We recently connected with MG Gillis-Gambrell and have shared our conversation below.
Hi MG, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I found myself attending community college during the pandemic to stay busy. I was a twenty three year old with chronic pain looking for a distraction in a room of eighteen year olds mostly forced by their parents to attend. I took “Intro to Digital Storytelling” at Fon du Lac Tribal and Community College. The class had six different units during the semester, which included Photography and Film Production. We were given access to high quality equipment and our instructor, Mitchell Bercier, was an extremely zealous teacher. Mr. Bercier was not only the first person to tell me I had a good eye for photography, but he also encouraged me take industry-related opportunities, even if it meant missing class. This sort of out-of-the-box passion and encouragement from a teacher reinforced my self-trust.
As a student, I was given the opportunity through the Upper Midwest Film Office to be a paid photographer at a local film festival. I attended a three-day Production Assistant workshop that took place on a film set and provided an extremely comprehensive education on the daily operations of a film set, the way departments interact with one another, and how to support each department as a PA. I remember thinking, “I could really get paid to do this?”
In such a creative space, I was fascinated by the functional role of the Assistant Director. After the semester ended, I dropped out of school and was quickly roped into the local film scene, working full time as a Production Assistant. I did my best to study the Assistant Director on every set (without overstepping or annoying anyone). Eventually, I began to AD on smaller projects for friends until I felt confident enough to sub in for an more experienced friend who needed a day off!
Within that, photography has been a more consistent source of income (and joy) over the years. I’m more of a natural light, candid photographer than anything: portraits and live events have been the main focus of my work because I just love documenting moments of authentic human expression.
More than anything, learning the craft for me was about getting out of the classroom and into the world!
MG, 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?
I began my career in Duluth, Minnesota in 2020 and have been pursuing Film Production & Photography ever since! I now live in Houston, Texas (my hometown). I spend most of my time writing, working on set, and taking photos for different people/businesses within my community.
I’m available for hire as a Photographer, Assistant Director, Producer, and Writer. (I work locally and I travel!)
As a photographer, my strength lies in getting the perfect moment of candid human expression. Your portrait shouldn’t just look like you, it should embody your personality, your vibe, your spirit. I like capturing the beauty of the moment or person, just as it is, usually without much fabrication or editing required.
While organization is important as an Assistant Director, I would argue that nothing is more critical than communication skills. Rather than a glorified clock or someone who just tells people what to do, I like to think that my interpersonal skills allow me to be a vessel for information and a conduit for productivity on set. We’re (usually) all qualified adults, so as an AD I’m mostly there to provide specific context and parameters passed down by the producers. My role is to keep everyone safe, on time, and on the same page.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Along with many others in Texas, my creative journey is currently driven by the mission to bring more scripted, narrative Film & TV work to Houston! The Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program was created (not by me) to give moving image productions the opportunity to receive a cash grant based on a percentage of a project’s eligible Texas expenditures.
That being said, my goals for 2026 revolve around getting a few scripts ready to be pitched as qualifying, worthwhile stories to be made here in Houston! It’s been nice to focus on writing after about five years of full time media work (although I do still spend about equal amounts of time staring at screens).
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most gratifying moments as a photographer are when I see friends and clients recognize their undeniable beauty as shown in their portraits. For many people, feeling good about yourself and how you are perceived can be a rare experience. I like getting to show people how beautiful they are from my perspective and offering a literal new way to view themselves.
There’s no way to NOT sound like a total production nerd when I say this. Overseeing tactical operations as a mean of accomplishing a creative vision is magic to me. For better or for worse, I’m one of the many nineties babies who was raised on television and speaks in 40% movie & tv references. I spent my whole life wondering how all my favorite stories were made- now I get to sit in room with the most creative people I’ve ever met and help sort out how to bring their ideas to life. I keep waiting for it to get old, but I’m still just as enamored by the process as I was on my first set.
