"PERKS" Short film featuring "The Coffee Pedaler" in New Haven CT

This was a short film shot at my great friend Ryan Taylor’s coffee shop “The Coffee Pedaler” in New Haven CT with the intention of being displayed at a class about storytelling with video.

Turning the shop blue.

Technique/ Cinematography:

Soft light on our subject eluding that the shop is not open for business. Also the detail of the Chartreuse in the reflection.

Because this was shot for a class based in storytelling I wanted to make a point that you can do a lot with just a little. One camera, one lens and two lights. I chose to use two Aputure 120Ds, one with a China lantern above our subject and one on the back wall with a blue gel. The coffee shop has a very warm, inviting look but I really wanted to emphasize the fact that it was not open and this isn’t a time for everyone to enjoy. By using the blue light I really changed the whole color palate of the environment and the china ball above Ryan made it feel like there was light coming from a street light in front of the building. The video itself was shot on a Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera with a Canon 50mm 1.2 lens simply put on a tripod.

Final scene.

Where I had the most fun was the subtle gestures made to really highlight our subject Ryan, his personality and his relationship to the coffee shop. I put Chartreuse bottles in the reflection of Ryan’s espresso machine. It’s his favorite spirit and the machine is how he affords his “finer things” lifestyle. I kept the camera on one side of the counter to make it seem like we aren’t a part of his world, the camera has the exact relationship that a customer would. As well as the final scene where Ryan has his back to the camera and looks out the window from the table, a perspective he never gets to enjoy during the day further emphasizing the idea that it is closed for business and he is enjoying the “perk” of his own coffee shop.

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

Rye Ballet Conservatory

Promotional piece for Rye Ballet Conservatory with commentary by owner and prodigal ballerina Ashlee Stewart (Knapp). Ashlee was actually my first bride when I started Will Talamelli Films in 2015 and when she started her own studio she contacted me for a company video.

I know what ballet means to Ashlee and how much of her life has been dedicated to the art so I really wanted to showcase that. I wanted the viewer and potential client to understand that with Rye Ballet Conservatory you aren’t just getting ballet lessons, you are getting a developmental experience from one of the greatest to ever do it. I wanted Ashlee to discuss what ballet can do for a young dancer, what it did for her and the emotional connection she has to the art which really highlights her dedication.

Technique/ Cinematography:

Shot in 4K60 on the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera using the incredible Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 lens on a Ronin M. There is movement in every scene and I intended it to be that way. I wanted slow steady movement that went with the dancers and replicated their gestures. Which was tricky because I’m not a dancer lol. Thankfully Ashlee was next to me like a producer would be, explaining and demonstrating the moves ahead of time to prepare me.

Stylistically I wanted it to look like her instagram photos, it had to be on brand with what she puts out. Very bright, full contrast, true tones. That meant soft light and a lot of it. Using 2 Aputure 300Ds and 2 Aputure 120Ds for lighting with China balls and soft boxes I was able to fill the studio with very complimenting, soft, even light.

For more information vist ryeballet.com

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

JADE AND MALCOLM WADSWORTH WEDDING

Fun back story, my daughter Adylae (Addy) loves watching my wedding videos. I don't know why but I can only assume it's because a wedding often combines her three favorite things, pretty dresses, big parties and cake. With that in mind Jade is my daughters pre-school teacher and Addy adores her. After watching this video I think most will understand her sentiment. Jade is truly a delightful person to be around, always providing a smile and a lighthearted approach to any situation. As I predicted since completion of this video to this moment in time of blogging I have heard Jade and Malcolm's video in the background of our home dozens of times so far! 

The wedding itself was absolutely stunning! An earthy color palette of cream tones, cool greens with natural wood made for gorgeous details throughout the Wadsworth mansion. Their ceremony was a heartfelt exchange of personally crafted vows for one another in Wadsworth's rose garden which is one of my favorite ceremony cites in Connecticut. There was some nervousness from the wedding party about the weather but I swear to you once the ceremony started the clouds broke and the sun came out. It was incredible, it went from feeling rain on our skin to a mild temperature, beautiful sunny evening. I've done enough yapping, hit play and enjoy Jade and Malcolm's beautiful, rain free wedding at the Wadsworth Mansion! 

Cheers,
Will 

LISA AND SHAWN SOUTH FARMS WEDDING

There are two things you can never control on a wedding day; time and weather. Weather is the tricky one, when the cards are laid out for you it’s easy to plan accordingly. For example, if it is raining, I can mentally prepare for what type of shots I can capture indoors. Or if it is blazing heat I can bring reflectors and diffusors to fend off some of that direct sunlight. Where it gets tricky is that in between, the “is it going to rain.” Nothing is more terrifying than having your cameras set up for an outdoor ceremony and hearing an impending storm in the distance; mentally preparing for what you would do if it started raining.  Needless to say, it didn’t rain but it wasn’t far away. What did happen was some particularly beautiful moody atmosphere for a gorgeous backdrop for an amazing wedding at South Farms in Morris, Connecticut designed by the incomparable Amy Jones of Amy Champagne events.

I had never worked a wedding at South Farms before and I was surely spoiled with this as my first experience. For starters I was working with all my friends, Brooke Allison was the photographer, Amy Jones was the planner, On the Marc was the caterer, Jenn Kinford did the makeup, Carrie Wilcox did the flowers and my favorite New Yorker Kristen Kiraly came through as my second shooter. Big shout out to her for traveling almost three hours to help me out. As mentioned before I think Amy is talented but she outdid herself with this wedding. Everything was so expertly designed it just seemed to flow as an extension of the farm and it’s space.

So the weather held out and was on our side, I had nothing but friends working with me and to top it off I had an adorable story since Lisa and Shawn have two adorable children that they were able to feature in their wedding. Which leads me to my favorite part of this wedding; they did this for themselves on their own terms. They didn’t abide to any traditions of time or order, they did it the way they wanted to when they wanted to. I love that.

So hit play and enjoy the highlight reel of Lisa and Shawn’s South Farm wedding!

Cheers,

Will

Also shout out to The Plumed Serpent for providing her stunning wedding dress by Bliss Monique Lhuillier

ETHEL WALKER COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

One of the most overused words in the English diction is "amazing." People use it to describe everything from a balloon ride at sunset to a pint of ice cream. I am writing this post to say that the Ethel Walker School for young women is nothing short of amazing. When you step on campus you are greeted with the cognition that you are someplace exceptional. The campus is tucked away in a stunning part of Connecticut surround by evergreens and maple trees. The grounds are immaculate and the buildings exude personality. Immediately you know this is not just a school for young women, rather a place for them to truly grow, to become well rounded, confident adults. It's amazing. 

I am honored to have worked with them on multiple occasions including a commercial which gives a tour of the whole Ethel Walker experience (which I will also link to). For this event they asked me to document the commencement ceremony and to produce a video consolidating the experience. These are always fun because there really is only a few ways to approach the actual content and the rest is how you capture and edit the B roll. The story is there for you to miss so it's a practice of being very aware of your surroundings and being able to anticipate actions. 

Big thank you to Matt Branscombe at BSC Photo www.bscphoto.com for being a great producer and starting this relationship we have with Ethel Walker. 

My congratulations to all the graduates - "may all your hours be golden!"

-Will 

BAG IT UP FOR GOODWILL CHALLENGE FEATURING AMERICAN IDOL WINNER NICK FRADIANI

I am grateful for all the wonderful people and companies I get to call clients but I am particularly proud of the relationship I have with Goodwill. Not because of the scale or the size of the jobs but because of the impact they have on people. I don't think I am in the minority when I say that before I started working with Goodwill I had no idea what went on at the company outside of the stores and donation centers. This video of the "Bag it up for Goodwill" challenge is a perfect example of how much larger Goodwill is beyond their donation centers. 

The "Bag it Up Challenge" objective is simple, first sign up for free, then donate as many items as possible. If you donate the most items the school is rewarded with a free concert and cupcakes from Nora's cupcakes. So with that objective in mind the parents, teachers and students of Hop Brook Elementary school in Naugatuck, CT collectively donated 35,000 items! You read that correctly, your vision is fine, thirty-five-thousand items! As shown in the video there are pictures around the school of students and their parents filling their cars to max capacity with items to donate. The community really all gathered together to win a concert for the kids and it paid off with a concert from Connecticut native and American Idol winner Nick Fradiani. I would like to take a moment to mention how awesome Nick was. He put on a great show, was humble, gracious, a total gentleman and gave attention to every kid that wanted a photo or just a high five - simply put, he's a good dude. 

Documentation wise we used a three camera set up with one being on a gimbal system to really get in on the action with the kids, one mobile but stable on a monopod and another stationary in the back of the room. The only real technique used on the day of filming was proper communication between myself and my second shooter. Properly articulating what you are looking to achieve with your video to your production crew is essential if you want those desired results; never leave it up to chance. 

To wrap this up, a big congratulations to the parents, students and staff of Hop Brook Elementary School and thank you to Goodwill for the opportunity to capture such a great event!

-Will