Mason Jar Films is a premier wedding, special event, and commercial videography company located in Austin, Texas.
Katie & Alex | Memory Tin Film | Houston TX
Coordinator: Danyett Baxter | Two Be Wed // Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church of Houston // Reception: Four Seasons Houston // Photography: Lauren Aves Photography // Floral: Floral Events // Cake: Who Made the Cake // Band: The Royal Dukes
I ventured on down to San Antonio this weekend to attend Joan Hedley's 10th annual "Remember the Alamo" party. It's a veritable who's who of Alamo enthusiasts, from re-enactors to politicians to a historians. Even ole Fess Parker is known to drop in on Joan's backyard soiree when he's feeling well, with or without the coonskin cap.
When Sandra and Cid arrived and asked if I had seen Phil Collins milling about I was like, "ummm, whatever?"
But come to find out, the former drummer of Genesis has been a student of the Genesis of Texas for most of his life.
Since being involved in John Lee Hancock's movie The Alamo, I have been directing a documentary project on the stories of the lesser known defenders - those not named "Crockett," "Bowie," and "Travis" - interviewing their descendants and the extras that portrayed them in the movie.
Along with my team of researcher Ted Ground and producer Cid Galindo, we've put together quite a story. On hiatus for the last year and a half, we're ready to dive back into it now that Cid is working his smooth magic to get Mr. Collins as our narrator:
Even though it appears that Phil is telling us to take a hike, not even Governor Perry could say no to Cid. Phil is really just giving us all the reasons why this is a great idea. "Reason #1..."
In the meantime, enjoy a ROUGH old trailer to the documentary:
It is with great sadness that I leave this town and all it’s splendor. But in order to ease my pain, I stopped by the Swan Oyster Depot for a late seafood breakfast.
Swan is a legendary establishment in the city, one of those slices of life that seem preserved from a time long gone. Just walk in and sit down at the counter and the friendly staff will strike up a conversation and send a bowl of fresh clam chowder your way.
The salmon plate is $17.50 and half a dozen oysters will run you $12.00, but if you want to sample a variety of the mouth watering delicacies displayed in the window, they’re happy to give you half orders of each.
You can never arrive too early (before 11 unless you like multi-hour waits), and it’s never to early to have a fresh Anchor Steam. They only take cash, so load up your wallet beforehand. You can park outside and feed the meter ($0.25 = 10 minutes), or if you are cheap (like me) and need a little cardio, the neighborhoods two blocks to the west have free curbside parking IF you can find a spot.
jones
I love this town. I could spend the summers here if not move here entirely. It's that wonderful. I wake up and it's 50 degrees out and I feel no need to hit the snooze. I'm ready to go.
Had to get moving this morning because the street sweeper was scheduled to scrub the curb where I was parked from 9-11 a.m., so I headed on over to the Haight with a bagful of dirty clothes hoping to do some laundry before my morning appointment. Fortune found me, as a laundry was three doors down from the Reverie coffee shop, and a parking spot opened for me like a drop of sunshine through the fog.
I had breakfast with San Francisco based destination photographer Ben Chrisman. Ben was voted as the Wedding Photojournalist of the Year in 2007, and I had the pleasure of meeting him at Huy Nguyen's Foundation Workshop in February of this year. If you are a San Francisco bride (or beyond) and need one of the world's most creative photographers, contact Ben - he'll take care of you.
The Bay Area offers a plethora of outdoor activities, so I ventured on over to the Golden Gate Bridge to take a little walk and soak up some sea.
If you're looking for the zenith of views of the city, continue past the overlook to the next exit and head to the Marin Headlands. You'll drive up winding roads and have your choice of lookout points, but I recommend that you wait until you get to the last respite where the tunnel is just ahead. The view is spectacular, and the fog practically rolls over you as you gaze upon the city below.
After winding my way back down to the 101, I decided to continue north to the Muir Woods.
For $5, you can hike all you want on trails that wind through one of the largest (if not the largest) Redwood preserves in the United States. It is truly a breathtaking display of nature...no wonder the Ewoks guarded it so vigorously.
Redwoods are approximately 2" across and 250' high
walking among giants
tree hugging - a rite of passage in California
Heading back into the city over the Golden Gate Bridge, you'll have to pay a $5 toll, not required when leaving the city. Always keep a pocketful of bills on ya when driving around the Bay Area.
Tonight I was blessed to be served dinner by a couple of past clients, Marianne and Ryan Esposto, who hired me to produce this documentary on Marianne's mother for her mother's extravagant birthday party last year:
Marianne is a certified French chef and owner of L'Atelier, trained at the Cordon Bleu Academy in Paris, and she always serves up a magnificent feast. Even little Lucas wanted a piece of the fellowship:
My point is this - The lady Margarita, featured at 18:02 in the film, passed away last month. Her expressions of her friendship and congratulations to Maly are made all the more poignant by the inability to hear such words from her in person anymore.
So for the videojournalists reading this, take great pride in what you do, for the value is eternal. And for those who hire videojournalists to document their lives - the value of the work produced is an inherent investment, so take care of the souls that do such an act of service for you.
It's been an amazing day - it hurts to leave tomorrow! But I'll not go without some fresh oysters, so stay tuned for that recommendation once I land back in Texas.
jones
I'm a lucky fella - sometimes I just stumble into things.
My Pilates instructor Susan just happened to be in the Bay Area this week with her family and friends.
Mason Jar is a film production studio based in Austin, Texas. Our compact team of dedicated filmmakers travels internationally to capture stories of a lifetime, including weddings, documentaries, and commercial projects for video marketing.
