Behind The Lens

We're going "APE" on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS as we swing into awards season action with a pre-recorded exclusive interview with DAN LEMMON, Visual Effects Supervisor on WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. Then live, at the midpoint of the show, actress-turned-author PENELOPE LAGOS returns to BTL to talk about her new children's book, I MISS MY BEST FRIEND. (And considering we all know what happens to the beloved Caesar in APES, we may all need this book!)

Hard at work in New Zealand at WETA DIGITAL at the time of our interview, Dan gives us detailed insight into the art of motion capture and VFX on APES. From the challenges faced in bringing APES to life, to the collaborative process with director Matt Reeves, editor Billy Hoy and cinematographer Michael Seresin, to the technological advancements over this most recent trilogy of DAWN-RISE-WAR, to "ray tracing", to "aging up" existing characters versus creating new, and to the mastering of fur, this is one of BTL's most fascinating discussions yet! (Did you know there are over 1450 frames in WAR?)

Virtually everyone has experienced the grief that comes with the loss of a loved one, especially when it's a four-footed furry loved one. PENELOPE LAGOS lost her own beloved Pit Bull Cassius and from her grief, created I MISS MY BEST FRIEND. Calling on her own life experiences, and working with experts at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, Penelope brings to life not only the love and fun a pet brings, but also the heartache that comes when they pass on. Listen as she talks about the art of writing, as well as the importance of the book's illustrations, and her year-long journey to bring this story to publication. And could there be more books and possibly an animated short film in the offing? Listen and find out!

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BEHIND THE LENS is so "bad" it's good as we celebrate BAD GRANDMAS with special guests, actor RANDALL BATINKOFF and director SRIKANT CHELLAPPA. BAD GRANDMAS stars Batinkoff, Judge Reinhold, Pam Grier and Florence Henderson in her final film role, and let me tell you, Florence Henderson is about as far from Carol Brady as you can get in BAD GRANDMAS! Not only listen to Srikant talk about the making of BAD GRANDMAS from idea to casting and cinematography, but Randall delights with warm – and hilarious – remembrances of the filming. Adding a bit more to the mix, Randall and Srikant – each now a first time director (Randall directed and starred in "37") – talk about lessons learned as first-timers.

But before we get to Randall and Srikant and BAD GRANDMAS, the hammer hurls with excerpts of film critic debbie elias' exclusive interview with THOR: RAGNAROK screenwriter, ERIC PEARSON, talking about we the film's humor and the brotherhood of Thor and Loki.

AND YOU'VE GOT A CHANCE TO WIN!

Randall Batkinkoff and BEHIND THE LENS are giving away 37 DVD's of RANDALL BATINKOFF's directorial debut feature film – 37, starring Randall, Scottie Thompson, Scott Wolf and Bruce Davison!

A real treat for listeners, Randall surprised us all when he offered up a giveaway of his film! And it's easy to win! You can either (1) go to Facebook and "like" BEHIND THE LENS and post "Randall 37" or (2) go to Twitter and follow BTLRADIOSHOW or MOVIESHARKD and post "Randall 37". The first 37 people win a copy of Randall's film! And we pay shipping!

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It's another exciting BEHIND THE LENS this week as we welcome writer/director DAVID BURKMAN, plus, hear film critic debbie elias' exclusive interview with cinematographer ED LACHMAN.

In his first feature outing, DAVID BURKMAN tackles the Greek system of the college world with HAZE. A "fictional" work structured much like the story of Dionysus in "The Bacchae" by Euripedes, Burkman's approach is hard-charging and at times no-holds-barred shocking but at the same time eye-opening on issues that face us not only on the college campus but within human nature. Filmmakers will appreciate hearing about the logistic challenges David faced as a first-time feature filmmaker over 90 days of shooting during the course of 18 months, as well as score (complete with intonations of ancient Greek melodies and performance by reconstructed ancient instruments), lensing, and with over 300 hours of footage in hand – editing.

But first, take a listen to our exclusive interview with cinematographer ED LACHMAN talking about his latest film, the magical and wondrous WONDERSTRUCK. One of the most unique films of this or any other year, adapted by Brian Selznick from his best-selling novel, director Todd Haynes and Lachman bring the worlds of 1927 and 1977 to life through cinematic techniques and image styles of the respective eras, always focusing on the storytelling. And as always with Ed, it's a fascinating interview, filled with plenty of tech talk for the cinematographers and directors listening.

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It's another big week on BEHIND THE LENS with in-studio guest, author CHARLES WEST McNULTY, plus author/screenwriter SIDDHARTH KARA calls in live.

Author/screenwriter/filmmaker and newspaper publisher, CHARLES WEST McNULTY is on hand for the hour to talk about his new book, a collection of limericks, not to mention his other various projects in development and already out in the world. You may even find yourself thinking back on your days of elementary creative writing as Charlie gives us a lesson on the construct and history of limericks plus engaging discussion on the value and appreciation of the printed page versus 140 characters online.

At the midpoint of the show we welcome SIDDHARTH KARA. A Harvard Fellow, Siddharth is a leading expert on human trafficking and contemporary slavery, having published numerous books and lectured extensively on the subject. He now enters the world of filmmaking as screenwriter for director Will Wallace's new film, TRAFFICKED, starring Ashley Judd, Patrick Duffy and Anne Archer. Adapted by Siddharth from his book "Sex Trafficking", TRAFFICKED recently had its premiere at the United Nations before releasing in a nationwide rollout in theatres this week. The film follows the stories of three young women from America, Nigeria and India who are forced into the world of not only human trafficking, but organ, gun and drugs, where they eventually land in a Texas brothel as sex slaves. During our conversation, Siddharth takes us on his journey from 17 years of research on the subject to book publication to the process of adaptation for the screen, as well as providing a wealth of information on the issue of trafficking and how the public can get involved to end it. And just because you're a Harvard Fellow doesn't mean that filmmaking comes easy, something which Siddharth discovered with this new venture and learning curve.

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It's a really big show on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS with powerhouse guests talking about some outstanding, affecting, and meaningful films.

STEVEN ALLERICK is back with us and in the studio for the full hour adding his perspective as a working actor of stage, screen and tv to today's discussions with our other special guests starting with director/writer REMY AUBERJONOIS and actor/co-writer KATE NOWLIN, who join us live at the 15-minute mark talking about their powerful new "Must See" film BLOOD STRIPE! Debuting at LAFF 2016, BLOOD STRIPE now makes its way into theatres after a very successful festival run.

Actors, filmmakers and movie lovers will appreciate and enjoy hearing what Remy and Kate have to say about the process of making BLOOD STRIPE, from story inspiration to having a pre-determined location and its impact on the actual story development, to crafting, creating and embodying the character of "Sarge" from the ground up, to the delicate balance of editing, plus the learning curve for first-time screenwriters and a first-time director. And of course, Remy lifts the mood of a serious discussion with some sage wit and wisdom about working with not only his wife, but his dad, acclaimed actor RENE AUBERJONOIS. You'll also hear their thoughts on the importance of the themes of BLOOD STRIPE as they apply not only to returning veterans, but everyone in this day and age of global upheaval.

And talk about themes! Writer/director RICHARD SCHENKMAN is on hand at the midpoint of the show to talk about his latest film, THE MAN FROM EARTH: HOLOCENE. With a story that picks up 10-years after the original film, THE MAN FROM EARTH, ends, Richard gives great insight into revisiting a successful - and intelligent - story template, staying true to the characters and origin story while finding a way to "tweak" the original seeds to now allow for the passage of time. And of course, we talk about his stellar cast. Interesting is that the necessity of "tweaking" origin leads to exploration of greater themes and opens the door to philosophical discussion on a myriad of subjects.

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It's time to get "lucky" on this episode of BEHIND THE LENS with the screenwriters of LUCKY - LOGAN SPARKS and DRAGO SUMONJA. And hear excerpts of film critic debbie elias' exclusive interview with LUCKY director JOHN CARROLL LYNCH!

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This week on BEHIND THE LENS, writer/director/actor Luke Sabis and actor Charles Gorgano are back live in-studio talking about MISSING CHILD, now available on Blu-ray/DVD! And classic film fans won't want to miss listening to Kelley Smoot Garrett talk about LETITIA FAIRBANKS (as in the Douglas Fairbanks family) and PRINCESS APRIL MORNING-GLORY! (And here's some trivia for you, Kelley is Letitia's step-daughter and has some wonderful insight into the golden age of Hollywood!)

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A BEHIND THE LENS not to be missed this week as we welcome acclaimed director DWIGHT LITTLE to talk about his new film LAST RAMPAGE starring Robert Patrick, while writer/director VINCENT SABELLA shares personal insight into his debut feature ELIZABETH BLUE.

First up is artist/painter turned filmmaker, VINCENT SABELLA, talking about ELIZABETH BLUE. A functioning schizophrenic, Vincent is open, honest and enthusiastic as he speaks in depth about the biographical nature of the narrative film and the challenges he faced "experiencing" moments from his past, plus his approach to screenwriting complete with dialogue, direction and visual design notations at the script stage.

From MURDER AT 1600 to HALLOWEEN 4 and FREE WILLY 2 and on to becoming a prolific tv director with shows like "Bones", DWIGHT LITTLE is at the top of his game with LAST RAMPAGE, based on the true story of the infamous 1978 prison break of Gary Tison and Randy Greenawalt. Listen as Dwight talks about the ins and outs of casting, bringing this story to life, finding the film's emotional heartbeat, the art of finding the balance of violence and bloodshed, editing, and shooting with a single camera for the entire shoot.

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This week on BEHIND THE LENS writer/director BRIAN CAVALLARO is on hand talking about the making of AGAINST THE NIGHT. Night shoots and lensing inside the decaying and decrepit (and haunted - shhh!) Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia using flashlights as the filming light source are just some of the challenges Brian talks about embracing and overcoming in order to bring this story to life. And for a bonus, Brian gives some tips and recommendations on working with the local film commission. Plus, hear what writer/director ROGER MICHELL had to say in his exclusive interview with film critic debbie elias on his adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's MY COUSIN RACHEL.

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This week on BEHIND THE LENS we unleash the magic of UNLEASHED with special guest, writer/director FINN TAYLOR. UNLEASHED, a charmer from beginning to end with a fairytale-like essence is a magical mix of technology, astrology, a cat, a dog, and of course, love. You'll have fun listening to Finn as he talks about his idea for the story and then the individual departments involved in putting a film like this together, right down to the stop-motion animation opening and end titles.

And hear some excerpts of film critic debbie elias' exclusive interview with writer/director RIC ROMAN WAUGH as he talks about some of the particulars of sound and score for this film SHOT CALLER, plus what draws him to stories with moral ambiguity and shades of gray.

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