Pixel Creative Video
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+351 916 709 238
Creative. Video.
We focus on capturing moments and details in order to create crafted videos which will attract any viewer who is passionate about art and creativity.
Your investment in wedding cinematography will be valued for the rest of your lives and it will be passed down to future generations. Our mission is to translate your day into an emotional visual experience.
Looking for more information about our films? Take a look around and feel free to reach out if you'd like us to expand or elaborate on any of the topics in our FAQ section.
Last February, we had the chance to visit India for the first time. We already imagined that this experience would be special, but once we stepped out of Chennai airport, we were certain that we would experience a whole new planet on the following days, after all, we were in the incredible India, to shoot an Indian wedding. Chennai is the capital of the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is the biggest cultural, economic and educational centre of south India. Chennai is home to many museums and galleries, and it is a major centre for music, art and culture in India, known for its classical dance shows aswell.
We already imagined that this experience would be special, but once we stepped out of Chennai airport, we were certain that we would experience a whole new planet on the following days, after all, we were in the incredible India. Sim and Kartik gave us such a sweet welcoming and they comfortably installed us in Chennai’s Novohotel alongside with all their invitees from all over the world. We spent the arrival day walking on the streets and damn, we were absolutely overwhelmed with the colors, the smells, the sounds, the beyond chaotic streets! Planet India was presenting itself to us in all its glory!
Day 1 was a day to get up before the sunrise. We had planned to do some shots on this amazing temple by the beach (Mahabalipuram Temple). However, once we got there, we were told that a special permit was required in order to shoot inside the temple area. The session was lost but the visit to the temple and surroundings was unforgettable. At this stage, jet lag was hitting us hard so we decided to go for a power nap after lunch. What was supposed to be a 30min/1h nap took 3h. Regardless, it was needed as the wedding celebrations would start on that night with this amazing welcome dinner on the Blue House. Day 2 celebrations would include the Haldi Cerimony (in which a paste of haldi is applied on the bride and the groom’s body before their wedding by their near and dear ones), the Holi party, traditional dances and Dinner with Sarangi Music. We had such a big expectation for this day! The venue, Dakshina Chitra was absolutely amazing, we couldn’t be more amazed! Regardless, the sun was unforgiving and the temperatures were really hard to stand, yet we guess the adrenaline kept us going, and we had so much fun! The holi fest with that unique Indian background was an experience to remember. After a good night sleep, we headed to The Royal Palms for the Mehendi Cerimony. Celebrated by the Bride’s family, in this ceremony, a henna paste (Mehendi) is putted in the hands and feet of the bride, in beautiful and intricate designs, especially done with the help of an expert. After the Mehendi, everyone was ready for the Sangeet Party. The word Sangeet means music, but in an Indian wedding, it translates to Music Night or Musical Party. This music night is a celebration of the union of not only the couple, but the bonding of both families. It is here that both sides bring down their barriers and mingle in a fun environment. It’s usually held a day before and Sim and Kartik chose this amazing venue to celebrate it. It was huge, it was loud and it was fucking epic!! We finally got to the wedding day that happened in the Ideal Beach Resort. We still wonder how Sim, Kartik and all their invitees found enough strength to wake up at sunrise to kick off with the celebrations. The Groom’s arrival (Vara Yatra) is a celebration in itself… we were absolutely amazed with the vibe and with every single sound that was surrounding us, we were completely out of this planet, damn, what an experience! Kartik’s epic arrival ended with a Tilak ritual! The wedding was held in a Mandap which is a temporary structure constructed for the purpose of the marriage ceremony. This Mandap is an elevated platform and it was amazingly decorated with flowers, greenery and fabric. The Indian wedding ceremony has a lot of prayers and meaningful “steps”, yet we can underline the beautiful necklace the groom places in the bride. Then, both their garments are toed up together as they circle a fire seven times (saptapadi). The main significance is establishing friendship, which is the basis of a hindu marriage. After this, the newlyweds showered each other with rice (talambralu), and this symbolizes fertility, prosperity and happiness.
Our friend Sebastian chose our film Neon.Ballroom. as his first review on Let’s tell a story club! We are so honored for this, thank you for your words Seb! Also, huge congrats to all the guys behind Let’s tell a story, such an amazing project you’ve put up together! (Riccardo, Sebastian, Giuseppe& Luigia, Shayne, George, Stam, Kristine Rhome, Remi & Pui-Yuk Schouten-Man)
Did you ever watch a movie that was so captivating, intense and visually astonishing that made your heart stop for a second? But when you were to tell your friends what the movie was really about you had a hard time finding the correct words? Well that’s how Jose’s films make me feel, and you know what? I love that feeling. He told me that: “I do not consider myself as a storyteller so neither my videos nor video-concepts have that in mind. I think my instinct always leads me to recreate a wedding video into a visual and emotional experience.”
Originality: That’s where Jose Santos shines the most. The Neon Ballroom is far beyond original – it sets new standards and boundaries to all wedding videography. In this film you will not find a chronological approach that concentrates on the venue, bride’s dress, speech or even the story per se; but you will be taken by force and against your will into a surreal universe, where the choice of cuts, color correction and use of music will slap you straight into your face and yell at you: “wake up, it was all a dream”
There are many ways how you can frame your subject but the right choice of lenses and distance can really make the viewer experience more. With all those tight shots you get the feeling that you are right there with the couple almost feeling their touch and breath. When you are almost too close, Jose cuts the film with a drone shot to give you a little break and space to inhale the film better. All in all the cinematography is not complex or technically difficult but is right on point and emphasized by the amazing edit and sound design.
New York marked us so deeply… we often think this is the perfect example on how influenced we are by the world that surrounds us.
In 2018 we visited New York for the first time, and we came home amazed with it’s greatness…
In top of visiting all the touristic places we could, we had such a good time with Mj & Fonzo just hanging around on subways and Starbucks. Those days will be forever in our hearts!
Well, if you ask me about business, I have to say that this all started for every reason but business… We honestly see PIXEL as a lifestyle rather than a business itself. Nonetheless as things grow far beyond what we could ever imagined we got to a point where we simply can’t neglect the business part of it. In any case, me and my brother love to stay away from numbers so we just leave that part to the girls! 🙂
In what regards me as a person, I guess much of the above already provided a glimpse of who I’m I… I just LOVE my people, love what do and I and i’m humbled for all the good things that life gave me. I couldn’t ask for more. You know, I have never made any big plans for my life and i guess I’ve always surfed the next wave the way it presented. Nonetheless, I’ve always felt so close to photography and cinema, and yet, i grew up in a small rural village where the possibility of making your life on those areas was such a long shot, that option was never really on the table. Until 2012 I was just the guy who loved to spend some time editing personal stuff when suddenly the possibility of shooting a wedding just came up (thanks to a short film that I did after spending some weeks at Southeast Asia). From then on it was a hell of ride and here I stand, jobless and doing what I love the most!
Lastly, and above everything else, i would like to enphatize that this was really a teamwork (it always is). I fly out to NY with my brother João which has a HUGE part on this… This all started (PIXEL) with me and him and I’m a lucky bastard for being able to share my life the way I do with my brother, it is priceless. The girls back home are also so so IMPORTANT. Luisa, my girlfriend and mom of the most amazing kid in the world (and he’s everything to me) that plays such an important role in Pixel and that stands by me no matter what and Ana, my brother’s girlfriend, you rock babe… 😉
Mom and Dad, thank you for taking us (me & my brother) to Cinema Batalha – an old and amazing cinema at Porto downtown – to see our first movie when we were just little boys. I guess that shaped us forever! <3
We are liquid love and creation” part, just love that mind-set! On the otherhand , we find the 1.52s – 1.58s part cool as well (from another point of view). Cool and dificult question!
Actually it’s quite random and chaotic so it’s kinda hard to put it on words, still, main point is to get the good chemistry between the footage and the track, this is number one issue. The overall mood will rely on this. After that i guess it’s just a pure go with the flow, it something that you feel… I honestly can’t describe it at all!. When MJ first saw the film she text me saying “you’ve filmed my soul” and it’s probably that, all in all, it’s just a matter of having some soul on it! It’s not just about the editing it’s so much about what you get on the camera!
Having so much cool footage to choose from. Good struggle though!
I would definitely like to make my kitbag smaller, however… Inside goes a:
– Canon 1DX MKII (I know, big and heavy but it’s a beast)
– a Samyang 35mm f1.5
– a Canon 45mm TS
– a Manfrotto Monopod.
However for NYC we also used a gimbal.
Though one… well, I honestly think we’ve learned so much and grown at so many levels! I guess having filmed a soul was already a step forward! 🙂
No idea, no idea at all… Once i had decided the track I was just building up! At this point it was all about going with the flow, stimulating the senses and trying to translate with the footage what you felt rather than what you saw.
Lately I had this song on my head (long before going to NY) – like that song you need to ear everyday – so when i fly out to NY I was already on it. At the end of the shooting day as soon as I got to the hotel I decided to see some footage on the laptop with this track on the background… and my mind was made!
I would say music and my childhood memories are my biggest inspiration! Now That I reflect on that I realize how impactful they are. And, of course, Mr. Salomon Lighthelm is such a God for us!
Nothing really worth mention… i just had some amazing days with the guys and our good friend and talented photographer João Almeida! It will be forever special to us!
MR is a very happy Mexican girl who met Joel, a Switzerland native boy.
To celebrate their love the proper way, they have decided to get married twice. One celebration in Switzerland and another one in Mexico.
This is their second wedding film. This was a huge celebration, with “tequilla and fiesta” that lasted for 3 days.
This all event was an incredible experience… let’s face it, a Zapotec Wedding in Oaxaca Botanic Gardens is not every day…
We returned home with a lot of good memories… all the colors, the warmth of people, all the spiced food, the incredible Hierve el Água and it’s narrow, winding unpaved road leading there, with all the gear on our backpacks… gosh! We just have a blast!
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