The Documentary Life
The Documentary Life is a podcast about building a life in nonfiction storytelling, hosted by documentary filmmaker Chris G. Parkhurst. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with filmmakers, editors, cinematographers, producers, journalists, festival programmers, and other storytellers dedicated to telling true stories. The show explores the creative process, the realities of production, ethical questions when working with real people, and the personal challenges of sustaining a meaningful creative life. Beyond technical topics, it emphasizes listening carefully, embracing complexity, and appreciating the deeply human stories around us.
Episodes
Episode 144 | The Ethics Lab: Access, Consent & Trust | With Alan Berry & Mark Enochs
Episode SummaryWhat does it mean when someone trusts you with their story?Access may get a documentary filmmaker through the door, but it is only the beginning. The deeper responsibility lies in earning trust, maintaining it throughout production, and making ethical decisions about another person's story long after the interview ends.In this episode of The Documentary Life, Chris G. Parkhurst is j
Episode 143 | How Do I Sustain My Documentary? | With Jilann Spitzmiller
Episode SummaryWhat happens when the money runs out—but the film isn't finished?For many documentary filmmakers, securing initial funding feels like the biggest hurdle. But as the months stretch into years, a different challenge begins to emerge: how do you sustain both your film and yourself through a process that rarely follows a straight line?In this episode of The Documentary Life, Chris G. Pa
Episode 142 | How Do I Fund My Film? | With Liz Nord
Episode SummaryHow do documentary films actually get funded? It's one of the most common questions filmmakers ask—and one of the least honestly answered. While conversations often focus on grants, pitch decks, and crowdfunding campaigns, the reality is that funding is rarely a single breakthrough moment. More often, it's a long process of building relationships, navigating uncertainty, and learnin
Episode 141 | Building a Sustainable Documentary Life | With Ondi Timoner
Episode SummaryEpisode 141 marks the beginning of a new chapter for The Documentary Life — not as a relaunch or reboot, but as a recommitment to the questions that matter most. After a five-year hiatus, host Chris G. Parkhurst reflects on the realities that shaped both his filmmaking and his life: burnout, financial uncertainty, raising a family while making documentaries, and the realization that
All Good Things Must Come to An End
Can you believe that it was over four years ago that we first began producing episodes of The Documentary Life?? Well, neither can we. But as they say, all good things must come to an end!It has been a great ride this here podcast over the past four years!Which is why this is not our typical end-of-the-season show, my #doclifer friend. Don't miss this one thinking that it's simply a re-hash of par
Winning an Oscar for Your Documentary Film
Imagine stepping up to the podium to accept your award for Best Documentary Feature for the film that you have put your heart, soul, blood sweat tears into. What would you say? Who would thank? Where would you even start?Well, Steven Bognar, of this year's American Factory knows precisely what this feels like. And he details the story of he and his partner, Julia Reichert's walk to that Oscar podi
Cinematography in Documentary Film
In the past, documentary cinematography has been in the shadow of narrative feature's, overlooked because of certain, perhaps unfair assumptions about the craft. Well, that is no longer the case since the American Society of Cinematographers, as of this year, has an award for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking.And cinematographers, Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma, of the Academy Award no
Reality Television and the Documentary Filmmaker
It wasn't that long ago when reality television was a dirty word that incited some pretty strong feelings among the documentary filmmaking crowd. However, non fiction television has come a long way in the past few years. Of course, don't take my word for it. Take it from fellow documentary filmmaker, Joe Litzinger, who is the executive producer of some of non fiction tv's most well known and respe
Documentary Filmmaking During a Pandemic
Documentary filmmaking during this time of a pandemic is something that so many of us doc filmmakers are contemplating. Or doing. Or not doing. Today's episode is filled with both a discussion on the ethics of documentary production during this time as well as best practices & safety protocol for those of us who are making our docs during this time.Documentary filmmaker and TDL host, Chris G.
Race in the Documentary Filmmaking Community
Questions of race and who has the right to tell another person's or culture's or race's stories have recently been at the forefront of the documentary community's collective consciousness. More than that, it's been the subject of recent debate and discussion, whether in industry-led panels, major publications, or social media.Documentary filmmaker and TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst, delves into this
The Online Film Festival for the Documentary Filmmaker
Lyndon Stone is the founder and festival director of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. Melody Gilbert is a documentary filmmaker well acquainted with the world of film festivals.In light of Covid events, both the festival director and filmmaker, have had to pivot their approaches to documentary film festivals.This is the kind of discussion we documentary filmmakers have been wanting to have eve
Spirituality in Documentary Filmmaking with Mickey Lemle
Mickey Lemle has made documentary films about some of the most brilliant individuals in the modern world. From His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Ram Dass to Sir Laurens van der Post, Lemle has been rubbing shoulders with great minds who all have very spiritual & compassionate ways of living. Lemle has had the splendid fortune to be able to tell their stories.Topics Discussedhow Lemle’s time
Personal Trauma in Documentary Film with Sasha Joseph Neulinger
Sasha Joseph Neulinger endured some of the most traumatic events a child can experience. He is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And he has now turned those events into one of 2020's more extraordinary documentary films, Rewind. Neulinger sits down with TDL to discuss his journey making Rewind and to offer some insight into how doc filmmakers might best deal with the depiction of personal trau
Doc Filmmaking in the Mountains with Eric Becker
Eric Becker has been taking on extreme challenges since he can remember. If it's not racing bikes it's climbing mountains. If it's not climbing mountains, it's making doc films about people climbing mountains. Tune into this week's episode where we celebrate International Everest Day by welcoming doc filmmaker and mountaineer, Eric Becker on to TDL!In our first segment, Chris G. Parkhurst, gives u
YouTube For the Documentary Filmmaker with David Hoffman
It's hard to refute the power and potential of the second biggest search engine in the world, YouTube. Especially for the independent doc filmmaker. Here at TDL we have long talked about the importance of you, the doc filmmaker, in fully embracing and becoming your best entrepreneurial self. The importance of building your own brand. Raising your own funding. Building audiences for all of your wor
Making the Sports Documentary with Gotham Chopra
Sports documentaries have really come into their own as a documentary genre. The truth is that the built-in drama and sometimes off-the-field shenanigans make for some really compelling stories. Entities like ESPN's 30 For 30 series, HBO Sports, Netflix and Hulu's ventures into sports docuseries, all have been making these films and really elevating the stature of the sports documentary.And so has
Documentary Film and the Music Composer with Nainita Desai
When it comes to documentary film - and really film, in general - one of the forgotten heroes is often the film's music composer. And yet, it's often the music that truly elevates a film from good to greatness, making the storyline and all of its visuals just a bit more rich, complex, and emotional.In today's episode I'll take a look at 5 Considerations for Music for Your Doc.This will be followed
Mental Health and the Documentary Filmmaker with Rebecca Day
We doc filmmakers are no strangers to mental health. Whether by the very nature of being doc filmmakers or from the subjects of our documentaries, we're often dealing with levels of anxiety, stress, and/or depression on a daily basis.Still it's not something that we often openly talk about. That is, not until recently, as more and more doc filmmakers and more and more documentary organisations are
Finding Yingying with Jiayan Shi
When it comes to being affected by the coronavirus, we doc filmmakers, of course, are no exception. Whether we work in tv broadcasting, run video productions, or are freelancers, we are all feeling the impact of the massive shutdowns happening due to Covid-19.So in today's episode I'd like to offer up some ways in which we might all stay positive and stay focused on our documentary projects and o
Fire in Paradise with Drea Cooper
One of the most compelling, intense, and well done documentaries that I saw in all of 2019 wasn't even a feature length film. In fact, its run time was only 39 minutes.But it was 39 mins of riveting documentary that was financed and distributed by Netflix, and it came from ZCDC's Zachary Canepari and Drea Cooper. And Cooper sat down to discuss with us, among other things, what it was like working
Documentary Film Promotions & Marketing with Jon Reiss
The playing field for distribution, promotions, and marketing for independent documentary filmmakers seems to be changing daily. But one thing that remains, is Jon Reiss, the veritable guru on all things film distro, promotions, and marketing. And for this week's episode he weighs in on this latest, including how social media marketing and ad placements are becoming a very important part of the do
First Time Doc Filmmaker Wins the Stanley Cup, with Joshua Riehl
Joshua Riehl was a first time doc filmmaker when he decided to make a film about his passion for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. So how exactly did he manage to pull this feat off, including getting actor Jeff Daniels and some of the world's most recognizable names in hockey to agree to be in his film? Trust me. I wanted to know the same! Topics Discussedhow having audacity to
Film Travel Tips and Gear Insurance
Are you thinking of traveling for your doc any time soon? Awesome. You know how much we love to travel for our doc filmmaking. And Chris has got some super useful tips for your doc filmmaking travel adventures!And whether you're traveling abroad or just down the street for your next bit of filming, make sure you and your film gear are protected! Over the years, so many of you #doclifers have asked
Your Breakthrough Year and #Doclifer, Josh Davidsburg
Shouldn't you be making 2020 your breakthrough year in documentary filmmaking? We all know how difficult, sometimes frustrating, it can be getting our doc films made. And how trying it can be living our doc lives. No one knows this better than I. Which is why in this episode I have decided to challenge you (and I!) to make 2020 a breakthrough year in our doc lives.And speaking of breakthroughs, fo
Season Two TDL BONUS!
Welcome to your Season Two BONUS episode! In which you'll find selections from five of some of my favorite conversations that I've had with documentary filmmakers over the past 120 episodes of the show. Below, you can click on the full episodes to listen to the conversations in their entirety. Have a safe, happy holidays and we'll see you in 2020, #doclifer! Additional Resources Steve James conver
Documenting Your Family with Irene Taylor Brodsky
Filming the ones that we love and making documentaries about them can be a challenging, but ultimately very rewarding experience. It can be full of emotional pitfalls. It can bring families closer together . And no one knows this better than Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director, Irene Taylor Brodsky. We'll speak with Irene on the eve of the release of her latest HBO Documentarie
Editing For Documentary Filmmakers with Paddy Bird
One of the most popular topics on The Documentary Life deals with post production. More specifically, editing your documentary film. And not surprisingly one of the most popular guests on the program is industry expert, Paddy Bird. Because of this we've decided to make this week's episode an extra special one devoted to... you guessed it, editing.I'll begin the show with Tips on Getting Started on
Filming Behind Bars with Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein
Two veterans of Ken Burns films, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein, have recently completed work on their documentary film, four-part PBS series, College Behind Bars. And I had the pleasure of speaking with the both of them about some of their experiences working on Ken Burns’ films as well as what it was like going off on their own for their most recent work.Topics Discussedhow teaching classes in
How to Raise $8k Quickly and Bring Scriptwriting Principles to Your Documentary Film
How can you raise a quick $8k in 18 days for your documentary film? Steph and I recently did this on our doc project, Elvis of Cambodia. We’d like to share a few things that worked well and one thing that we wished we’d done!How can you bring feature narrative scriptwriting principles to my documentary film? World-renowned documentary storytelling consultant, Karen Everett, of New Doc Editing, ha
Sculpture, Breast Cancer, and Documentary Film with Prune Nourry
How does one combine the expanse of one’s artistic works and their personal journey with breast cancer into their first documentary film? This is what was on my mind as I spoke with French sculptor, installation artist, anthropologist, cancer survivor and now documentary filmmaker, Prune Nourry. Topics Discussedhow Prune Nourry brought her approach to sculpting to doc filmmakinghow when she was i
Email Marketing for the Documentary Filmmaker
What if there was a viable way for the independent documentary filmmaker to build and sustain an audience to support your doc films for the duration of your career? And what if there was a straight forward way that you, the doc filmmaker, could do it without having to break the bank on marketing and promotion costs for your films?Meet Nathan Barry, self-made entrepreneur, doc filmmaker, and found
Documentary Filmmaking Abroad with Edward Watts & Waad Al-Kateab
If you were subjected to daily bombardment from the air, you were entrenched in a make-shift hospital, and you’d just recently had a baby, would you still be able to pick up your camera and film events? Well, if you’re Syrian doc filmmaker, Waad Al-Kateab, you would. And she did, while living in the basement of a hospital, with her husband and baby in the besieged city of Aleppo.Eventually, she wo
The Fundraising Houseparty For the Documentary Filmmaker
What if there was a pretty straightforward way for the independent documentary filmmaker to raise a quick infusion of funding for their documentary film… simply by holding a party? Well, there is. It’s called the fundraising houseparty. And there is a science to it. And we’ve got film fundraising guru, Morrie Warshawski, back on the show to give you the step-by-step process to that science. You’ll
Lean Team Documentary Filmmaking with Rustin Thompson
Ever noticed just how many barriers there seem to be to this documentary filmmaking thing? Funding. Equipment. Live pitch presentations. Distribution platforms. You name it, everywhere you turn as a doc filmmaker, there seems to be something keeping you from actually doing the thing that matters most to you. But what if there was a way doc filmmakers could simplify things – strip away the unneces
The Doc Filmmaker’s Money Mindset & Blue Collar Filmmaking
So many of us doc filmmakers think that we’ll never make any money from our films. Or that we’re incapable of raising money for them. And that’s wrong. There is actually no reason that any of us should assume that those statements are true. This is all about our money mindset!You see, a lot of us aren’t really wired to believe any other way. Or we’ve had an awkward – if not downright detrimental –
Melbourne Documentary and Chasing the Jet Stream
So many doc filmmakers are doing the one person crew documentary. For many, it’s a necessary evil due to financial constraints of the doc filmmaker. But for some, like doco Claudio von Planta, it’s the preferred way of shooting his films. And it also just so happens to be the reason that he’s been hired on such recognizable documentary series as the successful Long Way Round. And now, with his bra
Make Great Documentaries From Where You Are with Billy Corben
How many times have you been approached by a friend or family member with another “great idea for a documentary”, when they find out that you’re a doc filmmaker? Well, if you’re anything like Miami doc filmmaker, Billy Corben – director behind such docs as Cocaine Cowboys, ESPN 30 for 30’s The U, and now his latest, Screwball – it’s practically an everyday experience. Which is why he’s come up wit
Maiden and Archival Storytelling with Alex Holmes
Ever wonder what it might be like to discover a treasure trove of archival footage that lay untouched for over thirty years for your documentary film? That’s exactly what happened for veteran BBC and multi-award winning filmmaker, Alex Holmes on his latest film, Maiden, a documentary about 26 year old Tracy Edwards who set out to skipper the first-ever female crew during the Whitbread Round the Wo
Meta Filmmaking and Framing John DeLorean
When filmmakers Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce met, it was a match in doc filmmaking heaven. Their first documentary film, The Art of the Steal, was a Netflix hit that would lead them to their next doc projects, and ultimately to their lives as full-time documentary filmmakers. Their current film, Framing John DeLorean, blurs the lines between fiction and non-fiction narrative, using name actors l
Making a Documentary Series in China with Dominic Johnson-Hill
Entrepreneur, Dominic Johnson-Hill, has just spent the last year traveling China and presenting for the documentary series, Seasons of China. But the journey to becoming one of China’s most recognizable tv presenters was a unique one, and certainly not without its challenges.When Dominic Johnson-Hill traveled the world in the early 90s, China was just supposed to be a stop along the way. But then
Doug Block and The D-Word
Doug Block has made a living out of the personal documentary style, including films like Home Page, 51 Birch Street, and The Kids Grow Up. He is also the pioneer behind one of the largest online documentary filmmaking communities, The D-word, which has just recently had its twentieth anniversary.Topics Discussedhow the one-person crew is tailor-made for documentarythe importance of being in servic
Crowdfunding Your Documentary Film with John Trigonis
Few people know the crowdfunding game like John Trigonis. He is considered to be one of the leading experts in the game. And with good reason, since he has been leading some of the most impressive crowdfunding campaigns for film companies and independent filmmakers over the past decade, worked for Indiegogo, and authored the veritable bible on the subject, Crowdfunding For Filmmakers: The Way to a
Doc Filmmaking, Festivals, and Podcasting with Thom Powers
Thom Powers has been more in touch with documentary filmmaking and filmmakers than most anyone I know. Which makes sense, since he made docs for about a decade, programs for two of the most prestigious film festivals (TIFF and DOCNYC), and is now the host of the podcast, Pure Nonfiction .Please join us as we have a candid conversation with one of the industry’s more recognisable voices. A conversa
On the FRONTLINE with Doc Filmmakers, James Jones and Olivier Sarbil
Doc filmmaking duo, James Jones and Olivier Sarbil, have been making their doc living on the frontline of some of the world’s most dangerous areas. But they didn’t necessarily always intend it to be this way. Join us for a powerful and engaging conversation with two filmmakers who are making some of the most important film work today. Their latest doc, the FRONTLINE film, On the President’s Orders
The First Female Director with Pamela B. Green
We’re back! Season 2 of the TDL podcast has officially begun…Pamela B. Green has made her first documentary feature, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy Blache. And it is about one of the true pioneers of cinema, Alice Guy Blache. You’ve probably not heard of her. You’re not alone. Even film scholars and most of Hollywood’s finest have no idea who she was. And Pamela is set on rectifying tha
100 – Happy Thanksgiving Finale From The Documentary Life
It is the week of giving thanks, as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Coincidentally, it is episode #100, our last episode of Season One of the podcast. And I am joined by my better half, the producer for the show, Stephanie Vincenti. And we have a lot of gratitude for what we have achieved with The Documentary Life. We also have so much to be thankful for with you, #doclifers, who have m
99 – Outdoor Adventure Films with Peter Mortimer
Peter Mortimer has been climbing and making outdoor adventure films for the past twenty years through his company, Sender Films. His company has put out some of the most recognizable outdoor adventure images on the planet, as well as founded The Reel Rock Tour, the biggest and longest-running festival of outdoor adventure films in the world. Sender has just released their first feature doc, The Da
98 – Working with Werner Herzog and Les Blank with Maureen Gosling
Maureen Gosling is not only the editor of my favourite documentary film of all time, but quite possibly my favourite film of all time. Period. That film is Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams, starring Werner Herzog. And as we near our finale episode for Season One of the show, I thought it might be a great time to have someone like Maureen on to the show, not only because I would get the opportunity to
97 – Understanding Doc Society with Maxyne Franklin
Doc Society (formerly BritDoc) is a non-profit that has been working directly with documentary filmmakers since its inception in 2005, to make the most impact in the world with their art. Whether with their flagship program, Good Pitch, their Impact Award, the Impact Field Guide, or the number of grants that they offer, Doc Society has truly become a critical part of the doc community over the pas
96 – Short Your Way to a Feature with Jon Kasbe
Jon Kasbe may not be a name that you are familiar with… yet. Unless you are intricately connected to film festivals or an avid follower of short documentary films, you may not know of this filmmaker’s work. But he’s most certainly someone that you will soon know, quite possibly with his first feature doc, When Lambs Become Lions, a film about two Kenyan men on opposing sides of the ivory trade. To
95 – America to Steve James
Steve James is one of the most recognizable names in documentary. Many of us #doclifers have been inspired by his films and the way in which he makes them. He was on TDL back on the eve of the Academy Awards for his doc, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. Not surprisingly, Steve had some great insight into the industry and into doc filmmaking, as a whole. And he related much of this with candor and cla
94 – Documentary Film Distribution with Jon Reiss
No one knows documentary film distribution in quite the way that film distro wizard, Jon Reiss does. The founder of Hybrid Cinema and author of film distribution Bible, Think Outside the Box Office joined us for this week’s episode of TDL. And it was one of the most engaging, honest looks at film distribution out there! Topics Discusseda hybrid approach to film distributionimportance of creating
93 – The Full-time Doc Filmmaker, with Mat Hames
Mat Hames is one of the few, fortunate ones in our doc world that makes his entire living doing his passion of documentary film. Whether it is through he and his wife’s company, Alpheus Media, or through Rooster Teeth’s RT Docs, Hames has been making documentary films non-stop for well over a decade now. Of course, along with persistence and hard work came such fortuitous moments along the way – n
92 – How to Fund Your Film: The Individual Donor
An often overlooked aspect of film funding is the individual donor. Which is kind of surprising, given that statistics tend to show that 50 percent (and sometimes more) make up the overall funding for doc filmmakers. Amidst, all of the dialogue and concentration on other, sometimes more obvious, avenues of fundraising like crowdfunding, grant funding, and corporate sponsorships, we tend to forget
91 – Doc Filmmakers Getting Real, with Claire Aguilar
Getting Real is a biennial conference put on by International Documentary Association (IDA) to foster three days of documentary media discussion, with documentary filmmaker’s sustainability at the core of its discussion. Along with the theme of sustainability, the 2018 conference will see the themes of transparency and creativity being added to the discussion. At the time of this episode, we are d
90 – 5 (More) Reasons to Make Your Documentary Film
If you are like so many of us doc filmmakers, there have been numerous times where you have questioned or doubted whether or not you should or perhaps even could make a documentary film. There are even seasoned filmmakers with multiple docs to their resume who still question whether or not they are the right person to be making a particular doc (myself included). Well, I am here to tell you that y
89 – Minding the Gap with Director, Bing Liu
Every once in awhile a young filmmaker comes out of nowhere and takes the doc world by storm. And this year that name seems to be Bing Liu. And his doc Minding the Gap seems to be all over the place these days. Bing’s film won the Sundance 2018 Jury for Breakthrough Filmmaking. He was essentially recruited by Kartemquin to come on as co-producers. Steve James not only came on as executive director
88 – 5 Tips for Your Film Festival Strategy
Last week, #doclifer Josh Davidsburg took advantage of the TDL Hotline and left a message with us asking about advice for a film festival strategy. Not only did we answer his question and offer up some suggestions, but we took it a step further and decided to make a full-blown episode on the topic! I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I made when I released my first documentary Journey
87 – Learning to Breath with Documentary Photography with Alison Wright
Alison Wright has been traveling and working in 150 countries and doing documentary photography for 35+ years. She is one of the single most impressive human beings that you may ever meet. She has lived more in her life than most of us will if we lived to 100. Though if not for the kindness of strangers, she would have lost her life in the middle of nowhere Laos, when she was involved in a horrifi
86 – Influential Documentaries to My Doc Life
As a doc filmmaker, how many times have you been asked what your favorite documentary film is? If you’re anything like me, it’s a nearly impossible and futile question to answer. There are just too many incredibly documentaries that have influenced, inspired, and excited me over the years, to have to name a single favorite one of them. That being said, it’s not difficult for me to rattle off a num
85 – Talking Directing and Development with Three Identical Strangers director, Tim Wardle
One of the biggest documentary hits of the summer has been Tim Wardles’ Three Identical Strangers, a film that follows the incredible true story of triplets who learned of one another’s existence only at age 19, their initial joy giving way to increasingly unsettling discoveries. But before becoming the director or a massive documentary hit, Wardle spend many years as head of development for RAW T
84 – Staying Connected as a Documentary Filmmaker
Last week we attended Podcast Movement 2018 in Philadelphia, USA. It was a great refresher for us – even an eye opener on some levels – in terms of what we are doing with the podcast as well as what we’re doing as doc filmmakers. As was the case last year, we left the conference feeling more connected to a community of podcasters. But this year, perhaps more importantly, we are feeling a need to b
83 – My (Rather Candid) Conversation with Brexitannia Director, Timothy George Kelly
There is something – many things, really – that can be said about having a conversation with Timothy George Kelly (dir., Brexitannia) on the current state of documentary film (or Brexit, for that matter). But you probably wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it here. The best thing to do, of course, would be to simply dive into the episode. But you should do so with some caution. For this epi
82 – Maximizing Your Doc Life with Pedram Shojai, OMD
Pedram Shojai has been embodying the doc life now for years. In fact, one might argue that he was doing so even before he was making documentaries, building his life to his passions of Taoism, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and practicing Oriental medicine. A few years ago, Pedram combined these passions and formed Well.org. Not long after this, he made his first documentary film, Vitality. A number of documen
81 – Hacking the Documentary Film Festival, Part Two
It’s that time again to turn our attention to breaking down the barriers of that ever-elusive filmmaking animal that we’ve all come to respect and love, but few of us truly understand… the film festival. Last year, we ran a two-part special on the subject of the film festival for the documentary festival. Lyndon Stone, festival director of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, invited us into his w
80 – Hacking the Documentary Film Festival, Part One
It’s that time again to turn our attention to breaking down the barriers of that ever-elusive filmmaking animal that we’ve all come to respect and love, but few of us truly understand… the film festival. Last year, we ran a two-part special on the subject of the film festival for the documentary festival. Lyndon Stone, festival director of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, invited us into his w
79 – Filming in Dangerous Environments with Doc Filmmakers, Chris Kelly & Venerable Luon Sovath
The number of docos filming in dangerous or hostile environments has been steadily increasing over the past decade, with the access to both dependable portable film gear as well as the best areas in which to tell a given story. What has not necessarily increased is a filmmaker or journalist’s safety, with 80 being killed in action and over 250 imprisoned last year, according to the Committee to P
78 – From Producing Film DVD Extras to Doc Filmmaking with Jeffrey Schwarz
If you’re like me, you are a fan of watching the DVD extras or the making-of videos of some of your favorite films. In fact, Ive been inspired and gained some of my very filmmaking knowledge by watching some of the film extras included on dvds.We have a special conversation with a man who did so many making-ofs and added value content for Hollywood studios that he became known as the EPK Samurai.
77 – Mobile Filmmaking Special Pt 2, with FiLMic Pro’s, Neill Barham
In part two of our special on mobile filmmaking for the doc filmmaker, we decided to go right to the source: FiLMic Pro‘s, CEO & found, Neill Barham. And he did not let down. If you have ever even had so much as a thought to making your next doc with you mobile device, than boy is this ever the episode for you. Neill spoke to us fresh off of Mojofest in Galway, Ireland as well as Apple’s World
76 – Mobile Filmmaking Special, Pt 1 with Anna Brees
To say that phone filmmaking has quickly turned from shooting cute home movies of your kids to full-fledged filmmaking would be an understatement. And understandably, doc filmmakers, have really been embracing this notion of creating a documentary film from a device that they carry around in their pocket. In this episode, we’ll speak with former BBC and ITV reporter, Anna Brees, who has fully embr
75 – Talking the Doc Life with My Doc Wife
I figured since I’m always on here prattling on about my doc life, it might be different to talk about – or actually, with! – my doc wife, Stephanie. We figured what better way to celebrate our second anniversary – of the podcast, that is – than to have Steph on the show for the first time EVER, since it’s inception back in May of 2016. Steph and I met and started working together back in 2012. Bu
74 – Archival Storytelling For Your Documentary with Tom Jennings
Through his production company, 1895 Films, Tom Jennings has become known for his fresh and inventive approach to using archival footage to tell a story. With both Peabody and Emmy Awards under his belt, there are few who have mastered the art of archival storytelling in the way that Tom has. After listening to this episode you will never think of found footage in the same way again! Topics Discus
73 – Making Great Sound for Your Documentary with Jean Umansky
Jean Umansky is one of the most respected sound persons in the field of filmmaking. He is a French sound engineer who has worked on over 50+ narrative and documentary films, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound on Amelie. In our conversation with Jean, he guides us through some best practices for not only achieving optimal sound, but also for creating sound in a way that shapes the
72 – Direct Distribution for Your Documentary with Christopher Rufo
The topic of film distribution is, perhaps, one of the most requested topics that we’ve ever had for the podcast. And it’s no wonder. While there may seem like more options than ever for the doc filmmaker, it’s hard to know which ones may be best suited for us. Or if, in fact, self-distribution may, in fact, be the better, smarter option for the independent documentary filmmaker. Well, Christopher
71 – Making a Netflix Docuseries with Flint Town Producer, Gary Kout
These are pretty amazing times for documentary filmmakers. Not only have the popularity of documentary films increased exponentially, not only are there far more resources available these days to doc filmmakers, but the distribution platforms that are out there are plentiful, not the least of which are the Netflixs, Hulus, and Amazons of the world. And now, these distro platforms have opened the d
70 – Crowdfunding for Your Documentary with Seed & Spark’s, Emily Best
Crowdfunding, nowadays, is one of the most common funding options out there for the documentary filmmaker. However, the crowdfunding playing field has evolved considerably since the early days of Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Take for instance, Seed & Spark. A multitude of crowdfunding platforms now do different things, depending on your needs. And while the list of a doc filmmaker’s needs seems
69 – The Art of Film Funding with Carole Lee Dean
It’s no secret that one of the bigger hurdles that we are often faced with as documentary filmmakers is that of funding. It is my intention with this episode to hopefully make things a little lighter for you, when it comes to finding funds for your documentary film.There is a good chance that Carole Lee Dean is a name that either you know or you at least recognize. And for good reason. She has bee
68 – Wild Wild Documentary Life with Maclain and Chapman Way
Maclain and Chapman Way have recently directed, edited, produced one of the most talked about Netflix docuseries of the year, Wild Wild Country. They have become one of the hottest, most sought after doc filmmaking duos around. Of course, their success didn’t happen overnight. From taking some calculated, but brazen risks with their first doc, The Battered Bastards of Baseball to taking two separa
67 – Making the Personal Documentary with Michael Wiese
In this episode we are joined by someone who is well-acquainted with making personal documentaries, or as he refers to them, as spiritual documentaries.Michael Wiese has been making documentary films for 40+ years and is also the founder/owner of the world’s biggest publisher of filmmaking books, Michael Wiese Productions.He joins us to discuss the inspiring ways in which he has been living his #d
66 – Making Your Splash as a Documentary Filmmaker with Kelly Richmond Pope
We welcome CPA, Professor of Accountancy, fraud expert, and documentary filmmaker, Kelly Richmond Pope to the programme. Kelly comes highly recommended by other Kartemquin alum, and once you’ve heard this frank and open conversation about how she lives her doc life, you will surely understand why! Topics Discussed how a separate profession can lend itself very directly to your documentary life and
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