The Team

“Toby was very personable, went above and beyond and he’s standard of service was exceptional. My heart feels so full of happiness every time we watch back our own romantic movie. It was by far our favourite wedding purchase and we can’t thank Toby enough for ensuring our special memories last a lifetime.”

A HAPPY CLIENT

Toby Sleigh- Johnson

Owner/Filmmaker/Editor

I am Toby, 40 years old and a resident of beautiful Greenwich, London where I live with my wife and son. I am also the owner, primary filmmaker and sole editor for Handcraft Pictures- every film commissioned with us is carefully crafted in the editing process by me.

I have filmed weddings all over the world, including the most viewed wedding film of all time on YouTube (40 million views and counting…!).

I am an Ambassador for the MusicBed (one of the premier music resources for the film industry, who recognised the strong use of music in my films). I was recently recognised by British Vogue as one of the top 3 wedding videographers in the UK.

I love visiting the cinema when I’m not working and, as I am a bit of a purist at heart, I prefer proper film projections of movies- the more grain the better!

I have been filming weddings since 2010 and since then have travelled to many countries and venues, documenting some stunning events, and have even had the honour of being chosen to film the weddings of some well known musicians and artists, whose work I greatly respect.

Over the years I have honed my style to one I believe is elegant, timeless and reminiscent of classic cinema, which I love (I have written a blog post about my the films that most influence my style here.)

I also dabble in photography, mainly while travelling (you can see some of my travel photos here).

Ayla Akdemir

Filmmaker/Photographer

Ayla is a primary filmmaker for Handcraft Pictures and films weddings solo or as part of a team.

She is a highly skilled camera operator, having started in the film industry working on large scale productions. All the weddings she films are passed to Toby for editing.

Ayla is also a talented stills photographer and can be booked alongside Toby for wedding photography* - a service perfect for clients looking for a cohesive and complimentary style in both their stills and video. Photography portfolio available on request.

*photography can only be booked alongside video, not exclusively.

Thomas Champ

Assistant Filmmaker

Tom started out as a stage actor before moving into short films and finally behind the camera. He and Toby collaborated on various creative film projects together before he became the lead assistant filmmaker for Handcraft Pictures, working alongside either Toby or Ayla as a useful second angle throughout the wedding day.