Who’s Heartwood?
We’re Nick & Molly, a husband and wife team of wedding videographers based in Halstead, Essex who absolutely love what we do. Whilst Nick is the most recognisable face of Heartwood as the primary point of contact and main videographer on the day, Molly has just as big a role behind the scenes.
Rather than writing about ourselves, we’ve chosen to write about each other.
Nick Humphrey - Lead Videographer, Editor, Heartwood Head Honcho
Who's Nick?
Written by Molly
Professionally - Nick works hard and is the ultimate perfectionist. He edits films to a level of detail you probably don’t even know exists. He can watch a clip in the edit and say the exact number of frames it needs to be reduced or extended by.
He also spent his growing years and well into adulthood really interested in music production, and he was a DJ. He knows sound. He edits songs to fit the correct length, gives them a boost if they need it, and will time footage to music to a level of accuracy unlike anything you’ve seen. Basically, he’s super detail oriented. This man knows what he’s talking about when it comes to visuals and sound.
He’s also very technically minded and loves gadgets. So he’s always researching the best gear, challenging his own setup, and learning as much as he can about the industry, the equipment, and the editing process. We are both all about pushing ourselves and improving, though we approach it in different ways.
When we edit, if he can learn something new or try something different, he will, and he’ll do it well. He doesn’t stop trying until he’s got it down. He’s a bit of an introvert with people he doesn’t know which means he comes across as being very laid back and calm. He doesn’t believe in turning a wedding day into a film set, and that doesn’t suit his personality anyway. Nick doesn’t want to be at the centre of anything; he wants to be at the fringes, taking it all in and getting the best candid shots.
Personally - I doubt he’s going to want me to say much, but Nick is an eccentric, like me. I think we bring it out in each other because we are passionate people and we love what we love and we want others to love what they love just the same. He is a nerd in every sense of the word. He loves science, nature, animals, video games, gadgets, and Lego. Lego like… a lot. It’s everywhere in our house. Literally everywhere.
Nick is funny and has a mad side to him reserved for those he is closest to. An intensely interesting person with an amazing memory, he’ll chime in to random conversations with facts and you can ask him so many questions and somehow he just…knows (though for some reason doesn’t recognise his ability to do this). Oh, and he’s a proper Fur Dad to our two cats, Ziggy & Bagheera. It’s cute.
Molly Humphrey - Assistant Videographer, Editor, Marketing Whizz
Who's Molly?
Written by Nick
Professionally - Molly is ridiculously sentimental. If our (totally adored) nephew, TK, gives her a pebble he found on the beach, she will keep it. She will probably frame it. She might even get a tattoo of it or have it made into some jewellery. She just appreciates everything and is passionate about everything she believes is important. And this sentimentality shows itself abundantly in how she approaches an edit, drilling down and fully exploring what makes particular moments at weddings so special.
Molly has a first-class honours degree in Creative Writing from Greenwich University, so storytelling is one of her strongest traits as a videographer. If your wedding video is a bit different, Molly came up with the idea. Just by having a quick flick through some footage, I will hear “I’ve got it”, see a great big smile on her face, and she’s right—she has got it—the idea is there and it’s awesome.
Molly is a lover of all things old, with a particular penchant for antiques and jewellery. She is able to look at an object, see beyond its aesthetic, and appreciate its history and craftsmanship. I believe this is one of the reasons why she’s so good at editing wedding films; she can see something in a shot that so many people wouldn’t, and when she puts it in place in the video, it makes total sense.
Whilst I might approach an edit from a technical, emotional and somewhat psychological view, Molly doubles down on the emotion and psychology and throws in a huge amount of artistry that totally mystifies me. Molly is incredibly motivated to work beyond the pinnacle of her abilities, pushing herself and me along the way.
Personally - Our house is a fascinating collection of ‘things’, and it’s down to Molly’s appreciation of everything unusual, artistic, scientific, or historic. Being a Creative Writing graduate, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that Molly is a bookworm. If my obsession with Lego is out of control, Molly’s book obsession balances out the scales. We have books in every single room of the house.
Molly unashamedly wears her heart on her sleeve and loves what she loves, whether it be jewellery, nature, vintage photography gear or a thousand other things. She is incredibly caring and generous to those she loves, but she will offer the same time and kindness to anyone.
Photos by Miracle Moments