Interview with Dee Davis, November 13, 2015

Partial Transcript: --so that's good.

Segment Synopsis: Dee Davis talks about why he and other Appalshoppers were interested in making films and talking to people of their grandparents' generation. He talks about the kinship between the two generations due to similar experiences and the general role of grandparents.

Keywords: Boom and bust economy; Coal economy; Confusing; Elderly; Endurance; Experience; Grant funding; Interest; Kinship; Music; Older generations; Rebellion; Records; Relationships; Roles; Senior citizens; Youth culture

Subjects: Children and older people.; Generations.; Grandparents.; Older people; Rural elderly.

Partial Transcript: Um, alright so, the--I, I read a little bit about your involvement with groups--or, meetings like the Arts Ideas Exchange.

Segment Synopsis: Davis discusses Appalshop's connection to similar organizations nation-wide.

Keywords: Connections; Inclusion; National funding programs

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Motion picture industry--Finance.

Partial Transcript: Your, uh--I hear you talking about the connections between say cultural activities, art in society, or social work.

Segment Synopsis: Davis discusses the presence of politics in Appalshop’s work, and says the
organization was made up of people pushing back against the mainstream. He talks about how his own political ideas were influenced by watching his father and through his early political participation. He talks about how these political ideas influenced Appalshop's funding.

Keywords: Art; Changes; Connections; Cultural; Dishonesty; Dissenters; Fathers; Films; Formative; Funding; Furniture businesses; Importance; Influence; Involvement; Lying; Mainstream; Observers; Political; Political forces; Political outlook; Progressive; Projects; Protests; Purpose; Pushing back; Realtors; Self-governance; Social work; Unemployment

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films--Production and direction.; Elections--Corrupt practices; Ethnographic films.; Motion picture industry--Finance.; Motion picture producers and directors.; Motion picture studios.; Motion pictures--Philosophy.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Motion pictures--Social aspects.; Political activists.; Political campaigns; Political corruption--Kentucky; Politics and government; Regionalism--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Um, we've talked some about the building previously when we got together and just now you were kind of talking about some, some dimensions of the day-to-day financial realities of being president.

Segment Synopsis: Davis talks about his involvement in the beginning of the Appalachian Human History Project and other projects, including the planning and fundraising process. He talks briefly about why he left Appalshop.

Keywords: Appalachian Human History Project; Building; Executive producers; Funding; Marriage; Process; Projects; Proposals; Quitting; Wayne Coombs; Work

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films--Production and direction.; Ethnographic films.; Motion picture industry--Finance.; Motion picture studios.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.

Partial Transcript: I'm, I'm curious though about the fact, you know, you mentioned the stereotype film "Strangers and Kin" and in reading some about that...

Segment Synopsis: Davis discusses the Appalshop film "Strangers and Kin" and its focus on stereotypes about Appalachia. He talks about how Ned Beatty became an ally of Appalachia despite acting in Deliverance, a film considered to perpetuate negative stereotypes of Appalachia. He also tells a humorous story about Ned Beatty and his friend Jack Wright.

Keywords: "Deliverance"; "Fat Monroe"; "Hillbillies"; "Strangers and Kin"; Allies; Arnold Toynbee; Dudley Wilson; Film shooting; Harmful images; Issues; Jack Wright; Judgement; Media; Misconceptions; Portrayal; Reactions; Ron Eller; Screenings; Softball tournaments; Tribalism

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachians (People) in motion pictures; Beatty, Ned; Hazard (Ky.); Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Stereotypes (Social psychology) in mass media.; Stereotypes (Social psychology) in motion pictures.

Partial Transcript: I want to shift now and, and talk about something else that, uh, seems to have been related to your time and your, your--I guess after your role as president.

Segment Synopsis: Davis talks about the origins of the Ben Zickafoose Memorial Film Union, and his own role in the union as well as Appalshop as a whole. He talks about "safety meetings" at Appalshop, and discusses his strategy for keeping the filmmakers accountable for their projects.

Keywords: Autonomous; Ben Zickafoose Memorial Film Union; Budget meetings; Character; Executive producers; Filmmakers; Helping; Personality; Projects; Safety meetings; Staff meetings

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films--Production and direction.; Labor unions--Organizing; Management.; Motion picture producers and directors.; Motion picture studios.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Office management.; Organizational effectiveness.; Personnel management.

Partial Transcript: Um, I'm gonna talk now about some specific film projects or some of your experiences.

Segment Synopsis: Davis talks about several films and projects related to the cal industry, including the film "On Our Own Land" about Elizabeth Wooten and the anti-strip mining hearing. He talks about KET agreeing to show some of their films, how Appalshop deliberately chose to show them the night before an election, and the trouble this created for KET.

Keywords: "On Our Own Land"; "One-Ring Circus"; Advocacy; Anne Lewis; Anti-strip mining; Awards; Coal companies; Coal industry; Confrontation; Controversial; Edward Acres; Elizabeth Wooten; Fights; Film projects; Hearings; Heroes; Joe Begley; Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC); Kentucky Educational Television (KET); Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition (KFTC); Newspaper editorials; Robert Gipe; Showings; Speakers; duPont Columbia Award for Broadcast Journalism

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachians (People) in motion pictures; Appalshop, Inc.; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Coal mines and mining--Government policy; Documentary films--Production and direction.; Ethnographic films.; Mass media--Political aspects; Motion picture producers and directors.; Motion picture studios.; Motion pictures--Philosophy.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Motion pictures--Social aspects.; Political activists.; Regionalism--Appalachian Region; Strip mining--Law and legislation--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Is that the Kentucky Fund for Independent Production?

Segment Synopsis: Davis talks about some of the ways Appalshop funded itself over the years, including lobbying for the creation of the Kentucky Fund for Independent Production and other government grants. He talks about other strategies, and the difficulty of predicting trends and success.

Keywords: "Fast Food Women"; Arts; Budgets; Campaign advertisements; Funding; Fundraising trends; Headwaters Television; Herb Smith; Ideas; Karen Atlas; Kentucky Fund for Independent Production; Lobbying; Senator Benny Bailey; Strategies; Success

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films--Production and direction.; Fund raising; Management.; Motion picture industry--Finance.; Office management.; Politicians--United States

Partial Transcript: So there's both a lot of fundraising success in the nineties and then you're talking about challenges, basically with new media.

Segment Synopsis: Continuing to talk about the difficulty of predicting trends, Davis talks about how changes in technology both helped and hurt Appalshop.

Keywords: Audience; Challenges; Changes; Equipment; Independent film movement; Internet; Media landscape; Satellites; Technological platforms; Technology; WMMT radio

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Mass media and technology.; Motion picture studios.; Radio stations.; Technological innovations

Partial Transcript: Now I have a few questions about Center for Rural Strategies but real quick before we get to that I'm curious about your--the context of the departure--your departure from Appalshop.

Segment Synopsis: Davis talks about his departure from Appalshop and the creation of the Center for Rural Strategies. He talks about the connections and differences between the two organizations. He talks about how Appalshop influenced other people and organizations.

Keywords: "Appalachian Renaissance"; Accomplishments; Appalachian Media Institute (AMI); Bill Gates; Business; Center for Rural Strategies; Changes; Community engagement; Connections; Departure; Educational; Experiences; Healthcare; Inspiration; Leaving; Legacy; Mimi Pickering; Missions; Opportunities; Plans; Policies; Proud; Radio stations; Relevance; Robert Gipe; Rural areas; Similarities; Study guides

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalshop, Inc.; Public policy; Rural conditions

Partial Transcript: And your segue into that--like I have at least four questions about the Men's Achievement--

Segment Synopsis: Davis tells a humorous story about his involvement in securing the initial funding for the WMMT radio station. He talks about his radio show, The Men's Achievement Hour and Human Potential Show, and tells stories about the many humorous skits they performed on the radio. He talks about his reaction to being fired by the radio station via email.

Keywords: Bob Wisdom; Changing dates; Circus; Comedy routines; Emails; Festivals; Fired; Fun; Funny; Golden Reel Award; Grants; Humor; Jeff Hawkins; Men's Achievement Hour and Human Potential Show; Pawpaw Festival; Proposals; Radio shows; Reactions; Realistic Uniform Company; Skits; Urine tests; WMMT radio station

Subjects: Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: Um, but I, I, uh--before we turn off the camera, i, i, i, is there anything else that, given what we've talked about today is--

Segment Synopsis: Davis says that during construction of the new Appalshop building the contractor went bankrupt. He tells the story of the decision to fight the bonding company to get the building finished, a decision which he says was unanimous. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Bankrupt; Board members; Bonding companies; Buck Hinkle; Buildings; Camaraderie; Contractors; Decisions; Fights; Plans; Threats

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Motion picture industry--Finance.; Motion picture studios.; Whitesburg (Ky.)--Buildings, structures, etc.