We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emma Gillespie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Emma, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I put so much time and thought into what I was going to name my company. I spent the entire summer going into senior year journaling about it, talking to friends, and even putting random words into those company name generators to try to get inspiration. Nothing was sticking for me honestly. I had a call with one of my mentors and she was asking me questions about my business and the “Why” behind it. In the middle of our phone call she goes “Emma, do you realize you’ve said the word “Capture” like 17 times in this conversation?” I realized after that that any time I was asked about my passion for video my response was always that I loved to “capture” stories and moments through video. That is when it stuck for me, and how “Captured Media Co.” was named – and I absolutely love that my why is right in the title.

(Also this is the meaning behind my logo and a picture of it is in the images at the end!)

Captured Media is dedicated to filming the moments that become memories. I found my passion for film through a series of prayerful “yes’s”. Starting my own business was the next right step in pursuing my dream and although change is rarely easy, I’m learning it is so worth it. My logo design incorporates a butterfly’s profile to symbolize this transformation and the promises of the Lord’s faithfulness that have guided me to this point. Capturing the natural, beautiful moments in life has become my calling, and I am choosing to vibrantly responds each day with another cheerful “yes”.

Emma, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My company, Captured Media Co, is a video marketing and freelance company that reaches a variety of clients. I believe that people and business have stories to tell but do not always have the skills or assets to do so in a creative or tangible way. My solution is exactly what Captured Media Co. offers- to cultivate a vision through film for my clients to use to share their stories.

For as long as I can remember, I found myself pulling out my camera to capture experiences in photos or videos. When I was ten years old, I offered to do extra chores so that I could buy the five-dollar iMovie app to make movies for my family and friends. Taking and editing video became one of my favorite and most constant hobbies I did while growing up. While on a mission trip the summer before my senior year in high school, I created a short film documenting our experience. The director of the ministry was so impressed that asked to use it as a promotional video on their website. I realized then that this was beyond just a hobby and decided to pursue videography as a career.

That experience was pivotal for me, and after it, I really leaned in and began to see myself as a creative professional. I took my video projects more seriously. I accepted a job with North Point Ministries Creative Services Department where I worked two summers during college. As I gained more experience with new cameras and equipment, learned the intricacies of the editing software and welcomed constructive criticism, I gained the confidence to share more of my work with others. At this point, people started to reach out to me for various filming projects. I discovered how deeply rooted my passion for telling people’s stories was, and how I was unique in that way because I did not have a specific niche that I wanted to target- I loved all of it!

That is when I decided I wanted to start my own company- and on January 27th of this year, I officially launched Captured Media Co, LLC. I believe that the main aspect that differentiates me from other videography companies is that I do not limit myself to a specific videography niche: I have a variety of clients, from smaller local businesses to weddings, to bigger companies such as mega churches. I believe having a wider target audience allows for more growth; the more people I work with, the more connections I build, and the more I learn about the industry in general.

I am really proud and excited about the business that I have already gotten from only being officially launched for about half a year. I have about 17 weddings booked over the next year, along with several projects on the calendar for local companies such as Jewelry Companies and Distilleries, and for bigger companies such as Chick-Fil-A. I really believe a large part of this success is due to how much I highlight how strong my desire is for making my clients visions come to life. I really do not believe my projects are about me, but about them and their passions!

The “Why” behind my business is ultimately the value that is carries not only in my work life, but in my personal life. I feel very blessed that I have the opportunity to a pursue a career that happened to be a major part of my story. This business has been pivotal for combining my personal passions into a career. My passion for both people and video has carried with me through the entirety of my life, and I have viewed this business is a launch pad into what my future could look like career wise.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many things that I love about the creative industry, but for me personally, the most rewarding aspect is the creative freedom that comes with it.

Having only graduated college a few months ago, I was honestly struggling with a lot of anxiety and comparison for not walking out of college with a nine to five job and a set salary. I wrestled big time with imposter syndrome and not feeling like I was good enough to be in this industry. This summer was really pivotal and affirming for me. I filmed 6 weddings over two months along with real estate projects, event highlights, and documentaries. Being so quickly thrown into those projects immediately after graduating really helped build my confidence in what I was doing. People were looking to me as the professional, and I was forced to call the shots creatively for these projects. The more I kept pushing myself the more I was like “Hey, I can actually do this.” Having the freedom in direction for my projects ultimately has continued to grow my confidence within the industry.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Since I grew up loving video, my camera and other equipment slowly evolved as I got older. Once I got to college and fully decide to pursue video as a career, I already had a decently nice camera, but started saving up and upgrading to nicer equipment when I could.

Right before I graduated college, I had already started by business, but was finding that I didn’t quite have all the equipment I needed for the projects I was being asked to do. A good friend of mine recommended that I apply for the University of Georgia’s Kickstart Fund. The Kickstart Fund is an opportunity for UGA students to pitch their businesses to a committee in hopes of getting a grant to put towards their business. I spent weeks preparing and practicing for my presentation, and after making it to the final round I ended up getting a grant!

The money I got for my grant went straight to upgrading by equipment. This was not only a celebration for my company financially, but it was affirming to me personally. I was so honored that there were people who heard the story of my company and believed it in enough to think that it deserved a grant.

That grant has absolutely increased the quality of my work, which has resulted in my company growing much quicker than I ever imagined it to!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://capturedmedia.co
• Instagram: @capturedmedia.co

Image Credits
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