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
Get ready for an engaging episode of the podcast, where Christian and Jason chat with Nathan Ruyle, the sound designer behind the hit film "Citizen Sleuth." With over 100+ credits ...
Step right up, folks! This week on Documentary First, we're shaking things up and diving into the world of narrative filmmaking. Our special guest is none other than D. Mitry, ...
Join hosts Christian and Jason as they dive deep into the ever-changing world of filmmaking with seasoned filmmaker, Joe Amodei. With over 20 years of firsthand experience and a passion ...
In this episode Jason Rugg, our loyal host and trusty dusty button pushing guy, is our guest guru on animation and how animation in documentary filmmaking is making a resurgence ...
Get ready for an exciting new episode of Documentary First! In episode 192, we're diving deep into the impact of life on the process of filmmaking. With team members experiencing ...
Welcome to Episode 191. Chad Gilchrist, grip and lighting guru extraordinaire, and Director of Photography for "Taking Carentan", joins the podcast today to talk about the Top 5 skills every ...
Interested in improving your creative workflow? Jeff Kurtenacker is back to explain why it all starts with developing good taste. But it doesn’t end there, listen in to discover what ...
This week on the podcast Christian talks with Ben Feithen, Documentary First's CEO, about plans for Documentary First in 2023. The DocFirst team is smaller now, and they ponder how ...
We jump right back into the conversation with Chad & Tayler Gilchrist from where left off in the previous episode. This is part 2 of the conversation with the Gilchrist's ...
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