How to Build Trust with Documentary Subjects Before You Roll — Live from Aspen Shortsfest

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, Jo Light interviews documentary and commercial director Brendan Young live from Aspen Shortsfest about his short documentary The Meloneers , which follows the Rocky Ford High School wrestling program in rural Colorado.

They discuss how Brendan found the story through a newspaper article, why he spent extensive time in the community before filming, how he balanced planned interviews with vérité moments, and how commercial work helps fund and shape his documentary practice. The episode also covers documentary ethics, collaboration with subjects, building trust before rolling, and Brendan’s advice for first-time documentary filmmakers.

In this episode, we****discuss:

• Finding a rural Colorado story through a Denver Post article about Rocky Ford wrestling
• Why Brendan visited Rocky Ford repeatedly without a camera before filming
• Treating documentary subjects as collaborators, not just subjects
• How The Meloneers explores wrestling, family legacy, fatherhood, and small-town change
• Balancing core interviews, planned scenes, and vérité moments
• Shooting with a small documentary crew and keeping a minimal footprint
• Using commercial work to support short documentary projects
• Partnerships with Futuristic Films, Voyager, Project Play, and executive producer Lindsey Hagan
• Why the process of documentary filmmaking matters as much as the finished film
• Brendan’s upcoming documentary about a violin once played by a German Nazi soldier

Guests:

• Brendan Young__

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