We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Linus Manchester a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Linus, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Carving out time for passion projects has been a consistent focus throughout my freelance journey. I love working with clients and helping to make my peers’ projects happen, but what truly keeps me fulfilled is pursuing and telling my own stories.

One of those stories sticks out as a particularly meaningful project. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to follow Patrice Scrofano, who owns and operates Tae-Gu Kimchi in Washington DC. Patrice, a trained chef, started the business as an homage to her Korean mother during the Covid pandemic. Following her mom’s recipe, Patrice sells her kimchi across farmers markets in the region and nationally online.

What made this project meaningful was Patrice trusting me to tell her personal story. She truly welcomed me into her world during the roughly 2-week production, letting me peek behind the curtain of her business and life. That level of access is so important in documentary filmmaking, and I believe this is the first time I achieved it.

The resulting film, ‘Spread the Love of Kimchi’, has since been well-received online, as well as through traditional media (making an appearance on Good Morning Washington) and festivals. More importantly, Patrice and I have stayed in touch and hope to work together again in the future. I feel lucky to have been given the chance to tell her story and to have made a project that resonated with others.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a documentary filmmaker with a passion for stories about people changing real-world problems.

Based in Washington DC, my work has covered topics ranging from environmental protection to social justice. I tell stories about individuals who inspire change.

In my branded work, I apply the principles of documentary storytelling to build authenticity and establish trust. I work with individuals and brands to elevate their message and reach larger audiences.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from American University’s School of Communication in 2023 with a dual degree in Film and German Studies. I’m lucky to continue exploring my interests as a filmmaker, both by deepening my technical skills in the craft and broadening my understanding of the world and the issues I care about.

My favorite projects are the ones that ignite my curiosity and inspire me to apply my skills to meaningful work. I’ve had the privilege of working in roles ranging from Production Assistant through DP on such projects and continue to search for opportunities to contribute in whatever capacity I can.

Across all my work, I’m driven by my passion for storytelling and my belief in the power of video to create change.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Film has always been a part of my life. I first started making videos as a young kid with my siblings and friends, and eventually started taking the craft more seriously in high school. However, when the time came to choose a college major, I didn’t know enough about the industry to feel confident going into film. I entered college as an International Relations major and stayed in the program for two years. But when Covid hit, I had more time to slow down and reflect on where I wanted my career to go after graduation.

I fell back on what I had always loved, and thankfully my school, American University, had a strong film program that I could pivot to. I started taking film classes the next semester and never looked back.

At the time, that decision felt big, but I never doubted I was doing the right thing. Even as I progress in the industry, I’m still making choices about what I want and how I want to get there. My guiding star has always been my love for filmmaking and my confidence that I have a place within it.

Mentorship has also been an invaluable source of inspiration and guidance. When I first started freelancing, I took the advice of Luc Forsyth (a documentary DP with an excellent YouTube channel) and actively sought out a network. I got coffee with as many filmmakers in my area as I could, asked lots of questions, and kept in touch. Those early connections led to paid work, but more importantly, they provided me with role models whose paths I could learn from. Making consequential decisions is a lot easier when you can talk things through with people who have been through the same thing before you.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the things I learned very early in my career is that there’s no roadmap in the film industry. The number of potential paths is both daunting and empowering. Being a “filmmaker” is truly what you make of it; your successes can be easily linked to your own efforts, at least in comparison to other industries.

At the same time, I believe that creatives succeed thanks to the support of our peers. Filmmaking is inherently collaborative, and we all have so much to learn from each other.

Every day I’m grateful to be doing what I love, and sometimes I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do it. Filmmaking has opened so many doors for me, and I look forward to many more adventures to come.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linusmanchester.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linusmanchester/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LinusManchester

Image Credits

Linus Manchester