The Neil Berkeley Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Stephen Murray is not only an entrepreneur launching a new film rental platform, he's also a musician and filmmaker. So he understands the pain artists feel trying to get their work out to the world. So he's built Bingable.net, where fans of films can watch movies and participate in the revenue generated from their support of those movies. Full disclosure, I'm a working with Bingeable on the release of a film now and I'm hoping it's wildly success (more to come). If you're like me, you spend a lot of time talking to fellow filmmakers about "the market" and with Bingeable I've found a new avenue for getting work out to the world in an ever shrinking distribution landscape. I think you'll enjoy my conversation with Stephen Murray.

I'm beyond thrilled to have my next guest on the show. Not only is Lois Vossen a legend in documentary film but she's also the person that put my first film into the world. We cover a lot of ground and her perspective on the state of things will be very interesting to anyone working doc film today.

Lois Vossen is the Founding Executive Producer of Independent Lens, leading the PBS series to win 27 Emmy Awards, 28 Peabody Awards, 10 duPont-Columbia Awards, and 10 Oscar nominations. Previously, she was the Associate Managing Director of Sundance Film Festival and Labs. She served on the Television Academy Board of Governors and continues on its DEIA Committee. Lois is a member of AMPAS and has been on juries for festivals like TIFF, SXSW, and Palm Springs. Under her leadership, Independent Lens has co-produced notable films like Philly D.A., I Am Not Your Negro, and The Trials of Muhammad Ali.

Please reach out if you have questions or guest suggestions.

neil@brkly.com

IG: neilpberkeley

Maggie Contreras' directorial debut, Maestra, will be having its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9th. In today's show we talk about Maggie's journey from actor, to publicist, to producer and now...to Director. Making her first film was a Herculean effort full of all the pitfalls and troubles that face so many doc filmmakers but Maggie's passion for this film and its subjects drover her to the finish line and now she's finally be rewarded for her work. This episode of the Neil Berkeley Podcast is a must listen for anyone in doc film, especially the first time filmmaker just trying to get their movie made. Despite all the struggles the film is wonderful and it's being received with praise by the media. Please enjoy my conversation with my good friend, Maggie Contreras, and if you're in NYC on June 9th I highly encourage you to buy tickets to the Premiere. But hurry!

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Episode 006 Show Notes

Maestra iMDB

Tickets to La Maestra

Maggie Contreras iMDB

Maggie Contreras Instagram

Maestra Film on Instagram

La Maestra Competition

Paris Philharmonic

Paris Mozart Orchestra

Foothill Productions

David Letterman

Tom Keaney

Canon C70

NPR La Maestra

Things to do in Belfast, Ireland

Tar

Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein

Marin Alsop Documentary "The Conductor"

Cruise America RV

Nicola Marsh is a brilliant doc director currently working on her second feature. On the pod Nicola talks about making the jump from DP to director, her origins in local news, her latest projects, LUTs, lenses and lots and lots more!

Nicola has a wide portfolio of work, having worked on scripted television, documentary, commercials and narrative features, as both a DP and a director. She is best known for her work on the Oscar-winning documentary “Twenty Feet from Stardom”. Currently she is working on a feature documentary for Hulu with Demi Lovato: Childstar. Concurrently she’s also directing one episode of the the Apple series Omnivore with chef René Redzepi.  She  has directed multiple projects for executive producer Morgan Neville - the true crime series The 12th Victim(Showtime) and Song Exploder (Netflix). Prior to that she helmed the ambitious documentary Stay on Board (Netflix) which chronicles trans skateboarder Leo Baker’s run for the Olympics. As a DP she has has an extensive career in documentaries, hopscotching through multiple genres: the very recent  Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming (Disney), Night Stalker (Netflix), Shangri-la (Showtime), The Trails of Gabriel Fernandez (Netflix), Chelsea Does (Netflix), The Innocent Man (Netflix). Prior to that she shot the Johnny Cash documentary The Gift (director Thom Zimny) and Hello Privilege its me Chelsea (director, Alex Stapleton). She has also shot two other documentaries for Mr. Crowe: Pearl Jam 20 which  premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and The Union which opened the Tribeca Film Festival. Nicola grew up in London, England. She first moved to the US to work as a news camerawoman for NBC. She holds an MFA in cinematography from The University of Southern California. She now lives in Los Angeles. In addition to her American passport, she holds a German passport, but has a good sense of humor. 

Dan Lindsay and his partner, TJ Martin have made some of the best documentary films in the last decade. The first film they made together, 2011's Undefeated, won them an Oscar and tells the story of a high school football coach in Memphis trying to keep his team together despite incredible adversity. On the show Dan talks about the pressures of winning an Academy Award at such an early stage of your career and he also discusses their next films which have met and exceeded expectations. LA92 is a wildly original film that chronicles the 1992 LA Riots using only archival material. The team followed up that film with Tina, the story of Pop Icon Tina Turner. Both of these films won Dan and TJ Emmy Awards. On the show we talk about how he and TJ work together as a partnership, the highs and lows they've experienced in their careers and we talk extensively about how Dan approaches storytelling, filmmaking and maintaining a career and work life that allows him to make the kinds of films he wants to make.

Dan Lindsay iMDB

Dan Lindsay on Instagram

Neil Berkeley Instagram

BRKLY Newsletter

Max Libman, a high school junior at Academy High in Champaign, has watched the world through a camera lens ever since he can remember. He started filming his own movies before the age of ten, and at the age of twelve, began writing a screenplay inspired by his great-grandmother’s life under the Nazi regime. He submitted the screenplay to the screenwriting competition Pens to Lens, and his short Ein Stern (A Star) was chosen as one of the winners and filmed in German with English subtitles. This short movie has been viewed by thousands and inspired conversations with diverse groups of all ages.

Seeing the power of film, Max decided to combine his love for movies and desire for community action to launch CU International Film Festival (CUIFF), with the mission to provide a platform for the next generation of filmmakers to share their stories. CUIFF’s inaugural festival debuted in October 2022 at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures to a crowded theater, showcasing eight short films from around the world that entertain, educate, and elevate. As founder and director of CUIFF, Max has been grateful to see this vision become a reality, and plans are underway for next year’s festival. To learn more about CUIFF, visit www.cuiff.org

Find Max on IG @_max_libman

Find Neil Berkeley on IG @neilpberkeley

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In this podcast, director Neil Berkeley interviews Director of Photography Graham Willoughby about his process and approach to filmmaking. Willoughby goes into great detail about how he helps directors achieve their vision and how he goes planning his work, choosing the right tools for the job and forming a connection with the stories he's telling.

Throughout the conversation, Willoughby shares insights into his personal and professional life, highlighting the importance of his support system at home and his passion for the subjects he works with on his films. Graham discusses how a brief journey down the (wrong) path of becoming a teacher led him to his career and how his analytical mind works in a creative field.

The podcast offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of a talented and dedicated Director of Photography, and provides valuable insights into the collaborative process of filmmaking.

Graham Willoughby is an incredible director of photography. His lengthy feature doc resume includes Roadrunner, I Am Everything, Won’t you be my neighbor and Loudmouth. He has also worked on series such as Inside Jokes, Abstract and Ugly Delicious and has filmed stand up specials for Marc Maron, Eddie Pepitone and many others. Most recently Graham served as dp for the live segments in Disney’s new doc featuring bono, the edge and david letterman.

Follow Graham on instagram @nationalpleasure

To kick off this new version of an old thing, I'm once again talking to documentary filmmaker Clay Tweel. In this episode Clay talks about why he decided to take a break from social media and how seeing a constant scroll of your contemporaries on sets and at award shows can cause you to make unhealthy and more times than not unfair comparisons to your own life and career. We also talk about what it's really like to be a working doc filmmaker with a growing family and some of the decisions he's made, the missteps he's overcome, and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Of course, we also discuss some of his incredible films, including Finder's, keepers, the Wild Story of two men's Legal Battle Over a severed Leg, and Gleason, the Doc about former NFL Player Steve Gleason and his family's experience as he battles ALS. As always, I had a ton of fun talking to Clay. He's a great guy, and I think this episode is doing exactly what I want this podcast to be. It's honest, it's informative, and I hope you find it entertaining.

On this episode I'm joined by an incredible artist, a wonderful friend and the subject of the first film I ever made, Wayne White.  I've known Wayne for almost twenty years and his his work and his approach to life continue to inspire.  This one is probably best for the initiated since we seem to be starting wherever we left off so giving the doc a watch before might be a good idea.  Wayne has plenty to say about making the best use of your time, pushing yourself to try something new and wanting to entertain with his art.  Later we're joined by Wayne's good friend and co-star of Beauty Is Embarrassing the incomparable, P. Michael Quinn.

Wayne on Instagram @waynewhiteart

Stream Beauty Is Embarrassing for free on Amazon Prime

https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Embarrassing-Neil-Berkeley/dp/B009NNG0MM

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If you have questions or comments please DM me on Instagram @neilpberkeley

In this lively podcast episode, Neil dives into Joseph Granda's adventures as a documentary filmmaker with a twist. Granda, an open minded yet skeptical storyteller, explores conspiracy theories and paranormal activities, bringing a refreshing blend of humor and curiosity to subjects often shrouded in mystery. His work with Merkel Media stands out for its engaging, fun take on the unexplained, making even the skeptics chuckle while pondering the "what ifs" of the universe. It's a rollercoaster ride through the intriguing, the bizarre, and the hilarious, showcasing Joseph's unique flair for telling stories.

https://www.josephgranda.com/

https://www.merkel.media/

Joseph Granda Instagram

Neil Berkeley Instagram

https://www.brkly.com/