When You Find the First Documentary You Ever Made (Circa 2020)

Finding old work can surprise, embarrass, or even make us laugh. Most importantly, it reminds us how far we've come and why we love what we do.

Photo by Julia Avamotive: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-gray-dslr-camera-with-stability-lens-1097768/

I love documentary filmmaking.

Always have, always will.

I remember watching some of my first documentaries and finding some of my favorite filmmakers and creators who have a passion for telling stories with real information. Famous people like German filmmaker Werner Herzog for making Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World; local Pittsburgh people like Rick Sebak for making (one of my favorites) A Hot Dog Program; and YouTube documentarians like Defunctland for making the infamous Disney's FastPass: A Complicated History. These are some of the people who made the thing I love.

All of these people start somewhere, and so have I.

Today, I'd like to share with you my first ever documentary-- the one I made with my own two hands. No Nail Polish is a 2020 documentary I made during the COVID-19 pandemic for college, detailing my journey working with my chronic nail biting disorder for 30 days, hoping to find improvement with light behavioral perfecting exercises.

While it's not a strong piece, it was a start and holds a very near place in my heart.

Please enjoy below-- and unfortunately, I do still bite my nails.

Sincerely,

CSM