Steve Martin? Mr. Rogers? Brian Wilson? Orson Welles? Gore Vidal? Anthony Bourdain? Ever heard of them? Not only has documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville heard of them, he's studied them ad nauseam and crafted some of the best character documentaries ever made about all the name-droppy figures listed above and then some. His repertoire of work is a thoughtful, constantly evolving bibliography of filmmaking that's so humanist and artful its only a matter of time until he's a household name (as I imagine he already ought to be for the doc-heads out there). Most recently he helmed the (now Emmy nominated) doc STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces—a wonderful, characteristically humanist two-part doc profiling one of the greatest comedic performers to grace the world since ever. Steve! (for short) is, in fact, two parts. The first of which is told entirely through archival narration and footage, the second to follow Steve Martin himself in his modern life as he reflects on his career and offers thoughtful insights on the entertainment industry at large and how he made it where he is today. BFF Martin Short is there for hangs too!Below, Neville dives deep into his documentary process, as well as his specific relationship working with Steve Martin to craft this wonderfully creative two-part documentary. Read on for some invaluable thoughts on the documentary creative process. Editor's note: the following quotes are edited for length and clarity.The Importance of Journalism in Doc Filmmaking "I've been making documentaries for 30 years now. For...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 24 July, 2024