THE EXPERIENCE: JESS
P R E - M E N T O R S H I P
"I am in a season of feeling the need to grow. [To] lean more into the power of my intuition and who I am as a person and filmmaker."
Jess is an artist and creator at heart. She has been creating wedding films for 6 years but when she reached out for a mentorship, she longed to grow her vision to encompass more than just wedding films. She wanted to step into a new space as a filmmaker.
As a wedding videographer, Jess has found herself to be a unique feminine voice amongst an industry crowded by the masculine. She desires to bring a new perspective to the table by learning more about emotion and her individual voice to bring her client’s dreams to life.
"I want to harness my intuition as a woman and as an artist to connect with people and brands all over the world — to create work that's about how life feels, not just about how epic it can look."
During our pre-mentorship phone call as I was getting to know Jess and her business more deeply, she said something that immediately caught my attention and I thought: There it is. There’s your gift. That is what we need to unpack. She shared:
“(In school) I was doing a study of learning to listen to people without bias. I love that part of getting to know people beforehand – I can hear what they’re actually trying to say.“
I was fascinated. This is an incredible gift and one that not only provides value for others, but it sets Jess apart! When we try to define our individual voice or what really makes us unique - it sometimes takes an outside listener to catch it because it comes so natural to us. We may fail to recognize or notice it, assuming it isn’t anything special. Being in tune with my mentees’ needs allows me to get to the heart of what they are capable of. I can push and grow them when they are here, beyond the place they currently are. My desire is to truly transform them; it won’t happen overnight, but I've set a space to plant that seed.
After our phone call, I decided to incorporate an ‘interview’ portion for Jess’ mentorship. This meant getting together with my mentorship muse, Elizabeth Grace (Liz), and creating a ‘backstory’ for a character specifically developed for who Jess’ ideal client might be. YES — as in develop an entire backstory and be ready to be asked questions by someone you don’t know. That’s the brilliance of having a professional actress as a muse, she completely embodied this character.
M E N T O R S H I P
Our days always begin with a classroom setting to evaluate homework and core values, learning to create a vision board, and creating a shot list with intention. During the mid portion of the day before we began filming, Jess interviewed Liz. It was captivating. Jess came up with questions that excited me because I could already picture their interpretation in the film, especially with the story that Liz illustrated with her words. Watching Jess in her element was rewarding as an instructor and mentor. Once we completed the filming, directing, and exploration portion of the day, we shifted into post production. The afternoon was filled with developing an editing workflow that is all about saving time, creating space for the story, and reducing the stress of an overwhelming edit. We reviewed one of my client projects, discussed essential story elements, and had a Q&A discussion as well.
P O S T M E N T O R S H I P
Mentorships offer a deep understanding of who you are and where you create from. One of the things I love about the classroom portion is that I have my mentee's create an "intuition guide" so when they leave this space, they continue to be guided. After her mentorship Jess shared with us how she felt:
"I feel so nourished and refreshed. I feel more clear and confident in why I'm doing what I'm doing, validated in my abilities and heart, energized by the afternoon of creation that happened — the physical energy of Ale's space and Phoenix itself."
Without further ado, you must watch Jess’ film below — her interpretation of this day, character, and setting. If you’d like to join me on this intimate, transformational experience where we uncover your giftings in a deeper way and bring them to light through your work, hop over to this page and apply. Hope to see you soon :)
