Lighter Darker: The ILM Podcast

Todd and Rob break down the process of how films are selected for nomination in the Oscars' Best Visual Effects category. We discuss highlights from the five nominated films—Alien Romulus, Better Man, Dune: Part Two, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and Wicked—and we revisit the shower door myth.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:01:11] Misinformation Corner

[00:05:36] VFX Oscars Nomination Process

[00:18:32] Nominee Highlights

[00:53:27] The Martini

[01:00:05] Outro

Todd - Trade Coffee

Jenny - Nurtured By Nature

International Otter Survival Fund

Rob - French Cleat Hanger

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Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

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https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/011-vfx-oscar-nominations/

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ILM Art Director Amy Beth Christenson (Transformers One, Star Wars Rebels) discusses the complexities and pure joy of working with established Star Wars and Transformers characters while introducing new elements for today’s audiences. Amy shares stories of adapting her portfolio to catch the attention of recruiters and highlights from her 25 years with Lucasfilm and ILM.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:02:06] Questions from the Mailbag

[00:18:51] Rejection Letters

[00:30:10] Shaping Characters for Tomorrow 

[00:49:59] The Martini

[00:58:19] Outro

Todd - Apple Mac Mini

Amy - BrickLink

Studio Download [BrickLink]

Jenny - Tobin's Spirit Guide by Magnoli Props

Rob - Music by John Williams (2024) - IMDb

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Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

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https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/010-shaping-characters-for-tomorrow-with-amy-beth-christenson/

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Rob, Todd and Jenny share their own rejection letters and answer some lingering questions from the mailbag. Todd corrects another VFX myth in Misinformation Corner. The team shares their favorite things from the year as we say farewell to 2024 in this bonus episode of Lighter Darker!

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:01:19] Mailbag

[00:07:41] Misinformation Corner

[00:22:30] Rejection Letters

[00:48:33] The Martini

[00:54:15] Outro

Todd - 2024 Total Eclipse: Where & When - NASA Science

Jenny - Podcast Episodes Archive | Industrial Light & Magic

Rob - EPAuto 12V DC Portable Air Compressor Pump, Digital Tire Inflator

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn 

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/009-bonus-episode-2024-wrap/

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Join legendary cinematographer Dean Cundey (Apollo 13, The Mandalorian) on our final episode of 2024. From his early days collaborating with John Carpenter on horror classics like Halloween and The Thing to groundbreaking work on Jurassic Park and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cundey has shaped the visual landscape of cinema. Dean Cundey shares behind-the-scenes stories from the set and personal experiences breaking into the industry.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:02:00] Questions from the Mailbag

[00:14:27] Rejection Letters

[00:31:58] Making Magic On the Screen 

[00:50:15] The Martini

[00:55:27] Outro

Todd - Stitch Fix

Jenny - Midnight Mass (TV Mini Series 2021) - IMDb

Rob - Microsoft Flight Simulator

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn 

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

Transcript: https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/ep-008-the-magic-of-film-with-dean-cundey/

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This week, we delve into the world building techniques behind two of the year's most anticipated films: Gladiator II and Wicked. VFX Producer Ed Randolph (Gladiator II) and VFX Supervisor Anthony Smith (Wicked) give us behind-the-scenes stories of building these worlds and share insights into some of their favorite shots from their impressive careers.

[00:00:10] Intro

[00:03:07] Questions from the Mailbag

[00:17:42] One Final and One CBB

[00:28:15] Worldbuilding in WIcked and Gladiator II

[00:49:13] The Martini

[00:58:30] Outro

Todd - The Wild Robot (2024) - IMDb

Robot Dreams (2023) - IMDb

Ed - Wicked: Tiny Desk Concert

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024) - IMDb

Anthony - Old Masters Academy

Jenny - A Smoky Mountain Christmas (TV Movie 1986) - IMDb

 A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986 TV Movie, 2022 HD Circle TV Broadcast Edit)

Rob - Clarkson's Farm (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn 

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/ep-007-worldbuilding-in-wicked-and-gladiator-ii/

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Director Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings, Lost Ollie) and VFX supervisor Hayden Jones join us to discuss the role of empathy in animation. We talk about Tindle’s latest film, Ultraman: Rising as well as the importance of collaboration and infusing personal experiences into characters and storytelling.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:03:20] Rejection Letters

[00:11:25] Deleted Dreams

[00:17:46] Empathy in Animation

[00:45:52] The Martini

[00:50:33] Outro

Shannon - Hollow Kingdom #1 - Kira Jane Buxton

Hayden - Thames & Hudson USA - Book - Anime Architecture: Imagined Worlds and Endless Megacities

Jenny - Luigi's Mansion 2 - HD

Rob -  Welcome to Wrexham (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn 

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/ep-006-ultraman-rising-with-shannon-tindle-and-hayden-jones/

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For this special Halloween Edition, we flash back to Ghostbusters II with VFX legend Bill George who shares stories from the model shop. We talk with Bill about the evolution of visual effects over his 40-year career.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:03:45] Questions from the mailbag

[00:16:20] Lighter Darker - origin of the name

[00:19:10] Rejection letters

[00:22:28] Ghostbusters II and the evolution of the artist toolbox

[00:44:51] The Martini

[00:52:19] Outro

Todd -Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) - IMDb

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - IMDb 

Bill - Sasquatch Sunset (2024) - IMDb Paramount + / rent on Amazon Prime

Jenny - Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions | HISTORY

Jenny's Slimer Halloween Costume by Adam J. Ely on IG

Rob -  Scriptnotes

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Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/ep-005-ghostbusters-2-with-bill-george/

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Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, Twisters) and executive producer Ashley Jay Sandberg (Twisters, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) discuss working together to balance science and storytelling with their latest film, Twisters. They share stories from the set, including real-life challenges from Mother Nature. The filmmakers and the Lighter Darker hosts chat about films that inspired them to choose their career paths and some roadblocks they faced along the way.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:02:12] Questions from the mailbag

[00:10:42] Rejection letters

[00:19:44] Film foundations

[00:28:20] The quiet power of nature

[00:45:30] Final question

[00:48:24] The martini

[00:53:50] Outro

Rob - The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) - IMDb

Todd - Schlage Encode Plus™ Smart WiFi Deadbolt | Wifi smart lock

Jenny - Norsepaints (@norsepaints) • Instagram 

Isaac - StarTalk Radio

Ashley BEATER BOARDS – Catch Surf USA

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn 

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

Transcript: https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/s1e004-twisters-with-lee-isaac-chung-and-ashley-jay-sandberg/

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Beth D'Amato, ILM digital paint supervisor, joins Todd and Rob to discuss their favorite camera moves, compositions, and notable oner’s. Beth shares how she got her start in VFX and we learn that sometimes, "We will keep your resume on file" is a good thing! The ILM pros answer questions about basic VFX terminology, and we bust an internet myth.

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:01:50] Questions from the mailbag

[00:11:07] Rejection letters

[00:16:20] Misinformation corner

[00:21:20] Camera and composition 

[00:43:19] The Martini

[00:49:32] Outro

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

Transcript: https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/s1e3-camera-and-composition/

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In this episode, the Lighter Darker team welcomes director Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4, Transformers One) to talk about combining humor and heart in filmmaking as he does so well in his films. Josh shares the story of getting his dream shot at Pixar and how he almost had a very different job!

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:01:41] Questions from the mailbag

[00:04:46] What is virtual production?

[00:13:00] Rejection letters

[00:17:05] Humor and heart in animation

[00:33:15] The Martini

[00:39:21] Outro

Rob (and the rest of the internet) is obsessed with the Star Tours StarSpeeder Play Set

2005 Star Tours - Original - Disneyland Anaheim

Jenny scrambled to come up with something last minute because Rob stole her martini (see above). She is reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë | Goodreads and obsessing over the Oxford comma debate. What Is the Oxford Comma (or Serial Comma)? | Grammarly. Yes, she is boring.

Josh is staying true to the current Transformers hype by adopting a Flagship Optimus Prime from Robosen.

The Lighter Darker theme was created by Khatsho Orfali. This episode features music by Ben Charles aka chromasy.

ilm.com | YouTube | Instagram | Threads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn

Rob Bredow.com or on Instagram

Todd Vaziri

Jenny Ely on Instagram

Email us at [email protected]

https://www.ilm.com/transcripts/s1e2-transformers-one-with-josh-cooley/

https://www.ilm.com/lighterdarker/s1e2-transformers-one-with-josh-cooley/

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