Nathan Tape is finishing up his second feature film as writer/director after building up a career in lighting and cinematography in the New Orleans film market. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss shooting and lighting techniques, ways to balance teaching with filmmaking, and of course, all things Juggalo.You can find his work at: https://www.offrampfilm.com/HOW I SHOOT is a series of conversations between Alan McIntyre and filmmakers, cinematographers, and other film workers.For more HOW I SHOOT episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Amelia Wyeth Ponirakis is a filmmaker currently based in Syracuse, NY. She makes experimental films and has worked as a production assistant on films and served as a teleprompter and camera operator for live television.In this conversation, we discuss how to start a career in the film business, shooting animated films combined with live action, techniques to help you advocate for yourself on set, and Amelia's upcoming film festival QUIET ON SET: A Short Film Festival for Finger Lakes Youth.You can find her work at: https://www.ameliawyethponirakis.comHOW I SHOOT is a series of conversations between Alan McIntyre and filmmakers, cinematographers, and other film workers.For more HOW I SHOOT episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Elliot Lobell makes stop-motion short films in between working day jobs as an animator, fabricator and motion graphics designer.

His latest film, EDWARD, recently premiered at the Coney Island Film Festival and won Best Animation. He is just starting his festival run, with further screenings at the New York Short Film Festival and an upcoming event in Norway.

In this conversation we dive into animation techniques, the ideas behind the films, and how to stay sane as you work on a project for seven years.

HOW I SHOOT is a series of conversations between Alan McIntyre and filmmakers, cinematographers, and other film workers.

For more HOW I SHOOT episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/

About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Alan McIntyre speaks with Amanda Sweikow, an L.A.-based filmmaker who has won awards for many of her short films, including "That's Not My Mother," which we discuss in this episode, as well as her plans for an upcoming feature film, "Unclaimed."You can find more at: https://wtfstop.substack.com/Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he is currently shooting in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Jake Weisman is a filmmaker, microcinema entrepreneur, and the author of the Substack newsletter filmjourn.

To celebrate 4/20, Jake is sharing his first feature film to all subscribers - Scrapers - a comedy for romantic stoners.

You can subscribe to filmjourn here: https://filmjourn.substack.com/

You can see more interviews and film writing at WTF-Stop: https://wtfstop.substack.com/

Joshua Caldwell likes to direct with a camera in his hands, knowing how the lens is going to affect performance and get the moment he needs. Caldwell speaks with Alan McIntyre about his collaborative planning process on films, why the technical decisions matter, and why it's good to get some pushback from creative partners.

The films we discuss are Mending the Line, starring Brian Cox, Infamous, starring Bella Thorne, and Layover.

You can see Joshua's work at: https://www.meyd-ent.com/

Joshua's Substack: https://joshuacaldwelldirector.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

For more HOW I SHOOT episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/

About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Alan McIntyre speaks with screenwriter Lauren Greenwood about the trials and tribulations of running a crowdfunding campaign for her upcoming directorial debut, Swathe.

They discuss Lauren's experience as a working writer, the process for developing and delivering a script for a TV thriller, and talk about how Lauren intends to approach her first film as a director.

For more, visit: https://wtfstop.substack.com/

About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Dorian Celestain has helped shape the lighting and look of movies and TV series such as Netflix's BOOTS, Ava DuVernay's QUEEN SUGAR, and Peacock's 2022 reboot of QUEER AS FOLK. I worked with Dorian on the film MOTION, which was shot in New Orleans in the fall of 2025, starring Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Cymphonique Miller, Terry Crews, and Master P.

In this conversation, we discuss the changes that have come to lighting movies and TV in the past few decades, how to get your start on set, mentorship, and go into detail about the lighting setups on several of Dorian's past TV shows.

Find more: https://wtfstop.substack.com/

About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.

Alan McIntyre speaks with New Orleans-based writer/director/script supervisor David Bush about starting out in the film business, how he gets jobs, how he balances work how he parlayed early connections into paid writing and directing work.

For more episodes and essays: https://wtfstop.substack.com/

About the host: Alan McIntyre is a cinematographer, teacher, and filmmaker based in New York City. Recent projects include MOTION (Bella Thorne, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews), A VIGILANTE (Olivia Wilde), and NECROPOLIS, which he recently shot in Greece. He directed the feature film STARGAZER and is currently making his first feature documentary, DINERMAN, with the FilmStack NonDē 50 project.