Danny McMahon (@Dodford on YouTube) is a filmmaker and documentarian, known for his portraits of pop culture icons. We talk about filmmaking and art, storytelling and inspiration, simplicity and experimentation, identifying your talent, and psychology.
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(00:37) Why documentaries & the ease of remixing
(03:11) Profiling inspiring individuals who overcome hurdles
(05:14) You can't give up
(06:29) Do one small thing & one new thing every day
(09:29) Explore & exploit; using YouTube to get to cinema
(12:47) Skills he’s mastered vs. need more work; remember that you know how to do it
(16:59) The evolution of his filmmaking: from gaming to documentaries
(22:37) Balancing your story vs. the subject’s
(25:54) Removing elements & tools and adding them back later
(32:05) Never have preconceived ideas about someone else's story
(34:02) When is a video ready to publish?
(36:45) Take people on a journey, from sad to inspired
(38:11) Making what you want vs. for the audience
(42:11) Tradeoffs of excellence; no sacrifices
(44:59) Creativity isn't a skill you can ever master
(47:34) Processes vs. goals
(49:23) Biggest fear: losing the confidence & ability to create
(52:30) Knowing your main tool in your toolbox
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Danny’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dannymcmahon
Dodford YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DodfordYT
Spencer’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SP1NS1R
Spencer’s Blog: https://spencerkier.substack.com
