SEASON 2 - EPISODE 31 - KOKAYI AMPAH - LOCATION MANAGER Location manager Kokayi Ampah (THE COLOR PURPLE, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, MILLION DOLLAR BABY) reunites with Team Deakins and shares his wisdom gleaned from his long career. Kokayi answers our many questions and details both the creative and logistical day-to-day work that goes into location management. He also shares how he views the role as a function in the greater filmmaking process. Towards the end of our conversation, Kokayi even asks us a couple of questions! There’s a lot to learn from Kokayi, and we hope you enjoy listening to him as much as we did!

KOKAYI AMPAH - Location Manager

The Team Deakins podcast is an ongoing conversation between acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins and James Deakins, his collaborator, about cinematography, the film business and whatever other questions are submitted. We start with a specific question and end....who knows where! We are joined by guests periodically.  Followup questions can be posted in the forums at www.rogerdeakins.com.

TV & Film

Film Interviews

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 91 - LIZA BAMBENEK - 1ST AC 1st assistant cameraperson Liza Bambenek (THE CURSE, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, SICARIO) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. We get a full breakdown of the camera department in this episode, and we discuss the duties and responsibilities of the different positions with Liza. We had the pleasure of working with her on SICARIO and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and we can attest to her expertise. From small town Minnesota down a winding path to Santa Fe, Liza reflects on her life and career throughout the episode, and we consider the qualities we find most helpful in a member of the team and the characteristics commonly found in the world of filmmaking that inspire us to keep creating. We also discuss the importance of mentorship and the strength and responsibility of admitting that you don’t know something to your teammates. Liza later reflects on the evolution of female representation in the camera department and in crews overall, and she shares how the Santa Fe film market has matured since its implementation of film incentives.  - This episode is sponsored by Godox

LIZA BAMBENEK - 1st AC

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 90 - DENNIS MUREN - VFX SUPERVISOR Visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren (JURASSIC PARK, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY, STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast to discuss his lifelong craft. From playing with stop motion to working on the original STAR WARS, Dennis was interested in visual effects at an early age, and throughout the episode he reflects on the evolution of the field following the advent of computer generated imagery. We learn how Dennis prioritizes emotionality when building VFX into a shot and how he consults with a director and the crew  to come up with the best shots for the film. We also learn about the shift away from using models towards computer generated imagery and about the loss of certain aspects of reality that came with transition. We discuss the focusing power of deadlines, and Dennis later shares some advice for young filmmakers looking to breaking the field of VFX. Also included: how Dennis set up a prehistoric video call to coordinate the VFX of JURASSIC PARK across the globe with director Steven Spielberg in 1993. - This episode is sponsored by Godox

DENNIS MUREN - VFX Supervisor

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 89 - ELLEN MIROJNICK - COSTUME DESIGNER Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick (OPPENHEIMER, WALL STREET, FATAL ATTRACTION) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. A born and bred New Yorker, Ellen jumped right into costume design on a low-budget feature in New Orleans where she quickly (and easily) took to the role as the department head. She later spent two films working and studying under famed costume designer Sandy Powell before being recruited by director Adrian Lyne to work on FATAL ATTRACTION (one of many films in which she would work with actor Michael Douglass). During our discussion of OPPENHEIMER, Ellen shares the notes she received from director Christopher Nolan that informed her approach to the design of the film’s costumes and reflects on the challenge posed by needing to design costumes that could be shot in black-and-white in one setup and in colour in the next. Ellen also reflects on the challenge of designing the film’s costumes to seamlessly reflect changes in time without losing the characters across numerous decades of story. Towards the end, we discuss the importance of creating costumes that are not only right for the period, but right for the actors who need to wear them. - This episode is sponsored by Godox

ELLEN MIROJNICK - Costume Designer

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 88 - JOHN KNOLL - VFX SUPERVISOR On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, VFX supervisor John Knoll (THE BATMAN, ROGUE ONE, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN) joins us to talk about his career and his craft. Despite growing up among an academic family of engineers, scientists, and medical professionals, John fell in love with the fantastic imagery of cinema and television, and he saw miniature work as his way into filmmaking. From cold-calling Industrial Light & Magic at 15 to later working for them, John reflects on his life as one who turns hobbies into professions, and we learn how John fuses technology with art in his work. John reveals, with great clarity, how slit-scans are actually composed and shares how he used the effect to generate the illusion of the Starship Enterprise entering and exiting warp speed. We later discuss the leadership responsibilities of being a supervisor, including giving negative feedback in such a way that elevates a collaborator’s work. Towards the end, we also discuss the enduring appeal of miniatures for audiences and filmmakers alike. In addition to his work in VFX, John (alongside his brother Thomas) invented Photoshop, the popular photo-editing software used around the world. - This episode is sponsored by Godox

JOHN KNOLL - VFX Supervisor

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 87 - STEFAN DECHANT - PRODUCTION DESIGNER Production designer Stefan Dechant (REBEL MOON, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH, WELCOME TO MARWEN) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. We worked with Stefan on TRUE GRIT and JARHEAD, and it was great catching up with him. Like many other young boys of the 70s, Stefan became enchanted with STAR WARS, and (while attending school in Cincinnati, Ohio) lied his way to a gig working on JURASSIC PARK. His first love was storyboards, but he soon found his design and illustration skills best suited a career in art direction and production design. Stefan shares how his time drafting storyboards informs his approach to production design, and we also discuss the integration of emerging technologies in filmmaking today and tomorrow. We also hear about Stefan’s experience working with director Joel Coen and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel on THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH and learn how they carved the film’s expressionistic and abstract sets out of light. - Recommended Viewing: THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH - This episode is sponsored by Godox

KOKAYI AMPAH - Location Manager

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