Do you ever wonder …
“How do I start my documentary project? I have a story I’m passionate about, but no idea where to begin.”
“How can I get what’s in my head onto the screen? I had this concept I planned out with specific visuals that at times I wasn’t sure I got.”
“I’ve hit a plateau in my doc career – now that I’m creating somewhat better stuff, I’m more frustrated than ever. The work I’m creating is still not what I want.”
“How do I start learning? There are so many different terms, and variables, and crazy things to think about. I just want to know where start!”
“I am burning out. I am getting older. I am losing time.”
I think about these things too … constantly.
Because let’s face it … documentary filmmaking isn’t easy.
It requires discipline and grit, technical savvy, the ability to craft a story and truthfully shape a narrative (difficult), and a lifetime of mentorship and learning.
Which is why I had this crazy idea – I want to invest in emerging filmmakers, dammit. I want to give them the training and tools they need to find and tell transformative stories from their own communities.
Meet your test-track dummy
Hey there. My name is Bud Simpson and I’m the creator of Stories Found.
I’m a self-taught director of photography who is passionate about empowering non-fiction filmmakers to succeed.
My whole job is answering your burning questions about documentary filmmaking, testing them in the field, and producing value-laden, actionable content that gets you “out-the-door” and shooting.
Things like:
How to find compelling stories and characters in your own community
How to plan for and shoot in remote locations – with no power or Internet
How to create highly cinematic short documentaries and micro-series that look “high-end”
How to shoot as a one (wo)man band and scale in order to meet demands of larger productions, and so much more…
THE APPROACH
I don’t believe in “hacks” or overnight results. Filmmaking – like any art form – is a honed skill and craft that takes years to develop your own workflows, sense of style, and good habits.
What I do believe in (and share on this site) are frameworks and strategies that will help you grow as a documentary filmmaker and can get you from point A to point B more efficiently.
I learn the filmmaking process along with you. I give my students 100% behind-the-scenes access to the projects that I work on. That means you’ll get to see how an actual documentary project is conceptualized, created, and distributed – from soup to nuts. That means you’ll learn everything from finding compelling stories and applying for grants, to sourcing crew and equipment to recording professional sound and video, best practices in the editing room, and getting your film to into the festival circuit.
My premium course – The Stories Found Intensive – is invite-only and requires an application. Why? Because I give weekly coaching calls to every single student who enrolls and can only give my full attention to a select number of students at a time.
It’s considered an intensive. Period. Filmmakers are expected to conceptualize, shoot, and edit their own short documentary film for submission to festivals. Only the most dedicated students who take the course are successful.
I give away 90% of my material free. My goal is to make my free content better than most people’s paid stuff.
I know that you have a ton of choices in whose filmmaking content to read out there …
… and I know I have to earn your trust with every single post I write. Here’s how I do it:
Every blog post, video, step-by-step guide, and piece of content that I post goes through a rigorous 5-step creation and vetting process.
Write what I know to be true from personal experience
Conduct further research by reading books, listening to interviews, podcasts and attending workshops.
Test what I’ve learned on an actual documentary project.
Create the content.
Get actual working filmmakers to peer review the content.
So, if you’re reading a blog post or watching a behind-the-scenes tutorial, you can rest assured that the content is correct and is standard practice for working documentary filmmakers.
About Bud Simpson
Stories Found was created by Bud Simpson. Bud is a self-taught director of photography and documentary filmmaker.
After shooting several successful documentaries in east Africa, he’s 100% focused on what he loves most: teaching and empowering emerging non-fiction filmmakers.
His approach to documentary filmmaking is practical and based on his 10 years in film production. He stresses to his students the importance of “just getting out there and shooting.”
His teaching style is methodical and straightforward – no unnecessary jargon. His goal with each piece of content is to clearly and concisely present the practicalities of what it takes to make a documentary.
His work has been featured in film festivals internationally including the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Hot Springs, Bend, Newport Beach, Sidewalk Film Festival, Cucalorous, and Oaxaca film festivals.
In the commerical world, he’s shot for brands such as Mercedes Benz, IHG, Doosan, Kodak, and others.