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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 ...

Episode 17: Post-Focus Group
In this episode, Director Christian Taylor shares an update after running a focus group for The Girl Who Wore Freedom in Normandy for D-Day Celebrations. Because we've been so busy with that, we're also reairing Episode 1 of the Documentary ...

Episode 16: Next
Director Christian Taylor looks ahead to the next steps for “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” and speculates about what it will be like to watch the film at the first focus group events.
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Episode 15: Bilingual
Working with footage and audiences that represent at least two distinct languages is no small task. Director Christian Taylor talks about the complexity of subtitling and her project’s tight turnaround for sound and score.
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Episode 14: Composer
A good composer understands both emotion and serendipity. There's no better example than how Jeff Kurtenacker came to be the Lead Composer on The Girl Who Wore Freedom. Listen in as Director Christian Taylor shares his story and how she ...

Episode 13: Tools
When you're a bootstrapped documentary you sometimes have to pick free or inexpensive tools to get the job done. For The Girl Who Wore Freedom Director Christian Taylor talks about the pain of editing ("killing your babies" to get the ...

Episode 12: Editor
A good editor is hard to come by and The Girl Who Wore Freedom was blessed with one of the best: Bill Ebel. Learn more as Director Christian Taylor shares her appreciation for Bill and the qualities (and hard, honest ...

Episode 11: Garage
All great things begin in a garage. Josh, Jason, and Director Christian Taylor explore the ins and outs of film editing from a garage in Tennessee. Christian also shares the roller-coaster that is translating, subtitling, and script-writing.
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Episode 10: Balance
Is there such thing as work/life balance in film-making? Director Christian Taylor discusses La La Land, the creative process, striking the right tone, and putting family first…always.
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Episode 9: Dark Night of the Soul
What do you do when you're at your all time low and ready to call it quits? In this episode, producer Christian Taylor tells the story of her (extended) visit to her editor in Tennessee to get the film done, ...
In this profoundly moving first installment of a two-part episode, Documentary First host Christian Taylor interviews Steve Cohen, Billy Joel’s longtime creative director and the executive producer of the new HBO docuseries Billy Joel: And So It Goes.
Steve Cohen, the executive producer, shares his journey from lighting stages to producing emotional documentaries, emphasizing the collaborative effort that brings these stories to life.
Steve reflects on:
Meeting Billy Joel in 1974 and forging a lifelong creative partnership
The soul of Billy Joel’s songwriting: honesty, heartbreak, and healing
How Susan Lacy’s empathetic direction helped uncover hidden emotional truths
What it means to tell someone else’s story with care, depth, and dignity
The healing power of revisiting past relationships through art
For listeners who’ve ever found themselves in a song—or wanted to understand the quiet brilliance behind a musical legend—this episode is a masterclass in the art of documentary storytelling and a heartfelt tribute to legacy, resilience, and human connection.
No DocuView Déjà Vu
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Emotional Connection
04:04 The Journey Begins: Meeting Billy Joel
08:03 The Documentary: A Deep Dive into Billy Joel’s Life
11:57 The Collaborative Process of Filmmaking
15:52 The Role of Relationships in Billy Joel’s Music
20:03 Reflections on Billy Joel’s Legacy and Impact
30:45 The Emotional Connection of Music
36:00 Creating Comfort in Documentary Filmmaking
39:41 The Art of Storytelling Through Music