Meet Owen Captures and Dan Kumeiko of Cinestory Films in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Owen Captures and Dan Kumeiko.

Owen and Dan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We met when we were both working for a mutual wedding company; Dan as videographer, Owen as photographer. As many freelancers do, we were also pursuing our own wedding work. We both booked personal gigs and asked the other to shoot photos/videos for them. We soon realized that we made a good team. Not only because we matched in what our visual skill sets were (photo plus video), but also personally; Dan being a business-driven tech-bro, and Owen as a seasoned connector with acute emotional IQ.

Slowly the partnership grew, and three years later, here we are as Cinestory Films. Having doubled in client size each year since inception and projecting to shoot 200+ weddings this year.

Has it been a smooth road?
I think most of our hurdles were the same as many companies go through as they grow; finding an even balance between client satisfaction, quality consistency, profitability and reliable staff. Each one had its own set of learning aspects that we figured out as we went along. At this point, we understand that you have to project and anticipate what the issues that we are going to come up against, and adjust in advance for what’s to come. Grow into it, as opposed to waiting until you hit the wall and reacting.

Please tell us more about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
We take pride in paying very close attention to what our clients want. From pre-booking to booked, to wedding day, to post-wedding, we are always asking what they envision, what is special to them, and then put our Cinestory twist on it. We understand the responsibility of capturing someone’s wedding and that these visual stories really will last for generations to come.

We specialize in creating stories. A wedding day is not just about the isolated things that happen. It’s about everything leading up to that day, the connection between the couple, those around them on that day as well as everyone who comes to support them. There is a beginning, an ‘I do’ and a ‘happily ever after’, we want to create a story that encapsulates that and will project the story into the future.

What sets us apart is our ability to have a larger Cinestory ecosystem while maintaining a personal touch. We go through a tight hiring process to make sure those that are active with us are kind, responsible, positive and understand the importance of what they’re doing. So, although we currently have a team of 20+, when clients give feedback, it’s usually something like, “Thank you so much, it felt like we had a new friend there capturing all our precious moments”.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
It’s a tough business in general, but LA and the surrounding areas (SF, SD, OC, etc.), provides a lot of opportunities. Being from Canada (Owen) and Ukraine (Dan), both of our homes have difficult seasons to work in. A large portion of the year is a write-off in those places because of colder months. In LA, we are able to shoot 12 months a year (and we do!). It also provides a wonderful variety of backdrops; beach, city, mountains and more.

Pricing:

• Photo+Video combined packages starting at $4600
• Add-ons: custom album, assistant, drone, raw footage, IG teaser, engagements, full movie edits
• RED camera cinema package

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cinestoryfilms.com
• Email: hello@cinestoryfilms.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cinestoryfilms
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cinestory-films-wedding-videography-and-photography-los-angeles-2

Image Credit:
Cinestory Films

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