Brian and Samantha Harmon of Snohomish Film Company love telling stories of local people and businesses through their high quality videography. Whether capturing the intimacy and joy of a wedding, recording testimonies of people who benefit from local services, or helping a business share what services they provide, this husband-and-wife team strives for excellence and authenticity every time.
“The heart of video, and the heart of what we do, is all about storytelling. In today's world, and really throughout history, storytelling has played a crucial role in building culture and community,” shares Brian. “As filmmakers, we want people to know the story because we believe it connects people. It can create common ground and really help a community flourish.”
For Brian and Samantha, high school sweethearts who married twelve years ago and now have two children, working together to run a business is a natural extension of their own story. After Brian graduated from film school at Biola University in Southern California, the couple returned to Washington. Brian began working in video production with marketing agencies, church ministries, and nonprofit organizations while also doing wedding videography for family and friends.
In 2022, Brian launched Snohomish Film Company. At first, he did projects on the side in his free time but last spring, Brian transitioned to full-time with the business and Samantha joined him in the fall. For these two who have worked together before, collaborating on a daily basis is a great fit.
“There are a lot of pros to working together,” says Brian. “Not only do you get to work with your best friend and build something together, but it becomes a family endeavor. Our kids get to see us run a business and because we do a lot of stuff in our community, the kids get to come with us and see me in action filming events.”
Under the umbrella of Snohomish Film Company, Brian and Samantha specialize in multiple areas including working with businesses and nonprofits as well as wedding videography. With businesses and nonprofit organizations, the couple helps with advertising campaigns, brand development, and covering special events. “We help businesses refine their messaging, including how they talk about what they do and the why behind what they do,” says Brian. “We also help businesses create ad campaigns to promote their business in a creative way.”
Video testimonials and footage from events, fundraisers, and galas serve as a powerful tool businesses and nonprofits can utilize to share their messages. “One of the things we do often is event capture. It is very beneficial to have somebody at an event capturing all the things that are happening,” explains Samantha. “The video can then be shared on social media, on their website, or sent to donors and sponsors as a thank you. Another cool thing about capturing an event is that we now have footage to create ads to build up hype for the event when it happens the following year.” For clients who are on a retainer contract, Snohomish Film Company stores video footage for life, which not only reduces long-term costs but gives access to year upon year of content all in one place.
For Brian and Samantha, authenticity and quality go hand in hand for capturing events, which is especially important when it comes to weddings. With over ten years of wedding videography experience, Brian has cultivated producing videos that are timeless, professional, and high-quality while not feeling staged. “We value presence over production because we really want the couple to enjoy their day and not feel like it is this whole big Hollywood production,” explains Brian. “We want to capture and document the day then create a video that the couple can watch and enjoy looking back on their day for years in the future.”
As locals to Snohomish, Brian and Samantha have an insider perspective on what works well for the community, and they have experienced first-hand how working and living in the same community brings people together. “The community that we've built because of this business is really special,” says Samantha. “It's played a huge part in helping us be successful. We have made so many amazing friends and built so many connections...it's helped us become more ingrained and connected, which has also helped us know what's most effective and what resonates with the people in our community.”
Brian and Samantha also strive to make high quality videography attainable and accessible for businesses, nonprofit organizations, and couples in Snohomish. “We can work with people to create something that is meaningful and valuable for them but also doesn't completely blow every budget out of the water,” says Samantha. “We also like being able to use our skills to help organizations like the Snohomish Education Foundation with covering its annual auction and the impact it has on the teachers, students, and the whole school district.”
One of the things Brian and Samantha love most about being a locally owned small business is the ability to give back, and show local love, to the Snohomish community. “With a business our size, we sit in this middle ground between the solo videographer and the big ad agency people. We are a husband-and-wife team, but we are growing,” says Brian. “Our goal is to expand our team and scale our services to be able to provide high quality videography to a bigger audience of people, while maintaining that local connection and authenticity. We know we have a big responsibility that is reflected in our name, Snohomish Film Company, to represent the stories of our community, honor them, and do them justice.”
For more information on the videography services of Snohomish Film Company, visit www.snohomishfilm.com or email hello@snohomishfilm.com. Also follow @snohomishfilmco on Instagram.
The community that we've built because of this business is really special.
"The heart of video, and the heart of what we do, is all about storytelling. In today's world, and really throughout history, storytelling has played a crucial role in building culture and community."