Reed Martin is a documentary filmmaker from Carlsbad, California. While completing his BFA in Film & TV Production at USC, he directed A Hand to Hold, an award-winning documentary short aired on PBS SoCal.
In October 2024, Reed founded Grandview Studios, a production company dedicated to crafting world-class documentary films. The studio embodies Reed’s mission to use storytelling to entertain, educate, and inspire audiences. Reed is an athlete and adventurer outside of filmmaking, constantly seeking experiences that inspire his creativity.
IDA: Please tell us a little about yourself and your profession or passion.
I’m a SoCal native from San Diego County, and funny enough, filmmaking wasn’t my first passion—sports were! Growing up, I was a die-hard San Diego Chargers fan and spent most of my free time on soccer fields and basketball courts. It wasn’t until I started getting into technology that I felt a real pull toward filmmaking. I was fascinated by computers, especially Apple products, and I eventually found my way into iMovie—and honestly, I’ve never looked back. I did a few video projects in school and even asked my teachers if I could make videos instead of writing essays. I loved the process, especially the editing part.
I knew I wanted to pursue filmmaking as a career, which led me to USC to study film. There, I learned what it means to be a filmmaker and how to tell compelling stories. The program was fantastic for building foundational storytelling skills that apply across all genres of filmmaking. Documentary filmmaking is a way to give back. I’ve had countless people support me along my journey, and I feel compelled to create films that help others. That drives me—making work that adds positivity to the world. Outside of filmmaking, I still love playing sports, exercising, reading, and exploring California!
IDA: When did you first start working in the documentary field?
I had always enjoyed filmmaking and watching movies but didn’t start working on documentary films until high school. I joined an after-school film program, a workshop-style program that paired groups of students together to make films. When I joined the program, I received a small grant to make a set of short documentaries, the only guideline being that they had to have an environmental focus. My pitch was selected. Suddenly, I was leading a small team of classmates, figuring out how to shape this story into a film. I learned a lot just by doing it—from researching to shooting scenes, conducting interviews, and giving notes while editing.
By the end of that project, I was hooked on the process. I directed another short documentary for that grant the same year, and during my senior year, I made another short documentary that got a bit of recognition at local festivals. The culmination of all those experiences made me want to pursue a career as a documentary filmmaker.
I then attended USC, where I got to build on what I’d learned. The program strongly emphasizes teaching the fundamentals of storytelling, which helped me immensely. While on the surface, they seemed like skills that you’d traditionally apply to writing a script or directing a narrative film, I began to use those techniques in my documentary work. Those experiences are the foundation of my documentary filmmaking knowledge, but I still have so much to learn, which makes the field so exciting.
IDA: Your film A Hand to Hold won the Documentary Award at the PBS SoCal Fine Cut Festival of Films this year. Congratulations! Please tell us a little about the film.
The film follows two members of a Street Medicine team operating out of East Los Angeles, giving viewers a firsthand look at these teams’ work. It’s not a film about homelessness or a promotional piece for Street Medicine. Instead, it’s an honest glimpse into how this small, dedicated team comes together to support people in need. I was immediately intrigued when I discovered the subject; it felt like a rare chance to spotlight extraordinary people doing meaningful work, often behind the scenes.
From the start, I made it clear to the team that we wanted to capture the experience as authentically as possible so viewers could feel like they were right there, moving from patient to patient with the crew. Thankfully, the team trusted us with incredible access, which allowed us to bring a raw, intimate quality to the film—one that, I hope, lets the audience connect with the patients and caregivers on a human level.
An eight-person crew created This project in one semester for USC’s documentary thesis class. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to the project, especially the crew. There was some concern about taking on such an ambitious film as part of a university course. Still, the crew’s dedication was evident in every long day of filming, late-night editing session, and moments in between. The commitment on behalf of everyone involved allowed us to tell a story that, I believe, sheds light on the power of compassion and the resilience of human connection.
IDA: When did you first conceive of the project and get introduced to the subject?
A Hand to Hold was an idea I kept in my back pocket for about three years. I found an article in a campus newsletter about USC’s Street Medicine teams during my first week at USC. I’d never heard of anything like it—the idea of medical teams not just providing one-time care but returning regularly and building genuine relationships with their patients.
What drew me in was this relationship-building aspect. The team wasn’t just providing medical care; they were becoming a steady presence in their patients’ lives, sometimes even friends. I felt there was a powerful story there, a way to explore a challenging topic in a hopeful, human-centered way. I never wanted the film to be solely about “homelessness.” Instead, I aimed to focus on the medical team’s experiences and the impact they have on their patients’ lives
I’m incredibly grateful that the Street Medicine team allowed us such close access to their work and helped us bring this film to life. Gaining access to sensitive stories can be challenging, and they supported us every step of the way, offering insights, context, and their time. Their willingness to share their experiences made it possible to capture what they do and why it matters. Ultimately, I hope the film reflects the hope these connections bring and gives viewers a new perspective on the importance of compassion.
IDA: What is next for you? Are you working on anything you can share with us?
I recently launched my production studio, Grandview Studios, to bring all my future work to life. The studio will be home to all shapes and sizes of documentary projects—branded, short films, or full-length features. Right now feels like the perfect time to jump in; documentary storytelling has so much momentum, and it’s amazing that brands and companies are willing to give resources to tell meaningful stories. It’d be silly not to capitalize on that!
I’m constantly developing documentary ideas, though I can’t share specifics about upcoming projects yet. As all filmmakers know, pitching a film and getting it greenlit is notoriously tough. Even when that happens, creative control can sometimes shift when studios or larger organizations get involved. I hope Grandview can help bridge the gap between ideas and execution.
In the long term, I’d love for Grandview Studios to become a place where branded work helps fund original projects, balancing client-driven pieces and independent storytelling. For now, though, I’m just excited to get started and have the opportunity to tell stories!