The Journey of a Storyteller

I am beyond excited to spill the beans about my filmmaking journey! Buckle up for a ride through the rollercoaster of my passion-filled story!

I am thrilled to share the details of my filmmaking journey with you! Get ready for a ride through the rollercoaster of my passion-filled story!

Let’s rewind to 2015 – film school and me, armed with a burning desire for visual storytelling but no clear roadmap. I dabbled in film scores, danced with short films, and by 2019, I proudly walked away with a diploma, ready to conquer the filmmaking world!

Or so I thought…

Post-graduation, enter various filmmaking gigs – from directing music videos to being a production assistant in a chicken finger commercial. Eh. That’s how I felt.

But, hold on! True passion struck when love entered the film scene, and I got to document some seriously selfless acts. Enter: Blueprint Ministries. And yeah, they’re not wedding-related, but I’ll connect the dots. Stick with me!

I spent a summer as a media director at Blueprint, documenting the journey of homeowners through a home-rebuilding process. These homes were usually run down, cluttered, and, despite the mess, often felt empty.

One person, Virginia, became pivotal to my story. I was tasked with filming her journey.

I knocked on her squeaky screen door, and a short Hispanic woman in a bright coral-pink shirt answered, skeptical and grumpy at first. I explained who I was, expecting an hour of story-sharing, but it turned into three.

Virginia had Stage IV breast cancer.

She lacked the strength for basic tasks after chemo treatments.

This woman spent her life as a kindergarten teacher and loved children. She had layers – and several cassette tapes of George Strait songs were evidence.

Why am I sharing this with you? Keep reading.

This three-hour meeting sparked an amazing friendship. With the help of ministry kids, we repaired her walls, fixed her windows, and her roof. The joy these kids brought her was immeasurable.

I witnessed a transformation from constant frowning to perpetual smiling. A fantastic 2019 summer! The receptionist at the ministry, Abby, had a best friend getting married in Dallas, my hometown. She referred me, and shout out to Grace and Kade for my first wedding gig!

The wild ride continued in 2020, especially during the unpredictable pandemic. I found myself working remotely, facing job uncertainty. But fear not, a superhero friend swooped in, saved the day, and kept a roof over my head – a moment of gratitude that still makes my heart skip.

Fast forward to January 2022, I started my filmmaking business full time. That same month, I got a call from Blueprint – Virginia passed peacefully in her sleep.

At her funeral, her family personally thanked me for filming her story. That’s when I bid adieu to the corporate video world and embraced storytelling.

I want to make people’s lives better. I’m just a girl with a camera (well, maybe a bit more now), but storytelling is powerful. It drives me to keep doing what I’m doing.

And now, I can do that for you – for your wedding, your kids, your grandkids. Include your grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins – because I want you to leave here knowing this:

Whatever is important to you is important to me.

Much love,

-Hannah