Frame By Frame is a filmmaking podcast for commercial directors, documentary filmmakers, and creative professionals building careers in the industry. Hosted by 4x Emmy Award winner Daniel Mogg — director for Nike, Alaska Airlines, NBC Sports Sunday Night Football, and multiple Olympics.
Each episode goes behind the scenes with the people actually doing it — Netflix documentary directors, Super Bowl-winning coaches, and working filmmakers at the top of their craft. Guests include Tony Dungy, Liam Hughes (Aaron Rodgers Netflix doc), and directors who've worked with LeBron James, Mahomes, and Russell Wilson.
If you're a filmmaker who wants to build a career that lasts — this is the show.
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How Do You Direct a Documentary About Nick Saban? | Russell Dinallo
Episode 20
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 • Duration 38:57
What does it take to tell the story of one of the greatest coaches in college football history?
Director Russell Dinallo joins Daniel Mogg on Frame By Frame to take us behind the scenes of ESPN’s six-part Nick Saban documentary.
From pitching Saban at his lake house to spending more than 20 hours interviewing the legendary coach, Russell shares the creative process behind a documentary two years in the making.
We explore how his team uncovered never-before-seen footage of the famous Jalen Hurts–Tua Tagovailoa halftime decision, captured an unexpectedly emotional interview with Julio Jones, and shaped hundreds of hours of interviews and archival footage into a compelling series.
Along the way, Russell breaks down the art of documentary interviewing, earning a subject’s trust, making bold creative decisions, and finding the human stories behind larger-than-life figures.
Whether you’re a filmmaker, storyteller, or fan of great documentaries, this episode is a fascinating look at what goes into making a premium sports documentary.
In This Episode
Pitching Nick Saban and earning his trust
Conducting seven interviews totaling more than 20 hours
Finding compelling characters and emotional moments
Uncovering never-before-seen archival footage
Structuring and editing a six-part documentary series
Designing cinematic documentary interviews
Lessons from ESPN’s E60 and advice for aspiring filmmakers
Episode Chapters
00:00 — Introduction: Directing the Nick Saban Documentary 00:59 — How Russell Landed the Project 02:44 — Pitching Nick Saban at His Lake House 04:40 — Discovering the Characters Behind Saban 06:47 — The Art of Documentary Pre-Interviews 08:32 — What Filmmakers Can Learn From Nick Saban 10:34 — Seven Interviews and 20+ Hours With Saban 12:06 — Organizing a Massive Documentary Production 13:22 — Interviewing Football’s Biggest Names 14:43 — Finding Unexpected Documentary Characters 16:20 — The Importance of Miss Terry 19:31 — Uncovering Never-Before-Seen Alabama Footage 22:21 — Crafting Dramatic Moments in the Edit 24:59 — Capturing Julio Jones’ Emotional Interview 27:19 — Taking Creative Risks in Documentary Filmmaking 29:09 — Designing Cinematic Documentary Interviews 30:55 — Lessons From ESPN’s E60 33:21 — Advice for Aspiring Documentary Filmmakers 34:40 — The Two-Year Production Timeline 36:03 — The Future of Sports Documentaries 37:11 — Finding Fresh Ideas as a Director
About Frame By Frame
Frame By Frame is a filmmaking podcast hosted by Emmy Award-winning director Daniel Mogg. Each episode goes behind the scenes with the directors, cinematographers, and creative minds shaping today’s most compelling films, documentaries, and commercials.
👍 If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations with filmmakers, creatives, and industry insiders!
How NFL Films Shoots Hard Knocks with DP Hannah Epstein
Episode 19
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 31:19
How does NFL Films create some of the most iconic images in sports?
On this episode of Frame By Frame, Daniel sits down with NFL Films cinematographer Hannah Epstein, DP of Hard Knocks with the Seattle Seahawks, to go behind the camera of one of the biggest productions in sports.
Hannah breaks down the making of the JSN “Silver Surfer” sequence, capturing Sam Darnold’s spiral at extreme slow motion, and how NFL Films approached photographing the Pacific Northwest. She also takes us inside the massive operation behind Hard Knocks — from a 35-person field crew to shooting 12–14 hour days and turning around an episode every week.
They also nerd out on the tools of the trade, including the ARRI Alexa 35 Extreme, shooting at 660fps, NFL Films’ incredibly rare 33:1 lens, and how Hannah developed her signature style using negative space, abstraction and emotional moments away from the football.
Plus, Hannah shares her journey from being rejected from the NFL Films internship program twice to eventually becoming a staff cinematographer and DP — and what she’s learned about breaking into sports filmmaking along the way.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Intro 00:57 — Breaking down the JSN “Silver Surfer” sequence 04:09 — Capturing Sam Darnold’s spiral in extreme slow motion 06:00 — Advice for learning to shoot football 07:11 — Capturing the look of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest 08:18 — Inside the massive Hard Knocks production machine 11:23 — How Hannah assigns the Hard Knocks camera crews 12:14 — Hannah’s specialty as a cinematographer 12:41 — Finding fresh ways to photograph football 15:05 — The six-week Hard Knocks marathon 16:34 — Hannah’s favorite moments from the Seahawks season 18:28 — Hannah’s journey into NFL Films 21:22 — How NFL Films trains its cinematographers 23:22 — Why NFL Films was always the goal 24:14 — The football shot Hannah is still chasing 25:14 — Developing a signature visual style 26:11 — Where NFL Films cinematographers find inspiration27:16 — ARRI Alexa 35 vs. AMIRA28:39 — Shooting the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory30:05 — Hard Knocks vs. Quarterback and Receiver31:19 — Hannah’s advice for aspiring sports filmmakers
Inside Rory McIlroy’s “The Master’s Wait” with Director Drea Cooper
Episode 18
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 • Duration 41:17
Emmy-winning filmmaker Drea Cooper joins Frame By Frame to break down his latest documentary, The Master’s Wait, about Rory McIlroy, The Masters, and the long emotional road to winning at Augusta National Golf Club. In this conversation, Drea shares what it was like being at the Masters for Rory’s latest win, how the film came together, and how he approached telling a story that was bigger than golf. If you’re interested in sports documentaries, Rory McIlroy, The Masters, Augusta National, or the craft of documentary filmmaking, this episode is for you.
Timestamps
0:00 Cold open: Augusta goes from dream to haunted house
0:52 Intro: Drea Cooper on The Master’s Wait and Rory’s back-to-back moment
2:09 What it was like being at the Masters in person
2:45 Augusta with no phones and why it feels different
4:37 How The Master’s Wait came together
6:19 Drea’s sports background and prepping to tell Rory’s story
9:00 What Rory McIlroy was like to work with in a documentary setting
10:33 Filming re-creations at Augusta and visualizing Rory’s mental game
14:44 The “pinch me” moments filming with Rory at Augusta and in Northern Ireland
19:30 Rory’s parents, the archive, and the interviews that unlocked the film
26:38 Why Drea chose a direct-to-camera interview style
The universal lesson in Rory’s story: persistence, instinct, and not giving up
How Alex vs. A-Rod Was Really Made: A Deep Dive With Director Erik LeDrew & Editor Kevin Barth
Episode 17
Friday, November 21, 2025 • Duration 01:18:02
How do you make one of the biggest sports documentaries of the year? In this episode of Frame By Frame, Daniel sits down with director Erik LeDrew and editor Kevin Barth, the creative minds behind HBO’s Alex vs. A-Rod.
They break down the entire storytelling journey—from early brainstorming sessions and gaining Alex Rodriguez’s trust, to the emotional Colorado shoot that became the heart of the series, to spending 88 weeks in the edit shaping one of the most vulnerable portraits of A-Rod ever shown on screen.
This conversation goes deep into the director–editor relationship, how to collaborate under pressure, why certain scenes almost didn’t make the cut, and what it truly takes to build a multi-year documentary from scratch If you love filmmaking, storytelling, sports docs, or the craft behind documentaries, this episode is packed with insight, honesty, and behind-the-scenes stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
00:00 – Intro
Daniel sets up the episode and introduces Erik & Kevin.
02:00 – How Erik & Kevin First Connected
Their creative partnership and early projects that shaped their process.
08:30 – Origin of the Alex vs. A-Rod Documentary
A-Rod’s blind spots, the initial pitch, and why this project mattered. 14:00 – Building Trust With A-Rod
How they got him comfortable enough to open up emotionally.
20:00 – Developing the Structure & Tone
The “writer’s room” process and mapping out the psychological heart of the story.
27:00 – Editing a Multi-Year Documentary
Finding rhythm, musicality, pacing, and what gets left on the cutting room floor.
Filming Mahomes, Kelce & the Chiefs: Inside The Kingdom w/ Kristin Lappas
Episode 16
Monday, September 29, 2025 • Duration 56:43
What does it take to film Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, and the Kansas City Chiefs from the inside? Emmy-winning director Kristen Lappas takes us behind the scenes of The Kingdom, the new Disney+ and ESPN documentary series on the Chiefs dynasty.
In this episode of Frame By Frame, Kristen shares how she earned the trust of Mahomes, Kelce, and Coach Andy Reid, what it was like to direct the Chiefs through a historic season, and how she built one of the biggest NFL docuseries of all time. From underground bunkers of Chiefs history to emotional family moments, this is the story behind The Kingdom.
If you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan, a filmmaker, or just curious about how sports documentaries are made, this is a must-watch.
⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Kristen Lappas on The Kingdom 01:18 – How the Chiefs project came together 03:13 – Building trust with Andy Reid & the players 06:06 – Filming Mahomes up close (and a Super Bowl haircut) 08:13 – Structuring a dynasty story: themes & arcs 11:10 – The art of pitching: how Kristen sold The Kingdom 14:38 – Balancing honesty vs. PR when partnering with teams 18:56 – Surprising storylines that shaped the series 21:26 – Discovering the Chiefs’ underground archive bunker 25:36 – Making The Kingdom appeal beyond football fans 27:07 – Handling Taylor Swift’s presence in the story 29:00 – Premiering The Kingdom in Kansas City 31:21 – Creative swings: directing the Giannis documentary 36:49 – Lessons from working with superstars (Mahomes, Giannis, Caitlin Clark) 39:07 – Kristen’s career break: the story of Arthur 43:49 – Advice for young filmmakers & pitching stories 45:09 – Balancing filmmaking with motherhood 47:49 – Kristen’s advice for first-time feature directors 50:24 – What’s next for Kristen Lappas 51:25 – Mentors, influences, and finding your voice 54:51 – Lessons from The Kingdom & Andy Reid’s “Don’t Judge” card
I’ve Waited My Whole Career to Tell This Story (My Director Debut)
Episode 15
Thursday, September 18, 2025 • Duration 10:01
After a short break, I’m back — and with big news.
In this episode of Frame by Frame, I’m announcing my first feature documentary: 12 — the untold story of how the city of Seattle came together in the 1990s to stop the Seahawks from relocating to Los Angeles. Backed by Marshawn Lynch, Beast Mode Productions, and Victory Sports Media, this project is the biggest opportunity of my directing career so far. I break down the inspiration behind the film, how it came together behind the scenes, and what I’ve learned so far stepping into the role of feature documentary director.
We talk:
Why this story matters — and why it almost got lost
The origin of 12 and the team behind it
What it takes to make a doc at this scale
Finding the heart of a story that changed a city
Balancing creative work, parenting, and small business life
If you’re a filmmaker, storyteller, or just someone who loves underdog sports stories, this episode is for you.
🎧 Subscribe to Frame by Frame for more behind-the-scenes episodes as I bring this documentary to life — one frame at a time.
Directing LeBron James for Netflix: The Untold Story w/ Susan Ansman
Episode 14
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 • Duration 55:07
Susan Ansman spent a year embedded with LeBron James, directing Netflix’s Starting 5 and capturing the most personal moments of his career. In this episode, Susan shares how she made the leap from ESPN to freelance, what it’s really like to direct a global superstar, and how she’s paving the way for women in sports filmmaking. ⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: How Susan became LeBron’s director
01:09 – Why she quit ESPN for this opportunity
02:15 – First day: Inside LeBron’s house on Halloween
03:40 – Building trust with high-profile athletes
05:31 – Capturing LeBron rapping in the car
07:00 – Verité filmmaking and shooting solo
08:06 – The story structure behind Starting 5
10:00 – The toast, Bronny’s health scare & vulnerability
13:30 – Being a one-woman crew with LeBron
16:00 – What it takes to shoot elite athletes
19:00 – The power of listening as a director
21:45 – From EVS operator to Emmy-winning filmmaker
24:30 – How editing shaped her directing style
27:00 – Juggling directing, producing, and editing
30:00 – Shooting the Olympic basketball documentary
34:00 – Navigating confidence in a male-dominated industry
37:30 – Advice to women entering sports filmmaking
41:00 – Why representation behind the camera matters
44:00 – Final reflections + what’s next for Susan
When You're Ready
📬:
What a Creative Director Actually Does (That No One Talks About) w/ Will Shanahan Ep. 013
Episode 13
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 • Duration 41:25
Creative Director. It’s a title everyone wants—but few truly understand. In this episode of Frame By Frame, I sit down with Will Shanahan, VP of Creative at The Unlisted Company, to break down what this role really means in the world of branded content, advertising, and filmmaking.
Whether you’re an aspiring CD, a freelance director, or just curious about how creative projects actually get made—this episode pulls back the curtain.
📍 Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Why speaking your mind matters
01:06 – What does a Creative Director actually do?
03:38 – The difference between title and responsibility
07:41 – Defining the role in one sentence
08:00 – Creative Director vs. Head Coach vs. GM
09:21 – Director vs. Creative Director collaboration
11:10 – How to build relationships between directors and CDs
12:32 – The one skill no one talks about—but every CD needs
14:35 – Business lessons learned as a Creative Director
17:06 – Navigating budget conversations with clients
19:59 – Why the word “partnership” changes everything
20:16 – The rare project that went exactly as planned
22:47 – Will’s origin story: How he became a CD
24:07 – Staying creative while managing meetings and chaos
26:26 – The creative power of not trying too hard
27:16 – Advice for new Creative Directors
29:43 – Why pitching is more than just presenting ideas
33:14 – How to make clients feel something during a pitch
How to Build a Personal Brand as a Creative (Even If You Hate It) | ft. Praise Santos
Episode 12
Thursday, April 10, 2025 • Duration 33:59
If personal branding feels cringy, confusing, or just exhausting — this episode is for you.
Brand coach and creative powerhouse Praise Santos, founder of ComePlum, breaks down what personal branding really is, why it matters, and how creatives like filmmakers, designers, and freelancers can brand themselves with authenticity and confidence.
We unpack how to stand out in a saturated market, attract your dream clients, and stop letting imposter syndrome hold you back.
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Why Personal Branding Feels Hard
00:33 - What Is Personal Branding, Really?
01:08 - Branding = The Soul of Your Business
01:58 - Why People Hire People
02:57 - Finding the “Why” That Powers Your Brand
04:06 - The Biggest Pain Points Creatives Face
06:00 - “I’m Not Special Enough” and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves
07:35 - How to Show Up Authentically Online
08:36 - The Hype Sheet: A Game-Changing Branding Tool
10:34 - What to Put in Your Creative Brand Toolkit
12:00 - Serving vs. Selling: The Heart of Great Branding
14:16 - Praise’s Journey to Becoming a Brand Coach
17:15 - How a Mission Statement Won a Filmmaker a Client
19:00 - How to Position Yourself as a Premium Creative
21:16 - Want to Be the Four Seasons of Your Industry? Here’s How
23:09 - Why Podcasting Is a Branding Superpower
25:31 - Podcast Tips: Niche, Ideas, and Delegation
28:03 - Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Brand
Unlocking Filmmaking’s Future with AI!
Episode 11
Thursday, March 20, 2025 • Duration 14:05
Is AI the future of filmmaking? In Episode 11 of Frame By Frame, I break down how AI tools are reshaping the creative process—and why they’re just another tool, not a replacement for human creativity.
I’ll walk you through exactly how I use AI in my daily workflow as a director and solopreneur: from generating creative ideas, building pitch decks, streamlining my podcast production, to editing and organizing footage. Plus, I share my thoughts on the ethical considerations, potential pitfalls, and why mastering these tools will set you apart in the evolving creative landscape.
Whether you’re a filmmaker, content creator, or just curious about how AI is changing the game, this episode offers practical insights and real-world applications.
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