Bridgeport has a flourishing arts community. How has being an artist from here influenced your creative journey as a storyteller?

Bridgeport is a very diverse city with a beautiful art scene. Growing up around muralists, rappers and videographers definitely put the battery in my back to express myself creatively.

Can you share one of your personal favorite projects that has been especially meaningful to you and why it holds a special place in your career?

My documentary short film "Pauline & Me" is the most personal piece of work I've ever put together. It's a documentary about my grandma's upbringing in Georgia in the 60s and comparing that with my life living in Bridgeport. I open up about a lot of things that we both had to go through in our lives and it was very therapeutic. I'm very glad I made it and I'm glad people around the country resonated with it. I feel like I can talk about anything now.

You wear many creative hats as a filmmaker, musician, and music supervisor. How do these different artistic disciplines influence one another in your creative process?

It definitely took a while for all of these different aspects of me to flow through one stream, but I've always been in charge of the music of my films, and have always been in charge of the overall rollout and art direction for everything I do. When it comes to specifically music, I always identify the sounds I put together with shapes and colors and I'm better able to express how I want a specific scene of a film or TV episode to feel.

You recently worked as a music supervisor on the hit series Love Island! Can you share what that experience was like and what audiences might not realize goes into selecting music for a television show?

Working on Love Island USA: Season 8 as the International Music Supervisor was such an incredible experience. To be only 23 years old and have that amount of responsibility in shaping the sound of how millions of people around the world outside the US listen to the show was special. Every day I would wake up at 4:30am and start on the episode that would drop later that day on Peacock. 

The team I worked with made it much easier to slide into such a big role especially since it was my first time. I was responsible for replacing the commercial tracks with royalty free options using various libraries and that took a lot of time to master in terms of finding sonic and lyrical soundalikes for the tracks. I worked closely with our amazing international editors to make sure every scene of every act worked perfectly. I'll forever cherish the experience.

Many artists struggle with balancing passion projects and professional work. How have you navigated that balance throughout your career?

I'm in a unique position to where the projects I'm often asked to work on on TV, I grew up watching. I grew up watching shows such as Pawn Stars and Hell's Kitchen with my mother, and now I'm casting for said shows. I always think back to why I do what I do in the first place. I put the same amount of effort into a film like "Pauline & Me" as I do casting Hell's Kitchen. They all mean so much to me in their own ways.

Looking ahead, what projects or creative goals are you most excited about, and what do you hope your work continues to contribute to Bridgeport and beyond?

I'm getting ready to kick off the festival circuit for my new documentary short film "AMERICAN ECHO". It's a very dense documentary about the events leading up to and following the 1970 Kent State University massacre. I think that the themes we touch on in the film are very relevant to what's happening currently. I can't wait for people around the world to watch it. 

I also released a new single with my friend Morgan Gold called "MOVIES IN MY MENTAL" that we are both really excited about. It's going to be the start of a new era for me musically. I hope that my work continues to inspire, provoke and spark positive change within the city of Bridgeport and also the world around us!

Do you have any advice for young filmmakers or artists, especially from Bridgeport, that you want to share?

Letting people who are out of touch influence your decisions as a young artist will set you back. Trust in yourself and your voice and stay confident and fearless because you never know what places those two traits will take you.

As Dorian gears up for the film festival circuit with "AMERICAN ECHO",  a timely, hard-hitting look back at the 1970 Kent State massacre, he's also stepping into a new musical era with his single "MOVIES IN MY MENTAL," a collaboration with Morgan Gold. It may seem like a lot to have on your plate at once, but if his career so far is any indication, Dorian thrives at the intersection of it all: the documentarian, the producer, the music supervisor, the Bridgeport native who never stopped showing up for his city.

Lastly, it is worth pausing and shining a light on what it means for a Bridgeport native to have his documentary work streaming on PBS, a network with a decades-long legacy of platforming meaningful, socially conscious storytelling. To have earned that space so young speaks not just to Dorian's talent, but to the depth and honesty he brings to every project he touches. The Bridgeport Art Trail is proud to spotlight an artist making that kind of impact on a national stage while staying rooted in where he came from. Follow along at dorian-robinson.com to see where Dorian goes next!