Documentary First Podcast Episode 209: What’s Your Focus? w/ Ken Burns - The American Buffalo (Part 2 of 2)

Welcome back to another exciting week of Documentary First. In part two of our conversation with documentary legend, Ken Burns, we dive into the vital aspect of collaboration in filmmaking. Ken emphasizes the profound history he shares with two of his current collaborators, who are stepping into new endeavors as his company continues it’s storytelling journey. Drawing an analogy to a conductor orchestrating a musical ensemble, Ken underscores the significance of every individual involved in the filmmaking process. While he acknowledges a roster of long-term collaborators, he underscores a core group of key individuals.

Ken’s distinctive approach to documentary filmmaking involves eschewing rigid timelines, allowing stories to organically evolve. His mission is to craft narratives of depth and richness, achieved through meticulous research. This ethos means that he and his team are in a perpetual state of pre-production, research, and filming until each project reaches its fullest potential.

The conversation pivots towards a statement Ken makes, likening their approach to recording music prior to editing, wherein the music itself dictates the pace and rhythm, rather than being an added layer. Christian seizes this moment to dissect this invaluable nugget of wisdom, highlighting its transformative impact on Ken’s filmmaking process.

Ken provides illuminating examples of projects where this technique has been applied, emphasizing the primacy of musical integrity. For Christian, this revelation resonates deeply, affirming the choices made while creating “The Girl Who Wore Freedom,” a project inspired by Ken’s storytelling prowess. Their discussion evolves from music to the integration of sound effects, breathing life into static images.

Ken imparts a powerful philosophy: “there’s no copyright on technique. There’s no copyright on the stuff that we use, there’s no copyright even on style,” underscoring the open, collaborative nature of the creative process.

Yet, even with this rich discussion, we’ve merely scratched the surface of Ken Burns’ intricate filmmaking methodology. In our segment, DocuView Déjà Vu, Ken offers some film recommendations, with Christian guiding him to two standout selections—one from the past and one from the present.

In this episode, we also introduce one of Ken’s latest endeavors, “Unum,” a unique tool any filmmaker can use as a research tool for their own works or for the public to learn more about historical stories his company has worked to unveil and place into context. Unum can be explored further on his webpage at: Ken Burns UNUM

DocuView Déjà Vu Recommendations:

Ken: (OLD) The Night Mail, 1936, 25mins, Short Documentary, IMDB Link:

Night Mail (1936) – IMDb

(NEW) Hollow Tree by Kira Ackerman – Link:

Hollow Tree — Hollow Tree (2022) – IMDb