On David Byrd and Michael Woods: Creative geniuses, and helping hands...
The editing of the film is still coming along. I’m still looking to do a few more interviews in the coming months (at this point, anything further is just “icing on the cake”), and I’m still trying to figure out the length and scope of the final act. These are on top of my sorting through all the footage I’ve shot over the last ten years – and a narrative spanning over eight decades.
Yet however modest the production, or how many times I’ve filmed an interview with just a production crew of one (ME), this film is an endeavor I simply could not have done alone.
I wanted to call out two important people, dear friends of mine, who have helped me on this project immeasurably over the years. They themselves are now both in need help, and I want to do my part to return the favor as best I can.
First is artist DAVID EDWARD BYRD, of whom I have written about many times. Last year, David and his husband, Jolino Beserra, had to sell their beloved Los Angeles home in the face of David’s crippling medical debts. I had set up a GoFundMe page to assist them, and we were all absolutely floored by people’s generosity – which made it possible for David and Jolino to move to a new house in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
I was planning to visit them right after Christmas, but David fell terribly ill and was admitted to the emergency room. We weren't sure if it was due to heart issues, or problems with his lungs.
Sadly, David is now intubated, and remains in a medically-induced coma. He’s had an ongoing fever, and issues breathing and swallowing.
With this, I'm hoping some of you might be able to continue with your generosity in helping David during this difficult time. No doubt everything David and Jolino have received from you all so far has been immeasurably helpful. But new and more daunting challenges lie ahead, and they need all the help they can get.
And yes, this includes prayers. I don't know David to be a particularly religious person, but I'm sure your goodwill – be it prayers, karma, or a kind thought – is something he and Jolino would appreciate.
Another friend I want to mention is MICHAEL WOODS – a celebrated artist and filmmaker who is currently looking for work.
Woods’ background and achievements are so extensive, that any attempts to summarize them here would inevitably undersell him. But let me try: he’s a multidisciplinary artist and documentarian, dealing both in the avant-garde and the socially conscious. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (BFA) and the recipient of the Erna Plachte Award from the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford (MFA), Woods’ multidisciplinary work has been exhibited internationally since 2011.
He’s also one hell of a teacher – which is how I came to know him. Before embarking on the Amsel documentary, I took a number of editing courses under his tutelage. He was charismatic, energetic, engaging, articulate…and best of all, supportive, empathetic, patient and inspiring.
When Woods moved away from Los Angeles to pursue new endeavors (first in Europe, then Chicago), I was sad to see him go. We stayed in touch through social media, but I missed having him as a teacher. This became painfully obvious when I took additional editing classes under other instructors; they simply could not compare to Woods’ skill or personality.
Late last year, Woods and I reconnected. He’s still in Chicago, but reached out about helping me with the project as an editing consultant. I was both overjoyed and relieved. Anyone who has worked with Adobe software (especially Premiere Pro) knows that it undergoes extensive updates each year. And with the ever-evolving technical tools and formats, I found myself completely overwhelmed and absolutely lost. Woods has been guiding me through it, slowly but surely. He’s something of an editing wonderkund, as well as a great teacher.
Recently, Woods has been looking for work. He holds a BFA with honors from NYU and an MFA with distinction from Oxford. He has over ten years teaching experience in film (especially post-production) and art. Any college or university – or student and filmmaker, for that matter – should consider themselves lucky to have him.
Check out his Disassociate Productions website to learn more about the man and his work. Glancing at his social media profiles, he might strike some as something of a Lynchian eccentric, or an enigma; he goes by the moniker “M. Woods”, and often refrains from putting traditional headshots of himself online. But don’t be fooled: Michael Woods has an extremely affable, very approachable personality, and is a delight and joy to work with.
Sorting through years of footage and then deciding what the final act even is - that is the part of documentary work nobody warns you about. The edit ends up carrying more of the story than any single interview does. One practical habit that helps: keep one reference frame per subject, same angle and same light, so you can sanity-check continuity when you cut between interviews shot months apart. That is the routine I have been using Reference to Video for - feed it those reference stills and it holds faces, motion and lighting steady, which makes rough-cut assembly far less painful.
I enjoyed reading this piece, particularly the section about Michael Woods helping with the editing process after the filmmaker became overwhelmed by the frequent Adobe Premiere Pro updates and changing technical formats. It was a nice reminder that creative projects often depend on people who can offer practical guidance behind the scenes. In the middle of balancing study and creative workloads, New Assignment Help and Cheap Assignment Help Australia can also come up as examples of the kind of academic workload students manage alongside other commitments. I also found the discussion of Woods’ teaching style interesting, especially the emphasis on being supportive and patient. It makes me wonder what other parts of the documentary benefited from his editing experience.
David Byrd and Michael Woods represent the kind of creative talent and generous spirit that can make a lasting impact. Their story highlights how creativity becomes even more meaningful when paired with collaboration, guidance, and a willingness to help others. It reminds me that great creative work is rarely achieved alone; skilled people share ideas, solve challenges, and help bring visions to life. The same principle applies to embroidery and design. When you’re digitizing a logo for embroidery, creativity and technical precision must work together to produce clean, professional results. Their example is a great reminder that talent grows stronger when people support one another.
After reading the article on David Byrd and Michael Woods, I appreciated how it explored their contrasting approaches to film poster design, especially the way their artistic styles shaped audience perception and visual storytelling in cinema promotion. While reflecting on technical creativity, I also noticed parallels with academic design work, and in discussions with peers at New Assignment Help I often come across challenges like AutoCAD Assignment Help which connect structured learning with real-world design thinking. It makes me wonder how visual storytelling in posters influences modern design learning beyond classrooms and into practical digital drafting environments overall in practice.
I read the post about how the filmmaker is talking about two big creative forces behind the Richard Amsel documentary and how much they’ve helped keep the project going even when things get hard. It made me think of a time I was juggling classes and late nights of study and had to get online nursing class help just to stay on track with my work and not fall behind. Seeing how support from others matters so much really stuck with me.