Cinemapodgrapher

Mental health issues are significantly higher in the entertainment industry than in the general population. Symptoms of anxiety are ten times higher, depression five times higher, and sleep disorders seven times higher, with five suicide attempts every week. Early in his career, Ben Steel battled his own mental health issues, which led him to create the 2016 documentary "The Show Must Go On." Upon completion, Ben realized there was not enough support for filmmakers, so he founded Screen Well, an organization dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of the Australian screen industry.

At 21, Carlos Rosario left the fashion houses of Paris for the hills of Hollywood, where his illustrations landed him his first job. Now a costume designer himself, his recent credits include A Girl in the Spider's Web, Alien Romulus, and FX's hit series Shogun. We talk about his love for fashion, being mentored by four-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood, and how he found his voice through the costumes of Shogun. This is not just for lovers of costume but an inspiring conversation filled with lessons for all creatives.

Stuart Dryburgh ASC NZCS teamed up with Jonathan Nolan for four episodes of Amazon's new hit series, Fallout. Adapted from the popular video game series, we delve into shooting with 35mm film, combining virtual production, and working as a setup DP. We also cover Stuart's beginnings in New Zealand, shooting iconic films such as The Piano and Once Were Warriors, and his eventual move to the USA.

Sam McCurdy ASC BSC, shot five episodes of FX's new hit series 'Shogun.' Join us for our longest episode ever as we discuss honesty, love, dropping out of art school, Game of Thrones, lighting, football, and break down our favourite moments from the show.

At age 19, Sophie Darlington left Dublin for Tanzania to become a camp manager at the Ngorongoro Crater. It was there that she was mentored by Hugo Van Lawick to become a wildlife cinematographer. Now, 30 years later, Sophie is a BAFTA award winner, and her work has been screened globally on National Geographic, Netflix, BBC, and the Discovery Channel.

Early in the episode, we discuss her mentorship under Hugo, her love and respect for wildlife, and the techniques she uses in the field. We then delve into her latest work as one of the series' DOPs and mentors on National Geographic's 'Queens,' a seven-part docu series helmed by a female-led production team that focuses on strong females in the animal kingdom.

Jeff Gaunt has been an archery champion, editor, VFX guru, director, and is now a skilled drone pilot for renowned company, Heliguy. His knack for learning new disciplines has seen him successfully pivot his career numerous times. We discuss his early days in post-production at Cutting Edge, directing VFX car commercials, and his transition to drone pilot, shooting cinema projects around the globe. Additionally, we break down oners, handoffs, and how to colloborate with a drone team.

Meg White spent her younger years watching horror movies with her older brother, it is there she developed her interest in photography and filmmaking. Her love of photography led her to participate in several exhibitions. One project took her on a journey across Australia, where she captured images of roadkill. We discuss her ability to juggle multiple commitments, from shooting short films while camera assisting to studying at AFI at night while working as a DP on TV dramas during the day. We also delve into her anxiety, exploring how it has become her secret weapon, as well as her recent move from Sydney to LA.

Cinematographer Meg White ACS spent her younger years watching horror movies with her older brother, it is there she developed her interest in photography and filmmaking. Her love of photography led her to participate in several exhibitions. One project took her on a journey across Australia, where she captured images of roadkill. We discuss her ability to juggle multiple commitments, from shooting short films while camera assisting to studying at AFI at night while working as a DP on TV dramas during the day. We also delve into her anxiety, exploring how it has become her secret weapon, as well as her recent move from Sydney to LA.

Dylan Goss has been the Aerial DP for some of the biggest films of the past decade. In this episode, we delve into his contributions to Denis Villeneuve's films such as 'Sicario', 'Blade Runner 2049', and the 'Dune' saga. Additionally, we discuss aircraft, gimbals, planning aerial sequences, and the journey to becoming an aerial director of photography.