Melvin McCray - Conversations with Remarkable People

Melvin McCray

I conducted my first interview in 1974 while working as a reporter for Time Magazine. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was embarking on a career of storytelling. In 1977, I conducted my first video interview as part of a documentary on black male-female relations. I was so passionate about telling that story that I quit my job at Time Incorporated and devoted all of my resources and energy to completing the project. Just as I ran out of money, I was given the Independent Filmmaker of the Year Award by the American Film Institute. I knew I had found my calling. Since then, I have told the stories of hundreds of people from all walks of life and have traveled as far as East Africa. I have been captivated by the art of crafting films from simple interviews and weaving together archival footage and photos into a powerful story. I have learned that if you dig deep enough into a character’s life, it’s possible to uncover universal truths that will resonate with everyone. If the story is told with honesty and integrity, you can really touch the viewer. You may impart some small insight into this complicated life we live. You may move the viewer to tears. You may teach some life lesson that will make a difference in the way people conduct their lives. Over a 34-year period I have told hundreds of stories that run the gamut from news, documentaries, features and oral histories. The subjects range from the famous to the obscure. I have put together the best of these stories, the ones that captivated me the most, in a video exhibition called Conversations with Remarkable People. Some of the people you will recognize, like the news anchor, Peter Jennings, or the activist and law professor, Derrick Bell or the jazz saxophonist and composer, Ornette Coleman. Many of the subjects you may not recognize, like the anti-apartheid activist Father Michael Lapsley, the labor organizer Maida Springer Kemp or the former head of state of the Republic of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. Some have never had their stories told to a wide audience. You can take a look at a sampling of these Conversations with Remarkable People at I conducted my first interview in 1974 while working as a reporter for Time Magazine. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was embarking on a career of storytelling. In 1977, I conducted my first video interview as part of a documentary on black male-female relations. I was so passionate about telling that story that I quit my job at Time Incorporated and devoted all of my resources and energy to completing the project. Just as I ran out of money, I was given the Independent Filmmaker of the Year Award by the American Film Institute. I knew I had found my calling. Since then, I have told the stories of hundreds of people from all walks of life and have traveled as far as East Africa. I have been captivated by the art of crafting films from simple interviews and weaving together archival footage and photos into a powerful story. I have learned that if you dig deep enough into a character’s life, it’s possible to uncover universal truths that will resonate with everyone. If the story is told with honesty and integrity, you can really touch the viewer. You may impart some small insight into this complicated life we live. You may move the viewer to tears. You may teach some life lesson that will make a difference in the way people conduct their lives. Over a 34-year period I have told hundreds of stories that run the gamut from news, documentaries, features and oral histories. The subjects range from the famous to the obscure. I have put together the best of these stories, the ones that captivated me the most, in a video exhibition called Conversations with Remarkable People. Some of the people you will recognize, like the news anchor, Peter Jennings, or the activist and law professor, Derrick Bell or the jazz saxophonist and composer, Ornette Coleman. Many of the subjects you may not recognize, like the anti-apartheid activist Father Michael Lapsley, the labor organizer Maida Springer Kemp or the former head of state of the Republic of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. Some have never had their stories told to a wide audience. You can take a look at a sampling of these Conversations with Remarkable People at I conducted my first interview in 1974 while working as a reporter for Time Magazine. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was embarking on a career of storytelling. In 1977, I conducted my first video interview as part of a documentary on black male-female relations. I was so passionate about telling that story that I quit my job at Time Incorporated and devoted all of my resources and energy to completing the project. Just as I ran out of money, I was given the Independent Filmmaker of the Year Award by the American Film Institute. I knew I had found my calling. Since then, I have told the stories of hundreds of people from all walks of life and have traveled as far as East Africa. I have been captivated by the art of crafting films from simple interviews and weaving together archival footage and photos into a powerful story. I have learned that if you dig deep enough into a character’s life, it’s possible to uncover universal truths that will resonate with everyone. If the story is told with honesty and integrity, you can really touch the viewer. You may impart some small insight into this complicated life we live. You may move the viewer to tears. You may teach some life lesson that will make a difference in the way people conduct their lives. Over a 34-year period I have told hundreds of stories that run the gamut from news, documentaries, features and oral histories. The subjects range from the famous to the obscure. I have put together the best of these stories, the ones that captivated me the most, in a video exhibition called Conversations with Remarkable People. Some of the people you will recognize, like the news anchor, Peter Jennings, or the activist and law professor, Derrick Bell or the jazz saxophonist and composer, Ornette Coleman. Many of the subjects you may not recognize, like the anti-apartheid activist Father Michael Lapsley, the labor organizer Maida Springer Kemp or the former head of state of the Republic of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. Some have never had their stories told to a wide audience. You can take a look at a sampling of these Conversations with Remarkable People at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCA54B8848CA2D496