Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Rachel Dunn of Girl Director Is Helping To Change Our World
I created a successful brand called Girl Director to empower other women to use video to grow, communicate and add value to their businesses. It has ripples of goodness, and we are just getting started with the impact we want to create.
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Dunn.
Rachel is the Co-Founder of Girl Director and has spent the last 30 years behind TV screens mastering all the facets of production as a producer and director. She has developed various projects, has been nominated for 2 music video awards, and is finishing her documentary “Through Elephant Eyes”. As a highly talented director and designer, she brings a unique style to all the videos she has created, attracting millions of viewers online.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you share your “backstory” that brought you to this career?
I was one of those rare people who knew what they wanted to do at age 15. I loved it when someone asked me what I would do when I left school. I would always say, “I want to be a Music Video Director”. I loved watching the weird and wonderful facial expressions from teachers. That was my path, and I stayed on track. It took me 10 years, but I reached my goal.
I got my big break in 1990 when I was visiting a TV station for a behind-the-scenes tour. I was sitting, waiting for someone to arrive to show me around when I overheard the security guard talking to another guy about needing an animator. It was the strangest experience; it felt like something inside forced me to speak out loud. I was timid back then, and didn’t know what came over me when I suddenly exclaimed, “I will do it!!”
The guy came over, we chatted, and I grabbed his number.
I left wondering what on earth I was thinking saying yes to something I had no idea how to do. I had only ever done the most basic bit of animating on a computer at school. Looking back, it was a great lesson in going after what you want, as it resulted in my first break. I worked in various roles in TV for about 13 years and tried everything from motion design, art direction, animation, scriptwriting, CCU to promotions. These combined experiences proved to be the fantastic groundwork for directing.
My big music video break came after I transferred to Sydney. I moved there thinking that if I were going to direct music videos, then I would need to be in the biggest city to work with the big record companies. There, I met a lovely guy called Garry Dunstan, who produced the long-standing music show, Video Hits. One night, when I was working late, I took the initiative to find him and approach him. He was supportive and gave me my first opportunity to make a music video. I don’t think enough people are willing to take the initiative when they want something in life. When you want something, you need to go find it and grab it with both hands. The fun is in finding the path!
I love music videos and what they represent. They allow me to play with film and video — to do things other mediums don’t allow. They also give me a script and soundtrack to work with. Bringing a song to life in this way was an honor — It propelled my TV career because I ran my music video business on the side. They helped each other synergistically.
It was pretty rare to be a female director in those days. I made sure I surrounded myself with an excellent team who were very experienced.
Fast forward 30 years, and in that time, I have devoted my life to being a lifelong student and teacher to the screen, from advertising, short films and documentaries. Having a music video directing background allowed me to see the world differently and tap into the unseen feelings of the screen. Music is a massive part of my videos even now. When I listen to a piece of music and love it, it drives me to make content.
In 2004 I was made redundant from the TV station, and then my new chapter began. I started the Girl Director brand in 2005. I created a superhero type of character that I could use to market myself and also hide behind.
I spent the next few years learning, making mistakes and trying to find my way. It wasn’t until I had a meltdown and stopped that I discovered my real purpose.
I always had big plans for Girl Director and what she represents. I am an advocate for more women directors to direct films, and I am shocked at how few women directors there are. I just interviewed over 20 women directors and was surprised at how little support there is out there.
My partner, Michael, and I joined forces in 2013, and that’s when we hit our stride. Working together has been the best thing. Many people think we are crazy working together as a couple, but for us, we get to create our dreams, produce big projects and work through things as a team. I find it so much more rewarding when we do this in partnership.
In 2022, Michael and I are opening our exclusive video agency to only work with entrepreneurs who want to make a significant impact with stunning cinematography and change-making stories.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
One of my most embarrassing moments was when I met Richard Branson on a video shoot for Virgin Active. A friend of mine invited me to a film shoot because he knew I wanted to meet him and pitch a film concept to change the world; I was so nervous, but I went along and knew nothing would stop me from meeting Richard pitching this global film idea.
Richard was running late for the shoot, and he rushed through to the studio, and they filmed his part quickly. I stood eagerly waiting on the sidelines for my moment. I remember the scene in my mind like it was yesterday. I paced up and down, rehearsing what I would say in my mind.
Towards the end of the second part of the shoot, my friend came over and said, “Rachel, I don’t think you are going to get a chance to meet Richard. He is rushing to go to another appointment and will have to run out of here. I thought to myself; there is no way I am missing this opportunity. I thought there was no way in hell he was getting out of here without me presenting this idea.
So, I waited until I saw him walk off towards his dressing room, waited a few minutes and then it was time for my moment. I walked into the dressing room and said hello. Richard Branson hid behind the ironing board, trying to pull up his jeans. The poor guy was trying to get dressed.
I don’t know what on earth got into me as that didn’t stop me. I went to say some garbled information. I don’t even remember what I said. I handed him my one-page pitch and stood there very awkwardly. His reaction was the part I was most impressed by.
Despite my rambling and babbling words, he said, you did an excellent job. He must have known how terrified I was but was still humble enough to tell me I did a great job. I didn’t hear anything back from him, but I will never forget that moment.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
One of my dear friends is Dr. Jim Frazier. He is the most optimistic, beautiful person you could meet. He is on a mission now in his 80’s to shift consciousness with a film called Symphony of the Earth.
Frazier’s career as a wildlife cinematographer has spread over 40 years; He worked with David Attenborough for 30 years travelling the world and filming some of the most iconic animal scenes you would have seen and armed with an Emmy, an Oscar and over 40 national and international awards. He is hard to beat.
Jim and I met on a film set filming a music video for Sony. He opened my world regarding illusions and what is possible looking through a lens. Jim invented what you call an infinity lens, most Hollywood directors have used one on their movie sets.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
David Bowie in every way. His unapologetic creativity in everything he ever created is remarkable. I have some Bowie tarot cards on my coffee table and use them all the time. Each card is a work of art.
When I was growing up, I was a massive fan of the band INXS. I had a dream of directing their music video one day, and when Michael Hutchence passed away, it was like a part of my dream died too. I had the opportunity to pitch a video after Michael died when singer Jon Stevens stepped in for a short time, but they broke up the day after my meeting. I guess it wasn’t meant to happen.
Napoleon Hill — Think and Grow Rich. This is a book I was introduced to many years before I read it, and I remember not liking the title, so I ignored it. If this is you, read it; don’t wait as I did, It is one of the greatest books! I love reading about what Napoleon Hill went through to write this book and how many lives have been changed because of it; even now, it still has an impact after he is gone.
Let’s now shift to the focus of our interview; how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
When I turned the camera around on myself after directing celebrities and rock stars in front of the camera, I had a major meltdown; I had the biggest phobia. I was the one who stood at the back of group photos and covered the lens when people took a picture. I even used to cover my laptop lens if someone was filming.
I was going from being terrified of being in front of the camera to being on video every day. I realized how important it is to share at this level. Having my major trauma around it meant I could help people and empathize with what they were going through. We have helped thousands of people now using our 7-day right side of creative brain training and people love it, it changes everything in 7 days.
Being able to speak from the heart about causes that matter takes practice and courage. Often when people struggle to be seen, their cause isn’t great enough — having a cause greater than you is often the catalyst to shifting.
I created a successful brand called Girl Director to empower other women to use video to grow, communicate and add value to their businesses. It has ripples of goodness, and we are just getting started with the impact we want to create.
Girl Director Academy — Every person who comes into our Academy we are teaching a lifelong skill to create content to educate, inspire, and change the world somehow. It is more than making a video, it Is helping them tap into creating content at a soul level.
Some have created movements, businesses, mini-documentaries, shifted their health and stepped out onto the stage in a big way. Putting yourself out there in this way is transformational on many levels.
I am in the process of making my first feature documentary — Through Elephant Eyes.
The art of animal communication has long been recognized by ancient and indigenous cultures but has been pushed to the fringe in a world dominated by screens, politics, and noise. Most people accept unspoken communication with pets, yet “animal communicators” can be considered “kooky” or “woo-woo”.
In this 9-year quest, I travelled the world looking for answers, following the messages from the elephants themselves. Coming from both a skeptical and open-minded perspective, the result is the first-ever feature-length documentary — a unique film to open even the most closed minds and hearts. Sharing ancient teaching, elephant messages and travelling the world to uncover the teachings.
Following the massive success of a similar film, The Octopus Teacher, this film is a unique documentary to inspire the mainstream view about how elephants communicate and what we can learn on a deeper level. I am speaking to investors and want to finish next year.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions but never manifest it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
It wasn’t until I reached burn out and breaking point in my career the aha moment had time to surface. I had started a video production company after I was made redundant in 2004. It was a blessing and a curse because I knew nothing about business, sales and marketing. I just knew how to make amazing videos for people and helped make them loads of money doing what I did well.
After a couple of years of working harder and harder and undervaluing myself and my skills, and attracting the wrong kinds of clients, I had enough. I was at a breaking point. Burned out, empty, and I had no idea if I wanted to ever make another video again.
I stopped and moved out of the office space back home and needed time to stop.
I started asking the question, “What would it take to make a difference in the world utilizing my skills doing something I love”? I asked this question every day until one day, an image of an elephant popped into my mind. I had started learning animal communication with an incredible teacher I found and started to realize that not all thoughts are our own.
I knew the image in my mind was something I had never seen before. It was of an elephant taking a selfie using a camera. I jumped out of the shower because this is where I got all my inspiration and shared it with Michael. I am so grateful Michael encouraged me to go for it and, I think for him, he saw my eyes light up again. Something inside of me felt compelled to follow the message and find out more.
So, 3 months later, I set off, sold my car, packed my case with my camera gear and decided to find the elephant who had communicated with me with no map or knowing anything at all about elephants. I know now that I was being called. I resisted the call for a long time. I have travelled the world to find answers, and I can’t wait to bring this to you in the New Year.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual impacted or helped by your cause?
One client that comes to mind is Jackie. She has a successful auditing company online and tried to make videos herself. She said her subject was boring and she didn’t want to make boring content. She had a big message and a great niche but wasn’t reaching them in a new and different way.
She was told how bad she was on camera by her peers and lost confidence in herself. She was going to put someone else in to be the face of her business.
RESULTS:
Best month in 7 years in the middle of COVID. Not just because of the videos, but knowing how to use them. She grew her confidence on video and shared she wouldn’t have had the mindset or skills to grow the business through these times. They moved from written courses to video lessons. Jackie is now the face of the business on multiple channels and has stronger messaging, is vulnerable on camera, and has a deeper connection with her audience.
One more person I want to mention is Antonia. When we first met, Antonia was too scared to turn her camera on because she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
She could barely hold the phone to talk to me but she shared her goals and dreams with me, wanting to be a director herself and sharing her health journey to inspire others.
Antonia is one of the most positive people I have ever met. She has kept pushing through and sharing her story. She has been getting more and more healthy every time I see her. Her voice is back to normal and is developing a program to help other people with Parkinson’s. By working with us it has changed her life. It has given her confidence, another income stream, she has transformed her own health and even directed a video for her first production while being at home.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Calling Women Directors — If you are a female director and want support, get in touch. We have something special coming to help women directors. iwantvideos@girldirector.com
Through Elephant Eyes — Watch The trailer on www.throughelephanteyes.com
We are on the lookout for sponsors.
If you have a company wanting to learn how to create content in-house. We have helped many successful companies integrate video and learn how to take production in-house.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”, and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Working harder doesn’t mean you will earn more. I worked so hard thinking by working harder it would pay off. It doesn’t by working smarter, building your team, not doing everything yourself and taking steps each day towards your goal. You get there.
- Be careful who you spend your time with. Energy is catching. Suppose someone doesn’t treat you right. Speak up, your voice matters. The 5 people closest to you want to be people who light you up.
- Start learning the Universal Laws early. Apply your thinking to every choice and career you take on to help you on a deeper level. I have only been studying the laws for 5 years and still learning. It makes so much sense as to why things work and why they don’t.
- Growth is outside the comfort zone. I love the phrase from the movie “We bought a Zoo”. There was a little statement in there that said all you need is 20 seconds of courage, and it is so true. I use it every time I am scared to do something. Imagine what you can do with just 20 seconds of courage each day.
- Focus on one thing at a time. Being a creative person I used to juggle too many projects at once trying to get them all off the ground. Once I channeled all my energy into getting one off the ground. It was so much faster.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
The satisfaction of being able to contribute on a global scale is so rewarding. In the difference, you are making. The person you become in the process, the allies, and the friends you make.
You don’t need to know how you will achieve something. Just take the first step, and the next step will present itself. A good clue to finding out where to start is to ask yourself — what stirs you up inside.
There are so many causes to focus on — choose which one. You know the one!!
We are very blessed that many other Social Impact Heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Leonardo DiCaprio has produced an Elephant documentary before and understands the value and importance of protecting these magnificent beings. I would love his support for mine!
Lady GaGa — I’d love to work on one song with animal sounds for Symphony of the Earth.
Can you please give us your favourite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I live my life by the quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. It is an old one, but it resonates with me on many levels.
Everything around you right now started with a thought, everything has been created from your imagination. Without an image in your mind first, nothing happens. Whether it is for a video or anything in life, it starts with a thought.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.facebook.com/GirlDirector
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelgirldirector/
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Thank you for the opportunity!
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Rachel Dunn of Girl Director Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.