Synopsis
How good movies and TV gets made. Interviews with leading filmmakers about their craft. From screenwriting to film language to cinematography, we'll be examining the innovative ways today's best independent creators are getting their visions out into the world.
Episodes
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"After Yang" Director Kogonada
22/04/2022 Duration: 31minKogonada discusses the cinematic components of "After Yang" from how memory relates to the processof filmmaking to the importance of a science fiction story with domestic stakes. All of that, plus: the importance of spaces that can tell their own stories, the differences between film and short story, how the quality of light impacts the film, and a little bit of love for Robert Bresson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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"Pachinko" Creator Soo Hugh
08/04/2022 Duration: 34minCreator and executive producer Soo Hugh discusses how she tackled the globe and time-spanning 'Pachinko' by thinking about was the show wasn't and then discovering what the show was. All of that, plus: challenges of creating characterization in translation, the different visual styles of the show, and what a historical epic that isn't fetishizing period can look like. Slightly spoiler-y conversation about Episode 7 from 19:30 - 21:27. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Cinematographer Greig Fraser on "Dune"
25/03/2022 Duration: 41minFor a surprise bonus episode of Filmmaker's Toolkit, we have a conversation with 'Dune' cinematographer Greig Fraser. He gets into how he and director Denis Villeneuve achieved the correct sense of scale, the power of simplifying the frame, the film's concentrated, strategic bursts of color, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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"The Batman": Director Matt Reeves
06/03/2022 Duration: 37minMatt Reeves dives into his desire for greater subjectivity in a Batman story, influences from "The Wrong Man" to "The Long Halloween," the compulsive physicality of Robert Pattinson's performance, and how he found the light (and the dark) in Gotham. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Sound of "The Matrix"
28/01/2022 Duration: 25minGo inside the Matrix with long-time Wachowski collaborators supervising sound editors Dane Davis and Stephanie Flack as we listen to examples from ‘Matrix Resurrections’ and hear how the franchise has sonically evolved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'C'mon C'mon': Writer-Director Mike Mills
25/01/2022 Duration: 40minMike Mills discusses the philosophy, iconic imagery, and blend of documentary and narrative that come together to give "C'mon C'mon" its richness and soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'The Lost Daughter' Dir Maggie Gyllenhaal & Editor Affonso Gonçalves
21/01/2022 Duration: 34minDirector Maggie Gyllenhaal and editor Affonso Gonçalves discuss their creative partnership and how they pushed both image and sound on "The Lost Daughter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'Licorice Pizza': The Sound + Vision of Paul Thomas Anderson
14/01/2022 Duration: 27minA look at PTA's creative process, the unique way he approaches filmmaking, and his new film with long-time collaborators: [1:20]: Co-cinematographer Michael Bauman [11:40]: Supervising Sound Editors / re-recording mixers Christopher Scarabosio & David Acord [18:39]: Costume Designer Mark Bridges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'The Green Knight' Dir David Lowery & DoP Andrew Droz Palermo
05/01/2022 Duration: 46minGo inside Lowery and Droz Palmero's collaboration on the year's Best Cinematography. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'No Time To Die': Cary Fukunaga with Cinematographer Linus Sangren
17/12/2021 Duration: 34minFukunaga and Sangren break down their realistic, but painterly approach to Daniel Craig's final installment as James Bond, with incredible insights to film's use of color, camera movement, and emotional storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'The Power of the Dog' Director Jane Campion & Editor Peter Sciberras
10/12/2021 Duration: 50minThe legendary director ("The Piano") dives into her process and collaborations in making the Netflix western. This is followed [26:30] by a conversation with her editor Peter Sciberras, who breaks down how he and Campion carefully navigated the relationship between Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) – as they needed to maintain the mystery, mounting sexual energy, and growing sense of foreboding as the film unfolded. Sponsored by MGM/United Artists Releasing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'F9': Fast & Furious Director Justin Lin
25/06/2021 Duration: 22minHe’s back. The action maestro behind “Fast Five” and “Fast & Furious 6” returns to the franchise that was never the same without him. While on the podcast, Justin talked about what it’s actually like to direct big action scenes that are being shot thousands miles away, while he’s on a soundstage with the Vin Diesel and the cast, and how he integrates practical stunt work with VFX and cast performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'Hacks' Director/Co-Creator Lucia Aniello & DP Adam Bricker
22/06/2021 Duration: 48minOne of the three co-creators of the new HBO Max series “Hacks,” Aniello also directed six of the 10 episodes (including the first three) and together with cinematographer Adam Bricker employed a purposeful and effective use of the camera so sorely missing from most half-hour comedy series. On the podcast Lucia discusses casting a non-standup in Jean Smart, creating her routines, and how she used the camera to tell the story of Deborah Vance (Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder). Bricker joins the second half of the podcast to talk about creating the look of a classic Vegas and avoiding the pitfalls inherent with cross-shooting a comedy series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'In the Heights' Dir. Jon M. Chu
18/06/2021 Duration: 31minThe “In the Heights” director on his original pitch to Lin-Manuel Miranda to direct his Tony award winning musical. We break down the opening number, the “When the Sun Goes Down” dance up the side of the building, and Jon’s distinct use of movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'P-Valley' Creator Katori Hall
09/06/2021 Duration: 46minThe “P-Valley” showrunner talks about growing up in Memphis and how going to strip clubs informed how her Starz TV series celebrates the culture and art form of stripping. Hall discussed how she was inspired by Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” and used color light to capture the beauty of her casts’ dark skin tones. The playwright-turned-TV creator also talked about her experience of being a first time showrunner, what she is building off for Season 2 (about to start filming), where she’ll step into the director’s chair for the first time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'Pen15' Anna Konkle & Sam Zvibleman
02/06/2021 Duration: 01h14minCo-star Anna Konkle talks about the "half-therapy, half-masochist" process of reliving her middle school years through her "Pen15" character, writing the incredible “Vendy Wiccany" (witch) episode, and working with her 13 year-old stars. And at the 27:26 mark, co-creator Sam Zvibleman, who directed all seven episodes of Season 2A, joins the podcast to talk the restraint of Season 2, the influence of "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and the low-fi 90s filmmaking aesthetic of "Pen15," the difficulty of cutting 50 minute episodes down to 30, and what's like to shoot every episode in 4 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'I May Destroy You' Dir. Sam Miller & Costume Designer Lynsey Moore
28/05/2021 Duration: 01h09minHow did creator and star Michaela Coel make “I May Destroy You”? We go inside her process with two close collaborators, as we discuss Coel stepping into the role of Arabella through costume, visually adapting her 12 brilliant scripts, capturing the spirit of East London, the constantly evolving rewrite process, and that surreal final episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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"Small Axe" Dir. Steve McQueen & DP Shabier Kirchner
21/05/2021 Duration: 43minMcQueen and Kirchner go inside how they created the magic of the “Lovers Rock” dance scenes, how McQueen’s own life was saved by the heroic mothers featured in “Education,” the fight to shoot 16mm, and how they approached making 5 individual movies in this remarkable anthology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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“Underground Railroad” Dir. Barry Jenkins & DP James Laxton
14/05/2021 Duration: 41minBarry Jenkins returns to the podcast with his long-time cinematographer James Laxton to discuss their epic journey in shooting all 10 episodes of the Amazon Original Series “Underground Railroad.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'Promising Young Woman' Dir. Emerald Fennell w/ Production & Costume Designers
09/03/2021 Duration: 55min“Why shouldn’t films look like this?” asks director Emerald Fennell, who believes diverse storytelling doesn’t just open the door to different stories and characters, but a diversity of craft. In talking about the colorful world she built around Cassie (Carrie Mulligan), Fennell breaks down how she constructed a film that tackles difficult issues in such entertaining and subversive ways. At the 24 minute mark, Emerald and I welcome “Promising Young Woman” costume designer Nancy Steiner and production designer Michael Perry to the conversation, where we talk about everything from Paris Hilton Videos to Twin Peaks to Sweet Valley High. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices