Loudbyte

Loudbyte is top notch. Steve and Ton-​Essa were the cinematographers for my brother and sister in law a few years ago. After seeing their production first-​hand as a groomsman, it was a no-​brainer for me to ask them to work my wedding. They make movies, not tacky, lame wedding videos. You should really check out their work. They capture the small details, and edit film seamlessly from one scene to the next.
My brothers wedding was in Chicago, but I got married in Connecticut and it was not an issue for them to travel. We had two Facetime chats beforehand, and gave them an idea of what we wanted and they ran with it. They arrived the day before the wedding and got some great shots of the long island sound where the wedding venue was, and were able to really capture the scene.
They take their work very seriously, which is what I imagine you would want from someone you’re paying for. Their price was very reasonable, especially given they traveled halfway across the country for us. They are very creative and did not need much of a prompt from us. Also, they were not intrusive, and allowed us to enjoy the wedding while giving them the shots they need. Their drone shots were spectacular, and some of the stills they took are pretty awesome.
Steve and Ton-​Essa are very friendly. I highly recommend you choose them, you’ll have a mini movie of your wedding day, and won’t regret it at all.

Before even starting to speak to their easygoing, professional character I would like to say a few words about the artistry and talent you would be bringing to your wedding day if you are lucky enough to have Loudbyte as your wedding cinematographers. Because, really, that is what drove us to start a relationship with them in the first place.
Allison and I are extremely detail oriented people and as such probably looked at all the wedding videographers and cinematographers in the Chicago, greater Illinois and Wisconsin areas before making our decision. Honestly, we simply could not find anything that even comes close. Steve and Ton-​Essa have all the toys the very best wedding cinematographers possess (drones, a multitude of cameras, mics, lighting, etc.), but what sets them apart from everyone else is the superior quality of their wedding film. While most wedding videographers will capture decent HD footage and add a soundtrack, Loudbyte will envision, direct, capture and edit footage using all of their tools to seamlessly and masterfully create a true wedding FILM. I honestly think their work speaks for itself. Simply take a look at their video and audio choices, editing, timing and compare to whatever else is out there. You will be hard pressed to find anything else that even remotely compares.
I think these two are not only the best videographers in the Illinois /​Wisconsin area but for sure some of the very best in the COUNTRY. Seriously. I truly believe they are set to do great things in the future.
But I would not be doing them justice witout saying a few words about their character, passion, work ethic and professionalism. I guess making films that are THAT good requires all of these traits.
Steve and Ton-​Essa initially met with us in order to get to know us a little better and discuss our wedding day plans and expectations. Even then, I was so impressed with Steve’s ability to breakdown the wedding day into its various steps and predict how much time they would need for capturing everything on video. This helped us so much when we set out to plan our day’s schedule.
When I mentioned that they were passionate about their work, I really meant it: For our wedding, Steve and Ton-​Essa travelled to Milwaukee a day early to explore the venue, source ideal spots for shooting and setting up their equipment. You will be hard pressed to find anyone, not only in the video industry, but in the wedding industry in general that goes to such lengths in order to ensure their clients recieve the best service/​product they can provide, even if this means working with you outside of what was initially agreed upon. Steve and Ton-​Essa will meticulously plan every single detail of the wedding together with you, in order to make sure that their work meets the absolute highest standards they set for themselves!
AND they are really really nice, easygoing and fun to work with!
Like many couples will tell you, getting a wedding cinematographer was the best decision we, too, ever made. However, choosing the right cinematographer is absolutely key. So, if you are planning a wedding in the Chicago or Milwaukee area… or anywhere else for that matter, I would recommend you look no further. Simply take a look at Loudbyte’s work. See how good it is and rest assured that you are putting yourself in really great hands.

When looking for my wedding videographer, I went to Loudbyte’s website and started watching all their films. I was captivated by each and every one. I didn’t even know these people and I would get teary eyed after watching. The way that Loudbyte captures the wedding day, I just knew I had to work with them for mine. And that was one of the easiest and best decisions I made for my wedding. Besides being über talented, Steve and Tones are the nicest people to work with. My fiancé and I met with them a few weeks beforehand to go over the timeline of the day, and one of the things they recommended to me was to write letters. So as most brides know, their is a lot to finish before the wedding and I completely ran out of time to write my cards until literally the night before the wedding at 1 in the morning. But, I am so glad I did because the way they captured the moment of my parents, sister, and husband, are special moments that I now while have forever. Steve and Tonessa showed up early, with smiles on and ready to go. I had so much fun filming with them while I was getting ready. Then throughout the day, they kept checking in to make sure the microphone was comfortable while at the same time, really caring about making sure they were capturing each moment perfectly. Their attention to detail and how much they really care about their work makes them so successful. They even stayed a little longer to capture some extra family dancing. When they told me my film was ready, I couldn’t believe how fast they got it done. I for sure thought it would take a month or two longer. I was driving when it was released and had to pull over to watch it. And good thing I did, because I cried, I laughed, and I smiled… I was so happy all over again! They captured the day EVEN BETTER than I remember it! Our wedding filmed turned out even better than anything I imagined. I really feel they captured me and my husband and our families perfectly. I think I have personally watched it like 30 times. In addition, so many people called me to tell me they saw our wedding film and couldn’t stop watching it ether. The rave reviews have been non stop. Our film is something I will truly cherish and treasure forever. Thank you again Loudbyte for your amazing artistic talent. You guys are the best!

Steve and Ton-​Essa are so incredibly gifted at what they do. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them on several projects for our company, Bridal Expo Chicago Luxury and they always produce stunning cinematic pieces for us. Most recently, we worked on a PSA together about Counterfeit Wedding Gowns and it turned out better than I could have EVER imagined. They are patient, kind and extremely talented artists who believe in giving you the very best every time. I can’t say enough amazing things about this company and the impeccable films they direct and produce. Thank you a million times over Steve and Ton-​Essa. I can’t wait until the next time we have the pleasure of working together. For any Bride and Groom thinking about having a film done of your wedding day, this is a company that should be at the very top of your list.

We were so fortunate to be able to have hired Loudbyte for our wedding film. My husband and I ran into some overall budget issues during the process, but knew our film would be worth every penny. While we have yet to view the final product, we are 100% confident we made the right decision. Steve and Ton-​Essa guided us throughout the entire process from the very beginning, helping us feel comfortable, confident, and at-​ease. Steve and Ton-​Essa exude genuine interest and pure passion in every single project they take on. It was a pleasure and honor to be able to work with such talent, and we are so much looking forward to seeing it all come together!

We really enjoyed working with Steve & Ton-​Essa.
Deciding to make a wedding film with Loudbyte, as opposed a traditional videographer, was truly a unique and memorable experience.
From the beginning Loudbyte was very prompt and professional. I really appreciated their passion and enthusiasm. Our conversations got us really excited about filming our wedding day.
We had a few hiccups planning our schedule because of complications with our venue, but Steve and Ton-​Essa were flexible and understanding. The wedding venue might have caused us a lot of stress, but it was always a relief to talk to Steve and Ton-​Essa because they helped put us at ease.
On the day of the wedding they were on time, prepared and helped make sure we got all the shots we needed for the film according to the schedule we discussed. They were team players and had no problems coordinating with our DJ and photographer.
To sum things up, they are professional, creative, and passionate about their work.
I can’t wait to see our wedding film!
Thanks, Steve and Ton-​Essa! We had so much fun :)

We were very fortunate to have Steve and Ton-​Essa film our entire love story. Steve and Ton-​Essa were nothing but professional, extremely kind and genuinely caring throughout the entire process. We were referred to Steve and Ton-​Essa by one of our friends, and we’re extremely happy we made that choice. Not only did I see Steve and Ton-​Essa perform exceptionally on for 8 days straight, but I still see their giving it their all at other love stories I watched. They are extremely hard-​working and they always have a lot of ideas which makes the film to the best effect. I highly recommend Steve and Ton-​Essa for your love story and wedding! You won’t regret!

If you are reading this, that means you are trying to decide if you should hire Loudbyte. I am going to make that decision very easy for you. You need to hire them right now, before they book someone else on your wedding date and you are out of luck. Although, at that point, I would still recommend that you change your wedding date.
I had no intention of having videography at my wedding, and also no budget for it. I attended a bridal expo with my sisters and we were walking past Loudbyte’s booth. Steve approached me and asked if I knew the difference between videography and cinematography. I told him that I did not but also said that I did not plan on having either. He convinced us to grab a seat and check out some of their work. They had old time movie chairs set up with a popcorn machine and a big screen with some of their films playing on a loop. We grabbed a seat and Ton-​Essa gave us each some popcorn. We spent the rest of the afternoon glued to those seats. We laughed, we cried, we ate popcorn. At this point, I knew that I had to have a film of my own, I just had to find the money. I will tell you this honestly: You must hire Loudbyte even if it means that you can’t have flowers and cake. This is just how important it is. Of course, I was able to make it work and keep the flowers and cake but I cannot stress enough that a photographer does not capture the day the way Loudbyte will.
The end result/​product is not the only praise that I have. Steve and Ton-​Essa are some of the coolest people that I have ever met. They are fun to be around and have such an incredible eye for «that perfect shot». These guys love what they do and it SHOWS. They really spend the time to get to know you personally so that they know what you would want featured in your film. For example, if you are a really playful and goofy couple, they will make sure that really comes through in your film and if you are more serious, your film will reflect that as well.

The video turned out to be amazing, but working with Loudbyte was extremely difficult. Just make sure you read your contract before signing and it helps if one of the people getting married is a lawyer with all the strings they tried to pull. It’s a shame that talent this great has to go to waste because they don’t teach business class in art schools. Shame on you New York Film Academy.

By the time you have finished reading this review of Loudbyte Cinematography, you will have waited too long to try to book them (they book fast so *try* is a key word here)! We were absolutely blown away by Loudbyte. I seriously feel like our wedding film should be submitted to Sundance. It’s that good.
The artistry of the film is incredible: each shot is so stunning and there are shots that are literally breathtaking. The editing is *seamless*: they captured and distilled the day down to its most beautiful, poignant essence. The music selections are simply perfect — a combination of songs we chose, their expert selections and *perfect quality* recordings of our band, toasts, and ceremony officiants – all seamlessly blended together and elegantly overlaid on footage of the day. This is the best long-​term investment you can make in your wedding — you will treasure this forever and Loudbyte will capture your memories at their finest, most stunning, moving, sensational form.
Steve and Ton Essa are a pleasure to work with. They are an excellent team and true artists. Trust their judgment! We heeded all of their advice in terms of microphones/​sound, number of cameras, filming hours, «private shoot», et al and could not be happier with the final product.

The first thing I noticed upon stumbling on Loudbyte were all the fantastic reviews. I was really impressed with all the great things everyone had to say… not to mention after watching a few of their trailers, I was blown away with the move-​like quality work they produce… but I thought, could this be too good to be true? Well it wasn’t! They are seriously nothing short of brilliant and creative geniuses. They are passionate and love what they do, and it oozes throughout all their work.
This was our experience: (I love details, so I’ll try to be as detailed as possible). Originally my husband and I hired Loudbyte to cover film our wedding. We were hosting our wedding in my hometown of Chicago, but we live in NJ. So we started off the business relationship via phone/​internet. It was tough to work with certain vendors this way, but I immediately recognized and appreciated Ton’Essa and Steve’s professionalism, timeliness and ease of conversation. They were full of ideas, and enthusiasm which made it so easy to begin the relationship. They have a great balance to them, which matched well with our personalities as well, so we hit it off from the start. The first time we met was at their studio, which is a charming reflection and glimpse into their personalities. They sat with for a few hours and walked us through the day-​of schedule and how it would all work. They also gave great suggestions on streamlining our reception and great tips as well. I left feeling excited and knew I had entrusted the right ppl to take on this task. Leading up to the wedding, (actually a week before), I had this crazy idea to shoot a «Welcome video» for our guests, to play just before we made our grand entrance. I shot Steve and Ton’Essa an email asking them what they thought about it. They set up a conference call immediately, and a simple idea turned into an exciting full day shoot around downtown Chicago filming what turned out to be one of the most amazing pieces of work I could have ever asked for. I want to add, the shoot was only 3 days before the wedding, it was scorching hot outside, and yet they lugged their equipment through out the streets, sweating, and dehydrated (and this is no exaggeration), and yet neither stopped until they got what they felt were the perfect shots. They were literally with us for approx 10 hours shooting and yet maintained the same vibrant attitude, energy and sense of humor throughout the entire shoot. which helped b/​c there were moments when I felt exhausted, yet having them so excited to shoot all the different scenes kept my excitement level high as well. They had 2 days to cut and edit that video before the wedding day and they came through like the champs they are. That video has become a sensation amongst our friends, and I have gotten more emails and facebook messages from strangers who somehow saw it because a friend of a friend forwarded it along and they just needed to tell me how amazing it was. You see, Steve and Ton’Essa just don’t film footage, they’re story tellers and that is what makes them unique and wonderful. We’ve yet to see the final cut of our wedding day. and they are also going to be cutting up the footage from our honey moon to make a video out of that as well. so I have a lot to look forward to and am so excited for that. I trust the final videos are going to be just as amazing as the welcome video. I know this review is lengthy, but I wouldn’t be doing them justice if I hadn’t elaborated on their talent. So again, if you are on the fence or exploring other options, don’t even bother… Loudbyte has yet to disappoint and plain and simple; are the real deal!
PS– if you want to check out our welcome video, check it out here!

Loudbyte were very professional. They produced a great wedding movie and they did it in a very timely manner. I would highly recommend them!