This week, I'm joined by my brother, Andy Duggan, a marketing and commercial growth leader whose career has included roles at Al Nassr FC, BP and The Co-operative Bank.

We discuss digital marketing, audience growth, social media, brand loyalty and what independent filmmakers can learn from the way major organisations find, understand and retain audiences.

Contact Andy: https://www.hitsuzendo.com

This week, I start with the viral behind-the-scenes photograph of four actors dressed up as The Beatles for Sam Mendes’ upcoming biopics and ask what purpose these films serve when so much of the real story is already available to us. From there, I look at biopics more broadly, including ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Better Man’ and ‘The Apprentice’, before revisiting Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Aviator’ and its portrayal of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The image of the faux-Beatles also leads me into a wider discussion about social media, attention spans and our increasing desire for the payoff without the journey. In between various tangents, I eventually return to The Beatles and two documentaries: Peter Jackson’s ‘Get Back’, which has the confidence to depict the reality of the creative act, and a documentary about Paul McCartney’s missing bass, which has a surprisingly human story at its core.

This week, I discuss the final stages of exporting ‘Notion’ and the challenges of making sure a feature film looks and sounds as intended across different platforms and screens.

From there, I discuss ‘The Invite’ (Dir. Olivia Wilde) and the increasingly rare sight of films like it in mainstream cinemas, before turning to the Arrow Films 4K release of ‘Wake in Fright’ (Dir. Ted Kotcheff). That leads into a wider discussion about physical media, boutique Blu-Ray labels and the role they play in keeping films alive, including the Radiance release of ‘Yokohama BJ Blues’ (Dir. Eiichi Kudō). Finally, the remarkable story of how ‘Wake in Fright’ was almost lost leads me to Sandi Tan’s documentary ‘Shirkers’, another film with its own unlikely story of disappearance and rediscovery.

As I wrap up ‘Notion’ and think about where it goes next, this episode considers how easily films can disappear and what it takes to keep them alive.

Earlier this week, I headed to London for a 35mm screening of Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Persona’ (1966) at the BFI, which included a Q&A with Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss and writer-director Benedict Andrews, whose new stage production, ‘Electra/Persona’, brings together Bergman’s film and Sophocles’ tragedy.

Recorded on the Southbank, the episode begins with another journey into ancient Greece as I discuss the editing in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’, before reflecting on seeing Cate Blanchett perform on stage. From there, I compare Letterboxd reviews of ‘Persona’ with those written by Roger Ebert during his time as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times (1967–2013), before reading the essay Ingmar Bergman wrote to accompany his 1965 Erasmus Prize.

Finally, I play the BFI Q&A (with minor edits due to sound issues), moderated by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.

This week, I respond to your comments on the Film Graduate episodes before discussing whether grades, paid work and viewing figures are meaningful measures of success. From there, I explore whether platforms like Letterboxd have changed the way we think and talk about cinema. Along the way, I reflect on Christopher Nolan's recent comments about Lost Highway, Emily Wilson's review of The Odyssey, and a recent review of my micro-budget feature, Blurred Lines.

“I am all for everyone having a voice; I just don't think everyone has earned the microphone. And that's what the Internet has done.” - Aaron Sorkin

Life After Film School: In Part 2 of my conversation with James Littlewood, we discuss what happens when film school ends and reality begins.

James reflects on the mental health struggles of life after graduation, searching for work in an increasingly competitive job market, and whether film school still offers value for money. We also discuss the expectation - shared by many students and their parents - that a degree will lead directly to a career, and whether that belief still reflects the world awaiting today’s graduates.

Whether you’re considering studying film, currently at university, or simply interested in the future of higher education, this is an honest conversation about film school, graduate expectations, and the challenges of building a career in the creative industries.

In this episode I’m joined by James Littlewood, who graduated from a film production course in 2025. In Part 1 of our conversation, we discuss why he chose to study film, the university application process, course culture, academic feedback, group work, student group chats and the review bombing of my feature film, ‘Blurred Lines’.

Part 2 (out 24th July) continues the discussion with an extended conversation about graduate employment, mental health, the realities of trying to break into the film industry, and whether film school still offers value for money.

You can watch James’s personal short film here: All Eyes On Me

Following last week’s episode on guerrilla filmmaking, I catch up on the responses it generated, including a remarkable story from the making of Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and the provocative Lone Gun Manifesto - a filmmaking philosophy that argues the best way to make films is to strip the process back to its absolute essentials.

The episode then turns to recent developments surrounding the Manchester Film Festival and the festival director’s unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, prompting a wider discussion about power, ethics and the importance of challenging questionable behaviour - regardless of the industry you work in. Along the way, I discuss Sophy Romvari’s Blue Heron and respond to allegations that my film, Blurred Lines, had copied visual ideas from a student’s short film (https://letterboxd.com/psychedelic223/film/blurred-lines-2025/).

Ultimately, it’s an episode that touches on the many Catch-22s of independent filmmaking: ask permission and you risk losing the authenticity you’re trying to capture; don’t ask permission and you risk not making the film at all. Take creative risks and you may be overlooked in favour of safer work; play it safe and you risk making work that nobody remembers. Stay silent and questionable behaviour goes unchallenged; speak up and you may face the consequences yourself.

In this episode, I explore approaches to guerrilla filmmaking after spotting a group of filmmakers shooting a short film in a town square. Drawing on experiences from my features films X, Blurred Lines and Notion, I discuss filming in public spaces, working with limited resources, and how adapting to real-world locations can shape both the creative process and the finished film. Along the way, I reflect on the work of filmmakers including Werner Herzog, Christopher Nolan and Sean Baker, and consider where the line lies between creative freedom, practicality and responsibility.

After recently attending a special 70mm screening of Return to Oz (1985), this episode explores the career and work of legendary editor, sound designer and filmmaker Walter Murch.

I discuss Murch’s collaborations with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, including The Godfather, American Graffiti, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, before looking at his influential approach to editing and his “Rule of Six”.

The episode concludes with an excerpt from Walter Murch’s introduction and the full Q&A from the screening, where he discusses the making of Return to Oz and the challenges of directing his first feature film.