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Talk Doc To Me
Talk Doc To Me episodes
- S1E6: Building a Brand Behind Your Documentary with Sam Vladimirsky
Interested in making a documentary about an artist?!
Leah chats with Sam Vladimirsky, a director, artist, and the founder of Whimsy - a creative studio committed to celebrating game-changers and culture-shifters in the world of art & design through original documentaries, brand storytelling, and creative marketing campaigns. They talk about the importance of being your subject's greatest advocate, his experience working at Breakwater Studios, and the power of cold emails.
Sam is the founder & Chief Creative Officer of Whimsey and currently based in London and New York. He makes stuff about people who make stuff, and his work has been featured in Vogue, PBS, and the Museum of Modern Art. His company was conceived as an alternative to an entertainment industry oversaturated with “content” and an arts industry lacking a vision for bold storytelling. Most recently, he was the creative marketing director at the Academy Award®-winning Breakwater Studios, where he ran Oscars® campaigns, headed up the marketing department, and cut teasers, trailers, and social content.
See Sam's work.
Follow Sam on IG.
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Unreel Stories.56 min - S1E5: How to Film Abroad without Leaving Home with Sandro Kakabadze
Filming in another country, but don’t have the budget to travel there yourself? Leah chats with Sandro Kakabadze, a Georgian Documentary Filmmaker who she recently hired for a shoot in Brazil. They discuss best practices for how to collaborate globally, the difference between journalism and documentary, and his feature documentary “On the Edge of Gold” about illegal mining in the Amazon.
Sandro Kakabadze is a Georgian Documentary Filmmaker living in Brazil. He worked as a journalist for three Georgian TV channels and made approximately 500 reports. He covered wars, politics and social issues. He traveled to more than 20 countries in his reporting and worked as an international correspondent in London and Moscow. Sandro combines an investigative and curious spirit with a sensitive eye that guarantees stories told with a unique visual language.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
:50 - How To Find The Best Local Crew Abroad
7:00 - How To Prep your Local Crew for Success
12:20 - How Our Shoot in Brazil Went
22:00 - Sandro’s Background as a Journalist
25:55 - Journalism vs. Documentary Filmmaking
31:43 - Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon
44:40 - Big Media Outlets vs. Independent Filmmakers
47:40 - Working with Vulnerable Populations
49:50 - Balancing Family with Filmmaking
52:45 - Giving Back to the Community You Film
55:50 - Outro
In this interview you will learn…
How to Remote Produce & Hire Local Talent
The difference between Journalism and Documentary Filmmaking
What it’s Like Filming Illegal Mining in the Amazon for 45 Days
How To Build Trust with Vulnerable Communities
Episode Resources & Links:
Follow Sandro on IG
See Sandro's Work
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Unreel Stories
Follow on Instagram & TikTok
Watch on YouTube
Join our Doc Club? Apply here57 min - S1E4: From Athlete to Artist, Sports Documentary Filmmaking with Brandon Lawless
Have you ever wondered what it's like to film for the NFL? Brandon shares his journey from a college football player to a Director and Photographer based in Los Angeles. They discuss how he began filming for NY Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, how he shot the album cover for Sada Baby, and how he stands out as a creator.
Guest Bio:
Brandon Lawless is a Documentary Director and Photographer based in Los Angeles. He has created content for the NFL, Hypland, ESPN, and Big Sean.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
:50 - Broadcast Journalism class in High School
5:12 - Balancing Film School & College Football
10:14 - First Documentary Film
12:19 - Working with Kayvon Thibodeaux
20:47 - Working with ESPN
28:48 - Filming NFL Draft Day
43:50 - Photographing Musicians & Celebrities
47:23 - How To Stand Out as a Creator
50:12 - The Future & Closing
In this interview you will learn…
~ What It’s Like Being a College Athlete & Film Student At the Same Time
~ What It’s Like Filming at NFL Draft Day
~ How To Stand Out as a Creator
Episode Resources & Links:
Lawless Media - https://lawlessmediallc.com/
Follow Brandon on IG - https://www.instagram.com/brandonlawless1/
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Unreel Stories
Follow on Instagram & TikTok
Watch on YouTube
Join our Doc Club? Apply here1 hr - S1E3: Turning Your Short Documentary Into a Feature with So Yun Um
You’ve made a short documentary. But now you decided to make a feature on the same topic. What happens next? So Yun shares her journey directing LIQUOR STORE DREAMS.
This episode was recorded in 2022.
Guest Bio:
So Yun Um is a Korean American Director and Producer born and based in Los Angeles. She explores intimate and challenging stories of marginalized people with piercing humanity and poignant editing style.
Her directorial debut documentary feature film, LIQUOR STORE DREAMS, which is about second generation Korean American children of Liquor Store owners in the LA area, which made its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. Her work has screened at Tribeca Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, BFI London and more.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
1:10 - Quick Questions
1:55 - How Liquor Store Dreams Started
4:39 - Transitioning from Short to Feature
7:00 - Narration Tips
7:45 - How To Make Your Personal Story Universal
11:30 - Grant Writing
12:36 - Building a Team
17:44 - Finding an Executive Producer
23:22 - Grants & Investors
26:00 - What Makes a Good Sample
31:10 - Trailer vs. Sample
35:10 - How To Have Difficult Conversations
39:15 - Future
In this interview you will learn…
When So knew she could make a Feature
How So built a successful team
What an Executive Producer does
The difference between a Trailer and a Sample
Episode Resources & Links:
Liquor Store Dreams Website
Liquor Store Dreams on IG
Follow So on IG
Follow So on TikTok
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Unreel Stories
Follow on Instagram & TikTok
Watch on YouTube
Join our Doc Club? Apply here42 min - S1E2: Documentary Power Couples Roundtable with Riani Singgih & Brahmantyo Putra
Intro Summary:
Special Couple’s Roundtable! In this episode, you get to listen in on a candid catch-up between two documentary couples. They discuss the beginning stages of starting a company together, what roles each person plays, and what verite filmmaking really means. There may even be a surprise performance in the middle of this episode…
Guest Bios:
Riani Singgih is a Documentary filmmaker and Cinematographer. Riani thrives to tell stories on topics on mental health, Disability and minority issues. Her Documentary short films in the past has played in over 50 film festivals around the world, shooting in over 10 countries. Her work has been screened in Vice Media, Discovery Channel and PBS Network,
Brahmantyo Putra is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in documentary films, photojournalism, and art installations. Within his career he has collaborated with various international artists to raise social, cultural and political topics through exhibitions in Indonesia and Australia.
Chapters:
00:00 -Introduction
2:10 - Quick Questions with Riani & Brahm
9:45 - How Seven Ten Media was founded
17:04 - Working with Start-Ups
19:36 - Discussing Roles in Making Films Together
24:54 - Do We Argue with Each Other In Front of Other Crew Members???
27:45 - Favorite Apps for Documentary Filmmaking
34:07 - How We Inspire One Another’s Work
42:00 - How To Build a Relationship With Your Character
43:20 - Your Camera Has A Voice
48:00 - What does ‘Verite’ Mean To You?
1:00:00 - Documentary Filmmaking in the U.S. vs. Indonesia
1:08:00 - Having a Good Relationship with your Character
1:15:01 - The Future & Closing
In this interview you will learn…
What kind of clients you can work with as a production company
How Couples split up roles & navigate adversity
Favorite apps & tricks to running a successful documentary business
How to build a better relationship with your character
Why Your Camera Has a Voice
The difference between making films in the U.S. vs. in Indonesia
Episode Resources & Links:
Seven Ten Media Website
Seven Ten Media Instagram
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Unreel Stories
Follow on Instagram & TikTok
Watch on YouTube
Join our Doc Club? Apply here
1 hr 18 min - S1E1: How We Raised $10K through Crowdfunding with Jordyn Romero
Thinking about crowdfunding for your documentary?
Leah and Jordyn share their exact strategy for how they raised over $10k for their short documentary We Are Like Waves on IndieGoGo. They discuss what types of films are good for crowdfunding, how to utilize social media, and the importance of offering perks to your audience.
Jordyn is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, storyteller and creative. She grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Santa Fe, NM where she spent most weekends racing down the Rio Grande or hiking for fresh powder. From this innate need for exploration, her passion for filmmaking was born. She’s created work for brands including Specialized Bikes, GoPro, and Sierra Nevada. Her most recent film, We Are Like Waves, was released with The Los Angeles Times. Her films have premiered at Oscar qualifying festivals, won jury and audience awards, and played in over 20 countries around the world. Through her creative endeavors, she aims to amplify the voices of diverse women in the outdoor industry.*Episode Previously recorded in 2022*
In this interview you will learn…
What kind of films are good for crowdfunding
How we set our goal & launch date
Why perks are an important part of crowdfunding
Why you need a video & what we included in ours
What elements you need to include in your campaign
How to utilize social media and your email list
What We Discuss:
00:00 - Intro
2:15 - Quick Questions with Jordyn
5:48 - About We Are Like Waves & How the Story Came About
9:33 - How Jordyn Took Out a Loan
14:37 - Why We Chose to Crowdfund
17:43 - Why We Chose IndieGoGo as our Platform
20:24 - Our Strategy & How Much We Made After Fees
23:57 - What are Perks & How To Use Them
32:32 - Our Crowdfunding Timeline
39:00 - Why We Made a Crowdfunding Video
40:00 - What Elements To Include in Your Campaign
45:09 - How To Leverage Social Media
54:45 - Email List
57:37 - Closing
Our IndieGoGo Campaign
Our Crowdfunding VideoWe Are Like Waves Website
Jordyn Romero Portfolio
Follow Jordyn on IG
Jordyn’s Article in IndieGoGo
Talk Doc To Me is presented by Unreel StoriesFollow on Instagram & TikTok
Watch on YouTube
Join our Doc Club? Apply here
1 hr 1 min - THE LAST DANCE 🏀In the fourth episode of TALK DOC TO ME, Matt and Leah discuss the much anticipated 10-part docuseries that features Michael Jordan and the ‘97-‘98 Chicago Bulls during their infamous final season with Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, nicknamed “The Last Dance.”47 min
- FOR SAMA 👶In the third episode of TALK DOC TO ME, Matt and Leah discuss the 2019 Academy Award nominated best feature documentary, FOR SAMA. This doc is an intimate and epic journey into a mother’s journey during the uprising in Aleppo, Syria. They discuss the ethics of filming during a war, the impact it’s made on their lives, and why this film is a must-see.25 min
- MINDING THE GAP 🛹In the second episode of TALK DOC TO ME, Matt and Leah discuss the 2018 Academy Award nominated best feature documentary, MINDING THE GAP. This doc is a coming-of-age skateboarding film that follows the lives of 3 young men as they grow up in Rockford, Illinois. They discuss the thick plot that highlights the issues of domestic violence and how it affects adolescent development.24 min
- TIGER KING 🐅👑In the first episode of TALK DOC TO ME Matt and Leah discuss the world famous true crime docuseries: Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. They share their honest opinions about the insane 7 episode thriller that has changed the way the world views documentaries forever.27 min
About Talk Doc To Me
From the publisher's feed
Candid conversations about documentary storytelling hosted by Documentary Filmmakers Leah de Leon and Matthew Meredith.