#042 - Danny McMahon (@Dodford) on Film, Inspiration, Storytelling, & Creativity
Description
Danny McMahon (@Dodford on YouTube) is a filmmaker and documentarian, known for his portraits of pop culture icons. We talk about filmmaking and art, storytelling and inspiration, simplicity and experimentation, identifying your talent, and psychology.
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(00:37 ) Why documentaries & the ease of remixing
(03:11 ) Profiling inspiring individuals who overcome hurdles
(05:14 ) You can't give up
(06:29 ) Do one small thing & one new thing every day
(09:29 ) Explore & exploit; using YouTube to get to cinema
(12:47 ) Skills he’s mastered vs. need more work; remember that you know how to do it
(16:59 ) The evolution of his filmmaking: from gaming to documentaries
(22:37 ) Balancing your story vs. the subject’s
(25:54 ) Removing elements & tools and adding them back later
(32:05 ) Never have preconceived ideas about someone else's story
(34:02 ) When is a video ready to publish?
(36:45 ) Take people on a journey, from sad to inspired
(38:11 ) Making what you want vs. for the audience
(42:11 ) Tradeoffs of excellence; no sacrifices
(44:59 ) Creativity isn't a skill you can ever master
(47:34 ) Processes vs. goals
(49:23 ) Biggest fear: losing the confidence & ability to create
(52:30 ) Knowing your main tool in your toolbox
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Danny’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dannymcmahon
Dodford YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DodfordYT
Spencer’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SP1NS1R
Spencer’s Blog: https://spencerkier.substack.com




