Meet Kyle Doohan: Wedding Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyle Doohan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle, is there something you believe many others might not?
One piece of conventional advice that I hear a lot is that a person should diversify to decrease their risks and not go “all in” on any one thing. While I think that there are many areas in life in which it may make sense to hedge your bets, I think with business it’s really powerful to be focused on one thing at a time. I know earlier on in my career as a filmmaker, I was more focused on the short term and trying to make sure that I booked enough clients and was staying busy. But over time I’ve realized that these short term gains can come at the expense of long term growth. I think when I am focused on going “all in” on one part of my business and trying to make sure my foundations are sound, whether that be in my creative process or client management or any number of things, my business growth is much more consistent and manageable. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I got in to wedding and event filmmaking by way of apprenticeship with one of the premier wedding cinema companies in the SF Bay Area. I have been passionate about film-making for a long time and jumped at the opportunity to turn my creative work into a profession. The most difficult part of transitioning out of apprenticeship with another company and forming my one company was the business side of the equation. I just couldn’t understand how one went about marketing their brand to stand out from the competition. For awhile, I tried to replicate what I had seen other video production companies do with their website and marketing efforts. But for the most part, I didn’t find much success with that approach because I wasn’t being authentic to my aesthetic tastes and my personal story. I chose the name “Studio Arcady” for my company, because “Arcady” is the English spelling of Arcadia – a real and mythic utopia in Ancient Greece. I thought such a setting sounded like the ideal place for a breathtaking, rustic wedding and the mythic aspect resonated with my interest in art and history. I ended up using an old painting of Arcadia as my primary marketing asset, and that gave me a unique style that I have used as a compass to think about how I should build my brand. Studio Arcady specializes in films with a mixture of cinematic beauty and candid expression. We like to shoot all the details – the venue, the dress, the designs – with an elegant, film-like quality. And we also strive to capture the special, unique moments that go by so fast on the wedding day. We want the laughter, the tears of joy and the soulful dance moves. We make films that are heartfelt and beautiful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Every time I’m in LA, I always like to go visit Griffith Observatory. It’s a cliche, but I love the view despite the smog and it’s also an amazing place to people watch. I love visiting the Arclight theater and have taken in more than a few premiers at the Cinerama Dome. It’s an amazing place. The Getty Museum is another favorite. I love the architecture there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A lot of my success in building and growing Studio Arcady is owed to my longtime second lead cinematographer, Sergio Gomez. He worked with me from the very beginning when I started the business back in 2013. He has since moved on to form an online record and vintage retail store with his brother Miguel, but I deeply appreciate all the time we worked together to capture so many beautiful weddings all over the state. I would also credit much of my success to Steph M Copp Videography. I learned so much from her about how to automate aspects of your business, to always pursue excellence and professionalism and to serve the client with a bright smile and greet fellow vendors like old friends.

Website: www.studioarcady.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioarcady/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-doohan-02246783/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/k_doohan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studioarcady/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/studio-arcady-santa-rosa
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLNj48u4gQso0VIJRA4Feg
Other: https://vimeo.com/studioarcady