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Documentary First: Conversations on Documentary Filmmaking

Documentary First

Conversations with the people behind documentaries and how the work changed them, from Ken Burns and PBS American Masters creator Susan Lacy to first-time directors finishing their first film. Documentary First is a weekly podcast for anyone who loves a true story, and for the filmmakers who tell them.

Host Christian Taylor, director of the award-winning The Girl Who Wore Freedom (25+ international awards; distributed by Virgil Films, Swank, and Canal+), has talked with documentary directors, editors, producers, distributors, and composers across HBO, Netflix, PBS, and the independent documentary world for more than 290 episodes. Guests have included Emmy and Peabody Award-winning editor Charles Olivier (HBO’s The Jinx) and Emmy-nominated director Nick Bruckman (Netflix’s Minted). Listen Notes ranks the show in the top 5% of all podcasts worldwide.

Two formats, one feed. The main show features long-form interviews about the stories behind the films: how they got made, what it took from the people who made them, and what they learned. On alternating weeks, Documentary First: The Deep Dive takes one insight from a recent conversation and follows it wherever it leads.

Topics include documentary films and how they get made: documentary directing, documentary producing, documentary editing, documentary distribution, documentary funding, documentary storytelling, film festival strategy, archival footage and rights clearance, entertainment law for filmmakers, and building a life in nonfiction filmmaking.

New episodes every week. Follow the show and leave a review.

Instagram: @documentaryfirst | Facebook: @documentaryfirst | X: @Doc_First | TikTok: @documentaryfirst | YouTube: @DocumentaryFirst | LinkedIn: documentaryfirst | documentaryfirst.com

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  • S6 · E276
    April 23 · 51 min· Video

    Ep. 276 I Robin Canfield on Teaching iPhone Documentary in 20 Countries

    Why do documentary subjects freeze for a professional camera - but open up to an iPhone? Robin Canfield shares why he films with iPhones, how he teaches documentary in twenty countries, and the communication skill he says every documentary filmmaker overlooks. Robin joins us from Saigon, Vietnam, during a four-week documentary program with international students. He shares why he switched from Canon cameras to phones, how his crews rebuild story structure at 1 AM using sticky notes on a wall, what happened the day a government minder followed him into a Hoi An coffee shop, and why he thinks communication is the skill every documentary filmmaker overlooks. In this episode, you'll learn: — Why documentary subjects freeze in front of professional cameras but open up around Phones — How Robin and his students have produced more than 200 short documentaries in 20+ countries — The paper-cut editing method Robin uses when the timeline on the computer isn’t telling the story — Why communication may matter more than any gear you buy — How to film ethically in countries where you're a guest, and what to do when the government is watching — Why Robin screens every film locally before leaving, so the people in the story can see it first — How Actuality Abroad started with a coffee cooperative story in Guatemala — How a journalism background becomes a foundation for documentary filmmaking — Why filmmakers can’t wait for someone to fund their work anymore — What Robin means when he says "everyone is a storyteller, and everyone could be a better one" Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:11 Robin in Saigon — the Documentary Outreach program 2:52 Growing up with a camera — Dad’s darkroom 5:35 Journalism at Oregon State 7:31 Founding Actuality Abroad — the Guatemala test run 11:34 Writing Purpose Driven Documentaries 15:49 Why Robin switched from Canon cameras to iPhones 16:32 Why subjects freeze for cameras and relax around phones 17:04 Filmmaking is a craft you learn by doing 21:21 Everyone is a storyteller 24:42 Documentary filmmaking is problem solving 25:54 International production and visa logistics 29:32 The government watcher in a Vietnam coffee shop 34:50 The paper-cut editing method 39:13 Rights, Creative Commons, and protecting films 42:43 The Edinburgh tavern — being American abroad 45:06 Learning to crowdfund and ask for what you need 48:42 DocuView Deja Vu: The Pez Outlaw DocuView Deja Vu Pick: Robin Canfield: The Pez Outlaw (Netflix, 2022) This episode is supported by Virgil Films Entertainment. About the Guest: Robin Canfield is the co-founder and Director of Global Operations at Actuality Abroad, a media-centered study abroad program that has produced more than 200 short documentaries in 20+ countries. He trains his crews on iPhones with Tilta rigs, not traditional cinema cameras. He is the author of Purpose Driven Documentaries: A Field Guide to Creating Impact (Focal Press), a textbook for students and storytellers making social impact documentaries. He grew up around his father’s darkroom, studied journalism at Oregon State University, and has been a photographer and filmmaker most of his life. Based in Orlando, Florida. Some of Robin's Recent Works: “Los Maestros del Mañana” - Los Maestros del Mañana - July/August 2025, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Documentary Outreach (4 week program) “Welcome to La Perseverancia” - Welcome to La Perseverancia - May 2025, Bogota, Colombia - Field Study (custom program with 10 adult former-foster-care-youth from Chicago) “What Feeds Us” - What Feeds Us - January/February 2025, Bangkok, Thailand - Documentary Outreach (4 week program) “Anything is Possible” - Anything is Possible - July/August 2024, Tangier, Morocco - Documentary Outreach (4 week program) “Seeds for the Future” - Seeds for the Future - July, 2024, Uaxactún, Guatemala - Storytelling Expedition (2 week program in the Maya jungle in Guatemala) About Actuality Abroad: Actuality Abroad is a media-centered study abroad program that pairs filmmaking students with NGOs and social enterprises around the world. Since its founding, the program has produced over 200 short documentaries in more than 20 countries, including Guatemala, Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Ecuador, and Vietnam. Students work in small crews, follow a full pre-production and editing curriculum, and screen their finished films locally before leaving each country. ***Interested in going on a trip with Actuality Abroad to Guatamala this July? Visit the Actuality Abroad website and hit the "Apply Now" button.*** Resources Mentioned: — Purpose Driven Documentaries: A Field Guide to Creating Impact by Robin Canfield (Focal Press) — The Pez Outlaw (Netflix, 2022) — The Cove (2009) — Poverty Inc. (2014) Listen & Follow: Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/DocFirstApple Spotify: tinyurl.com/DocFirstSpotify YouTube: tinyurl.com/DocFirstYouTube Amazon Music: tinyurl.com/DocFirstAmazon Support the show on Patreon: tinyurl.com/DocFirstPatreon Connect: Actuality Abroad: actualityabroad.com Actuality Abroad on Vimeo and YouTube — search "Actuality Abroad" Connect with Christian Taylor on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meetchristiantaylor All Documentary First platforms: linktr.ee/doc1st

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  • April 16 · 12 min· Video

    They Wanted My Voice to Train AI - What Thoreau Knew About Living Deliberately in a Revolution: Deep Dive on Ep. 275

    Someone tried to harvest Christian's voice for AI training. The pitch was polished, the project sounded real. But when she responded with ten professional questions, the conversation ended. Permanently. In this Deep Dive on Episode 275, Christian connects that experience to her conversation with Erik and Christopher Ewers, the brothers behind the PBS documentary Henry David Thoreau. Chris Ewers argues that every technological revolution has felt like the end of the world — the Industrial Revolution, digital cameras, and now AI. Each time the tool became indispensable. Then Christian pulls in Thoreau himself — the man who railed against the railroad and then rode the train 70 times. He used the tool deliberately. In this episode, you’ll hear: The full story of the suspicious voice-over job offer and the ten questions that ended it. Why Christian’s VO business is declining while her filmmaking and podcasting are thriving. Chris Ewers’s case for why AI is the digital camera revolution all over again. Thoreau’s “cost of a thing” quote and why it hits differently in the age of AI. The contradiction of Thoreau and the train — and what “live deliberately” actually means now. Jeff Goldblum at the mic and George Clooney saying “tell me if I suck” — what AI will never replace. Timestamps: 0:00 What George Clooney Told the Directors 0:18 Show open 0:28 The Ethan Caldwell story 2:33 Where I stand with AI 3:49 The Ewers Brothers and the revolution that always comes 5:09 Clip: Chris Ewers on AI and the digital camera revolution 7:15 Thoreau, technology, and the train he swore he’d never ride 9:25 What “live deliberately” actually means 9:44 What Ethan Caldwell’s silence reveals 10:45 Goldblum, Clooney, and what machines can’t replicate 11:59 Closing Listen & Follow: Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/DocFirstApple Spotify: tinyurl.com/DocFirstSpotify YouTube: tinyurl.com/DocFirstYouTube Amazon Music: tinyurl.com/DocFirstAmazon Support the show on Patreon: tinyurl.com/DocFirstPatreon About the Guests (from DF Episode 275): Erik Ewers: Director, Editor. Ken Burns’s senior editor for 33+ years. Multiple Emmy winner. Based in New Hampshire. Christopher Loren Ewers: Director, DP. 20+ years behind the camera. Based in the NYC metro area. About Henry David Thoreau (PBS): A three-part, three-hour documentary. Executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley. Narrated by George Clooney. Voices by Jeff Goldblum (Thoreau), Ted Danson (Emerson), Meryl Streep, and Tate Donovan. Available now on PBS and PBS Documentaries on Amazon. Resources: Henry David Thoreau (PBS, 2026) | Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854) Hear Part 1: Episode 274, “I Didn’t Know Myself: Erik & Chris Ewers on Ken Burns, PBS & Thoreau” Hear Part 2: Episode 275, "Erik & Chris Ewers on PBS Funding, AI & Directing Goldblum, Clooney & Streep" Connect: Ewers Brothers: ewersbrothers.com Erik Ewers: @melonhd | linkedin.com/in/erik-ewers-38122729 Chris Ewers: @christopher_loren_ewers_dp | linkedin.com/in/christopherewers Christian Taylor: @meetchristiantaylor I linkedin.com/in/meetchristiantaylor All platforms: linktr.ee/doc1st

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  • S6 · E275
    April 9 · 39 min· Video

    Ep. 275 I Erik & Chris Ewers on PBS Funding, AI & Directing Goldblum, Clooney & Streep

    Even with Ken Burns and Don Henley attached, funding a PBS documentary is brutal. So what hope do the rest of us have? Erik and Christopher Ewers get real about PBS funding, AI’s impact on filmmaking, and how they landed George Clooney, Jeff Goldblum, Ted Danson, Tate Donovan and Meryl Streep for their new PBS documentary Henry David Thoreau. In Part 2 of this conversation, the Ewers Brothers open up about the financial realities of documentary funding, even with Ken Burns and Don Henley attached, why Chris sees AI as the next revolution instead of the apocalypse, how broadcast is giving way to streaming, and the stories behind casting some of Hollywood’s biggest voices. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. In Part 2, you’ll learn: — Why having Ken Burns and Don Henley as executive producers doesn’t make funding easy and who actually made the Thoreau film possible — Chris’s case for why AI is the digital camera revolution all over again, not the death of filmmaking — The best professional advice Chris ever received and why it will never change — How Chris kept his mouth shut on a commercial set with Jeff Goldblum and how that silence led to Goldblum voicing Thoreau — The story of how Don Henley quietly recruited George Clooney as narrator and Clooney’s reaction when asked how long he’d known Henley — Ken Burns’s advice on directing Meryl Streep: “You don’t.” — How streaming is changing episode length and why “the director’s cut” isn't what it used to be. — Erik’s approach to pre-planning edit cuts for PBS broadcast time slots without sacrificing the story — Why Ken Burns treats his mentorship like tough love — and why Erik is grateful for it — One thing filmmakers need to know about getting a documentary on PBS Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:21 Unpacking the Thoreauvian mindset 2:46 Thoreau’s prescience on consumerism 3:50 Erik on Thoreau’s “cost of life” quote and the iPhone 4:40 Thoreau and the birth of the Industrial Revolution 6:03 Christian’s advice: think from the end back 6:50 Chris on the state of the industry — Industrial Revolution to AI 10:20 Christian: as a voice actor, AI is a challenge 10:53 The best professional advice Chris ever received 11:36 Christian on the struggle to fund the next film 12:54 Money is always the biggest hurdle 13:15 How the Ewers Brothers fund PBS docs without federal money 14:49 Ken Burns’s two binders of rejection letters 15:07 The Movies That Made Us — encouragement for indie filmmakers 16:26 The reality: it’s hard for everybody 17:52 Erik on Ken Burns’s legacy projects and the privilege of the brand 20:58 Erik on earning the gift — Ken’s tough love mentorship 22:00 Broadcast vs. streaming — why episode length is changing 23:52 Erik’s editing strategy for PBS time slots 25:37 Celebrity voice talent — how they landed Jeff Goldblum 27:43 Don Henley’s connections — Ted Danson and Meryl Streep 29:09 The George Clooney reveal — “If Don Henley calls, you say yes” 30:43 What it’s like to direct celebrity voice talent 30:55 Jeff Goldblum in the booth — pure instinct 31:26 Ken Burns’s advice on directing Meryl Streep 31:52 George Clooney: “Tell me if I suck” 32:42 DocuVue Deja Vu — Erik’s picks and Chris’s all-time favorite DocuView DejaVu Picks: Erik Ewers: Crumb (1994), Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991), Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011), The Thin Blue Line (1988) Christopher Loren Ewers: Man on Wire (2008) Christian Taylor: Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy (Netflix, 2024) This episode is supported by Virgil Films Entertainment. About the Guests: Erik Ewers — Director, Editor. Ken Burns’s senior editor for 33+ years. Multiple Emmy winner. ACE Eddie Award winner (The Roosevelts, 2015). Based in New Hampshire. Christopher Loren Ewers — Director, DP. 20+ years behind the camera. Commercial clients include Apple, Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co., Stella Artois, Volvo, Peter Millar. Based in the NYC metro area. About Henry David Thoreau (PBS): A three-part, three-hour documentary — the first full-length documentary biography of Thoreau. Executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley. Narrated by George Clooney. Voices by Jeff Goldblum (Thoreau), Ted Danson (Ralph Waldo Emerson), Meryl Streep (Lidian Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Mary Merrick Brooks, Maria Thoreau), and Tate Donovan (William Ellery Channing). Available now on PBS and PBS Documentaries on Amazon. Resources Mentioned: — Henry David Thoreau (PBS, 2026) — Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy (Netflix, 2024) — The Movies That Made Us (Netflix) — Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau (1854) Listen & Follow: Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/DocFirstApple Spotify: tinyurl.com/DocFirstSpotify YouTube: tinyurl.com/DocFirstYouTube Amazon Music: tinyurl.com/DocFirstAmazon Support the show on Patreon: tinyurl.com/DocFirstPatreon Connect: Ewers Brothers Productions: ewersbrothers.com Connect with Christian Taylor on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meetchristiantaylor All Documentary First platforms: linktr.ee/doc1st

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  • April 2 · 15 min· Video

    Erik & Chris Ewers: Quiet Desperation—Competence vs Self-Knowledge: Deep Dive on Episode 274

    He edited nearly every Ken Burns film since The Civil War. He still didn't know who he was. Henry David Thoreau wrote that most people lead lives of “quiet desperation.” But what did he actually mean - and what does it look like inside a successful career? That’s the question Christian Taylor explores in this episode of Documentary First: The Deep Dive, after her conversation with Erik and Christopher Ewers—two brothers who just directed a three-part, three-hour PBS documentary on Thoreau. The film is narrated by George Clooney, with Jeff Goldblum voicing Thoreau, Ted Danson as Emerson, and Meryl Streep voicing several women in Thoreau’s life. It’s executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley. What struck Christian wasn’t the star-studded cast or the prestige credentials. It was a quiet confession from Erik - Ken Burns’s senior editor for 33 years - who admitted that despite decades of career confidence, he didn’t really know himself. He described himself as “lost and wayward.” And it was his own documentary about youth mental illness that finally woke him up. That led Christian back to Thoreau’s famous line and to a realization: Thoreau wasn’t describing unhappy people. He was describing people who don’t even know they’re suffering. People whose competence has become the hiding place. What You’ll Learn: Why competence can mask a total lack of self-knowledge - for decades What Thoreau actually meant by “quiet desperation” (it’s not what most people think) How Erik Ewers’s own documentary became the mirror that showed him himself The connection between Thoreau’s grief, Christian’s grief, and the impulse to strip life down to what’s real A practical challenge for filmmakers and creators: rest is where the seeing happens The Core Idea: Your craft can take you everywhere - except inward. The stories we tell have the power to tell us something back, but only if we’re paying attention. This episode explores what happens when the noise finally stops and we’re left standing on honest ground. Featured Guests: Erik Ewers – Director, Editor. Ken Burns’s senior editor for 33+ years. Multiple Emmy winner. ACE Eddie Award winner (The Roosevelts, 2015). Based in New Hampshire. Has worked on nearly every Burns film since The Civil War (1990). Co-director of Henry David Thoreau (PBS, 2026), Hiding in Plain Sight (2012) and The Mayo Clinic (2018) Christopher Loren Ewers – Director, DP. 20+ years behind the camera. World-class cinematographer. Has been shooting for Burns and Florentine Films since The Vietnam War. Commercial clients include Apple, Coca-Cola, Stella Artois, Volvo and Peter Millar. Based in the NYC metro area. Christopher Ewers Commercial Work About Henry David Thoreau (PBS): A three-part, three-hour documentary – the first full-length documentary biography of Thoreau. Executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley. Narrated by George Clooney. Voices by Jeff Goldblum (Thoreau), Ted Danson (Ralph Waldo Emerson), Meryl Streep, and Tate Donovan. Henry David Thoreau premied on PBS on March 30 and 31, 2026. Available now on PBS and wherever you stream PBS content. Henry David Thoreau Series Trailer Part 2 of the interview with Erik and Chris Ewers drops April 9 - covering PBS funding realities, AI and the industry, and how they landed Jeff Goldblum, George Clooney, Tate Donovan and Meryl Streep. Resources Mentioned: Henry David Thoreau (PBS, 2026) - available on PBS and PBS Documentaries on Amazon Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness (PBS, 2022) Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau (1854) About The Deep Dive: This companion podcast airs on alternate weeks from the main Documentary First podcast. Every other week, Christian takes one idea from a recent conversation and explores it more deeply - examining what it means, why it matters, and what to do about it. Hear the full interview: Listen to Episode 274 of Documentary First for Christian’s complete conversation with Erik and Christopher Ewers about the Thoreau documentary, working with Ken Burns, and the brother dynamic behind the filmmaking. If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a review! For more in-depth discussions, early releases and extra content, support our Patreon: tinyurl.com/DocFirstPatreon Listen & Follow: Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/DocFirstApple Spotify: tinyurl.com/DocFirstSpotify YouTube: tinyurl.com/DocFirstYouTube Amazon Music: tinyurl.com/DocFirstAmazon

    • Transcript
  • S6 · E274
    March 26 · 52 min· Video

    Ep. 274 I I Didn't Know Myself - Erik & Chris Ewers on Ken Burns, PBS & Thoreau

    He's edited nearly every Ken Burns film ever made. But he couldn't edit himself. What does it take to build a filmmaking career inside Ken Burns's world — and what happens when the hardest part isn't the craft, but learning who you are? Erik and Christopher Ewers are brothers who co-direct for PBS under the Ken Burns banner. Erik has been Burns's senior editor for 33+ years. Chris is a DP who's shot for Apple, Coca-Cola, and Tiffany & Co. Their latest project: Henry David Thoreau, a three-part PBS documentary series executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley, narrated by George Clooney, with Jeff Goldblum voicing Thoreau, Ted Danson as Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Meryl Streep. Henry David Thoreau premieres on PBS March 30. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. In Part 1, you'll learn: — How Erik ended up working for Ken Burns through a real estate deal involving window treatments and carpets — How a 22-minute visitors center film became the doorway to a three-hour PBS series — What it's really like to co-direct a documentary with your brother (even Ken Burns couldn't do it with his) — How Chris balances high-end commercial work with documentary filmmaking to sustain a creative career — The challenge of filming Walden Pond with only two usable photographs of Thoreau — Why knowing yourself is the most important skill a filmmaker can develop — and Erik's deeply personal story about discovering that through his own film Part 2 drops April 9 — covering PBS funding realities, AI and the industry, and how they landed Jeff Goldblum, George Clooney, and Meryl Streep. This episode is supported by Virgil Films Entertainment. About the Guests: Erik Ewers — Director, Editor. Ken Burns's senior editor for 33+ years. Multiple Emmy winner. ACE Eddie Award winner (The Roosevelts, 2015). Based in New Hampshire. Christopher Loren Ewers — Director, DP. 20+ years behind the camera. Commercial clients include Apple, Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co., Stella Artois, Volvo. Based in the NYC metro area. About Henry David Thoreau (PBS): A three-part, three-hour documentary — the first full-length documentary biography of Thoreau. Executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley. Narrated by George Clooney. Voices by Jeff Goldblum (Thoreau), Ted Danson (Ralph Waldo Emerson), Meryl Streep, and Tate Donovan. Henry David Thoreau premieres on PBS March 30. Available on PBS and wherever you stream PBS content. Christopher Ewers Commerical Work Henry David Throeau Series Trailer Listen & Follow: Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/DocFirstApple Spotify: tinyurl.com/DocFirstSpotify YouTube: tinyurl.com/DocFirstYouTube Amazon Music: tinyurl.com/DocFirstAmazon Connect: Ewers Brothers Productions Christian Taylor on X Christian Taylor on Instagram Christian Taylor on LinkedIn Documentary First on X Documentary First on Instagram Documentary First Productions Linktree

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