205: It Is Always About Telling the Story

“I don't know, maybe it’s a gift. I connect very quickly with people and with what we're filming.”

My Guest

Rita Grant is an award-winning documentary film cinematographer, director, and producer, and the driving force behind Sweet Sage Pictures. I met Rita for the first time – actually her work – when I viewed the video another guest had given me by way of introducing himself prior to our taping. (At right, then the principal of Cherokee Elementary School, Godwin Higa, speaks with some of his kids.) I was immediately drawn into her 6-minute film — my chief criteria for giving any piece of film my highly coveted “Thumbs up!”

Curious as I am, I found myself wondering “How do you do that? How do you go about telling a story from behind the camera in so short a period of time?” I knew a bit about making movies having written four screenplays, but I wisely surmised that creating a documentary film and writing a screenplay are, at best, cousins, not brothers or sisters.

“That filmmaker and I need to talk,” I thought.

Our chat, as you will hear is an interesting blend of bifurcated truths.

• Much of shooting a film is technical in nature. But much of it is also emotional.

• Sometimes the film evolves from a script. Sometimes it just evolves organically.

• Sometimes the shots are planned on-site. Sometimes they are serendipitously sent from the universe.

• Editing is a learned skill. Editing is instinctual.

Whatever the interplay, producing a documentary film is always about storytelling.


“Just be endlessly curious.”


Connect with Rita

Sweet Sage Pictures

Show Credits

"Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.

"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.

Jeff Ikler