In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I sit down with Tommy Williamson, a visual effects artist, prop maker, and lifelong creator whose career spans more than three decades. Tommy has worked on films including Spider-Man 2, Sin City, The Mist, Dune: Prophecy, and the modern masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. Tommy shares his journey from building paper-craft UFOs as a kid to working alongside Guillermo del Toro and becoming one of the artists helping to bridge the worlds of practical effects and cutting-edge digital VFX. We also dive into his passion for prop replicas and his work as the creator behind Nerds and Makers, where he builds incredible recreations of iconic movie props. If you love behind-the-scenes filmmaking stories, prop-making secrets, and hearing from the artists who bring movie magic to life, this episode is for you. In this episode, we discuss:

• Tommy’s early love of model making and practical effects
• His first big break on the 1988 remake of The Blob
• Adapting to the digital VFX revolution after Jurassic Park
• Working closely with Guillermo del Toro on Pan’s Labyrinth
• The creative process behind his Nerds and Makers prop replicas
• Why keeping one foot in both practical and digital worlds makes him a better artist
• The importance of experimentation, curiosity, and lifelong creativity

“I’ve always had to make things. It’s absolutely in my DNA. Even now, I’ll work on a show all day and then spend my evenings printing a lightsaber or a blaster. I can’t not do it.” — Tommy Williamson

You can follow Tommy and see his incredible prop builds on Instagram: @nerdsandmakers



This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

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Episode 132 - Dave Barclay - My Life With Animatronics. Movies, Puppets and Beyond!

At just 19 years old, Dave Barclay found himself stepping into the role of chief puppeteer for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back. It was the start of an extraordinary career in animatronics and puppetry that would see him bringing to life some of cinema’s most beloved and memorable characters. In this episode, Dave takes us back to his creative beginnings, growing up in a family of puppeteers, and the serendipitous chain of events that led from working in Hamleys toy shop to meeting Mark Hamill — and ultimately joining Stuart Freeborn’s Yoda team.

We cover:

• His early inspirations from Planet of the Apes to making masks at home.
• The technical and creative challenges of performing Yoda alongside Frank Oz.
• Becoming chief puppeteer for Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.
• Working on The Dark Crystal, Little Shop of Horrors and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
• The importance of collaboration between puppeteers, animators, special effects teams and actors.
• The process of writing his new autobiography My Life with Animatronics, Movies, Puppets and Beyond, filled with stories and photos from across his career.

Dave’s journey is a mix of artistry, technical problem-solving, and being in the right place at the right time — but also about saying “yes” when opportunity knocks.

Listen now to hear stories from a man whose work has shaped how we see and believe in some of cinema’s most iconic creatures. Find Dave’s book:

My Life with Animatronics, Movies, Puppets and Beyond – available now at Cool Waters Productions.

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This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

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In this special bonus episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I take you behind the scenes of Propstore’s upcoming Los Angeles auction, featuring some truly jaw-dropping pieces of movie history. I was invited to a press preview at London’s Dorchester Hotel, where I spoke with Propstore’s Tim Lawes (Director of Consignment) and Stephen Lane (CEO and Founder) about some of the headline items, including:

• A screen- and photo-matched Darth Vader hero lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
• The iconic Jaws clapperboard with teeth, plus Bruce the shark’s eyes
• Jane Fonda’s Barbarella costume and blaster

We discuss the thrill of uncovering long-lost props, the stories behind these legendary items, and what it means for collectors to own a piece of cinematic history. The auction runs September 4–6, 2025, streamed online from Los Angeles, with the full catalogue available at propstore.com.

Next episode: My interview with puppeteer Dave Barclay, whose incredible career goes far beyond Jabba the Hutt.

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This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

In episode 131 of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I sit down with director Phil Hawkins to talk about his journey from a kid obsessed with Jurassic Park and Star Wars to a filmmaker directing commercials, indie features, and ambitious projects like Star Wars: Origins and the Sky Original Robin in the Hoods.

Phil shares how he taught himself filmmaking as a teenager, cutting together VHS tapes and roping in friends to create homemade sci-fi adventures. We discuss how this DIY approach evolved into making shorts and, later, a career in commercials – where he honed his craft in visual storytelling, working with big crews, and balancing creative ambition with tight schedules. We also talk about his fan-favourite short film Star Wars: Origins, which went viral for its bold concept and cinematic scale, and how it helped open doors to bigger opportunities, including his recent family feature Robin in the Hoods.

Along the way, Phil reflects on the importance of collaboration, and the lessons learned from juggling creativity with industry realities. If you’re interested in how a director moves from self-taught beginnings to studio-backed projects while staying true to his passion, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Listen now to hear:

• How VHS edits and fan films became Phil’s film school.
• The leap from shorts to commercials – and what commercials teach about storytelling.
• Making Star Wars: Origins and the risks and rewards of fan filmmaking.
• Crafting Robin in the Hoods and wrangling a cast of young actors for an adventure film.
• Phil’s thoughts on building a creative, respectful set environment.

Star Wars Origins
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This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

Episode 130 – Laurent Bouzereau on “Jaws at 50” In this special episode, I catch up with the legendary documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau to discuss his latest project, Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, premiering Friday 11th July at 8pm on National Geographic and streaming the same day on Disney+. Laurent, whose behind-the-scenes work on Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Spielberg has inspired me for years, reflects on the challenges of revisiting Jaws 30 years after his original 1995 documentary. We talk about the new angles he explored, from Spielberg’s emotional recollections and rare 8mm footage to fresh perspectives from filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Jim Cameron, and Jordan Peele. Recorded on the fly on Martha’s Vineyard during the Jaws 50th celebrations, this short but meaningful conversation touches on the legacy of Jaws, the humanity behind the production, and how Laurent’s approach has shifted over the years. Also in this episode:

• An update on my Joe Alves documentary and the incredible support from GoFundMe donors
• A mention of my new two-part article on ILM's animation legacy: ILM Evolutions: Animation from Rotoscoping to Rango – now live on ILM.com

Linktree

Support the podcast

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

Episode 129 – The Star Wars Influence: Live at the BFI’s Film on Film Festival In this special live episode, I join Doug Weir—Remastering Lead at the BFI—and post-production veteran Paul Collard on stage for a panel titled The Star Wars Influence, recorded at the BFI’s Film on Film Festival. Curated and hosted by Doug, the panel explores how George Lucas’s frustrations with the Hollywood studio system led to a wave of technological innovation that forever changed the filmmaking landscape. From the creation of ILM to the invention of motion control, EditDroid, SoundDroid, and digital cinema tools, we look at how Lucas empowered a generation of problem-solvers and helped pioneer the digital workflow we now take for granted. This conversation took place just before a rare screening of Star Wars from a 35mm Technicolor dye-transfer print—an experience I’ll be covering in more detail in a bonus episode coming soon. Topics include:

• Lucas’s break from the traditional studio system
• The founding of ILM and the Dykstraflex motion control rig
• VistaVision, optical printers, and visual effects R&D
• The origins of EditDroid and non-linear editing
• The value of Technicolor dye-transfer prints
• Lucasfilm’s wider influence on Pixar, Avid, and beyond

Thanks again to Doug and Paul—and to the BFI for hosting such a thoughtful and inspiring event.

Joe Alves Doco GoFundMe
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This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

In this special archival episode, I speak with actor and musician Anthony Forrest, best known to Star Wars fans for playing the sandtrooper who famously waved Obi-Wan and Luke past an Imperial checkpoint with the words: “These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.” Originally recorded over a decade ago, this conversation explores Forrest’s original casting as “Fixer” in the cut Tosche Station scenes, his time filming in Tunisia, and how George Lucas unexpectedly tapped him to suit up as a trooper. Anthony also reflects on working alongside Alec Guinness, the skepticism among the British crew, and the surreal experience of flying home with champagne and Star Wars stickers courtesy of Sir Alec himself. Beyond Star Wars, we also discuss Anthony’s career in music, his time busking in the London Underground, and his low-budget feature The Ballad of Bob’s Garage. 

Listen in for rarely heard stories from behind the mask.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Deleted scenes from A New Hope
• Filming in Tunisia and London
• Busking and recording in the London Underground
• Alec Guinness and the 2007 Academy screening
• The Ballad of Bob’s Garage project

GoFundMe for our Martha’s Vineyard shoot — any support is greatly appreciated!

All my links

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

In this bonus episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I catch up with returning guest Paul King, who you might remember from our previous conversation about his Shining locations documentary, Shine On. This time, Paul’s back with another nostalgic deep-dive — his new short documentary Beneath London: The Story of Alien War. We talk about the origins of the Alien-themed walkthrough experience that terrified visitors to London’s Trocadero in the early 1990s, how Paul tracked down rare archive footage and the people who made it happen, and why he thinks this story still has the potential to grow into a feature-length film. Watch Paul’s documentary on YouTube:
Beneath London: The Story of Alien War In the episode, we cover:

• What Alien War was and how it came together
• The strange story of how the creators got official backing from 20th Century Fox
• How the experience pushed boundaries long before immersive cinema became a thing
• Paul’s process of turning archival material and interviews into a compelling short film

I also share an update on my own documentary, Not Your Average Joe, about legendary Jaws production designer Joe Alves. I’m heading to Martha’s Vineyard this June to film key interviews during the 50th anniversary celebrations — a rare and important opportunity to capture these stories on location. If you’d like to support that project, you can find the GoFundMe here:

https://gofund.me/13795716

Thanks for listening. More behind-the-scenes conversations coming soon.

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

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Our Joe Alves GoFundMe Campaign
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Episode 129 – Max Evry on A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History.

In this episode, I speak with film journalist and author Max Evry about his brilliant and in-depth book A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History. What began as a 150-page entry in a cult film series soon grew into a 560-page epic — much like the film it covers.

Max and I talk about the origins of the project, how he managed to get David Lynch himself to take part, and why the oral history format was the right approach for telling this complex story. We also chat about the book’s structure, Max’s archive work, and how his own experiences as a filmmaker gave him a deeper empathy for the challenges Lynch faced.

There’s even a fascinating discussion about Max’s restoration of a long-lost scene featuring Molly Wryn — which you can now watch here:

You can find Max’s book here.

If you enjoy these behind-the-scenes deep dives, please consider supporting the podcast or sharing it with a film-loving friend - patreon.com/jamiebenning

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Our Joe Alves GoFundMe Campaign
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This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

Episode 126 - Inside the BFI National Archives - Film on Film Festival - Special Episode

For this early release of the podcast, I’m taking you behind the scenes at the BFI National Archive in Berkhamsted. The reason for the early drop? Tickets for the BFI’s excellent Film on Film Festival go on sale to the public tomorrow, 9th May 2025, and I wanted to give you a bit of insight into what makes this event so special. The Film on Film Festival runs from the 12th to the 15th of June and is dedicated entirely to screenings on physical film – from 35mm to 16mm, and even nitrate. It’s a rare opportunity to experience films as they were originally shown, in all their analogue glory. While at the archive, I spoke with several of the experts who help make the festival possible and who work daily to preserve the history of cinema. You’ll hear from:

• James Bell – Senior Curator of Fiction and Programme Director, Film on Film Festival
• Chris Stenner – Film Laboratory Lead
• Sonia Genaitay – Curatorial Archivist
• Martin Coffill – Projectionist and QC
• David Jones – Film Scanning Lead

A huge thanks to Kieron Webb and Sarah Bemand for organising the day. It was a real privilege to explore the archive, meet the people who keep the machines running and the prints in circulation, and to share it all with you here. If you're attending the festival on the 12th, please do let me know and be sure to say "hi".

BFI Film on Film

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This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links