Behind The Lens

Some sticky gooey fun (turpentine not included) for you on this episode of #BTLRadioShow thanks to writer/director CORY WEXLER GRANT talking PAINTER, while TAR is the watchword of the day for writer/director AARON WOLF.

Take a listen to writer/director CORY WEXLER GRANT who joins us live talking about his debut feature directorial, the exquisitely haunting (and twisted) PAINTER. A portrait of obsession and jealousy, every frame, every word, every look, every movement, is painted with cinematic deliberateness, drawing one ever deeper into this tale of a wealthy matronly patron and a young talented painter who has become the object of her desire on multiple levels. Cory and I dig deep into the construction of this hypnotic work, starting with the story of wealthy matron Joanne who is obsessed with Aldis, a young painter who is obsessed with the success of rival artist Ryan West. Former elementary schoolmates, Ryan bullied Aldis back in the day, something that Aldis has never gotten over and is obsessed with getting even or besting Ryan. But once Cory has his story and characters, casting became king and we talk about his casting of Casey Deidrick, Eric Ladin, and Betsy Randle as Ryan, Aldis, and Joanne, respectively. Dynamic casting choices and in the case of Betsy Randle, a casting outside of the box. Known best for her role as Amy Matthews on Boy Meets Girl, Betsy is anything but that here; she is chameleonic, hypnotic as Joanne, channeling a chilling cross between Gloria Swanson and Shirley MacLaine for an award-worthy performance. And of course, we explore Cory's thoughts and decisions with regard to the cinematic precision of PAINTER, both visually and emotionally, which we see and feel unfold through cinematography, production design, and a score to send shivers up and down your spine with some very key Bernard Herrmann moments.

But before we get to Cory and PAINTER, we get a little dirty with "tar" and our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director/actor AARON WOLF talking his latest film, the thriller TAR. An original premise that stems from the idea of "what if" and the famed La Brea Tar Pits; what if something has survived in the tar or under the tar for the past 40,000 or more years and is now rearing its sticky self amidst all of the underground construction on Wilshire Boulevard? Interesting idea and Aaron brings it to life on screen. Listen as we discuss the script, the casting – including Aaron himself in the lead role, the importance and authenticity that Graham Greene brings to the film, cinematography, production design, creature creation, the making of and use of tar, Conor Jones' score, and the all-important editing and creature reveal. Aaron is nothing if not energetic and passionate about the craft of filmmaking and art of storytelling, and you hear that with every word he says.

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It's another diverse and interesting #BTLRadioShow this week as we take chat live with director and documentarian SARAH COLT about her independent feature directorial debut with THE DISRUPTED. Plus, hear what writer/director MARK WILLIAMS has to say in our exclusive interview about his latest film, HONEST THIEF.

First up, take a listen to writer/director MARK WILLIAMS as he talks about his latest film HONEST THIEF starring Liam Neeson and Kate Walsh, along with Robert Patrick, Jeffrey Donovan, Jai Courtney, and Anthony Ramos. And let's not forget Tazzie the dog! Perhaps best known for his work as a producer behind films like A Dark Place, The Accountant, Flawless, and The Canyon, as well as producing and writing the Emmy-winning tv series Ozark, and directing Gerard Butler in the feature A Family Man, Williams now steps back into the directing chair with his sophomore feature, HONEST THIEF. With a comfortable and familiar feel thanks to Liam Neeson in well-trod territory of the action crime thriller as a former bank robber who was never identified and never caught but now wants to return the stolen money and come clean, Williams delivers a thoroughly entertaining film that soars thanks to the chemistry between Neeson and Walsh, and the old-school man-on-man action and car chases. Boasting some beautiful cinematography thanks to Shelly Johnson (The Last Castle, Expendables 2, A Family Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, Bill & Ted Face the Music ) and sharp editing from Michael Shawver (Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station) take a listen as Mark goes in-depth talking about his process; from idea, themes and each character's motivation to casting to visual design and influences in his collaboration with Shelly Johnson to editing.

And then we ask, what do a farmer, a factory worker, and a rideshare driver have in common? You're about to find out as documentarian SARAH COLT joins us talking about her new film, THE DISRUPTED. Intelligent, insightful, cinematically practical, and with a good sense of humor, Sarah is a joy. Known best for her years of work with PBS' American Experience, Sarah spreads her filmmaking wings and jumps into the indie world as together with co-director Josh Gleason, takes a look at three average Americans - Donn, a 5th generation farmer; Cheryl, a rideshare driver; Pete, a factory worker - all who have been affected by the nation's economy. We follow each over the course of about a year as they face economic and personal challenges. No talking heads. No formal interviews. Just a compelling look at fellow Americans trying to have their own "American Dream." Listen as Sarah talks about her inspiration for THE DISRUPTED, the process of finding the individuals on whom to focus, honing in that focus and finding a through-line, the decision to avoid "talking heads", moral and cinematic considerations when family members and minors are involved, the logistics of travel to shoot the film as each individual is in a different part of the country, working with cinematographer Tom Bergmann, developing a suitable score and working with Troy Herion, and the herculean efforts of editor Lynn True in working with Sarah and Josh to "find" the final film.

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A jam-packed #BTLRadioShow that kicks off with comedy as we take a listen to our exclusive interviews co-writers/co-directors ALEX HUSTON FISCHER and ELEANOR WILSON, and writer/director BREA GRANT. Then we move into a more serious tone as writer/director/editor PETER JOSEPH joins us live.

First up is our exclusive interview with ALEX HUSTON FISCHER and ELEANOR WILSON talking about their debut feature film, SAVE YOURSELVES! Just what would you do and how would you react if you unplugged for a week or even a weekend, only to plug back in and find out there's an alien invasion taking over the world??? Number One, could you even divest yourself of all electronics (computers, smartphones, phones, notebooks, radios, Sirius, etc.), and Number Two, how prepared are you to handle the end of the world? And what would you do if you suddenly found adorable looking Pouffes (think humongous "Star Trek" tribbles) in the house and on the roof but your sourdough bread mix and all the alcohol in the house gone? Listen as Alex and Eleanor talk about this genesis of an idea and how that not only morphed into a film, but a film which they direct.

At the midpoint of the show, writer/director/editor PETER JOSEPH joins us live to talk about his new film, INTERREFLECTIONS. A genre-bending avant-garde visual feast that explores socioeconomic inequality through the lens of futuristic sci-fi, fantasy, and satire. Somewhat experimental with multiple timelines utilizing intersecting vignettes in a non-linear fashion, the film fascinates while providing much food for thought. An intelligent film that is as thought-provoking as it is engaging with stimulating and beautiful visuals and musical composition, this is a "must see".

And hear our exclusive interview with writer/director BREA GRANT as she talks about her sophomore feature, 12 HOUR SHIFT. Known for her work as an actress in front of the camera, it's wonderful to see Brea behind the lens with this slightly twisted comedy gem. How many of you remember the stories of a few decades ago with college students (and others) waking up in bathtubs full of ice and missing a kidney? Well, Brea takes that story and gives it her own spin with nurses trying to make a little extra on the side with some black market organ sales to mobsters, a hapless bimbette of a courier who has a tendency to lose the organs in transport, and slapstick Keystone Cops hilarity that ensues with dead bodies, missing kidneys, drug use, goofy patients, and a murderer on the loose in the hospital. Listen as we talk about cinematography and making small and limited spaces look varied while fitting particular tonal moments, shooting in a working hospital, physical comedy, casting (a cast that includes David Arquette, Angela Bettis, and Chloe Farnworth), music, avoiding tropes, and more.

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We've got a tasty treat for you on this week's edition of #BTLRadioShow – especially for the filmmakers out there – thanks to our special guests, STEVE BALDERSON, and DAVE NEWBERG and MOLLY DWORSKY.

First up is filmmaker/author/lecturer STEVE BALDERSON. An accomplished filmmaker of many years and in the many disciplines required for the making of a film, Steve has taken some of that hard-earned, practical, on the job knowledge, and written FILMMAKING CONFIDENTIAL. This is one of the handiest books of filmmaking tips to come around in a while. It's not about what's the right lens or camera or sound equipment. In this book, Steve breaks down the filmmaking process based on his years of experience and gives great suggestions in an entertaining and fun prosaic style on topics like approaching budgeting, distribution, writing, storyboarding, intent versus practicality, shooting for the "stars" or not, the importance of sound, to fest or not to fest, editing, making a film shoot a fun and rewarding experience, and so much more. Take a listen as we dig deeper into the genesis of the book, his writing process, and most important, more insight into his personal experiences with discussion on specific chapters with tips and hints.

Then we turn our attention to onion rings and three-ring filmmaking circuses with THE RINGMASTER; more specifically, a documentary that started as the story of Larry Lang and his beloved onion rings but that morphed into a documentary on a filmmaker with the best intentions but who ran afoul with his own obsessiveness and addictiveness, inserting himself into everything and attempting to "manufacture" or "orchestrate" a story, thus necessitating co-directors DAVE NEWBERG and MOLLY DWORSKY to come onboard to take the reins and refocus and redesign the film to cook up a film worth seeing. Were it not for their fresh eyes and editorial and storytelling skills, this would have been an unfinished pile of footage destined to be sitting on a shelf for decades. What Dave and Molly have done is nothing short of a filmmaking miracle, coming up with a recipe that serves up a film that is "Mmm, mmm good"! Listen as they talk about the fine line they had to walk, stepping gingerly into this cinematic kitchen, the 300+ hours of existing footage they had to cull through, reshaping the story, and more. Filmmakers will find our conversation particularly enlightening to hear how Dave and Molly not only salvaged this project, but turned it into a tasty and interesting documentary.

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BEHIND THE LENS goes from THE SHANNON O'BRIAN CHRONICLES to the Salton Sea this week with our special guests, JENNESS ROUSE and GREG BASSENIAN.

First up is the incredibly talented JENNESS ROUSE who is back for her third visit to #BTLRadioShow and boy does Jenness have a lot to talk about thanks to her award-winning improv web series of shorts – THE SHANNON O'BRIAN CHRONICLES. If you haven't watched this series, you need to. Now! Jenness as her alter ego Shannon O'Brian is HILARIOUS. Listen as Jenness tells us how the flu and a tube of neon pink lipstick led her to Shannon and how that turned into a global festival love fest for the web series, the character, and for Jenness as creator, director, performer. Energetic and effervescent as always, a fun time will be had by all with Jenness around!

And then we move on to a very sobering subject – our environment and California's Salton Sea – with filmmaker GREG BASSENIAN who joins us to talk about his latest documentary MIRACLE IN THE DESERT: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SALTON SEA. An unfolding environmental disaster of extraordinary magnitude, the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California, is drying up. Ecosystems are being destroyed, millions of fish kills and toxic dust clouds are occurring. This could prove to be the worst environmental disaster in the state for a generation. A powerful and insightful documentary, listen as Greg talks about his inspiration for the documentary, especially as a native Californian, his guerrilla filmmaking from finding experts to speak with, crafting an ever-developing throughline, doing his own lensing and lighting (some beautiful imagery!), editing, finding objectivity and balance within the information imparted, and so much more. MIRACLE IN THE DESERT: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SALTON SEA is available now on digital platforms AND has some upcoming drive-in showings in the Palm Springs area.

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It's an extended edition of BEHIND THE LENS this week thanks to the release of some terrific films and some wonderful filmmakers as we explore the human condition through cinema and individual introspection with our guests TOM PUTNAM, WILLIAM NORRETT, and T. ARTHUR COTTAM, plus our exclusive interview with ROGER MICHELL.

First up is writer/director TOM PUTNAM talking about THE DARK DIVIDE. Adapted by Putnam and based on the best-seller WHERE BIGFOOT WALKS: CROSSING THE DARK DIVIDE by Robert Pyle, one of the most foremost authorities on wildlife and acclaimed nature writers, the film is as much about Pyle's exploration of the "Dark Divide" as it is of himself. Starring David Cross and Debra Messing and showcasing some of the most beautiful wilderness this country has to offer, the visuals and soundscape alone make THE DARK DIVIDE a "must see" film!

Then, novelist, screenwriter, and actor WILLIAM NORRETT, and director/cinematographer T. ARTHUR COTTAM are on hand for their first collaboration, ONE HOUR OUTCALL, an examination of a longstanding and complex relationship between an "escort" and her client. Non-linear in its construct, the unfolding dynamic and examinations of internal motivations and conflict fascinate. Listen as William talks about crafting the script in its non-linear form and then T picks it up from there, with additional casting and taking the words on the page and constructing a visual design that adds elements of a thriller thanks to interesting (and often challenging) camera angles and editing, only to be punctuated by effective scoring.

Plus, discover just how small and collaborative the independent film world is as we hear from all the boys about T. Arthur Cottam providing some ADR on THE DARK DIVIDE while ONE HOUR OUTCALL editor Sam Hook also served as co-editor on THE DARK DIVIDE!

And then we go into overtime talking about BLACKBIRD with our exclusive interview with director ROGER MICHELL. Long a favorite and always a joy to speak with about filmmaking and storytelling, I spoke with Roger last week about his latest film, BLACKBIRD, an ensemble piece starring Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, Rainn Wilson, and Lindsay Duncan. A remake of the 2014 Danish film, Silent Heart, listen as we discuss the film's themes of a family's love, life and death, the human condition, as told through powerful performances, and metaphoric storytelling thanks to Mike Eley's stunning cinematography, Peter Gregson's exquisite score, and John Paul Kelly's production design.

And then there's Unjoo Moon's I AM WOMAN, her biopic on Helen Reddy, and one of my personal faves of the year. Already out on VOD and digitally, if you're a Helen Reddy fan, you're going to love this film.

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It's a show filled with festival fun on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to festival filmmakers and creators, JESSIE McCORMACK and KEL THOMPSON!

Already in full swing is the 2020 virtual edition of Dances With Films. Earlier in August we welcomed writer/director Ryan Barton-Grimley who talked about his DWF world premiere film, "Hawk & Rev: Vampire Slayers". This episode we continue to showcase some DWF films, and share some laughs, with filmmakers JESSIE McCORMACK and KEL THOMPSON.

First up, take a listen as writer/director/actor JESSIE McCORMACK joins us live talking about her new comedy series, PISS OFF, I LOVE YOU, which premieres on September 5 and 6 as part of the DWF Web Pilots section. Irreverant hilarity that focuses on a Yank transplanted to jolly old England, nothing is off-limits when it comes to laughs and Jessie's own performance as our "heroine", Murica aka Sandy. Listen as Jessie goes in-depth (in between all the laughter) talking about the concept for the series, the benefits and challenges of lo budget/no budget creativity, finding the humor, finding a visual focal point within production design, UK locations, and more.

And then writer/director KEL THOMPSON is on hand, fresh off his west coast premiere at DWF, talking about his new comedy, THE TERRIBLE ADVENTURE. Ice cream, billionaires, and kids is a sure-fire recipe for fun and adventure with this film! And folks, heads up for you – THE TERRIBLE ADVENTURE went on to win an Audience Award at DWF! Listen as Kel talks about directing his own kids, who are the leads in the film, casting local stand-up comics in the Florida area as supporting leads, choosing locations, turning the film into somewhat of a travelogue through Southern Florida, score, fun anecdotes about the trials and tribulations of one of the film's stars – an ice cream truck, and so much more!

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And what a show we've got today thanks to our special guests, writer/director RYAN BARTON-GRIMLEY and Emmy-nominated Editor NENA ERB!

First up, RYAN BARTON-GRIMLEY "stakes" his place on the show to talk about the upcoming Dances With Films world premiere of his latest film – HAWK & REV: VAMPIRE SLAYERS! Always a fan of vampires and slaying, HAWK & REV is pure hilarity with fun performances and 80's pop culture references (poor George Clooney), not to mention solid production values. And, in addition to writing and directing HAWK & REV, Ryan stars in the film as Hawk, and does editing work as well. Listen between the laughter as Ryan talks about the concept, his love for the 70's and 80's films which are the basis for the design of the film, characters and casting, cinematography and working with cinematigrapher Sean Ayeres, the use of color, time lapse, VFX and VFX, the importance of pre-vis and storyboarding, Robbie Elfman's scoring, and more! HAWK & REV has its World Premiere on August 28th as the Midnight Feature on Opening Night of Dances with Films. It's also closing the festival on September 5th! This is an absolute "Must See Festival Film"!

And then Emmy nominee NENA ERB joins us to talk about her latest Emmy nomination for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series for her work on the multi-nominated HBO comedy series INSECURE. Take a listen as Nena talks about her process for editing a single-camera comedy series, selecting an episode for Emmy consideration – in this case, her Emmy nominated "Low Key Trying", finding the balance between interpersonal comedy and drama, bringing "herself" into the editing, going with her gut, working with director Kerry Washington, the editing process and timeline of pressure from script to editor's cut, mentoring, and so much more.

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This week's BEHIND THE LENS is all about the words on the page – the script; the ideas, the process, the characters, the tension, the action.

And we've got two terrific exclusive interviews today with insight into the screenwriting process thanks to CAROLINE GOODALL and MATTSON TOMLIN, both of whom I spoke with late last week.

First up, take a listen to my conversation with CAROLINE GOODALL. You may know her best for her decades of work as an actor in films like "Hook" or "The Princess Diaries" (as Mia's mom) or her television work in series like "Berlin Station", "The White Queen", and "Bulletproof", but now Caroline puts pen to paper as screenwriter of THE BAY OF SILENCE starring Claes Bang, Olga Kurylenko, and Brian Cox. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Lisa St. Aubin de Teran, listen as Caroline talks about the appeal of the novel for her and breaking it down for film, developing POV and character, deviating from the novel, as well as giving insight into the visual details and metaphor, not to mention her role as a boots on the ground producer of the film and what that entailed, including those pesky financial considerations.

Then you'll hear what screenwriter MATTSON TOMLIN has to say about his new Netflix film – PROJECT POWER starring Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback, and directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. An original screenplay with some very original ideas, Mattson talks about the genesis of the story, the research that went into developing and bringing many of the ideas within the film to life with an organic realism, characters, finding the heart of the story, working with Henry & Rel, and more! (Sorry folks – no scoop on "The Batman" but Mattson does talk a bit about his next film that hits theatres before "The Batman" – "Little Fish.")

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It's "all about James" on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to JAMES GRIXONI and JAMES D'ARCY!

First up we hear from writer/director JAMES D'ARCY in an exclusive interview talking about MADE IN ITALY! A script originally written as a starring vehicle for himself, James talks about getting the film made 12 years after first diving into the script, casting Liam Neeson and real-life son Michael Richardson as father & son in the film and the poignancy that comes with their casting given this story, the challenges of directing, the benefits and pitfalls (and joy) of shooting in Italy, the art of collaboration, how James' own decades of experience as an actor aided him in directing, and more.

And then take a listen as actor JAMES GRIXONI joins us live at the midpoint of the show in a casual conversation talking about anything and everything. You may know James best as Deputy Jesse Holcomb from the David Lynch directed "Twin Peaks" or from his small role in one of his earlier films, "Safety Not Guaranteed" directed by Colin Trevorrow, but now you'll get to learn about James as a filmmaker developing a project and what that entails. We're getting in on the ground floor with this one!

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