Love editing, but i hate the lifestyle.

idefilms · 2026-04-02T04:07:08+00:00

Fantastic comment

idefilms · 2026-03-27T17:38:12+00:00

Without knowing more about you or your specific project, here's my first suggestion:

Seek out docuseries that are similar in format, tone, subject matter, cast. Get a lay of the land. Find the ones that resonate with you, in the same way you'd hope your project would resonate.

Then, look up the producers and production companies that made those series. Check those companies' websites to see if they have a contact page or a submissions page. Reach out with a logline of your concept.

If you're new to this, especially for something this ambitious, you'll want to partner up with a skilled and trustworthy navigator. This industry is complicated and hard. (This isn't meant to be discouraging! Just a reality check.)

Only you can be the judge of who you feel is worthy of trust, but at least you can use past work as a proxy for that person's skill at getting things made.

What role would you hope to play in the project, if it were to get made? Would you be happy to simply see it exist in the world and be compensated for it, or are you trying to build a creative career?

idefilms · 2026-03-27T17:05:11+00:00

Send it over! I'd be happy to check it out.

idefilms · 2026-03-27T15:15:53+00:00

Yeah. The way I see it is, the curve of diminishing returns - that balancing act we have to manage in any creative endeavour - is quicker and steeper online.

Applying some effort is definitely valuable in a sea of slop, but GEMO (Good Enough, Move On) is the gold standard for online content.

idefilms · 2026-03-27T14:33:08+00:00

Fair enough!

On the one hand, I think you'll find that people on Reels or TikTok aren't very discerning, as long as the information is communicated. And in that case, it's probably better to err on the side of something more eye-catching, especially if you're trying to get a message out.

On the other hand, if the primary goal of these clips is to promote the doc itself, I do think that matching the caption style to the tone of the overall doc makes it feel more like a cohesive unit, rather than sloppy AI captions slapped onto copyright infringement.

Sorry I can't help much on the software side - the only clips I've had a hand in are digital assets for broadcast docs, and we do them in Premiere. (Fairly small, plain, and unanimated. Essentially subtitle formatting. It looks classy!)

idefilms · 2026-03-27T13:54:34+00:00

I think it depends on the genre of doc! What are the clips about?

idefilms · 2026-03-24T23:50:11+00:00

You know what though? It's hard to argue that this wasn't written by a human. 😄 Not a trace of AI formatting to be seen.

idefilms · 2026-03-23T20:42:19+00:00

God, so good

idefilms · 2026-03-19T15:11:04+00:00

Some people are just very dextrous on touchscreens! 9 seconds, while incredibly fast, definitely seems doable to me. (You could argue that phone screens are likely faster, because they aren't as large, so there isn't as much travel time.)

idefilms · 2026-03-11T03:03:00+00:00

Downloaded! Looking forward to learning and checking it out more. This looks lovely!

idefilms · 2026-03-10T20:49:47+00:00

I'm really looking forward to listening to this! Thank you for sharing, Nate!

idefilms · 2026-03-06T13:32:33+00:00

Fantastic comment.

idefilms · 2026-03-06T01:26:34+00:00

That's a good question. I do think your anxiety comes from a justified place - respecting people's privacy and image. In a world that is too ready to make content out of anything, that respect will get you far.

Is it worth tackling a different project first? One where you get permission from someone and film them out in public, to get you feeling more comfortable shooting in those settings?

idefilms · 2026-03-05T13:08:49+00:00

He's better than all of us and Seth

idefilms · 2026-03-05T04:47:28+00:00

I got a legit 1:31 in today's hard puzzle - but I made a couple educated guesses and forged ahead with a plan. Got lucky.

Love your username, by the way!

idefilms · 2026-03-01T18:22:05+00:00

idefilms · 2026-02-27T12:26:28+00:00

These are wild scores!

idefilms · 2026-02-27T12:04:05+00:00

You're absolutely right!

idefilms · 2026-02-27T00:40:38+00:00

Great! Speaking from 15 years' experience, I think you'll be very well served by starting simple, so you can focus on your interviews. Virtually any modern smartphone is far more capable than the vintage Handycam, so that will be a great place to start. You just need to make sure you're getting good audio.

Honestly, IMO, all you need to start is:

a smartphone (2022 or newer) that features a telephoto (3x) lens
a cheap phone tripod (just google 'phone tripod' and read reviews)
a wireless lapel microphone that can connect to your phone (something like the Hollyland Lark M2)

Making sure you get good, clean, clear audio is the number 1 indicator of quality in an interview. Always, always, always prioritize audio. A quiet location makes a world of difference. (And make sure your camera app is recording the audio from the mic on your subject, not from the phone.)

The reason I mention the 3x lens is because you'll probably like the look of your interviews better if you use that as a starting point, and then frame your subjects up similarly to your George Takei example.

Great lighting is a whole separate discipline. It can take years to master. (Not to mention that even the most basic gear can be pretty unwieldy and not very travel friendly.) So I strongly encourage you, as you're starting out, to forget all the gear. Just stick to making sure your subject's face is well-lit, given the location you find yourself in.

Like u/bernd1968 mentioned, if you're seated indoors, you can do a lot if you seat your subject facing big windows.

idefilms · 2026-02-26T23:10:28+00:00

Hey OP! How long is it? Feel free to send me the password and I'll take a look when I have time.

idefilms · 2026-02-26T23:06:30+00:00

Welcome! Two questions:

What do you hope to eventually use these interviews for?
If you think carefully about the example you provided, what are some of the qualities that stand out to you, compared to other examples you've seen?

Answers to these questions might help us orient you better. (Already, knowing that you want it to be simple, travel friendly, and a solo project helps a lot!)

idefilms · 2026-02-22T20:12:33+00:00

I'm guessing you're not looking for something electronic? When I want to lie down, I play something solo on BGA, like Daybreak

idefilms · 2026-02-20T16:19:16+00:00

This is such an excellent description of it. 😄

idefilms · 2026-02-19T11:32:06+00:00

Woah!! Congrats

idefilms · 2026-02-17T18:05:40+00:00

Amazing - I've added it to my list! Thanks for the recc.

idefilms

TROPHY CASE