Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Griffin.
Hi Jessica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story is essentially a love letter to the arts, written from two different perspectives. I’ve been capturing images since I was a child, but my story was truly shaped in the spotlight. Before I was behind the lens, I was the one under the lights—performing as an NFL cheerleader, a theater actress, and a background dancer for local artists.
Nine years ago, my sister and I turned that lifelong passion into a professional craft by founding Paris Marie Productions. We started this company because I felt a deep calling to help people of color tell their stories; I wanted to be the one to capture those narratives and images in a way that felt both unique and high-tech.
Since then, our journey has taken us everywhere from the bright screens of Times Square to local news features, a magazine cover for Dallas Voice, with a portfolio spanning everything from the intimacy of weddings and upscale social events to the high-stakes energy of live theater. What sets my work apart is that ‘performer’s intuition.’ Because I’ve lived the life of an entertainer, I don’t just see a subject; I see the timing, the breath, and the discipline behind the artistry. This has led to incredible opportunities, like my current work on a second documentary capturing the choreographic process of an assistant professor of dance at the University of Texas at Arlington.
While I love the diversity of my work, my heart truly belongs to the theater. There is something magical about capturing local DFW productions; it’s a unique joy to watch performers in their element while I’m in mine. My goal is always to use my experience on the stage to enhance how I capture the artistry of others, translating their fleeting moments into a visual legacy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road of entrepreneurship is rarely a straight line; it’s a landscape of peaks and valleys that I have truly had the ‘pleasure’ of navigating. I say pleasure because I’ve learned that every obstacle is actually a disguised opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow.
As a self-taught photographer and videographer, one of my biggest hurdles was simply the vastness of the craft. There is a humility in realizing that you never truly ‘know everything.’ I am a perpetual student, constantly absorbing new techniques to stay at the forefront of this high-tech industry.
Beyond the creative side, the ‘valleys’ often involved the logistical backbone of a business. I had to quickly master financial literacy to keep the dream organized, and as the Director of Production, I’ve had to develop rigorous data management systems. In the world of digital storytelling, those systems are what stand between a successful project and the heartbreak of lost data.
Looking back at nearly a decade in business, I am most proud of my resilience. It hasn’t always been easy, but my consistency and dedication to storytelling have never wavered. I’ve learned to embrace the learning curve, knowing that my commitment to capturing visual art is stronger than any temporary setback.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What sets Paris Marie Productions apart is our belief that high-end, high-tech storytelling should be accessible to everyone, especially communities of color whose stories have historically been told through an outside lens. As a sister-led team, we bring a level of collaboration and trust to our sets that clients can immediately feel.
What truly distinguishes our brand is how we bridge the gap between commercial quality and community impact. A major part of our mission is our partnership with the 144K Collective. Last year, we used our photography and videography services to capture their community outreach efforts. It has been incredibly rewarding to put our professional skills to use for causes that support our neighbors and strive to change the world.
This commitment to ‘purpose-driven’ work is matched by my personal ‘dual-perspective.’ Having spent years on the other side of the camera as a performer, I have a deep, instinctual understanding of movement, lighting, and the vulnerability it takes to be the subject of a project. I don’t just ‘take’ a photo; I ‘feel’ the frame. This is why I specialize in capturing the high-stakes energy of live theater and dance—I can anticipate a performer’s next move because I’ve been in their shoes.
Technically, we pride ourselves on being a ‘high-tech’ boutique. We are obsessed with the ‘high-tech’ side of the craft—using cutting-edge gear and rigorous data management to ensure that every pixel we capture is protected and polished. Whether we are producing a documentary for a university or documenting a community’s growth, we provide a level of technical sophistication usually reserved for much larger firms, but with the personal, heart-centered touch of a local DFW hidden gem.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that might surprise those who know me primarily through my professional work is that I recently stepped into the most rewarding role of my life: I became a mother to a beautiful baby girl.
Becoming a mom has shifted my lens in a way I didn’t expect. It has profoundly deepened my love for this craft because it’s no longer just about the art—it’s about the example. I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman who didn’t lose herself in motherhood, but rather used it to fuel her passions. Balancing my business with being a present mom is a beautiful, sometimes chaotic challenge, but it is my top priority to show her that you never have to give up on your dreams to be a parent.
I absolutely love when these two worlds collide. I now find myself capturing my daughter’s most precious, fleeting moments, knowing she’ll have a professional archive of her life to look back on. It has made me even more sentimental and meticulous with my clients’ memories, too. Seeing this new generation through her eyes has given me a fresh perspective on why storytelling matters; I’m not just capturing images for today, I’m building a visual heritage for the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.parismarieproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parismarieproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parismarieproductions
Image Credits
Paris Marie Productions
JWalk Photography
