With awards from “The Knot” and “WeddingWire” and a newly signed deal with a four-time Emmy award–winning composer, brothers Zander and Nate Colman have filmed and photographed over 65 weddings in the four years Crystal Lake Creatives has been in business.
Zander is currently finishing up his last college semester at Emerson’s Los Angeles campus, and his brother Nate is a senior in high school in Connecticut. The entirely student-run production team has filmed a wedding in every New England state, as well as New York and New Jersey, and is hoping to expand to California in the near future.
“We’ve been making films together since we were kids—I think that the company formed when we were a lot younger, just creating things together as we found that passion,” Nate said in an interview with The Beacon. “We weren’t really sure of what level or the media that we would do, but I think that what we have now has definitely surpassed what our original goals have been.”
Zander started filming weddings through an internship during his senior year of high school. He founded the company in October of 2021 during his first year at Emerson with just himself and two other photographers, filming their first wedding on Cape Cod for an Emerson alum.
The team has expanded to nine people over the years. Hugo Anoh, a junior business of creative enterprises major, is also one of the company’s content creators as well as the company’s business manager.
“I found out about Crystal Lake through Zander directly because we were both resident assistants in the same building,” Anoh said in an interview. “I started off as a second shooter, but now I’m a business manager and manage the day-to-day stuff and everything on the East Coast while Zander’s in California.”
Danny Kennedy, a senior visual and media arts major, and Emilie Dumas, a junior BCE major, both began as secondary photographers, or second shooters, for CLC before becoming key members of the team.
“It was a good way to get into the paid industry by being a second shooter,” Kennedy said. “It allowed me to do paid work, and do something as serious as a wedding, but without the stress of needing to get perfect photos, because I knew that the first shooter was the primary shooter that had more experience.”
Just recently, the CLC team was approached by four-time Emmy award–winning composer Charles Denler about developing a signature sound for the company, creating an original music collection for CLC to use in their wedding films.
“We’re going to have a whole curated library that will be just for our wedding films,” Zander said. “And then per project, we’re also going to offer an add-on for our couples which is going to be an original music piece scored by Charles.”
CLC is also looking for ways to expand more into the Emerson community. Anyone with a photography, business, videography, and editing background would be of much value to the fast-paced and energetic nature of the company.
Business manager Anoh also detailed the schedule flexibility and paid opportunities working for the company would provide, not to mention lots of real-world experience and résumé builders. Anoh is gaining valuable skills for future endeavors through working for Crystal Lake.
“If they’re looking for any work experience, this is a good thing to add to the résumé,” Anoh said. “It’s also paid and it’s not as much of a commitment as like an actual job. You can come for one weekend and not be here for the next.”
Zander’s younger brother and co-founder, Nate, shot his first wedding when he was just 14 years old. Nate also received an award for best documentary in the country at the high school level.
“He’s just been the most talented, hard-working person that I could ask for, and he has such innovative techniques,” Zander said about his brother. “I think some of the greatest wedding films that we’ve ever done have been fully edited by Nate and what he does has really just shaped our brand, like from getting our signature sounds, styles, coloring, and image, and also helping with the website.”
Many Emerson students have become part of the team. Jasper Rogers, a senior VMA major, works as a producer and filmmaker. Max Eberle, also a senior VMA major, works as a filmmaker. Jalia Knowles, a junior public relations major, is the company’s marketing associate.
The team is also beginning to move globally. Marco Cohen, a photographer from Panama whom Zander met during a wedding shoot in New Zealand, has also worked on many projects with the team.
“It’s a great way to be able to tell someone’s story and it’s a great way to look at a narrative and memorialize a couple on that day,” Nate said. “It’s been such a great experience and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.”
For more information, check out their website or their Instagram account crystal_lake_creatives.
