SEASON 2 - EPISODE 99 - ALFONSO CUARÓN - WRITER / DIRECTOR

Writer and director Alfonso Cuarón (ROMA, CHILDREN OF MEN, Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast to talk about his career and about filmmaking. Growing up in Mexico, Alfonso sought solace in the cinema, and he crewed and assisted on documentaries around the country throughout his youth, setting the foundation for his visual sensibilities by studying the photography of Ansel Adams and observing a DP manipulate natural light to shoot vegetables. After directing his first feature, Alfonso was brought to Hollywood by director Sydney Pollack to work on an episode of the anthology series FALLEN ANGELS, and Alfonso recalls for us his encouraging conversation with actor Alan Rickman that helped him overcome the petrifying pressure of shooting within the Hollywood machine. Alfonso later shares how director Guillermo del Toro convinced him to helm the third HARRY POTTER film, and he reveals which elements of the franchise he pushed to evolve and change. Alfonso also reflects on his relationship with visual effects, and we discuss why prep and bringing one's collaborators into one's process brings out the best in any film. Towards the end, Alfonso reflects on his experiences working on his upcoming limited series and shares his fear that television, not cinema, is the one conquering the other; however, despite this fear, we discuss the past, present, and potential future of filmmaking through an optimistic lens.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure