1/17/08

White Owl Arts helps capture memories and tell stories

by Beckye Randall

Just a few years ago Diane Wilson-Simon was managing a law office, running a community theater company and directing an orchestra in Monroe. Divorce sent her life in a new direction, one in which she is thriving.

In 2005 Wilson-Simon discovered she had a talent for digital video technology while producing a music video for her daughter. She sought out opportunities to learn camera techniques and editing skills, working on independent films for little or no pay in exchange for the experience.

After moving to Tulalip, she began to build a business, naming it White Owl Arts. She bought her first digital video camera, a $1500 investment, and offered her services at every opportunity. She went to seminars to learn about the industry, took classes in Adobe Premier Pro software skills.

Her first wedding contract came in January 2006, resulting in a video she calls “solid.”

“My theater background helped me,” said Wilson-Simon. “I already knew all about staging and framing a scene.”

These days White Owl Arts offers a variety of video services for business and personal events. Besides the bread-and-butter of weddings, Wilson-Simon also offers high school senior video portraits, love notes for couples to share with families at engagement or anniversary gatherings, and legacy recordings for elders.

For business owners, she can design and shoot commercial videos for Web sites, record corporate events and speeches, and produce ads for television.

“I did a 30-second spot for Northwest Bridal Showcase,” she said proudly. “It turned out great and they ran it on TV for several weeks prior to the show.”

Shooting a video is actually the least demanding part of her services. For every hour spent with the camera in her hands, Wilson-Simon will spend another 7 to 10 hours at the editing console.

“A 5-minute love note video will take a couple of hours to shoot, then maybe 8 to 10 hours to edit and finish,” she explained.

To make the most of her time, Wilson-Simon keeps three computers running at the same time. While one is rendering images, she can be working on music or titles on another screen. She also utilizes three video cameras for multi-angle shots.

Just before Christmas Wilson-Simon volunteered to create memorial videos for Marysville seniors at the Ken Baxter Senior Center. She gave them each 20 minutes in front of the camera to talk about whatever they wanted—memories, friends and family, financial information, or just blowing off steam.

Wilson-Simon said, “It was fun and interesting. I really enjoyed the stories some of the seniors told.”

Video portraits for high school seniors are a new trend and Wilson-Simon is busy marketing the product. “It’s like a time capsule,” she said, “something they can look back on in 10 or 20 years.”

Wedding videos are generally sold as 6- or 12-hour packages. The videographers spend the day with the wedding party and guests, capturing memorable vignettes on the couple’s special day. Post-production time ranges from two to six months.

“Photography catches the moment,” said Wilson-Simon. “Video tells the story.”

White Owl Arts is a member of Professional Event Videography Association Northwest (PEVAN) and Wilson-Simon credits the coalition with helping her learn and grow her business. Members of the organization are collaborative, sharing ideas and techniques, and even contracting with one another for overflow work.

When she’s not looking through the lens of her camera, Wilson-Simon enjoys looking out her windows. Her home on Mission Beach Road in Tulalip gives her a front row seat for watching eagles, herons and spectacular sunsets.

Working in digital video offers something many jobs lack. “I get to leave a mark on this world,” said Wilson-Simon. “100 years from now, someone will know I was here.”