Sarah MacClaryis a family filmmaker based in Corvallis, Oregon. As well as being a valued member of the FilmingLife® community and a talented FilmingLifer, she also runs Corvallis Video with her husband Matt, specialising in wedding films, family films, newborn films and commercial & brand films.

Tell us a bit about yourself…

My husband and I met 22 years ago in a C.S. Lewis class while both attending Oregon State University, we were 19. The way he tells the story, he was impressed by the girl who showed up on a skateboard to class. I noticed him because he was so gentle and easy to talk to. Our birthdays are one day apart, same year. It was meant to be. We’ve been in Corvallis ever since. I’ve traded in the skateboard for a minivan for getting around town!

Matt is an HP software engineer by day and I stay at home with our 4 kiddos. Our kids are 16, 12, 10 and 4 years old. Our current schedule includes softball, mountain bike team, youth group, Awana Club, ortho appointments, and 4 different school schedules! It’s a busy but beautiful full season. I think after Covid lockdown, we can all appreciate how great it is to get to participate in all the activities.

Our family loves hiking on Sunday afternoons on the many forest trails nearby, trying out new vegan recipes, hanging out by and on the river in the summer and playing Settlers of Catan.

My degree is in Early Childhood Education, and I worked briefly in the field before deciding to stay home and use my training with my own kiddos. Next year is my youngest daughter’s last year of pre-k. At that point I will have had a kiddo in this stage for 15 years. Glad for the college training, but a lot of learning happened on the job! It will be bittersweet and you can bet I will be making more films of her in that last year before she starts Kindergarten.

Tell us about the kind of photography & films you create…

Matt and I started our journey into filmmaking through filming our friends' weddings.

We now film weddings, family films, newborn films, commercial and brand films through our business Corvallis Video. We also offer live streaming services and live event recordings.

How did you first get started in photography?

In high school, I had the opportunity to work in the darkroom developing my own photos shot on my old Canon Rebel. I worked on the school newspaper and really enjoyed covering my beat. I can still close my eyes and smell the dark room of Tigard High School.

I put the hobby aside in college and young adulthood and it was actually videography that has brought me back round to creating stills again. It’s amazing to think how much more control we have over the images we create now that we can shoot digitally and use editing software like Lightroom.

What made you decide to learn video? What was your motivation?

The week of our wedding, my mom asked if we wanted someone to take video. I said sure why not. We already had a professional photographer. So mom asked around the family and bingo, my second cousin who was 8 years old at the time had a camcorder! He showed up and did the work, bless his heart.

Fast forward to when we sat down to watch the video(on VHS), during our vows, Matt is completely out of the frame! It looks like I am marrying a mystery man! We were bummed. But also incredibly grateful for the shots he did get. There’s one scene caught in between big moments where Matt and I are just so punch drunk in love, talking and laughing. I often think of that moment caught on video when we shoot others' weddings. It’s the real, raw moments we want to capture on video. That poorly shot and unedited video is the best reminder of our very special day.

Matt and I started shooting video for our friends wedding’s after that experience. We started going to friends' weddings and there wasn’t even a willing 8 year old with a camcorder. We didn’t want our friends to miss out on moments in motion of their big day.

It was about 4 years ago that we decided to use our skills to create our shared business Corvallis Video. It’s the best to get to work together on bigger projects. Matt is the technical brains of the operation and I bring the artistry. We feel so blessed to get to serve others by capturing memories and telling stories with video.

Madelynn's First Birthday Video from CorvallisVideo on Vimeo.

What was your biggest challenge when you first started learning video and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest parts of creating films is learning the editing software program. A couple friends in the videography industry recommended getting started with Davinci Resolve because there is a free version and the color grading capability is considered the industry standard.

I can’t tell you how many hours of YouTube I’ve watched related to Davinci Resolve. It’s a lot. And it’s part of why I feel like I can justify my prices. I’m two years in and know there is so much more to learn.

Did you find it a challenge to educate clients on the value of films - how were they first received by clients?

Yes, marketing and getting the word out about family films is an uphill challenge.

But thankfully video is the next big thing especially on social media. I think with it being easier to create, there is more interest and recognition of the art form. Thank you TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube.

Tell us about your favourite film and why it's special to you…

Early on in our business, we had a woman reach out to us to create a film for her parents, documenting their love story. Dick and Alice met at the craft table at summer camp when they were kids in the 1940’s. It was love at first sight for Dick. He went home and told his mom he had met the girl he was going to marry. And sure enough, they did!

They were such a dynamic couple to interview and honestly just one of the most enjoyable sessions. I love rewatching them tell their story. Their daughter set it up so they can easily watch it on their computer and she let me know that they repeatedly watch it. Which makes me so over the moon happy.

There’s just something so important about creating a film like this that will be a legacy for their whole family to hold onto.

Sarah’s favourite film

What is your best piece of advice for those just getting started with films?

Take advantage of all the resources.

Start with the FilmingLife® Academy courses. They are so incredibly invaluable for learning and growing in Family Filmmaking.

Second, participate in the FilmingLife® Network (included with your membership to FilmingLife® Academy). Everyone is so happy to help new filmmakers along in their journey.

Next, find a mentor, either a local videographer that you can second shoot with or someone in the FilmingLife® Network to connect with and bounce ideas off.

Also, practice. It is the single best way to improve. It will be hard at first, but so worth the effort.

No excuses. Just get out and make the film. And enjoy the learning process!