Behind The Lens

Easily one of my favorite BEHIND THE LENS shows, and a long time coming, we welcome a very special guest this week, director/writer/producer MARK PELLINGTON. Mark has previously done pre-recorded interviews for #BTLRadioShow but thanks to his always busy schedule, this is the first time we've been able to have him on live (and it won't be the last). To say this is an insightful - and fun - show would be an understatement. Nothing was off-limits for this seasoned directorial veteran. Take a listen as we cover everything from film criticism to cameras to casting to story to surviving as a filmmaker in this every-changing landscape and adapting to and embracing those changes, and so much more. While Mark expounds his thoughts on cameras and lenses ("It's all about the glass") and all the tools in the filmmaker's toolbox, his reflection on his earlier films contrasting that with his latest projects, is interesting and thoughtful. And how about the importance of music in a film? For all of the newer filmmakers out there, Mark has a sage perspective on movie reviews and criticism as well as approaching production. Plus, a fabulous anecdote about Jon Hamm, who starred in Mark's last film, NOSTALGIA. (Did I mention story?!) But the real highlight of the show is hearing about Mark's directorial trek into the world of STAR TREK with STAR TREK: TREK SHORTS, plus his upcoming new series on Jeffrey Katzenberg's Quibi, SURVIVE, which premieres on April 6th. So sit back and relax and spend an hour with MARK PELLINGTON on BEHIND THE LENS!

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An exciting episode of BEHIND THE LENS this week thanks to EMMA DECKERS and JOEY TRAVOLTA!

Originally scheduled to appear live on #BTLRadioShow, due to academic commitments she was unable to call in live, but EMMA DECKERS graciously agreed to do a prerecorded interview expressly for this show. Listen as Emma talks about her latest films and the craft of acting as an up and comer in the industry. With several films under her belt already, including a lead role in Dakota Gorman's NATURAL DISASTERS, Emma talks about her theatre training, the audition process, balancing work and school (she's working on her degree right now!), stage vs screen, and gaining experience in the producing world as well. Engaging and articulate with a wonderful sense of humor, I think you'll agree when you listen to Emma, the common sense approach and dedication she has to her craft, training, and life comes from her parents and a grounded and supportive upbringing. Can't wait to have Emma back on the show!

And then there's JOEY TRAVOLTA. Wow! Many rave about Joey's brother John, but for my money, actor/producer/director Joey is the one who gets my applause. As with Emma, Joey wasn't available to do a live call-in to the show on Monday but connected with me earlier for an exclusive interview talking about his company, INCLUSION FILMS, and their first narrative feature CAROL OF THE BELLS (available on digital and DVD March 3rd). What makes Joey and Inclusion and this film so special and important is that CAROL OF THE BELLS is the first feature film to feature a 70% neuro-diverse cast and crew. Listen as Joey goes in-depth talking about Inclusion Films and its mission of training neuro-diverse/developmentally disabled individuals for careers in filmmaking in every job capacity. And then hear the story of how CAROL OF THE BELLS found its way to Joey and Inclusion and the process of making the film from casting to camera to location to editing to score.

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This week BEHIND THE LENS goes global with writer/director RORY KINDERSLEY who joins us live from London talking about his new film, the psychological thriller EVE. A visually stunning film with high production values and killer cinematography courtesy of Douglas Milsome, it is impossible to look away from the unfolding intrigue as one is drawn into the web of slow-burning mania. Rory is an absolute delight as he talks about the importance of location, the unusual true events that led not only to the story of EVE, but also use of the primary location, his collaboration with Milsome in developing the visual tonal bandwidth through lens selection, sound design, score, and more. Rory's attention to detail and discussion on editing and the challenge of finding the perfect balance of fear and tension won't be lost on anyone.

But before we get to Rory, #BTLRadioShow is celebrating ONWARD, the newest gem from Pixar. Enchanting, Funny, Heartwarming, and Fun for young and old alike, ONWARD is original not only in its story, but with its visuals. And how about the voice casting? Doesn't get much better than Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, and of course, being a Pixar film, John Ratzenberger. Take a listen to what Chris and Tom had to tell me about the voiceover process for this particular film during the recent press conference, plus my exclusive interview with writer/director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae talking about the magic behind ONWARD.

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He's baaaaack! That's right! STEVE LEE, sound guru and founder of THE HOLLYWOOD SOUND MUSEUM is back in-studio for his fourth visit to BEHIND THE LENS! And he's brought along some friends, little golden ones and human!

Take a listen as we talk sound, sound, and more sound with Steve, as well as our other special guest, legendary "soundie" VICTORIA SAMPSON. A sound guru in her own right with more than 40 years of sound work to her credit, Vickie is also the daughter of Oscar-winning sound editor, KAY ROSE. Listen as Vickie goes in-depth talking about sound (including some helpful hints about preserving your hearing), working with her mother, and giving us plenty of behind-the-lens insight and anecdotes on many of the films she and/or her mother worked on, including one of my favorites, For The Boys.

And we're never without sound trivia and the history of certain sounds and their origination in film when Steve is around. This show he's got a great clip, among others, of production sound with the director and sound editor/designer giving instructions to an actor for multiple takes as they try to capture the specific accent and intonation of the French word "lumiere" AND have it sync to the animated imagery and English track on screen. These tidbits serve to enrich the moviegoing experience.

Making Vicky's appearance so special is that she has donated her mother's sound library to THE HOLLYWOOD SOUND MUSEUM, not only for preservation but for cataloging and placement in the museum's library where it will be accessible to all along with interactive exhibits, presentations, panels and as founder Steve Lee puts it, "lots of fun stuff."

So sit back and listen to one of our most engaging shows ever!

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Awards season may be over but film continues on and so does BEHIND THE LENS!

Talk about a fun post-awards season/post-Oscars/post-Spirits show! #BTLRadioShow is jam-packed and fun-filled thanks to four very special guests as we sprinkle some Valentine's love on two new films opening this week.

After a recap of the weekend's final awards ceremonies - the Academy Awards and the Film Independent Spirit Awards - we welcome our first pair of guests - writer/director/editor PAUL OSBORNE and, returning for his second time to BTL, actor PATRICK DAY discussing their latest film CRUEL HEARTS. What would you do if you were sitting at work, minding your own business, going over financials, and a man sits down next to you and says, "I've been sleeping with your wife."? And that's what kicks off CRUEL HEARTS; a noir film that boasts a smart and smartly constructed script, nice production values, a beautiful visual texture, keen editing, and terrific performances starting with Patrick Day. As you listen to our conversation and the collaborative jovial dynamic between Paul and Patrick, you'll understand why the film is so well done.

Then we've got some more love to share with director DREW MYLREA and actor/producer DREW VAN ACKER and their film SPY INTERVENTION. Opening on Valentine's Day in theatres and on VOD, SPY INTERVENTION reinvents the spy thriller in parody form a la "Batman" 1966 while adding a bit of rom com, using visuals to poke fun at the genre and itself while solid serious grounded performances are led by Drew Van Acker as we find out what happens when a spy picks marriage, track lighting, and dinner parties over the excitement of being a spy. Or does he? In a word, SPY INTERVENTION is FUN . . . and funny! And so are "The Drews".

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It's another week of female filmmakers and Oscar nominees on BEHIND THE LENS as we welcome the mother-daughter filmmaking dynamic duo of NICOLE RIO and DAKOTA GORMAN, plus our exclusive interview with Oscar nominee for Best Original Song, JOSHUAH BRIAN CAMPBELL!

First up on this week's show is our exclusive interview with Oscar Nominee, JOSHUAH BRIAN CAMPBELL, talking about his nomination with Cynthia Erivo for Best Original Song for "Stand Up" from HARRIET ! Unfortunately, due to his attendance at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, Joshuah was unable to call in live, but he graciously gave up his time on Sunday to talk with me about the song, the film, his musical process, collaborating with double Oscar Nominee Cynthia Erivo, and how music is an extension of his faith. Listen to our conversation now! At age 25, Joshuah is already a wonderful and accomplished young man and a divinity school student!

And then hilarity ensues with veteran producer NICOLE RIO (mom) and writer/director/actor DAKOTA GORMAN (daughter) talking about their new film NATURAL DISASTERS, Dakota's first feature directorial. A 20-something tale of potential life disasters and crises in the lives of three best female friends, it's an interesting discussion with Nicole and Dakota as they talk candidly about Dakota's writing of the script based on her own life experiences, Nicole's support for Dakota not only as a mother but as her producer, the challenges of post-production for a first-time director and reliance on her cinematographer, casting and chemistry, music, and so much more.

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Hot in awards season, BEHIND THE LENS, continues to look at the best and brightest in cinema, in films both big and small. And this week it doesn't get much bigger than Academy Award nominee GRETA GERWIG. But filmmakers all start somewhere and also joining the show this week are JAY DOCKENDORF and KENNY SULEIMANAGISH who are headed to Sundance Film Festival for the first time. If you missed #BTLRadioShow live, you definitely want to catch up now!

Joining us live in the top half of the show, take a listen as we welcome Oscar nominee and writer/director GRETA GERWIG talking LITTLE WOMEN, which picked up six Oscar nominations this year!! The first time I interviewed Greta was for the Duplass Brothers film, "Baghead", and it has been a joy to follow her trajectory and catch up with her on various projects over the past decade-plus as she moved from acting into writing and directing. There's a reason LITTLE WOMEN nabbed six Oscar nominations this year – Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Score, Best Costume Design, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture – and that reason is Greta and her vision. She is thoughtful, thorough, and meticulous at every level of production, as you'll hear during our conversation. And it is the sum of all the parts that is what led the film to its Best Picture nomination. Listen as we talk about the winning storytelling triumvirate of Jacqueline Durran and her costuming, Jess Gonchor's production design, and Y0rick Le Saux's telling and beautiful cinematography, plus Alexandre Desplat's exquisite score. But we don't stop there. While much attention this season has been paid to the lead actors of LITTLE WOMEN, how about the strength of story for supporting characters Aunt March, Mr. Lawrence, and publisher Dashwood, and their acting counterparts, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, and Tracey Letts? We dig into that aspect of the film as well. And, perhaps one of my personal faves about this film, Greta chose to shoot on film. Her considerations for shooting on film, and her own personal experiences as an actor working with film and digital, leads to great insight into Greta as a filmmaker.

On the heels of our conversation with Greta, writer/director JAY DOCKENDORF and cinematographer KENNY SULEIMANAGISH join us talking about their new short film making its World Premiere at Sundance this month, THREE DEATHS. Adapted by Jay from Tolstoy's acclaimed 1859 short story of the same name and its rumination on life and death, like "Little Women", THREE DEATHS is shot on film. Listen as Jay talks about the appeal of Tolstoy 160 years after publication and his approach to adapting the written word for celluloid, while Jay and Kenny talk about color palette, structure, handheld camera vs sticks, sound design and the beauty of silence, their filmmaking collaboration, and why they chose to also shoot on film over digital. It's interesting to hear the perspectives of Jay and Kenny with their approach to their short film in comparison to Greta's considerations for her feature.

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We're talking Oscar Nominations and what a nominations morning it was! The expected and the unexpected, the surprises and the snubs, we're talking about all of it on #BTLRadioShow!

And joining us live, for her second appearance on #BTLRadioShow is writer/director LIZ MANASHIL talking about her sophomore feature, the charming and fun, SPEED OF LIFE! A bit of sci-fi, a bit of romance, a bit of "what if" – especially when David Bowie dies and the world goes out of kilter – and as always comes with Liz on hand, a whole lot of fun and enthusiasm!

Unfortunately, time ran out before we could get to our exclusive interview with JO JO RABBIT cinematographer MIHAI MALAIMARE, but stayed tuned as we'll have that for you in the coming weeks!

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Year Six of BEHIND THE LENS kicks off with a golden flourish as we dive right into the "official" start of the last leg of the horse race known as "Awards Season" talking about the Golden Globe winners. Could last night's winners be a true predictor of what's to come with Oscars on February 9th? We'll find out!

Then writer/director TAMMY MINOFF joins us talking her new film LIMERENCE. Listen as we talk about the film's genesis, the challenges in bringing it to life, casting, wearing multiple hats, the love letter to Venice California, and more.

Plus, an excerpt of our exclusive interview with CHINONYE CHUKWU talking the powerful CLEMENCY starring Alfre Woodard.

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BEHIND THE LENS wraps up another year as we take to the skies with our exclusive interviews with THE AERONAUTS director Tom Harper and composer STEVEN PRICE.

And with the New Year just ahead of us, potential resolutions loom on the horizon and for many, what better time to ask the question TO KID OR NOT TO KID. Director MAXINE TRUMP is live the second half of the show talking about the making of this documentary and how her own questions and her journey spawned the idea for the doc. Listen as Maxine provides insight and food for thought, as well as some production laughs, on the issue of having or not having children, and turning the camera on herself.

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