Documentary - Observational Doc Analysis - Andrew Callaghan
Andrew Callaghan - Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan (Youtube)
Andrew Callaghan is an independent Journalist and Documentarian from Seattle, USA. Callaghan started making short documentary projects during his time studying Journalism. He then created his short-form show “All gas, no brakes” which picked up traction on YouTube and other online platforms. Presently, he has an online documentary series called “Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan”.
Callaghans’ approach is incredibly well crafted and whilst he often plays the clueless interviewer, he does so with deliberate intention to guide the narrative to where he wants it to go. Adopting a faux-naive prose on-screen, he allows room for his interview subjects to open up and feel as though they’re the most intelligent in the room. He cites his biggest inspirations as “Vic Berger, I’m inspired by Tim & Eric, I’m inspired by Sacha Baron Cohen and Louis Theroux.”(1) These influences are easily identifiable in his work.
Watch "Bigfoot Hunting" - All Gas No Brakes here!
There’s something else that sets Callaghan apart from these influences though- his editing style. Much of his earlier work could fall into the realms of montage and had the distinct feeling that you could take a 30-second clip from any of Callaghan’s documentaries and fit it into the viral format of a tik-tok video. This editing style was what initially made his documentaries so easy for viewers to consume and inarguably helped to bolster his popularity; allowing for tidbits to be shared easily which in turn created interest in the larger bulk of work.
“Interview like a toddler. Be endlessly inquisitive, listen to people as hard as you can, don’t cut them off, and just go with their program. The worst thing you can do as a journalist is to try to frame someone’s statement. Like, “Can you make a statement on this and that?” Nah. Just be like, “What’s up? What are you thinking about right now?”
- Callaghan, when asked if there’s a ‘recipe’ for a perfect interview.
Although much of Callaghans’ older work focussed on subcultural groups across the US and those hiding in the many bizarre nooks on the peripherals of society, his more recent work has shown a stylistic change and a developing inclination to create work that’s more earnest, rather than comedic.
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| Callaghan interviewing during the BLM protest in Minneapolis |
There’s always been a sincerity to Callaghan’s work that is genuinely endearing, even when confronted with peculiar and uncomfortable situations. This is present even when he is covering provocative, political ideas and there is a sense of him being incredibly ‘present’ that comes across in all of his work. He doesn’t shy away from potential danger and has put himself in high-risk situations in order to tell honest, raw stories, most notably of which concerned him conducting interviews in front of burning buildings during the ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests in the US.
I think his evolution into creating this kind of content is exciting and allows for a more open form of communication outside of mainstream media and an alternative viewpoint from somebody who is ready and willing to truly be on the inside of these issues.
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