Dominika Machel is a multidisciplinary Creative Director, Photographer, Filmmaker and Media Strategist, crafting bold visual narratives across television, editorial and digital media. With years of experience merging storytelling, craft and emerging technology, she creates culturally resonant work that moves fluidly between film sets, edit suites and strategic creative development.
Her television production background includes major formats such as The Voice of Poland, The Voice Senior, The Voice Kids, Dancing with the stars, World of Dance Polska, and Dance Dance Dance. She also develops modern social-first content for program brands, fashion clients and lifestyle platforms, focusing on relevance, clarity and narrative impact.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?
What excited me about judging for the Telly Awards is that the awards celebrate creativity, innovation, and purposeful storytelling in visual media. It’s inspiring to see how creators from around the world push the boundaries of form and content while influencing culture and communities. I also value the opportunity to support projects that combine high production standards with authentic voices and meaningful audience impact.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
My first job in the industry was at a film post-production studio, where I focused on quality control, video editing, and preparing content for final release in cinemas and across various streaming platforms. I worked with some of the biggest players in the film industry, which required maintaining the highest standards of quality while working at twice the normal pace in real time. This role taught me meticulous attention to detail, understanding technical requirements and audience expectations, and the importance of consistency throughout every stage of production.
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
Machel Production is a company specializing in the full production of video content – from pre-production, through production, to post-production – serving a wide range of market needs, from television broadcasts to short-form and digital content. Machel Production also executes commercial shoots for top-tier brands and develops training programs on modern media as part of state-funded projects.
What is most valued in this work is the ability to combine creativity with tangible impact – crafting stories and content that not only capture attention but also build an authentic brand voice, engage communities, and allow audiences to actively co-create projects. Collaborating with international creators and diverse cultures provides new perspectives on every project, while time for calm and reflection often inspires ideas that emerge naturally, without being forced.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
I intentionally move between different disciplines – photography, film, music, and other forms of creative expression – because the interplay between these areas keeps my visual language fresh. I also build in time for “conscious input”: studying art, observing people, following cultural trends, and engaging in dialogue with diverse individuals and cultures, which helps me notice new perspectives and points of view. Time for calm and personal balance often sparks creative ideas, so I try not to force them, but allow them to emerge naturally.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
What inspired me to pursue my career path is a fascination with creativity and its power – the ability to craft content that can captivate an audience, making time seem to pause or slow down. The art of mastering time through creativity, and creating experiences that engage and move people, is incredibly inspiring and drives my approach to every project.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
A major shift I see is the widening access to storytelling-technology and digital platforms have empowered more diverse voices to enter the industry on their own terms. At the same time, AI and immersive tools are reshaping how stories are created and experienced. Marketing power no longer belongs exclusively to high-budget campaigns; today, authentic impact often comes from engaging multiple creators and their communities, turning audiences into collaborators rather than passive viewers. Those who stay grounded in purpose while embracing innovation will be best positioned to thrive.
