How do you navigate the documentary job landscape? Asking for a friend…

Leah sits down with Devon Blackwell to chat about her time working at The New Yorker, how she handled layoffs, and her approach to using archival materials in documentaries.

Devon Blackwell is a director and editor, a Sundance Ignite Fellow, and currently pursuing her Master’s in Documentary Filmmaking at Stanford University. She began her career as a filmmaker and curator at The New Yorker, where she produced Nina and Irena, a film that was shortlisted for an Oscar. She’s also a 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and her recent film, Goodbye, Morganza, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, earning a special jury mention in the Short Documentary category.

About Goodbye, Morganza: A property dispute led to one family’s displacement from their ancestral home. Today, their youngest daughter is left to pick up the pieces—all of them fitting within two storage units.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ How to get your documentary featured on The New Yorker

✨ Navigating layoffs and grad school

✨ How to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list

✨ Tackling imposter syndrome

✨ Tips for using archival footage in your documentary

Episode Resources & Links:

Learn more about documentary producing: Leah’s YouTube