We are Jake and Susi, Portland-based wedding filmmakers, and overall just really good, nice people.
meet JAKE
Lead Shooter, Editor
Dad Joke Specialist
Jake William Capistran (he/him) is a musician turned filmmaker working as a DoP on commercial and documentary film, while continuing to record and perform music on the side.
A hobbyist film photographer since his early 20s, Jake got into video work when the world shut down in 2020 as a way to film his own music video projects. What started as a side quest to keep busy during the pandemic quickly turned into a side hustle when he started getting asked to shoot music videos, live performances, and concerts for others in the Portland music community.
As the momentum increased, by 2022 Jake was making the majority of his living from film and video production as a DP, AC, Editor and Colorist (including shooting his first few weddings) which prompted him to start his production company JWScenes in the Fall of 2023.
Jake’s work in film centers around authentic, documentary-style storytelling; putting good people in front of the camera and allowing them the opportunity to shine.
meet SUSI
Second Shooter, Operations Manager
Full time delight
Susanna Mendler (she/her) is an American dancer, crafter, and producer centering compassion towards the self and others in her work.
Susanna incorporates movement into her daily life, whether in classes with peers, creative projects, or movement direction. Her breadth of experiences and identities as a mover range from youth ballet instructor to yoga practitioner (200-hr certification) and dance film producer.
Susanna has been profoundly influenced by extensive training and collaborative experiences with distinguished artists including Mike Esperanza, Cameron McKinney, Rachel Hettinger, and Vive for Love. For Susanna, dance is both a muse and a vehicle for leaving a mark on the realms of artistry and compassion.
Beyond the studio and stage, Susanna crafts hand-poured candles, advocates for animal welfare, and enjoys a plant-based lifestyle.
meet HUMMINGBIRD
Hummingbird was born out of the desire to offer the absolute best customer service to our clients, and using that connection to make the wedding film of their dreams.
Jake here - when I was asked by friends in 2022 to film their wedding, I jumped at the chance to use my skills to make something special for them. I loved the experience of getting to be a part of their big day, and that feeling of making something so meaningful inspired me to continue working as a wedding videographer.
In 2023 and 2024 I built my wedding film skills as lead (often solo) shooter on 20+ weddings, and as an assistant on a handful of others. Aided by my day-to-day work shooting documentary style music and corporate video, I quickly learned what it takes to nail all the shots on wedding day. In my early days of filming weddings, I had no major mishaps; no missed vows, no audio failures, no missed walks down the aisle. My years of fast-paced documentary and commercial work had trained me to be an excellent wedding filmmaker.
The problem was, I was mostly contracted by other wedding companies to be the lead videographer, which left a LOT to be desired. Filming for other companies meant that I’d often be showing up on the big day knowing very little about the couple I was filming, and knowing very little about their friends and family. This also meant leaving all the editing, color grading, and customer service out of my hands, making for a final product that felt like it was cobbled together by many different people (and wedding edits that were honestly not up to my standards).
So, in 2024 I presented to Susi (with her background in business management and customer support, as well as her own experience second shooting many weddings) the idea of starting HUMMINGBIRD; a company all our own, where we could do everything from top to bottom - meeting with the couple to learn their personality and style, and getting to know who and what are most special to them before the big day.
Starting our own company means that I can shoot AND edit AND color grade the wedding films in the same way that I would treat a documentary or commercial job. Shooting and editing means that I know exactly which moments to include; I know all the favorite people and friends, and I have the experience of having attended the wedding to know how it should all go together.
It’s our belief that having a small team (just the two of us) means that we really get to know our clients, which means that we can make something for them that feels extra, extra special.
If you read all that, thanks for taking the time to get to know more about us. We’d love to hear from you!
