Reuben Skinner is one half of Show & Tell films, the company he runs with his wife Estelle. Reuben and Estelle made our beautiful wedding video, and were the perfect people to have at a tiny wedding like ours. They are lovely, sensitive to the day, and incredibly talented. We were excited to find out more about their young company, and what goes into making such very special videos. – Beth
Here’s how Reuben describes himself… “My video company may be small scale but I have big dreams and visions for my work. I believe that creativity is always letting my curiosity get the better of me, I also believe that stories can change the world. There is nothing more rewarding than to combine my creativity with a great story and ultimately return that to my clients, it is why I love being a cinematographer.”
1 How are you leading a life ‘doing what you love’?
I believe that we are born bursting with potential, sometimes our potential to excel in an area is lost in a job that doesn’t tap into those skills and abilities. Sometimes it might even have just gone unnoticed and we stumble upon it too late in life or at the wrong time. For me, my potential was film making. I took after my grandfather, who spent hours filming home films on his Super 8 and creating masterpieces. I fell into it almost by mistake and unearthed a deep passion for storytelling through video. I was a natural, or so I was told by friends and family, so with a little money and a lot of optimistic zeal I started doing what I love, making films for weddings and small businesses.
2 Why do you do what you do?
When I was at school, if it was up to me I’d have sat in the art room drawing pictures, shading, colouring, experimenting with new formats, creating and ultimately developing my work. Why would I have chosen to do that over more important things like maths and science? Because it was simply what I loved to do. Today I can earn enough money to support my business and my family from my company, so why on earth would I ever go back to the jobs that I did before, the jobs that I disliked and felt wasted in regardless of the money? I love my work, it pays the bills… no brainer.
3 When did you know that you wanted to do what you are doing?
The day I first set foot on the set of a major production, big budget film. The lights, the cameras, the scale of the whole project. I think that was when my eyes were really opened to a potential career in film work.
4 Specialising in wedding videography do you feel an added pressure to capture and retell the special moments?
Yes, and no. It is so important to get it right on a wedding day, after all it is the most important day of the couples’ life! I want to give my clients a video they can treasure forever, but I know I can’t always capture every last shot precisely the way they want it. Understanding that fact gave me more freedom from the pressure of getting it right. I will always do my best and I find that is the most important thing.
5 Given the amount of videos and films you create do you give your creativity a structure or is it completely an ad-hoc process?
It would be nice to just do the same thing over and over again – it would take less time and probably be easier for me. But where is the creativity in that? I only take on a level of work I can handle without burning out or getting stale. Each new project needs to be fresh and unique to the client. So trying my best to be truly creative on each project is a big deal to me.
6 There are a lot of wedding videographers out there. How do you set yourself apart from the crowd?
Rather than giving a couple a video that is the norm or typical of everyone else’s I create something that will hopefully go much deeper than that. I don’t worry about competition or whatever the others are doing. As long as I am working hard at my style and my own development then I am happy.
7 What is the best advice you have received?
Find your own style, your individuality in your work is what makes it good. Don’t just do what everyone else does!
8 What do you do if you are not in a creative mood and how do you re-discover your creative spirit?
If I knew the answer to that question I’d probably be a millionaire. The reality for me is sometimes I’ve got it, sometimes I don’t. When I am, I take notes, I think over my ideas, I use it in every way I can. When I am not, I do other things that I am passionate about to try and inspire myself again. Music, exercise, coffee, laughing and watching epic surfing videos usually are the remedies.
9 Why is being creative important to you?
Dreaming is probably just about the best thing our bodies are capable of doing. With out that childish sense of adventure and my over-zealous dreams I’d probably be a pretty dull guy. Creativity is my chance to entertain some of those dreams and fulfil my potential.
To find out more about Reuben you can visit his website or follow him at Facebook and/or Twitter.
