Ken Burns

In his two-hour interview, Ken Burns talks about his modest upbringing and his early interest in filmmaking. He describes creating his own company in the 1970s, Florentine Films, and the 1981 documentary Brooklyn Bridge. He describes the style in which the film was made: the use of first-person narrative and an easel system for filming still photographs. He discusses his relationship with PBS and his continued work in both feature film and television documentaries throughout the 1980s, including: The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God; The Statue of Liberty; Huey Long; Thomas Hart Benton; and The Congress. He then speaks in great detail about his breakthrough work, The Civil War. He talks about how the nine-hour documentary was made (shooting at 163 archives). He then details his subsequent projects, including the ambitious documentaries Empire of the Air: Men Who Made Radio, Baseball, Jazz, and The War. Throughout the interview, Burns speaks about his process, including the art of the interview and what he feels makes a good story. Ron Simon conducted the interview on October 19, 2007 in New York, NY.