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Episode 27: Volunteers & Partners
Projects like The Girl Who Wore Freedom need volunteers to exist. Volunteers who are hungry for growth have many opportunities to gain real-world experience and do work they'd be proud to show others. It's a win-win situation for both parties ...

Episode 26: Miniseries
When the idea for The Girl Who Wore Freedom was conceived a lot had to happen in a short amount of time. Now that there is a documentary of the film out there, we take stock of what we have and ...

Episode 25: More Focus Group Events
Christian has had a chance to catch her breath and is ramping up for focus group events in Denver, Colorado Springs, New York, Branson, and beyond! Find an event near you: https://thegirlwhoworefreedom.com/events. These focus groups are being organized and spearheaded ...

Episode 24: Fatigue
Creating a film is exhausting. Is it even possible to take a break when you're in the midst of creating a feature-length documentary? And what do you do when you want to finish the film, but don't have the money ...

Episode 23: Getting Feedback
Getting any kind of feedback is hard. If the feedback is only positive, you worry that they're just trying to make you feel good and not being authentic. But it's also really difficult to receive negative feedback! In this episode, ...

Episode 22: Q&A with Christian
In this episode, host of the podcast Josh Lindsey asks director Christian Taylor a series of questions to better understand what went on at the Normandy focus group screening of The Girl Who Wore Freedom. We'll hear about things she ...

Episode 21: Social Media
Social media is an important part of promoting any project, but particularly films. In this episode, we meet Anne Evans, our first social media lead and sister of Director Christian Taylor. Anne shares how she got started in this role ...

Episode 20: French Focus Groups
What does it take to run a focus group event in France? In this episode, Director Christian Taylor shares how the eleven events were planned for Normandy to gather feedback from the five-hundred people who have seen the film.
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Episode 19: Eleventh Hour
Director Christian Taylor is in France preparing to screen the film, but the drive doesn't work. In this episode, we celebrate the first focus group event of The Girl Who Wore Freedom in Normandy, France, discuss the struggle to make ...

Episode 18: Mississippi Focus Group
In this episode, Director Christian Taylor shares an update after visiting Mississippi and hosting a focus group event for veterans with dramatically moving results. Because we've been so busy with that, we're also reairing Episode 2 of the Documentary First ...
In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor sits down with Finnish film composer Panu Aaltio to dive into the fascinating world of film scoring. From his early days as a cello player to becoming a successful composer for films and documentaries, Panu shares his unique journey and the challenges and joys of crafting music for the screen.
The conversation explores the intricate relationship between music and film, the influence of video game music, and how directors’ styles shape a composer’s approach to scoring. Panu discusses the creative process behind composing scores that evoke emotional responses, the importance of collaboration with directors, and the role of music as a character in a film.
He also offers valuable insights on his experiences working on Netflix originals, the significance of documentaries in his career, and advice for aspiring composers looking to break into the industry.
Watch the hit show “Little Siberia” on Netflix!
Discover Panu Aaltio’s work: https://www.panuaaltio.com/
Key Takeaways:
Sound Bites:
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Film Scoring
05:35 Panu’s Musical Journey
12:16 From Hobby to Profession
20:13 Navigating Directorial Styles
25:30 The Language of Music in Film
26:24 Understanding Emotional Impact through Score
28:48 Creating Unique Soundscapes for Film
30:41 The Role of Music as a Character
32:13 Experimentation in Composition
35:34 The Importance of Early Composition
41:12 Navigating the Netflix Experience
42:26 The Significance of Documentaries in Career
43:09 DocuView Déjà Vu
44:18 Advice for Aspiring Composers
45:17 Influential Scores and Future Projects