Meet the Nonfiction Team

We’re celebrating docs and nonfiction series with Proximity’s Nonfiction department! IN PROXIMITY host Paola Mardo sits down with Kelli Dunson Buchanan (VP, Head of Nonfiction) and Gaby Arvizu (Creative Executive, Nonfiction), whose projects include the award-winning series HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME, STEPHEN CURRY: UNDERRATED, ANTHEM, and HOMEROOM. They share their career stories and what their day-to-day is like developing and producing nonfiction projects at Proximity Media. They also answer listener questions about selecting stories and subjects, editing hours of footage, advice for first-time filmmakers, and how to ethically document stories and engage with communities around traumatic events. Kelli and Gaby drop a lot of gems here… watch, listen, and take notes!

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Inside Proximity: Working in Film & TV

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(00:00) These questions are FIRE!
(02:18) Meet Proximity’s Nonfiction department
(05:18) The day-to-day of development and production
(10:55) Career stories
(17:10) Question #1: How to choose your doc’s subject
(19:52) Shoutout director Pete Nicks!
(20:46) Making HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME with Traci Curry
(22:45) Question #2: How to ethically document stories and engage with communities around traumatic events
(27:57) Question #3: Tips for first-time filmmakers
(30:07) What makes first-time doc filmmakers stand out
(32:16) How Kelli and Gaby find and cultivate new talent 
(33:11) Question #4: Editing hours of footage into a film|
(37:40) What is cinéma vérité?
(39:21) Prox Recs

IN PROXIMITY IS A PRODUCTION OF PROXIMITY MEDIA
Host, Director, Producer: Paola Mardo
Executive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian
Theme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig Göransson
Co-Director and Director of Photography: Patrick Epino
Sound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken Nana
Editors: Patrick Epino, A.J. Calomay, Ken Nana, Ben Caloza
Motion Graphics Designer: Apollo Baldoz
Associate Producer: Celine Mendiola
Production Coordinator: Joy Woo
Social Media Coordinator: Alexandria Santana
Production Intern: Ben Caloza