Team Deakins
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 140 - Jon Alexander - Compositing Supervisor In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with compositing supervisor and visual effects artist Jon Alexander (DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, THE PHANTOM MENACE). Jon was witness to a number of milestones in the history of visual effects, and throughout the episode, Jon shares numerous stories from his long career at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), granting us insight into a time he likens to as the Italian Renaissance. From optical printers to artificial intelligence, Jon shares his experiences...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 139 - Camera Movement - with Tom Cross & Ed Lachman In this special episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, editor Tom Cross (Season 1, Episodes 129 & 139) and cinematographer Ed Lachman (Season 1, Episode 77 & Season 2, Episode 132) return to join us in a discussion about camera movement. From Douglas Sirk’s sweeping camera moves to Robert Bresson’s measured stillness, the four of us bring up examples of when camera movement (or its lack thereof) affects us, and we discuss why we believe choosing when and how to move the camera all comes down to what feels...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 138 - Suzie Davies - Production Designer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Suzie Davies (CONCLAVE, SALTBURN, MR. TURNER). Suzie once thought she’d be a sheep farmer, but after working for model-makers on commercials, she found herself drawn to the art department and filmmaking. A frequent collaborator with director Mike Leigh (Season 1, Episode 76), Suzie reveals how they first met and how she works with him within his unique process. We also learn how the boundaries of production inform Suzie’s general approach to design, and...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 137 - Stefan Nikolov - Location Manager Location manager Stefan Nikolov (SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL, SHAMELESS) joins us in this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. Originally from Bulgaria, Stefan followed his journalist parents around the world before landing in Chicago where he has since built a career in the locations department. We discuss how he worked his way up the ladder, and Stefan breaks down the different roles in the department. Throughout our conversation, Stefan shares many stories from his career, and we learn what to do when an alligator...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 136 - Judy Becker - Production Designer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Judy Becker (THE BRUTALIST, CAROL, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN). Judy’s love for art and collaboration began at the age of 3 and developed throughout her childhood, and after discovering the theatre department in high school, she found her way into the New York filmmaking scene. Having worked in a number of projects across many different periods of history, Judy shares how she approaches bringing those spaces to life, and we reflect on the fact that absolute...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 135 - Simon Hayes - Production Sound Mixer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production sound mixer Simon Hayes (WICKED, LES MISERABLES, SHAUN OF THE DEAD). At 14, Simon followed his father to set to learn sound. At 15, he then won the European BMX Championship. And at 16, he quit school, immersed himself in the industry, and honed his skills during the boom times of British commercials. Simon shares how early-career nights at Soho bars led to his professional relationships with directors Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn, and we discuss the lessons he...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 134 - Nathan Crowley - Production Designer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with production designer Nathan Crowley (WICKED, DUNKIRK, INTERSTELLAR). After growing up in England, Nathan’s dreams of selling secondhand sports cars in LA were cut short after a run in with set designer and fellow countryman Joe Hodges at a bar outside Paramount, and we learn how Nathan dove headfirst into the art department after assisting Joe on HOOK. Nathan later shares how he made the jump to heading the department himself, and we discuss his approach to production...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 133 - Lisy Christl - Costume Designer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with costume designer Lisy Christl (CONCLAVE, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, FUNNY GAMES). Originally from Bavaria, Lisy did just about everything she could do to avoid the film industry, and she shares several moments from her career when other filmmakers would not take her “no” as an answer. Lisy later reflects on her 10-year-long collaboration with director Michael Haneke, and she reveals the inspiration for the all-white outfits of the two men in FUNNY GAMES. We also discuss...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 132 - Post - with Ed Lachman In this special episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, cinematographer Ed Lachman (Season 1, Episode 77) joins us to talk about post-production from the point-of-view of a cinematographer. Throughout the episode, Ed shares a bounty of his own observations regarding colour, luminosity, and depth of field, and we share our own perspectives on the perceived effects of anamorphic and spherical lenses. We later discuss the fatiguing effect of a monotonous montage of dark images, and Ed reveals a recent revelation about the relationship between...
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SEASON 2 - EPISODE 131 - Ben Davis - Cinematographer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with cinematographer Ben Davis (THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, LAYER CAKE). During our conversation, we talk all things cinematography, and we learn what it was about a film set that initially appealed to a younger Ben. We also discuss the importance of knowing how a film is going to be cut, and Ben reflects on his path working up the grades of the camera department. A frequent collaborator with director Martin McDonagh (Season 2, Episode 19), Ben shares how he and...
info_outlineSEASON 2 - EPISODE 48 - RYAN COOGLER - WRITER / DIRECTOR
On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we’re sharing our thoughtful conversation with writer and director Ryan Coogler (BLACK PANTHER, CREED, FRUITVALE STATION). An Oakland native, Ryan reveals how film became his family’s second language and how his parents fostered his interest in cinema throughout his childhood. Later in our discussion, Ryan shares how he brought an athlete’s mentality to film school by always trying to score a touchdown every time he picked up the camera to prove to himself and to those around him that he could build a career in filmmaking. Ryan also reflects on creating CREED with Sylvester Stallone, praising him as “the perfect collaborator” and acknowledging how he couldn’t begrudge the creator of the ROCKY franchise for his cautiousness towards handing over writing duties for the first time in the franchise’s history. We also discuss how the filmmakers that broke through in the culture Ryan consumed in his youth influenced his professional direction and how, by relying on his crew, Ryan is free to focus on his actors.
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This episode is sponsored by Dallas Film Commission & Falca & TrueCut Motion