31st August 2023 will mark a very special date for me, it’s the 10th anniversary of Focused Memory Productions! A decade of capturing hundreds of weddings up and down the whole south west, countless hours of editing, upgrading to new cameras and audio equipment and I have loved every single moment of it! So here is a little insight for you into my journey with FMP so far:
Chapter 1: After having finally finished years of studying film making through both a BA in film arts and a masters in contemporary film practice (sounds way fancier than it was!) I realised two things; I didn’t like working for other people and I still loved making films! So what on earth could I do with myself now? Well for me there was simply no other choice but to put my big girl pants on and forge my own path, taking the first scary steps in setting up my very own little videography business.
Chapter 2: Although I am incredibly lucky to have a job that I love, it hasn’t always been easy and there have been a few bumps along the way. There was so much to learn about setting up and running an actual business, as well as getting to grips with introducing myself to the South west wedding industry. I can still remember the very first wedding I filmed, it was for an old school friend as a gift. In the end it was far more of a gift for myself, as I learnt so much and realised that this was absolutely the right path for me. Over the years I have constantly improved my skills, updating my equipment and experimented with new technologies all with the goal of creating beautiful love stories for my wonderful clients.
Chapter 3: At the heart of FMP, has always been love. It may sound cheesy to some, but it’s something I honestly believe in. I have always thought about what I would want to receive from my own wedding, what kind of customer service from my videographer as well as what type of films I would like to receive to relive my wedding day. Communication is so incredibly important, particularly with how stressful wedding planning can be, this is why I always keep in touch along every step of the wedding journey with my clients. From the initial enquiry through, checking in one final time a week before the wedding and afterwards providing estimated delivery times and confirmation as soon as each film is finished and ready to deliver! So what about the films? Well I would love to have something to share with loved ones, as well as having the whole of my wedding day in one film to sit back and enjoy on special occasions. This that in mind, I made sure each package comes with both a stunning Highlight film – the real wow factor, as well as the full-length Feature film.
Chapter 4: Although FMP is very much my own company, along the years I have made so many friends, assistants and business partners in the local industry. I always pride myself on working together with each photographer, so my couples have every aspect of their day captured by both photos and film. I often joke that there is no point me elbowing a photographer out of my way, the only person who will suffer is the couple! I have often received praise for how well I work together as a team with each photographer, often times we get mistaken for being just a single company! One photographer I have worked particularly close with over the ears, is of course Louise Richey who I now have a series of joint packages with. It’s always so incredibly wonderful to hear I have been recommended to a couple by someone else from the wedding industry! Over the years I have also garnered a high enough reputation to be recognised as one of Plymouth’s Three Best Rated wedding videographers as well as being a runner up in the wedding videography category in the South West wedding awards.
Chapter 5: To begin with, FMP looked a very different company to what you see now. I start my business with a view for all videography, as such I had a logo and business look to accommodate corporate work as well as weddings. It didn’t take long to realise that I simply loved the creativity and fun you could have with weddings, its why I am now proud to say it’s what I solely specialise in! Although it did take some time to be able to rebrand my company to reflect this, one of the very few good things that came out of lockdowns was having the time to sit down and plan the new look for FMP. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to survive and thrive after the shut down of the wedding industry, I was also incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful couples to helped support me during this time while I also helped in turn to make their postponements as stress free for the videography side as possible. I now love the fresh new look, and of course my beautiful lens flower logo!
Today, as I celebrate the 10th anniversary of Focused Memory Productions, I can’t help but look back on the countless love stories I’ve captured, and I just have to say how humbled I am by the continued love and trust from my clients. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to capture your special memory and create wedding films which I hope you will all continue to treasure all throughout your happily ever after.
So as I step into the future, I do so with an ever present sense of purpose—to continue capturing love every story with the same passion and dedication that has fuelled me from the very beginning. Here’s to another decade of creating timeless memories and preserving the essence of love, one frame at a time.
Thank you for being part of my journey and for entrusting me with your cherished memories.
With love, Caroline x
P.s Many thanks and credit goes to Passion 4 Photos for the behind the scenes picture!
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