-Dave Bladen- Owner of Elite-
Dave has been producing videos for over 25 years. He has travelled the world making corporate videos for the British Army, visiting places like Australia, Canada and France and capturing some amazing, unique footage along the way.
Owner of Dave Bladen Entertainments- he is quite the entrepreneur and offers several services under his company name. See the Dave Bladen Entertainments page in the menu for more details. He has vast experience working as a DJ and is one of the recommended DJ’s for Thornton Manor. He has a fantastic set up and is a consummate professional in all he does.
His vast experience in the wedding and Entertainment industry means he is always happy lend advice to our clients as they plan their big day.
He has great personal skills and this always shows on the day.
He loves gadgets and is always looking to find the best equipment around, in order for us to achieve great results when filming a wedding.
-Jody Rimell- Editor and Videographer-
Jody graduated fro University with a 1st class BA degree in 2001. After only 2 weeks searching for work he started working for Elite. He is quiet, but has an eye for detail and has a passion for every video he helps produce.
He has worked with Dave for over 15 years now and their contrasting personalities and styles, mean that every video they produce together is something unique.
As the main editor at Elite, it means that when filming a wedding he knows exactly what to look for. Capturing the emotion is just as important as capturing the beauty of the day.
When asked about his career at Elite he said:
“The way I see it is, I might not be a Steven Spielberg, but for every couple that comes to us, I am helping to create a film that they will cherish forever… For all the Hollywood blockbusters they have seen, the film we make for them, will no doubt be at the top of their list ”
-Our Equipment-
Broadcast Cameras
Technology evolves constantly and we do our upmost to keep up with it. Our principals have been the same for over 15 years- Traditional wedding videography, combined with an unique and modern twist.
Our traditional cameras evolve in quality, but we use them for the same things. The 2 main HD cameras, are used to film in real time, mainly the wedding ceremony and speeches. Filmed off tripods, we always try to get 2 perspectives, one from the Bride and Groom (front) and from the guests perspective (at the back). It works really well, as we know exactly what to look for- The bride coming down the aisle and the reaction of the groom as he see her for the first time- The “I do” and exchange of the rings, the parents wiping away the tears, we strive to capture it all.
Our Drones- Spark & Mavic Pro Platinum
Dave Bladen, our drone “pilot” is an experienced and a licensed PFCO with the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority).
The use of drones is becoming an integral part of modern video production. It has literally taken the footage we can achieve to new heights.
Visit our Drone Page to see some of the footage that we can achieve.
The drone footage edited together with the work we do on the ground can help us create something truly memorable for you.
NB* Authorities are really clamping down on use of drones in the commercial sector, venues are also being held responsible for checking that operators are licensed- so please ensure whatever company you use, they can show all the relevant documents (licence & Insurance) like we can do.
Action Cameras
We also use action cameras for different parts of the day, they are small and discreet, so we neve get in anyones way. We are almost like an invisible guest.The quality is fantastic too and both the action cameras we use to date, are housed in 3 axis gimble, hand held steady cam. This means we can use free flowing movements whilst filming, without getting the “juddery” or shaking shots you often see in older videos. Brilliant for the first dance!
We firmly believe sound quality has an important part to play through your video, particularly during the ceremony and speeches. We find the likes of lapel/pocket microphone too intrusive so we use the best quality stand alone Sennheisser mic, that captures the sound in crystal clear quality, it truly does help deliver the emotion of the moment.
We also have all our equipment fully backed up and a team of experienced freelance videographers that are always happy to lend a hand, if, in the unlikely event, Dave are Jody aren’t available.
We Support OAKS children charity.
Dave has now travelled to Sierra Leone twice in the last 3 years to make videos for the charity- to help promote awareness and show what good work the charity has already done.
The latest campaign for OAKS is to help build a secondary school, after great success for the primary school they built. This is a very underprivileged area that has seen a lot of heart ache and disaster in its time. To see this charity giving hope to its children is both humbling and inspirational.
Visit www.oaks-sl.org to find out more.