2024 12 27
Becoming a Documentary Filmmaker in 2025
My slow and reluctant pivot back to video is underway, though admittedly much slower-paced than it should be. The move back to shooting video is both personally and professionally-driven. Before I became a photographer, I was a videographer. Itâs my first artistic passion and one that I want to further explore before it gets too late in life. Beyond that, my industry of commercial photography is now demanding that all photographers are also motion directors, so itâs basically required if I wish to continue making money in that field.
In the new year, I will obsess over video and dedicate a huge amount of my time to manning a video camera again. Part of why my video pitch has stalled is my instinct is to operate. I must be operating the camera to be fully engaged in the production process. And that requires a time-consuming re-learning process, familiarizing myself with new camera systems and methods that didnât exist when I was running MiniDV cams in the early 2000âs.
Fortunately, a friend reached out to me a few months back with the idea of partnering on a doc project featuring a mutual artist friend of ours (Iâm keeping all the specific details out of it for now as weâre in the super early stages of this and I donât want to jinx anything). We have already begun production and are now seeking additional financing so that we can move full-steam ahead in the new year (hit me up and Iâll send you the pitch deck!). Iâm excited because I think this project has a lot of potential to be something great, though I also know itâs going to be a beast of a process and take up a huge amount of my time.
With so much content being made and shared these days, Iâm very sensitive to making sure this project stands out and is elevated from the pack. I donât want to make just another âfeature-length documentaryâ that gets tossed onto YouTube for a few thousand people to passively watch and forget. There are themes I hope to explore that, I think, will resonate with lots of people; if we handle the project right, it has a chance to really become something that goes beyond Chicago and touches people worldwide. But again, I donât want to jinx it, so letâs keep it casual!
Semi-relatedly, Kartemquin Films is moving their office directly below my studio inside the Kimball Arts Center. Iâve very much been âlistening to the universeâ lately, and this feels like a clear sign that I should pay attention to. I also aim to make a monthly screening night happen in our studio space, which weâve dubbed Cinema 606. While this wonât be strictly doc-focused, I do want to make sure documentaries are a large part of the night.
With Ai blowing up and affecting lots of industries, including my own world of commercial photography, I love the idea of adding documentary filmmaking to my core competency of offerings. On top of that, I have no shortage of ideas for various subjects and people that I would love to explore in moving-visual form. Of course, time and money are always the main deterrents, so it will be very revealing to know just how much this project takes out of me before I make grand plans to become the next Werner Herzog.
Some themes weâre likely to explore in this project include: the business end of art; what it means to be an artist; the unwavering dedication to a city that doesnât always love you back; substance abuse in relation to artist endeavor.
Iâd consider it a huge win to complete the project, be proud of it, and have other people choose to watch it on their own accord. Perhaps, if things go well, a modest run of screenings around the country would be an amazing end cap. It will be interesting to look back at this post a year from now, as I realize thereâs a lot of actual work to be done and this here talk is cheap. Itâs time to get moving and make a damn movie!
-Clayton
This is one entry in a multi-part series of self-exploration and contemplation-out-loud in advance of the new calendar year. Some of this may happen; none of this may happen.
For the complete list of posts, please see 2024 12 25.
Caught in the act of art. Chicago, Illinois. October, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Becoming a Documentary Filmmaker in 2025
My slow and reluctant pivot back to video is underway, though admittedly much slower-paced than it should be. The move back to shooting video is both personally and professionally-driven. Before I became a photographer, I was a videographer. Itâs my first artistic passion and one that I want to further explore before it gets too late in life. Beyond that, my industry of commercial photography is now demanding that all photographers are also motion directors, so itâs basically required if I wish to continue making money in that field.
In the new year, I will obsess over video and dedicate a huge amount of my time to manning a video camera again. Part of why my video pivot has stalled is my instinct is to operate. I must be operating the camera to be fully engaged in the production process. And that requires a time-consuming re-learning process, familiarizing myself with new camera systems and methods that didnât exist when I was running MiniDV cams in the early 2000âs.
Fortunately, a friend reached out to me a few months back with the idea of partnering on a doc project featuring a mutual artist friend of ours (Iâm keeping all the specific details out of it for now as weâre in the super early stages of this and I donât want to jinx anything). We have already begun production and are now seeking additional financing so that we can move full-steam ahead in the new year (hit me up and Iâll send you the pitch deck!). Iâm excited because I think this project has a lot of potential to be something great, though I also know itâs going to be a beast of a process and take up a huge amount of my time.
With so much content being made and shared these days, Iâm very sensitive to making sure this project stands out and is elevated from the pack. I donât want to make just another âfeature-length documentaryâ that gets tossed onto YouTube for a few thousand people to passively watch and forget. There are themes I hope to explore that, I think, will resonate with lots of people; if we handle the project right, it has a chance to really become something that goes beyond Chicago and touches people worldwide. But again, I donât want to jinx it, so letâs keep it casual!
Semi-relatedly, Kartemquin Films is moving their office directly below my studio inside the Kimball Arts Center. Iâve very much been âlistening to the universeâ lately, and this feels like a clear sign that I should pay attention to. I also aim to make a monthly screening night happen in our studio space, which weâve dubbed Cinema 606. While this wonât be strictly doc-focused, I do want to make sure documentaries are a large part of the night.
With Ai blowing up and affecting lots of industries, including my own world of commercial photography, I love the idea of adding documentary filmmaking to my core competency of offerings. On top of that, I have no shortage of ideas for various subjects and people that I would love to explore in moving-visual form. Of course, time and money are always the main deterrents, so it will be very revealing to know just how much this project takes out of me before I make grand plans to become the next Werner Herzog.
Some themes weâre likely to explore in this project include: the business end of art; what it means to be an artist; the unwavering dedication to a city that doesnât always love you back; substance abuse in relation to artistic endeavor.
Iâd consider it a huge win to complete the project, be proud of it, and have other people choose to watch it on their own accord. Perhaps, if things go well, a modest run of screenings around the country would be an amazing end cap. It will be interesting to look back at this post a year from now, as I realize thereâs a lot of actual work to be done and this here talk is cheap. Itâs time to get moving and make a damn movie!
-Clayton
This is one entry in a multi-part series of self-exploration and contemplation-out-loud in advance of the new calendar year. Some of this may happen; none of this may happen.
For the complete list of posts, please see 2024 12 25.
2024 10 15
Relying on any one source for a majority of your information intake is never a good idea, no matter how fair and balanced that source is. Yesterday morning, on twitter, I read a demoralized tweet from a buddy about how Kamalaâs campaign was focusing way too much on catering to Jeb Bush Republicans. Reading this plunged me into a hole of despair. He was right, thereâs no enthusiasm and she is not doing enough to get out there and convince new voters she can be the change candidate or excite existing voters to actually show up to the polls! Or so I thought, likely because all of the shit Iâve been reading on twitter has seeped into my brain and caused me to believe the situation is as grim as it is.
Iâve always been someone who likes to explore all sides to a story, to see every perspective. Iâm strong enough not to allow clear narrative manipulation to rub off on me, right?
Later that night, while working late at the studio, I got a push notification from WSJ about how drones have been flying over military installations for weeks now and The Pentagon has no idea where they are coming fromâpossibly from space (!!!). This is the kind of headline that a decade ago wouldâve made people very curious to learn more but now usually gets completely ignored. It was exciting to think about how, when I got home, I could open up what has become a mecca for conspiracy theorists (twitter) to get all the âtakesâ on what is actually going on. Surely if the mainstream media and US military are openly reporting on it, there has to be a ton of people looking into it. I shut down the computer and headed home.
Arriving home, I was distracted with dinner waiting for me and Bobâs Burgers so forgot about the drone attack report for a few hours. Then, we switched on CNN and they were doing a big segment on the election. Immediately, I was releived. The coverage of Kamalaâs campaign was far more positive than twitter (of course) but it also seemed like she was doing well and saying the right things. Positive and enthusiastic. Their campaign strategy is clearly less traditional, and likely for good reason, however, it seems to be giving the appearance to some of us (me!) that sheâs not out there enough â front-and-center. The problem is, front-and-center is now inside our pockets and different for everyone. You can run an entire presidential campaign from your basement (Joe Biden proved it!) and probably win if youâre hitting the right podcasts and youtube channels.
Finally, I remembered the push notification and opened the twitter app, excited to hear more. It was crickets. Nothing. I had to search and still had a hard time finding anyone talking about the mysterious surveillance drones circling military bases. Crazy allegations about Tim Walz were plentiful, however. Brutal fights and car crashes and gun battles plentiful. People dying right in front of my eyes. Twitter has become the gnarly video repository to show everyone the proof that everything Trump and Fox News says is true. They are eating the cats. They are destroying the cities. They are controlling the weather and stealing our land. They are killing and sex trafficking the children. Of course, some of this stuff is happening (shoutout Diddy!) but if you spend too much time on twitter, as I do, you start to feel like itâs happening all around you. It seeps into your brain, even if you know what theyâre doing and think youâre strong enough to combat it.
-Clayton
Where we are headed. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. September, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Relying on any one source for a majority of your information intake is never a good idea, no matter how fair and balanced that source is. Yesterday morning, on twitter, I read a demoralized tweet from a buddy about how Kamalaâs campaign was focusing way too much on catering to Jeb Bush Republicans. Reading this plunged me into a hole of despair. He was right, thereâs no enthusiasm and she is not doing enough to get out there and convince new voters she can be the change candidate or excite existing voters to actually show up to the polls! Or so I thought, likely because all of the shit Iâve been reading on twitter has seeped into my brain and caused me to believe the situation is as grim as it is.
Iâve always been someone who likes to explore all sides to a story, to see every perspective. Iâm strong enough not to allow clear narrative manipulation to rub off on me, right?
Later that night, while working late at the studio, I got a push notification from WSJ about how drones have been flying over military installations for weeks now and The Pentagon has no idea where they are coming fromâpossibly from space (!!!). This is the kind of headline that a decade ago wouldâve made people very curious to learn more but now usually gets completely ignored. It was exciting to think about how, when I got home, I could open up what has become a mecca for conspiracy theorists (twitter) to get all the âtakesâ on what is actually going on. Surely if the mainstream media and US military are openly reporting on it, there has to be a ton of people looking into it. I shut down the computer and headed home.
Arriving home, I was distracted with dinner waiting for me and Bobâs Burgers so forgot about the drone attack report for a few hours. Then, we switched on CNN and they were doing a big segment on the election. Immediately, I was releived. The coverage of Kamalaâs campaign was far more positive than twitter (of course) but it also seemed like she was doing well and saying the right things. Positive and enthusiastic. Their campaign strategy is clearly less traditional, and likely for good reason, however, it seems to be giving the appearance to some of us (me!) that sheâs not out there enough â front-and-center. The problem is, front-and-center is now inside our pockets and different for everyone. You can run an entire presidential campaign from your basement (Joe Biden proved it!) and probably win if youâre hitting the right podcasts and youtube channels.
Finally, I remembered the push notification and opened the twitter app, excited to hear more. It was crickets. Nothing. I had to search and still had a hard time finding anyone talking about the mysterious surveillance drones circling military bases. Crazy allegations about Tim Walz were plentiful, however. Brutal fights and car crashes and gun battles plentiful. People dying right in front of my eyes. Twitter has become the gnarly video repository to show everyone the proof that everything Trump and Fox News says is true. They are eating the cats. They are destroying the cities. They are controlling the weather and stealing our land. They are killing and sex trafficking the children. Of course, some of this stuff is happening (shoutout Diddy!) but if you spend too much time on twitter, as I do, you start to feel like itâs happening all around you. It seeps into your brain, even if you know what theyâre doing and think youâre strong enough to combat it.
-Clayton
2024 05 06
Are you familiar with @paulie.bâs âWalkie Talkieâ series on YouTube? If youâre not, you should be!
https://www.pointingatstuff.com/2024/2024-05-06
Bart Simpson caught in the act at Slappy Curb. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Caught this video over the weekend and had so many wonderful thoughts about it. Per the rules, we must discuss and share the link here. Iâll preface by saying this channel, by Paulie B, is fantastic and highly worth digging into for anyone even remotely interested in photography and definitely for anyone interested in street photography. The "walkie talkieâ series has him tagging along with various street photographers and getting a peek into their process while an interview plays out alongside.
This specific episode featured a photographer I was not previously familiar with named Trevor Wisecup. His enthusiasm for the craft, perspective on life, and positive energy were all refreshing, inspiring, and had me wanting to pick up my camera and hit the streets. In general, the video reminded me of my younger self while also serving to push my current self a bit harder in the sense that, as you get older, sometimes you start to overthink things or self-doubt a bit more, or generally just lose the insane drive your younger self mightâve had.
As a lifelong Chicagoan, whenever I see videos like this I immediately regret not living in NYC. While making work of this nature is definitely possible here in Chicago (shoutout Vivian Maier) youâre going to need to put in twice as much time to get half the results as you will in a place like NYC which simply has the density of humanity needed to provide consistantly amazing street moments. Paulie B himself previously lived in Chicago and has since relocated to NYC. All this to say: I shouldnât allow this one challenge to stop me from producing any work! Perhaps it could even allow me to think outside the box and make something more unique to me. I have ideas, they just need to be manifested, which can only happen once you leave the house. Thanks to Paulie for the endless inspiration to do just that (once I finish watching his channel, of course).
-Clayton
2024 04 21
This is a strange video to share, but themâs the rulesâŠ
My friend Jack texted me a link to this 4 hour 13 minute youtube video that has well over 6 million views on youtube. Clear your afternoon, hit play, and take it in. I know, it sounds weird and grim but this thing is really powerfully edited, fascinating, dark, and unlocks all sorts of memories you probably had hiding away in the dusty cabinets of your brain. Or, for the youngs reading this, take a trip into American history and relive the day we all definitely remember.
The video is a timeline playback covering the morning of 9/11 and made up of live tv broadcasts, synced up video footage, and perhaps most interestingly, radio communications between air traffic controllers and various pilots.
Did you know: one of the hijacked planes (before it was taken over) made visual ID of another one of the hijacked planes as it was headed off-course towards NYC? Wild!
Did you know: one of the hijacked planes nearly collided with another flight, coming reportedly 300ft from a mid-air collision?
Why president Bushâs staff delivered the news to him in front of a classroom full of people and news cameras is baffling to me when put into this context. I guess his administration isnât known for its competence.
Anyway, I havenât yet finished the video so donât spoil it for me (okay, terrible dark dad humor⊠time for me to wrap this up).
-Clayton
Philosophical graffiti as seen in a Humboldt Park underpass. Chicago, Illinois. March, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
This is a strange video to share, but themâs the rulesâŠ
My friend Jack texted me a link to this 4 hour 13 minute youtube video that has well over 6 million views. Clear your afternoon, hit play, and take it in. I know, it sounds weird and grim but this thing is really powerfully edited, fascinating, dark, and unlocks all sorts of memories you probably had hiding away in the dusty cabinets of your brain. Or, for the youngs reading this, take a trip into American history and live the day all of us olds remember. Personally, I was scheduled to move into the big city on 9/11/01 to start college so I ended up moving the following day instead.
The video is a timeline playback covering the morning of 9/11 and made up of live tv broadcasts, synced up video footage, and perhaps most interestingly, radio communications between air traffic controllers and various pilots.
Did you know: the pilot of one of the hijacked planes (before it was taken over) made visual ID of another one of the hijacked planes as it was headed off-course towards NYC?
Did you know: one of the hijacked planes nearly collided with another flight, coming reportedly 300ft from a mid-air collision?
Why president Bushâs staff delivered the news to him in front of a classroom full of people and news cameras is baffling to me when put into this context. I guess his administration isnât known for its competence.
Anyway, I havenât yet finished the video so donât spoil the ending for me (okay, terrible dark dad humor⊠time for me to wrap this up).
-Clayton