For this episode, number 70, I finally spoke with director Patrick Read Johnson.

He recently released his many years in the making, labour of love 5-25-77.

A film that semi fictionalises and chronicles the early life of a character, named Patrick Read Johnson and his love of movies like 2001 A Space Oddysey, Star Wars and Close Encounters.

I saw an early cut of this about ten years ago with several scenes missing. Patrick and I connected over the release of my Star Wars Begins (still available to view for free on Vimeo by the way).

5-25-77 is currently available on blu ray and on several streaming platforms.

So here’s my chat with the director of 5-25-77, Patrick Reid Johnson and I’ll be back at the end for a bit more jabbering on.

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

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For this episode, number 69 I spoke with ILM and Sony Picture Imageworks legend Ken Ralston.

Ken started on VFX in advertising, then in 1976 he was employed to work on a little film called Star Wars. He remained at ILM for 20 years having worked on Star Wars, Star Trek, Dragon Slayer, Back to the Future, I mean the list is huge. He then went on to work as Visual Effect Supervisor and Creative Head at Sony Pictures Imageworks. He’s won five academy awards during his career.

If you know who Ken is, you’ll love this conversation. If you don’t know who Ken is, firstly WHY? But secondly, you’ll definitely know his work.

He of course recently featured in the Disney+ Lawrence Kasdan documentary series Light and Magic. But as ever I am keen to dig a little deeper. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Filmumentaries Merch!

Support the Podcast on Patreon


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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For this episode, number 68 I spoke with an animator at ILM, namely Hal Hickel. Now, if you’re on twitter you’ll know that Hal is a prolific tweeter. I’ve had a number of conversations with him online. Recently in one conversation it transpired that Hal had done some of the work on the 2004 version of Star Wars (A new hope), particularly on the redone Jabba scene. A redo of the 1997 special edition release. My friend Drew of Star Wars Visual Comparisons.

So I decided to approach Hal to come on the podcast and talk about that scene as well as many of the films he’s worked on over the years. Looking at my notes here for the keywords I’ll add to the podcast, we talk about Toy Story, Jurassic Park, Rogue One, The Life Aquatic and many more in between.

Filmumentaries Merch!

Support the Podcast on Patreon

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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For this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with the ultra talented and lovely human being… Jean Bolte, that’s BoltE, rhymes with Nick Nolte as she told me.

Jean has worked in the film industry for many years. She started in wigs and beard, then moved to ILM in time for Willow for which she was a model maker. The thumbnail for the episode shows Jean working on the ostrich for the famous morphing scene.

She then went to work on Hook, Jumanji, Men in Black, The Phantom Menace and so many more huge movies as a digital texture artist.

She’s recently handed in her notice to ILM but is going to be staying very much in the creative world.

Jean was just so great to talk to, we hit it off immediately. Chatting with her was surprisingly relaxing and also very inspiring.

So here’s my conversation with texture artist and supervisor Jean Bolte... Nick Notle and I’ll be back at the end for a bit more jabbering on.

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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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For episode 66, I have an Oscar winning director. But I don’t talk to him about his films at all. Instead I talk to him about a book he’s written. Lee Unkrich is probably best known by film fans as the director of Toy Story 3 and Coco. He of course won an Oscar for both of those movies. What you might not know is that he is a lifelong fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. For many years he has run a website “the overlook hotel”, which he fills with everything and anything he can about his favourite film.

After ten years or so in the making, he is just about to release his book, published by Taschen and limited to 1000 copies (in the collector edition at least). It’s called Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. I spoke to Lee just after Christmas 2022. So here’s our conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

Taschen's new "Stanley Kubrick's The Shining"

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 episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I discuss the journey of Rose Degnan, a key figure in the visual effects industry, particularly her experiences at ILM during the production of Star Wars. The conversation covers her entry into filmmaking, the evolution of visual effects, the work culture at ILM, and the balance between personal life and a demanding career. Rose shares insights on the importance of appreciation in the workplace and the transition from practical effects to digital technology. She also shares her experiences in the film industry, discussing the balance between quality and efficiency in filmmaking, the importance of mentorship, particularly for women in a male-dominated field, and her reflections on working with George Lucas. She highlights the complexities of visual effects in Star Wars, the evolution of budgeting and production practices, and the need for greater diversity in the industry. 

Thanks for joining me in 2022 and I hope you can do so again for the next year of episodes of The Filmumentaries podcast in 2023! Happy New Year.


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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 episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I engage in a deep conversation with VFX artist Steve Williams and director Scott Lieberich about the groundbreaking work behind Jurassic Park and the documentary 'Jurassic Punk.' We explore the challenges faced in the visual effects industry, the personal struggles of artists, and the evolution of storytelling in modern cinema. The discussion highlights the importance of recognizing individual contributions in collaborative environments and the impact of technological advancements on filmmaking.


So here’s my conversation with Steve Williams (VFX artist) and Scott Leberecht (the director of the new documentary Jurassic Punk). - https://www.jurassicpunkmovie.com/

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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 episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I  interview VFX legend Dennis Murin, who shares his childhood inspirations, early experiments in filmmaking, and insights into the evolution of visual effects. The discussion highlights the challenges of entering the film industry, the impact of technology on filmmaking, and the creative approaches that define the art of cinema. Dennis reflects on the integration of live action and effects, the importance of understanding audience perspective, and the need for seamless effects that enhance storytelling. 

Here's the link to our "Not Your Average Joe" Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jamiebenning/not-your-average-joe-0

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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 episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I discuss the upcoming Kickstarter for a documentary on production designer Joe Alves, who has an extensive career in Hollywood. The conversation transitions to insights from producer Jim Bloom, who shares his experiences in film production, including the challenges of moving Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) to Northern California, the intricacies of long-distance production, and the evolution of visual effects. Bloom also recounts his cameo as Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back and the challenges faced during the production of Return of the Jedi.

Check out the following link if you're interested in supporting the Joe Alves documentary project on Kickstarter - https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/1d3f98a4-6576-46f0-9585-6c9fc45ab7e5/landing

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 episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I speak with Jim Bloom, an ex-ILM and Lucasfilm producer. We discuss Jim's early career in film, his experiences working on iconic films like American Graffiti and The Conversation, and his collaboration with renowned directors such as George Lucas and Francis Coppola. Jim shares insights into the filmmaking process, the challenges of working in the industry, and the importance of personal connections in building a career in film. 

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