Rough Cut
Conversations with documentary filmmakers and video journalists about their creative process—successes, failures, and what they’ve learned along the way. Created by the global filmmaking collective The Video Consortium, Rough Cut is a guide to navigating today’s ever-changing media landscape.
Rough Cut
Digging Through Time and Truth: Archival Ethics in the Age of AI
On this episode of Rough Cut, host Daniel Chávez-Ontiveros sits down with archival producer Stephanie Jenkins, whose work with filmmaker Ken Burns has uncovered rare historical gems like early footage of a young Muhammad Ali. Stephanie also shares insights into the art of bringing history to life on screen, and discusses co-founding the Archival Producers Alliance, which recently released groundbreaking guidelines on the use of generative AI in documentary filmmaking. From preserving the integrity of primary sources to navigating legal and ethical concerns, this episode explores how the rise of AI is reshaping the way we tell true stories—and why filmmakers must tread carefully.
Show Links
Daniel Chávez-Ontiveros: https://videoconsortium.org/members/dchavezontiveros
Stephanie Jenkins: https://videoconsortium.org/members/stephanie-jenkins
Archival Producer Alliance
APA: https://www.archivalproducersalliance.com/
APA GenAI Best Practices: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WS4iZ2Wi_wft5x54RG-hYb45sf10W8nV/view
APA GenAI Best Practices Tool Kit: https://www.archivalproducersalliance.com/tool-kit-for-documentaries
Credits
Host Daniel Chávez-Ontiveros
Guests Stephanie Jenkins
Executive Produced by Sky Dylan-Robbins and Kat Vecchio
Produced by Audrey Horwitz
Music by Zack Wright