I recently met an amazing filmmaker, photographer, artist - Bridget Redmond. She is the creative brains behind First Kiss Films. I totally fell in love with her work as well as her personality! She’s super sweet, simple and full of excitement. You can tell how much she loves filmmaking just by the way she talks about it, her eyes light up and you can just feel the passion she has for it.
You all know how I feel about other artists that I love, I had to feature her on my blog and so I asked her to answer a few questions for me and here I am today, sharing a little bit of her passion and love for the art of filmmaking with you!
Tell me a little about yourself and what you do?
I’m a filmmaker and a photographer and I create wedding films using vintage movie cameras. I actually shoot all footage on motion picture film (Super 8mm and 16mm film) so the raw material is already timeless and touching. Of course it is the editing that brings the story to life.
How did you get into film making?
Filmmaking is in my blood - my father and grandfather both loved to shoot a lot of film. Even though I never planned on becoming a filmmaker I’ve always been drawn to film. I first started taking photography night courses while in my teens and then went on to study film in university just because I thought it was interesting. After graduation I completed my first independent film in 1997.
You were a photographer first, how and why did you make the switch?
I think I was drawn to photography first because it is much more independent medium - you can create images without needing an entire crew and I really loved the intense solitude of spending hours in a darkroom printing my images. My first film is actually set in a darkroom! I still work in both mediums but for weddings prefer the magic of short films.
What are your inspirations, What moves you?
I’m a natural observer so I get inspired a lot - inspiration is everywhere! But sometimes I’ll run into an artistic challenge which is almost like a puzzle that has to be solved. I often will come up with a solution while doing something repetitive such as exercising or doing the dishes. My favorite way to get inspired is at a screening of short films. After attending a film festival I am always super invigorated to create!
5 words that describe your style.
Artistic. Documentary. Emotive. Romantic. Subtlety.
Advice to new comers in the industry
Having been to lots of weddings and being a newlywed, I certainly have a
few bits of advice I’d love share with brides-to-be:
- Hire a wedding planner. Even a day-of coordinator will help you relax and fully enjoy the day.
- Don’t get too caught up in current trends. It’s a day to look timelessly beautiful, not cutting-edge fashionable.
- Infuse your own personality into some of the details. Guests will notice and really appreciate it if you put a bit of extra thought into some of the details.
- Make sure to hire the best photographer that you can afford (and make sure you like and trust them as you’ll be spending the whole day with them). When the day is done the only way your memories will be preserved will be through the images that are captured on that day.
For more information, here is Bridget’s contact information:
www.firstkissfilms.com
Here’s one of Bridget’s masterpieces for you to enjoy!
