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 — reach out.

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.

Witnessing What Matters

You're not extracting. You're witnessing. There's a difference, and it changes everything — from the quality of your interviews to the quality of your relationships. This talk translates 10,000 hours of documentary fieldwork into a framework for any room where real conversation matters. Participants leave with a practice they can use the next day. (And a new least favorite word: "Why.")

Research as a Mindset

Spoiler: research doesn't end when you press record. This talk is for filmmakers who want to stop treating research like a phase they survive and start treating it like the practice that makes everything downstream better — including the story, the relationships, and your ability to sleep at night.

Documentary Storytelling as a Contemplative Practice

Come for the filmmaking. Stay for the existential reframe. It turns out the skills that make a great documentary filmmaker — staying curious, withholding judgment, actually listening — also make for a richer life. Who knew a camera would lead here. (Spoiler: I did. Eventually.)

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 who already know that — and want a framework for actually living it, from the first conversation to the final cut. Ethics and better stories aren't in conflict. One makes the other.