Rough Cut

On this episode of Rough Cut, Brandon Graves and Kamaria Roberts—Video Consortium’s Newsroom Collective team—unpack video as a crucial tool for newsrooms. They also share their personal journeys through the industry, discuss the challenges and opportunities facing local journalism today, and explore why VC’s Newsroom Collective is a game-changer for newsrooms integrating video storytelling into reporting. If you’re curious about where journalism is headed (hint: video is the future), this is ...

In this episode of Rough Cut, esteemed journalist and VC Board member Kevin Merida, former Executive Editor of the Los Angeles Times, sits down with award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter for a wide ranging conversation, including her latest documentary, Luther: Never Too Much, the art of weaving archival footage into compelling narratives, and the vital role of local journalism. Kevin and Dawn offer deep insights into the power and possibilities of nonfiction video storytelling. Tune in for an ...

On this episode of Rough Cut, filmmaker and writer Michael Werner talks to Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman, who shook up the documentary landscape with their film Cocaine Cowboys. The bold documentary launched their careers and solidified their reputation as daring storytellers who push against industry norms. Billy and Alfred, who have been collaborators since high school, talk to Michael about their dedication to telling Miami stories, and how they approach documentaries with genre-b...

This week on Rough Cut we’re joined by animators and filmmakers Lizzy Hogenson and Zach Dorn, who, with host Sean David Christensen, delve into how animation lends itself to emotional intensity in nonfiction stories. All three filmmakers use a myriad of artistic mediums in their films. For Lizzy it’s needle-felting and claymation, among other mediums. For Zach it’s puppets and illustrations, and for Sean it’s miniature sets and other unique storytelling techniques. Sean talks with Lizzy...

Quincy Ledbetter and Mito Habe-Evans met on NPR’s video desk, when Mito hired Quincy after a refreshingly casual and candid interview. On this episode of Rough Cut, Quincy, an independent filmmaker and artist, and Mito, a Creative Director and Supervising Video Producer at NPR, talk about what it takes to build a creative team and foster a positive work culture. We dive into the “vibe check,” how the punk scene shaped Mito’s creative outlook, and other ways Mito thinks about creating teams an...

In this episode of Rough Cut, we dive into the story of Joss Fong and Adam Cole, two journalists and former Vox production desk partners. After working together for years, they embarked on the exciting journey of jumpstarting their own YouTube channel, “Howtown,” where they explore the question: How do we know what we know? Join us as their former colleague, Vox Video co-founder, and long-time VC member Joe Posner checks in with Joss and Adam just four months after their launch. They’ll share...

In this month’s episode of Rough Cut Podcast, filmmaker and curator Stephanie Owens talks with Oscar-winning director Ben Proudfoot about the art of short documentary. Growing up in Nova Scotia, Ben was a young magician with a youth championship win, but after a trip to Los Angelis his goals changed, setting him on a new path. Stephanie and Ben start at the beginning and this conversation is an engaging journey through Ben’s unique career path from magician to celebrated filmmaker. Now ...

In this episode of Rough Cut, filmmakers and longtime collaborators Scott Faris and Meg Griffiths talk about what it means to make work with a purpose and why they chose to create their production company, Universe Creative. Scott interviews Meg about her journey from photojournalist to filmmaker, working with non-profit clients, and their first feature documentary, Impossible Town. They also discuss how their company’s core values trickle down into everything they do and the importance...

Rough Cut Podcast is back! Did you miss us? After a brief hiatus, Rough Cut returns in a new, community-driven format, with alternating Video Consortium members hosting each episode. For our first episode back, join longtime friends, filmmakers, and photojournalists Ed Ou and Amanda Mustard as they reunite in this eye-opening episode about the transition from photo to video, the enduring principles of journalism ethics, and the challenges of sustaining a career in high-risk journalism. Amanda...

The documentary industry has seen huge changes in the last decade. So where does the industry stand today? What are some of the greatest challenges documentary filmmakers face? And what kind of work do industry gatekeepers want to support? Our guest, Sara Archambault, is leading a new initiative at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center that is trying to answer these questions. The program, “Documentary in the Public Interest”, surveys scholars, filmmakers, journalists, and industry leaders ...