Today we’d like to introduce you to Gracie Henley.
Gracie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been an artist. I wanted to pursue a career in art that would yield a high-profit margin and photography it was! I created GoPicsLive and that went well but as every good business should, we needed to evolve. We were asked to do a wedding video and having no experience I shot and edited what was probably the worst wedding video of all time. That experience prompted a slew of questions and answers. I began to obsess over technique and light, so I could become a decent cinematographer. We found an ad from ShaFilms that was looking for someone to assist with lighting their short film and I took it. This was the first film I had ever worked on.
There was a time when I said out loud, “I would never want to make a film that looks like a lot of work” but this has become my life. I have since shot and edited entire Super Bowl campaigns as a one-woman band. Won awards for several film competitions. I was recently a finalist for Disney’s Wrinkle In Time Film Contest. I’ve shot for Food Network’s Eddie Jackson, I am currently shooting a children’s television program that is being brought back by Discover Education called, So You Want To Be. I work very closely with writer/director Courtney Glaude on several of the most exciting projects of my career and I love every second of it. I always tell people to do what you love and this is the work I’d do for free. Film has taken me all over the world and introduced me to experiences no one could pay for. I’ve been a front stage for Maroon 5 and backstage for Jerry Lee Lewis. Cinematography has changed my life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been easy. Nothing worth having is every 100% easy. I am typically the youngest, the only woman, and the only black person on set… and I’m the one giving the orders to the crew. I walk into a new set and then Starts the pop quiz to prove myself and knowledge: are you sure you want that? How long have you been doing this? My response is typically along the lines of “I’ve never even turned a camera on so we are all winging it today! Fingers crossed?” There is a huge divide in the film between men and women. However, there will always be some discrimination in any industry. It keeps you humble. Your work must speak for you.
Please tell us about Gedeon Films.
My company is Gedeon Films. The name Gedeon is the Greek spelling of Gideon, the warrior from the Bible. This story is the story of the 300 soldiers that took down entire civilizations. I am a cinematographer; the lights and the camera. I am most known for how I shoot, how I light scenes, how I edit and how I do it either solo or with just a few people. What sets me apart more than anything is that I am fast. I’ve shot and edited award-winning short films in as fast as 24hrs.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory isn’t just one instance, that would be absurd! Childhood was rad! My cousin, Kerwen and I swore we had a secret association of ninjas. We would spend the entire summer fighting crime and lounging around in this huge tree in Wichita, Kansas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gedeonfilms.com
- Phone: 832-330-3361
- Email: gedeonfilms@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @gedeonfilms
- Twitter: @graciedhenley
Image Credit:
Gedeon Films
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