When you're a Sonoma County local, you tend to overlook what tourists find charming. All three of us at SoCo Videography grew up in west county, so naturally we stopped noticing the hot air balloons drifting above river road and the farm-fresh school apples. Vineyards and hills were as common as weeds and rocks. We had no perspective when school teachers called us "blessed".
As the local story goes, we didn't fall in love with Sonoma County until we shuttled to our individual colleges. While I was away, I finally understood what being from Sonoma County meant to others: wine, vineyards, redwood trees, a fire-red sunset between two perfect hills, cool nights, a wonderful daytime climate... Oh yeah. And weddings.
"You're from Sonoma County? I have a cousin who's getting married there." That was the response I got from non-locals - always! I was amazed, almost upset, to find I knew nothing about Sonoma County weddings. I had to learn from those who have never seen a vineyard before.
How we grew a Sonoma County filmmaker community.
As I perfected my homesickness in the South Bay, Stefan completed his film degree at home. Multimedia classes in high school had birthed a Sonoma County filmmaker community. The SRJC acquired top-of-the-line equipment for its students: a RED camera and the smoothest jib ever. Film festivals popped up in Windsor, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Petaluma (and we attended all of them). Overnight, Sonoma County became a home for film.
We've always been told film belongs in Hollywood, that we ought to follow the industry south. Yet at Sonoma County we saw a different story. Our bond to the land meant we were connecting to something far more rewarding and beautiful.
Affordable wedding & business videography is our gift to wine country locals.
Soon everything clicked: we were to be a videography service, by locals for locals. Though digital photography has plummeted production costs, independent videographers were still charging upward of five grand. An average Sonoma County wedding costs $48,000. That's a price many of our neighborhood businesses and wedding-bound friends can't afford.
Sonoma County is our backyard. We have a duty to give friendly neighborhood prices for our services. We need to give 20-something millennials the chance to capture that one perfect, life-defining moment, or give that family business a moment to shine on the internet. We shouldn't have to look elsewhere to afford it.
Think of us for your videos.
While Stefan started in narrative film, Julian started with documentaries. Our talents combined create precious yet affordable videos -- a more powerful keepsake than any high school yearbook or diary, a far better communicator than any online article or flyer. We are not capturing only a product, but your essence, your community's vibrance, and the warm Sonoma County backdrop that nurtured us all.
Please, feel free to call our number 707.978.4091 to start the conversation about your video needs. We also have a handy "hire a videographer" form button just below in the footer.