Field Notes Interview #42: Elena + Sofia Costa, Filmmakers
Meet Elena and Sofia Costa: sisters and owners of Costa Sisters Productions from the green lands of Wales, UK. As they put it, they “suffer from major wanderlust,” and it’s showing in their amazing films. Their unique talent has taken them to California, France and Italy as they’ve elevated the wedding genre of filmmaking to new and innovative places.
Soundtracks play a major role in their aesthetic. They put a lot of stock into finding music to personalize the individual couples. They balance attitude with beauty and take their time to make sure they found the perfect soundtrack.
We caught up with the Costas and chatted with them about their wanderlust, filmmaking experiences and how they find the right track for every film they make.
M: When did you know you wanted to be a filmmaker?
E+S: Since we were young Costas It’s always been our instinct to carry a camera round with us wherever we go, we felt memories last with film & picture. We’ve always been creative but we didn’t realise we could make a living out of what we do for fun. Our nostalgic videos started to catch on in our hometown, all our friends wanted our interpretations of memories.. eventually we were being paid for it & next thing we knew we were quitting our day jobs to give it a real shot and we haven’t looked back, it’s been the best decision we’ve ever made.
M: What’s your favorite moment of the filmmaking process?
E+S: OH MY the whole process is a blast! Our favourite moment by far is playing back the final product! We never quite know how the video is going to turn out until the very last moment of completion. The whole process is a lot of fun for us when recreating couples most special day the way we see it, we get so psyched putting the clips together & experimenting big time.. you won’t find two of our videos that are the same & we guess thats because as we change & grow, our videos do too & that excites us! And most importantly it excites our clients because they never know what to expect, their reactions has definitely gotta be another favourite part of what we do, they put the biggest smiles on our faces.
M: What do you think defines a filmmakers’ voice?
E+S: Their style. We think every filmmaker has their own style In the way they choose to capture & create. a ton of filmmakers could be shooting the same thing and each outcome would be different! Its beautiful to see how filmmakers’ personalities can influence their work, they pour everything they love into their work & its instantly noticeable. We love when you can tell a piece of work is from a certain filmmaker by their unique style. We hope anyone that stumbles across one our videos knows it was made by The Costa Sisters!
M: Tell us more about your process when filming? What do you look out for when filming for weddings?
E+S: We look out for the natural moments, we’re super relaxed with our approach, we love to get to know our couples prior to the wedding so that we can approach the day like guests rather than videographers. it’s important they feel comfortable with us so we can capture the real life versions of themselves. We like to document the day as it is, naturally, nothing forced. We find that our favourite footage are always moments the bride & groom don’t know we’re capturing, genuine laughs & geniune engagement is where the beauty lays.
M: Are there ever any happy accidents when filming?
E+S: OH HECK YES. We always have a giggle over the fact that all our ‘accident’ footage ends up being our favourite! We adore experimenting & we’re continuously learning new things & trying different techniques. We basically have fun with it, there is no right or wrong way of filmmaking. We embrace accidents, you need to allow space to make mistakes to grow to find your true style. We’re totally thankful for them!
M: What role do you feel music has in film?
E+S: The biggest part. We can spend a whole day searching for the perfect song that reflects not only the couple but the footage too. The perfect match makes everything! It drives the whole vibe of the day, the song can really make or break the video, when we find the perfect song we get a little over excited!
M: How do you feel music is misused in projects?
E+S: Finding the perfect music can be time consuming & some people may opt for the shortcut but If a filmmaker has aced every shot but the songs doesn’t fit it visually, it endangers the videos potential. Music manipulates the way viewers respond so its always worth taking the time choosing the song that will suit the vibe you want to convey.
M: When do you know that you have something ready to show the world?
E+S: We know when we’re ready to show it off when we’re completely and utterly psyched about it. We get the urge to show people the projects we love. Thats when we know were ready to get it out there & show the world.
M: What’s coming up?
E+S: Adventures! we’ve got tons of adventures booked far & wide where we’ll no doubt be filming travel videos along the way! We’ve got some epic behind the scenes collaborations coming up & a heck load of awesome weddings to look forward to.