Meet the Filmmakers
Dolce Studio Films is a group of professional shooters and editors who appreciate how special your day is to you. We're friendly and fun and we care about your memories. While each of us brings our own personality to your project, the filming and editing style is strongly united under the studio's collaborative aesthetic. This results in films that capture the sentiment of the moment while remaining consistent in standard and quality from one film to the next.
We look forward to working with you! Please click on a photo to read our bios and learn more about us.
Haynal Papp
owner, dolce studio films
Shooter/Editor
Haynal Papp is the owner and founder of Dolce Studio Films and creator of Me&You Video. An artist, history buff and traveler, she found direction for her passions and energy in video documentary. She is involved in every aspect of the business, from talking with clients before the wedding, to shooting the wedding and editing the video. A perfectionist, she has put together a strong collaboration of artists, represented here.
"Dolce Studio Films is the culmination of my experiences as an artist, student of history and a traveler. As an artist, I am always shooting with composition, lighting and movement in mind. As a student of social history, I shoot to tell the story of the day and to immortalize the beauty, emotion and intimacy of the event in a tangible form that can become a family heirloom. As a traveler, I shoot to capture the details of a site and event that locate that place for the couple, in customs, traditions and details that make the space relevant. I love my job because I get to capture the best moments of life on film and give those moments back to those people they mean the most to. As for my team, all I can say is this: Success is the product of many, not one."
Natasha
Shooter
Natasha graduated from St. Petersburg State University in Russia prior to moving to the USA in 2000, where she completed photography classes at Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington, VA and began her career in digital video documentary. She has worked as a video journalist with two video companies prior to joining the dolce studio films team and has a wealth of on-site experience capturing weddings, mitzvahs, and other special events. She has significant production experience as well, both in editing video and in troubleshooting the technical aspects of the post-production process. Also a professional photographer, Natasha has published her work in the magazine "Clavier" as well as having it published on many websites, including the Loudon Times-Mirror, Eric Himy's webpage and the Sahara Dance website. She has shown her work at the Ellipse Gallery and brings her artistic eye to the events captured by dolce studio films.
"I enjoy being an observer and spending time just looking at people and all things beautiful. A camera is a great excuse for staring! It gives you the freedom to watch and wait and to capture the moments that tell a story. I enjoy the challenge of capturing those special moments, the exchanges between people and the appreciation of a beautiful thing. With video, one has the ability to document movement and the series of frames that brings that moment to fruition."
Liz
Shooter/Editor
Liz's interest in video started as an extension of her journalism background, and has quickly become her primary medium. She has produced video content for The Washington Post and Seattle Times websites, and worked with reporters to create multimedia content for KOMU-TV's website. A graduate of American University, Liz received her Master's degree from the University of Missouri's acclaimed journalism school with a Master's in Multimedia Journalism. She employs a documentary style for all of her news work, which has given her the patience to wait for the perfect moment as well as the ability to blend into the background.
"I consider it a privilege to document weddings - I know I get to witness a day that the couple will remember forever. I take such pride in knowing that the details and moments I capture will be a permanent document of the marriage, something to review on anniversaries, holidays, and rainy days for a lifetime."
Kris
Shooter
Kris Unger has been working in video since 2001, with a primary focus on nature documentaries, which he has shot for the Sierra Club and the Potomac Conservancy. He's currently working on a documentary about the Potomac River. He's involved with several local film groups, has participated in DC's popular 48 hour Film Festival and was DP for the short film, Somnium, released in 2002. He is also a shooter for Verdant Power's Energy Project and filmed the documentary style footage used in the promotional video screened by the New York's Mayors office to launch an alternative energy initiative using cutting edge technology.
"I enjoy finding the details of a wedding, the intimate moments. Shooting weddings is a lot like shooting films, but the action is spontaneous, rather than directed. The challenge is to be able to read what's coming next and to be ready for the shot before it happens. I also find that most weddings have a story to them, and as I'm filming, I try to learn that story and tell it through the camera."
Daniella
Shooter/Editor
A native of Brazil, Daniella graduated Brazil’s prestigious Catholic University with a degree in Marketing. She and her husband then founded and operated their own wedding film company in the south of Brazil. During the 5 years it operated, they became well known and respected for their contributions in revolutionizing the wedding video industry in Brazil. Their goal was to transform boring wedding videos into cinematic experiences. This work took them all over the country and included major wedding productions where Daniella directed up to 12 people capturing a single event in one day. She has significant post-production experience as well and is sensitive to the creative and emotional importance of creating films that tell compelling stories of love and marriage.
"I believe in using my intuition and sensibility to see beyond the moment. The best part of my job is to capture the soul on film. I pride myself in having a beautiful mission of capturing a couple’s happiness. I have always liked to work in creative and innovative ways, with the goal of making my work not just stand out, but to be highly liked and appreciated as well. Weddings are always unique, special and magical. To be a part of them is truly a blessing."
Will
Editor
William Karell graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in May of 2004. He has worked in the DC video production industry for the past decade on projects ranging from independent documentaries and music videos to museum exhibit media and political commercials.
"It's wonderful to work with these unique and touching moments. I love working with couples to achieve their dream wedding video and I am humbled to be a part of them. It's an honor to be part of these wonderful experiences as well as such a highly sought after video company."
Kevin
Shooter/Editor
Kevin Eikenberg knew he had a love for the arts at a very young age. He began playing percussion in 4th grade, and making his own movies in the 6th. Since then he has sought to better his abilities and improve his craft in every way possible. He graduated from American University in 2013 with a BA in Communication and Music after double majoring in Film and Music. He has been a very active videographer and filmmaker in the Baltimore D.C. Area for the last 7 years, filming weddings, company introduction videos, short films, and music videos with numerous local artists.
"Weddings are one of the most unique things I get the opportunity to film. They blur the line between documentation and narrative in a fascinating and exciting way. There is no truer a story than the love that is shown between the couple and their family, and I love having the chance to capture and craft it into something that will allow them to relive those moments for years to come."
Rena
Editor
Rena graduated with honors from Florida A&M University's broadcast journalism program in 2006. While in college she interned at the university's television station, as well as assisting a production company with their live broadcasts. While working in live productions has prepared her to capture all of the intimate and spontaneous details of a wedding, she discovered that editing was her true passion. It married her love of television production, with her passion for creativity. Her talents were quickly recognized by her college professors when during her junior year, a documentary that she edited was chosen for the schools "Artists in Bloom" Festival. Rena currently works with Discovery Channel in addition to editing for Dolce.
"I love editing... and weddings are one of the most important experiences of our lives. Being in the presence of true love, capturing it, and telling each couples' individual stories is such a significant responsibility, one that I take great pride in."
Erin
Shooter
Erin received a degree in International Studies from the University of Wyoming. Along with her passion for travel and experiencing new cultures, Erin has always had an interest and drive to express herself artistically. Her main medium of interest is painting, which frees her to capture an image while adding a unique twist. Erin now looks to capture what she once saw as a single beautiful moment as a sequence of beautiful moments, through the medium of film.
"I love seeing a couple come together to celebrate their true love with those that matter the most around them. I believe it to be a great privilege to have the opportunity to capture the beautiful and precious moments of a wedding. As a child I loved looking at family photographs of weddings from the different generations and now love having the opportunity to capture those moments on film, moments which become a family heirloom that will last generations."
Mat
Editor
Mat has worked as a freelance editor for several years, collaborating with several American companies as a Senior Level Editor. He works across many editing platforms and owns his own full post-production studio. His range of work encompasses music videos, commercials, promotional videos, live events, and high-end elegant wedding films. Prior to his life in post-production, Mat was a member of the high profile Christian rock band The Letter Black and toured all over North America with popular talent ranging from Hawk Nelson to Skillet and RED. He is an active member in his church group and enjoys facilitating youth music programs.
"There is something exciting about being involved in the process of creating a wonderfully unique and beautiful wedding film. For one thing, it is your Big Day and it is all happening in One Day! Achieving elegance within an edited piece that fully embodies the magic of the moment is something I enjoy bringing to every film. After all, a wedding film is a representation of your one single wedding day, and I both recognize and respect the importance of that. It is an honor to honor love; in this way, I truly take every project to heart."
Tracey
Shooter/Admin
Tracey received her Bachelor of Arts from St. Bonaventure University and Masters degree from Nazareth College. While living in and travelling throughout Europe for three years, she developed a new appreciation for the arts and style trends. As a result, Tracey began to develop her creative side, through jewelry design and fashion. Tracey now uses her creativity to capture memories on film, while enjoying the classic, yet trend setting elements of beautiful weddings.
"I love to capture the uniqueness of each couples' special day. I love to see the details which define the couple and weave a story about their love. I tell their story as they would want it told- in their specific style. I have been a bride, so I know the busyness and excitement of the day. I will work with you to make it stress free!"
Shayna
Shooter/Editor
Shayna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communications from Westminster College. During her time at Westminster, she worked as an Executive Producer for Titan Radio while also reporting and anchoring for the college television station. Throughout her career, Shayna interned with a local news station and produced documentaries for non-profit organizations in order to raise awareness for social issues. Before moving to the DC area, Shayna held positions with both a videography and photography company where she grew a passion for capturing weddings.
"Each couple has a unique story that deserves to be told in a beautiful way. I have always enjoyed telling stories and am honored to be involved in the telling of a couple's wedding day story. I love capturing one of the most important days of a person's life through film and then creating a personal documentary that will be cherished for years to come. Providing couples with the memories of their special day is a truly wonderful experience and I am grateful to be a part of that process."
Alyssa
Shooter/Editor
Alyssa graduated from Vassar College in 2008 with a BFA in Film and Italian. She started filmmaking in the Vassar Film Department where she developed a passion for storytelling. Her short film Sleepover was chosen as a finalist in a Calvin Klein International Film Competition in 2007. Alyssa has worked on documentary features including the PBS Helen Whitney special Forgiveness: A Time to Love and a Time to Hate and Heaven + Earth + Joe Davis which premiered at IFF Boston. In television, Alyssa worked on the comedy clip show The Smoking Gun Presents on TruTV and DC 360, a public affairs show about local DC issues. She is currently working on a short film about relationships and plans to submit it to festivals next year.
"I am a romantic and have always been intrigued and excited by stories of true love. I think relationships are the most interesting subject on film and am always excited to have the opportunity to film the events of a wedding day and tell a couple's unique story, whether from behind the lens or during post-production."
Jeremiah
Shooter/Editor
Jeremiah grew up with a deep interest in video production and graphic design. He started making commercial parodies with friends in middle school and moved on to filming community events and special projects, eventually starting his own video production business. He attended Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa., where he earned a bachelor's in broadcast communication with a minor in media art. There, he continued event videography, filming weddings and graduations, and created, hosted and produced a campus-centric late-night talk show. After college he moved to D.C. for a graduate program in journalism and public policy at American University. He now works as a digital manager for the Online News Association.
"I love filming weddings because you get these intimate moments, these glimpses, where a couple's love for one another really shines through. It could be a kiss, or a smile or when they're holding hands. More often than not, it's just an unscripted beat where their love radiates in a uniquely visual way. It's so rewarding to capture that love and to share it with them later, through the film."
Michael
Shooter/Editor
Michael MacKenzie graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2013. He has been working in film and entertainment since 2009, with such clients as: Discovery Shark Week, Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, Eli Wiesel, Magic Johnson and Alex Ovechkin. He currently resides in Arlington, VA and pursues his love of film both professionally and as a hobby.
"I'm very social and I love filming weddings because that is when people come together to acknowledge and celebrate the joining of two lives. Weddings are intimate, romantic and fun; a wonderful combination for creating a beautiful and memorable project."
Ariel
Editor
Ariel is a graduate from San Francisco State University with a degree in Radio and Television. It was upon graduation she realized documentary filmmaking would become her passion. After moving to D.C. and graduated from Howard University with a Masters in Mass Communications and Media Studies, she began to actively pursue this field. With a self produced documentary and a couple of other short projects under her belt she began to explore other subject matters within documentary production. With an interest in news, entertainment, and a plethora of other matters there is no limit to what Ariel wants to capture.
"I love documentary style wedding videography because I love Love. What's a better story to tell besides love? Marriage by far is one of the biggest steps any person can take and it is because of that huge commitment documenting it in the best way possible is important. I really enjoy capturing this moment in a couple's life."
