This week on The Filmmakers Podcast, host Phil Hawkins sat down with Giles Alderson and Dan Richardson to discuss their new documentary Food for Thought.
Giles and Dan, who are both vegan and filmmakers, came up with the idea to explore veganism in an accessible and engaging way in about 2016.
The first steps…
They knew that they wanted to create something meaningful. Dan recalls, “We’re vegan, animal lovers and we care about the planet. I wanted to do something that made a difference.”
A few years after working together, for the first time, on The Harsh Light of Day, Giles and Dan were both looking for their next big idea. Dan had begun exploring filmmaking in addition to acting, and the conversation often circled back to creating something with impact.
Then, he had an epiphany: “someone out there can make the film for us.” Their idea involved a social experiment—people would go vegan for 30 days, document their journey, and send in videos. “I remember the first conversation I had with Giles. It was like, ‘Yeah, 100% we’re in, let’s do it.’” From that moment, they started outlining the project, budgeting and crowdfunding.
However, the journey wasn’t smooth sailing. “It’s just come out, but there are good reasons for the length of time,” Dan explained. “Least not the pandemic—two and a half years lost there.” The result, however, is a testament to grassroots filmmaking: “Two guys with camera gear and microphones set out to make a film, and here we are a few years later, we’ve done it.”
Making Veganism Accessible
One of the strengths of this documentary is how it’s approachable for all audiences. Phil noted that often vegan documentaries rely on shock tactics to raise awareness but what he loved “about this documentary is that it wasn’t preachy, it wasn’t loads of shock value. There’s this disconnect between food and animals, which you guys address with humility in a funny and endearing way.”
For Giles and Dan it was vital to remain mindful of their target audience. Knowing how they could affect with their work. “We know that our audience are people who are thinking about it,” Dan said. “If a vegan says, ‘watch this documentary,’ and you’re not vegan, you go, ‘really?’ But if someone in the middle says, ‘this worked for me,’ that’s different.”
Their goal was to create a film that would inspire, not alienate; and judging by the response, they have succeeded and will continue to succeed.
The Challenges of Making Documentaries
Although both Giles and Dan have backgrounds in acting, they soon realised the challenges of documentary filmmaking. It really does require a different mindset and set of skills.
Editing was a crucial part of the process. “It was in the edit that we found that we had to shape the narrative, find the humour, and decide what footage truly told the story,” Giles shared. And one pivotal moment for them was when they realised that some of their early cuts were too serious and not sharing the message that they wanted to share in a way that was relatable and viewer-friendly. “So we were like, let’s flip this and have ourselves in it more.”
The Decision to Distribute on YouTube
Instead of pursuing traditional distribution channels, they decided to make Food for Thought freely available on YouTube – ensuring that it was available for anyone who was interested in pursing a vegan lifestyle.
“It was important for me and Dan that people saw the documentary. It’s here, it’s free, you can watch it,” Giles said. The decision wasn’t just about accessibility but practicality. “I’ve spent six months doing paperwork for film distribution. I don’t know if the returns are worth that.”
YouTube offered a unique opportunity for organic growth.
“If we go to the vegan community, which we are starting to do, it’s a tool for them,” Dan explained. “We created a gap filler—something for people to say, ‘you can watch this film, no bad language, no slaughterhouse footage, all boxes ticked.’” And will over 14k views in less than a week on YouTube, their message is definitely being shared with a wider audience.
Working on a Shoestring Budget
Despite the international reach that this documentary will have, the team kept costs low. “It’s like a globe-trotting Bond film,” Phil joked. The film includes footage from Croatia, South Africa, Los Angeles, and the UK. But Dan shared that “with the South Africa trip, I was there with the Born Free Foundation doing a lion cub relocation. And we piggybacked on that trip to film Food for Thought.”
Crowdfunding played a crucial role in reaching their budgeting target, which meant that the filmmakers were mindful of using resources wisely. “People helped us and we planned as much as we could,” Giles said. “But some things just happened.”
The Impact and Future of Food for Thought
The response to the documentary has been overwhelmingly positive.
One of the standout moments in the documentary comes from Tony, one of the participants who was initially a staunch meat-eater. With Dan mentioning that “If we can get (the audience) as far as when Tony makes his first appearance, they’ll stick around. He’s so genuine. Go watch it for Tony.”
Giles and Dan hope the documentary will offer a fresh and engaging perspective on the power of food choices and will continue to spread. “It’s the small choices that lead to bigger changes,” Phil reflected. “You’ve done it with humour, it’s entertaining, and that makes me question my own choices.”
You can listen to the full podcast episode here, or watch Food for Thought here.
Food for thought offers a unique, aurhentic insight in what veganism means to people like you and me. Dan and Giles gave us a down to earth, very personal view. There is no preaching nor horror in this documentary, It is a celebration of veganism as something normal andhealthy, ultimately refreshing.