Creative Brief: "Fans" by Kings of Leon - Jack & Caroline's Wedding Weekend
Project Overview
Project Type: Wedding Film / Celebration Documentary
Song: "Fans" by Kings of Leon
Couple: Jack & Caroline
Objective: Capture the pure joy, rock and roll energy, and intimate community of a wedding weekend through handheld, vintage-inspired cinematography
Project Background
This film was created for my cousin Jack's wedding to Caroline, a weekend filled with celebration, family, friendship, and the kind of happiness that feels electric. I wanted to capture more than just the ceremony; I wanted to document the entirety of the weekend: the rehearsal, the chaos, the laughter, the community they've built together.
I listened to a million songs trying to find the right one. Nothing clicked until "Fans" by Kings of Leon. It had the energy, the excitement, the rock and roll spirit that matched the vibe of the weekend. The song gave the film its heartbeat, driving, anthemic, celebratory, alive.
Every edit choice was intentional: pairing a shot of the altar with a soaring guitar moment, timing Caroline's walk down the aisle to the instrumental crescendo. The song didn't just accompany the visuals, it elevated them, turning moments into something bigger, more cinematic, more felt.
Setting & Context
Location: Chicago, IL
Event: Wedding weekend, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and everything in between
Jack and Caroline have built a life and community in Dayton and beyond. Their friends,people they've known since college, some since high school, showed up in full force. This wasn't just a wedding; it was a reunion, a celebration of chosen family, a testament to the kind of friendships that last. The film needed to honor that community as much as the couple themselves.
Creative Challenge
Capture the unfiltered joy of a wedding weekend without it feeling overly polished or sentimental. Balance intimate, spontaneous moments with big, cinematic emotion. Let the music drive the pacing and energy while ensuring key moments, like the bride's entrance, land with maximum impact.
Emotional Core
Celebration: Pure, uninhibited joy
Community: The friends and family who shape a life together
Rock and roll energy: Loud, alive, unapologetic fun
Intimacy: Handheld closeness, unguarded laughter, real moments
Love: Romantic, familial, friendship
Nostalgia: Reunions, old friends, shared history
Creative Concept
"A Weekend That Feels Like a Song"
This film mirrors the energy and structure of "Fans", building momentum, swelling with emotion, driving toward a climactic release. It's less about perfection and more about feeling: the chaos of getting ready, the anticipation before the ceremony, the explosive joy of the reception. The visuals are raw, handheld, alive, vintage in texture but immediate in emotion.
Visual Direction
Mood: Celebratory, energetic, intimate, vintage, rock and roll
Tone: Joyful, unfiltered, alive, nostalgic, authentic
Key Visual Elements:
Handheld, kinetic camera work: Movement that feels spontaneous and alive, following subjects, capturing motion, leaning into imperfection
Vintage texture: Slightly grainy, warm tones, film-inspired color grading that evokes nostalgia and timelessness
Intimate framing: Close-ups of faces, hands, details, moments that feel personal and unguarded
Wide celebration shots: Dancing, toasts, crowd energy, the community in motion
Natural light and golden hour: Soft, warm, glowing, especially during outdoor moments
The entirety of the weekend: Rehearsal dinner, getting ready, ceremony, reception, a complete story
Details that tell the story: Flowers, the altar, rings, handwritten vows, the dress, shoes kicked off on the dance floor
Color Palette:
Warm golds, soft ambers, reds (bridesmaid dresses) muted earth tones with pops of vibrant color from flowers, outfits, and celebration. Vintage color grading, slightly desaturated with lifted blacks and warm highlights, that feels timeless and lived-in.
Shooting Style:
Handheld for intimacy and spontaneity
Mix of slow motion (for key emotional beats) and real-time (for energy and movement)
Varied focal lengths, wide for context, tight for emotion
Captured candidly and observationally, with minimal posing or direction
Emphasis on authentic moments: laughter, tears, embraces, dancing
Music & Narrative Strategy
The song "Fans" by Kings of Leon is the backbone of the film. Its structure dictates the edit:
Opening: Quiet anticipation, intimate preparation moments
Build: Energy rising, getting ready, pre-ceremony excitement, friends arriving
Guitar moment: Paired with a shot of the altar, sacred, still, powerful
Instrumental crescendo: Caroline walks down the aisle, the peak emotional moment of the film
Celebration: Post-ceremony joy, dancing, toasts, pure release
The edit is rhythmic, matching cuts to the song's beats and swells. Every moment is in service of the music, and the music is in service of the emotion.
Key Themes
Love is bigger than two people, it's the community that holds you
Celebration as catharsis, as joy, as release
Friendship that lasts, college bonds, hometown roots, chosen family
The intersection of tradition and rock and roll energy
Imperfection is beautiful, handheld shakiness, candid laughter, real life
Collaborators
Director, Cinematographer & Editor: Eleanor Vanecko
Couple: Jack & Caroline
Music: "Fans" by Kings of Leon
Location: Tide House & Ravens in Chicago IL
Production Notes
Shot across an entire wedding weekend, rehearsal, ceremony, reception
Listened to countless songs before landing on "Fans"
Edit choices intentionally paired with song structure:
Guitar moment = altar shot
Instrumental crescendo = bride's entrance
Handheld, vintage-inspired aesthetic throughout
Captured both intimate moments and big celebratory energy
Created as a personal gift for family
Outcome
This film is a love letter to Jack and Caroline, but also to the community they've built and the friendships that have shaped them. It captures the rock and roll spirit of a weekend that felt more like a festival than a formal event, loose, joyful, alive. The pairing of "Fans" elevates the visuals into something cinematic and anthemic, turning a wedding video into a celebration you can feel.
The project showcases my ability to:
Match music and visuals with precision and intentionality
Capture authentic, spontaneous moments while maintaining cinematic quality
Edit to rhythm and emotion, using song structure to drive narrative
Work across an entire event, weaving a complete story from start to finish
Balance intimacy and scale, close personal moments alongside wide celebratory energy
Create work that feels both vintage and immediate, nostalgic and alive
Translate real-life emotion into a visual experience that resonates universally