Category Archives: News

Monday, January 11, 2010

Therese & John

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I met Therese and John many moons ago over a cup of tea in Ballygarry House and I was delighted when they decided to have me look after their wedding video… And, like all of our couples, they wanted more than just a wedding video so we filmed their Wedding Story.

I got lost looking for John’s house on the morning of the wedding and ended up in Adare.  Thankfully, I always give myself plenty of time to spare and I finally found my way to John’s place.  We also filmed Therese and the girls getting ready that morning and one of the perks about this wedding was that the church was literally next door to the bride’s house… If it weren’t for the stunning dress I’m pretty sure she could have just hopped over the wall and down the aisle to her groom.

Riona Mac Monagle is a very popular photographer in Kerry – and for good reason! – but strangely enough, Therese and John’s wedding was my first time working with her and it was a pleasure.  Riona is a fun person and the type of photographer who won’t keep you away from your guests all day.  I was very impressed with her work ethic – and she’s great craic – and I can highly recommend her to anyone enquiring about wedding photography.

The reception was held at Ballygarry House Hotel which looked as magical as always and, despite an electrical blackout all over Tralee, Padraig and his brilliant staff carried off this wedding without a single hitch.  I can never say enough about this fantastic wedding venue and I only hope the snippets in the wedding film below do some justice to the beauty and service of the place.

So, Therese and John, here’s your Teaser… And thanks for having me!!!

Fast broadband connection of at least 3mb is required to comfortably watch the following blog teaser.  Slow connections should press play and pause until the video stream fully downloads

velvetine studios produce a select amount of wedding video in kerry and wedding video in ireland. our dates do book quickly and 2010 is already filling fast so call now to enquire about your date!

And here’s a couple of candid “photographs” which we grabbed from live video footage of some very important moments.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Video Photographs From A Crosshaven Wedding Story & Baptism


It’s only a matter of time before photographers and videographers have the technology to capture pictures & video from the one camera in the very same moment.  The lines are beginning to blur already and because Velvetine Studios always position ourselves at the forefront of wedding filmmaking, we hope to have an exciting new “stills & film” package for our clients in the near future.

Here’s an example of what one can expect: below is a wedding/baptism that we filmed for one of the nicest – and coolest! – families we met in 2009.  We are about to start working on their Wedding Story and all the “photographs” are simply candid frame grabs from the HD video footage of their event.

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Above: Little Finn in Sinead’s arms being baptised by Fr. Sean Conlon

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Posing for a picture:  Ger and his best men, Robin and Frank

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There’s always one straggler: Tom getting some last minute help with his tie

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Above:  Lara, Michael, Sinead and Fiona before they enter the church

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Here Comes The Bride: Sinead and her Dad walk the aisle at both the rehearsals and the wedding day

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Above: Ger and Sinead exchanging vows

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Above: Ger and Sinead lighting The Unity Candle

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Reception: London Boys having the craic at Bunnyconnellan

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Party Time:  Ger, Sinead and Finn arriving at Bunnyconnellan for their wedding reception

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Easily one of the best cakes for Velvetine Studios in 2009!!!

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Stay tuned here to see how Ger, Sinead & Finn’s Blog Teaser turns out (and you can see how the “stills” above translate into motion picture film) … it’s promising to be a real cracker!!!

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Monday, November 9, 2009

One Chance, Two Dates

calenVelvetine Studios is a boutique wedding film studio based in Kerry and our select amount of dates book out very quickly – in fact, our 2010 calendar is beginning to look pretty full already.   We find it very hard to say no to couples who are genuinely interested in having something more than just wedding video but unfortunately, we often find ourselves in this situation.  It is our policy to only take on a manageable amount of clients who we can devote the necessary time to so that their wedding film is of the highest standard available in Ireland… and beyond!

However, we are glad to announce that we can open up two more dates (possibly three depending on locations and package) on our 2009 schedule for some lucky couples.

Contact us from Mon -  Sat on 066 711 9980 or simply email info@velvetinestudios.com to see if we can fit your date into our calendar.  We want to tell your Wedding Story!

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Mel & Si – Teaser

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Melanie and Simon had a brilliant wedding and their story began when they met each other on holidays.  Who would have guessed way back then that they would end up in Fels Point as a married couple eight years to the day after their first kiss… though looking at them now  you would have to say “of course they were going to get married” or as their chief bridesmaid Maria put it “they are a match made in heaven!”

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Mel & Si – Teaser from Maurice O’Carroll on Vimeo.

fast broadband connection of least 3mbs is required to watch this wedding film without experiencing stuttering. slow broadband users are advised to press pause and allow the stream to download/buffer.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Midnite Cafe at The Matrix

Here’s a blast from the past that I found an old hard drive from the days when High Definition seemed like a faraway dream. It’s a clip that I shot in 2007 single-handed in a Crete niteclub called The Matrix. I was out there filming a wedding video for Damien Greer who is the drummer for a well known Tralee band called Midnite Cafe. Cafe are a great wedding band but these guys have played with legends and I can name Jimmy Page off the top of my head and they have supported Rod Stewart in concert. To say that I was delighted to be asked out to Crete to film a wedding is an understatement and I had a fantastic week in the sun.

A few nights after the wedding Midnite Cafe played a gig in The Matrix and I grabbed the following live set with the very limited equipment that I had to hand at the time. Hope you enjoy the live music video and if you’re looking for a good wedding band who can appeal to all tastes then why not give the guys a call on 086 861 2528 or email midnitecafeband@hotmail.com Telephone: 086 8612528


View on ExposureRoom
Do you have a wedding band and want to reach a global audience with your music? Give Velvetine Studios a call on 066 711 9980 or email info@velvetinestudios.com for more details about how we can take your sound and music video into the homes of Irish brides… They want to hear and see what you’re all about!!!

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

See You At Dromoland Castle Wedding Extravaganza!

We adore filming at this fantastic venue and thankfully, we have been invited as preferred suppliers to be part of the Dromoland Castle Wedding Extravaganza.  Elaine and I are looking forward to meeting you all so please do stop by our stand for a friendly chat and sample some of our emotion charged Wedding Stories.  We also have some exclusive special offers for Dromoland brides and we’ll be announcing some new and exciting services.

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Watch Your Wedding In HD

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Blu Ray is growing more popular by the day: A lot of homes now have a blu ray player, xtra vision stock more and more blu ray titles on their shelves, and several of Velvetine Studios clients have already asked for and received their Wedding Stories on Blu Ray.  There’s no better way to watch the biggest day of your life than in glorious High Definition.

Call us today to find out more about our Blu Ray options for your Wedding Story…. and remember, if we filmed your wedding over the last year, you still have the option to upgrade to Blu Ray as long as we still have your wedding on file.

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Friday, July 10, 2009

Deirdre & Cian

Childhood sweethearts, stunning bride, glorious Fenit scenery, Ballygarry House, wonderful food, great craic…. These are the hallmarks of an extraordinary Wedding Story and Deirdre & Cian had all measures in abundance.  Such a great couple who were kind enough to have me as part of their day… week after week, Velvetine Studios work at beautiful weddings and I need little reminding that I have one of the best jobs in the world… and Deirdre & Cian’s day was one of those special events which makes me feel privilaged to attend and capture.

I always love working at Ballygarry House – such a brilliant venue and Padraig, Cathal and all the staff go beyond the call of duty in their care and attention: they do a ton of weddings but each one is treated just as special as the last – and I also got to meet up with the gifted photographers and always friendly Keith and Evelyn Woodard.  As if that wasn’t enough, Deirdre & Cian treated us all to a beautiful meal and then laid on one of Kerry’s most popular bands Celebrations for our entertainment.

Here’s a short glimpse of their day.

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Watch Our Promotional Video For WeddingsInKerry.com

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Weddings In Kerry is going to be a great resource for Kerry brides once they push on full steam ahead.  As far as I know, the Weddings In Kerry team are planning a big launch for their new website in the very near future but here’s a sneak peek at where they are going… and the video that Velvetine Studios put together for them. Enjoy!

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Friday, June 5, 2009

Weddings In Kerry – Where Weddings Are Magical!

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Weddings In Kerry is a new and exciting resource for couples who are interested in getting married in one of the most beautiful places on earth and I was simply thrilled when the group asked Velvetine Studios to produce their promotional video.

Weddings In Kerry is a collective of some of Kerry’s leading hotels and it is their goal to reach out to a worldwide audience and promote the Kingdom as a wedding destination: after all, we are blessed with natural, breathtaking scenery, stunning venues, glorious churches and cathedrals, friendly people, and award winning wedding suppliers.  The group more or less gave me a free hand to get this message across on their website and we all decided from the outset that we needed a video that captured the magic and feeling of a wedding in Kerry.  I’m delighted to say that after a lot of hard work we have done just that!  Yesterday, I screened the video to the group for the first time and the feedback from them was a resounding 10 out of 10… we even got 11 from one member.

Weddings In Kerry are busy putting the final touches to their website (designed by the impressive The Marketing Crowd ) so stay tuned for more details and launch dates.  Velvetine Studios will also be making an exciting announcement to coincide with the launch so for all you 2009 Kerry brides who thought you could live without a wedding video… Think again!!!

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

New Package – Traditional

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It’s here… Our all new package leans toward what people have come to expect from traditional wedding video.  However, our traditional package is filmed in glorious HD, it is signatured with the creative flair we are renowned for, and the super smooth music sequences will have you combing down the hairs on the back of your neck… traditional wedding video never looked better!!!

Starting at just €1,300 traditional is a fantastic option for young couples who want one of Ireland’s leading wedding specialists to cover their day and at a great price!

traditional includes

  • friendly and discreet service
  • cinematic music montages
  • guest & groom arrivals to ceremony
  • bridal party arrivals
  • comprehensive ceremony coverage
  • drinks reception
  • full speeches
  • no intrusion and no lights!
  • all filmed in glorious HD
  • gift box with 3 personalised and attractive dvds

You can further tailor this package to meet your needs and taste by adding options like bridal preparations which includes 1hr of filming for just 200 euro or/and choose first dance option for just 150 euro.

Call Maurice or Elaine today on 066 711 9980 to discuss this new and exciting option.  We look forward to talking to you!

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Behind The Scenes

It’s been a pretty hectic couple of months behind the scenes at Velvetine Studios and we’ve been working on some great weddings, produced a gorgeous in-house presentation for a leading hotel’s TV and Register Til screens, and we’ve been putting together a couple of exciting projects for some very influential people in the wedding industry… stay tuned for more details over the next couple of weeks!

My fiancee, Elaine, has come to my rescue just as I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the workload and I’m beginning to worry that she has a “better eye” than I do.  She’s always been a natural at this game but despite training her in for the last six months I still didn’t expect her to be as good as she is today.  I only shot one Wedding Story over the last six weeks but our other weekends where spent shooting our new package… more details to follow soon but I can tell you straight up that it’s working out great and we filmed in Tralee, Sneem, and Killarney.  Not only that but we also introduced Armagh and Monaghan to Velvetine Studios!

Elaine and Maurice at Aoifes and Aidan's Wedding in Monaghan

Elaine and Maurice at Aoifes and Aidan’s Wedding in Monaghan

When Kerry’s leading hotels need some video work to enhance their branding they come to us and we are only too delighted to work for them.  Ballygarry House Hotel is no exception and we proudly produced their WebTV videos – see website.  Over the past few weeks we have been giving their in-house video presentations a make-over and thankfully, the feedback so far from the hotel couldn’t be better.

Screen Grab From Ballygarry House Hotel In-House Presentations
Screen Grab From Ballygarry House Hotel In-House Presentations

I’ve got to admit that I’m so, so pumped about what lays ahead for us in the future.  Not only are we introducing new services to meet the needs of today and tomorrow’s brides but a collective of very influential people are creating a much needed service for Kerry brides.  Sorry for the secrecy but all will be revealed in the next couple of weeks and I’ll bet that Kerry brides will be just as excited as I am when they hear about what’s in store!

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Memories From International Wedding Shoot USA

From Left to Right: "Thumper", Chris Watson, Glen Elliott (groom), Violet Elliott(bride), Darrell Aubert, Maurice O'Carroll
From Left to Right: “Thumper”, Chris Watson, Glen Elliott (groom), Violet Elliott(bride), Darrell Aubert, Maurice O’Carroll

My recent trip to the US seems like a lifetime ago – so much has happened since my return – but here’s a picture of the crew I worked with to film Glen & Violet’s fantastic wedding.  The photograph is by Capone Photography – a family studio – who were just brilliant to work with.  Everyone I met last Febuary made the USA an unforgetable experience; their hospitality is second to none!

Darrell, Glen and Violet, thanks a million!

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

International Award!

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The highest accolade any wedding filmmaker can receive around the world is the EventDV Top 25 – as voted for by fellow professionals and the readership of American based EventDV Magazine.

The Top 25 videographers are acreditted as being the “hottest and most influential videographers in the world” because their work inspires a new breed of international filmmakers who are changing the face of wedding video. The list is made up of individuals from America, Canada, Australia, UK, Phillipines, Greece and not only am I the only Irish filmmaker to ever make the list… but I’ve made it two years running!

The awards ceremony was broadcast live over the course of three days: check out the video below (my segment is at the very end).

Also check out the list of this years winners… When you see the standar of their work you’ll understand why I’m so proud to be included alongside them:

Lee Bakogiannakis (http://www.2dgstyle.com)

Roy Chapman (http://www.weva.com)

Walter S. Chelliah (http://www.definitiveprojx.com)

Jerome Cloninger (http://www.jcdv.com)

Ron Dawson (http://www.daredreamer.net)

Matthew Ebenezer (http://www.shadowplay.com.au)

Glen Elliott (http://www.glenelliott.com)

Steve Fowler (http://stevefowlerfilms.com)

William Gaff (http://humanstoryfilms.com)

Julie & Alex Hill (http://elysiumproductions.com)

Philip Hinkle (http://frogmanproductions.com)

Chris P. Jones (http://masonjarfilms.com)

Kristen* (http://blissvideoproductions.com)

Jason Magbanua (http://jasonmagbanua.com)

Steve & Laura Moses (http://www.vantagepointcustomfilms.com)

Patrick Moreau (http://stillmotion.ca) -

Maurice O’Carroll (http://velvetinestudios.com)

Bruce Patterson (http://cloudninecreative.com)

David Robin (http://davidrobinfilms.com)

Joe Simon (http://joesimonproductions.com)

Josh Smith (http://cinematicbride.com)

Joe & Terry Taravella, Julian St. Pierre (http://studiovc.com)

Mark & Trish Von Lanken (http://vonweddingfilms.com)

Dave Williams (http://dvideography.com)

Jeff & Andee Wright (http://blueskiescinema.com)

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Philadelphia – Last Days

Things got pretty busy on my last few days in Philly; so much so that I didn’t even have time to post on the blog.  But what an experience!

American weddings are slightly different to our Irish set-up and even though I was constantly on my toes I still enjoyed every second of it.  Darrell made sure that my days were full and he was the perfect host.  It wasn’t all plain sailing: our car broke down (snow froze in the exhaust pipe) and we got lost more than once but it all added to the excitement of my adventure.

The wedding was fantastic and it was an absolute pleasure for me to be a part of Glen & Violet’s big day.  I also got to film alongside three amazing shooters: Darrell Aubert, Chris Watson, and “Thumper”.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Camera Person Wanted

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Even though Chelsea won’t take her eye off the ball once she gets her teeth into something, our newest team member isn’t quite working out as well as we expected.  I was hoping that she might be lazing at my feet by now while I’m editing but unfortunately, we’re slightly behind the on toilet training which is holding up her overall progress.I’m sure everything will work out in time… and with lots of patience… but in the meantime, Velvetine Studios is on the lookout for an excellent camera person to join me on our wedding shoots.

So, if you have a passion for filmmaking and want to help redefine wedding video in Ireland with Velvetine Studios then send us your details to info@velvetinestudios.com

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Monday, January 19, 2009

Announcement – Restricted Phone and Internet Access

So I’m in the process of changing premises but I never thought it would take 28 days to simply change over my phone line and intenet connection.  What a joke!

Unfortunately, my internet and phone line could be down until mid Febuary so please forgive any late replies to inquiries.

Why does everything take an age to complete in the Rep of Ireland???

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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Happy New Year

Wasn’t 2008 a great year… it certainly was for me!!!

Velvetine Studios got a new face lift and we upgraded our entire studio into High Definition – Wedding Story is now being watched all over the world thanks to the Blog Previews and our growing reputation – I was invited to New Orleans to speak about wedding video and it was a fantastic experience and a great success… and best of all, I got engaged and will be getting married in 2010.

Christmas was so hectic because I was trying to get out as many videos as possible so the break in Belfast was a very welcome holiday for me and Elaine.  What a fantastic city!

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2009 promises to be even busier than last year and I’m so stoked about what lays ahead this year.  We already have a new member on  the Velvetine team and we’ll be adding another before the summer -  I’m only back to work today and we’ve already booked two weddings – A new and exciting service is about to be announced this spring (this will really blow your wedding guests away!) and we are producing wedding stories throughout Ireland – including Armagh – and we’re even shooting a wedding in Philadelphia, USA!!!!

More details on all the above to follow very soon!

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Welcome to Velvetine Studios

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Welcome to the Velvetine Studios Blog where you can keep up to date with all the news and behind the scenes action of Ireland’s internationally acclaimed and leading wedding filmmaker, Maurice O’Carroll.

Click here to visit Velvetine Studios Website for full service & package information and contact details.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

New and Exciting Changes Ahead

Is it November already!?

We’re coming to the end of what’s been a fantastic year for me and I’m glad to say that I’m even more excited about the year ahead. In the past few months Velvetine Studios has gone HD – which means superior picture quality for you – and we’ve upgraded our entire studio equipment so that we can take Wedding Story to the next level.

In 2009 I’ll be announcing a stunning new service that will have your guests talking about your wedding long after the event and if that’s not enough, I’m also offering Wedding Story Preview to all our future clients! Wedding Story Preview is a sneak peek trailer of your DVD and will be hosted on our blog… it’s a great way to get a flavour of your wedding day and share your video with friends and family all over the globe.

Velvetine Studios is upping the ante… yet again!

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