Film Roundtable

In this episode, we host discussion between Cinematographer Larry Fong and Doug Torres. Larry relives the early part of his career and how he got started working with visionary Directors Zack Snyder and Tarsem Singh, also sharing a great story about his friendship with JJ Abrams when they were teenagers, and how that carried over into a professional relationship later in their careers. Through the conversation, we also get to understand how Larry sees his skills as a magician correlating to the art of filmmaking. This great episode highlights how surrounding yourself with like-minded creative souls and finding the commonalities in your interests can pay off into a long and fruitful creative journey.

In this roundtable, we host a rich conversation between Director John Hillcoat and Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme. You don’t want to miss this special tête-à-tête from these longtime collaborators and friends. They talk with us about a bounty of topics including how they first met, the two incredible films they teamed up together on: Lawless and The Proposition, and a life altering premonition they each experienced... (This Film Roundtable conversation would not be taking place if they hadn’t listened to their intuition, but you have to listen to hear the full story.)

They share anecdotes about the trials and tribulations as well as the magic that is the process of filmmaking and talk about how shooting in Australia isn’t just shooting in another country, it is like shooting on another planet: the light, the landscape, the heat and the flies!

They also share how creative Benoit had to get at times to light scenes without lights (because of the heat!) as well as reflecting on what he might have done differently at this stage in his career. They discuss the process of storyboarding a film and how important it can be but also how equally imperative it is to be able to put that pre-visualization aside and surrender to the organic flow of the actors and the moment.

They then discuss film vs digital (Lawless was one of the first films to be shot on the Alexa Raw) and the heartbreak they experienced when the film was not screened at Cannes using the film print they made. They also talk about the “Netflix” look and how the richness of cinema is fading away, and how much more it could change after this past year on Zoom and what our eyes are getting accustomed to. They chat about lensing and aspect ratio and Benoit shares his experience shooting with the new BLACKWING 7 lenses. This conversation is full of teachings and such a treat!!

Film Roundtable Community,

Our team is taking a short break while we brew up some exciting new roundtables and implement site modifications. In the meantime, we wanted to ensure you’ve heard some of our all time favorite episodes...

Almost a year ago, Darius Khondji & Bradford Young came on our show and had a conversation expressing their views on light, inspiration, and letting yourself follow the river of those two interwoven mediums of expression.

Please enjoy this candid talk including two of our favorites guests, led beautifully by Film Roundtable co-founder Doug Torres, and re-charge on the energy they emit through their work and words.

See you soon.

In this Roundtable, we are joined by Patty Polinger and Cathy Tauber, the founders of the iconic Los Angeles video store, Vidiots. Vidiots opened its doors in Santa Monica in 1985 with a mission to provide access to art house films and rare titles. During its tenure, it served as a community space with events and became a mecca for cinephiles. Vidiots had to close its doors in 2017, but has found a new home at the Eagle Theatre in Eagle Rock. Construction will begin this summer with a plan to open its doors in the first quarter of 2022. The Eagle Theatre location will include a video store, a 250 seat cinema, as well as a 40 seat micro cinema, a bar, and an event space.  We sat down with Patty and Cathy to discuss the history of their beloved store, the steps they took trying and ultimately succeeding in saving it, and their hope for the future of the theater experience. 

You can find a link to a virtual tour of the Eagle Theatre with renderings of what the finished space will look like, as well as a link to donate to the Vidiots Foundation below:

https://www.vidiotsfoundation.org/donate

https://vimeo.com/wylde/review/530978837/0c6ef872f6

In this roundtable, Matthew Woolf hosts a conversation between Actor Mark Ruffalo and Director Derek Cianfrance and the three of them discuss Mark & Derek’s experience making the hit HBO Mini-series I Know This Much is True.

They break down many aspects of the show, including Mark & Derek’s relationship as co-creators and how that affected their individual roles, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them (including the decision to shoot on film vs. digital) and the technical process behind Mark’s portrayal of identical twins. Finally, the duo highlight the commitment it took on several people’s parts to put to achieve a believable and successful result.

The doors are opened through this conversation to the special relationship between two of the finest filmmakers of our generation.

In this roundtable, we host a conversation between Cinematographer Roman Vasyanov and Doug Torres. The duo discuss what it was like for Roman growing up in Russia and learning his craft at a young age from some of the great Filmmakers from Eastern Europe. Roman delves into those early days, how they drove his desire to make it in America, and what that transition was like to shoot movies such as “Fury”, “Thank You For Your Service” and “Suicide Squad” among others. He also shares how going back to Russia to direct his first feature made him a better Cinematographer. This is a special one on one that proves we all have our own path in the film industry. 

In this Roundtable we are joined by rising directors Kendall Goldberg and Nina Meredith. Kendall’s feature directorial debut, When Jeff Tried to Save The World, won the International Film Critics’ Prize at the 2018 Heartland Film Festival and garnered much praise. Most recently, Kendall created and directed a docuseries pilot for Comedy Central. Nina’s work as a director blurs the line between narrative and documentary, with an elegance and ease that has not gone unnoticed. Her work has been recognized both internationally by the Tribeca Film Festival, Cannes Lions, and the Clios, to name a few. We dive into their journeys getting projects off the ground, the importance of talking about your rejections as much as your successes, and their mutual admiration for Judith Weston. We end the discussion with a fun round of quick fire questions, such as favorite crafty snack and weirdest location they’ve filmed in. 

In this Roundtable we are joined by Cinematographers Rodney Taylor (ASC), Tommy Maddox Upshaw (ASC), and Eric Branco.

Rodney has been a long time Television DP and his recent credits include Swagger and Ballers. Tommy is also a veteran of the Television world and recently became a member of the ASC; his recent credits include Empire and Snowfall. Eric has established himself in the indie film world, and his latest films are Clemency, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2019 and Forty Year Old Version, which won the US Dramatic Award at Sundance in 2020. He also recently shot his first TV series for HBO.

A broad range of topics are discussed, including how to transition into Television from the movie world, how the genres differ, the toll the industry can have on family life, and what these filmmakers have learned from previous mistakes.

In this Roundtable we are joined by Wendy Levy and Kimberlin Bolton. Wendy is an Executive Director of The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture and the co-founder of Arts2Work, a new award winning creative workforce initiative that centers racial and gender justice in a new model of Apprenticeship for digital media careers. Kimberlin is an executive Director of re:imagine/ATL, an organization that trains, equips, and inspires Generation Z to build careers in the creative and digital media industries.

Moderating is Kisha Imani Cameron, a film and television producer and a film coach. Cameron founded Africa First, a program for emerging filmmakers and was the former COO of Ghetto Film School.

These three powerhouse women are out to transform this industry in more ways than one, and in this conversation they spend time discussing how real change takes place at the root. The overt lack of diversity and inclusion in the film world is a systemic issue that cannot be ignored any longer and to even begin making a difference takes a village and each one of us taking action. These three guests, each doing their own part to redefine the greater collective of the film community, work together and support one another in reciprocity. One could not exist and be successful without the other. We need to similarly support these organizations, be aware of their work, and involve ourselves in order to be a part of the solution.

In this roundtable we are joined by Production Designer Hannah Beachler, Artist and Filmmaker Jenn Nkiru, and Director/Creative Director Kwasi Fordjour. The conversation opens with a discussion on unexpected sources of inspiration and creativity in the past year (including the sun!) as well as the spirit of continuation and exploration through one’s connection and responsibility to self. The group also delves into the act of deciding and accepting as creators, the importance of listening and finding answers within oneself through stillness, and the intentional act of creating space for one’s wonderment, which is discussed as a path for circumventing the indoctrinated societal machine of constant production. They close by emphasizing the vitality of assessing our emotional state, revitalizing so we can connect visually, and finding ways to traverse a fast-paced world while making time for joy.

At the core of the conversation is the act of prioritizing curiosity, allowing for intuition to be instinct, and the importance of acknowledging the connectivity of our actions.