Team Deakins

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 104 - STEVE DUNN - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Assistant director Steve Dunn (WALK THE LINE, A LITTLE PRINCESS, DANCES WITH WOLVES) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast to discuss his life and career in a candid conversation. Steve fell in love with film as a child living in Venezuela, and after returning to America, he ended up convincing his university professors to accept course-specific short films in place of term papers. After graduating from USC, Steve drove off to Atlanta and landed a two-week PA gig alongside the GUNSMOKE crew on a mercenary job during the classic show's break in schedule. Steve later reveals how he made the transition from low-budget filmmaking in middle America to more mainstream filmmaking in Hollywood, and we learn how Steve leveraged his relationship with director Paul Schrader to break into assistant directing. Steve discusses how, as an assistant director, he keeps things moving at any cost, and he shares why he sometimes elects to designate himself as the lighting rod of blame on difficult shoots. We also discuss how Steve manages the different personalities on set, and he shares a number of episodes from his career in which he lost or narrowly avoided losing his job. Towards the end, we also learn how Steve came to finally work with director Robert Altman, one of his cinematic heroes.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 103 - IVAN SEN - DIRECTOR

On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we're speaking with director Ivan Sen (LIMBO, GOLDSTONE, MYSTERY ROAD). In addition to directing his films, Ivan is simultaneously responsible for the editing, cinematography, sound, and a myriad of departments typically delegated to others—his being a one man crew is a frequent point of discussion, and we learn how shooting on his own (or with relatively few collaborators) allows him to capture the emotional moments elusive to the circus of larger productions. We learn how Ivan's childhood moving around inland Australia informs the subjects of his films, and we discuss the power of place and its place in Ivan's story development process. During our discussion of his latest film, LIMBO, Ivan reflects on the increasing sense of formalism in his work and why he feels more excited for and more sensitive to the filmmaking process now than when he was just starting out. Towards the end, Ivan also shares his thoughts on the state of the Australian film industry and on being aware of the market realities of filmmaking and film exhibition when developing a project.

We deeply admire Ivan's films, and we were thrilled to be able to speak with him about them.

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Recommended Viewing: LIMBO

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 102 - LUKASZ ZAL - CINEMATOGRAPHER

On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we're speaking with cinematographer Lukasz Zal (THE ZONE OF INTEREST, COLD WAR, IDA). Born and raised in Poland, Lukasz yearned to express himself creatively in his youth, but it wasn't until he filmed a communion that he found his creativity was best practiced through cinematography. We also learn how Lukasz took over the role of cinematographer on IDA and how he and director (and fellow Pole) Pawel Pawlikowski worked together. He later reveals the humorous reason the camera finally moves at the end of the film, and we discuss how shooting the film in colour and then converting the footage into black and white affected the final images. Later, Lukasz shares his experiences working on DOVLATOV in St. Petersburg, and we take a moment to appreciate the rich cinematic and artistic traditions of the Russian people. Towards the end, we also discuss the practical challenges of shooting THE ZONE OF INTEREST and how director Jonathan Glazer's idea of "Big Brother in Nazi Germany" informed the ultimate tone of the film.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 101 - WILLIE BURTON - PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER

On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, production sound mixer Willie Burton (OPPENHEIMER, LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) joins us to talk about his career and the world of audio. We learn how Willie's love for all things audio began as a teenager in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and drove him to hitching a ride with a visiting minister out to California to pursue a higher education and deepen his knowledge in the field. After a string of odd-jobs and an engineering career in the sonar division of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Willie weathered years of rejection before gaining admittance into the sound union, becoming the first African-American in the local's history, and finally began his long career in film and television. Throughout the episode, Willie remembers those who helped him advance in his career; among them fellow trailblazer Sidney Poitier, who gave Willie his first break sound mixing a feature on the Poitier-directed LET'S DO IT AGAIN. Willie later shares how he likes to prepare for a film, and we discuss some of the challenges Willie faced recording sound on OPPENHEIMER and TENET. Towards the end of our conversation, we ask Willie if he's ready to hang it up, and we also learn about Willie's involvement in a new educational program in Kansas City exposing young men and women to the world of filmmaking.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 100 - Colour - with Donald Mowat & Greig Fraser

In this special entry of the Team Deakins Podcast, we're celebrating the 100th episode of our second season by sharing our conversation about colour in film with former guests (and good friends) cinematographer Greig Fraser and makeup artist Donald Mowat. Greig discusses his endless search for the right lighting and camera combination to achieve a complexity and depth in skin tones he sees in 1970s-era American cinema, and we reminisce about the consistency in results born from the compatibility between tungsten lights and film stock designed for tungsten lighting. Donald also recalls the "Magenta Scare" when the red-adjacent colour became a point of fixation for filmmakers, and we consider the value of relying on the experts with whom we work. Throughout our winding discussion, some of the topics we cover include: actors' skin tones changing under stress, the evolving politics of the makeup department, the diverse (and distressing) settings and screens in which dailies are viewed, the trouble with painting a set grey, the varying qualities of LED lights, the varying qualities of coloured gels, how Greig tests for skin tones, how Donald sneaks reference photos for his department, and watching really bad films while on a shoot. Also included: Technicolor-era trivia from Roger.

A huge thank you to everyone still listening to the podcast!

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 99 - ALFONSO CUARÓN - WRITER / DIRECTOR

Writer and director Alfonso Cuarón (ROMA, CHILDREN OF MEN, Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast to talk about his career and about filmmaking. Growing up in Mexico, Alfonso sought solace in the cinema, and he crewed and assisted on documentaries around the country throughout his youth, setting the foundation for his visual sensibilities by studying the photography of Ansel Adams and observing a DP manipulate natural light to shoot vegetables. After directing his first feature, Alfonso was brought to Hollywood by director Sydney Pollack to work on an episode of the anthology series FALLEN ANGELS, and Alfonso recalls for us his encouraging conversation with actor Alan Rickman that helped him overcome the petrifying pressure of shooting within the Hollywood machine. Alfonso later shares how director Guillermo del Toro convinced him to helm the third HARRY POTTER film, and he reveals which elements of the franchise he pushed to evolve and change. Alfonso also reflects on his relationship with visual effects, and we discuss why prep and bringing one's collaborators into one's process brings out the best in any film. Towards the end, Alfonso reflects on his experiences working on his upcoming limited series and shares his fear that television, not cinema, is the one conquering the other; however, despite this fear, we discuss the past, present, and potential future of filmmaking through an optimistic lens.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 98 - ETHAN HAWKE - ACTOR / DIRECTOR

On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we're joined by actor and director Ethan Hawke (WILDCAT, BLAZE, BOYHOOD). James once worked with Ethan on WHITE FANG in Alaska, but before that, Ethan started acting in his youth in the theatre before landing his life-changing role on DEAD POETS SOCIETY. Throughout our discussion, Ethan reflects on his evolving relationship to film, art, and acting and shares a number of his thoughts on the nature of filmmaking. Ethan shares how he adjusts to the working style of different directors and what he's applied to his own discipline of acting after directing a number of projects. We later discuss rehearsals, learning how director Sidney Lumet once adjusted a scene with Ethan because of having run through the scene with him, and Ethan shares why would never ask a director to change their preferred way of working. We also learn how Ethan developed and directed BLAZE and what the guiding principles were behind the direction of WILDCAT. An engaging conversation with a truly talented artist!

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 97 - MARK JOHNSON - PRODUCER

Producer Mark Johnson (THE HOLDOVERS, BETTER CALL SAUL, GALAXY QUEST) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. After growing up in Spain and a brief stint as an extra on DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, Mark worked in commercials in New York City before finding his way into the Directors Guild of America's Assistant Directing training program. Mark later survived William Friedkin's globe-trotting production of SORCERER, emerging from the dirt and mud having risen to the position of 2nd AD, and eventually broke into producing with director Barry Levinson's DINER. During our discussion, we learn how Mark finds projects to produce and what he looks for in projects brought to him. Mark also reflects on the varying styles of directors and how he personally defines the responsibilities of a producer. We also learn how Mark shepherded GALAXY QUEST (a favourite of ours) into existence, and he shares a number of insights into the journey of its development, production, and release. We later learn how Mark first met writer Vince Gilligan and of their long-term professional relationship that led Mark to producing BREAKING BAD and BETTER CALL SAUL, and he reflects on the differences between working in television versus film. Mark is responsible for introducing us to director Denis Villeneuve before we worked together on PRISONERS, and it was a pleasure to be able to catch up with him in this episode.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 96 - GEORGE COTTLE - STUNT COORDINATOR / 2ND UNIT DIRECTOR

Stunt coordinator and 2nd unit director George Cottle (BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER, TENET) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. At 16, George spent a summer assisting stunt coordinator Greg Powell at Pinewood Studios, and his life has been dedicated to stunts ever since. George shares how he met the requirements for the British Stunt Register (while explaining what the organization actually does) and how the structure of the stunt department encourages the gradual but meaningful development of skills in its members. We also question George about his recent expansion into 2nd unit directing and learn how he coordinated the car chase in BARBIE using his daughter's walkie-talkies. We later learn how new technologies and advances in visual effects have assisted the stunt department in safely executing elaborate stunts, and George reflects on the department's modern pivot away from its historically machismo culture. George also reveals how he determines whether an actor can (or should) participate in a stunt, and we learn how he builds out his team when hired for a job. We also get George to reflect on the unique challenges of designing stunts for TENET amidst its many locales and its time-defying script.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 95 - RICK CARTER - PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Production designer Rick Carter (THE FABELMANS, AVATAR, MUNICH) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. Despite growing up around Hollywood, Rick was a rebel, and it wasn't until after dropping out of college and traveling the world as a hippy that Rick finally found his way into filmmaking. Rick shares why he fell into the art department and, throughout the episode, reflects on how he conceptualizes spaces with his fellow filmmakers before bringing them into our reality. Rick also reflects on the podcast itself—it being an archive of filmmakers of a certain epoch of filmmaking—and eagerly adds his own voice to its chorus. We also focus on Rick's experiences working on director Steven Spielberg's MUNICH and on the decision-making that went into finding the location for the staircase scene set in Athens.

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Recommended Viewing: MUNICH

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure