In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I speak with art director and supervising art director Dominic Masters, whose decades-long career spans some of the biggest films and series of the last 40 years. He grew up around movie sets thanks to his father, the legendary production designer Tony Masters (2001: A Space Odyssey, Papillon, Dune), and started his own journey at 19 when he spent eight months in China on Tai-Pan — the first Western movie ever shot there. 

Dom talks about learning the foundational skills of drafting, the early struggles of finding work in the British film industry of the mid-80s, and the unique lifestyle of moving from production to production — that strange micro-community that forms on set, often in far-flung locations. 

 We cover his experiences on Titanic working under James Cameron, the shift from physical sets to set extensions and digital workflows, the evolution of the art department, and how shows like House of the Dragon demand an enormous level of coordination, creativity and technical precision. We also talk about the British Film Designers Guild, the camaraderie that forms in the art department, and his personal creative outlets, photography and music, that keep him balanced between jobs. 

It’s a wide-ranging, honest conversation with someone who has seen the industry evolve from the studio backlots of the 1970s to enormous contemporary productions. Topics discussed

• Growing up around film sets and learning from legendary designers
• His first job on Tai-Pan in 1985 and the experience of shooting in China
• The hierarchy and craft of the art department
• Collaboration with directors, designers, construction and VFX
• Working on Titanic and the extraordinary scale of the build
• The Harry Potter films, James Bond films, and shifting directors
• The intensity and scale of House of the Dragon
• Surviving the freelance lifestyle and industry downturns
• Creative outlets outside the job

Guest Dominic Masters – Art Director / Supervising Art Director
Selected credits: House of the Dragon, Belfast, Wonder Woman, Now You See Me 2, Casino Royale, Harry Potter, Titanic, The World Is Not Enough, The Avengers.

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 episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast I speak with author and film historian Jay Glennie about his new book, The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time ...In Hollywood. Jay has a real gift for pulling together people, memories and materials, and this book is packed with insight from the cast and crew, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Quentin himself.We get into how long Quentin carried the idea for the film, the script secrecy following The Hateful Eight leak, and the vital work of the ADs, casting team, DP, production designer and producers. Jay talks about the careful balancing act of handling contradictory memories, how he preserves the voices of the people he interviews, and how he approaches a project that is still fresh in everyone’s mind. We also look at what comes next in his ten book Tarantino series.

Big thanks to Jay and to TITAN books.

Buy Jay Glennie’s book - published by TITAN.

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, host Jamie Benning, that's me... talks with author and filmmaker John Walsh about his new book The Art and Making of Gladiator II.

Walsh discusses how he was approached by Abrams Books and Paramount Pictures to chronicle the creation of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, offering rare insights into the production design, visual effects, and creative collaboration behind one of the most ambitious films of the decade.

The conversation explores how Walsh handled the challenge of documenting a still-in-production movie, his access to thousands of behind-the-scenes images, and the process of balancing art direction, photography, and storytelling in an official studio book. We also look ahead to Walsh’s next project — a deep dive into The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and reflect on the enduring value of physical “making-of” books in today’s digital film culture.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

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 episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I sit down with sibling filmmakers Claire and Anthony Bueno, the creative team behind Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters - a feature documentary more than a decade in the making, and the definitive oral history of one of the most beloved comedies of all time.

The Buenos spent years interviewing dozens of cast and crew members from the original Ghostbusters, including Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and the late Harold Ramis. The result is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes portrait that captures both the technical wizardry and the creative spirit that defined the 1984 classic.

Claire’s new companion book, also titled Cleanin’ Up the Town, builds upon the documentary by presenting full-length interviews, previously unseen material, and new reflections from the filmmakers and craftspeople who brought Ghostbusters to life. In our conversation, Claire and Anthony share what it took to get the project made -the years of persistence, the challenges of rights and access, and the rewards of telling such a beloved story from a fan’s perspective.

Whether you’re a lifelong Ghostbusters enthusiast or simply interested in independent documentary filmmaking, this is a fascinating glimpse into the dedication required to bring such a massive project to life.

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 136: A Martha’s Vineyard special report on the Joe Alves Documentary shoot.

This week’s episode is a little different. It is a behind the scenes update on our ongoing feature documentary about production designer and director Joe Alves (Jaws, Close Encounters, Escape from New York, Jaws 2, Jaws 3D). I take you through our trip to Martha’s Vineyard in June 2024 to capture Joe’s return to the island for the 50th anniversary of Jaws. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over £7,000 to cover the travel, ferry, car hire, and accommodation. Every penny went into the shoot. In this episode, I share:

• The challenges and triumphs of making the trip possible
• Shooting new interviews with Joe Alves, Marty Milner, Charles de Lauzirika, and Richard Dreyfuss
• Filming at iconic Jaws locations including Menemsha and the 4th July beach.
• The overwhelming warmth of the Jaws community and the atmosphere of the anniversary celebrations
• How the project has evolved from a short film idea into a full feature documentary
• Your support is still needed!

We still have more to do, including chasing interviews with Dean Cundey, John Carpenter, Lea Thompson, and Steven Spielberg. If you would like to support the film, visit the GoFundMe link in the show notes. Thanks again for helping us push this project forward. We could not do it without you.

Support the documentary GoFundMe

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

Cinema historian Nigel Smith joins Jamie to explore the hidden history of London’s picture houses. In particular the Egyptian-style Carlton in Islington. Nigel brings these spaces back to life through stories, archives, and first-hand recollections. In this episode, Nigel and Jamie discuss:

• How London’s old cinemas became coffee shops, bingo halls, and churches
• The difference between “going to the pictures” in the 1930s–50s and cinema-going today
• How local archives, trade papers, and oral histories help piece together forgotten stories
• Why repertory and community cinemas may hold the key to the future of film-going
• Nigel’s Memory Palaces project, documenting almost 100 cinema buildings with photos and stories

Find more from Nigel:
memorypalaces.co.uk and Instagram @nigelsmithwalks.



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 episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I talk with James Kahn, the novelist behind some of the most iconic movie novelizations of the 1980s, including Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Poltergeist. James shares how a chance encounter while working as an ER doctor in Santa Monica led him onto the set of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, where he met Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg, an opportunity that set his writing career in motion. We discuss:

• How James went from emergency medicine to Hollywood writer
• His early break writing the Poltergeist novelization
• The creative freedom Spielberg gave him on Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and others
• Writing Return of the Jedi under intense secrecy — including how George Lucas gave him a decoy script where Luke kills the Emperor
• Inventing backstory details that became “canon” for decades, like Ben and Owen being brothers and hints about Anakin’s fall into the lava pits
• Giving Short Round his own chapter and exploring Mikey’s POV in The Goonies
• How his books helped fans relive these films long before home video
• Why a great novelization is about more than retelling a screenplay
• His recent memoir, A Jedi Memoir: A Double Life, weaving together stories from Hollywood and emergency medicine

If you grew up with these books, this one’s packed with insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and moments of movie history you probably didn’t know. If you enjoy the show and want to help me keep making these conversations, please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon:

All the 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 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

All my links

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.

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 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.

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