There are so many ways to tell a story…

And so much a marriage symbolizes. So many questions it tends to raise: What is love? What is faith? It was our hope to explore these themes in a far more dramatically engaging way than we felt possible in a traditional documentary… Perhaps there is more within this story then meets the eye.

In the fall of 2009, Melissa & Samir embarked on an incredible journey to Udaipur, India, to fulfill a lifelong dream of having their wedding in the country of their ancestry. This transcendent place, affectionately called the “CITY OF LAKES,” located in the breathtaking region of Rajasthan, would be the setting for their extravagant, three-day marriage celebration, and the backdrop of our unprecedented film production - shot entirely on-location. We believe this to be the first ever live event/scripted concept production ‘hybrid’ film produced on this scale.

We hope you enjoy the trailer for “CITY OF LAKES” and look forward to sharing the film with you soon.

Let It “Snow” | Can a love story be told as a thriller? That was the dramatic challenge with Megan & Narbeh’s concept, “Snow.” When I first heard the story of Megan & Narbeh’s true romance, I knew we had the basis for an international suspense film on our hands. Narbeh was a member of the Swedish Air Force, and he used to sneak off the base at night just to spend time with Megan. But how could a suspense film celebrate the couples’ hometown of Uppsala, Sweden, and at the same time spotlight the moments that made this couples’ journey to marriage unforgettable?

Megan and Narbeh would make Los Angeles their new home before the summer of 2009. So, pressed for time, I made the journey to Sweden with my second shooter, Ben, (who plays the other Swedish soldier in the movie) in March in the dead of winter; weather was sure to be a character in this one. I’m proud of what we pulled off on a European production with no crew, shooting non-actors in the dead of winter. But the thing I’m most proud of when I watch “Snow” are Megan & Narbeh’s performances. They were pretty nervous, and close to cancelling weeks before we arrived. By the end, they were sad our shoot was over. Casting Swedish star Andreas Wilson was another huge thrill. I’ve never worked with as brilliant an actor who could nail every nuance in the first take.

The Los Angeles premiere on 8.22.09 was electric. Megan & Narbeh had no idea we commissioned an aerial shoot. Narbeh had been begging me for a teaser for months but I held my ground to maintain the surprise. The look of shock and awe on their faces, as seen in the clip below, was well worth it. I look forward to sharing the rest of their wedding highlights soon. We’ve been holding this film back for five months, so it gives me great pleasure to present Megan & Narbeh’s Sweden Thriller “Snow.” Enjoy!

-Kevin

Coming Soon | Megan & Narbeh’s Swedish Concept Thriller “Snow.”

Megan & Narbeh were in for a surprise on 8.22.09; the concept film we shot in March of 2009 in their hometown of Upsalla, Sweden was about to premiere to hundreds of unsuspecting family and friends, none of whom had any idea what we created. Megan & Narbeh watched from the back of the reception hall - enjoy this bit of their reaction.

Coming Soon | Megan & Narbeh’s Swedish Concept Thriller “Snow.”

This brief look behind the scenes at the making of this original concept film was produced for Cinevate’s booth at NAB in April of 2009. The film was shot in March of 2009 in Uppsala, Sweden with the XHA1 and Brevis MP.2 lens adapter. The film is based on Megan & Narbeh’s true story & co-stars Swedish star Andreas Wilson and our very own Benjamin Steeples.

World premiere: 8.22.09

FilmFellas Cast 5 | Pacific Pictures’ own Kevin Shahinian joins Patrick Moreau of StillMotion & Ron Dawson of Dare Dreamer Media in an in-depth discussion on the art of cinema and the evolution of event film production. FilmFellas is produced by Zacuto and hosted by Steve Weiss. Cast 5 show times coming soon. In the mean time be sure to check out this EventDV Magazine article on the Filmfellas series written by editor-in-chief, Stephen Nathans-Kelly.

Behind-the-scenes |

Stay tuned for an exclusive look at the making of Anuja + Nirav’s Bollywood concept, “Dil Jaanta Hai (The Heart Knows).”

Coming soon to EventDV-TV.

Old Blue Eyes Upon Us | Megan & Benjamin’s nostalgic spring wedding at Frank Sinatra’s historic Twin Palms estate in Palm Springs, CA was filled with style and excitement. But it was Megan’s cheerful spirit and Benjamin’s carefree energy that set the tone for their celebration and made the fun time we shared with them all the more memorable.

Ben, Ari and I pushed ourselves creatively on this shoot & we hope that shines through in the trailer. Enjoy,

-Kevin

What The Heart Knows | How does a shy M.D. win the heart of a gorgeous pharmacuetical rep? Find out in “Dil Jaanta Hai (The Heart Knows),” starring Anuja & Nirav, an original Bollywood-inspired short we produced for their 6.6.09 wedding. The couples’ surprise big screen debut premiered on two massive screens just before their grand entrance to hundreds of unsuspecting family and friends.  Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes featurette coming soon to EventDV-TV.

-Kevin