How to Make a Movie
This semester, I had the chance to take a class with filmmaker Brian Jun, director of Steel City and The Coverup. He’s now teaching as well. I really appreciated his approach. He covered the material quickly and thoroughly, then let us dive right into hands-on projects. He had a chill, confident vibe and was very efficient.
The class was originally focused on narrative filmmaking, but a few of us were more interested in documentaries. Brian was flexible and supportive. He created a great module just for us to learn how to plan a doc, shoot a strong interview, and think through the structure of nonfiction storytelling.
I created a micro-doc for my final project. I hope it becomes the first video in a series. The whole project took a few weeks of part-time work. Someone more experienced could likely finish it more quickly than that but I am happy with how it went for one of my early projects. I spun up an overview of how the process went and I’ll share that below.
Pre-Production
Chose topic: Focused on regenerative grazing within the broader context of climate-conscious land stewardship.
Developed concept and title: The documentary is titled “Porch Talks: Regenerative Grazing”, potentially part of a broader Porch Talks series.
Outlined goals: Aimed to create a Ken Burns-style professional documentary with both archival stills and modern footage. (It ended up being more of an educational video, but I’ll get better at executing my vision as I gain experience.)
Selected gear:
Canon 7D DSLR for video and stills.
18MP drone for aerial footage.
External audio recorder for clean interview sound.
Identified main subject: Chose a family member with deep knowledge and experience in regenerative agriculture.
Prepped interview questions: Focused on philosophy, science, personal experience, and vision for regenerative practices.
Production
Filmed primary interview: Captured over 3+ sessions with multiple camera angles and quality audio.
Set natural tone: Allowed conversations to flow deeply and authentically, capturing unscripted moments and poetic reflections.
Captured B-roll:
Documented degraded and regenerating soil.
Filmed cattle movement, grasslands, and rain events.
Used drone for wide shots and transitions.
Took stills for use in editing overlays and marketing.
Post-Production
Transcribed full interview: Broke it into parts for easier editing and thematic arrangement.
Logged key soundbites:
Technical insights (carbon cycling, cow behavior, soil health).
Philosophical reflections (human connection, social systems, historical context).
Visionary statements (what a regenerative future could look like).
Planned sound design: Natural ambient sounds, subtle score to enhance emotion.
Began editing with clear structure:
What is regenerative agriculture?
What does it look like in practice?
What does it feel like—and why does it matter?
What future are we building?
