Reed Martin '23, a documentary filmmaker from Carlsbad, California, launched his career while earning a BFA in Film & TV Production at USC, where he directed A Hand to Hold, an award-winning documentary short that aired on PBS SoCal. In October 2024, Reed founded Grandview Studios, a production company committed to creating world-class documentaries that entertain, educate, and inspire. Through Grandview, Reed channels his passion for storytelling, aiming to meaningfully impact audiences. Beyond filmmaking, he’s an athlete and adventurer, always seeking new experiences that fuel his creativity.

Q1: Have you always been interested in documentary filmmaking and what was that process like getting into it?

RM: I didn’t have a specific interest in documentary filmmaking growing up. My interest actually began with technology. For some reason, I really enjoyed my computer classes, and a few of my early computer lab teachers in elementary school noticed this. They encouraged me to work on some video projects, which I started doing on my own. I remember when I was around 8 or 9, I got really sick with a bad fever during a family trip to Scottsdale and missed the entire trip. When we got back, my family had some clips recorded on a Flip HD camera—this was before the iPhone era. I stumbled upon iMovie and got obsessed with making little trailers. I kept doing that, carrying it through middle school.

My interest in documentary filmmaking really started in high school. I attended Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, which has robust educational programs called conservatories. These conservatories are for different types of arts—visual art, performing art, theater, orchestra, and more. They had a cinema program that was highly regarded across California. I got involved in that program as a sophomore, and one of the projects was to create a documentary with an environmental focus. We all had to pitch ideas, and mine was selected. So, at 16 years old, I was directing a documentary on sustainability. My project focused on a connection I made in middle school with a guy who took broken surfboards and made hand planes for body surfing. His products were sold in Patagonia stores across the country. I led a team of about 10 people, and that was my first real documentary experience, which got me hooked. I continued making documentaries throughout high school, doing another similar project in my senior year. This passion stayed with me through high school and into my time at USC.

Q2: Was USC your top choice when applying to film school? What about SCA influenced your decision to come here?

RM: Yeah, I think USC was always a sort of mythical place for me, especially coming from the film conservatory program I was in. We had some really talented people in the program, and when I was a sophomore, I became aware of schools like USC. When the seniors were applying, it was always like, "Oh, who got in where?" USC was tough to get into, even for the really talented people I looked up to. I remember thinking, "Wow, they didn’t get in," or, "Oh, this person did—how can I do that?" By the end of my sophomore year, USC was definitely my top choice. A project I worked on got screened in Los Angeles, at a theater right next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall—the big silver building. My mom and I were there, and she said, "Let's drive past USC and check it out." We didn’t know much about the school, but when we got there and saw the film school, I was starstruck. Seeing the names of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg up there made it all feel so special. From that moment on, USC became my goal, but I didn’t hold onto it too tightly because I knew it was a difficult school to get into, and a lot of it was out of my control. I knew that to get into USC, I had to keep my grades up. Fortunately, I went to a really good high school with strong academic programs, and I always did well academically. I had seen some people in my conservatory program go all in on film work but struggle with grades, which limited their options. I figured that out early and got strategic. If I had an easier semester, I would dedicate more effort to producing really good film work. Focusing on documentaries also helped a lot. I always told myself that if I didn’t get in, I wouldn’t be disappointed. In all honesty, though, I probably would have been. But I was determined to work as hard as I could, and if I didn’t get in, I’d know I did everything I could. So, when I did get accepted, I was ecstatic.

Q3: Were there any professors, classes, or experiences during your time at USC and SCA that particularly stand out?

RM: A professor who really stood out to me was Wendy Lee. She was my professor for CTPR 431: Developing the Documentary Production, which is the precursor to CTPR 547, where I made my film. In that class, she was incredibly helpful. I pitched the idea of following around the Street Medicine team, and from experience, she immediately recognized that there would be a lot of red tape involved and that it would take time. It was an ambitious idea for the class, especially since my only assignment was to create a five-minute pitch tape—a five-minute sample, essentially. The class was designed for us to go out and film things at various checkpoints, turn in the footage, and review it with the class. Luckily, Wendy really believed in me because the process of unraveling the red tape took so long that I wasn’t able to film anything for most of the semester. Two weeks before the class ended, I still hadn’t turned in any footage, while my classmates were probably wondering what I was doing. In the last two weeks of the class, I finally started filming, and by the second-to-last week, I had a rough cut. My classmates were surprised, and by the last week of class, I had even more footage and a complete piece. I think I surprised everyone except Wendy—she believed in me the whole time. She was instrumental in helping me get the documentary to where it needed to be.

Another professor who was instrumental in this process, is Mark Harris. I believe he started the documentary program at USC. He used to be the directing faculty professor for CTPR 547, but my semester was the first one where he wasn’t teaching it. However, I did my USC application phone interview with him, and I remember being so starstruck. I remember leaving my senior English class, going to a parking lot in the pouring rain, and telling my teacher, “I need to take this call for my USC interview.” He was also there during the pitches for CTPR 547 and was instrumental, like Wendy, in seeing the potential in my project. Even though I never had him as a professor, he gave me valuable advice along the way. Of course, all the CTPR 547 faculty were great. Patrick Shen was my directing professor during that time, and I worked closely with him, getting a lot of advice and guidance on the film.

Q4: What attracts you to the creative role of director?

RM: It's interesting because I never really saw myself as a director, to be honest. I’ve been fortunate in some ways—I have an October birthday, so I was always one of the older kids in my grade. I’m also pretty tall, so for whatever reason, people often saw me as a leader, especially on sports teams. I naturally fell into that role and became comfortable with it. I enjoyed leading people, not to boss them around, but to guide projects. When it came to bigger projects, I would take on the responsibility and go above and beyond, rather than let it fall on others. Even when I started at SCA, I didn’t come in with the mindset of wanting to be a director. Instead, I explored everything—screenwriting, sound, editing. I’ve always loved editing, honestly, and think it contributed to my passion for documentaries. At USC, there came a point where I had to think about what track I wanted to pursue. I remember telling my professors that I enjoyed every part of the filmmaking process, and they responded by saying, "Well, that means you're a director." It made sense. I got to work with incredibly talented people in each area—people who are much better at their specific roles than I am. My job was to guide the process, be their north star, and help them work toward our common goal. Whether it was working on an edit, sound, or figuring out production logistics, I enjoyed motivating and directing the team. That’s how I came to embrace the role of a director.

Q5: Tell us about the creative process of your short film A Hand to Hold? What made you choose this topic? 

RM: The film came about when I started at USC in August 2019. I think it was either my mom or me who received a USC newsletter, and I came across a story about the street medicine team. Being from San Diego, I had seen homelessness, though not at the same scale as in Los Angeles. I read the article and found it fascinating. It wasn’t about some grand solution to homelessness, but rather a team going out to help people in a direct and meaningful way. They weren’t just administering quick checkups or shots—they were returning to the same people over and over, building real connections. That was what struck me.

What really caught my attention was how the patients spoke about the doctors and the team. I realized that if people were sharing these thoughts with a journalist, there was probably more to uncover. So, I mentally bookmarked the idea. This was in 2019, and then COVID happened. I took a year off, waiting for classes to return in person because I loved being on campus, attending sports games, and studying there. In August 2022, three years later, I started pursuing the idea in a class taught by Professor Wendy Lee (CTPR 431).

From the start, I didn’t want to make a film that broadly addressed homelessness. Instead, I wanted to focus on this specific team in Los Angeles and their work, making the issue feel more personal and humanized. The goal was to show what’s being done, to highlight the individuals involved, not just reduce them to numbers. I carried that approach into the film, focusing on the team’s work, emulating the tone of the article.

Q6: Wow! So how did you handle any obstacles or challenges that came with being with the street medicine team?

RM: The team was great—I can't thank Jack and Gilbert enough. They were awesome, guiding us and ensuring our safety. There was a big safety component to the project, especially since we were university students out there with expensive gear. I remember on the very first day we went out with the team for CTPR 547, after I had filmed the pitch tape. All these graduate students had joined me for the project—they had seen the pitch tape and were excited to get out there and film. But that first day, none of the patients were comfortable being filmed. So, after being out there for the entire day, something like 8 to 10 hours, we had great footage of Jac and Gilbert driving around, but none of the actual work they were doing.

We figured that eventually, people would be comfortable being filmed. So we kept at it. Jack and Gilbert were really helpful—they started pre-screening patients they knew well and would ask them in advance if they’d be comfortable being filmed on a particular day. They began planning their routes around that, which allowed us to get more footage. They really wanted to show the team's work and bought into my vision, as well as the vision of the rest of the crew. After seeing the pitch tape and how I portrayed the team, they were like, "Yeah, this is good. Let's do this on a bigger scale." I just wanted to capture the reality of what the team does, including both the good and the challenges. There were definitely obstacles throughout the process, even in post-production, but we just kept pushing through. It’s crazy to think it all happened within one semester because it felt like such a long time, yet it moved so quickly.

Q7: The film is wonderful! You've gotten a lot of press and praise for A Hand to Hold, so what is it like going to festivals and getting awards and notoriety?

RM: We never set out to make this project for awards—we just wanted to create the best film we could. Along the way, there were a lot of twists and turns, which is the beauty of documentaries. If we had been focused on winning awards during those tough edits, it would have distracted us. That said, I'm happy about the recognition because it shines a light on the street medicine team and also acknowledges the crew, who were incredible. As a junior undergrad leading a team of graduate students, I’m incredibly thankful for their belief in my vision and their high level of execution.

We did a lot of pre-planning before filming, and I remember texting the team the night before, saying, "Now it's all about execution." And that's what we did. I take a lot of pride in USC, so it feels good to represent the school at festivals with a documentary, since USC is so often associated with narrative films. If someone had told me beforehand that the project would be broadcast on PBS SoCal, I would’ve been thrilled. It’s rewarding to know we created something special, but ultimately, we’re proud because we did everything we could to make the best film possible.

Q8: Outside of A Hand to Hold you've directed other documentaries and shorts. What has been your favorite project to direct so far?

RM: My favorite project to direct outside of A Hand to Hold was when I was a senior in high school. It was called Ascent, about a childhood friend, Josh Golden, a highly accomplished rock climber with autism. I knew him from middle school, and although he was almost nonverbal, he could communicate well when something really interested him. Around that time, Josh had just started rock climbing, and I followed his progress on Instagram. By my senior year, when it was time to pitch a film idea, I thought of him. He was competing at a high level in California, and I knew this would make for a compelling story. The timing worked out perfectly—Josh had recently gained recognition for his achievements, and we were able to capture him performing in competitions. The project was exciting because it combined the intensity of competitive rock climbing with the inspiring story of his journey. His parents were pivotal in the film, sharing what it was like raising a son with autism and watching him overcome those challenges.

Even today, I’m still in touch with Josh and his family. The film brought him some incredible opportunities, like sponsorships and media attention. It was also screened at major festivals, which was really rewarding. Ascent was the first project that made me realize filmmaking can be about more than just my own story. It can help bring attention to others and make a positive impact. That’s why I’m drawn to documentary filmmaking—it allows me to use my skills to tell stories that matter.

Q9: What advice would you give to aspiring or emerging filmmakers who are interested in documentary filmmaking?

RM: My advice for aspiring documentary filmmakers is that it's a fantastic time to get into this field. Unscripted documentary content is increasingly popular, leading to a growing industry. If you're like me and have a wide range of interests, documentary filmmaking is perfect because it allows you to explore various topics. For instance, I knew nothing about competitive rock climbing or street medicine before diving into these subjects for my films. This process involves intensive research to become knowledgeable, which in turn helps create entertaining and informative stories. Another advantage of documentary filmmaking is that the barrier to entry is lower than for narrative filmmaking. Many great documentaries have been made using just iPhone footage or archival material. You don’t need elaborate sets or a large crew; if there’s a story happening nearby and you have a way to capture video and audio, that’s all you need. Be curious and always be on the lookout for compelling stories. If a subject piques your interest, pursue it. There's ample space for documentary films today because we are all media literate and can recognize a good story when we see one. Finally, approach your projects with the right intentions. Your motivations will shine through in your work. If your aim is to create something meaningful that highlights important issues, storytelling can be a powerful tool for driving change. Use that power wisely; documentaries can raise awareness while also entertaining audiences.

Q10: What's in store next? Any projects that you have in the pipeline?

RM: I’m planning to launch my own production company, Grandview Studios. It sounds funny to say this now, as it will be in its early days, but the goal is to focus on documentary filmmaking—both short-form and long-form series, as well as branded content. There’s a significant opportunity to work with brands for marketing materials, and I aim to use that to support day-to-day operations while also pursuing longer-form projects. These days, it can be harder to secure funding for such projects due to the evolving nature of documentary filmmaking. Studios are increasingly reluctant to greenlight concepts unless they can see a completed film first, creating a bit of a chicken-and-egg dilemma. My goal in setting up the studio is to bridge that gap by doing more traditional branded work, which will allow me to remain curious and continue meeting amazing people. I want to lead an explorative life while working on these projects and becoming the best storyteller I can be. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to meet many incredible individuals, from the subjects and participants in my films to the crews I work with. I truly cherish these relationships, and they serve as my north star as I move forward in this industry. I feel blessed to have received so many opportunities early on, and I’m determined to keep pushing forward.

Links:

• Grandview-Studios.com

Story by Emily Tutnick