Wedding Films by Christian Andaya

Thanks for taking the time — as with all our interviews, we always enjoy hearing how videographers started. Can you share your beginnings?

I was a computer science major out of college and my first (and still my) job is a staff member for the Philippine Senate. So, I did not grow up with a videography background but rather my interest in wedding videos started when I first saw Jason Magbanua’s work at a wedding.

I was so amazed and felt the need to learn. My interest led me to attend workshops from Jason and Mayad Studios. Luckily, I was offered to work with them for some time. It was a great experience. I learned from the best and that’s the path I took to eventually start my own studio.

Were you always fascinated with weddings and now that you’re one of the sought after videographers, are you still in awe watching your own work?

No and Yes.

As mentioned, I was actually not into wedding videos at all until I saw a same day edit. It was truly something else. I always had the impression that wedding videos looked home made but upon seeing a production grade same day edit wedding video — I was truly awestruck.

On my work, absolutely I’m still at awe every single time. Sometimes I still can’t believe how much the industry has advanced in style and quality. More importantly though, I really enjoy watching the reactions of the couple and the crowd when the same day edit video is played. It reminds me of when I first saw one. It’s truly fulfilling and I’ll never get over that.

Why did you choose your name for your studio?

I wanted to create a brand for myself and I wanted to be accountable for the quality of each wedding video I created. It’s like a personal challenge for me because I know that every couple who books Christian Andaya Wedding Films entrusts me with their story and I need to live up to that expectation by doing the absolute best work I can for the couple.

What was your very first shoot like?

My very first shoot was in 2008 for a friend. Although I was trained beforehand with bigger productions, we opted to start small for our shoot. It was just me and my wife and we used Sony video-8 cameras. We realized the difference of running our own studio but also realized the amount of work necessary to run a bigger one. It was an enlightening experience.

By the nature of the work, creativity seems to be a necessary ingredient to succeed. Where do you draw inspiration to produce creative wedding videos?

I seek inspiration from watching movies and other wedding videos from various wedding film makers. But overall, I actually don’t think I’m more or less creative than my peers. I just really enjoy sharing great stories shot on video and this draws the creativity in every wedding video I create.

For couples seeking a wedding videographer, what can they expect from your work and how are you different from others?

Above everything else, expect our best work. We pride ourselves in doing the best work we can in every shoot no matter the circumstance.

With regards to what differentiates us, I believe it’s best articulated by our clients when they say that they like the true emotions we capture in every frame of our work. And beyond that, they love the authenticity we’re able to relay about couple’s love story.

How many weddings do you cover in a year?

We shoot around 50 weddings in a year.

Are there routines you follow before every wedding?

No, I don’t have a strict routine because every shoot is unique in itself but I do follow one rule when we first arrive at the venue and that is to greet the couple. This is important to make them feel at ease when we’re shooting them throughout the day.

Do you direct during shoots and how do you make the couple feel comfortable in front of the camera?

As much as possible, I do minimal direction during shoots. An authentic video that’s natural and candid are always the best ones in my experience.

A relaxed, comfortable couple resonates on camera. So, it is very important that couples are comfortable and natural during shoots. Typically, I direct my staff to disappear in the background and moreover, I engage the couple before hand to make them feel at ease with us.

What is a fun shoot for you?

A fun shoot for me is when things just click. Everybody, especially the couple and the guests, are relaxed and free spirited. This allows us to capture natural and truly amazing moments

Per your portfolio, you seem to have covered weddings around the globe. Can you share your international experience?

Weddings abroad was never part of our plans but thankfully our work has been recognized and we’ve had couples reach out to us for international shoots. It’s pretty rewarding and we’ve enjoyed the experience a lot.

So when did you hit the international market and where was your first out of the country stint?

Our first international shoot was in 2013 in San Francisco. We had a local professional basketball player ask for our services. It was humbling and a great experience.

Do you have a dream wedding location?

Not really but I’d love to shoot a wedding in Europe for the experience.

What was you most challenging wedding shoot?

Yes, it was a Baguio shoot in September of 2014 at the height of a typhoon. We passed by so many flooded streets before reaching the location and if that wasn’t challenging enough we also had to deal with power shortage throughout the day. The obstacles tested our grit and I’m proud of my team for pulling it off despite all the challenges that day.

Also, we figured that the couple alongside all their guests were enduring our difficulties and the least we can do was create an awesome video. Thankfully we executed and everyone loved the video. It was definitely a challenging shoot to say the least.

On the flip side, is there a video that you are most proud of?

I can honestly say that I am proud of all my work. Each has a unique reason for us to be proud of , but I wouldn’t claim to be any less proud of any of them.

I do have a most memorable shoot though which was our first U.S. wedding shoot. It was memorable because of a few things. First, everybody knows that it is really hard to do wedding shoots abroad because of limited manpower but still we delivered. And second, it was our first U.S. shoot. We wanted to prove that we can do a great job regardless of wedding location. Thankfully, we did and it was a truly memorable experience.

Finally, what is the vision for Christian Andaya Wedding Films in the next five years?

In the next five years, we continue to always improve our craft. Whether that’s investing in the best equipment to deliver great videos or that’s to learn new techniques for our couples — we continue to raise the quality bar for our work.