Documentary First

Documentary First

The craft and business of documentary filmmaking — from people who actually do it. Documentary First is a weekly podcast for working and aspiring documentary filmmakers who want honest, in-depth conversations about how documentaries get funded, made, and seen. Hosted by Christian Taylor — award-winning director of The Girl Who Wore Freedom (25+ international awards, distributed through Virgil Films, Swank, and Canal+) — the show draws on 270+ interviews with documentary filmmakers, editors, producers, distributors, and composers across HBO, Netflix, PBS, and the independent doc world. Past guests include Ken Burns, PBS American Masters creator Susan Lacy, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning editor Charles Olivier (HBO's The Jinx, The Redeem Team), and Emmy-nominated director Nick Bruckman (Netflix's Minted). Every week, Documentary First delivers two formats in one feed. The main show features long-form interviews exploring how filmmakers approach their craft, navigate distribution, and build sustainable careers. On alternating weeks, Documentary First: The Deep Dive takes a single insight from a recent guest conversation and goes further — drawing on psychology, philosophy, and real-world experience to uncover the deeper lessons behind the work. Documentary First is the only podcast in the documentary filmmaking space hosted by a working filmmaker with active projects in production and an archive of 270+ conversations spanning every corner of the industry. If you make documentaries or want to, this is your show. Topics include: documentary directing, documentary producing, documentary distribution, film festival strategy, fundraising for documentaries, storytelling craft, documentary cinematography, documentary editing, film music and scoring, sound design for film, entertainment law for filmmakers, archival footage and rights clearance, and building a sustainable career in nonfiction filmmaking. New episodes every week. Subscribe and leave a review! Instagram: @documentaryfirst | Facebook: @documentaryfirst | X: @Doc_First | TikTok: @documentaryfirst | YouTube: @DocumentaryFirst | LinkedIn: documentaryfirst | documentaryfirst.com

Episoder(286)

Episode 268 | Peter Kelly’s Archaeological Adventure in the Turks and Caicos

Episode 268 | Peter Kelly’s Archaeological Adventure in the Turks and Caicos

In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor sits down with filmmaker Peter Kelly to explore his remarkable journey from his Mississippi roots to documenting the rich cultural and marit...

1 Jan 37min

Episode 267 | Alan Govenar’s New Film, “Quiet Voices in a Noisy World”

Episode 267 | Alan Govenar’s New Film, “Quiet Voices in a Noisy World”

In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor interviews acclaimed documentary filmmaker, writer, photographer, and cultural documentarian Alan Govenar—a storyteller with a 44-year caree...

18 Des 20251h

Episode 266 | Emmy-Award Winning Producer, Susan Lacy, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” Interview

Episode 266 | Emmy-Award Winning Producer, Susan Lacy, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” Interview

Susan Lacy—the iconic creator of PBS’s American Masters and one of the most influential voices in biographical documentary filmmaking joins us. From her early roots in journalism to building a landmar...

4 Des 202559min

Episode 265 | Harvesting the Power of Connections: “The Price of Milk” Docuseries Filmmaker Interview

Episode 265 | Harvesting the Power of Connections: “The Price of Milk” Docuseries Filmmaker Interview

In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor welcomes back Emmy-nominated director and producer Nicholas (Nick) Bruckman for his third visit to the show. Together, they pull back the cu...

22 Nov 20251h 3min

Episode 264 | Billy Joel: Telling the Story Behind the Musician (with Jessica Levin)

Episode 264 | Billy Joel: Telling the Story Behind the Musician (with Jessica Levin)

In this episode of Documentary First, Christian sits down with filmmaker Jessica Levin, co-director and producer of the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in the Best Music Documentary-nominated HBO do...

6 Nov 20251h 9min

Episode 263 | Crowdfunding for Filmmakers — Lessons from the UnScarred Campaign

Episode 263 | Crowdfunding for Filmmakers — Lessons from the UnScarred Campaign

In this episode of Documentary First, return guest filmmaker Elise Jaffe, first-time director of documentary project: UnScarred, and special guest, Stacie Rae Weir, a tattoo artist and breast-cancer p...

23 Okt 202549min

Episode 262 | Why Josh Roush Made “Long Lonesome Highway: The Michael Parks Story”

Episode 262 | Why Josh Roush Made “Long Lonesome Highway: The Michael Parks Story”

In this episode of Documentary First, filmmaker Josh Roush opens up about his deeply personal journey creating the documentary Long Lonesome Highway, a heartfelt tribute to legendary actor Michael Par...

9 Okt 202545min

Episode 261 | Doc First Members Have Entered the Chat

Episode 261 | Doc First Members Have Entered the Chat

In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor opens up with heartfelt personal updates and reflections on the journey of documentary filmmaking. Fresh off a moving trip to Normandy, Chri...

24 Sep 20251h 2min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
alt-fortalt
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
grenselos
min-barneoppdragelse
synnve-og-vanessa
bokmerket-2
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
fladseth
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
198-land-med-einar-trnquist