Grand Rapids, MI · Documentary
Documentary film in Grand Rapids.
Longer-form, interview-driven films that let real people tell the story in their own words.
A documentary works when the people in it sound like themselves. Most of the job is making that possible: finding the right voices, making them comfortable on camera, and asking the questions that get past the rehearsed answer.
I handle the whole thing myself — the planning, the interviews, the camera and sound, and the edit — so the person who sat with your interviewees is the same person shaping their story. When a project needs more hands, I bring in crew I trust.
What it usually involves
- Pre-interviews and a story outline before the shoot
- Interview setups with lighting and clean audio
- B-roll of the people, places, and work the story is about
- Story-first editing, color, sound mix, and captions
- Cuts for wherever it will live — a premiere, the web, social
How it works.
No mystery, no surprise invoices. Every project runs the same four steps.
- 01
Conversation
We talk about what the piece needs to accomplish, who it is for, and what it needs to cost. No charge, no obligation.
- 02
Plan
You get a concept, a shot list or storyboard, a schedule, and a fixed quote before anything is committed.
- 03
Production
I shoot, with the crew the job calls for — additional camera, sound, grip — and you always know who is on set.
- 04
Post & Delivery
Edit, color, mix, and captions, with a round of revisions built in. You get final files cut for every place the piece will live.
What affects cost.
Cost mostly follows the number of interviews and locations, how many shoot days it takes, and how long the finished film runs. A single-interview profile and a multi-part series are very different projects, and the first conversation is where we work out which one you need.
There's no price list: every project is quoted on what it actually needs. Share a rough budget when you get in touch and I'll tell you straight away what's realistic for it.
Questions.
Do I need a script?
No. Documentaries are built from what people actually say, so the planning happens in an outline and pre-interviews rather than a script. Working out the story is part of the job.
Can it be cut into shorter pieces?
Yes. Interview-driven material usually yields shorter clips for social or a website alongside the main film; say so up front and I plan the shoot for it.
Do you work outside Grand Rapids?
Most of my work is in Grand Rapids and across West Michigan, and I travel for the right project. If you're further away, ask — it mostly changes the travel line in the quote.
How does the first conversation work?
It's free and there's no pitch at the end of it. We talk through what the piece needs to accomplish, who it's for, and what it needs to cost, and I tell you honestly what it would take — including whether I'm the right person for it.
Will I see the plan before anything is committed?
Yes. You get a concept, a shot list or storyboard, a schedule, and a fixed quote before anything is booked, and a round of revisions is built into the edit.
Have a documentary project in mind?
Tell me what you're trying to say and who needs to hear it. First conversation is free, and you'll get a straight answer about whether I'm the right fit.