Simply Interactive Company Blog

Rusty Worden Cary North Carolina Photography

2009-06-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Rusty Worden is now one of the premiere wedding, event and family photographers in the North Carolina areas. Check out the Rusty Worden Photography website.

test

2007-03-23T14:16:00.001-07:00

this is a test

Simply Interactive Wins MarCom Honors

2006-12-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

Redwood City, CA – Simply Interactive was named among the honorees in the 2006 MarCom Creative Awards competition. The international Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals sponsors the annual event, which draws entrants from Fortune 500 companies, metropolitan newspapers, corporate marketing departments, media conglomerates, advertising agencies, and public relations firms, as well as from independent production companies like Simply Interactive. "Recovery and Hope: The Impact of ARH," a video focusing on client success stories from ARH Recovery Homes Inc., in San Jose, won Honorable Mention in the MarCom competition's Public Service & Pro Bono category. The video premiered in May during a capacity-crowd fundraiser at the San Jose Improv. It vividly captured the stories of recovered alcoholics and drug addicts who found their way back to sobriety through ARH. (ARH, one of the leading nonprofits of its kind in northern California, is Santa Clara County's largest provider of alcohol and drug treatment services.) Only 10% of entries earned Honorable Mention recognition in this year's MarCom Creative Awards (www.marcomawards.com), which is one of the largest competitions of its kind worldwide. More than 5,000 entries were submitted from the U.S. and from abroad. The international association itself is made up of several thousand marketing, advertising, media production, and communication professionals. The association handles the administration and judging of the contest, and sets high standards for excellence. "It's gratifying to receive this honor from the Marcom Creative Awards," says Simply Interactive president Rusty Worden. "Our entries were up against some heavyweights in this business. But what makes it really satisfying is that we deeply believed in our subject. All of us involved in making the video were moved by the stories of the people whose lives had been turned around by their experiences with ARH. We're proud we were able to spotlight the great work done by the organization." A web-enabled version of the video is a featured link on the Simply Interactive home page.

Simply Interactive Expands to North Carolina

2006-11-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

Simply Interactive Llc has been in a period of strong growth for the last 5 years. We have grown from a true bay-area startup to a viable force in the video production and multimedia arena in the Bay Area as well as taking steps into the nationwide market of corporate eLearning and Video Training field.

We have strove to make strong ijmpact in the Wedding and Event video production arena where we made tremendous strides and have made a strong impact in the wedding video community by changing the way services are offered, winning multiple awards and creating WeddingVideo.Com, the world's first website for videographers that allows them to advertise as-well-as present demo videos of their work. In addition to that, we have even won awards for our work in the corporate and non-profit areas of business as well.

With these strong successes we have decided it is time to expand yet again. Simply Interactive is going to open a new office in the rapidly growing metropolitan area of North Carolina known as Research Triangle Park (RTP). RTP is home to some of the country's largest and most progressive corporations like Cisco Systems and IBM. It is our intention to provide comprehensive video production and multimedia development services to the east coast using North Carolina as a base of operations for this endeavor.

We do appreciate all of the amazing support from our faithful clients who have made this traditional silicon valley, family owned startup launch and grow to a level we hoped for, but dared not count on. We know we have been able to make this step because of our focus on customer service and quality equally and we want to assure you that that focus will continue as Rusty Worden, the President of Simply Interactive, moves on to RTP to strike up this expanded operation.

Matt Lee will take the helm of Simply Interactive Llc in California. Matt came to Simply Interactive already extremely experiencd in multimedia production and during his time here has shown remarkable ability to manage projects, pay attention to client needs and maintain the good name of Simply Interactive. He has also been single handedly responsible for the creative growth of the personal event area of Simply Interactive business. It is with absolute confidence that we give Matt full reign to manage Simply Interactive interests in our home state and in our home metro.

Please join us in our excitement over our growth which is fully owed to all of our clients and friends.

Sports Videography: Rusty Worden Interviewed by EventDV Magazine

2006-11-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

Sports Videography is one of the core services we offer out of our personal videography area of business and has been a great experience. We have gotten a bit of success and notoriety from our work and we were thrilled to be interviewed by EventDV Magazine recently for an article on our process and success.

Enjoy the article here.

Simply Interactive Supports the Palo Alto Library

2006-09-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Library Launches the First City-Wide Book Club:
Palo Alto Reads…Funny in Farsi

Palo Alto – Make history this fall by joining the largest book club Palo Alto has ever seen. Palo Alto Reads … Funny in Farsi is a month-long series of programs that aims to foster a sense of community by bringing people together through literature. Inspired by the success of similar initiatives in Seattle and other communities, Palo Alto City Library invites everyone to read the same great book at the same time – the charming and hilarious book, Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Palo Alto resident, Firoozeh Dumas. Former President Jimmy Carter hailed the book as "A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with love--of family, country, and heritage."

Palo Alto Reads … Funny in Farsi kicks off with a free talk for the community by Ms. Dumas at Palo Alto High School’s Haymarket Theater on Tuesday, October 10 at 7:30 pm. This event is presented by the Palo Alto City Library, the Friends of the Palo Alto Library, the Palo Alto Unified School District and the Palo Alto High PTSA.

The Library will subsequently host a month-long series of great programs around themes in the book, including book discussions and cultural events. The community can participate in Palo Alto Reads by:

Checking out the book, Funny in Farsi, at any Palo Alto City Library.
Telling friends, neighbors and book clubs about Palo Alto Reads.
Coming to any and/or all free Library programs.

Palo Alto Reads … Funny in Farsi is sponsored by the Friends of the Palo Alto Library, the Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Online, the Palo Alto Unified School District, the Persian Center, Simply Interactive LLC, and Idem Translations.

For more information about Palo Alto Reads … Funny in Farsi, please visit the library’s website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/library or call (650) 329-2516.

Free Bridal Expo Passes!

2006-09-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive is giving away passes for free admissions to October's Great Bridal Expo events in the San Francisco Bay Area. We'll be exhibiting at both the October 28 Expo in San Francisco, in the Concourse Exhibition Center at 620 7th Street, and the October 29 Expo in San Jose, at the Fairmont Hotel. We would be delighted to see you at one of the shows-- so visit our Redwood City offices and pick up a free pass, while they last.

Each Great Bridal Expo pass is good for two free admissions, so the passes are limited to one per bride. (You'll need to validate them online at the Expo's web site.)

We're usually in our offices -- at 647 Veterans Boulevard, Suite B, in Redwood City, just off the Whipple Ave. exit from Highway 101-- between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (sometimes later), Monday through Friday. However, we're occasionally out during the day on video shoots, so please be sure to call ahead before paying us a visit. Phone us at (650) 365-3355.

Get your pass early. First come, first served!

Wedding Video: Great Day for a Garden Party

2006-09-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

An outdoor venue can be an ideal setting for a late-summer wedding in the greater San Francisco Bay Area -- so long as the weather cooperates. Events on the coast run the risk of being cloaked in fog; events inland run the risk of being cooked by one of the September heat waves that often pay us back-to-school visits.

Happily, all the meteorological systems were in perfect alignnent for the Sept 9 wedding of Raiza Holgado and Brad Andriese at The Gardens at Heather Farm, in Walnut Creek. Skies were blue, temperatures were mild, and a gentle breeze ruffled the petals of the hundreds of brilliantly colored rose blooms in the adjoining rose garden. Rainbow arcs flickered in the spray drifting from the fountains in the lake beyond the garden. It was a picture-perfect occasion -- the kind that delights videographers and photographers, as well as brides and grooms.

Raiza and Brad were married in The Gardens' high-roofed gazebo, with guests seated in rows of white chairs on the broad semicircle of green lawn in front. The bridal party entered through the rose garden. Raiza gilded the lilly for her own arrival: She was driven to the head of the garden steps in an immaculate 1927 Stutz limo provided by Elegant Journey Limousine.

Simply Interactive's counterpart in the afternoon's visual documentation duties was the team of Beth and Tara from the San Francisco headquarters of Dekker Photography. With beautiful settings literally on every side, one of the challenges was deciding what not to shoot.

As dusk began to fall, the bridal party and guests adjourned uphill to The Gardens' airy reception hall, overlooking the gardens and the lake. Appetizers and the reception buffet were catered by Matthew Wyss, owner/chef of Serves You Right in Berkeley.

DJ/MC Eugene Macala of Macala Entertainment kept the evening lively: With Eugene at the microphone, nobody was a passive spectator. From an ice-breaking, Euegene-directed mingling of the bride's and groom's families at the outset to a capacity-crowd Electric Slide session late in the evening (with Eugene in the middle of the floor as an energetic player/coach), he steered the party past dull moments like a white-water raft guide shooting the rapids. It left everyone breathless but happy when the evening finally drew to a close. Raiza and Brad had some wonderful memories -- and we had them all on videotape.

Bridal Fair: Interact with Simply Interactive!

2006-09-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive is set to exhibit at the Bridal Extravaganza in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Sept. 10. The bridal show will open at 11 a.m. in the Santa Clara Marriott, 2700 Mission College Boulevard, and will run until 4 p.m.

Stop by our booth and view samples of our recent work. If you have any questions about wedding videography, we'll be happy to answer them.

A bridal fair gives you the chance to get a first-hand impression of the personalities behind the company you choose for your video services.We think it's important that you have a good relationship with your videographer. Remember, they're going to be in close contact with you throughout one of the most important days of your life. You need to feel comfortable working with them.

Admission to the Bridal Extravaganza is $12 per person at the door. Brides who preregister can save $2 per person -- a discount good for the entire bridal party. Visit the Bridal Extravaganza web site to preregister.

We hope to see you in Santa Clara!

Wedding Video: Wine and Candlelight on a Grand Scale

2006-08-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

This August seems to be our month for winery weddings. On Friday, Aug. 11, I covered the wedding of Karena Stotz and Rositur Martin at the spacious Palm Event Center in Pleasanton. The Center, built with timbers from the area's historic Ruby Hill Winery, shares vineyard property with the Mitchell Katz Winery.

A long driveway, flanked on either side by stately palm trees, leads from Vineyard Avenue up to the winery. Vineyards extend away to the right; the Palm Event Center stands to the left. As you drive in, the winery -- housed in a massive old brick building -- seems to rise up in front of you and fill the windshield, eclipsing the rolling hills in the background. The Event Center looks modest by comparison; but the impression is only relative, and it vanishes once you step through its thick double wooden doors. The Center's main ballroom can hold up to 450 people.

Karena's and Rossi's ceremony was held in the Event Center's Barrel Room -- a long, high-ceilinged room lined with huge wine barrels. Late afternoon light streamed through a single arched window high in the west wall. The rest of the lighting came from elaborate wrought-iron chandeliers high overhead -- and from hundreds of votive candles set everywhere along the dark framework supporting the tiers of wine barrels. The candle flames glimmered in subdued reflections from the sides of the big casks. It was a spectacular setting. The Rev. Robert Dittler, resplendent in bishop's mitre and robes, performed the ceremony.

Many wineries capitalize on their outdoor scenery when staging weddings, and do that beautifully. But the Palm Event Center's Barrel Room celebrates the magic of the winemaker's art that takes place after the harvest. I suspect that it's not only elegant, it's also strategic: the Barrel Room will be just as inviting in December, when wineries with outdoor wedding sites will have put away their chairs and flower stands for the winter.

Capturing the visuals for Karena and Rossi in still images was Lucie Kubinova Silveira of LucieXYZ Photography in Santa Clara. She made the most of the dramatic interior and exterior settings in posing her subjects.

Karin Gruber of Wild Nights in San Mateo was the highly capable DJ for the ceremony and the reception, assisted by Wayne Munoz. We've been fortunate to work with a lot of skilled and helpful DJs over the years, but Karin was one of the best. She went out of her way to make sure we had good audio to go with our tapes, and she impressed us even more by attending the wedding rehearsal the day before, so she could coach Karena, Rossi, and their bridal party on their musical cues. (Karin even set aside a final piece of prelude music as the audio signal for the bridal party to assemble, once everything was ready for the ceremony. That's proactive.)

Attending our clients' wedding rehearsals is standard policy for us. On occasion, we'll see the photographer at the rehearsal, too; but it's a real rarity to see the DJ there. Karin's performance through the entire wedding set her apart as a real professional.

- JH

Wedding Video: An Overflowing Cup

2006-08-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

One of the aesthetic perks of doing wedding videography in northern California is being asked to cover events set at the crown jewels of our regional agriculture: wineries. The combination of lush vineyard scenery, striking architecture, and -- more often than not -- spectacular views practically pours great shots into the camera lens. The hardest part of the day can be shutting down the camcorder and calling it a wrap.

Last weekend I was in Santa Rosa for the wedding of Katie Watson and Dan Lindell. Katie and Dan were married at the bright, airy Star of the Valley Catholic Church, off the Sonoma Highway -- the only church I've ever visited that has a polo field just across the road. The reception was north of town, up in the hills, at the Paradise Ridge Winery.

The road to Paradise Ridge ascends through meadows studded with huge modern sculptures.

The winery building itself faces west, overlooking the Russian River Valley. A wide, covered wooden deck runs the length of the second story. The hillside falls away below, sloping down to a broad apron of vineyards. Beyond the vines are oak trees, fields, and in the distance, Highway 101 and the northern districts of Santa Rosa.

At the south end of the building a wide staircase leads down to a long stone-walled patio that curves along the hillside. The patio's high back wall, rising from flower beds and fountains, is criscrossed with vines. Paradise Ridge set the patio with several dozen tables for the wedding guests, who enjoyed their dinner as the sun sank toward the western hills and the shadows lengthened in the vineyards below. When the meal was done, everyone moved indoors to the dance floor -- except those guests who lingered outside on the deck to watch a brilliant sunset. By the time the dancing began, the sky was dark and the lights of Santa Rosa were starting to twinkle in the distance.

The view reminded me of one of my favorite weddings from the 2005 season, held at the Thomas Fogarty Winery up on Skyline Boulevard in Woodside. The Thomas Fogarty hilltop property faces east, so it doesn't have as good a vantage point for sunsets; but it makes up for that with a phenomenal, glittering nighttime view of Silicon Valley and the East Bay.

Back at Paradise Ridge, Jeremy Hinton -- a.k.a. D J Big Boy of Bay Area Sound Service -- kept the dance floor packed all night. He adroitly segued from one song to the next, maintaining a tempo that probably would have cleared the floor at most parties. But the Watsons, Lindells, and their friends and relatives were up to the challenge. My bet is that Katie and Dan will pass a lot of stamina on to their children.

Driving back down the hill later, as the lights of the city winked through the oak trees, I found myself mentally replaying the sights and shots of the afternoon. The sun had been full on the green vineyards and the gold hills. The bridesmaids -- in vivid pink dresses -- were posing for pictures against that backdrop. It almost seemed as if you could get great footage by closing your eyes and pointing the camera in any direction. Experiences like that make us appreciate the opportunities we have to do videography in the wine country -- and, in our own way, to bottle those moments for clients to savor years afterward.

Corporate Media Projects : WeddingVideo.Com

2006-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

www.WeddingVideo.Com is the world's first online wedding videographer directory built by wedding videographers. While the site has only launched this morning, we have already seen a tremendous amount of traffic and seen several transaction go through the website, including brides contacting the videographers listed on our site. The intent of this site is to offer to brides and grooms a slick way to find wedding video service providers in their area and also give benefits to the companies who list with us not previously seen in directories. Search Engines, when catalogging the sites on the 'net, cannot view data within a database. So people who pay for a listing on a website typically do not receive the benefit of having a link pointing to them from these paid ads. WeddingVideo.Com actually stores information in a database so brides have a smooth way to locate a vendor, but also spits out a hard-coded html page which is navigable from our Search Engine-optimized directory. Simply Interactive is a family-run, family-owned small multimedia business in the Bay Area of California that, with our clients, friends and family's help and support, has suddenly grown. We will always be family and friend-oriented. We will also always cherish that big-company ability and small company mobility we've always enjoyed and our clients really appreciate. Please remember us for any multimedia needs, personal or business. And yes - we build eCommerce web applications too

Wedding Video: Covering the Peninsula

2006-07-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive had the Peninsula bracketed over the weekd of July 16, with different teams shooting weddings and receptions ranging from San Jose northward through Santa Clara, Cupertino, Palo Alto, and San Francisco. That might sound like a lot of territory; but actually it was unusual for us to have so many events happening within an hour's drive of our Redwood City offices. Typically we're spread out a lot farther, with at least one event in the North Bay or East Bay, or farther south in Santa Cruz, San Juan Bautista, or Monterey. (And we ve gone as far afield as Sacramento, Yosemite, Palm Springs, and Santa Monica, in recent seasons.)

I had the pleasure of covering the wedding of Dow-Jane Chi and Cheng-Wei Pei, who were married Saturday afternoon at St. Joseph of Cupertino Church . The couple got ready for the ceremony at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel , a stone's throw across El Camino Real from Stanford University. The Sheraton's small courtyard gardens and fountains made nice settings for Simply Interactive videographer Justin Lambakis to get attractive shots of Cheg-Wei and his groomsmen.

Dow-Jane's and Cheng-Wei's wedding marked my second opportunity to use the Manfrotto "Fig Rig" camcorder support. The device, which looks like a steering wheel with an off-center crossbar, is named for the filmmaker who designed it: Mike Figgis, perhaps best known as the Oscar-nominated director of the 1995 film "Leaving Las Vegas," for which Nicholas Cage took home the Best Actor award. Figgis has used it on a number of his own feature films and documentaries.

During Dow-Jane's and Cheng-Wei's reception at Ming's Restaurant in Palo Alto, I loved the way the Fig Rig allowed me to smoothly follow their movements among their guests, to do a "fly-around" of their wedding cake, and to continuously and seamlessly shift perspectives as I covered their first dance.

I think I can safely predict that clients will be seeing a lot of Fig Rig-enabled shots appearing in future Simply Interactive projects. It adds another level of finesse to techniques we re already using.

Wedding guests seem fascinated by it, too. I've probably had more interested inquiries from guests -- "Say, what's that wheel thing do?" -- at my last two weddings than I've had during the last two years. As a rule, we try to stay in the background; but when I do get questions from guests, I'm always happy to answer them.

The music for Dow-Jane's and Cheng-Wei's reception was provided by Al Flanagan and Sam Peacock, of "DJ for Select Occasions." They did a good job of providing a mix tailored to the different tastes of the reception crowd -- some of whom were Dow-Jane's and Cheng-Pei's friends from work and from college, and some of whom were relatives who flew over from Taiwan for the occasion.

Ming's was bustling on Saturday night -- there was another wedding reception in a banquet room on the other side of the building -- but the service didn't miss a beat. And the food was superb. It was a great place for a celebration.

Wedding Video: Kind Words From Annette and Justin

2006-07-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

I just received this really nice response from Annette and Justin after they received their final video. Thank you so much for all your hard work on our wedding video. We greatly appreciate the extra mile you took to ensure we were satisfied. The fact that you come to the rehearsal is such a bonus because you are prepared and ready to go on the big day.. Justin and I were initially going to get a raw footage type package to minimize on video costs because we did not see it as a priority for our wedding. We are so glad we decided to get a beautiful edited package because in hindsight it was one of the best investments we made for our wedding day. Photos are nice, but with video you actually re-live the day each time you watch it. We look forward to spending every anniversary glued to the TV watching our wedding day and remembering how happy we were on that day. Your editing style really captured the essense of our love for one another, so thank you.. In fact it was done so well, that my dad even got a few tears in his eyes when he first watched it..and that's not an easy task! Again thanks for all your hard work. It was a pleasure working with you and we are so thrilled with the final product. Annette & Justin Our pleasure you two!

Nationwide Wedding Video Service Provider Database

2006-06-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive LLC is proud to announce an upcoming service for wedding and event video companies. This service is something that there seems to be a lot of, but none of them are executed well. Another online advertising service? Yea, we know. Where do you start. It's so hard to place your dollars in a place that is an effective marketing tool. Because we are a video production company - a web and multimedia company - and have experience with usability, we have approached Wedding Video DotCom with an eye towards all of these. Check out the Wedding Video DotCom blog to see why what we are doping is so different from what else is out there. We are aiming towards the end of June to mid-July to launch the site. Go there and sign up for a free basic listing for 1 year.

Wedding Video: San Francisco City Hall

2006-06-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

We had an incredible evening on Saturday at one of the most beautiful places in San Francisco. The San Francisco City Hall was host to the wedding of Jackson and Anna and we were chartered with providing multimedia services in the form of a Same Day Wedding Video highlight. This particular Same Day Wedding Video Edit was unique in the the bride requested not just pre-ceremony and ceremony highlights, she wanted the cake cutting and first dance in the video too. One other unique thing about this event was that we were asked to project the video on two screens at the top of the stairs on either side. This was a fun setup to do and it was executed flawlessly. I have to say that Will, the event coordinator at the SF City Hall was a wonderful man to work with. He was extremely helpful and thoroughly vested in making sure the bride and groom were well taken care of. He did this by making sure the vendors had what we needed to do our jobs well for Jackson and Anna. I love shooting video in San Francisco, but this San Francisco wedding video I was relegated to being the editor of the Same Day Edit. Click Play to see this awesome video

Press Release - Simply Interactive Supports Local Non-Profit

2006-05-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Redwood City, CA (May 16, 2006) – Substance abuse and recovery aren’t light-hearted subjects, but both topics will be on the bill Monday night at the San Jose Improv. The occasion will be a fundraiser for ARH Recovery Homes, Inc, the largest provider of drug and alcohol recovery services to Santa Clara County. Headlining will be nationally known comic Mark Lundholm; also on the program will be the first public screening of a video that spotlights ARH’s crucial work in helping addicts – and their families – escape the vicious cycle of abuse. The video was produced by Simply Interactive LLC of Redwood City, and directed and edited by Simply Interactive president Rusty Worden. The project had special meaning for Worden – who himself was once an addict. In April, Worden marked his 11th year of being clean and sober. Today he is married, the father of three children, and head of a growing multimedia company. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, he was on an accelerating downward spiral of addiction – alienated and drifting between Hollywood and the Bay Area. He credits a CityTeam program in San Jose with turning his life around. Years afterward, working as a multimedia and web developer at Cisco Systems, he was introduced to ARH by a Cisco manager who knew nothing of his drug past. She only knew that he was an active supporter of Cisco programs aimed at giving back to the community. ARH's family-oriented recovery centers touched a chord in Worden. By then, a parent himself, he was impressed by the way facilities like the ARH-Parisi House on the Hill kept mothers out of jail, kept their children out of foster homes, and allowed them to go through treatment together in a positive, supportive environment. "What hit home with me was their focus on the social impact of addiction," says Worden. "It’s not just the individual addicts who are affected by the disease; it’s also everyone around them. ARH doesn’t just help people recover their lives; they help families recover their wholeness." Worden later was able to offer ARH the services of his own company, Simply Interactive, to create a video that would convey the value that ARH provides to the community. The non-profit happily accepted, and Worden led a camera crew that spent three days visiting facilities like ARH-House on the Hill and ARH-Mariposa Lodge, as well as taping in ARH’s San Jose headquarters, and in the South County kitchen of a former House on the Hill client. At each stop, the Simply Interactive crew documented stories of addictions defeated, families reconnected, careers rebuilt. "We’re proud that our video will be on the program at the Improv event," says Worden, "but we’re even happier that it will continue helping to spread the word about the way ARH is making an impact in the South Bay. We hope it will encourage similar programs in other areas." For more information on the May 22, 2006 ARH fundraiser at the Improv, see: http://www.arhinc.org To view an online version of the video, see: http://www.simplyinteractive.com Simply Interactive LLC offers comprehensive video production services, development of CD-based interactive media, e-learning creation, and a full suite of web services. Contact: Jim Hatlo, Vice-president, (650) 365-3355 office, (408) 858-1388 mobile; jhatlo@simplyinteractive.com.

Corporate Video - ARH Inc

2006-05-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

ARH INC.(Flash 8 Video 45.7MB) - This video highlights some folks in recovery and the hope ARH has brought to their lives. I always do the best I can to give back the the communities that support us and the disease of addiction is one that is particularly of concern to me. I was thrilled when ARH approached us to create a short video to highlight the stories of some of those in recovery and show their path from no hope, to hope. ARH is a tremendous organization with Andrea Wasko as the Executive Director. Under her leadership, in these few short months I have seen what energy, initiative and out-of-the-box thinking can do for an organization. Case-in-point, on May 22nd they are holding a fundraiser at the Improv in San Jose. This will be a standup comedy event with all the proceeds going to help one of the best non-profit organizations in the bay area. Mark Lundholm will be the main act. What I think is awesome about this is how much work had to go into making the arrangements to let people have a great time while supporting a worthy cause. Check out the flyer here.

Happy Birthday Matt!

2006-05-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Matt Lee has been with Simply Interactive for almost a year and we are extremely lucky to have such a talented guy on board! He has single-handledly increased our quality in the editing room and has taken over our wedding department as the leader (that means that for weddings he is MY boss :-( Jokes aside... Happy birthday Matt! We really appreciate you.

Wedding Video: Susan and John - Dolce Hayes Mansion

2006-05-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Obviously our wedding video staff has been to a lot of locations for the events we are hired to cover. A few stand out from the rest. Palmdale Estates, Thomas Fogarty Winery, Nestldown (note the lack of an "E"). All of them are fantastic. The Dolce Hayes Mansion stands out from all the rest though. John and Susan had us there to shoot their video and provide some "break-out" entertainment for the guests in the form of a photo-montage that played on one of our flat-panel LCD multimedia displays. First, the Dolce Hayes Mansion is absolutely stunning. An oasis set in the center of South San Jose (right behind my house). The sweeping lawns in the front offer an incredible front-piece leading to one of the more incredibly architected buildings you'll find in San Jose. Absolutely elegant and beautiful. For photographers and videographers it also offers a huge range of settings for staged shots and portraits. The Dolce Hayes Mansion is an all-inclusive location that provides several options for ceremony sites, both indoors and outdoors. It also allows for a wonderful bridal suite for getting ready in the morning. Reception options are also abundant, suitable for large and small parties. By far, the Dolce Hayes Mansion is one of the most versatile locations we've been to. But what makes us recommend them to our clients and visitors to our site is their unwavering dedication to customer service. This quality is apparent to all in how fluidly the Dolce Hayes staff works together to make the event a flawless one for their clients. As a multimedia company that offers wedding videography, it is VERY important for us to recommend service providers that do more than meet quality guidelines. A lot of locations are beautiful. We recommend the ones that are both beautiful AND offer amazing customer service. Because we refuse kickbacks from other vendors who we refer our clients and site visitors to (and do not offer kickbacks to people who refer us as well), we hope you'll take to heart our recommendations.

Studio Closed Wednesday April 5th

2006-04-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday April 5th our studio will be closed from 1:30 PM to 8:30 PM so we can attend the Wedding and Event Videographer's Association Town Meeting in San Jose as-well-as a video shoot that afternoon. If you were planning on stopping by for a consultation, please give us a call and we can set something up for earlier or later in the day.

San Francisco Bridal Show Today

2006-04-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

We will be exhibiting at the Great Bridal Expo's event in San Francisco today. Come on down and see us and a demo: Event date: Sunday Apr 02, 2006 Show time: 12:00 NOON Address: Concourse Exhibition Center 620 7th Street San Francisco, CA OR come see us at our new Redwood City studio 647 Veterans Boulevard Suite B Redwood City, CA 94063

A Newer, Bigger Studio

2006-03-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

Simply Interactive outgrew our previous studio and we have acquired a larger two-room studio in Redwood City. We are still a proud, Peninsula-based multimedia firm and now we have a stunning viewing room complete with a larger editing studio. Come on down and see us. Our new office hours are: M-F 10 am to 6 pm Evening and Weekend consultations are available by appointment only.

Simply Interactive LLC
647 Veterans Boulevard
Redwood City, CA 94063
Entrance in the Rear

Bridal Show at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose

2006-03-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

Event date: Sunday Mar 12, 2006 Show time: 12:00 Noon Address: Fairmont San Jose 170 South Market Street San Jose, CA 95113 We have an AWESOME new setup for the bridal shows. Come by and enjoy our 42" Plasma HDTV. See you there!

Bridal Show TODAY - Come See Us in San Jose

2006-02-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

We have got a phenomenal Bridal Show for you today. Come by and win one of our prizes! Sunday, February 19th, 2006 Doors are open from 11:00am - 4:00pm Fashion shows at 12:30pm and 2:30pm The new San Jose Convention & Cultural Facilities hosts the largest bridal faire in the southbay. Plan your wedding in a one day show. San Jose Convention Center 280 SOUTHBOUND (FROM SAN FRANCISCO, HALF MOON BAY, STANFORD, LOS ALTOS): 280 South to the Vine Street/Almaden Avenue Exit, Turn left onto Almaden Avenue. Convention Center parking entrance will be on the right.

101 SOUTHBOUND (FROM SAN FRANCISCO, BURLINGAME, SAN MATEO, PALO ALTO): 101 South to the Guadalupe Parkway/87 Exit. Continue on Guadalupe Parkway (87), Take Park Avenue/ San Carlos Street exit, turn left. Turn right on Almaden Avenue. Convention Center parking entrance is on the left.

17/880 SOUTHBOUND (FROM BERKELEY, OAKLAND, HAYWARD, FREMONT, MILPITAS): 17/880 South to the Coleman Avenue Exit, Turn left on Coleman Avenue and continue to Coleman. Coleman becomes Market Street (toward Downtown San Jose) Turn right on San Carlos Street, Turn left on Almaden Avenue. Convention Center parking entrance will be on the left.

17/880 NORTHBOUND (FROM SANTA CRUZ, LOS GATOS): 17 North to Downtown San Jose/280 South Exit. Take 280 South to the Vine Street/Almaden Avenue Exit, Turn left onto Almaden Avenue. Convention Center parking entrance will be on the right.

680 SOUTHBOUND (FROM SACRAMENTO, CONCORD, WALNUT CREEK, LIVERMORE, MILPITAS): 680 South until it becomes 280 North at the 101 interchange Continue on 280, take the Bird Avenue Exit, turn right on San Carlos Street. Turn right on Almaden Avenue. Convention Center parking entrance will be on the left. 101 NORTHBOUND (FROM GILROY, MORGAN HILL, HOLLISTER, LOS ANGELES): 101 North to San Jose 101 intersects with 280, take the 280 North exit Continue on 280, take the Bird Avenue Exit, Turn right on San Carlos Street, Turn right on Almaden Avenue. Convention Center parking entrance will be on the left.

See you there!

ARH Recovery Homes

2006-01-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

Simply Interactive is continuing to suppport our community and we hope you will join us. We were contacted by ARH recently to assist in their drive to purchase some of the homes currently on the market. The homes are currently being used by ARH to provide needed services to the addicted in the Bay Area of California. They need help to continue offering hope to those who have extended their hands for help getting back up from making poor decisions. This is a cause very close to my heart and we are going to be providing needed multimedia services to this outstanding, family-focused organization. They have a real passion for what they are doing and they have, in my opinion, really developed an excellent approach to recovery in general. The fact is that whether we pay taxes to keep these people in jail or if we offer support to ARH and the many organizations like it, we are going to have to address the fact that Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and you and I are all affected by one person in the family or community who takes the wrong path. Sometimes all the person needs is one human being to ofhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giffer them kindness that becomes a catalyst for their personal recovery which, in effect, ends up being a huge benefit to society. I am honored to have a part in this and I hope you too will consider assisting this organization in whatever way you can. They really are stopping the vicious cycle of addiction and changing lives and communities with their work. We will be offering financial resources as well as video production services that ARH might not have been able to afford previously. If you've taken the time to read this far, please take a moment to go check out their website and conssider assisting them as we have. ARH Recovery Homes

Post # 100 - Get a Free iPod

2006-01-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

This is officially our 100th post on the wedding and corporate video blog for Simply Interactive llc. To celebrate, we are going to offer something REALLY snazzy for the next couple that books with us gets their deposit and contract in. How about an iPod Shuffle for FREE? That's right folks, the next wedding client we get will get a free iPod shuffle in either a mac or PC version. Your choice. Our way of saying thanks for reading :-) But you HAVE to mention this post!

Wedding Video: Independent Survey By WEVA

2006-01-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

The ground-breaking survey, commissioned by the Wedding & Event Videographers Association International (WEVA), was conducted last month between December 12th and December 22nd by Breakthrough Marketing, Inc. If there’s one thing brides today can agree on, it’s that future brides should have their weddings videotaped. This is according to a new nationwide survey of brides who were married in 2005. The survey was conducted by telephone of a cross section of brides from around the country. Results showed ninety-eight percent of surveyed newlyweds recommended that brides have their weddings videotaped. Interestingly, brides still don’t fully appreciate the value of video until after the wedding. Before the wedding, only a little more than half of surveyed brides considered wedding video a "Top 10" service in comparison to other wedding-related services. However, after the wedding, that number climbs to 75%. Of surveyed brides, 38% did not have their weddings videotaped by anyone – amateur or professional, and apparently have some regrets. Sixty-three percent of them now either somewhat or strongly recommend that future brides hire a professional videographer. Ninety-eight percent of brides surveyed used the services of a professional photographer compared to only 29% for professional video services. However, surveyed brides who used professional services for both were expressive about what they like best for each of these professional services. Brides said video does a better job of capturing the emotions of the day, records the history of the day better, and they strongly feel that future children will enjoy their wedding video more than their wedding photographs. Brides need professional services for both. WEVA, the first organization to survey actual newlyweds (as opposed to brides-to-be), regarding the value of wedding videography, commissioned a similar survey, the industry’s first-ever, three years ago. Not surprisingly, newlyweds today say it is more important than ever for brides to have their wedding video delivered on DVD. Three years ago, only 27% of surveyed brides said it was very important to get their videos produced on DVD. That number climbed to 55% for this latest survey. For brides who spent over $30,000 on their weddings, 75% said it is very important for them to get their video on DVD. WEVA's 2005 survey also probed brides’ interest in new and emerging video technologies. One stood out. Fifty-five percent of surveyed brides said they were interested in high-definition DVD. In addition, 43% were interested in still prints from video; 32% were interested in widescreen format; 29% were interested in live Internet webcasting of their wedding; and 21% said they were interested in the new video production concept of a "Same Day Edit."

Learn Wedding Video

2006-01-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

Due to an enormous amount of questions and interest in this sibject, Simply Interactive is launching a new site with the intent of freely sharing information about the event videography field of business. Far too many people think the they can Learn the Wedding Video profession by trial and error and all they need is one wireless microphone and a 2,000 dollar camera. Not so. I think the entire wedding video business will succeed and flourish the faster we get people up to speed with how to ethically and honestly run a business AND get their editing techique up to speed. After all, if someone has a bad experience, that may make some of our brides less likely to consider videography and that is not only harmful to us, but harmful to her as well because she will not have a video keepsake for her future generations. So, phase one is launched and can be seen at "Learn Wedding Video (dotcom)" In the next few days the forums will be up and running too. We will also be offering some services and products through that site in the coming months so if you are looking to learn how to run your own wedding videography business, stay tuned.

Same Day Edit: Hyatt in Burlingame

2006-01-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

As I write this I am waiting for some video to render at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame. Rosy and Caleb are getting married today and in a few short hours I will have in my hands the pre-ceremony tapes. At that point my task is to edit that together prior to the end of the ceremony. After the ceremony I will be given the ceremony tapes and I will create a highlight of that as well and will show it to everyone at the reception in this magnificent hotel. This is not your ordinary Hyatt. This one is phenomenally decadent with indoor greenery, fountains and stylistic decor set inside of an enourmous "green-house" internal courtyard. That is a good thing because this is the first wedding in 5 years that has had any rain whatsoever. I guess it pays to be in California eh?

Wedding Video: Villa Ragusa

2006-01-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

We had another succesful same day wedding video highlight event last weekend and am preparing for another one tomorrow as I write this (rendering takes time). LAst weekend I think was one of the best Same Day Edits I've done and I have abeen a little slacker by not posting it for you to enjoy, however, it should be posted shortly. The wedding was at a church in San Jose - St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church. We have been there three times previously and it is a very nice location with a classic catholic church environment. Aside from that, I wanted to take a moment to REALLY compliment the management and staff at Villa Ragusa in Campbell(where the wedding reception was held). I have now been there twice and both times the staff was exceptional. Very helpful, customer focused, and willing to go the extra mile even for the vendors present at the facility. They arranged for a nice room for me to perform the Same Day Edit in and were courteous the whole time. Click Here to check out the Villa Ragusa Website I will be adding them to my reasonably short list of preferred locations on our links page. The list is short not because we've had bad experiences but because we are very discerning. We RARELY put services there unless we have been able to work with them several times to determine their level of customer service. As a side note, we have people asking us to share links all the time. We do not do that to raise our search visibility. We ONLY put links there if we believe they will offer you excellent customer service and products.

Making the Move to HD for HD Wedding Videos

2006-01-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

We are almost there from an industry and equipment perspective to convert homes and multimedia centers into an HD mecca. I have people ask me all the time about HD videos and while the technology is presently expensive to have as an entertainment system and also from the production perspective, it is presently possible to shoot, edit and deliver a personal video in true HD format. We currently offer one package at 8075 as our HD offering and will soon begin to offer more as the technology becomes more and more available. Want to Convert Your Home Entertainment System? HD for wedding videos is a conundrum for me because the crisp detail and color-enhanced footage = longer editing process and more data that needs to be packed onto a DVD. In addition to the longer editing process (mainly due to increase in Processor useage) there is also the expense of storage. HD is roughly 5 times the size of SD (Standard Definition). That means I will need to increase my studios storage capacity from 3.5 TeraBytes to 15 TB or more! Aha! And now you know why it is so much more costly for the HD packages. Another consideration for us is delivery. What HD system do you have? We will then need to export, render and encode for your specific HD Entertainment System. Check out this link. Amazon has done a great job piecing together what YOU need to have an HD Home Entertainment System.

Looking for the Perfect Wedding Idea?

2005-12-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

I ran accross this "new" weblog about 6 months ago because they had linked to one of our posts. I gave it some time and read the posts as they came out and I am now going to share it with my readers here because it is really an excellent source and the author is doing a wonderful job of researching what she is writing about. The objective of the blog appears to be to give creative ideas to the bride and groom to allow them and their guests a more creative event that does not mirror what their friends and family have already attended for various people through the years. Take a look and search through the DataBase for older content. Wedding Ideas Dot Org by Cindy English of Cindy English is the publisher of: Beach Wedding Themes Beach wedding themes full of fun, fantasy and romance! She is based out of Florida it seems, but her blog has value all around the globe.

Modern Bridal Show: January 8th in Millbrae

2005-12-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

The Wedding Department here at Simply Interactive llc. will be at the Modern Bridal show in Millbrae on January 8th. This is a great time to come and meet the people responsible for almost 200 elegant wedding videos in only 3.5 years. These bridal shows are wondewrful ways for us to showcase what we have to offer in a comfortable environment. Please come on down to the show to watch our demos and see our professionals in action. Some people want to be filmmakers, some want to be in the entertainment industry. We want to make excellent wedding videos. Come and see what we can do. Sunday, January 8th, 2006 Doors are open from 11:00am - 4:00pm Fashion shows at 12:30pm and 2:30pm The Westin Hotel on the Peninsula is situated right on the water in Millbrae, bringing the Peninsula’s finest together for a one day event. DRIVING SOUTH FROM SAN FRANCISCO ON HIGHWAY 101: Take Highway 101 South Exit on Millbrae Avenue East. This exit is the first exit after the San Francisco Airport. Proceed over the overpass and stay in the right hand lane. Turn right onto Old Bayshore Highway. The Westin Hotel entrance is at the first signal. DRIVING NORTH FROM SAN JOSE ON HIGHWAY 101: Take highway 101 North to Millbrae Avenue East exit. This exit is the first exit before the San Francisco Airport. Stay in the right lane and turn right onto Old Bayshore Highway. The Westin Hotel entrance is at the first signal.

Web Design: Space Control Furniture Website

2005-12-11T16:16:00.000-08:00

I have just finished building a website for Space Control Furniture out of Palo Alto. More to come on this later, but it is really something!

The Simply Interactive Family

2005-11-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

My wife and I are enjoying thanksgiving in a new way this year. With the addition of our third child, Kylene Rose. Hope yours is half as good as ours is right now.

Wedding Video: Burke and Gwen

2005-11-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

First, we have just celebrated Simply Interactive's 200th wedding video within the last 3.5 years. We have been offering this service as a supplement to our already diverse multimedia offerings since 2001 and it has rapidly become an award-winning and personally gratifying slice of what we do here at Simply Interactive llc. Gwen and Burke were a referred client from a couple whose wedding we shot and edited in January of this year. Gwen and Burke were married at the Divine Savior Catholic Church in Orangevale CA. The church is actually an amazingly refreshing Catholic church with a great pastor. The refreshing aspect is completely within the design of the interior. Beautiful white and off-white designs, natural light glass windows and huge ceilings with brightly painted designs. As soon as you enter the front doors you are staring at a 30 foot tall stained glass window designed to be seen from within the sanctuary as you have to walk around it to the main area. Once seated, this design is behind you catching the light from the front doors. Really an amazing design. The reception was held at the Granite Bay Golf Club.

Not only was the staff here simply wonderful to work with (we did another one of our famous same day wedding video edits) but the food and the location was fantastic. We worked with Sonny of Exquisite Entertainment as the DJ and he was REALLY a class act all the way through. I could not more highly recommend a DJ. Seriously. I was very impressed. After 200 weddings, you'd think we'd know what we were talking about by now too ;-)

Adopt-A-Family

2005-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Adopt-A-Family in Santa Cruz this year. By far it will be one of the most rewarding things you do. There are tons of people in need right here in the Bay Area and a little bit of kindness can go a long way. Make this season about giving to those in need. Simply Interactive llc. is one of the larger multimedia and video production companies in the Bay Area and was built on the premise that assisting those around us is equally important to building a company in the Bay Area as Marketing is. We will be supporting one family this year for the holiday season through the Adopt-A-Family Program. We hope you will consider doing it too. We have done this every year for the last 3 years and the rewards are plentiful. Please consider restoring a small amount of faith in humanity for a struggling family this holiday season. If you know of another way Simply Interactive llc. can support our community, please let us know.

Family-Memorial Video

2005-11-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

Simply Interactive llc. is looking at expanding its offerings and we need your help! If your family has an interesting story to tell about one of its members, we want to talk to you. Our goal is to create a compelling 20 to 30 minute video highlighting the life of one individual. You must have access to photos, video of the individual. We will need access to family members and locations of significance so Bay Area "lifers" are preferred. If this fits you or someone in your family, please let us know.

Masters of the Same Day Edit

2005-10-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

2005 was a breakaway year for our wedding and event video services. At the lead of this growth in customer satisfaction and service was our mastery of the Same Day Edit (our Same Day Highlight as we like to call it). A Same Day Wedding Edit (or SDE) is simply this:

Shots of the Rehearsal
Shots of the Pre-Ceremony (Bride and Groom Preparing for the Wedding Day)
Shots of the Ceremony
Edited together masterfully with no notable limit on care to image, quality, or F/X added

Simply Interactive has been offering the Instant Edit Package for almost three years and we do it a little differently than most. First, our Same Day Wedding Edits are approximately 10 minutes long of very tightly edited sequences set to music. We even slow the video down for the vows. Our next step is to show it on our own multimedia screen with our own AV Equipment, including a rich PA System that we manage on our own. All of this is included in the price of our package to keep with the goals we set forth with when beginning to offer wedding and event video/multimedia services. To not gouge our customers with surprise costs that keep adding up. We do not charge for any of the equipment required to perform the duties of creating the Instantly edited Same Day Wedding Highlight the same way we do not charge extra for additional wireless microphones or additional unmanned cameras. We are not keen on making you decide on how well you want your wedding video to be captured. Instead, we take that choice on ourselves. Our goal is to give you a masterfully created wedding video that shocks and astounds. See a sample of a Same Day Edit Here. Rusty Worden President

Wedding Video: Another Thank You from a Customer

2005-10-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

2004 was really a banner year for our company. We have grown from a small event multimedia company into a true multimedia company offering a complete suite of services for any multimedia need. To make this transition which has been our goal since 2002, we have built a solid stream of solid customers in the event video arena. Mike and Heqing were kind enough to comment on our services Rusty, we want to thank you for the excellent job on our final video. You did a great job of picking scenes and pulling it all together into an enjoyable mini-movie of our special day. We're looking forward to having a day where we can share it with our neighbors and friends to relive it in our home. We appreciate the extra effort you made in improving the scenes we pointed out, we noticed the difference and feel it gave the whole video a professional look and feel. Thanks again for your time and effort. We were pleasantly surprised by how smoothly things went that day, thanks in no small part to the skill and knowledge of vendors like you. Mike and Heqing We are proud to focus on customer service and quality. Thanks for noticing!

Wedding Video: A Thank You From a Customer

2005-10-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

I always love it when we get compliments on our customer service. We focus very much on customer service in a dedicated, organized way. All of our videographers are instructed at every event, shoot, wedding, etc... that our job is not just a videographer. We are there to offer outrageous customer service. In fact, the customer service aspect of Simply Interactive is based off of the book "Positively Outrageous Customer Service: How to Delight and Astound Your Customers and Win Them for Life" by T. Scott Gross (Link goes to Amazon.com). Recently we received this very warm letter from Rana, a 2004 bride: Hi Rusty: I want to thank so much for being so kind and helpful to me, Jacob and my family. You were a blessing to have as a videographer - you were a friend to me throughout this whole process, and that means a lot. I can see how passionate you are about making others happy when they see the video you make for them. You are gifted and I hope that your company and successes continue to grow as time goes on.

San Francisco Wedding Video: Bridal Show 10-08

2005-10-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO

Event date: Saturday Oct 08, 2005 Show time: 12:00PM Address: San Francisco Concourse 620 Seventh Street San Francisco, CA Click here to purchase tickets for the show Directions to the expo here We will be exhibiting at this show and will be auctioning off a wedding video where the proceeds will be donated to assist those in need.

Busy Wedding Video Weekend

2005-10-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend shooting wedding videos all the way up in Yosemite down to San Francisco, and the last wedding video in San Jose. In San Francisco we enjoyed wonderful accommodations for Vendors at the Argonaut Hotel less than a half mile from Pier 39. The staff was great to work with and very supportive. The wedding for Vanessa and Levi included a Same Day wedding highlight video. We shot and edited the rehearsal, pre-ceremony, and ceremony into a nice highlight video and showed it to the guests that night at the reception. These gigs are always wonderful because, as an artist, it is always nice to see the response to your work soon after doing it. It is specially nice when it is received as well as it was on this night. The surprised crowd was stunned that we were able to edit together something so elegant, so quickly. The next wedding video was in Palo Alto with a reception at Mings restaurant on East Embarcadero. Kent was the event coordinator there and he was very gracious to our team. This was another same day wedding highlight video and it was a much tighter time-frame for completion. The staff was great. The food was unbelievable, and the final product was engaging to the audience. When we do same day wedding highlights, I always look at the audience's reaction rather than the presentation itself. It is so nice to see so many engaged individuals smiling, cheering, and whispering to each other in shock at how it was done so quickly. That same day in Yosemite at the Ahwahnee Hotel we had another event for Denise and Alex of San Francisco. This location was breathtaking and I simply cannot wait to edit their video because we were able to capture so many breathtaking shots of the two of them in this truly gorgeous setting. Last wedding of the weekend was on Sunday. This was a wedding we did where all the proceeds paid to us were donated to nonprofit organizations (we still have more to donate from it and are thinking of adopting a family or two this Christmas). Simply Interactive LLC strongly believes in supporting our community and therefore donates several times per year products or services where the proceeds can be then donated to organizations set up to help people. The great part of this is that typically the people who purchase the services are folks who would not have previously acquired video services and are doing it with the intent of helping others. At the same time, of course, they are getting a wedding video from one of the top companies in the bay area for multimedia and video production. Talk about win-win-win. The customer gets a video Simply Interactive gets to give back to our community People who need help get it It does not get much better than that.

All Systems Go

2005-09-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

After some frustrating problems with our previous hosting company, we have moved all of our websites to GoDaddy servers and our e-mail and tools are working again. Thanks for your patience.

E-Mail Temporarily Down

2005-09-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Because of repeated outages with a hosting company our e-mail is out of service while we transition to our own dedicated servers. Please bear with us in the transition. Please contact us via phone at 888-421-8772 Extension 1. A notice will be posted here when service returns to normal.

ATTENTION! WEBSITE ERRORS

2005-09-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive is experiencing intermittent server problems and some of our demos in our portfolio are not working properly. Please be patient while we isolate the problem and repair it.

Helping Our Troops

2005-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Whether you agree or disagree with the war in Iraq, our troops are over there and they need us to support them. They are, right or wrong, fighting in our behalf and one woman has realized this and has done something about it. I am an avid reader of Fark.com and recently saw a link there that went to an article about Kristen Maddox. This girl has created a non-profit company and began sending troops needed amenities with her own cash. Thankfully, now she is receiving donations through the mail and her website. I sent her an e-mail to express my appreciation of her and to let her know that at one time a single act of kindness to me personally changed my life forever (for the better). She responded very kindly with the following: Thank you so much for what you said. I have tried to live my life in a way that helps others. I have been doing things like this since I was a little kid. My mom told me I used to put band aids on snails when I was about 3 years old. I've always thought that if I can make a difference, even a small one, I should. I know what it is like to not have a lot. When I was little, my family was very poor. I am happy to hear you are doing better. It's amazing how a simple act of kindness can change someone's life forever. I hope I can have the same kind of impact on people, that that person had on you. I plan on continuing to do this, for troops and veterans of all wars. Your email means more to me than I could ever tell you. I hope I can make a difference in people's lives. Thank you! Kristen Please visit her site and decide on your own if you'd like to help her goals. She really is a unique woman.

New Multimedia and Event Video Services

2005-07-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

Long ago when Simply Interactive was still an individual proprietorship, I envisioned my company as a complete multimedia solution for individuals and companies. To make our mark, however, we primarily focused on the wedding and event end of the industry. We did this with the intent to build that side of the business so that when the transition was made to offer full services through the Simply Interactive website, we would have an established reputation in the bridal community. We did not want to be another corporate multimedia company that also "happened" to offer weddding and event multimedia services. We wanted to be known for both. I am happy to say that time is here so if you have been to our site before, you'll notice some subtle changes in the navigation. We are offering many new services in addition to the wedding and event area of multimedia. In the next few weeks there will be more changes to our home page and in the content of the services pages as-well-as a customer database job-tracking tool we have been building offline from the ground up. This will assist all our customers in being assured we not only have the details of your event, but allows you to modify them at any time by simply logging in. We are proud to be a part of the Bay Area. Thanks for supporting us in this transition.

Wedding Video: Janine and Simon

2005-07-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Janine and Simon were married a few weeks ago at The Inn at Spanish Bay. As part of their package we put together a highlight video for them and posted it online. To back up a bit, Janine and Simon are two of the more grounded yet fun and entertaining people I've ever met. They really seem to enjoy life and have fun at everything they do. It has been an enjoyable experience for me simply working with them. Another great thing about the Wedding for Janine and Simon is that Anna Myers was the photographer. Every time I work with Anna, my creativity and her creativity soars. I think we play off of each other and end up with work accomplished at a higher level because of it. In Anna's case, this is saying a lot because her work is mind-blowing. After reviewing the demo Janine responded with the following: I am very envious that you get to do something you love and that you have a REAL talent for. It is rare that people find that in life!! One of my friends who is a wedding planner in Seattle has already asked "where is he based!??" The shot of my parents and I coming from behind the shrubs is so cool - it's dream like. Just so you know, your timing was perfect on getting us this highlight video. My 90 yr old grandmother is leaving today and when I sent it to my parents last night to show her, she couldn't stop watching it and is overwhelmed with it! She has since watched it 4 times in a row and can't stop telling me how beautiful it is. Also, I've sent it out to all our friends and family and the accolades that I'm receiving don't stop. One of my friends said: "WOW Janine - I'm speechless. This is the most stunning video. I have to share with my mom and my sister!" It's responses like this that I strive for. Thanks for sharing it with me Janine!

Wedding Video: Sabrine and Soli

2005-07-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

In the last three years we have really taken the wedding video industry and modified it to our own standards. First, with offering services that did not include hourly rates, then by offering reasonable prices, and never charging for additional equipment that we need to capture your day properly. In other words... if we give you a price, you will not have to fear us coming up to you a couple hours into your reception to get you to sing a contract agreeing to pay us to be there for another three hours because our original contract only speciifed 8 hours. To be honest, I find myself at weddings for 12 hours or more far more frequently than not. I arranged my packages this way because I treat customers as I want to be treated. Sabrine and Soli are a fantastic couple and Sabrine was the first bride to ask me to do a same day wedding highlight video. At that point when she asked me, I had not done them previously so I went back and figured out the logistics of a process that I felt would work. It didn't work (though fortunately this was a dry-run and not a real wedding). Realizing the mistakes made and the areas in the process that did not work, I went back with new plans of attack and am proud to say we have worked out a process that will allow me to provide a same day wedding highlight video that is available within a couple of hours into the reception. This is an extreme "wow" factor for party guests as most are completely stunned that not only do we edit this together and show it, but the effects and style we use spare nothing from the quality we employ for the final video which arrives later. Sabrine had some very creative ideas in what she wanted to do for her reception which was out Hs Lordships in Berkeley, CA. First, she wanted at the beginning of the reception, right after the gran entrance to start dancing immediately to their first song. They happened to have a DVD with the music video on it and I had that set up to start playing as soon as they came in the door. So the guests were enjoying a music video on a huge projection screen AND the couple's first dance at the same time. After the first dance, she wanted to have a video camera projecting the images of the bridal party dancing on the same large screen. We accomodated that also. Additionally, later in the evening we showed a photo-montage and the same day wedding highlight video I had finished almost 1 hour ahead of schedule. This extra stuff must have cost a lot, right? Nope. We did not charge Sabrine one extra penny for all the additional features at her reception. The reason why is because we were already there, with our equipment, and completely set up to do everything she was asking for. So, true to my conviction to not gouge customers, we did it at no charge. Hs Lordships Restaraunt More to come on how our season is going this year.

We Don't Just Line Your Video Clips Up

2005-06-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive has been providing some rather unique and thoughtful wedding videos for several years now. We always take a look at each clip and rarely leave a clip untouched without some sort of image enhancement. Video, by nature is rather flat and not terribly interesting to look at even with an excellent composition. The job of the editor is to bring out the details that are there, and enhance each clip. We do this for everyone because we do not charge more for different "levels" of editing. Frankly, I would never sell someone a service and put my company name on something that was of lesser quality than we typically put out. On top of that, I think it would be innappropriate to make people choose between a well-edited wedding video, and one that was just slapped together. Maybe it is a good business model, but I do not approach this business in such a corporate way. Below is one of many examples of what we do for all our clients: BEFORE AFTER

Nestledown Wedding Update

2005-06-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

All Photos by Delgado Photography

Wedding Video: Nestldown Wedding May 2005

2005-06-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

I went to a wedding rehearsal yesterday for John and Cherry at a location in the Los Gatos Hills, called Nestledwon. The location is the most beatuifullly landscaped area I have ever seen. The location is nestled between three hills and the ceremony spot is right at the bottom underneath huge redwooods, surrounded by moss and ferns and on a manmade platform of slate stones and boulders broght in as accents. Stunning. Jim Hatlo will be shooting the wedding video at Nestledown tomorrow for John and Cherry and we are extremely exicted about it because the location is so beautiful.

You Are Invited to my Wedding, here's Your Bill

2005-05-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

I saw this article online and had to share it because in this day and age it is extremely hard for families alone to foot the bill for an entire wedding. I am not condoning or dissuading from this particular avenue, only uoi know your friends and family. But it is a growing option that I've heard of before. l'express: "American couples are meeting the spiralling costs of weddings by asking their friends and guests for money. Crystal, toasters and other gifts are being shunned in favour of a bare-faced appeal for cash. “We are happy to invite you to our wedding. PS: Please bring your cheque book,” said one invitation from a couple who explained that they already had all the linen and household goods that they needed. No matter how startled they may be, friends are paying. "

Simply Interactive Receives Top Honors in the 2005 Videographer Awards

2005-05-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to announce that for the 2005 Videographer Awards, Simply Interactive llc. is in the top 12% of entrants to win top honors in the form of an Award of Excellence. The video was shot and edited in January of this year and I finally caved in and submitted something to them for review. I have had people ask me often why we do not enter more contests to win awards and the honest truth is that I don't have much time or interest. Seeing the Brides happy is an award in itself. To have someone tell me what my customers are already telling me by referring us to their friends means more to me than what a faceless judge tells me about the quality of my work. Quality. That's only part of our job. I'd like to get judged on customer service. Dedication to perfection. Going the extra mile. But honestly, even though the awards are given based on it's individual merits I am still proud to say that we are among the top 12% in the industry judged by our peers. And according to our customers, we are number 1 :-)

Kiwanis Club of San Carlos - Hollywood's Golden Age

2005-04-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Recently we were asked to video the production "Hollywood's Golden Age" put on by the Kiwanis Club of San Carlos. This show was phenomenal! A truly wonderful show, excellently directed and produced starring a slew of age-varying singers, dancers and performers with such energy and vitality that it was impossible for me to edit without tapping my foot and smiling broadly the whole way through. Kiwanis is one of San Carlos' oldest Service Clubs. Founded in 1947, San Carlos Kiwanis Club is one of almost 9000 Kiwanis Clubs in 82 Countries. Simply Interactive was asked specifically to shoot and edit the video in a timely fashion and offer the DVDs to the performers at a reasonable rate. These types of events are often more a labor of love than a way to really advance business, but videoing plays and dance recitals (got a dance recital at Notre Dame De Namur University on Thursday), and commencements (we are also doing the videography for the NDNU Commencement on May 7th) is really a lot of fun and shows that we support the community that supports us. We do these because the need is there and it is a great way to give back. More often than not, the ROI on these is enough to cover expenses, but they are so much fun that we never say no to them. If your school or club is having a graduation, play dance, etc... please let us know so we can discuss how we can help to document the event in a way superior to an average person with a video camera, and completely affordably as well.

Available Videographer Job

2005-04-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive is continuing to grow and as we do, we need a larger group of videographers. If you or someone you know is a videographer, please have them contact us. The best candidates will:

Have their own 1/3" 3-Chip Cameras Be able to use their environment to create excellent compositions Be reliable Be insanely customer focused

We will only be looking for two more regular videographers for contract work in and around the bay area. Contact us for more information and to schedule a time to meet and discuss our customer service focus and view our best practices reel.

Group 3 Media Website Creation

2005-04-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Recently, John Clecak of Group 3 Media contacted us regarding his company website. Group 3 Media is an event dj, video production, and lighting and sound rental/design firm located in Fremont California. The objective of the project was simple enough, let people know about the diverse, yet related services offered, and to upgrade the website from an older, clunkier, Java-based site to a sleeker website taking advantage of todays popular styles. We created a complete CSS Style sheet, and categorized the services into a more readily understandable format. Additionally we created a customer highlight section and a service highlight section to showcase successes and rotate popular services for visitors to view quickly. View the new website here

Golden Peacock Bridal Expo

2005-04-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Very often we get last minute jobs that require we shuffle resources and focus intently on a specific project for a short, but intense period of time. I am one of the few who really enjoy these forays into the unknown because they really challenge your creativity and help you advance your skills in both planning, and organization. Recently, a consortium of interested parties contacted Simply Interactive about creating a website for a bridal show they are putting together. I know this weblog is primarily for wedding videography news and tidbits, but I think stories like this will help anyone realize what they get when they hire a company like ours. Essentially, we got 98% of the info for the website two days ago, and I (being a web designer, webmaster, and all sorts of other hats related to multimedia) very quickly put together a website that showcases the popular design of today, along with the crucial information needed to sell their service. Simply Interactive is a multimedia company fully capable of wedding and event video, eLearning, video training, website design and development, CDROM development, interactive tutorials... anything involving visual media. We can manage audio media and outsourcing to a few specific companies, but our core members have a combined 60 years of experience in multimedia. I am proud to be a part of the success of the first Golden Peacock Bridal Expo. On the surface, this site may seem very simple, but under the hood, our design is always perfected. This site is in full utilization of CSS to maintain style across multiple pages, and enable the site to grow as their business grows. This consortium only hired us to create one page for them. Being a perfectionist, there is no way I could possibly cram all that information elegantly into a single page while adhering to both design and information presentation guidelines, so I made them a larger site, and again, designed it for easy scalability. Additionally, we created a CGI mail handler that not only sends eMail from a webform (cutting down on spam) but is designed to present the information using html in order to organize the information in an easier to read format. Again, this stuff is under the hood, but this type of service is what we offer everyone. Totally Outrageous Customer Service is our motto. Our goal is to always give you more than you asked for, more than you bargained for, and wherever possible, in unexpected and pleasant areas. Cheers

Wedding Video: Gina and Steve's Kind Words

2005-03-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

Rusty, Steve and I received our wedding DVD last night and we love it. You did a phenomenal job and we are very pleased and happy with the outcome. We don't want to make any changes to the DVD. We both loved it. For some reason, I felt we were more like friends rather than vendor/client and that always adds an element of relaxation to the whole thing. Steve and I both love the job you did and we are very pleased. Gina I have to amdit that even after all this time being a multimedia geek for people getting married, I still feel intense pride when someone sees me and my company for the way I try to present it. I don't "WANT" to be a personal company... I AM a personal company. The goal is to make this business less like a business and more relfective of the fact that I love doing what I am doing and am much less a business man than a person who loves hanging out with people. It just so happens I have a camera in my hand at the same time. I enjoy the responsibility of capturing one of the most important days in their lives. Gina and Steve got married at an extremely beautiful golf course in Walnut Creek. Boundary Oaks is set against the foothills of Mt. Diablo. This location was truly fantastic (albeit a tad hot on that day).

Bridal Show this Sunday!

2005-03-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

Simply Interactive llc. Will be exhibiting at a bridal show on Sunday in San Jose at the Fairmont Hotel. This is a great opportunity for you to come, meet us, and view our demos. Event date: Sunday Mar 20, 2005 Show time: 12:00 NOON Address: Fairmont San Jose 170 S Market Street San Jose, CA 95113 Please visit the Great Bridal Expo website for more information.

A Note to Our Peers in the Wedding and Event Video Business

2005-02-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years I have had several instances where it would have been great to have a resource pool of qualified talent to use for the seemingly endless supply of last minute gigs. To begin to work on this issue on a local level, I have come up with an idea to begin to share information and resources among video companies on the Bay Area. The idea is that we will post demo reels, rates, and general availability to a website provided by me, and all of us can post requests for assistance on jobs either to the group, or specific members whose work you like. Additionally, we can share information specific to our industry and address local issues specific to our region. All this AND we can post questions and support each other because, after all, the better customer service and quality we offer our customers, the more our industry will be respected and therefore grow. So now that you have heard my spiel (and I know you guys are here checking out the competition :-) I hope you will consider joining the group and help promote good ethics and a higher industry standard as well as enable your company to take on more work.
Click to join bayareavideo

The New Multimedia Studio

2005-02-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is some really big news for all of us here at Simply Interactive llc. Something that each of us who contributes to the efforts of this company has been aiming towards for two years now. We are moving into a multimedia studio right on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View on March 1st. This move is not just a simple moving of equipment, we are going to really make this place stand out and show our creativity. The new studio is in a downtown area full of shops and restaraunts and will reflect the personality and commitment to customer service we have aimed for since day one. To highlight this event, and to bring even more value to our customers, we have hired on a very skilled photographer who has agreed to work directly under the Simply Interactive banner and offer services and rates that reflect the openness to our customers needs that we require from all our partners. Deborah Nagai has been a professional photographer for 7 years and has claim to being published in magazines like Audrey, and Asian Women's Publication (link goes to online version of the print pictorial). While she has been a photographer for 7 years, she has been focusing on wedding photography for the last 2 years. In traditional fashion, it seems that the majority of my partners and collaborators are from many years at Cisco systems. Deborah and I have been working together for many years already creating multimedia and multimedia standards for Cisco's internal and external websites. Deborah will be officially joining Simply Interactive on March 1st, and we hope to launch the new website to reflect these service changes. Our new studio will be at 461 Castro Street in Mountain View and the doors will open for business on March 14th 2005. We hope you will stop by and say hi.

Excuse me, do you do photography as well?

2005-02-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how often I get that question. The answer is always the same... that photography and videography are similar, but very very different mediums and technologies. It isn't that I could not ever be a photographer or that a photographer could never be a videographer. The simple fact is that I want to be perfect at one field of expertise, not "ok" at two areas of expertise. But as Simply Interactive has grown it has become apparent that a lot of people REALLY want photography. So it with real pride that I announce that as of March 1st, Simply Interactive llc WILL be offering photgraphy. But wait, you just said that you didn't want to do that... ? Right! But I have sweet talked a wonderful photographer to join forces with Simply Interactive to offer photography and videography under the same roof. Deborah Nagai has agreed to join Simply Interactive and perform her photography services exclusively under our name. This means that very soon we will be offering photography packages, video packages, and combined packages. Speaking of roofs, we are also moving into studio space in DOWNTOWN MOUNTAIN VIEW!!! Sorry if I seem excited, but on March 1st we take ownership of 461 Castro Street in downtown Mountain View. For those in the know, Mountain View's Castro street is a posh little street with lots of restaraunts, niche shops, book/coffee shops etc... Bottom line is that on Monday March 16th the doors to our multimedia, video, and photography studio open complete with portrait studio and the charming presence of yours truly. Our goal of becoming a power multimedia house are now realized with the expansion to this wonderful new location. Along with the location comes the reality that we will now be offering other retail items relating to weddings and events. I'll post a call here later for people who want to come to our catered, DJ'd, grand opening. Stay tuned!.

January 30th Bridal Show

2005-01-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will be exhibiting at a bridal show in San Jose. This show is reputed to be one of the biggest and nicest shows in the bay area and while we have always had great success from bridal shows, we have never done Modern Bridal before. Please come see us for a really awesome demo and to meet some of our staff (your humble writer included). At this show we will be showcasing a video that was shot and edited and shown at the reception just two weeks ago. This is a new and growing service we are offering and for a limited time the pricing reflects that we are breaking into this area. We hope to see you there!

REPOST: Topic - Delegation

2005-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from some time ago but as I am confident that my repeat customer list in the wedding area of our business is very low, I imagine some of you may not have scrolled through the archives of this weblog. REPOST BEGINS NOW... Greetings Brides to be. It is my hope to dispense to you not just a whole bunch of information that may be useful to you, but the real gems of information I can give. I think it is my duty to present to you these gems because I attend so many weddings, and invariably when someone follows a few simple guidelines AT the ceremony, all ends up going predominately well. The main part of this advice can be summed up in one word... DELEGATE! OK, perhaps I meant one word and an exclamation point. Look, every bride gets wrapped up in the details. And that is a very very good thing. Speaking from the male perspective (and my wife will totally attest to this) if the bride does not pay attention to the details, no one will. However, there is a time to give the reins to someone else. While that may make every brides heart beat quick and the breath get short for a few seconds, please don't stop reading there. Here is why it is not only important, but actually for the best. I, being the owner of a successful wedding and event videography company, can tackle this aspect from two sides because I get to see all of it from every angle. First, from the bride's angle. Many brides are worried about being perceived as a bridezilla. The control freak who rears her green head up at the first sign of trouble. This in and of itself puts undo stress on the bride and when something goes wrong it may affect how she deals with the problem. If she does ALL the planning... and then leaves all the details on the morning of the wedding to a trusted friend or family member not in the bridal party, they get to deal with making sure everything goes as planned. Also from the bride's angle... what happens if this person who has been left in charge is faced with something she does not know the answer to? Ah... therein lies the beauty of this plan of attack. The bride only has a single person who comes to her asking questions. Why? Because guests quickly realize even without being told who the Go To person is. This person is identified by coordinating the groomsmen, helping the flower girls, whispering secretively to the bride and groom etc... So when something goes wrong guess who they go to... A) The Bride B) The Go To Person If you chose B, you are 98% right... There is always 2 out of every 100, but that is far better than 100 out of 100. From the perspective of the service provider it is a beauty because I do all the planning with the bride and if I have any questions or concerns, I do not have to interrupt the bride or groom while the experience a day that was made for them.

Same Day Wedding Highlight Video

2005-01-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

I have just recently added a new package to our wedding video package offerings and it has rapidly become one of my top requested packages. In fact, I am also getting calls from other video companies who are curious just how it is possible for me to create a 10 to 15 minute presentation in such a short time period. Well... Sorry folks... I am not going to tell you. But I'll do it for you :-) Yesterday at the wedding for Julianne and Dave this was (to hear them tell it at the family barbecue today), the highlight of the evenings festivities. The reception was at the San Jose Capital Athletics Club (on 3rd Street) and I was ready shortly into the reception itself (which far and away had the best cooked filet mignon I'd had since the very first time I tasted that yummy stuff). The video started in with a rather traditional photo-montage with a few extra effects thrown in every now and then... the photo-montage faded down and then shots that were taken the previous day at the rehearsal were shown and edited with enormous detail and care to the image, presentation, etc... That was a rousing success as soon as people actually realized it was the rehearsal. But when the video transitioned into a beautiful sequence of the bride and groom getting ready THAT MORNING... no kidding here... there were gasps audible from the crowd. A sound that gave me no small amount of pride and joy. Go See the Video (opens new window). CAUTION! 29 MB Flash Video This video is for high bandwidth only But the real taking of the cake was that shot only two hours before, we were showing video that had been edited to the same level of detail with just as many visual effects and animations as the previous bits, of the ceremony. We even closed out the video with their actual vows, the kiss, and recession. Folks, this was the best response to my work I've ever received and it is all thanks to an attention to detail, and complicated strategy and plan to be able to even offer this type of service... let alone with all of those effects that will normally make videographers shy away from offering this at all. This package is new and as such it has been a learning experience for me but yesterdays event taught me that I did indeed think of everything and it went off without a hitch. Please let me know if having same day wedding video highlights shown at your reception is something you'd be interested in as soon we will have to reassess the pricing on that package.

Operation Bedtime Story

2005-01-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

If you are in the military and serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and have children, please contact us. We will shoot and edit you reading (and acting out) your child(ren)s favorite bedtime stories AT NO CHARGE. I have two children, Jim Hatlo (director of coastal areas) has 3 children, and many other members and partners of Simply Interactive llc. have children. I would love to honor you for your commitment to our nation and to my family by helping your family cope with your absence.

Culinary Institute of America Wedding

2005-01-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

At this moment I am in the lobby of a posh, stylish hotel in downtown Calistoga CA awaiting the bride and bridesmaids to get dressed so we can go back in and video some glamour shots and some stylized video for the wedding of Erica and John. Without a doubt this has been the best experience ever. I'll add pictures later and even add more detail, but here are two teasers. Culinary Institute of America Mount View Spa and Hotel Those are the two BEST places I've been to with the best service I've ever seen. Andrea, Katie and Rachel are the representatives at the Mount View Hotel and all three should really be commended for service that goes above and beyond what should be expected. They have really made the brides day a better experience. To top it off, my wife gets the bonus because I am so enamored of this place I am going to be scheduling a weekend getaway. The Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.) is the most visually pleasing,architecturally beautiful, wonderfully landscaped venue for a wedding and reception I have ever seen also. Again, I will expound on these more later (as obviously I will be busy again shortly).

Come See Our Wedding Video Demos at TWO bridal shows this month

2005-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

This year Simply Interactive will be exhibiting in 7 Bridal shows. Our first one this year is in Monterey and we are there as part of Simply Interactive's new effort to allow coastal residents to find us without having to go to San Jose or San Francisco shows. More info for January 23rd Show The next one is on the 30th and is touted to be the biggest, most glamorous event with the most vendors (and brides) under one roof. It is held at the San Jose Convention Center and will be on 01-30-05. Please come see us at booth 613. More info for January 30th Show

Happy New Year!

2004-12-31T19:56:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that it is always better to give than receive (unless you have a wife like mine who bought me a 2005 Fatboy). Simply Interactive last year aucitoned off one wedding video, donated 10% of our revenue to charity, and volunteered to two non-porofit organizations (for video and web design work). I personally did one of the most rewarding things I have ever done this year. Rather than buying presents for family members who could otherwise afford to get stuff for themselves (other than kids in the family, of course), my wife and I adopted a family of people going through rough times. The message here is that all of us who have even a little something can make our own society better by giving some of it back. It doesn't have to be a lot. Even 20 dollars a year can make a huge difference in someones life.

Tsunami Relief Where Your Contribution is Matched 1:1

2004-12-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

I am horriified at the catastrophe unfolding in the news of late. It is mind boggling to try and comprehend 50,000 lives lost in a single moment with no warning. All we can do as a society is help in the aftermath as I hope everyone will do. If you plan to donate... even 1 dollar, it will be matched dollar for dollar by the partners of NetAid. Donate on their site if you can. Visit NetAid

2005 Video Auction For Charity

2004-12-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

Last year Simply Interactive llc. auctioned off a wedding video for charity via eBay. This year we want to do the same. Please contact me via the Contacts Page if you are interested in participating in this AND/OR if you want t orequest specifc services to be included in the offering. Here is what I am suggesting: 1 Camera Rehearsal Coverage 2 Camera Preparation Coverage 2 Camera Cermeony Coverage 1 Camera Reception Coverage 50 image photo montage shown at the reception Other items that can be added AFTER the auction at 500 dollars each above the auction closing (all proceeds also donated to NetAid) Love Story Interview Same Day Wedding Highlights Items that are above and beyond the auction closing price would be things like travel and hotels (in case you are getting married in Australia or something). Please let me know if you have any questions. Leave a comment or go to the Contacts Page.

Reality TV Application Videos

2004-11-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago we were asked to shoot an application video for a person attempting to get on The Apprentice 2. We could not say anything for a while because we did not want to ruin it for him and his chances to get on the show. Now, however, we can show you the video. You will need Quicktime in order to view this demo. Click to see the video Return here to leave us your comments. Are you interested in getting on a reality show? Nothing beats having an experienced eye help you with your video, script, composition, and delivery. Let us know if we can help.

2005 Wedding Calendar Starting to fill up

2004-11-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

I always recommend to people to book early in order to prevent the need to seek quality vendors from what's left after the rest are booked. This is not to say that you will not find a quality vendor to suit your needs. There are literally hundreds in each area starting businesses every day that you can choose from, but finding good ones is a task. With the wedding season for this year mostly over, I can meet with interested brides and grooms on weekends. To set something up, just click on the Contact link up above! Have a happy and safe holoday season from us here at Simply Interactive llc.

Opening Night for Dead Man Walking

2004-10-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

Dead Man Walking the play opened last night for the first time in any theater in the world and I am thrilled to say that it opened with the presence of Sister Helen Prejean who wrote the book and collaborated with Tim Robbins for the play. Susan Sarandon (who won an Oscar for her role of Sister Helen in the movie) and Sean Penn (nominated for an Oscar for his role as the killer, Mathew Poncelet) were all in attendance at the event. While I would love to say that these big stars sought me out after the play to say what an incredible job I had done on providing video for the play, I do know that several others afterward were very pleased with the death scene in particular (I hope that wasn't a spoiler). The director came to me afterward and told me that the play was made infintely better (this is not a direct quote) because of the work we had done on it. I think the play is a stunning view into several aspects of the death penalty and indeed covers all sides of the equation, though admittedly with a pretty serious slant towards being against it. Ultimately it is important to keep things like this in the minds of people because it is not an issue we should just make a snap judgement on because the ramifications are permanent. I did my part in the play because I believe that we should be thinking about it as a society. This play does not offer answers, it offers the question and it offers points of view from all sides. See it with a grain of salt and then think about it and make up your own mind. Thanks to Mike Elkin, the director, for choosing me out of all the people and companies who wanted to be part of this. I know we are not the least expensive company out there and I know that was a big concern, but now you know why we are worth it. Thanks also to Jim Hatlo and Dustin Cooper. Without the skill and creativity these two showed on the video shoot to Alcatraz I sent them on, the project would have been far less. And the phenomenal shots taken by them at the death scene allowed me to create the best 3 minutes of video I have ever done. When the play is over I will post that video here (hopefully with some of the audio from the play). Go the the website for NDNU and Dead Man Walking

Dead Man Walking Part 2

2004-10-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Three people crammed into a multimedia studio (even spaces as big as our studio seem small after a night like this one) for 12 hours walk away to produce (and I mean this wholeheartedly) the most awesome, significant, powerful, moving, stunnning pieces of multimedia ever. Three of us (Jim Hatlo, Dustin Cooper, and me, Rusty Worden), have been putting together the video and static image elements for the play ALL NIGHT LONG. The multimedia/video for the play, "Dead Man Walking" is almsot done (just waiting for rendering) and I have watched it three times... and have been moved emotionally by it three times. I don't think I could have done a better job unless I had more time to work on it. It is one of those rare instances where I had a vision in my mind of exactly what I wanted and it came out exactly as I had hoped. For once, I am not disappointed in the least in anyway with a creative work I have done. It is almost depressing to think that if I touch it again, I may mess something up. Please contact us if you are thinking of going to the play at the University of Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, CA. We are so happy they chose us to do this for them.!

Dead Man Walking

2004-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive llc. has been chosen tio handle the multimedia, and video needs for the production of Dead Man Walking, a play by Tim Robbins adapted off the movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. We are honored to have been chosen for this ground breaking event as the College of Notre Dame is the first college or theater to perform this production. We will be involved in the production of the play as well as documenting the play itself. Come see it at the Notre Dame De Namur University Theatre on: 10-21 through 10-24 10-28 through 10-31 As well as additional showings in the first weeks of November. Please contact us if you have nay further questions.

October 16th Bridal Show

2004-10-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Our 2005 year is starting to fill up with excited new brides who are being very proactive in the planning stages. Simply Interactive exhibits at several bridal shows every year, but one of our all-time favorites is hosted by the Great Bridal Expo. Event date: Saturday Oct 16, 2004 Show time: 12:00 NOON Address: San Francisco Concourse 635 Eighth Street San Francisco, CA 94103 We really hope to see you there. Planning for the a wedding takes time and patience and Bridal shows are fantastic ways to see numerous vendors in one location on one day.

Come See Us in Monterey Today!

2004-09-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive exhibits our services at bridal shows, usually 4-6 times per year. This year, for the first time, Simply Interactive is exhibiting at a brand new show in Monterey CA. The coast areas for whatever reason are sometimes ignored by bridal shows so we are happy to contribute to this area. Come See Us Today at: Sunday 9/12/2004 Monterey Conference Center One Portola Plaza Monterey 11am to 4pm The show is put on by these folks. Hope to see you soon!

World Awareness

2004-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks. Simply Interactive is primarily founded on two principles that guide the direction of our company. Customer Service, and Community Awareness. Simply Interactive believes that our customers will be able to tell for themselves how great our quality is so we do not spend much time talking about that. The fact is that each of you will make up your mind when you see our demos and whatever we say will not affect your perception after that. So, we completely throw ourselves into customer service. Community awareness is of vital importance to us too. Both in a local sense (we are currently scheduled to perform video and editing service for a local non profit seeking funding for medical research though I am not at liberty to say who yet), as well as a global sense as evidenced a few months ago when we auctioned off a wedding video on eBay where all the proceeds went to CAMFED through NETAID. It is very important to me that both my company and I leave a positive impact in all the communities who support us as well as recognize our power to ease trials others are going through. It is in this sense of community awareness that I encourage anyone who can to do whatever they can for the Sudanese. NETAID is a filter that transfers funds at a ratio of 1 to 1 directly to the Fund of your choice. NETAID seeks out the needs for funds, investigates the organization behind it, qualifies their need and where the money is to be going/spent, and all so we don't have to. Please Help If You Can.

Now Serving the Coastal Areas of Northern California

2004-09-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to say that Simply Interactive llc has just signed a contract with Jim Hatlo, a Carmel native, to act as an authorized representative of Simply Interactive llc in the greater Monterey Bay Area. Effectively, he will be providing videography service from Santa Barbara all the way through to Half Moon Bay, as well as parts of Los Gatos. This agreement has been in the works for the better part of 6 months and is beneficial for all involved including you, our customers. Traditionally, when an event is more than 60 miles from our base of operations (Menlo Park), additional fees for hotel stays are required to ensure we are not exhausted while travelling, or not up to par for your event. Under this agreement, all central California coastal areas will not have to worry about this extra fee. Jim Hatlo and I have been working together on various projects since 1997 and, in fact, was my mentor when I first started getting involved in multimedia. Since then I have gone on to receive many awards for the pioneering work I have been involved with in the realm of web and handheld device multimedia development, but Jim definitely gave me a launching pad into my career choice. It is to my honor that he now works for me in a company that in no small part was built around his direction when I first started getting into the business. Simply Interactive is now and has always been 1 part Rusty and 1 part Jim even though he was not on board yet. More on Jim will come later in the About Us section of the website. Welcome Jim!

The Night of a Thousand Weddings

2004-08-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

OK.. it was not nearly that many weddings, but we (Simply Interactive llc) did handle several weddings over the weekend. I personally was on location for two of them while a total of 8 other guys were out and about doing various tasks for various weddings (speaking of which... I need some members of the feminine persuasion to work for me as videographers (know anyone?). I was joking with another vendor at Nikole and Kyle's wedding on Saturday (August 28th), that doing this many weddings in one weekend is not nearly so frightening once you get everythign down on paper, send everybody where they need to go, and get everyone back with their progress reports. In other words... once it is over with it is not scary anymore. I kid. It isn't scary at all really. It is a simple matter of knowing what to do and when. The only way to do that is to plan it out to the minute details. Nikole and Kyle's wedding was fantastic not only from a "hey that was a great party" standpoint, but I was really blessed to be around a crowd of people that loved eachother deeply. And those were just the friends. The family was a whole different level. As a true multimedia company in the bay area that focuses on weddings as a core part of its business, I have to sya that seeing that kind of sincere love is endearing. All of them were very receptive of the videographers, played to the cameras, and made both of us feel welcomed and appreciated. So much so that at the end of the night at the Mill Valley Community Center (a truly fantastic place to have a reception, but please do not judge them by the website) they had asked us to stay longer, but not to video... they wanted us to party with them. The real prince of the vendors, though, was the DJ. Flat out, awesome person, read the crowd when the party slowed, and brought it back up every time, and worked very closely with me in order to be sure I was able to capture everything I needed for the bride and groom. That's the kind of service all wedding vendors should offer, but few offer it to such a high level. I can only hope Nikole and Kyle think of me in those terms too. The DJ was Russ of Fog City Entertainment. Sunday the 29th brought in Gina and Steven's wedding in Walnut Creek at Blake's at the Boundary Oak. The place is a truly magnificent golf course with elegant grounds, and professional staff. The dcorations were phenomenal. I have not edited the video yet so I can't show an image of what they did, but they did leave me a card. Go to the website

New Demo Available

2004-08-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

I took a few moments over the weekend to redesign the portfolio page a little bit and to remove some of the older demos on the site. You can view the new page here. Of note on the new page is the snapshots taken from the video we captured and the name sof the videographers involved in the actual video shoot. I have had the wonderfuly opportunity over the last few weeks to work with a few videographers to determine if I will hire them for Simply Interactive jobs. I have definitively decided on one new videographer. I think I'd have something wrong with me if I did not hire this one because he has this ability to see what is around him and use it to the advantage of the video. That trait may seem simple to some of you, but I can't tell you how many videographers I've run across that simply shoot what's there and do not try to create anything. The difference is the same as watching A Wedding Story, and watching the evening news. One creates emotion, the other simply shows what was there. Of course, the rest of the creation of the emotion happens in the editing room. As an editor I know that, but you have to have great video to work with. Simply Interactive works with 5 videographers on a regular basis. I am always the main videographer unless a date is already booked and the couple would still like to use Simply Interactive to handle their wedding video needs. This year Simply Interactive has taken care of 3 weddings on a single day twice, and once this year, we are going to be doing 6 weddings in a single weekend. That does make us very busy, but when you have access to the talent that we use here at Simply Interactive it is always a fun time.

Willow Park Wedding of Warren and Kim

2004-07-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

I really love my job. No kidding. I really really do. And I love every wedding I have been to where we are the videography company hired to shoot the wedding. That is without a doubt. But some weddings I not only enjoy, but revel in. Some weddings things just flow together and it reminds me again vividly and clearly why I love shooting wedding videos so much. Of course, Simply Interactive does not JUST shoot weddings videos. We have an entire assortment of other multimedia based services and products, but weddings is our cornerstone, and I would not want it any other way. Warren and Kim got married on Saturday at a very nice golf course in the hills of Castro Valley. Willow Park has a coordinator there who is kind, gracious, helpful, and direct, but not bossy as some coordinators come across. The grounds are well cared for and contain several immense willow trees with long branches gently sweeping the ground beneath them. Those trees provide ample backdrops for photography and videography. Usually during a photo-shoot Simply Interactive stands back a bit, captures some video if we happen to see something we like, and occasionally requests of the photographer a brief moment to stage a shot in-between them getting what they need. Usually it is not a problem, but if it is we always just back off and wait our turn respectfully, and with full understanding that they prefer to work without interruption. The photographer that was there was unfortunately a little bit more rough around the edges. Not only did he not want us to shoot video while he was taking pictures, he insisted that we stand very far away from him. This was not a problem with me from a professional standpoint, but the way he said it was so abrupt and rude that the bridal party was looking at me waiting for my response. I never gave him a response and did what I always do when someone acts that way. I did what he asked and waited my turn. Of course I was offended, but it is part of the training I give my videographers (and I did in fact have a trainee with me that day) to not respond when someone acts like that. So the long and short of the story is that the photographer ended up with an entire party of people who were unhappy with his attitude and that same party was impressed with how we dealt with it. By not arguing with the photographer, we still got what we needed to make a great wedding video, there was no tension, other than the tension between the bridal party and the photographer because he was being a bit gruff with them as well. And when I succeed in presenting my company in a way I can be proud of even under less-than-perfect conditions, it makes me proud of my company and reminds me why I love my job. It is because I enjoy giving people excellent customer service on their wedding day. Cheesy... I know... but I mean it.

Shutters on the Beach

2004-07-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Santa Monica, CA with an experience to share. The location, Shutters on the Beach is an impeccable 5 star resort/paradise right south of the Venice Beach pier. You can look right at the pier ad walk to it within a few minutes. The real fun part of this story is that this was the first time Simply Interactive had the opportunity to edit and present a highlights video the same day the wedding itself happened. Here's how it worked. After the Rehearsal on Saturday, I went back to my hotel and captured that video to my hard drive. The day of the ceremony, we shot video of the couple getting ready and of the ceremony itself, of course. Here is where things got fun. I gathered up the tapes and immediately went into a private room and started editing the clips together. Within 2 hours or so I emerged with a 4 minute edited video that ran from the day of the rehearsal all the way through the recession at the ceremony. It was, of course, set to music. I had seen other companies do things like this before, however, they all use a type of editing and equipment that is suited for quick turnarounds. Little or no image/color correction, little to no effects or titles. Basically they would just run one clip into the next. But my video (which I hope to post here in the next day or so) is filled with slow motion, soft focus, letterbox effects, etc. Of course it was a trial run to see if it could be done without sacrificing the quality I like to put out and as such it will require some modifications to reduce the amount of time it takes to create and show the video, But I know the areas that needed help now and know what needs to be done next time to streamline that process. So, guess what! We now offer wedding video highlights shown live at your reception (I am so proud :-)

Letter of Recommendation from a Past Client

2004-06-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

To Whom It May Concern: I wanted to take a few moments to comment on the videography services provided by Simply Interactive, specifically Rusty Worden. My wife (fiance at the time) and I weren't initially sure if we wanted to allocate monies for a wedding video during our initial wedding planning. After getting to know Rusty over the course of 6 months and receiving the wedding video, making the decision to hire Simply Interactive for our "big day" was undoubtedly one of the best decisions we made. It was apparent from day one how much time, effort, and care Rusty puts into his work. Rusty was more than accommodating in finding times to meet with us on an initial consultation, and thoroughly covered "all our options" during our first face-to-face conversation. His relaxed, comfortable rapport, coupled with ability to ask questions and listen made us feel comfortable from the start, and would prove invaluable on our wedding day. The business aspect or associated costs never seemed to be the focal point, which was a refreshing change from our many other vendor "budget discussions" during the planning process. The nature of the relationship didn't change once we decided to choose Rusty and Simply Interactive. I use "relationship" because that is how the experience felt. Rusty was in constant contact and remained available at all times. I honestly felt like a family member was going to be handling our wedding video – he genuinely seemed to care that much. He did a fantastic job with our "engagement shoot." In what would become a theme of his work ethic, Rusty was out early to get "extra" scenic shots. In a relaxed and approachable manner, he was able to get my wife, someone who doesn't feel at all comfortable around cameras, to "open up" and talk at length about our engagement and upcoming marriage. In simplest terms, he made our afternoon "in front of the camera" fun. The same can be said for his performance at our rehearsal. I assume there is always a certain extent of "worrying" that goes along with the performance of the chosen vendors on the wedding day. My wife and I didn't have any such concern with Rusty and Simply Interactive. He of course was there extremely early to get additional footage of the winery and preparations. And during the ceremony, when our minister inexplicitly read the incorrect vows, it was Rusty who was an absolute rock. He suggested taking a moment, going to a private spot, and re-doing our vows. His assistant quietly read the vows we had written (and that were supposed to be used) and we repeated them while Rusty filmed our own "impromptu ceremony." Rusty used quick thinking to make an extremely unfortunate situation remarkably better. Because of Rusty and his composure we now have "our" vows captured on tape, something my wife and I are eternally grateful for. We could only hope the final product was as good as our experience. We were thrilled to find Rusty is as talented with the camera as he is personable. Our wedding video was in a word, fabulous. The culmination of his time and effort in getting to know the couple, as well as his attention to detail, shines through in his work. The video is simply more than we could have hoped for. Rusty captures each and every special moment, from poignant and playful shots of my wife getting ready, to the reactionary shot of this groom from his best mans speech. The natural shots of the winery, words from friends and family, moves on the dance floor, an embrace from an old friend, a smile from a relative, are all there. The video picture is of the highest quality, and the editing is state of the art. Moments seem to naturally flow into the next, as the "story" is told in a perfectly paced manner. Rusty has an innate ability to blend music with pictures, as his use of music perfectly fits the footage (and our personality). This aspect is one of our favorite components of the video. At no point is the video "stagnant," as Rusty uses multiple editing techniques to keep the picture "fresh" and "moving." I could write several pages on the subtle nuances in Rusty's work that come together to make in my opinion a video that perfectly captures our memories of a lifetime. Those who have seen our video have the same reaction – a wide-open mouth in absolute disbelief that it is that amazingly good (OK…. tears is the other popular reaction). I wanted to get to a computer right away to express my gratitude for Rusty's magnificent work, as I truly felt it was the least I could do for all the effort he put into giving us a beautiful reminder of our wedding day. Regards, Ed

Getting Referrals

2004-06-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

The bulk of the business that comes through my doors is from referrals. I take great strides to make a good impression wherever we are invited and do my best to make my conviction that the customer always comes first (especially when that customer is a bride). It is always extremely nice when someone else recognizes it, particularly when that someone else happens to be a photographer. About a month ago I got a message from someone who was referred to me by a photographer that I've worked with and recommended before. That in and of itself is not really the wow factor here though. This bride decided to sign with Simply Interactive and on that same day, another photographer who she had asked for referrals gave them the Simply Interactive contact information. Wow. I have to say that I feel no small amount of pride that my company is being seen exactly the way I had envisioned, planned for, and strode towards. For years I have watched the deterioration of customer service from companies touting that customer service is their number 1 goal. The phrase "The Customer is Always Right" went out the door and was replaced with something along the lines of, "The customer needs to be told why and how they are wrong." I think what happened is that small companies got replaced with big ones who employed people who were paid little and had no real vested interest in its success. But from my end, working with a total of 6 videographers (besides me), the one thing I state more than anything else is that we will focus on customer service. How? By doing whatever is necessary. We always go the extra step to make the day of the wedding as smooth as possible. That's why we don't charge for hours That's why we go to every rehearsal That's why we don't charge extra for "premium editing" (all our editing is premium) That's why we put in the contract your specific requests for editing style And that's why we don't charge as much as the other top-end video companies (though our quality competes effectively with their premium packages) We have a commitment to excellence that I have actively pursued -- and I love it that it pays off in ways like this.

Wedding Highlight Video Shown at the Reception

2004-06-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

I was chatting at length yesterday with a new customer who took advantage of our discount that ends this month. I was reminded that she had asked me at one point about editing the video of the preparation and ceremony and showing it later that day at the reception. At first I was concerned that the quality I offer would go down because the systems used to edit video and compile video that quickly tend to only leave room for cheesy video effects and lame titling. But I really put some thought into it and mapped out a way that I could offer that service and not change the way I edit, or the tools I use. It involves more people and therefore, less time. So I am now offering a really sweet new package -- or should I say, "Stunning" new package? Simply Stunning! $3475.00 Coverage Includes:

One Camera Rehearsal Coverage
Two Camera Preparation Coverage (Bride AND Groom)
Two Manned Cameras and One Unmanned Camera Ceremony Coverage (3 Cameras!)
Two Camera Reception Coverage
Love Story Interview Shown at Reception
50 Image Photo Montage Shown at Reception
Two Copies of the Edited Video on DVD
NEW - Wedding Highlights of the preparation and the ceremony shown at the reception!

2 Beautifully Crafted DVD Case by Art Leather
Additional Cases Available at 25.00 ea.

Wedding at a Winery

2004-06-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive had a very busy weekend. We had three rehearsals and three weddings in a two day period. While those types of weekends can be a little hectic, I am honored to be able to say that the people in my employ who are entrusted to handle a wedding without me being there to handle all the nuances, are exemplary above all else. It takes a very specific type of person to handle the pressure and stress of providing any type of service to a bride and groom. They only have this day once. David and Sue chose to have their wedding at Michel-Schlumberge winery in Healdsburgh, CA. It was, in a word, beautiful. Not just the ceremony which went over nicely under the shade of a giant oak tree, but the actual venue itself. The style of this home/winery is reminiscent of an old spanish mission, complete with small courtyard, fountain, and spanish style doors that would have been used to admit horses back in "the day". Shooting the wedding video for Sue and David was about the best scenario one could ask for because they had an intimate party, but more so because I was able to have free reign with where my cameras could be placed. I really enjoy weddings when they are at a winery (obvious reasons aside) because the atmosphere of a winery grooves very well with the elegance and beauty that a wedding naturally is. Contact the Winery Here

Busiest Season

2004-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

First off, let me remind you that for this month only, we are offering discounts for all couples getting married in 2005. The discounts are pretty significant and are enacted only once per year. I had a bride-to-be ask me for a discount the other day for a wedding happening in June 2005. I was happy to inform her of our discount for early-brides like her but it got me to thinking that brides tend to not really know the culture of the wedding industry. Of course I did not know at one point either and the only reason I know now is because I have been involved with 100 weddings or so over the last two years. Wedding videographers, photographers, and DJs will all usually tell you the same thing. The busy season starts in May and does not really let up until September. For Simply Interactive our busiest months this year are June, August, and September. Last year they were May, June, August and September. Are you seeing a pattern there? Good. Because if your wedding is in those months there are two things you should probably know -- 1) Your vendors are not likely to come down in price unless you book them about 9 to 12 months in advance. 2) You should REALLY consider booking them early. Especially the videographer and the photographer. The reason is that those two are the ones that will capture your day in a way that will enable you to relive the hard work and effort and ultimate payoff of all of your planning and the second most life-altering event in your life (kids being the first, trust me on that!). You want to make sure that you are able to pick and choose, not get stuck with who is available. For videographers it is important to know that you don't necessarily have to have a specific videographer shoot your wedding as long as you get to pick the editor. I am currently the only editor for Simply Interactive, but we have three different occasions this year where we are shooting 3 weddings on the same day, and several other occasions where we are shooting 2 weddings on the same day. Obviously I cannot be everywhere. I hire other videographers to shoot the wedding for me and I set about to editing the video later. The point is that with the videographer at least, you do have some leeway (sp?) with the busy season, but you may have to wait a bit longer to get your video back and edited.

Kind Words from a Client or Two

2004-06-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

I am asked often why our prices are so reasonable given the effort we put into each project. In fact, one notable moment at a bridal show, another videography vendor came to look at our demo and stated "Wow, you guys do a lot of editing on the footage, huh?" The truth is that we do an enormous amount of editng. It is our attention to detail and the care with which we specifically work each clip to soften, brighten, enahnce, accentuate, and draw out each beautiful moment that allows us the rare opportunity to (while still a small, intimate business model) have such a growing list of clients. In fact, in just two years in business, we can safely state that we have shot and edited 80+ weddings. And our commitment to quality and customer service are noticed everytime. This next quote was taken off of a forum website related to weddings. " My Fiancee and I had no plans to hire a wedding videographer. No plans, that is, until we went to a bridal show and saw the Simply Interactive booth. It was obvious from the quality of the booth design that this was a company that took pride in every aspect of how they were presenting themselves so we stopped for a few minutes and watched the video playing on the screen. We were amazed. We had seen a few wedding video demos from other companies but nothing compared to the thoughtful execution evident here. With our wedding only two weeks away, we hired Simply Interactive within days after the bridal show. Rusty was very professional. He showed up 1 hour early to the rehearsal and started getting video of the grounds at the venue we had chosen. He showed up early on the day of the wedding and was one of the last to leave. When we got our DVDs from him we were just as awe-struck as when we viewed his sample at the bridal show. Simply Interactive truly pays attention to detail.

New Bay Area Wedding Video Demo's Are Up

2004-05-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

It has taken me some time to post some of the new video samples I have been working on for the last couple of months. Part of the reason is that it seems not very many people have the Quicktime Player, and even more that do have it, for one reason or another, still cannot view the files over the internet. So I have moved a bit to use one of the applications that gave me my start in multimedia. Flash, by Macromedia. I am very confident now that at least 96.7 percent of you will be able to view the new demo's I just posted. I will slowly remove the older stuff and start adding more Flash demo's. For now, please view our latest items on the Portfolio Page and please let me know what you think. One of the interesting things about this business is that it often comes down to personality. The videographer who gets along the best with the bride and groom usually gets the opportunity to work with the couple. On occasion I have even had a bride come to me and state that they really liked me, but there were a few effects that another videographer had done that they had not seen in my demo's and would I be able to do it for them. The answer is always yes, but it really solidifes my point about personality being a key factor. Enjoy the new stuff.

Memorial Day Holiday

2004-05-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

No matter what you feel about the present war or past wars, or any war at all, you have to appreciate the people who have voluntarily offered eveything they have for all of us here at home. In fact, it is this home that our own soldiers are having a hard time making it back to on their leaves. So please take a moment, if you can and are willing, to visit this website and consider giving away your air miles to these heros who are struggling so hard for all of us. Operation Hero Miles And remember that Memorial Day is about a whole lot more than just a barbecue and a camping trip -- though those things are beautiful snapshots of what those hereos are trying to protect.

Shutters on the Beach

2004-05-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last year I had an extremely forward thinking couple who booked me in May for a June wedding this year. The bride was moving to Indiana and it was very important to her to meet her videographer and photographer. So we talked a few times and decided to book us. The thing is her wedding is in Santa Monica. The nice thing about Simply Interactive is that we never gouge customers. We just don't do it. All we asked of her was to pay a reasonable sum for travel expenses (gas and wear and tear for our vehicles) and to pay for a hotel room (which we share) at a location not too terribly far from the location of the ceremony. And viola! It is now upon us and I have the unique opportunity to be a Northern California wedding videographer at one of the nicest resorts in Southern California. Shutters on the Beach. The fact is that personality and quality are very important. We understand that at Simply Interactive and if you want to book us and are worried about the distance -- just talk to us and see if we can work it out. We are not here to take advantage of you. In fact, most of our customers -- I'd venture to even say ALL of them -- will remember about us our extraordinary commitment to customer service. Last weekend I helped set up tables and design the head table. Why? Because it needed to be done, and I had no specific video that needed to be gotten at that moment. So rather than sitting down and waiting for it to be done I got up and helped. All of the people that work for me are like that (or they better be!!! -- ;-) *bossman sternly stares at employees*

Kind Words From a Client

2004-05-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

I really love it when people take the time to let me know what they think about their wedding video. Sometimes the words are so kind I simply have to share them. This is an excerpt from an e-mail from a bride who got married in Burlingame last year: Brad and I just watched the video last night (I watched it 3 times!). We absolutely love it! It brought back so many fabulous memories and emotions from that wonderful day. It was also fun to pick up on things that we didn't notice during the day. I couldn't be more delighted with the editing. And of course we love the music. I really liked how you jumped back and forth between the bride and groom getting ready. I was totally laughing at that part (the girls' were being treated like princesses and the guys were watching football). I also loved listening to the organ and trumpet music and our vows during the ceremony. I loved listening to the toasts at the reception. And it was fun to listen to our guests well wishes at the end. Thank you for taking the time to incorporate our photo montage into the video as well. It is a great added bonus that made me cry. It is a superb video. We really appreciate all of the work you put into it (having someone tape our rehearsal, having all of your camera angles at the ceremony, the editing, etc). You are truly a class act - great to work with - and you create a fabulous product! Thank you so much! This wedding had three camera angles, two manned camera's on the floor and a third stationary camera in the balcony. The edited product is so beautiful on this one, it is the reason why all two camera packages now come with a third stationary camera, and all single camera overage packages come with a second stationary camera. It is obviously a very excellent way to shoot and edit a wedding.

Aerial Videography

2004-05-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive will soon be renting a helicopter to take aerial videography and photography of some of our favorite spots for weddings and events. This footage will become library foootage for our videos and also be available for sale to other event videographgers in this area. We will also be offering aerial footage of your specific venue upon request. This added depth to your wedding video is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is not offered by very many video companies. Contact Rusty Worden for more information at: 408-497-4339.

Looking for a videographer for 2005?

2004-05-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Simply Interactive would like to open the doors for those early planners out there. If you or someone you know is getting married in 2005, all you need to do to save is book between now and the end of June. Here's the Skinny: Simply Perfect Package: From 2875.00 down to 2625.00. You Save 250.00 Simply Divine Package: From 2075.00 down to 1875.00. You Save 200.00 Simply Sweet Package: From 1775.00 down to 1700.00. You save 75.00 Let your friends and family know :-)

Simply Interactive Company Blog

Rusty Worden Cary North Carolina Photography

test

More Honors for ARH Recovery Video

Simply Interactive Wins MarCom Honors

Simply Interactive Expands to North Carolina

Sports Videography: Rusty Worden Interviewed by EventDV Magazine

Simply Interactive Supports the Palo Alto Library

Library Launches the First City-Wide Book Club: Palo Alto Reads…Funny in Farsi

Free Bridal Expo Passes!

Wedding Video: Great Day for a Garden Party

Bridal Fair: Interact with Simply Interactive!

Wedding Video: Wine and Candlelight on a Grand Scale

Wedding Video: An Overflowing Cup

Corporate Media Projects : WeddingVideo.Com

Wedding Video: Covering the Peninsula

Wedding Video: Kind Words From Annette and Justin

Nationwide Wedding Video Service Provider Database

Wedding Video: San Francisco City Hall

Press Release - Simply Interactive Supports Local Non-Profit

Corporate Video - ARH Inc

Happy Birthday Matt!

Wedding Video: Susan and John - Dolce Hayes Mansion

Studio Closed Wednesday April 5th

San Francisco Bridal Show Today

A Newer, Bigger Studio

Bridal Show at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose

Bridal Show TODAY - Come See Us in San Jose

ARH Recovery Homes

Post # 100 - Get a Free iPod

Wedding Video: Independent Survey By WEVA

Learn Wedding Video

Same Day Edit: Hyatt in Burlingame

Wedding Video: Villa Ragusa

Making the Move to HD for HD Wedding Videos

Looking for the Perfect Wedding Idea?

Modern Bridal Show: January 8th in Millbrae

Web Design: Space Control Furniture Website

The Simply Interactive Family

Wedding Video: Burke and Gwen

Adopt-A-Family

Family-Memorial Video

Masters of the Same Day Edit

Wedding Video: Another Thank You from a Customer

Wedding Video: A Thank You From a Customer

San Francisco Wedding Video: Bridal Show 10-08

SAN FRANCISCO

Busy Wedding Video Weekend

All Systems Go

E-Mail Temporarily Down

ATTENTION! WEBSITE ERRORS

Helping Our Troops

New Multimedia and Event Video Services

Wedding Video: Janine and Simon

Wedding Video: Sabrine and Soli

We Don't Just Line Your Video Clips Up

Nestledown Wedding Update

Wedding Video: Nestldown Wedding May 2005

You Are Invited to my Wedding, here's Your Bill

Simply Interactive Receives Top Honors in the 2005 Videographer Awards

Kiwanis Club of San Carlos - Hollywood's Golden Age

Available Videographer Job

Group 3 Media Website Creation

Golden Peacock Bridal Expo

Wedding Video: Gina and Steve's Kind Words

Bridal Show this Sunday!

A Note to Our Peers in the Wedding and Event Video Business

The New Multimedia Studio

Excuse me, do you do photography as well?

January 30th Bridal Show

REPOST: Topic - Delegation

Same Day Wedding Highlight Video

Operation Bedtime Story

Culinary Institute of America Wedding

Come See Our Wedding Video Demos at TWO bridal shows this month

Happy New Year!

Tsunami Relief Where Your Contribution is Matched 1:1

2005 Video Auction For Charity

Reality TV Application Videos

2005 Wedding Calendar Starting to fill up

Library Launches the First City-Wide Book Club:
Palo Alto Reads…Funny in Farsi