so hard to make wedding films. Now you you're we have to, like, score original films.
Speaker 3:And I'm like, well, you don't have to do that, but that's something that I'm just bringing to the table to differentiate my business from other businesses. No.
Speaker 2:You that is such a compliment in disguise that, like, people are coming after you. Like, thanks a lot. Now we gotta, you know, now we gotta be John Williams over here, like, for for these weddings. I'm like, that's how you you have to do you have to be different, right, and set yourself apart and take things to the next level. Like, it's a competitive field.
Speaker 2:Sure. And that's, you know, that's awesome. Yeah. I think that's great. I'm jealous.
Speaker 2:The fact that you're actually people are, like, DM ing you mean things. That means you're doing something good.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. I love mean comments on
Speaker 1:the Internet. It's great.
Speaker 3:I live for it. Yeah. It's it's so funny because, like, when you the more successful you get is, like, the more love you get, but also the more, hate you get. So you kinda have to have the emotional, like, capacity to not get upset over every little comment that you read on. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Especially, like, we had a wedding film, last year that got over a million views on Instagram, which was, like, absolutely nuts for a wedding film. Yeah. And and that the amount of, like, comments just reading it was just so overwhelming.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But that was really cool.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Well, they're just so they're such feel good. Like, I've I've actually done I've done a couple weddings, and they're great. They're fun. Like, the the brides were amazing.
Speaker 2:Like, it was it was a fun experience and, like, people are just it's such an emotional day and just people get, like I'm not gonna lie. I've watched a couple of your films. I'm like, oh my god. This is like this is like really good stuff here. Like, you know, and, like, I don't even know who these people are.
Speaker 2:Right? You know? So, it's just an emotional day. So, like, I think everyone and especially if you're married or whatever, you can kinda relate to, you know, you get kinda nostalgic about your wedding day and stuff like that. So
Speaker 3:I % agree. And, when we talk about, like, wedding films being emotional Yeah. I would say there's a difference between videography and storytelling. Right? So a videographer will capture an emotional moment, maybe like a dad crying the first time he sees a bride.
Speaker 3:Yeah. But a storyteller will take the data side and be like, what was going through your head when you when you saw your daughter for the first time? And I had this happen at one of my weddings. He was saying he's like, when I saw my daughter walking down the stairs and I saw her for the first time, I was thinking back to when she was three years old and I was sitting there with my dad, her grandfather. And we were just like she was like playing dress up with like all the dresses.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And he's like, I I was crying because I was thinking of my dad who who passed. And so he was that's why he was crying is because he was having that emotional connection like I miss my dad. And that made the the scene so much more
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like emotional is like interviewing him afterwards.
Speaker 2:How do you I mean, you you gotta plan this stuff out, right, in advance. Like, hey. Your father of the bride interview is, like, during this time. Right? Like, you have to have this stuff.
Speaker 2:Because those weddings are insane, like, the schedule. Right? So Yeah. How do you manage that schedule with, like, the photographer, wedding planners? Like, how does what's that look like?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So one of the things that we really started doing is doing multi day coverage. So the day before maybe at the rehearsal dinner, we'll get a ton of interviews. We'll get all the family telling the amazing stories and it really gets people into the wedding mood. Right?
Speaker 3:So we kind of have the story already crafted before we even show up on the wedding day. So we kind of like doing a mix of planned and unplanned interviews. So plan the day before. Right? We'll do like a professional interview set up like this, and then we'll do drunk interviews at the end of the night.
Speaker 3:And I feel like I like the I like the dichotomy of, like, planned, interviews and drunk interviews. Yeah. Because it looks a kind of, like, fun mix. You know? That's cool.
Speaker 3:People say some wild shit, especially the groomsmen. So it's some pretty you get some stuff that, like, you can't put on the Internet. I wish I could put all this stuff that we get in the interviews on the Internet, but I would get canceled.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I'm sure. Yeah. Do you give most of the stuff then to the bride and groom?
Speaker 3:Like Yeah. We give the full, uncut interviews to the bride and groom, and it's honestly their favorite part of the wedding video experience.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Yeah. We had our wedding filmed too. It was this is back in 2016, so, you know, these were I don't know if these were camcorders that the the guys were using, but it's just it's like night and day looking at stuff that you do versus, you know, from almost ten years ago. Right?
Speaker 2:That was me
Speaker 3:with the camcorders. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's kind of an old concept, the interviews, you know, because, like, people would come up to the tables and do it. We're just kind of, like, elevating it a little bit. So what about, like, when did, like, the reality show style, like, edits start popping up? Are people asking you for that? Did you have the idea to pitch to a couple?
Speaker 2:Like, how did that
Speaker 3:Yeah. So there's actually a videographer in Texas, Justin Porter, who Oh,
Speaker 2:yeah. I know him. Yeah. I follow him. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Justin Porter, he's kinda started the reality TV wedding thing. Yeah. And it it's a kind of a thing, like, it's an old tradition that kinda is revamped. And so we kind of just our take on it is we do that, but it we kinda do it more in, like, a Netflix doc style as opposed to, like, reality TV, because we found that, like, some clients were kinda turned off with the idea of, like, our wedding being being a reality TV show. Right?
Speaker 3:Because often, like, what's associated with reality TV is, like, controversy
Speaker 2:Drama.
Speaker 3:Shit talking, drama.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So we wanted ours to be, like, a little bit more classy.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's kind of like a classy reality TV show. It's kind of what what I was going for.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Makes sense. Yeah. Was there, I mean, any, like, any really fun weddings that you've done that you you know, any good stories or funny stories or, you know, things like that you might wanna share?
Speaker 3:Oh, I have a ton.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 3:So I actually filmed a wedding, last year where Donald Trump showed up Oh, wow. At the wedding. And so I got interviews of all the people, talking about, like, their interactions with him. Like like, they're going to the bathroom and, like, they're and, like, Donald Trump walks in. He's like, you boys are so great.
Speaker 3:You boys are terrific. Like, the best dressed guys in the world. And that was just that was really fun to because that was, like, one of my goals is to have, like, a president in my wedding video, and that was, like, one of the coolest moments. One of my favorite weddings, that I did last year, the bride stepped on a beehive. It was nuts.
Speaker 3:So she wants she she had this idea that she wanted to, like, get a shot of her her and her husband running through a field. Right? And the the husband's like, I don't know if that's a great idea, like, it's like tall grass. And she's like, no. I have a vision.
Speaker 3:We're doing this. So they start running. We're filming it. And then she just stops and she goes, oh, shit. I just stepped on a beehive.
Speaker 3:And then a swarm of bees start attacking all the photographers and wedding planners and all her bridal party. Everybody got stung. It was absolutely crazy. So the bride goes back to the bridal suite. Right?
Speaker 3:And she has to take off her dress. Right? And there's bees still living in the dress, and they all, like, re attack everyone. It was the craziest thing I've ever seen, but that's probably the the most, like, nuts thing.
Speaker 2:I can only imagine. Was anybody allergic or anything? Or
Speaker 3:Thank god. We had to go puff some Benadryl, but Yeah. Thankfully, no one was definitely allergic.
Speaker 2:Can you imagine if she, like, got bit on her face and just puffed up, like, right before her wedding or oh my god. That'd be crazy.
Speaker 3:The worst thing I ever heard was a bride getting food poisoning on her wedding day, and she just spent the entire day on the can. It's so so sad.
Speaker 2:That's well, this is one you were at?
Speaker 3:Or this is not what I was at. This is what I I heard about, But
Speaker 1:That would be yeah. That would be pretty bad.
Speaker 3:And my lowest moment was when I, crashed a drone at an Indian wedding. I I thought I was trying to get a shot of the the brat ceremony where they're on the horse, and they're all, like, dancing. Yeah. It was, like, they're sent off smoke bombs. It was, like, the coolest shot.
Speaker 3:I was, like, this is the the coolest shot I've ever gotten. And then I'm, like, alright. I got the shot, and then I flew fly back over the trees, to, like, land.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And then I clipped a tree, and it got stuck in a bush, like 30 feet high in the air. I couldn't get to it. I tried for like hours, to find this drone.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So I I leave, at the end
Speaker 2:of the day and I
Speaker 3:go back home and my mom's like, you're finding that drone. And I'm like, I can't find the drone. It's like buried in like bush. And she's like, no. We're finding it.
Speaker 3:And so she we bring like landscaping equipment to this wedding venue the day after. And after, like, three hours, I'm saying, like, a prayer to, like, my my, like, grandfather. And, like, we found if we find the drone, like, on a cliff, just, like, there, like, with the golden rays of light on it, I'm like, oh my god. We found it. I was so happy.
Speaker 2:And you got it? You got the footage? Yeah. Oh, man. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That is always one of my fears too. I've only crashed a drone once, but I was able to get it, but it wasn't lost. So, that's cool. I was gonna ask you, do you fly all your drone footage too?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yourself.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. We have a ton of, we have a ton of drone footage of Philadelphia and and everything. You know? But, yeah, we use we use drone footage just, like, as a,
Speaker 2:It's like establishing shot.
Speaker 3:Establishing shot. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think one of the one of
Speaker 3:the big, like, things in the wedding film world is not to use drone shots first. It's like a big it's kind of like a cliche Yeah. That, like, there there's, like, certain things about, like really, like, all you have is your preferences for your style, and, like, a preference of mine is, like, no makeup shots in in the film. That's, like, one things we don't do.
Speaker 2:Like, doing
Speaker 3:Like, I feel like every wedding video kinda starts with, like, just makeup. Yeah. And I'm like, why would a bride want shots of her before she has makeup on?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Just, like, stuff like that. That's just, like, industry stuff that
Speaker 2:That's a good that's a good point. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like, why would why would you want that? So we don't do any of that.
Speaker 2:I do feel like, even with just, like, the stuff that we do is, like, there's always a a drone shot at the beginning of the video. I'm like, alright. I gotta stop doing this now. It's like the establishing shot. It's not establishing anything.
Speaker 2:It's, you know, it has nothing to do with the rest of the video, but, just drones are sick, though. You know? They're fun.
Speaker 3:They're so fun when you don't crash them.
Speaker 2:Yeah. What do
Speaker 1:you what do you have? Who do you fly?
Speaker 3:Mavic Air three.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. With the the two, lenses. Okay. That's really fun. So we can get, like, telephoto drone shots, which is really cool.
Speaker 3:Okay. I love it.
Speaker 2:Nice. So do you do any, do you do any any work outside of wedding stuff?
Speaker 3:Yeah. We do we do, occasionally corporate stuff, and and, we also make music. Like, I'm an artist. My wife, Mia, is an, a musician, and I write her her music. Okay.
Speaker 3:So we have, like, music on Spotify and Apple Music and everything.
Speaker 2:Oh, nice.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm doing when I'm not doing wedding films.
Speaker 2:That's what you really enjoy, doing the music. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Really, I'm just a musician trying to find Yeah. That's cool. Find my way.
Speaker 2:I, I played guitar for a long time. High school, I was in a band and, DJed for a little bit and then was, like, producing electronic music, like, ten years ago, and I got out of it. Found this stuff, which I I've enjoyed this better. But, yeah, I I appreciate what you do. So So you do mostly corporate?
Speaker 2:Mostly corporate stuff.
Speaker 3:Nice. I absolutely love the the work you do. It's like I feel like it's really, like, a good representation of the brands.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's awesome. Thank you.
Speaker 3:In, like, a really a way that doesn't feel like an ad. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:Yeah. We don't do a lot of, like, traditional commercial stuff. Most of what we do is, like, you know, brand building I don't know, like, next generation, like, kinda brand building stuff, like YouTube and podcasts and social media content, stuff like that. And then we'll do a lot of, like, brand story, like, corporate brand story stuff. But I haven't done a lot of, like, ads, like, stuff that you'll see.
Speaker 2:I wanna get there. I wanna like, a nice high end ad, like a Super Bowl ad. I would love to produce that, you know, like, someday. But, I really like working with, like, entrepreneurs and business owners and kinda be in their marketing arm in a way.
Speaker 3:It's so valuable Yeah. For, for an entrepreneur to be the face of their business and to be a present face on their social medias. So I think that's, like, where you really kill it. It's it's such a big bang for their buck to have, like, a podcast of them just, like, sharing their opinions and what makes them unique. So I think that's really valuable
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:More so than, like, a traditional
Speaker 2:ad. Yeah. I think we're gonna see more of that. I hope. Because I feel like I found a pretty good niche with that with, like, founder led, like, marketing, you know, you know, as they build the business that you're kind of, like, documenting that process.
Speaker 2:And, so yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's like there's 20 businesses selling the identical product. You know? It's like in Mad Men. It's like you can say whatever you want.
Speaker 3:So it's just the message that you wanna give out there, you know, that that distinguishes yourself from all these competitors, which are essentially making the same thing they're making. So I I think it's it's so important to be founder led.
Speaker 2:Yep. Mad Men is, like, one of my ultimate favorite shows of all time.
Speaker 3:Cool. That shit.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. Before I even got into it, like, in high school, I was watching. I was like, man, that's that's what I I actually got into sales because part of that was, like, I just I thought it was just a cool like, Don Draper was, like, a cool dude. Kind of a piece of shit, but, like, also cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, yeah. What else so what's, you know, the music that you make with Mia, what what's that like? Tell me about
Speaker 3:We're we have a big, pop punk influence
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:In our in, Mia's music. It's kind of like
Speaker 2:Do you have a band name or is it Mia or what's the
Speaker 3:Mia Cephalow.
Speaker 2:Mia Cephalow. Okay. How about the check check I'll have to check you out then. Yeah. And you play Yeah.
Speaker 3:I kinda do a lot of the writing, and some of the guitar work, And we have our amazing producer, Jeff McKinnon, who, really elevates the the the music, and we're trying to, like she we can be the next thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It'll be fun. Yeah. Alright. Cool.
Speaker 2:What's the, do you guys play live at all? Or
Speaker 3:she so she's in a wedding band called The Business. There's this wedding band, The Business. They tour all around, like I
Speaker 2:think I've heard
Speaker 3:live casino. Like Yeah. And, they're awesome to work with.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:The business is great. Like, if you if you need, like, a wedding band, the business is, like, gonna keep the party going.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So we we we really wanna work together. We haven't worked together yet Okay. Like our companies. But
Speaker 2:Yeah. You almost have, like yeah. Yeah. So you have the wedding band, you have the wedding videography. You just need, like, a photographer, and you guys kinda and a DJ, and then you guys are ready to go.
Speaker 3:Yeah. We we added photography this year to our wedding video Okay. Just because we found that, like, it's just easier to control the schedule. Right? And Yeah.
Speaker 3:A lot of our clients are, like, video first clients. Like, they prioritize, like, the video. So we just needed, like, something to we just needed to be in control of the schedule because we we find that kind of photographers kinda dominate the the wedding day schedule. So that's why we have to do a lot of our interviews, like, the day before or, like, during the drunk cocktail, like, during the drunk reception times.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's smart, though. I think people kinda want that one stop shop sometimes.
Speaker 2:Like
Speaker 3:Sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, like, you and I know that photo and video are so different, but some people just don't they kinda see it as, like, one thing. Like, a photo and video. It's, like, the same, you know, same camera. Like, I'll be running around with this thing. So I'm like, hey.
Speaker 2:Can you take my picture? I'm like,
Speaker 3:no. It's like I could, but you're not gonna get it. So
Speaker 2:This, I can't. That, I can FX three, I can take a photo with.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:No. That's cool. So do you on a typical day when you're do you how many people or do you have, like, a is it just you or do you have a BCAM? Do you have
Speaker 3:So we typically have two
Speaker 2:to three people Yeah.
Speaker 3:On a wedding day. I have a team of, 10, like, contractors. Yeah. So it's a pretty big team of people that we, like, rotate in and out. We have a great editor.
Speaker 3:And, yeah, everyone on the team kinda, like, believes in our, like, philosophy of, like, story first, and we're we kinda have, like we're aligned stylistically. So we can have multiple we can have, like, three weddings a day, and they're all kind of consistent across, like, our style, which is really awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Is that typical that you might have two or three runnings going on in one day?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. Especially for, like, busy days like September. We usually have, like, almost usually, on most Saturdays, we'll have, like, two or three jobs a day.
Speaker 2:That's that's that's great. Yeah. So how have you sourced, you know, the contractors? I mean, are these they're they're obviously ten ten ninety nine employees, but how do you manage that? Like, how how how did you go about finding talent and how much have you had to develop that train?
Speaker 2:Now we're moving over to CEO, Luke, here. Let's talk more about the business. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So it's, it's about half and half, like, finding people
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And training people. So I've I've trained people, and I've found people. I find that there's, like, pros and cons with both. So the thing about training people is you can have them do it exactly the way you want, so they don't have any bad habits from, like, other videography studios. And the best thing about, like I feel like the key, honestly, when hiring people is to just be at the top of the rates for the wedding videos.
Speaker 3:Right? So, like, we're never paying people. Like, people always return my calls because, like, I pay them the most. Like, we do we do you know what I mean? I feel like, honestly, it comes down to that.
Speaker 3:It's, like, charging enough to sustain your business so that you can pay your contractors, like, the top rate so that they'll always prioritize you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So we end up getting, like, the best videographers, in in the area, just because we we pay the most. And they kind of, like, respect our style, and they wanna I get I get messages from, like, people all over the world, like, wanting to join the team and be a part of it, which is really awesome. And I feel like people like, when people see the results on, like, social media, they're like, oh, I wanna do that kind of stuff because it's also it's like when we pay people the most and we also offer creatively fulfilling work, it's not just like wedding videographer stuff. It's like we're doing interviews and like all this cool creative stuff, that they feel like they're engaged with. So that's the coolest thing about, like, finding and hiring people,
Speaker 2:I would say. That's awesome. Yeah. I feel like when you have when your expectations or you set the bar high and you pay well and you train people, like, people are are loyal. Right?
Speaker 2:And you deliver a great product and sure you treat people well and you know? So yeah.
Speaker 3:There's, like, a few things that'll kill a business that I've seen because I've I've been in this for ten years. I've seen a lot of video I've I've seen a lot of wedding companies, rise and fall. Three things that will sync a wedding company. One, not delivering on time. So if you're delivering, like, a year or two years after the wedding, you're cooked.
Speaker 3:Two, not not charging enough is the biggest mistake that I see in the wedding industry. It's it don't get me wrong. Like, weddings are very expensive and people you know? But if you don't charge enough, you don't have enough money to pay yourself or to pay your employees and your contractors. So if you have too much work, you end up getting burnout, and then you can't deliver on time.
Speaker 3:So I see that syncing a lot of businesses. You have to treat everyone with respect in this industry. I feel like if you get a reputation of being of treating people, like, unfairly, that it's such a small community that, like, word word gets around. Like, even, like, the staff, like, of of the venues, they work so hard. They work so much harder than the photographers and videographers, and sometimes I just see them being, like, treated like the help, and it it just irks me.
Speaker 3:It's, like, so sad.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well, I I feel like, yeah, the wedding industry is, like, its own thing, which is why I've never I chose not to focus on it just because, like, that that could be, like, what I do then. Right? Because, like, you you know the photographers, you know the wedding venue, you know the wedding planners, and the staff too. To your point too, I used to, catering.
Speaker 2:I worked for a catering company for many years at Suck. That was so that was that was brutal work. Just long, you know, long day and not great pay. But
Speaker 3:The the catering company is like they work the hardest, and they're the first to get yelled at by the clients, and it's just it's not fair for sure.
Speaker 2:But, oh, on pricing too. Like, my wife, the CEO, always is hard for me to, you know, you gotta raise your prices. You gotta charge more. You know? Easy for you to say.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But it's like you know, but she's right. Like, you know, I think there is a perception where, okay, you know, if I'm like, with anything. Right? If you're if you're gonna if you pay a higher premium, you're expecting a better thing, and you almost have, like, more confidence that that is gonna solve your problem or deliver on what you're looking for.
Speaker 2:Right? So, you know, the higher end on something typically is like, okay. I know they're professionals. They're gonna be able to handle it. But if it's, like, really cheap, it's like, that's kinda what's wrong?
Speaker 2:What, you know, what what'd you do? Like, you know
Speaker 3:Your lowest paying customers will cause the most problems with your business. They'll have the most they'll expect the most. Your highest paying customers will expect the least and be happy because they trust your your vision.
Speaker 2:It's so true. Yeah. Yeah. It really is true. And it is important, like, as a business owner myself, like, just learning all of the the things that, like, you know, you're not you're collecting You're maybe getting like $25.30 cents on the dollar that you're bringing home right after taxes, after paying contractors, after other expenses, right?
Speaker 2:Like that. It's like all of those things you start learning as a business owner. Like, wow, I really have to raise my prices because I I need to eat and I need to pay my, you know, rent or mortgage or whatever. Right? So, yeah.
Speaker 2:For most people, this
Speaker 3:is kind of a a hobby. Yeah. They see it as like a hobby and but to really go full time, you have to have the guts to charge what you're worth.
Speaker 2:I've figured that out very re very recently. I I just went full time with this business, February 1.
Speaker 3:Congratulations. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I've been last three years been doing this as a side hustle and very quickly realized, you know, late last year, I was like, okay. Like, we're running the numbers. I'm like, definitely not charging enough. Right?
Speaker 2:And there's again, it comes with that perception as well that, like, if we're gonna be, like, the mainline video marketing company, we we need to charge a premium. We deliver we're delivering great res you know, great quality content, delivering results for for business owners. Right? And so we gotta we gotta charge that. Right?
Speaker 2:So, A %. Yeah. Yeah. We've had the opportunity to to talk to a lot of entrepreneurs as well as, like, with this, like, with this podcast, and it's been that's like it's been like an MBA, in and of itself.
Speaker 3:So you've really positioned yourself as the mainline videography studio. Or I I don't know if you'd say videography studio. What do what would you consider your business?
Speaker 2:We call ourselves a video marketing company.
Speaker 3:Video marketing. That's a great
Speaker 2:Yeah. Video marketing agency. Just because yeah. I think, like, videography and, you know, no offense to video videographers, but I just feel like that term, people just see that, like, oh, you press a button on with a camera, and then you and then you're gone, you know, or whatever. But, like, we try and be, like, a trusted partner with, you know, these businesses.
Speaker 3:You can do podcasts. You can do ads. You can do, like, all these creative, like, things. So I definitely feel like marketing companies more an accurate reflection of what you do. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that's so valuable.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. It's getting more and more valuable and, you know, I feel, like, a little nervous with, like, some of the AI stuff that's out there.
Speaker 2:Not really, though. You know what I mean? Because, first of all, you can't replicate the wedding stuff with AI, obviously. Right? What I do is feel like not yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But I feel like what I do too is, like, more journalistic documentary, more authentic type stuff. It's we're a long way ways, if at all, from AI being able being able to take out some of that stuff, I think.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You can instantly tell when it's, like, an AI Yeah. Ad or something.
Speaker 2:Or Some of the b roll, though, like, hey. Like, you know, if I need an establishing shot of this, you know, of this wedding venue, there's probably some day I'll be able to just put plug in a photo and I mean, you can do that today. You can put in a photo and it turns into, like, a three second video or something like that. So, but, yeah, there's applications for it, but I think I'm not too worried about it.
Speaker 3:Going back to, like, wedding wedding videos, the the idea of wedding videos being kind of, like, a lower tier art form. Yeah. I was talking with someone at one time, and they said that they found, like, an old recording of their parents who passed away, like an old voice mail, of of their mom. And she said, like, that was the greatest thing that she found because she got to hear her mom's voice, and she forgot what her mom's voice sounded like because she had been passed for so long. And she's like, it brought her so much, like, joy and, like, the memories just started coming back.
Speaker 3:And, like, that's my biggest inspiration with my wedding film business is, like, I wanna get these people on camera because you never know how long you have with someone. I I know, like, we've we've all, like, lost people, and the idea of, like, having a one on one conversation with them again, you'd pay anything for it. Like, it's literally, like, priceless. So the idea that we can provide that on a wedding day, to people to have that for forever, and maybe, like, they find some comfort later on their life through that, that's, like, kinda what motivates me, to keep doing this.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's great. I mean, that I agree. Like, there's so much so many times that I feel like, you know, I'd love to sit down with, you know, my parents or my wife's parents and just kinda have, like, an interview with them. And I always wish that, like, I had more of that, like, with my grandparents and stuff like that before they passed away.
Speaker 2:So, like, having those memories, like, kind of, like, solidified within a family, like, is is so important and so cool. So I agree. Yeah. Like, a wedding day capturing that wedding day is such an amazing, you know, product that you're putting together for them.
Speaker 3:It's a great opportunity to get those people on on camera.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. It might be the only time
Speaker 3:It's probably the only time It's the only opportunity ever that you have to get some of your family on camera.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, it's it's such a rare thing to have all these people in a room together that love you. You know? When when does that happen in your life?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Not often.
Speaker 3:Yeah. That's so cool. So let's let's capture it. Yeah. You know, weddings are an interesting combination of, like, a religious ceremony and an extravagant party, and I always thought that that was, like, so interesting.
Speaker 3:It's such a weird, it's such a weird world.
Speaker 2:You know? What was the most extravagant party or wedding that you've ever been to?
Speaker 3:You know, I gotta be honest. Like, I've been to so many nice I I've been to so many, like, expensive, classy events that, like, the extravagance of it all doesn't really, like, phase me anymore. I get more, invested when, like, the family really loves each other, and you can tell that, you can tell, like, that the families are really love each other, and they're coming together for the the couple. That's kinda, like, what what really excites me is when they you you can tell that, like, there's a lot of love in the room. That's what I, like, always remember.
Speaker 3:It's like how how much they love each other. Yeah. You know? I feel like that's, like, that leaves a mark on me. Like, yeah, there's, like, been, like, amazing, like, floral you know, people spend, like, half a million on just flowers, stuff like that.
Speaker 3:But you remember the vibe in the room more than anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's that's great. What about destinations? Have you ever been do do destination weddings? Or We do a few
Speaker 3:destinations a year. One of my favorite destination weddings we've done is we did the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. That was really fun. You know, there's a there's a saying in the photography community. It's like, is it luxury or is it Italy?
Speaker 3:Like, basically saying, like, if you take any shot in in some of these locations, it looks beautiful. Like, Italy is just cinematic and beautiful. Like, that's why there's so many photographers in, like, Utah because you just take a picture, and it's like the canyons, and it just goes on forever. It's so, like, breathtaking. So destination destination weddings are really cool for that in that aspect.
Speaker 3:It's like taking your your work to a next level just by changing the background.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean, there's only so there's only so much beauty you can extract from New Jersey. You know?
Speaker 2:Hey. New Jersey is actually, like, it's it's sleeping on some, like, really nice areas. Jersey gets, like, a bad rap because, like
Speaker 3:I agree.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And, actually, I was just watching something the other day because Netflix, you know, is building do you hear about this? They're building, like, a billion dollar
Speaker 3:Oh, in New Jersey? Studio. Like in Lenox City. Right?
Speaker 2:Up north, like for, like Monmouth. Fort Monmouth, it's like a military base, so they're converting into a Netflix studio. And they're kind of, like, breaking it down because you have the the beaches, obviously. You have the beaches. You have, like, Newark, which is kind of like could could look like New York City, like downtown.
Speaker 2:So you could film there, but it's not in New York, obviously. And then you have I forgot what the other city is, but kind of it's like a Washington DC look look alike in Jersey.
Speaker 3:Like Trenton?
Speaker 2:Trenton, maybe. Yeah. Yeah. So they're kind of breaking it down all these, like and then there's, like, the Pine Barrens, and there's mountains, and, like and there's farmland, South Jersey. Like, it's got a wide variety, and they have really good tax incentives, for the filament tree now.
Speaker 2:So Jersey's, Jersey's about to blow up, I think.
Speaker 3:I agree. Jersey has been, undervalued. Yeah. You know? I think we're ready to make Jersey great again.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's always been like the, like, the like like, between Philly and New York. You know? Just like the taint between the Yeah. And, but now I think, yeah, Jersey is pretty great, actually.
Speaker 3:I'm from Jersey.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm I love New Jersey. You know? I feel like everyone leaves New Jersey and then comes back to New Jersey. So
Speaker 2:I was like because I grew up in Central Pennsylvania, and so everyone out there is just, like, white and, like, a hick. And, like, and it was awesome. I like my town was, like I always joke was, like, varsity blues. Like, just just kind of like if you're seeing a movie, just like just small town football, like, Friday night lights. Like, and then I, like, went to school out in Westchester out out this way, and, like, there was all these people from Jersey.
Speaker 2:And I was like, I've never met anyone from New Jersey. I was like, wow. Like because and then my my whole, I don't know. My whole perspective was based on, like, Jersey. What is it?
Speaker 2:Like, the Jersey Shore show. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And then I was like, these people are real. Like, this is real.
Speaker 2:Like They
Speaker 3:are real.
Speaker 2:You know? But, yeah. I don't know. I like New Jersey. So, anyways, so what's next for Bernardi Films?
Speaker 3:You know, what's next for Bernardi Films is, we need our Netflix documentary. I think we need a Netflix documentary about the wedding industry and following around the crazy people that exist in the wedding industry because it's a it's a funny group of people. And I feel like if if they had a camera, if we did, like, a reality TV show, I think it'd be really entertaining.
Speaker 2:About, like, the industry, like, the people, like Yeah. Photographers?
Speaker 3:Follow, like, the I'm gonna find, like, the the nuttiest planners and, like, the nuttiest, like, photographers and just follow them around and just
Speaker 2:That would be that'd be fun.
Speaker 3:I I think that would be really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's awesome. If you need a producer or someone to hold a boom mic, I'll I'm happy to do that for you. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Dude, we got we got New Jersey as, like, the the film capital of the world. We need to make There
Speaker 2:you go.
Speaker 3:I would do I would love to make, I've always wanted to make, like, a romantic comedy or, like, a bring back, like, a sitcom. You know? I think that would be so fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah. My my goals, probably not for this year, is to do a feature, documentary. I have no interest in narrative, you know, movies, but a a feature documentary, you know, that we that we put together and submit to film festivals, I think. But then also, I'm I'm manifesting a client win around, like, a realtor. Like so kind of like like a selling sunset or some of these, like, reality shows, these real estate reality shows.
Speaker 2:I wanna do that for, like, a brokerage team around here. Won't that be fun?
Speaker 3:That would be really cool.
Speaker 2:Like, a monthly YouTube show where it's like you're interviewing all these, like, realtors, you know, kinda following their lives, them showing their, you know, their their homes, but kind of getting, you know, the nightlife and whatnot. So, similar to, like, the reality show that we do for the wedding, but do that do it for realtors. You could do it for a variety of businesses. Right? So, I'm trying to find that.
Speaker 3:They'll go downtown.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Exactly. There's so much you could do.
Speaker 3:I've yeah. I feel like that's gonna be a big thing. Like, man because they all wanna be they all watch Selling Sunset. Yeah. They all wanna be that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And they have the money. You know? Yeah. Although, yeah, I never got into real estate photography or videography, and I won't just because
Speaker 3:So what you're do what you're trying to do is way above, like, real estate photography and videography, which is just, like, how can I get the cheapest photo video
Speaker 2:That's why I never got it? Doing. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But what you're trying to do is you're trying to, like, actually make it make these people, like
Speaker 2:Build a brand.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I think that's really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I've pitched a couple of them and they're like, couldn't believe the price and you know? But, you know, I'm still figuring some of that stuff out. But, like, you know, I just feel like there's so many realtors out there that you how do you differentiate yourself? Right? And you do that through content.
Speaker 2:It's any business. Right? You you need to you need to differentiate yourselves through this through this medium. So
Speaker 3:Yes. A %.
Speaker 2:So, actually, on that topic too, I mean, you you also do a lot of good, like, breakdowns, like, on your social. Right? You do some nice reels where you kinda talk about, you know, what's that process been like? How you market yourself?
Speaker 3:I'm so glad you asked me about that. Yeah. So I found out a long time ago that people are more interested in watching how you work over what you put out, over your actual work.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So by showing, like, how I make the music, people really respond well with that because they feel like they're on the journey with you. And that's really fun. I I feel like that's an underutilized tool in this business. Yeah. People just think, like, they can post their photos, without any context, and people will just, like, like it.
Speaker 3:No. People wanna know the story behind what you're doing. You know? They wanna know, like, how how are you doing that? You know?
Speaker 2:So They wanna they wanna feel the struggle, you know, and be a part of the process and be, you know, behind the scenes and everything. Right?
Speaker 3:Yeah. I wanna take you along the journey with me.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You know? I mean, I didn't even know that you composed your own music until I saw, like, a reel of you, like, sitting at your computer with your guitar. I was like, holy shit. Like Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:It it's the difference between telling someone something and showing someone what you do.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That's really important for differentiating differentiating your business. Yeah. And the more you can do that, the more you can show versus tell, the more successful your social media will be
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:In my opinion.
Speaker 2:Cool. Well, how can people find you?
Speaker 3:Oh, find me on Instagram and TikTok at bernardi films. You probably seen me. I make the original music to the wedding films. We have, like, over 5,000,000 views on, on, Instagram, so it's been really fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah. No. That's all. I really appreciate the work that you do. I mean, it's amazing, like, the quality.
Speaker 2:Like, there's I would never reach out to anyone else like any other wedding filmmaker. I think I just because your work's so cool and, yeah. I just appreciate it. So, yeah. Nice meeting you.
Speaker 2:I mean, this is the first time we've ever spoken. So
Speaker 3:Thank you so much. Yeah. Thanks for being on here. Appreciate it. I appreciate you.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening today. This is an original production by Shoemaker Films LLC. If you enjoyed today's content, please consider subscribing on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your content. Follow us on Instagram at shoemaker.films. If you're a business either interested in our services or you like to be a guest on the podcast, please get in touch by using the contact form on our website shoemaker films dot com.
Speaker 1:Thanks again, and we'll see you next time.