Documentary First

Join hosts Christian and Jason as they dive deep into the ever-changing world of filmmaking with seasoned filmmaker, Joe Amodei. With over 20 years of firsthand experience and a passion for film history, Joe shares invaluable insights on the business side of filmmaking in this thought-provoking episode. Discover the Top 5 things every filmmaker needs to know to succeed in this dynamic industry. Fr...

In this episode Jason Rugg, our loyal host and trusty dusty button pushing guy, is our guest guru on animation and how animation in documentary filmmaking is making a resurgence. With Jason’s extensive background in animation, Christian questions Jason about how animation works and they discuss the history, as well as the pros and cons of using animation in documentary storytelling. Referencing th...

Get ready for an exciting new episode of Documentary First! In episode 192, we're diving deep into the impact of life on the process of filmmaking. With team members experiencing unexpected life events, we explore how creativity is affected when life gets in the way. You won't want to miss the insightful thoughts the team received from another filmmaker, Flo Plana, and Christian's thrilling experi...

Welcome to Episode 191. Chad Gilchrist, grip and lighting guru extraordinaire, and Director of Photography for “Taking Carentan”, joins the podcast today to talk about the Top 5 skills every cinematographer needs to develop in order to be successful. Before we get into the episode, I wanted to let you know we’re starting something really new. We have extra bonus content exclusively for our Patreon...

Interested in improving your creative workflow? Jeff Kurtenacker is back to explain why it all starts with developing good taste. But it doesn’t end there, listen in to discover what it takes to improve your skills, whether it is composing music, directing films, etc. Breakdown: 00:00-06:05 What is Taste? 06:06-14:02 Pathway to Excellence 14:03-21:36 How to Receive Constructive Criticism 21:37-31:...

Christian and Jason do a deep dive into "the dreaded cue sheet" with Jeff Kurtenacker. What is a music cue sheet and why is it important for your film? The benefits outweigh the costs. It is more than just a tracking document! It's a sheet that you submit, it requires assigning a name for every piece of music in a film and adding timecodes where each piece of music starts and ends. A composer is a...

This week on the podcast Christian talks with Ben Feithen, Documentary First's CEO, about plans for Documentary First in 2023. The DocFirst team is smaller now, and they ponder how to do more with less? When you hear the word "AI" - do you think about the Terminator series.....????? Well, don't be alarmed, in this podcast we unpack the pros and cons of a few new exciting automation and AI tools. 0...

Hear the rest of the story from the film-making duo, the Gilchrist's, and how they collaborated with the local French people, in particular with Francois. Find out how he got to know Christian and provided background extras-- And local police gets involved? Hear how our team avoided penalties; Did we bribe them with cookies...? DocuView Déjà Vu: Chad: The Dissident (2020) https://www.imdb.com/titl...

Christian & Jason finally get to chat with Tayler & Chad Gilchrist. We find out how they met Christian and the journey of going to France this past summer to be a part of the team to film the sizzle reel for our Carentan Project. DocuView Déjà Vu: Tayler Gilchrist: Into The Deep (2020) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11394296/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

This week there's a lot to recap, but first...introducing a possibly new segment called "News for the Day!" Coming off an East Coast tour, Christian talks new advancements in finding an audience that are made through connections. It is Robbie's last episode, cheers! Please rate and review our film, The Girl Who Wore Freedom, on Rotten Tomatoes! Docu-View DejaVu: Christian: Pepsi, Where's My Jet? (...

This episode originally aired on November 26th, 2021. It's a re-airing of a special Thanksgiving episode at the time Documentary First was pitching to distributors like Netflix in Los Angeles and before our Carentan sizzle reel was finished! - - We recollect favorite thanksgiving movies and general thanksgiving. Christian has studio updates and shares future plans with streaming platform, Vudu. We...

Special guest (for the second time) Joe Amodei gives us a history lesson, starting in the 50's & 60's with Bing Crosby & Jerry Lewis, then moving on to the 80's with VHS tapes. Joe shares how he started working at a video store and moved into distribution. He went from building other peoples businesses to building his own personal distribution company, starting with "Supersize Me". Christian share...

How do you tell a story when the protagonist is a place? Our very own script-writer, Zach Callaghan, says "identity and purpose" are the two big things he looks for. Listen to his process of taking footage shot back in June 2022 for the Carentan project and developing it into a story. DocuView Déjà Vu: Christian: The Martha Mitchell Effect (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16379454 They'll Love...

There has been a team shuffle. Jason Rugg is now in the host seat with Robbie Davis joining Christian and Jason. Christian gives an update before an impromptu "symposium" on story. Life is never linear or straight forward. Christian shares from her heart about the topsy-turviness of life with family and balancing work and priorities/commitments made that need to be honored. Much gratitude was give...

Today we’re joined by a special guest, but first an update! The Girl Who Wore Freedom will be available on many streaming services soon, thanks to Virgil Films. We discuss E&O Insurance, and then dive into an update about The Documentary First Podcast. Judith Pearson Official Website: https://judithlpearson.com/books/the-wolves-at-the-door/ Virginia Hall: The True Story of America's Greatest Femal...

Today we discuss "The Bear" and "Kobra Kai", then jump into discussing the current state of Christian’s next project: funding and budgets! DocuView Déjà Vu: Josh’s: Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary (1997) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116481/ Jason’s: Obi Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21860836/ Christian’s: Lucy and Desi (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt129...

Christian has some exciting updates about the Carentan sizzle reel and The Brave Dutch! Also, she recently had a wonderful time zooming in alongside Michèle Phoenix at a screening held at Documentary First's long-time friend, Laura Priebe's, church. If you are interested in live events, you can email Christan@documentaryfirst.com. Tickets for Currahee Military Museum, Toccoa, GA, September 29 even...

Staying afloat selling a movie has its own set of troubles. This week we celebrate the small wins! The Girl Who Wore Freedom is one step closer to being represented by Virgil Films. Also, new connections introduce new ways of producing income. DocuView Déjà Vu: Christian's: Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017): www.imdb.com/title/tt6854248 Josh's: Light & Magic (2022): https://www....

Today we’re joined by Christian, Josh and Jason! We talk through Christian’s new distribution deal, Error and Omission Insurance and in person screenings of the film! DocuView Déjà Vu: Josh’s: The Staircase (2022): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11324406/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 The Staircase (2004): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388644/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3 Christian’s: Made you Look: A True Story About Fak...

Christian is looking for new ways to distribute her film even as her team starts focusing on other projects. Josh wonders how much value there is in putting energy into a film that has already run its course in the film circuit. DocuView Déjà Vu: Josh's: Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416716/ Christian's: Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies...

Christian sits down with her sound team, Jeff Kurtenacker (Composer) and Jason Hoban (Sound Engineer), to bounce ideas around concerning the development of her next project, The Brave Dutch. DocuView Déjà Vu: Christian's: Jane (2017) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7207238/ Jeff's: Our Father (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19704638/ Jason's: Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller (2020) https://www....

Today we’re back with Josh, Christian and Jason. We stop and remember Brad Freeman of Easy Company, and discuss what’s going on with the film now, and the highs and lows of production. DocuView Déjà Vu: Josh’s: Val (2021) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14731254 Christian’s: Julia (2021) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13782428 Jason’s: Chernobyl: the Lost Tapes (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13913...

Zach Callaghan refreshes us on how he joined the team as a staff writer. Initially hired to help with documentary guideline work, he also shares how he become an impromptu production crew member in France.

At the tail-end of her journey in France this Summer, Christian talks with Josh Lindsay about the thick of what was a packed schedule. Screenings, filming a sizzle reel, and honoring veterans were just a few of the things on the list. Listen to hear the rest! DocuView Déjà Vu: American Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181288/ Somebody Feed Phil: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7752034

Carentan sizzle reel shoot is done! Christian and Co-Producer, Michelle Coupey review the past few weeks with TGWWF and give a quick peek into the most recent shoot in Normandy.