If you watched the 2017 Emmys, you may have noticed that the category of “Music Supervisor” was added to the awards slate. The acknowledgement represents a growing appreciation for television soundtracks, and the idea that a well placed song can have as much impact on a show’s style and tone as the cinematography or the costume design. Beyond that, thanks to incredible soundtracks on shows like Issa Rae’s 'Insecure', Aziz Ansari’s 'Master of None', and Donald Glover’s 'Atlanta', television has become one of the best places to discover new music. Rob sat down with Zach Cowie, one of the best music supervisors in the business, to learn more about this evolving field. Cowie talks about his path from record store clerk to soundtrack designer on 'Master of None', why his job is less glamorous than people think, and why easier access to music through streaming services isn’t necessarily a good thing. He also talks about his favourite music moments in film and television history, and tells us what song he’d want played at his funeral.

Ep. 36: How to Build the Year’s Best Soundtrack

TIFF Long Take is the show that talks to the smartest people in the industry to answer the big questions about what, why, and how we watch. Each week, hosts Rob Kraszewski and Geoff Macnaughton are joined by insiders, journalists, and creators who provide mind-changing insights into the world of the moving image.

TV & Film

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff speak with Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, stars and creators of the hit television series 'Broad City'. The show, which launched as a web series in 2009, will end it astonishing run this year after five critically adored seasons on Comedy Central. Glazer and Jacobson talk about the early days of 'Broad City', how they have grown as artists over the last decade, and how they formed a relationship with the show’s Executive Producer, Amy Poehler. They also discuss the state of comedy in 2019, the guest stars they tried, and failed, to get on the show, and their favourite episodes from the shows run.

Ep. 103: Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson on the Life and Legacy of ‘Broad City’

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff speak with Nathanaël Karmitz, Managing Director of the mk2 audio visual group, about France's unwavering appetite for the theatrical experience. With many arthouse and independent theatres struggling worldwide to attract patrons, France's culture of movie going seems stronger than ever. Last year – despite the massive growth of SVOD audiences worldwide – French arthouse theatres saw record attendance, selling over 45 million admissions, or about 25% of countries' overall cinema entries that year.   Karmitz talks about how the French are taught to think about film as art rather than entertainment, why their interest in foreign cinema has stayed so strong, and why, despite the rise of Netflix, French audiences remain committed to the theatrical experience.   He also discusses France's innovative laws around media windows, who these regulations help and hurt the most, and his predictions for the future of the French film industry. 

Ep. 102: How is France Keeping its Arthouse Cinemas Packed?

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with documentarian Bing Liu. Liu’s debut feature film, Minding the Gap, tells the story of three young men (including Liu) in Rockford Illinois, who use skateboarding as a way to cope with their traumatic home lives. The film, which topped several  best of 2018 lists, will be playing as part of TIFF Next Wave. Liu discusses how he used skateboarding as a gateway to making his own films, the different iterations of Minding the Gap, and why he decided to insert his own backstory into the film’s narrative. He also talks about how a documentarian knows when their film is done, how he ethically approached making a film about domestic abuse, and his relationship with legendary documentarian Steve James.

Ep. 101: Bing Liu on the Making of ‘Minding the Gap’

This week on TIFF Long Take, Geoff sits down with Jonathan Frantz, a filmmaker, producer, and member of Isuma, an Inuit-led media-arts collective founded by Zacharias Kunuk. Frantz recently produced 'Edge of the Knife', a drama set in the 19th century and directed by Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown. The film is particularly notable as the first feature made entirely in Haida, an endangered language spoken fluently by fewer than 20 people. 'Edge of the Knife', which features a Haida cast and was made in collaboration with the Council of the Haida Nation, premiered at TIFF in 2018 and will screen as part of our Canada’s Top 10 series in 2019. Frantz talks about the history and mission of Isuma, the long but rewarding process of making 'Edge of the Knife', and what he hopes the film will do for the Haida language and nation. He also discusses working with Edenshaw, Haig-Brown, and Kunuk, how he approaches projects such as this one as a non-Indigenous person, and the best resources for movie lovers looking to see more Indigenous films.

Ep. 100: Can a Film Preserve an Endangered Language?

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with Shawn Finnie, Associate Director of Member Relations at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to talk about how the Academy has worked to address concerns over the lack of diversity in its membership, nominees, and award winners. In 2012, the Academy was 77% male and 94% white. In 2018 those numbers shifted to 69% male and 84% white — a sign that, while change is definitely slow going, things are trending in the right direction. Finnie talks about his vision for the future of the Academy, how he helped create the Academy's most diverse class ever, and why a Moonlight Best Picture win 10 years ago likely would have been impossible. He also talks about why invitations to join the Academy should be based on more than your resume, and why he saw #OscarsSoWhite as an opportunity.

Ep. 36: How to Build the Year’s Best Soundtrack

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