Rough Cut

The documentary industry has seen huge changes in the last decade. So where does the industry stand today? What are some of the greatest challenges documentary filmmakers face? And what kind of work do industry gatekeepers want to support?

Our guest, Sara Archambault, is leading a new initiative at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center that is trying to answer these questions. The program, “Documentary in the Public Interest”, surveys scholars, filmmakers, journalists, and industry leaders to find out the most prominent trends in the doc industry and the biggest challenges filmmakers face. 

Sara Archambault has been a documentary producer and programmer for more than a decade. She was Program Director at LEF Foundation for 10 years, and was the Founder/Programmer of The DocYard.

Note that is the last episode with Rough Cut's Creator and Host Jennie Butler. If you'd like to get in touch, she can be reached at jenniebtlr@gmail.com

Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

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Aisha Jamal is a filmmaker, programmer and college professor. She is Canadian film programmer at Hot Docs Documentary Festival and previously worked for TIFF and Syria Film Festival Toronto, among others.

In this episode, Aisha talks about her path to programming, how her work as a filmmaker and film teacher informs her programming, and how programming decisions at Hot Docs are made.

Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

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When filmmaker Amanda Kim discovered the artist Nam June Paik, she knew she wanted to make a documentary about him. Five years later, Amanda's debut film Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Amanda came on the pod to talk about what she learned as a first time filmmaker — from bringing on producers, to fundraising, to navigating the edit.

Moon is the Oldest TV is currently screening at Film Forum in NYC.

Find Amanda Kim on Instagram.

Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

The Oscar-nominated documentary All That Breathes has a distinct visual style: long, beautiful, perfectly-constructed shots akin to narrative films. How can one stay true to this style in the unpredictable, often chaotic environments that define documentary filmmaking?

Director Shaunak Sen came on the pod to discuss his film's visual style, how he was able to capture so many unique, organic moments, and his approach to the edit.

You can watch All That Breathes now on HBO MAX.

Find Saunak on Instagram

Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

In this episode, we sit down with director, producer, and cinematographer Rita Baghdadi, who's latest film Sirens premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest.

Rita talks about how she transitioned from competitive horse jumping to documentary filmmaking, her process in making the film Sirens, how she was able to bring Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne on as Executive Producers, her collaboration with the composer Para One, how she was able to juggle verité shooting and directing, and more.

Find Rita on Instagram
Check out the film Sirens on Instagram and sirensdocumentary.com

Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

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Indian filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh were pleasantly surprised when their  independent feature doc Writing with Fire swept up awards, including at Sundance, and became the first Indian feature doc to ever be nominated for an Oscar.

But they were shocked when the film's subjects, after traveling with and celebrating the film for 14-months, suddenly pulled back from the project, releasing a statement saying that the film oversimplifies their work.

In this episode, Rintu and Sushmit talk about how they maintain the delicate balance between filmmaker and participant, as well as the stakes and challenges of storytelling in a dynamically evolving and complex democracy.

Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

What Do Filmmakers Owe Their Subjects? 

Souki Mehdaoui is a documentary filmmaker, DP, and subject coordinator. Her cinematography can be seen on Netflix, HBO, New York Times, and the Sundance-premiering documentaries The Great Hack and Mucho Mucho Amor.

Souki was a subject in the HBO doc series The Vow, and she brought her experiences as a documentary participant into her work as a subject coordinator for the Showtime documentary Cusp.

In this episode, Souki talks about what she’s learned from being on both sides of the camera and how filmmakers can create a transparent and ethical relationship with their film’s participants.

Follow Souki on instagram and check out her work here.

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Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

It's a scenario most documentary filmmakers dread: someone else is covering the same story. Dueling documentaries are becoming more common, but is competition always bad for filmmakers?

Director Jenner Furst came on the pod to talk about this phenomenon, which he's experienced several times throughout his career. Jenner and his filmmaking partner Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro directed Hulu's Fyre Fraud, which came out days before Netflix's FYRE, as well as LulaRich, released just prior to another film on the same subject, The Rise and Fall of LuLaRoe.

Jenner talks about how he approached these stories knowing there was a competing doc in progress, how he was able to gain access to some of the films' more controversial participants, and his advice for pitching to streamers.

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Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon on Instagram
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

A documentary filmmaker's relationship with their film's participants, or "subjects", is one of the most important but challenging parts of making a film. The director might have to consider: What are the boundaries of my relationship with the subject? Should the subjects be paid? What effects will my film have on the subjects' lives?

These questions are at the heart of the new documentary, SUBJECT, from directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall. The film examines the ethics of documentary filmmaking through interviews with industry gatekeepers, as well as subjects of some of the most notable documentaries like Hoop Dreams, Capturing the Friedmans, The Square, and The Staircase.

On this episode, Jennifer and Camilla talk about the experiences that inspired them to make SUBJECT, and how filmmakers can apply the film's themes to their own work.

To learn more about SUBJECT visit https://www.subject.film/

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Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

This episode is all about music in film—choosing the right tracks, licensing music, music supervision, and more.

We sat down with all star Music Supervisor Justin Feldman, whose credits include The Last Dance, Silicon Valley, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, and Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby. Justin rose through the ranks at Hit The Ground Running, an LA-based, full-service music supervision company, and shares his deep knowledge on music in film.

To learn more about Hit The Ground Running, visit htgr.net
Get in touch with Justin Feldman at info@htgr.net or on Twitter @JT_Feldman

Rough Cut on Instagram
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Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Executive Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins
Producer Amy DiGiacomo on Instagram and Twitter
Producer Caley Fox Shannon
Producer Abhishyant Kidangoor
Editor Audrey Horowitz on Instagram

Got an idea for an episode? Email podcast@videoconsortium.org

Click here to support the Video Consortium

You've finished a film. Now how do you get it programmed at your preferred festival?

Samah Ali is a film festival strategist, meaning she works with documentary directors and producers to achieve their film festival goals. Samah is also a distributor and film programmer at Academy Award-qualifying festivals like Hot Docs, DOC NYC, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival.

In this episode, Samah discusses how to think about premiere status, submission vs solicitation-based film festivals, and what a strategist like herself can bring to the table.

Check out Samah's blog: https://stratali.net/

Samah Ali on Twitter
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*Special thanks to Amy DiGiacomo for helping us produce this episode*

Jon Gerberg is an award-winning video journalist on the national and investigative beats. He joined The Washington Post in 2017 and was previously a foreign affairs producer at the “PBS NewsHour.” He has reported overseas for the New York Times, TIME, Associated Press and others. Countries he’s covered include Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Egypt, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, as well as across Europe and throughout the United States.

In this episode, Jon and Jennie talk about how to stay focused on the craft in a chaotic environment, how Jon choses what stories to pursue, and how to get into a workflow while on the go.

Jon Gerberg on Instagram and Twitter

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*Republishing an old favorite*

Chloe Gbai is the director of If/Then, a Tribeca Film Institute initiative that gives grants and provides mentorship to filmmakers creating short documentaries. She was previously a programmer at PBS POV Shorts. 

In this episode, Chloe gives advice on how to put together a strong grant application, and shares her insight on what makes a good shot doc. She is based in NYC.

Mentioned in the episode:

The Balloonfest That Went Horribly Wrong

For more info visit https://www.roughcutpodcast.com/

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Poh Si Teng is a documentary filmmaker and the Funds and Enterprise Program Director at IDA, one of the largest documentary grant funders. Before IDA, Poh worked as an independent filmmaker in India, a staff reporter at the New York Times, and as the documentary commissioner and senior producer for Al Jazeera English’s flagship strand Witness.  She also commissioned and produced the Academy Award-nominated St. Louis Superman.

In this episode, Poh gives advice on what makes a strong grant application, what documentary filmmakers should think about when they're starting a new project, and how her experiences as a filmmaker and journalist inform her work at IDA.

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Since it launched in 2014, Vox Video has amassed nearly 10 million subscribers on YouTube, and has expanded to platforms like Netflix, HBO, and Quibi. Its new docu-series Level Playing Field, about the intersection between sports and politics, is now streaming on HBO.

Joe Posner is the Co-founder and VP of Creative Development at Vox Video. In this episode, we discuss how Vox built its unique brand of explanatory journalism, and it kept this distinctness while scaling to other platforms.

Joe Posner on Twitter
Rough Cut on Instagram
Jennie Butler on Instagram
Sky Dylan-Robbins on Instagram
Video Consortium on Instagram

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What kinds of stories are best told in virtual reality? Why is VR so effective, and how can emerging filmmakers get started with VR?

Gary Yost and Adam Loften lead The WisdomVR Project, a library of VR documentaries and experiences. One of their latest projects, Inside COVID-19, was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2021.

Adam Loften is a documentary filmmaker producing award-winning 360/VR films and multimedia stories that highlight pressing social and environmental issues. His projects have screened at film festivals around the world and have been featured on PBS, National Geographic, Emergence Magazine, The Atlantic and the New York Times.

Gary Yost led the team that invented Autodesk 3ds Max, the world’s most popular 3D visual effects production system, and is an award-winning filmmaker with unique expertise in the combined fields of computer imaging, filmmaking and immersive storytelling. He founded the WisdomVR Project in 2018 with Ram Dass as the inaugural subject and is the president of the board of directors.

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As a freelancer, how do you negotiate a rate? What should you consider when setting a price? Doc filmmakers from both sides of the negotiation share their expertise in this special episode.

Guests:

Rebecca Davis (NBC News, Vox, NY Daily News)
Lea Khayata (Pushpin Films)
Javier Briones (Freelance Documentary Filmmaker)

Enter your salary/wage into the Video Pay Transparency Project

Rough Cut on Instagram
Jennie Butler on Instagram
Sky Dylan-Robbins on Instagram
Video Consortium on Instagram

Click here to support the Video Consortium

Hao Wu is an award-winning documentary filmmaker born and raised in China. His most recent film,  76 Days, documents Wuhan’s COVID-19 outbreak. The film is shot completely vérité with no interviews, and gives viewers a first-hand account of Covid's impact through the stories of healthcare workers, patients, and their families.

Hao directed the film remotely in the U.S. while his co-directors Weixi Chen (Esquire China) and a second reporter who wished to remain anonymous filmed inside four of the city's hospitals.

In this episode Hao talks about his experience directing a film remotely, why he chose to make the film completely vérité, and the challenges he faced in completing the project.

Hao Wu on Twitter
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Sky Dylan-Robbins on Instagram
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Geeta Gandbhir is a documentary director, producer, and editor who has been nominated for three Emmy Awards and has won two.  As editor, she won a Primetime Emmy for Best Editing for Spike Lee's HBO documentary series When the Levees Broke and also for the HBO film By The People, The Election of Barack Obama.

Her short film Call Center Blues, about US deportees and their loved ones struggling to rebuild their lives in Tijuana, was shortlisted for the 2021 Academy Awards

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Jeremy Workman is a documentary filmmaker and founder of Wheelhouse Creative, a company that makes trailers for narrative films and documentaries. In this interview, Jennie and Jeremy discuss the three acts of a trailer, why trailers are so important, what makes an effective trailer, and why trailers for docs can often be more challenging than for narrative films.

Links from the interview:

Lily Topples the World (new documentary premiering at SXSW)

The World Before Your Feet

Coded Bias trailer

Gatekeepers trailer

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Host Jennie Butler on Instagram
Producer Sky Dylan-Robbins on Instagram