Cherishable Epic Family Moments

Cherishable Epic Family Moments - Gerald & Francesca's Moving Day Surprise

Gerald contacted Sky Born Visual/Nada Khalaf-Jones in June during COVID-19 - as you can imagine, for this film maker & photographer this email was a very welcome one indeed. When we first spoke it seemed like a 'fantastical' idea. Who makes a film on Moving Day? Boxes everywhere, imagine the chaos...I mean, you know.

But as he clarified his vision, surprising her with all this on the first day in their new home, you know that sense of maybe it will work started to speak louder than the initial surprise.

 And then you think it through and turn it over in your mind a bit. And then the visual side of it starts to come together once you see the home on the real estate listing photographs, and this is the home they are moving into. 

It's a wow moment. It is a wow home. Completely unique, one of 10 listed buildings that survived the 1935 hurricane and was used as a shelter. All sorts of great historical significance attached to this beach front paradise.

And then this aha moment follows the wow moment and suddenly you are on fire with ideas. Suddenly there is not enough time...

"Wow, that is quite the list of things, I am glad we started early, you are a genius," wrote Gerald Goigitzer, as he digested the idea of champagne, a sign, flowers and more and we agreed on our production day list.

PRODUCTION SUCCESS - RIGHT ON BUDGET

Aqua/blues decor, flowers, champagne, Waterford Crystal glasses engraved with Gerald & Francesca 08/20, and the beautiful wooden sign with stencilled metallic message. The high top table, linens, ribbons and a whole lot of love.

MOVING DAY SIGN

We agreed on a wooden sign with metallic stencilled letters. 

'Welcome To Your New Beach Home my Dear Francesca' was debated and finalised all within 2 weeks of the shoot date.

Luckily for us the engravers did not add the date, because the date moved from 8/21 to 08/20, the Lawyers office moved the date of closing. And with this once can not argue.

For those two weeks this photographer & film maker wracked her brains for the right textures, colours and tone of the items this lucky, elegant couple would be greeted with the first time they ever step foot pen their brand new property. And with a budget in mind of under $400 for the decor & libations.

Mr Goigitzer and I discussed the schedule in detail, from arrival to departing shots.

"We will approach from the north along the old road, I would love it if you could get us arriving by drone and then her surprise as she enters the beach area through the breezeway," wrote Goigitzer. 

My thoughts were racing...how am I going to have cameras running and following them as I fly the drone and land it - luckily he said he would delay tings as much as possible to give me the chance to safely land the drone and man up the other two cameras.

Epic Family Moments & Moving Day - How It All Went Down On The Day

It was a non stop stream of texts back and forth. He wanted to make sure she would not have a clue.

Of course there were production glitches. Funny ones, I should have included as bloopers in the film. But the best was when Winston, their adorable Golden Retriever, ran across the legs of a wide angle camera's tripod and fell it with the long leash wrapped around it. Winston was not hurt. Nor was the camera. Thankfully Sony make tough cameras. I will say that. And, luckily it was grass. 

The other funny was when the wind blew the flowers off the high top just as the couple emerged from the breezeway. I did roll my eyes at this one and wonder silently what heavenly production destruction gods were chuckling at me up there???

Experience tells me in a loud voice - 'it is okay, keep rolling, film their reactions - that is a once in a lifetime expression on those faces, keep shooting, don't worry, the flowers scattered at the base of the table won't die of dehydration just yet.'

Thankfully the glasses and decor did not follow the flowers down to the grass. Other than these two big bloopers we had a great production. Francesca had a great moment, she loves Sunflowers, so she grabbed them and put them back in their vase. She was, as her husband had hoped, suitably wowed by the presentation all a result of the great two month long plan. 

"I am just so freaked out right now," she said. And the fabulous results are here for all to see. What a joyful and loving thing to do for someone. It made me feel like the world all of a sudden had learned again what it was to cherish a moment so fully. 

We are going back in a year to re-shoot this story. So, watch this space!!

1) Floral Fantasy Flowers

2) Waterford Crystal Glasses

3) Trading Post Islamorada Champagne

4) Key Destination Weddings Beach Sign

5) Eye Catchers Signs Beach Sign

6) Ocean Gardens Elegant Aqua Napkins, Nautilus Shells, Aqua Place Mat, Wooden Insulated Ice Bucket.

7) Drone - Florida Keys Drone Pros Drone Film Photo

8) Photography - Nada Khalaf-Jones Photography