A podcast
‍for those in the industry—from film, to TV, to production finance.

We sit down with Emmy® and Sundance Award–winning cinematographer Matt Porwoll to explore documentary cinematography as an operational discipline—not just an artistic one. 

Over the past decade, Matt has built a body of work that spans some of the most acclaimed nonfiction films and series of the modern era, including Cartel Land (Academy Award–nominated and winner of Best Cinematography at Sundance, Cinema Eye Honors, and the Primetime Emmys), Showtime’s The Trade, and Tigerland, which premiered in competition at Sundance. His work has appeared across HBO, Showtime, Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV+, CNN, PBS, and more, and is known for blending immersive vérité with precise visual storytelling.

In this conversation, Matt draws on his experience across features, episodic documentaries, and high-pressure field shoots to explain how access, trust, crew size, sound realities, and budget constraints shape what’s possible in the frame. 

Using the Oscar-nominated short All the Empty Rooms as a focal point, he walks through the logistical and ethical considerations of filming in deeply personal spaces, the importance of small-footprint crews, and the production decisions that protect both the story and the people involved. From setup time and data discipline to collaboration with editorial, this episode offers a practical look at how award-level documentary work is built from the ground up.

We sit down with Catherine Batavick, Acting Director of the Maryland Film Office, to explore what it really takes to attract and support major film and television projects at the state level. Catherine shares how a film office operates behind the scenes, connecting producers with locations, crew, permitting agencies, and community partners, and what makes a region competitive in today’s incentive-driven landscape.

Over the years, the state incentive program she oversees has helped generate more than $1 billion in economic impact through projects such as House of Cards, VEEP, We Own This City, Lady in the Lake, and Special Ops: Lioness. 

In this conversation, Catherine walks through the practical realities of producing in Maryland: permitting timelines, local crew depth, location diversity, and how the tax credit actually works in real-world scenarios. She outlines an ideal application timeline for independent features in the $1–$10 million range, explains how the state supports both large-scale series and Maryland-based independent films, and details how productions can monetize tax credits to fund post-production. She also shares how Maryland balances limited incentive funds to support both major studio projects and homegrown filmmakers.

Beyond logistics, the episode explores the broader shift in the unscripted and independent production landscape, and how Maryland positions itself as an efficient, collaborative, and cost-effective alternative to larger production hubs.

We sit down with television producer and NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, whose career has helped shape the unscripted landscape for nearly three decades. As an executive at FilmGarden Entertainment, Michelle oversaw more than 2,000 episodes of television, developing and producing series for major networks while learning firsthand how to run unscripted shows at scale.

Now, through her work at NPACT and as founder of Women in Nonfiction, Michelle supports the production companies and professionals behind much of the U.S.'s unscripted content. In this conversation, she shares what it takes to keep shows on time and on budget, how to lead production teams with flexibility and foresight, and why the producer’s role is often about planning for spontaneity. She also reflects on the evolution of the unscripted business model—from a commission-heavy era to today’s shifting mix of buyouts, co-productions, brand partnerships, and short-form experimentation.

Whether you’re running shows, pitching buyers, or trying to build a long-term career in nonfiction, this episode offers a look at the challenges and opportunities of producing in a fast-moving, post-streaming world.