Show notes
Consider this your second helping of the holiday—Charlie Shackleton's THE ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT is now playing in theaters, which means audiences can now experience one of the most twisted, brightest docs of the year. This thanksgiving we're grateful for filmmakers who take big swings and for audiences who show up to support adventurous storytelling. So grab another slice of pie, settle in, and revisit our SXSW conversation with Charlie—a filmmaker who turned rejection into art and morphed failure into near-genius… Walk and talk with ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT director Charlie Shackleton as he recounts the challenges (& opportunities) of bringing a film to new life after losing access to the subject. We'll explore Charlie's love-hate relationship with true crime and the way his film twists up familiar tropes. Never one to accept creative defeat, Charlie extolls the virtues of having a close collaboration with your entertainment lawyer and takes us back to the inspiration of Nick Broomfield as a basis for overcoming rejection on screen. We share a lot of laughs and together decide to start a cult! Join us… for this episode of Doc Walks. 00:00 Welcome to Doc Walks: South by Southwest Day 00:49 Meeting Charlie Shackleton: A Unique Filmmaker 02:42 The Zodiac Killer Project: A Film About Failure 04:13 Overcoming Obstacles: The Making of Zodiac Killer Project 07:41 Archival Films and Legal Battles 11:17 Influences and Inspirations: The Filmmakers Who Shaped Charlie 15:28 Pitching and Funding: The Journey to Create Zodiac Killer Project 17:48 A Twist on True Crime: Charlie's Unique Approach 19:56 Starting a New Cult: A Filmmaker's Perspective 20:23 Intentional Critique in Documentary Filmmaking 22:08 Navigating Personal Involvement in Documentaries 25:32 The Reality of Developing Multiple Projects 29:13 Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers 34:24 Concluding Thoughts and Future Episodes