The Doc Makers – Details, episodes & analysis

The Doc Makers is the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the world of documentary filmmaking, revealing what really goes on behind the scenes in TV and film.

Hosted by Andy Worboys, this show features in-depth, candid interviews with documentary filmmakers from across the industry - directors, producers, editors, cinematographers, development execs, composers, and the many other creative roles that bring powerful true stories to life.

For our first ever episode, I am delighted to welcome the brilliant Mandy Chang to The Doc Makers podcast.

Filmmaker, Exec Producer, former commissioner of the BBC’s Storyville strand and recently anointed CEO of the Documentary Film Council.

Mandy Chang

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2453952/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Documentary Film Council

https://documentaryfilmcouncil.co.uk

David Bowie: The Last Five Years

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6375308/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34965515/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Hello Culture

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902630/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

The Mole: Undercover in North Korea

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13243898/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Mads Brügger

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1366561/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Welcome to Chechnya

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11394200/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

One Child Nation

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8923482/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Corridors of Power: Should America Police the World?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33076876/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

The Gatekeepers

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309788/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Today I’m going to be talking to the lovely BAFTA award winning and Emmy nominated cinematographer Tim Cragg.

Tim has set the standard for how a lot of modern documentaries look and feel and has been involved with some of the most successful (both critically and financially) documentaries in recent times. From Netflix successes such as The Deepest Breath and Beckham and HBO & SKY BAFTA nominated David Holmes: The boy who lived, to that rare beast, a documentary box office smash with Three identical Strangers, which we discuss in the show.

Tim Cragg

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145108/?ref_=fn_t_1

Three Identical Strangers

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7664504/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_47

Scapple app

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scapple/id568020055?mt=12

darius khondji - iranian French cinematographer

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0451787/

Gregory Crewdson - American photographer

https://gagosian.com/artists/gregory-crewdson/

Edward Hopper - painter

https://www.edwardhopper.net/

kerouac's road: the beat of a nation

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29502644/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_5

Alien abduction

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33506347/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_10

Encounters

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28692332/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_17

One Strange Rock

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7651892/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_45

Today I’m going to be talking to composer Alexander Parsons

Alex has worked across a broad array of films that include Flight 149: Hostage of War, which recently won at the RTS Awards; Black Power: A British Story of Resistance, produced by Steve McQueen and James Rogan for which the film received a BAFTA nomination and Derek vs. Derek a feature documentary about the battle to rewild, which premieres at Sheffield Docfest June 2026!

We discuss balancing a composer life whilst working as a secondary school teacher, the dreaded temp music and how it has to be real humans who get to tell real human stories and so much more.

Show Notes:

Alexander Parsons

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5618281/?ref_=fn_t_2

Animated minds - 3 Minute Wonder

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0853169/

First cut

https://assets-corporate.channel4.com/_flysystem/s3/documents/2022-03/First%20Cut%20Strand%20Background%202022_0.pdf

Emma Morgan

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2471724/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_emma%20morgan

Lina Prestwood

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2724228/?ref_=fn_t_1

Swan Films

https://www.swanfilms.tv/

Neil Crombie

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1397627/?ref_=fn_t_1

Joe Evans

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1624529/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_4_1

Grayson Perry’s Dream house

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4693234/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_in_0_q_grayson%20perry%27s%20

Helljumper

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28089851/?ref_=fn_t_2

Rupert Houseman

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2137245/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_rupert%20hou

Grayson’s Art Club

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12183038/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_in_0_q_graysons%20art

Dave Malkin

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10752213/

John Cage

https://interlude.hk/john-cage-magic-mushrooms/

Kezia Tomsett

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12820398/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_1_in_0_q_kesia%20tomset

Train Dreams

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29768334/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_train%20dreams

Bryce Dessner

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2425842/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_5_1

The 12 Ensemble

https://www.the12ensemble.com/

Surviving Covid

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13839492/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm

The remarkable life of Ibelin

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19811010/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_the%20remar

Marcus Plowright

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6967794/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_marcus%20plow

American High School

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6150154/episodes/?season=1&ref_=tt_eps_sn_1

Anne Nikitin

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1870110/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_3_nm_5_in_0_q_anne%20nik

London Contemporary Orchestra

https://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/

In this episode I’m going to be talking to 4 time BAFTA nominee, director Ursula Macfarlane.

Whether working on retrospective stories, like the tragedy of the late 1990s model Anna Nicole Smith, telling the moving stories of survivors of Harvey Weinstein, or her vérité work with psychiatric patients in Notes From The Inside With James Rhodes, Ursula is known for her sensitivity, her humour and psychological insight. 

We discuss the joy in Finding those long time collaborators, her beautiful BBC documentary, My brain: After the rupture and the difficulties in getting films commissioned that don’t have an ending,

But most importantly. It begins where all good chats start. With a good cup of tea.