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PODCAST

The Documentary Life

The Documentary Life

The Documentary Life is a podcast about building a life in nonfiction storytelling. Hosted by documentary filmmaker Chris G. Parkhurst, the show explores what it really means to make documentaries—not just as a craft, but as a way of moving through the world with greater curiosity, observation, and empathy. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with filmmakers, editors, cinematographers, producers, journalists, festival programmers, and other storytellers who have dedicated themselves

tv & film visual arts

All Episodes

49:22

Episode 147 | The Sound of Story: What Documentary...

The Documentary Life ·

2026/09/30

Episode SummaryWhat if documentary filmmakers thought about sound with the same intention they bring to images?We spend enormous amounts of time thinking about cameras, lenses, lighting, and composition. But sound is more than something we need to capture cleanly. It can create emotion, establish a sense of place, bring us closer to our subjects, and shape the way an audience experiences a story.In this episode of The Documentary Life, Chris G. Parkhurst is joined by acclaimed sound designer,

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47:17

Episode 146 | Wearing Every Hat: Surviving as a...

The Documentary Life ·

2026/09/16

Episode SummaryWhat does it really take to make a documentary when you’re the entire crew?Working as a one-person crew can offer documentary filmmakers an extraordinary kind of freedom. With less equipment and a smaller footprint, we can move quickly, respond to unexpected moments, and sometimes build a level of intimacy with our subjects that would be difficult with a larger production. But that freedom comes with responsibility: directing, shooting, recording sound, managing gear, following the

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48:52

Episode 145 | AI and the Documentary Filmmaker | With...

The Documentary Life ·

2026/09/02

Episode SummaryHow can documentary filmmakers actually use AI—and where does it belong in the creative process?Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of the filmmaking toolkit, but beneath the hype and anxiety are practical questions: What can these tools genuinely help us do? Where do they fall short? And how do we embrace new technology without losing sight of the human judgment and creativity at the heart of documentary filmmaking?In this episode of The Documentary Life, Chris G

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46:15

Episode 144 | The Ethics Lab: Access, Consent & Trust...

The Documentary Life ·

2026/08/19

Episode SummaryWhat does it mean when someone trusts you with their story?Access may get a documentary filmmaker through the door, but it is only the beginning. The deeper responsibility lies in earning trust, maintaining it throughout production, and making ethical decisions about another person's story long after the interview ends.In this episode of The Documentary Life, Chris G. Parkhurst is joined by filmmakers Alan Berry and Mark Enochs, directors of Dead Man's Line, for a practical

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37:31

Episode 143 | How Do I Sustain My Documentary? | With...

The Documentary Life ·

2026/08/05

Episode SummaryWhat happens when the money runs out—but the film isn't finished?For many documentary filmmakers, securing initial funding feels like the biggest hurdle. But as the months stretch into years, a different challenge begins to emerge: how do you sustain both your film and yourself through a process that rarely follows a straight line?In this episode of The Documentary Life, Chris G. Parkhurst is joined by veteran documentary filmmaker and grant mentor Jilann Spitzmiller for an honest

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40:43

Episode 142 | How Do I Fund My Film? | With Liz Nord

The Documentary Life ·

2026/07/22

Episode SummaryHow do documentary films actually get funded? It's one of the most common questions filmmakers ask—and one of the least honestly answered. While conversations often focus on grants, pitch decks, and crowdfunding campaigns, the reality is that funding is rarely a single breakthrough moment. More often, it's a long process of building relationships, navigating uncertainty, and learning to make thoughtful decisions that shape not only your film, but your life as a filmmaker.In this

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53:09

Episode 141 | Building a Sustainable Documentary Life...

The Documentary Life ·

2026/07/08

Episode SummaryEpisode 141 marks the beginning of a new chapter for The Documentary Life — not as a relaunch or reboot, but as a recommitment to the questions that matter most. After a five-year hiatus, host Chris G. Parkhurst reflects on the realities that shaped both his filmmaking and his life: burnout, financial uncertainty, raising a family while making documentaries, and the realization that building a meaningful body of work requires more than simply finishing films. It requires learning how

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30:33

All Good Things Must Come to An End

The Documentary Life ·

2020/10/02

Can you believe that it was over four years ago that we first began producing episodes of The Documentary Life?? Well, neither can we. But as they say, all good things must come to an end!It has been a great ride this here podcast over the past four years!Which is why this is not our typical end-of-the-season show, my #doclifer friend. Don't miss this one thinking that it's simply a re-hash of parts of past episodes. It is truly much more than that.And finally, I'd like to say, thank you, old

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51:30

Winning an Oscar for Your Documentary Film

The Documentary Life ·

2020/09/18

Imagine stepping up to the podium to accept your award for Best Documentary Feature for the film that you have put your heart, soul, blood sweat tears into. What would you say? Who would thank? Where would you even start?Well, Steven Bognar, of this year's American Factory knows precisely what this feels like. And he details the story of he and his partner, Julia Reichert's walk to that Oscar podium.And he details a heckuva lot more about what it means to live the life of a documentary filmmaker in

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41:56

Cinematography in Documentary Film

The Documentary Life ·

2020/09/04

In the past, documentary cinematography has been in the shadow of narrative feature's, overlooked because of certain, perhaps unfair assumptions about the craft. Well, that is no longer the case since the American Society of Cinematographers, as of this year, has an award for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking.And cinematographers, Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma, of the Academy Award nominated, Honeyland, were the recipients of that inaugural award. (Not to mention a host of other

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36:09

Reality Television and the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life ·

2020/08/21

It wasn't that long ago when reality television was a dirty word that incited some pretty strong feelings among the documentary filmmaking crowd. However, non fiction television has come a long way in the past few years. Of course, don't take my word for it. Take it from fellow documentary filmmaker, Joe Litzinger, who is the executive producer of some of non fiction tv's most well known and respected (did I say respected?) shows.Topics Discussedhost Chris G. Parkhurst talks about how documentary

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48:32

Documentary Filmmaking During a Pandemic

The Documentary Life ·

2020/08/07

Documentary filmmaking during this time of a pandemic is something that so many of us doc filmmakers are contemplating. Or doing. Or not doing. Today's episode is filled with both a discussion on the ethics of documentary production during this time as well as best practices & safety protocol for those of us who are making our docs during this time.Documentary filmmaker and TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst, delves into this discussion with IDA's Carrie Lozano and award-winning documentary

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51:26

Race in the Documentary Filmmaking Community

The Documentary Life ·

2020/07/24

Questions of race and who has the right to tell another person's or culture's or race's stories have recently been at the forefront of the documentary community's collective consciousness. More than that, it's been the subject of recent debate and discussion, whether in industry-led panels, major publications, or social media.Documentary filmmaker and TDL host, Chris G. Parkhurst, delves into this difficult, sometimes divisive discussion with two of documentary's own, Marjan Safinia and Grace

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46:26

The Online Film Festival for the Documentary Filmmaker

The Documentary Life ·

2020/07/10

Lyndon Stone is the founder and festival director of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. Melody Gilbert is a documentary filmmaker well acquainted with the world of film festivals.In light of Covid events, both the festival director and filmmaker, have had to pivot their approaches to documentary film festivals.This is the kind of discussion we documentary filmmakers have been wanting to have ever since the pandemic greatly impacted our doc lives.Topics Discussedhow Lyndon Stone has incorporated a

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47:47

Spirituality in Documentary Filmmaking with Mickey Lemle

The Documentary Life ·

2020/06/26

Mickey Lemle has made documentary films about some of the most brilliant individuals in the modern world. From His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Ram Dass to Sir Laurens van der Post, Lemle has been rubbing shoulders with great minds who all have very spiritual & compassionate ways of living. Lemle has had the splendid fortune to be able to tell their stories.Topics Discussedhow Lemle’s time in Nepal in the Peace Corps informed him about Tibet and in turn led to his making his first documentary

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48:11

Personal Trauma in Documentary Film with Sasha Joseph...

The Documentary Life ·

2020/06/12

Sasha Joseph Neulinger endured some of the most traumatic events a child can experience. He is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And he has now turned those events into one of 2020's more extraordinary documentary films, Rewind. Neulinger sits down with TDL to discuss his journey making Rewind and to offer some insight into how doc filmmakers might best deal with the depiction of personal trauma in their films.In our first segment, Chris G. Parkhurst, gives us 5 Tips for Making the Personal

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39:47

Doc Filmmaking in the Mountains with Eric Becker

The Documentary Life ·

2020/05/29

Eric Becker has been taking on extreme challenges since he can remember. If it's not racing bikes it's climbing mountains. If it's not climbing mountains, it's making doc films about people climbing mountains. Tune into this week's episode where we celebrate International Everest Day by welcoming doc filmmaker and mountaineer, Eric Becker on to TDL!In our first segment, Chris G. Parkhurst, gives us Reasons for Working on Multiple Documentary Projects at the same time!Topics DiscussedReasons to work

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54:53

YouTube For the Documentary Filmmaker with David Hoffman

The Documentary Life ·

2020/05/15

It's hard to refute the power and potential of the second biggest search engine in the world, YouTube. Especially for the independent doc filmmaker. Here at TDL we have long talked about the importance of you, the doc filmmaker, in fully embracing and becoming your best entrepreneurial self. The importance of building your own brand. Raising your own funding. Building audiences for all of your work. Selling yourself and your work. YouTube is a great platform for you to be doing this.In our first

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43:08

Making the Sports Documentary with Gotham Chopra

The Documentary Life ·

2020/05/01

Sports documentaries have really come into their own as a documentary genre. The truth is that the built-in drama and sometimes off-the-field shenanigans make for some really compelling stories. Entities like ESPN's 30 For 30 series, HBO Sports, Netflix and Hulu's ventures into sports docuseries, all have been making these films and really elevating the stature of the sports documentary.And so has filmmaker, Gotham Chopra. With his business venture, Religion of Sports, Gotham has been embracing the

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40:29

Documentary Film and the Music Composer with Nainita...

The Documentary Life ·

2020/04/17

When it comes to documentary film - and really film, in general - one of the forgotten heroes is often the film's music composer. And yet, it's often the music that truly elevates a film from good to greatness, making the storyline and all of its visuals just a bit more rich, complex, and emotional.In today's episode I'll take a look at 5 Considerations for Music for Your Doc.This will be followed by a deep dive discussion with world-renowned film composer, Nainita Desai, the multi-award winning and

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