Rephonic
Artwork for Doc Walks
Documentary Filmmaking
Austin, United States
Documentary Film
South By Southwest
Austin Film Society
Austin
Park City, Utah
Sundance Film Festival
Kid Rock
Sam Now
Pavement
The Nonfiction Hotlist
Sing Sing
The Voyage Out
Middletown
Bucks Harbor
SXSW
Sandbox Films
Short Films
Joybubbles

Documentary filmmakers, Keith Maitland (TOWER, DEAR MR BRODY) and Ben Steinbauer (WINNEBAGO MAN, CHOP & STEELE), host this lively walk & talk podcast featuring conversations with today's best non-fiction storytellers. DocWalks takes the conversation to the street (or nature trail), offering candid insight into the art & industry of documentary filmmaking for an audience of emerging filmmakers and ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes71Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Film InterviewsTV & Film

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Artwork for Doc Walks

Latest Episodes

Keith walks Hyde Park—with a detour into & across the Hancock Golf Course—with LA's Gene Gallerano. An East Dallas kid raised on the humanities and Poor David's Pub, Gene's an actor-turned-producer-turned-Emmy-winning director, fresh off multiple win... more

YouTube

We were supposed to be in Central Park. We are not. It's raining so we're in Penny Lane's apartment, shoes off, with a cat named Luna auditioning for the role of "the action," and Flaco the Owl on the TV behind us. So much for a walking show.

Penny... more

YouTube

Ben walks the lake at Mueller with David Liu—director, editor, producer, composer, and until 2024, an AI engineer. Fifteen-plus years in hardware, software, product design and machine learning, and then generative AI showed up and he decided he didn'... more

YouTube

When Hisko Hulsing is in town, you grab your camera & mic, and hit the trail, ready to court controversy with the best oil-painting animator this side of the Netherlands. Hisko is the wild artist that doc-maker Brett Morgen trusted to paint the insid... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Penny Lane
Documentary filmmaker known for Wild Inside, Nuts, Hail Satan
Documentary filmmaker
Episode: EP065 - I Don't Get Served My Own Movies w/ Penny Lane
David Liu
Director, editor, producer, composer, ex-engineer, AI developer
NarrativeForge / To Be Seen
Episode: EP064 - You Don't Need a Restaurant to Eat w/ David Liu
Hisko Hulsing
Animator and director known for Undone and Danse Macabre
Independent/Collaborations with Tornante, Submarine, etc.
Episode: EP063 - The Edge of Psychosis w/ Hisko Hulsing
David Alvarado
Documentary filmmaker, Texan, based in Brooklyn
Independent filmmaker
Episode: EP062: Back To The Root w/ David Alvarado
Lauren Hough
Acclaimed memoirist, writer, Austin resident
Author
Episode: EP061 - Log Off and Hang Out w/ Lauren Hough
Ya'Ke Smith
Filmmaker, writer, director, educator, activist, published poet
Filmmaker
Episode: EP060 - Angels Watching Over Me w/ Ya'Ke Smith
Isaac Gale
Musician, director, visual effects artist
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted; Marijuana Deathsquads
Episode: EP059 - Don't Listen to Me About Anything w/ Isaac Gale
Juli Berwald
Marine biologist, science writer, author of Spineless and Life on the Rocks
Author and conservationist
Episode: EP058 - The Jellyfish Died w/ Juli Berwald
Luke Korem
Award-winning documentary filmmaker
Keep On Running Pictures
Episode: EP057 - Don't Make a Documentary (It'll Ruin Your Career) w/ Luke Korem

Hosts

Ben Steinbauer
Host of DocWalks; co-host/producer with extensive involvement in the show's storytelling and production.
Keith Maitland
Host of DocWalks; co-host with focus on interviewing and guiding conversations with guests.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 11 ratings
  • The Podcast I Have Been Craving

    Thanks to these self-described mid-career filmmakers and burgeoning podcasters for creating the podcast I have been craving for years. Keith Maitland and Ben Steinbauer are consummate storytellers, weaving audio doc style motifs and observational cinema flashes into the concept of well…walking and talking about documentaries. If ever it feels like the podcast is veering into self-indulgence or ‘splaining, the hosts deftly steer us back to the topic at hand or - during more satisfying moments - ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sally OG
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Engaging, practical insights for working documentarians.
Hosts steer conversations to useful filmmaking takeaways.
Strong, immersive format with on-location intimacy.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

EP062: Back To The Root w/ David Alvarado
Q: Why did you choose to work with Bill Nye and later Stewart Brand for Your projects?
Bill Nye offered a recognizable, engaging science persona to broaden access to science storytelling, while Stewart Brand provided a counterpoint—a biographical lens on American tech culture—that could be funded through partnerships with tech and philanthropic entities; both paths highlighted the importance of aligning story with the right funding and audience.
EP058 - The Jellyfish Died w/ Juli Berwald
Q: What earlier work or experiences drew you into nonfiction storytelling?
Juli describes transitioning from pure science work to writing and textbooks, then to National Geographic pieces, which eventually led her to blend science with memoir.
EP015 - Do Your Thing with Kevin Willmott
Q: What led you to make Confederate States of America, and why did you choose a mockumentary approach?
I wanted to expose how Lost Cause storytelling shaped perceptions of the Civil War and continue to influence American culture, using a satirical docu-drama to reveal propaganda and spark discussion.
EP059 - Don't Listen to Me About Anything w/ Isaac Gale
Q: What was the documentary that was like the gateway drug that made you want to make documentaries?
He cites Chrome as the gateway, highlighting its vivid portrayal of unconventional characters and the beauty and difficulty of making an artist-focused documentary, with American Movie also noted as influential.
EP013 - Go To the Love with Sandi DuBowski
Q: What was the gateway film that convinced you that you wanted to spend your life making documentaries?
Tongues Untied by Marlon Riggs stood out as a groundbreaking, collective voice that pushed form and content in bold ways and inspired the guest to pursue documentary storytelling as a lifelong vocation.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Doc Walks

What is Doc Walks about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features candid walk-and-talk conversations with leading nonfiction storytellers, often framed around the craft of documentary filmmaking, long-form storytelling, and the practical realities of producing and distributing non-fiction work. Episodes commonly explore creative process, behind-the-scenes decision making, funding and distribution shifts, and how personal experiences, collaboration, and technology shape projects—from intimate character studies to innovative hybrids that blend music, animation, and archival material. Notable throughlines include the evolving media landscape (streaming, public media, indie platforms), ethical considerations, and the balance between artistic aspiration and practical constraints. The format'... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Doc Walks?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Doc Walks:

1. The Daily
2. This American Life
3. Radiolab
4. The 404 Media Podcast
5. Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker

How many episodes of Doc Walks are there?

Doc Walks launched a year ago and published 71 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Doc Walks?

Recent guests on Doc Walks include:

1. Penny Lane
2. David Liu
3. Hisko Hulsing
4. David Alvarado
5. Lauren Hough
6. Ya'Ke Smith
7. Isaac Gale
8. Juli Berwald

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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