{"podcast":{"title":"Documentary First","slug":"documentary-first-1033526","podcast_index_feed_id":1033526,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/documentary-first/","website_url":"https://tinyurl.com/DocFirstPod","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/f3d2ce0b-222e-47a7-9438-74dd3423112f/DF-logo-circle-whitebg.jpg","author":"Documentary First | Christian Taylor","episode_count":290,"summary":"The craft and business of documentary filmmaking — from people who actually do it. Documentary First is a weekly podcast for working and aspiring documentary filmmakers who want honest, in-depth conversations about how documentaries get funded, made, and seen. Hosted by Christian Taylor — award-winning director of The Girl Who Wore Freedom (25+ international awards, distributed through Virgil Films, Swank, and Canal+) — the show draws on 270+ interviews with documentary filmmakers, editors, producers, distributors, and composers across HBO, Netflix, PBS, and the independent doc world. Past guests include Ken Burns, PBS American Masters creator Susan Lacy, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning editor Charles Olivier (HBO's The Jinx, The Redeem Team), and Emmy-nominated director Nick Bruckman (Netflix's Minted). Every week, Documentary First delivers two formats in one feed. The main show features long-form interviews exploring how filmmakers approach their craft, navigate distribution, and build sustainable careers. On alternating weeks, Documentary First: The Deep Dive takes a single insight from a recent guest conversation and goes further — drawing on psychology, philosophy, and real-w…","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/documentary-first-1033526"},"episode":{"title":"They Wanted My Voice to Train AI - What Thoreau Knew About Living Deliberately in a Revolution: Deep Dive on Ep. 275","slug":"they-wanted-my-voice-to-train-ai-what-thoreau-knew-about-living-deliberately-in-a-revolution-deep-dive-on-ep-275","published_at":"2026-04-16T12:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/documentary-first-1033526/they-wanted-my-voice-to-train-ai-what-thoreau-knew-about-living-deliberately-in-a-revolution-deep-dive-on-ep-275","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/documentary-first-1033526","url":"https://tinyurl.com/DocFirstPod","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/a842f9e0-6a8c-4b6b-a935-14a4e59945a6.mp3","summary":"Someone tried to harvest Christian's voice for AI training. The pitch was polished, the project sounded real. But when she responded with ten professional questions, the conversation ended. Permanently. In this Deep Dive on Episode 275, Christian connects that experience to her conversation with Erik and Christopher Ewers , the brothers behind the PBS documentary Henry David Thoreau . Chris Ewers argues that every technological revolution has felt like the end of the world — the Industrial Revolution, digital cameras, and now AI. Each time the tool became indispensable. Then Christian pulls in Thoreau himself — the man who railed against the railroad and then rode the train 70 times. He used the tool deliberately. In this episode, you’ll hear: The full story of the suspicious voice-over job offer and the ten questions that ended it. Why Christian’s VO business is declining while her filmmaking and podcasting are thriving. Chris Ewers’s case for why AI is the digital camera revolution all over again. Thoreau’s “cost of a thing” quote and why it hits differently in the age of AI. The contradiction of Thoreau and the train — and what “live deliberately” actually means now. Jeff Goldblum at the mic and George Clooney saying “tell me if I suck” — what AI will never replace. Timestamps: 0:00 What George Clooney Told the Directors 0:18 Show open 0:28 The Ethan Caldwell story 2:33 Where I stand with AI 3:49 The Ewers Brothers and the revolution that always comes 5:09 Clip: Chris Ewers on AI and the digital camera revolution 7:15 Thoreau, technology, and the train he swore he’d never ride 9:25 What “live deliberately” actually means 9:44 What Ethan Caldwell’s silence reveals 10:45 Goldblum, Clooney, and what machines can’t replicate 11:59 Closing Listen & Follow: Apple Podc…","meta_description":"Someone tried to harvest Christian's voice for AI training. The pitch was polished, the project sounded real. But when she responded with ten professional…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":764,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/documentary-first-1033526/episodes/they-wanted-my-voice-to-train-ai-what-thoreau-knew-about-living-deliberately-in-a-revolution-deep-dive-on-ep-275/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/documentary-first-1033526/they-wanted-my-voice-to-train-ai-what-thoreau-knew-about-living-deliberately-in-a-revolution-deep-dive-on-ep-275.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}