Life & Work with Gracie Dorr

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gracie Dorr. 

Gracie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well, I started filming weddings when I was about 21. I started filming and editing family vacations and friends’ trips when I was in high school. And although I have a passion for it now, no one ever inspired me to do it while I was growing up. I didn’t grow up watching films and movies or interested in the industry, in fact, I could only watch an hour or two of tv while I was a kid! Originally, I wanted to be a vet, as many kids do, but then social media started emerging when I was a young teen. I saw people traveling, making sick videos and edits and I was HOOKED. Obsessed some might say! I had some big influences to start traveling, even if it was just to the surrounding areas. I remember all of my friends and I got our Go-Pros all charged up and hit the road to get away for the weekend. Anywhere we could drive, we would go! Filming and filming all weekend to come home and I would sit and obsess and edit and do it all again. Of course, at that point in my life, I had been a full-time collegiate athlete, then my first real job at TJMaxx, then Chipotle, then a waitress, while trying to figure out filming and editing. I knew I needed to step up my game if I ever wanted to make a career out of my passion now. So, I got an internship at a video production company in Atlanta. I worked with some amazing people for around two years and they taught me things I never would have known about. That was my turning point! My boss said, “hey we shot this wedding; would you like to edit it?” Why not? So, at a week later, I’m editing this wedding video and I am bawling like a baby. It was one of life’s precious moment captured on camera. So, I go home and research wedding films and let me tell you…I was in love. I decided to start doing this myself. I bought my first camera and I was off. I filmed a family friend’s wedding first and I did so much better than I thought I could. I really surprised myself and that gave me the confidence to keep going. Maybe this was like my calling? I began building and building and learning (and had a lot of mental breakdowns of self-doubt and uncertainty). I wouldn’t trade all of that for the world though. When I hear that my couples are crying tears of joy and that they can’t stop watching their wedding film, there’s no other feeling like it in the world. For me, I want to give my couples that intimate and personal feeling of their wedding that can last their whole life. 

You know the nostalgic feeling you get when you see old pictures? It’s so great! But have you ever seen old videos? Where you can see their laugh or the sparkle in their eye? The way they interact with others and the love on their faces? 

I want to give everyone that feeling, that memory, that nostalgia. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say the road to where I am now was smooth. I definitely wouldn’t say it was rough either though, by any means. It was a lot of work, saving money, and of course, everyone in my family thinking I was crazy for dropping out of college to do this. I still had everyone’s support, but support isn’t money. You can’t buy cameras, computers, hard drives, audio equipment, lights, and gimbals with support, unfortunately. However, I worked hard, overtime, multiple jobs to get everything I needed. In the end, it’s all about hard work. Also, as cheesy as it sounds, a positive attitude helps too! 🙂 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a videographer, mainly specializing in weddings. I do everything myself so there is nothing that slips through the cracks! I have a fun personality that I think radiates to other people and brings the energy up. I can’t say I’m the best, but the effort I put in my work will outshine anyone. I like to give couples a video that really fits their personality. From the shots that I get during the wedding to the music I use; I make sure that everything really caters to the couple’s personality. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Feeling small. I love the feeling of a big wide world. I love the fact there’s still so much to learn and discover in my lifetime and that I might not even do all of it but as long as I give it my all. I love talking to new people who have experiences to share, struggles they have faced. Meaningful conversations or even conspiracy theory conversations! The more struggles you face, the more you grow as a person. It makes me happy when I see myself in other people. I do think that what makes me the happiest is traveling. Seeing the world and new cultures. 

I also love good food! 

Contact Info:

• Email: Grace.filmsatl@gmail.com
• Website: www.gracefilmsatl.com
• Instagram: Gracefilmsatl

Image Credits
Fitzography photography
Signaphotocollective