Helen Shaver has directed some of television’s most celebrated shows, including Vikings, Orphan Black, Law & Order: SVU, Westworld, Station Eleven and The Penguin (Episodes 4 and 5). Helen takes us on a personal journey, sharing how a childhood illness led her to discover a passion for storytelling. We explore how her time in the hospital influenced her path to acting and, eventually, her transition to directing—during a period when female directors were still a rare presence in North American television.

Helen opens up about her directing process, the preparation that went into her episodes of The Penguin, and her collaborative relationship with showrunner Lauren LeFranc.

In this episode, we chat with Larkin Seiple, the visionary cinematographer behind some of the most iconic visuals in recent film and music video history. Larkin discusses his early years working in reality television and shooting over 100 music videos. We break down his work on viral music videos like DJ Snake’s "Turn Down for What" and Childish Gambino’s "This is America". We also explore his long-time collaborations with directors Hiro Murai, The Daniels, and Jon Watts. Finally, we dive into some of his recent feature film work, including Everything Everywhere All at Once and Wolfs.

This episode is sponsored by Soundstripe, Panavision and Film Tips Pro.

David Elmes, one of Australia's most experienced focus pullers, works predominantly on U.S. features with many of those films budgets exceeding $100 million. In this episode, we begin by discussing his top tips for new assistants and his insights into the role of the A Cam focus puller. David also shares his journey from New Zealand to Brisbane, and eventually Sydney. Later, we explore his work on iconic films like The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, Hacksaw Ridge, and Mad Max: Furiosa. 

Cinematographer Sky Davies ACS is one of Australia’s rising stars. She joins us for a conversation about navigating the camera department, from assisting to DPing on drama. We discuss her early years hustling on short films, how they shaped her work ethic, and inspired her to innovate creative techniques. We also talk about balancing family and work while avoiding burnout. Later in the episode, we dive into her projects, including House of Gods, Fake, and Videoland.

From barefoot kicker for the Michigan Wolverines and the Buffalo Bills to Hollywood 1st AC, Todd Schlopy shares behind-the-scenes stories from blockbuster films such as Starship Troopers, Air Force One, Spider-Man, Transformers, Wanted, The Revenant, and Swordfish. Throughout the episode, we discuss the techniques he uses for focus pulling, offering insights into his craft. We also explore his brief yet impactful football career, including his time as a walk-on place kicker at Michigan and the unforgettable moment when he clinched an overtime victory for the Buffalo Bills. This episode is a blend of sports and cinema, showcasing Todd's remarkable versatility and dedication.

Naaman Marshall spent his early childhood visiting famous film sets designed by his uncle, such as Hook and Saving Private Ryan. This inspired him to pursue a career in the art department, where he has worked as a model maker, art director, and production designer on films including Westworld, The Dark Knight, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Mortal Kombat, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Alien: Romulus.

We discuss his work in model making and the creation of the iconic Dark Knight motorcycle, his first collaboration with Fede Álvarez on Don't Breathe, and the challenges of designing the world of Alien: Romulus.

Catherine Goldschmidt BSC was nominated for both an Emmy and an ASC Award for her work on HBO's House of the Dragon and was named a rising star of cinematography by American Cinematographer. Two seasons later, she is credited with shooting three episodes: "Lord of the Tides," "Burning Mill," and the Season 2 finale, "The Queen Who Ever Was." In this episode, Catherine shares her experiences on the inner workings of the production, her collaboration with director Geeta Patel, and we break down several scenes from these three episodes.

We also explore her work on the project Dummy, where she pioneered a new way of framing for both 16:9 and 9:16 formats, and discuss her role in co-founding Illuminatrix, a collective of professional female cinematographers based in the UK.

Erik Winquist is a renowned VFX Supervisor at Wētā FX, a leading visual effects company based in New Zealand. After leaving the US to work on the Lord of the Rings, he now has over two decades of experience working on iconic films such as Avatar, X-Men, I Robot, King Kong, Rampage, and the Planet of the Apes franchise. In this episode, we discuss the latest installment, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the evolution of motion capture, on-set processes for the crew in relation to VFX, and the extreme detail Wētā FX puts into bringing the apes to life.

The Cinemapodgrapher team travelled from Brisbane to Lisbon for Filmcare's Trinity 2, Steadicam & A Cam masterclass. We recap all the higlights of the camera operator workshop hosted by Geoff Haley SOC, Ari Robbins SOC, Curt Schaller & Fares Corbani SOC ACO. We also talk all things football, food, castles and one crazy Tuk Tuk ride down a mountain. 

The world's most famous stunt helicopter pilot, Fred North, has flown over 20,000 hours, shot 200 films, worked with directors Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich, and Sam Hargrave, holds a world record for altitude, and is the author of his autobiography, Flying Sideways. Some of his credits include Inception, James Bond: Spectre, Mission Impossible, Guardians of the Galaxy, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon and much of the Fast Saga. We discuss growing up in Africa, his perseverance to become a pilot, and break down aerial sequences from the Fast saga, Extraction 2, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.