Beyond the Awards

British Wedding Film Festival
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Beyond the Awards is the official podcast of the British Wedding Film Festival, featuring conversations with leading wedding filmmakers, nominees, winners and industry voices.

  1. 11 Sept

    S01. EP23. Thompson Wedding Films - The shot isn’t the story

    For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we're joined by Becky of Thompson Wedding Films, who was shortlisted for Best Storytelling at the British Wedding Film Festival. Becky has been filming weddings for ten years, starting out with little filmmaking experience before leaving teaching to make wedding films full time. Since then, her approach has evolved considerably: from a very minimal, documentary way of filming to working with multiple cameras, while constantly questioning what actually makes her films better. We talk about storytelling, awards, inspiration and the pressure of being influenced by so much work online. Becky shares why she sometimes thinks having more cameras and chasing the perfect shot can actually take you away from the wedding itself, and why talking to people and understanding what's happening emotionally can be just as important as getting the right footage. We also get into long-form wedding films, using real conversations and ambient audio, why she loves weddings at home and in marquees, the problem with overly engineered moments, her own podcast The Becky Sessions, and the changing wedding filmmaking industry. The British Wedding Film Festival ⁠https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠ Thompson Wedding Films https://thompsonweddingfilms.co.uk Joce (Lune de Miel Studio) ⁠https://www.lunedemielstudio.com⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals) ⁠https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠ Vidflow https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

    S01. EP23. Thompson Wedding Films - The shot isn’t the story

  2. 28 Aug

    S01. EP22. Shanaya Arora - Weddings aren't content

    For this episode of Beyond the Awards, we're joined by Indian photographer and podcaster Shanaya Arora for a conversation about something that's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: when did weddings become content? Shanaya shares her thoughts on the growing influence of Instagram and social media, couples chasing viral moments, and the danger of being so focused on creating the perfect wedding that we forget to actually experience it. We talk about why the most meaningful moments are often the ones that aren't planned, and why authenticity matters more than ever in wedding filmmaking.And, of course, we get into AI, and what happens when we can no longer tell the difference between what was captured and what was created. A different kind of Beyond the Awards conversation, but one that asks a pretty important question: are we documenting weddings, or are we creating content? The British Wedding Film Festival https://www.britishweddingfilmfestival.com Shanaya Arora https://www.instagram.com/shanayaaroraa Joce (Lune de Miel Studio) https://www.lunedemielstudio.com Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals) https://www.jeffwoodvisuals.com Vidflow https://vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices.

    S01. EP22. Shanaya Arora - Weddings aren't content

  3. 21 Aug

    S01. EP21. Roo Films - Community over competition

    This week on Beyond the Awards, we’re joined by Roo, founder of Coda and winner of this year’s Educator of the Year award. But this conversation isn’t really about education. It’s about community, and why creating spaces for filmmakers to meet, share ideas and learn from one another can be just as important as the work itself. Roo talks about his journey into wedding filmmaking, how Coda grew into a thriving community, and why he doesn’t see himself as the voice of the industry, but as the person in the middle connecting great people with an audience. We also discuss the importance of staying curious, the changing landscape of British wedding filmmaking, the value of sharing knowledge, and why everyone, no matter how experienced, has something to teach. The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GUEST Roo Films: roo-films.com HOSTS Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VIDFLOW Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠

    S01. EP21. Roo Films - Community over competition

  4. 14 Aug

    S01. EP.20. Badal Jain - The story comes first

    This week on Beyond the Awards, we sit down with festival judge Badal Jain, co-founder of Badal Raja Company, to unpack his incredible 24-year journey from a jobless journalist to one of India’s most sought-after ultra-luxury wedding filmmakers. Having captured everything from intimate celebrations to mind-boggling receptions with up to 200,000 guests, Badal brings a unique, deep-rooted perspective on what it takes to document love on a monumental scale. We discuss the evolution of wedding cinema, why story should always come before trends, and how approaching a wedding like a documentary allows you to preserve something far more valuable than a social media post: real family history. In this episode, we cover: Handling massive Sscale: What it's really like managing production for multi-day events with thousands of guests.Documentary over content: Why long-form narrative films will always outlast short-form social media trends.The 24-Hour edit: How delivering same-day cuts acts as the ultimate business card for high-end clients.Festival insights: What separates a good submission from an award-winning story in the eyes of a judge.Stripping back the gear: Moving away from heavy equipment and why a single 35mm lens is often all you need. If you want to learn more about ultra-luxury weddings while keeping authentic human emotion at the heart of your work, then this episode is for you. The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GUEST Badal Jain: badalrajacompany.com HOSTS Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VIDFLOW Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

    S01. EP.20. Badal Jain - The story comes first

  5. 7 Aug

    S01. EP.19. Handcraft Pictures - Why playing it safe won’t win awards

    In this episode of Beyond the Awards, Festival judge and acclaimed filmmaker Toby joins Joce and Jeff to lift the curtain on what separates award-winning work from the rest of the pack. Having reviewed hundreds of festival entries, and created history himself with one of the most-watched wedding films of all time. Toby breaks down what catches a judge’s eye in the first 30 seconds. We discuss why playing it safe is the fastest way to get overlooked, the subtle line between bold artistic choices and forced trends, and how to maintain authentic emotion when pushing your creative limits. If you want to know what it truly takes to create an award-winning wedding film, then this episode is for you. In this episode, we cover: The 30-second rule: What grabs a judge's attention immediately and makes a submission stand out.Boldness vs. playing safe: Why taking creative risks pays off over generic templates.The trend trap: Why crowbarring in trendy effects like Super 8 or drone shots can hurt your film.Going viral: Toby's experience filming high-end weddings, and handling 41M+ views.Future-Proofing your style: Why raw, honest storytelling will always beat hyper-polished or AI-driven edits. The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GUEST Handcraft Pictures: handcraftpictures.com HOSTS Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VIDFLOW Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

    S01. EP.19. Handcraft Pictures - Why playing it safe won’t win awards

  6. 31 Jul

    S01. EP.18. Storybox Cinema - Stop waiting for clients to find you

    In this episode, we’re joined by Chris, founder of Storybox Cinema, to talk about his decade-long journey from starting out small, to shooting multi-day, ultra-luxury weddings around the world. Today, we’re taking a peek behind the curtain of luxury weddings to talk about managing the elevated expectations of high-end couples and planners, and the reality of filming in world-class destinations. Chris shares the raw, real hustle behind his success, from sleeping in sketchy $50 NYC hostels with a black-tie suit in hand, to bolding his way into a high-end planner network. We also dive into why he shoots exclusively on RED cinema cameras, how he uses vertical reels as his primary creative outlet, and why face-to-face connection will always outperform Facebook ads. If you’re ready to back yourself and go after the work you actually want, then this episode is for you. In this episode, we cover: How Chris leveraged his photojournalism/commercial background into high-end wedding films.The bold moves (and personalised video folders) that unlocked relationships with top global planners.Scaling Storybox: Transitioning from a solo filmmaker to building a global team of cinema pros.Why shooting on RED Komodos gives clients instant trust and simplifies his raw workflow.The Reel era: Shifting creative energy toward short-form vertical reels without sacrificing full-film quality. The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GUEST Storybox Cinema: storyboxcinema.com HOSTS Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VIDFLOW Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

    S01. EP.18. Storybox Cinema - Stop waiting for clients to find you

  7. 24 Jul

    S01. EP17. James Tracey - Cinematic language in wedding films

    In this episode of Beyond the Awards, we are joined by James Tracey, an award-winning documentary wedding videographer from Yorkshire. Boasting over 14 years of experience and 500+ weddings under his belt, James was nominated at the British Wedding Film Festival in the highly coveted Best Use of Cinematic Language category. This episode is a deep-dive masterclass in how to use editing theories, visual metaphors, and deliberate pacing to communicate complex, unwritten emotions to your audience. We discuss: Cinematography vs. Cinematic language: Why beautiful lighting and composition are only half the battle.The psychology of the edit: How to tap into the viewer's subconscious.Manipulating time and space: The mechanics of match cuts, eye-tracing, and time ellipsisCase study: James pulls back the curtain on his nominated film, detailing how he structured a non-linear narrative to mirror a bride's lifelong dream.Creative risk-taking: Why James actively edits to stimulate his own creativity rather than just pleasing couples. If you’ve ever wondered how to transition from a filmmaker who simply documents events to a visual storyteller who manipulates time, space, and emotion, this masterclass with James Tracey is the episode you cannot afford to miss. The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GUEST James Tracey: jamestraceyfilms.co.uk HOSTS Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VIDFLOW Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

    S01. EP17. James Tracey - Cinematic language in wedding films

  8. 17 Jul

    S01. EP16. Afterglow Wedding Films - Shaking up the traditional wedding edit

    In this episode of Beyond the Awards, we sit down with Jason from Afterglow Wedding Films to explore his journey from a heavily micromanaged corporate photography job to becoming one of Scotland's most innovative wedding videographers. Jason shares how a pre-lockdown epiphany gave him the freedom to break the traditional wedding video mold, moving away from slow-motion orchestral edits to inject genuine energy and personality into his work. We dive deep into the logistics and creative thrills of crafting highly unique, themed wedding films, including his award-nominated Wes Anderson teaser, an immersive The Office edit, and his upcoming Trainspotting and Halloween horror-themed projects. Jason discusses how he balances heavily directed cinematic aesthetics with preserving authentic, comfortable moments for the couple, and why the Festival left him feeling inspired for the season ahead. If you’ve ever wondered how to break the traditional mold and inject true personality into your creative work, this conversation is for you. The British Wedding Film Festival: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠britishweddingfilmfestival⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GUEST Afterglow Wedding Films: afterglowweddings.com HOSTS Joce (Lune de Miel Studio): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunedemielstudio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jeff (Jeff Wood Visuals): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jeffwoodvisuals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ VIDFLOW Deliver a premium viewing experience that looks professional and easily accessible on all client devices. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vidflow.co/britishweddingfilmfestival⁠

    S01. EP16. Afterglow Wedding Films - Shaking up the traditional wedding edit
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About

Beyond the Awards is the official podcast of the British Wedding Film Festival, featuring conversations with leading wedding filmmakers, nominees, winners and industry voices.

Information

  • Creator
    British Wedding Film Festival
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © British Wedding Film Festival
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Awards

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