After producing commercials for many years, I wanted to have some projects of my own. I also wanted to be able to tell stories that last more than 30 or 60 seconds. By producing documentary projects myself, I'm faced with the challenge of creating work that lives or dies by the choices I make. Documentaries have been a great creative outlet for me.
Kathryn: The Story of a Teller
We followed legendary storyteller, Kathryn Tucker Windham, around for three years. I've always known that interesting people attract other interesting people. That certainly was the case with Miss Kathryn. While making this film, we met the top storytellers in the country, artists, civil rights leaders and many "ordinary folks".....and they all adored and respected Kathryn. She was the Queen of American Storytelling!
The film won major awards at each of the eight film festivals
where it played including the coveted Crystal Heart Award at
the Heartland Moving Picture Festival.
This is a film about the people and music of Sand Mountain, Alabama. It is a musical journey into the lives of a handful of unique mountain people. At the heart of the piece is banjo master Jim Connor, who Earl Scruggs called “the greatest living mountain banjo player...perhaps the greatest of all time”. This film focuses on the people of Sand Mountain, Alabama, Jim’s home, as seen through one important element in their lives -- their music.
Music in Their Bones aired nationally on PBS as part of the
Independent Lens Series.
The Alabama Department of Tourism and Luckie & Company commissioned me to produce, direct and edit this film. When I got the call asking if I would be interested in doing a documentary about Alabama BBQ, I couldn't believe my ears. I love making documentary films and I love barbecue. It was a dream job! We traveled the state from Huntsville to Gulf Shores visiting barbecue joints, interviewing owners and pit masters and eating incredible barbecue for weeks.
The film aired on Alabama Public Television as part of
the Year of Alabama Barbecue celebration.
Ken Overcast is a one-eyed cowboy from Chinook, Montana. Jim Newman is a good looking resident of New York City. Jim wants a break from the city and Ken wants to show him the West. Traveling in Ken’s old pickup, the two are looking for people who are keeping the western lifestyle alive. There is no American icon greater than the cowboy and no part of the country more beautiful and fascinating than the West. Jim is fearless and funny. Ken is polite and traditional. They often disagree but still have fun meeting new characters, picking up some history and driving through
amazing scenery along the way.
This is a work in progress which is being pitched to networks
as a reality series.
Kathryn: The Story of a Teller
