Speaking

Any day I get to talk about storytelling and documentary work is a good day. If you're looking for a guest lecturer, workshop facilitator, or keynote speaker on documentary filmmaking, narrative power, ethical storytelling practice, or what it means to witness someone's story without extracting from it, I'd love to hear from you.

All programming is shaped in conversation with the host. What follows are examples of talks and workshops I've developed and delivered — a little amuse-bouche, if you will.

Ethical Storytelling for Mission-Driven Organizations

The people in your stories aren't "content" to be mined. They're not content to be mined nicely, either. This talk is for organizations that already sense that — and want to know what the alternative actually looks like, from the first phone call to the final cut. Ethics and better stories aren't in conflict. It's the former that gets you to the latter.

Witnessing What Matters

The goal is to witness, not to extract. There's a difference, and that difference changes everything — the quality of your on-camera interviews, your meetings, and I'd go as far as to say even your relationships with difficult relatives. This talk turns 10,000 hours of documentary fieldwork into something anyone can use: how to create the conditions where people stop monitoring their answers and say the thing they actually mean. No special equipment, no camera required. Participants leave with a practice they can use the next morning — and a new least favorite word: "Why."

Research as a Mindset

The "TL;DR" of the talk is: Research isn't merely a phase of production that ends when you press "Record." But then, what is it? This presentation is for filmmakers who treat research like a phase to survive, and are ready to treat it like the thing that makes everything downstream better. That's because research isn't homework; it's the beginning of the relationship. Do it right and people arrive at the interview already trusting you, the story arrives with roots, and you get to sleep at night. Do it wrong and there is no question, however perfectly crafted, that will save you. (The perfect question was never going to save you anyway. Come find out why.)

Being with People: Documentary as a Practice for Life

Come for the filmmaking, stay for the existential reframe. The skills that make a great documentary filmmaker (staying curious longer than is comfortable, holding off on judgment, actually listening) turn out to be the same skills that make a richer life. We'll work on both at once, because the best docs aren't manufacturing scenes — they're catching the real ones. And this only happens if you're present enough to notice.