The Doc Makers

In this episode I’m going to be talking to 4 time BAFTA nominee, director Ursula Macfarlane.

Whether working on retrospective stories, like the tragedy of the late 1990s model Anna Nicole Smith, telling the moving stories of survivors of Harvey Weinstein, or her vérité work with psychiatric patients in Notes From The Inside With James Rhodes, Ursula is known for her sensitivity, her humour and psychological insight. 

We discuss the joy in Finding those long time collaborators, her beautiful BBC documentary, My brain: After the rupture and the difficulties in getting films commissioned that don’t have an ending,

But most importantly. It begins where all good chats start. With a good cup of tea.

Today I’m going to be talking to composer Alexander Parsons

Alex has worked across a broad array of films that include Flight 149: Hostage of War, which recently won at the RTS Awards; Black Power: A British Story of Resistance, produced by Steve McQueen and James Rogan for which the film received a BAFTA nomination and Derek vs. Derek a feature documentary about the battle to rewild, which premieres at Sheffield Docfest June 2026!

We discuss balancing a composer life whilst working as a secondary school teacher, the dreaded temp music and how it has to be real humans who get to tell real human stories and so much more.

Show Notes:

Alexander Parsons
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5618281/?ref_=fn_t_2

Animated minds - 3 Minute Wonder
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0853169/

First cut
https://assets-corporate.channel4.com/_flysystem/s3/documents/2022-03/First%20Cut%20Strand%20Background%202022_0.pdf

Emma Morgan
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2471724/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_emma%20morgan

Lina Prestwood
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2724228/?ref_=fn_t_1

Swan Films
https://www.swanfilms.tv/

Neil Crombie
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1397627/?ref_=fn_t_1

Joe Evans
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1624529/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_4_1

Grayson Perry’s Dream house
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4693234/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_in_0_q_grayson%20perry%27s%20

Helljumper
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28089851/?ref_=fn_t_2

Rupert Houseman
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2137245/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_rupert%20hou

Grayson’s Art Club
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12183038/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_in_0_q_graysons%20art

Dave Malkin
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10752213/

John Cage
https://interlude.hk/john-cage-magic-mushrooms/

Kezia Tomsett
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12820398/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_1_in_0_q_kesia%20tomset

Train Dreams
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29768334/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_train%20dreams

Bryce Dessner
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2425842/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_5_1
The 12 Ensemble
https://www.the12ensemble.com/

Surviving Covid
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13839492/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm

The remarkable life of Ibelin
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19811010/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_the%20remar

Marcus Plowright
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6967794/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_marcus%20plow

American High School
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6150154/episodes/?season=1&ref_=tt_eps_sn_1

Anne Nikitin
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1870110/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_3_nm_5_in_0_q_anne%20nik

London Contemporary Orchestra
https://www.lcorchestra.co.uk/

Today I’m going to be talking to the lovely BAFTA award winning and Emmy nominated cinematographer Tim Cragg.

Tim has set the standard for how a lot of modern documentaries look and feel and has been involved with some of the most successful (both critically and financially) documentaries in recent times. From Netflix successes such as The Deepest Breath and Beckham and HBO & SKY BAFTA nominated David Holmes: The boy who lived, to that rare beast, a documentary box office smash with Three identical Strangers, which we discuss in the show.

Tim Cragg
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1145108/?ref_=fn_t_1

Three Identical Strangers
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7664504/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_47

Scapple app
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scapple/id568020055?mt=12

darius khondji - iranian French cinematographer
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0451787/

Gregory Crewdson - American photographer
https://gagosian.com/artists/gregory-crewdson/

Edward Hopper - painter
https://www.edwardhopper.net/

kerouac's road: the beat of a nation
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29502644/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_5

Alien abduction
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33506347/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_10

Encounters
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28692332/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_17

One Strange Rock
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7651892/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_45

For our first ever episode, I am delighted to welcome the brilliant Mandy Chang to The Doc Makers podcast.

Filmmaker, Exec Producer, former commissioner of the BBC’s Storyville strand and recently anointed CEO of the Documentary Film Council.

Mandy Chang
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2453952/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Documentary Film Council
https://documentaryfilmcouncil.co.uk

David Bowie: The Last Five Years
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6375308/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Mr. Nobody Against Putin
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34965515/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Hello Culture
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902630/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

The Mole: Undercover in North Korea
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13243898/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Mads Brügger
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1366561/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Welcome to Chechnya
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11394200/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

One Child Nation
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8923482/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Corridors of Power: Should America Police the World?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33076876/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

The Gatekeepers
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309788/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

The Doc Makers is the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the world of documentary filmmaking, revealing what really goes on behind the scenes in TV and film.
Hosted by Andy Worboys, this show features in-depth, candid interviews with documentary filmmakers from across the industry - directors, producers, editors, cinematographers, development execs, composers, and the many other creative roles that bring powerful true stories to life.