We were lucky to catch up with Emma Burke recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emma, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? We’d love to hear the backstory the illustrates how you grew your brand.

I founded Emma K Films in 2019, when I was 19 and studying for a Bachelor’s in Accounting in Oregon. Starting out like many do, I bought a video camera and a drone as a new hobby and filmed a friend’s wedding, funding everything on a credit card. For a broke college student, it was a risky decision, but one that I felt was worth the investment. After that first wedding, I knew I wanted to turn this passion into something much bigger.

Growing up, entrepreneurship wasn’t something I envisioned. I was raised with the mindset of going to college and working a stable 9-5 job, so starting a business felt like stepping into the unknown. My family and friends were supportive, but many had a hard time seeing a career in wedding videography as sustainable. I knew this was what I wanted very quickly, so learning to be my biggest cheerleader taught me a lot about resilience and commitment.

In just five years, I’ve been able to scale Emma K Films significantly, and I credit much of that to goal-setting. From the start, I set goals that weren’t just about business growth but about creating a career that offered personal freedom. Even as my goals evolved through rebranding and learning the craft, I kept very clear short-term and long-term targets. The determination to reach those goals was what kept me moving forward.

Scaling up has also meant learning to balance my strengths and weaknesses and knowing when to let go. As a creative, stepping back from certain aspects of the filmmaking process wasn’t easy, but I recognized that reaching my larger goals required focusing on what truly mattered and where I could make the biggest impact.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an LA-based filmmaker specializing in capturing luxury weddings and events across the globe. Honored as a Top 15 Wedding Videographer in the U.S. by The Wed and a Top 20 by Wed Vibes, I’ve had the privilege of filming over 100 incredible stories and featured in People, Brides, ESPN, The Wed, and more. I’m also the founder of The Wedding Filmmaker Workshop, a multi-day, immersive experience for aspiring wedding filmmakers, and co-host of The We Got You Podcast, which is dedicated to helping wedding photographers and videographers succeed in business.

I limit my projects to just twelve each year, which allows me to approach each film with a personalized, cinematic vision. My goal is not just to create a wedding video but to craft a deeply moving “movie” that feels very REAL to my client’s experience of their weekend with their loved ones. My films focus on guest experience, entertainment, and intimate details, allowing my clients to relive the emotion and energy of their day.

What I think sets my brand apart is my approach to wedding films. I strive to make each film feel like a movie that clients could see in theaters yet is uniquely theirs, reflecting their personality and the feeling of the day. For me, it’s all about creating a lasting impression—capturing not only the key moments that my clients experienced firsthand but also those beautiful reactions and heartfelt exchanges they may have missed from their guests.

Over the past five years, I’m proud and thankful for the growth and progress I’ve achieved while staying true to myself and my vision. The journey in the luxury wedding market has been both inspiring and challenging, and I’m grateful to have navigated it without losing focus on my original goals. It’s been a progression, from charging $400 for my first wedding to now working with clients in a niche luxury market, working regularly with NDAs and private events.

It can be easy, I think, to lose yourself working in what feels like a never-ending hamster wheel or rat race, especially working inside the luxury market; it’s easy to see a life that is so far from what I’ve ever experienced and not lose yourself in it. I’m proud that at the end of the day throughout all my struggles and challenges, I’ve never let anything get in the way of my own goals and morals.

Any advice for managing a team?

I’ve had the opportunity to work weddings with teams of up to five filmmakers on the day and to host events with teams of 5-12. From these experiences, my best advice is to dive deeply into the logistics. If you don’t fully understand where your money is going or how to make the most of your team, then you’re not getting the value you should. I’ve seen creatives bring in second or third shooters, only to end up with wasted resources—not because the team members lacked skill but because they weren’t used to their full potential.

Every detail counts: from who you hire and their reputation to the unique strengths they offer. Each person I bring to a wedding or event has a very distinct role. I know their strengths and weaknesses, where I want them positioned during the weekend, and how their talents can be best used to their abilities so I can focus on my own.

Mastering logistics may not always be the most exciting part, but understanding how to leverage each team member effectively can make any project run smoothly—even through those inevitable unplanned moments of the wedding.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The main goal of my creative journey has been to build a career that not only excites me but also supports the personal freedom to live life on my own terms. Since work takes up such a significant part of our lives, why not enjoy it? At the same time, I recognize that loving your work too much can sometimes impact your personal life (ie. working too much or in overdrive and neglecting your personal relationships). So, from the beginning, I set out to create a business structure that would let me fully embrace both—allowing me to live freely while genuinely enjoying the work I do.

This goal has fueled my dedication and has been a steady guide through times of burnout, setbacks, or uncertainty. Over the past five years, it’s been the foundation that’s kept me moving forward, even in the challenging seasons.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://emmakfilms.com
• Instagram: @emmak_films
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmak_films
• Other: @theweddingfilmmakerworkshop
  @wegotyou_podcast

Image Credits

Headshot by: @parkburrphoto

Images/Video Stills by: @emmak_films