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Not all documentary filmmakers planned to be in the documentary space. Some didn\u2019t even know they would be in the film industry to begin with. This is what we talked about in our round table discussion at Sundance, with a group of documentary film directors. Each of these award-winning directors have decades of experience in filmmaking.\xa0\n\nIn today\u2019s episode, No Film School\u2019s GG Hawkins, speaks with documentary directors Alex Stapleton, Jeff Zimbalist, Michael John Warren, and Tony Gerber to discuss:\n\nTheir current projects\n\nWhat it\u2019s like to finally turn the camera on yourself as a director\n\nHow to find yourself and who you really want to be\n\nTheir unique paths to becoming documentary filmmakers\n\nEarning more money and having more creative autonomy\xa0\n\nHolding onto your projects even if it doesn\u2019t sell right away\xa0\n\nWhy you should avoid industry chatter\n\nFinding the overlap between your hobby and filmmaking\n\nFiguring out where to start - production or post\n\nA good story is more important than high-tech tools\n\n\n\nMemorable Quotes\n\n\u201cDocumentaries were a way to insert myself into the heart of certain communities around the world.\u201d [17:30]\n\n\u201cI did not go to film school. I didn\u2019t even finish college.\u201d [19:18]\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s okay to not know where you\u2019re going. Sometimes following your gut and not having a master plan is fruitful, and builds wisdom.\u201d [25:44]\n\n\u201cMy mother always told me, don\u2019t work in the film business. It\u2019s full of criminals.\u201d [26:08]\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t think about what the audience wants. I think about what the audience doesn\u2019t yet know that they need.\u201d [47:47]\n\nThe only thing that matters is story and learning how to tell a good story. The tools are just tools.\u201d [51:16]\n\n\u201cThink about the story. Pick a side of the industry you want to be in. And be so good they can\u2019t say no.\u201d [51:39]\n\n\n\n\n\nMentioned:\nAlex Stapleton \xa0\nGod Save Texas - The Price of Oil Episode\n\nJeff Zimbalist\nSkywalkers: A Love Story\n\nMichael John Warren\t\xa0\nLolla: The Story of Lollapalooza\n\nTony Gerber \xa0\nWar Game\n\n\nFind No Film School everywhere:\nOn the Web\nhttps://nofilmschool.com/\n\nFacebook\xa0\nhttps://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool\n\nTwitter\xa0\nhttps://twitter.com/nofilmschool\n\nYouTube\xa0\nhttps://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool\n\nInstagram\nhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool\n\nSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com!\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices