The Documentary Life

I’m often asked about the most common mistakes one can avoid before diving headlong into one’s documentary project. In some ways, I can’t really decide if I’m the right or wrong one to ask this question to. I mean, I’ve kind of made some of the same mistakes multiples times in the past couple of projects alone. So, yeah, in a way maybe I am the right person to ask about this… you know, since I’ve felt the pain not once, but twice, and therefore will never make these same mistakes again..!! (Right??) Anyhow, discussing some pitfalls to avoid well before shooting the first frame of your documentary is at the heart of today’s episode.

It’s also worth noting that this particular episode marks our tenth one! Celebration time, you documentary lifers!! We’re still going, and strongly at that. Listen in to find out why and how, as well as another milestone that I’m ecstatic to share with you.

So… thank you for continuing to tune in to this show. The documentary life community is growing… one download and one subscriber at a time…

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I’m often asked about the most common mistakes one can avoid before diving headlong into one’s documentary project. In some ways, I can’t really decide if I’m the right or wrong one to ask this question...

It’s episode 9 and I really feel that we’re hitting some sort of proverbial stride with this one. In this latest installment to our monthly conversations with an industry person, I spoke with filmmaker and founder of NW Documentary, Ian McCluskey. The content and style of conversation, in my opinion, is the closest I’ve come yet to what I’ve been envisioning as the mission of The Documentary Life podcast. That whole inspirational and educational thing that I’ve been talking about since the inception of this show? Well, it’s all here, in what is most assuredly my favourite episode to date!

Whether it be through one of his numerous documentary films or through one of his classes at NW Documentary, Ian is most definitely someone who is truly living a documentary life. In this episode, you’ll hear how Ian started NW Doc from the couch of his college apartment and blossomed it into one of the premiere documentary non-profit organisations of the northwest. You’ll also hear how and why Ian believes that documentary is a calling, that it’s an important and serious thing to do with one’s life. And you’ll hear about the beautiful people, music, and inspiration that brought about his latest award-winning documentary film, Voyageurs Without Trace.

Enjoy, everyone. I can honestly say that this is one of the best episodes so far, in this journey that is… The Documentary Life…

Trailer

Watch the trailer for Voyageurs:

https://vimeo.com/125594413

Read about some of the brilliant score by The Decemberists‘ Jenny Conlee and listen to to some of the music.

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If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

It’s episode 9 and I really feel that we’re hitting some sort of proverbial stride with this one. In this latest installment to our monthly conversations with an industry person, I spoke with filmmaker and...

We had an email from a listener a few episodes ago that I addressed towards the top of the show. In it, the listener discussed their struggles with finding a way to truly finish their film that they’d been working on for quite some time. (You might also remember TDL guest, documentary filmmaker John Pirozzi, talking about how it took him nine years to finish his doc film Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten.)

I got to thinking about this. I’d had my own struggles with this on my Nepal doc Journey to Kathmandu. Many times have colleagues discussed the difficulties of putting that final 10 percent into finishing their film. (And speaking of 10 percent, that seems to be about the number of people that are actually successful in seeing their film projects all of the way through!)

So I thought it might make sense to host an entire program that dealt with this very topic. In this show, I lay out a Top 5 List for finishing your documentary film. These very tools/ideas are what have allowed me to finish my various film projects, and I believe they will be helpful for you too.

So please, sit back and enjoy, and share this with other documentary filmmaking friends! The finish line IS coming. Your film CAN be finished. There are just a few things that we can all do to make it just a bit more attainable is all!

Related Resources

Brian Tracy’s Personal Time Management – This is amazing in so many ways. An extremely well traversed and helpful message – I’ve listened to this so many times I’ve lost count! – wrapped up in a classic 80s video set. Hah! Winning!

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Top 5 Ways to Finish Your Documentary Film

Welcome to the third edition of our monthly conversation with a documentary industry person. This time out, I sat down with Seattle-based doc filmmaker Scott Squire, who along with his wife, Amy Benson, run the documentary production company, Non Fiction Media. Their first feature documentary is a film called Drawing the Tiger, and was shot entirely in the country of Nepal, a country that yours truly has quite a strong connection to himself, having shot a film of his own there (Journey to Kathmandu).

The conversation was a special one for me and one that I was excited to do from the outset. I was a massive fan of their Nepal doc and once I’d had a conversation with Scott, I knew that we had a lot of common ground that would be great to share with all of you documentary lifers! There is a bunch of great stuff in here for you guys… tips on making films in an environment like Nepal… how it’s important and why we doc filmmakers so often work with NGOs and humanitarian organisations around the world… what it’s like working in a business and creative relationship with one’s partner… and so so much more.

Enjoy hearing about two filmmakers incredible filmmaking journeys in Nepal. And enjoy learning more about how you can best lead and live your own documentary life!

FUN SIDE NOTE: This conversation was actually recorded a few months back when I began work on the show. At the time, I assumed that it might be the first of my monthly conversations with an documentary industry person. However, due to some specific timing of content in other shows, I had to schedule this one a little later in. Probably makes no difference to you guys, but going back and listening to it is kind of interesting. I can tell that I was still “learning the ropes” and trying some new things out. (Not that I’m not still doing that!)

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If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!

Welcome to the third edition of our monthly conversation with a documentary industry person.  This time out, I sat down with Seattle-based doc filmmaker Scott Squire, who along with his wife, Amy Benson, run the documentary production company, Non Fiction Media.  Their first feature documentary is a film called Drawing the Tiger, and was shot entirely in the country of Nepal, a country that yours truly has quite a strong connection to himself, having shot a film of his own there (Journey to Kathmandu).

 

The conversation was a special one for me and one that I was excited to do from the outset.  I was a massive fan of their Nepal doc and once I'd had a conversation with Scott, I knew that we had a lot of common ground that would be great to share with all of you documentary lifers!  There is a bunch of great stuff in here for you guys... tips on making films in an environment like Nepal... how it's important and why we doc filmmakers so often work with NGOs and humanitarian organisations around the world... what it's like working in a business and creative relationship with one's partner... and so so much more.

 

Enjoy hearing about two filmmakers incredible filmmaking journeys in Nepal.  And enjoy learning more about how you can best lead and live your own documentary life!

 

FUN SIDE NOTE: This conversation was actually recorded a few months back when I began work on the show.  At the time, I assumed that it might be the first of my monthly conversations with an documentary industry person.  However, due to some specific timing of content in other shows, I had to schedule this one a little later in.  Probably makes no difference to you guys, but going back and listening to it is kind of interesting.  I can tell that I was still "learning the ropes" and trying some new things out. (Not that I'm not still doing that!)

 

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Rate and Review

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others.  Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry.  Thank you for your support!

 

Welcome to the third edition of our monthly conversation with a documentary industry person.  This time out, I sat down with Seattle-based doc filmmaker Scott Squire, who along with his wife, Amy Benson, run the...

Okay, so the show is now five episodes old (not including this one which will give us six total). We’ve had some great conversations with documentary industry people like John Pirozzi (Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten) and Lydia B. Smith (Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago), covering topics such as shooting film overseas in developing countries and the importance of laying down a solid grassroots foundation well before your film is even shot. In the other episodes, I’ve talked about what it means to lead a documentary life, choosing the right camera for your project, and ways to find score for your film.

But now I think it’s high time we get down to the nitty gritty of what we’re going to be about here on this show. And that’s how to best be leading our documentary lives. So in this show, I detail what I believe are the Top Three Critical Components to Living an Abundant Film Life. Don’t worry, though. There are only brief mentions of self help gurus like Tony Robbins or Dave Ramsey. While those cats certainly have their places in personal development – and I’ve learned from the both of them! – I’ve no interest in regurgitating that particular sector of self help.

What I am about is calling it the way that I see it. So what you’re about to get is an honest, candid, few suggestions on what I’ve experienced are the best ways that I know how to lead my own documentary life. So check it out and let me know what you think. I bet you can add to this list. So please share that with all of us in the comments below. Don’t let my voice be the only one that gets heard here. This show is about collaboration and the sharing of ideas. So, we’ve got a whole community out there that would benefit greatly from hearing what you’ve got to say.

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Rate and Review

If you have found value in this podcast please leave a review so it can become more visible to others. Simply click the link and then click on the Ratings and Reviews tab to make your entry. Thank you for your support!