IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

Director Nicholas Stoller, of "Neighbors" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" fame, joins Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss his process developed on some of the best comedy films of the last couple decades and how he applied it to his latest film, 'Bros.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer-director Andrew Dominik wrote his adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' novel "Blonde" in about four weeks — and then waited 12 years for the opportunity to bring it to the screen. The "Killing Them Softly" director joins Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his decade-plus-long journey to bring Joyce Carol Oates' fictionalized portrait of Marilyn Monroe to the screen, and the epic study of trauma and Hollywood's exploitation of it that he created. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ti West, director of "X" and "Pearl," stops by Toolkit to discuss how he landed on the golden age of Hollywood aesthetic he captured for his horror prequel, how he achieved the film's singular look, and how he tapped into a more formal style of filmmaking where blocking and framing can tell the entire story of a family and lead us to understand Pearl herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, creator and star of 'Mo', Mo Amer discusses how he and his team built a series that juggles a tone that can fuse comedy and drama, how they built the show's hip and absurd sense of humor, and how they made filmmaking choices that spotlight the city (Houston) and the culture (the Palestinian diaspora) at the show's heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director George Miller joins this week’s episode of Toolkit to talk about the making of his latest film, “Three Thousand Years of Longing.” Miller discusses the film’s place in his career as a “palate cleanser” after the high-octane “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the philosophical underpinnings of the script, and why working with actors who are also filmmakers - in this case Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba - yields the best work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Executive producer and director Jamie Babbit discusses how the new Amazon Prime Video series "A League of Their Own" uses its camera to turn the show's large cast into a team and breaks down the cinematic language she found to highlight both the joys of playing baseball and of falling in love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Carmichael joins this week to talk about the creation of "Rothaniel," the ways in which it's changed his approach to telling stories for an audience, and some of the filmmaking choices that helped make the special as natural and also as elegant as possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Succession" executive producer and director Mark Mylod joins this episode of Toolkit to discuss putting together the show's third season and discusses the extra charge the series got from shooting in Italy, how "Succession" organizes scenes in order to capture the most impactful performances, the ways in which the show uses its opulent backup to keep the characters in perspective, and even more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a young screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan saw the special effects magicians at Industrial Light & Magic bring his most spectacular acts of imagination to life. Over 40 years after his work on “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Kasdan returned to the world of ILM for “Light & Magic,” a six-part documentary series chronicling the biggest effects developments of the 20th century through the stories of the men and women responsible for them – most of all Kasdan’s first employer, George Lucas. In this episode Kasdan talks about why he left fiction filmmaking behind for documentaries, how Lucas changed the movies forever, the mistakes Kasdan made on his own special effects extravaganza “Dreamcatcher,” and why “Top Gun: Maverick” made him excited about the movies again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peele knows you'll have questions after seeing 'Nope,' but to what degree did he figure out the the life and history of his new film's alien life form? Peele answers that question, as he breaks down the process of making his UFO cinematically real, and what he learned from filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. 'Nope' is a masterpiece of sound, and in second half of the podcast [19:40], we interview the films sound designer Johnnie Burn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, showrunner Peter Gould and executive producer Vince Gilligan join to talk about the ending of "Better Call Saul." No Season 6 spoilers here, but they discuss the show's writing process, the personnel decisions that have helped elevate the series, how the camerawork has evolved over the course of the show, and some of the storytelling philosophy that has stood them in good stead since "Breaking Bad." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, creator Danny McBride discusses the latest season of "The Righteous Gemstones" and his philosophy for everything from where the humor needs to come from, shooting action comedy, and maximizing his resources on a television schedule and budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, we speak with show creator David Jenkins and director/star Taika Waititi about their collaboration creating this ambitious comedy for HBO Max. The pair discuss everything from the visual influences that help "Our Flag Means Death" walk a tonal tightrope to the visual effects innovations that made shooting on television schedule possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of IndieWire's Deep Dive: Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville joins director Jeremy Podeswa, the crafts team, and cast to discuss how the show's timelines and themes come together in Episode 10, "Unbroken Circle" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcsat, Natasha Lyonne discusses the games that "Russian Doll" Season 2 is playing (of which time-travel via the 6 Train is only one), why this was a Pink Floyd season, how she refined her preparation as both a director and an actor over the pandemic, plus a little love for Sergio Leone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, Bill Hader discusses the latest season of Barry and digs into his directing work on Episode 6, "710N". Hader talks about when and why he embraces generic conventions (and when he doesn't), what he likes about long takes, the benefits of eschewing coverage, and how he constructed a chase sequence in the spirit of Jacques Tati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, we speak with Peter Jackson and his longtime collaborator, editor Jabez Olssen about their work distilling hundreds of hours of audio, dozens of hours of video, and 40 years of mythology about the Beatles' Get Back sessions into a documentary that tries, going day by day, to lay out the experience of the sessions that led to the Beatles' last live performance. Jackson and Olssen discuss what putting visuals to familiar audio changed, how they found ways around seemingly inaudible or unusable material, and why they set out to make a documentary that wasn't a Beatles break up story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Filmmaker’s Toolkit podcast, showrunner Sterlin Harjo talks about why he could only make (this version) of "Reservation Dogs" in his native Oklahoma, and what opportunities open up to a series when rooting it in a specific place that TV hasn't really seen before – and certainly not from a Native perspective. That, plus the steps in teaching an audience how to laugh at survival humor, the benefits of taking an epic approach to outwardly small stories, the trouble with manufacturing hail, and why the show's mythological elements live very matter-of-factly alongside its teen comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kogonada discusses the cinematic components of "After Yang" from how memory relates to the processof filmmaking to the importance of a science fiction story with domestic stakes. All of that, plus: the importance of spaces that can tell their own stories, the differences between film and short story, how the quality of light impacts the film, and a little bit of love for Robert Bresson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creator and executive producer Soo Hugh discusses how she tackled the globe and time-spanning 'Pachinko' by thinking about was the show wasn't and then discovering what the show was. All of that, plus: challenges of creating characterization in translation, the different visual styles of the show, and what a historical epic that isn't fetishizing period can look like. Slightly spoiler-y conversation about Episode 7 from 19:30 - 21:27. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a surprise bonus episode of Filmmaker's Toolkit, we have a conversation with 'Dune' cinematographer Greig Fraser. He gets into how he and director Denis Villeneuve achieved the correct sense of scale, the power of simplifying the frame, the film's concentrated, strategic bursts of color, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Reeves dives into his desire for greater subjectivity in a Batman story, influences from "The Wrong Man" to "The Long Halloween," the compulsive physicality of Robert Pattinson's performance, and how he found the light (and the dark) in Gotham. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go inside the Matrix with long-time Wachowski collaborators supervising sound editors Dane Davis and Stephanie Flack as we listen to examples from ‘Matrix Resurrections’ and hear how the franchise has sonically evolved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Mills discusses the philosophy, iconic imagery, and blend of documentary and narrative that come together to give "C'mon C'mon" its richness and soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Maggie Gyllenhaal and editor Affonso Gonçalves discuss their creative partnership and how they pushed both image and sound on "The Lost Daughter." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at PTA's creative process, the unique way he approaches filmmaking, and his new film with long-time collaborators: [1:20]: Co-cinematographer Michael Bauman [11:40]: Supervising Sound Editors / re-recording mixers Christopher Scarabosio & David Acord [18:39]: Costume Designer Mark Bridges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go inside Lowery and Droz Palmero's collaboration on the year's Best Cinematography. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fukunaga and Sangren break down their realistic, but painterly approach to Daniel Craig's final installment as James Bond, with incredible insights to film's use of color, camera movement, and emotional storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary director ("The Piano") dives into her process and collaborations in making the Netflix western. This is followed [26:30] by a conversation with her editor Peter Sciberras, who breaks down how he and Campion carefully navigated the relationship between Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) – as they needed to maintain the mystery, mounting sexual energy, and growing sense of foreboding as the film unfolded. Sponsored by MGM/United Artists Releasing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He’s back. The action maestro behind “Fast Five” and “Fast & Furious 6” returns to the franchise that was never the same without him. While on the podcast, Justin talked about what it’s actually like to direct big action scenes that are being shot thousands miles away, while he’s on a soundstage with the Vin Diesel and the cast, and how he integrates practical stunt work with VFX and cast performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the three co-creators of the new HBO Max series “Hacks,” Aniello also directed six of the 10 episodes (including the first three) and together with cinematographer Adam Bricker employed a purposeful and effective use of the camera so sorely missing from most half-hour comedy series. On the podcast Lucia discusses casting a non-standup in Jean Smart, creating her routines, and how she used the camera to tell the story of Deborah Vance (Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder). Bricker joins the second half of the podcast to talk about creating the look of a classic Vegas and avoiding the pitfalls inherent with cross-shooting a comedy series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “In the Heights” director on his original pitch to Lin-Manuel Miranda to direct his Tony award winning musical. We break down the opening number, the “When the Sun Goes Down” dance up the side of the building, and Jon’s distinct use of movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “P-Valley” showrunner talks about growing up in Memphis and how going to strip clubs informed how her Starz TV series celebrates the culture and art form of stripping. Hall discussed how she was inspired by Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” and used color light to capture the beauty of her casts’ dark skin tones. The playwright-turned-TV creator also talked about her experience of being a first time showrunner, what she is building off for Season 2 (about to start filming), where she’ll step into the director’s chair for the first time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-star Anna Konkle talks about the "half-therapy, half-masochist" process of reliving her middle school years through her "Pen15" character, writing the incredible “Vendy Wiccany" (witch) episode, and working with her 13 year-old stars. And at the 27:26 mark, co-creator Sam Zvibleman, who directed all seven episodes of Season 2A, joins the podcast to talk the restraint of Season 2, the influence of "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and the low-fi 90s filmmaking aesthetic of "Pen15," the difficulty of cutting 50 minute episodes down to 30, and what's like to shoot every episode in 4 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did creator and star Michaela Coel make “I May Destroy You”? We go inside her process with two close collaborators, as we discuss Coel stepping into the role of Arabella through costume, visually adapting her 12 brilliant scripts, capturing the spirit of East London, the constantly evolving rewrite process, and that surreal final episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

McQueen and Kirchner go inside how they created the magic of the “Lovers Rock” dance scenes, how McQueen’s own life was saved by the heroic mothers featured in “Education,” the fight to shoot 16mm, and how they approached making 5 individual movies in this remarkable anthology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Jenkins returns to the podcast with his long-time cinematographer James Laxton to discuss their epic journey in shooting all 10 episodes of the Amazon Original Series “Underground Railroad.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Why shouldn’t films look like this?” asks director Emerald Fennell, who believes diverse storytelling doesn’t just open the door to different stories and characters, but a diversity of craft. In talking about the colorful world she built around Cassie (Carrie Mulligan), Fennell breaks down how she constructed a film that tackles difficult issues in such entertaining and subversive ways. At the 24 minute mark, Emerald and I welcome “Promising Young Woman” costume designer Nancy Steiner and production designer Michael Perry to the conversation, where we talk about everything from Paris Hilton Videos to Twin Peaks to Sweet Valley High. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Does a Childhood Memory Look and Sound Like? That's a question we explore with the "Minari" director, who revisited his memories of growing up on an Arkansas family farm in the 1980s to make this film. And for the second half of the podcast Isaac and I welcome his composer Emile Mosseri into the conversation to discuss their collaboration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it feel like when your relationship to the world around you suddenly changes? Riz and Darius talk about the unique subjective experience they crafted for the audience as Ruben (Ahmed) looses his hearing, and the immersive way they shot ‘Sound of Metal.’ From putting mics down Riz’s throat, to learning drums, to the fascinating way sound design dictated editing and camera, we jump inside one of the more interesting production and craft stories of this awards season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zhao and Richards talk about how their process and filmmaking has evolved over 3 films, their spiritual connection to Terrence Malick, why Zhao decided to edit herself and Richards wanted to build Fern's van himself (and ended up with a production design credit), and marvels of Frances McDormand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The only way Shaka King was going to get a film made about the Chicago leader of the Black Panthers, Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), was to mask it as ‘Donnie Brasco’ genre film, and on this podcast we break down the incredible structure and ingenuity of this remarkable script. Shaka also talks about collaborating with DP Sean Bobbitt (after Bradford Young had to step away form the project), how the 'Judas' team turned modern day Cleveland into the westside of Chicago of the late 60s, the music track the director played at every pitch meeting (much to Exec Prod Ryan Coogler's dismay), and actress Dominique Fishback's vital role in shaping the film's third act and the role of Deborah Johnson (now known as Akua Njeri). 'Judas and the Black Messiah' is streaming now on HBO Max. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “Euphoria” creator talks about writing his new Netflix film around Zendaya’s persona and talents, throwing away the first two days of shooting, lacking confidence on set, finding the right needle drops, making the special “Euphoria” episodes, being aware of the audience’s (and his own) attention span, and severely restricting the number shots, angles, and lenses he uses. We also address (at the beginning and end of the podcast) Malcolm’s (John David Washington) attacks on film critics in the film, which Sam believes is being misconstrued and I believe is problematic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Gunda' Director Victor Kossakovsky by Chris O'Falt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets” premiered at Sundance last January it sparked a predictable conversation about what qualifies as a documentary. Bill and Turner Ross’ nonfiction story about the last night of a bar on the outskirts of the Las Vegas Strip was actually shot in a New Orleans bar, its patrons were bar flies the co-directors had met in an extensive casting process of visiting late night watering holes throughout the city. What got lost in the focus on the behind-the-scenes elements of making “Bloody Nose” was the craft that went into it and art that unfolded on screen. Bill and Turner are masters of direct cinema, and on the podcast we give them an opportunity to dig into their craft and process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fascinating filmmaking discussion about how echoes Truffaut, Scorsese, Peckinpah, and Bergman found their way into this intimate nonfiction drama. Ree and “the Painter” (Kysilkova) talk about their unique collaboration and what happened off-screen before filming, while the director also opens up about how he was mentally drained and ready to give up on the film before getting an important call from Sundance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most cinematically exciting, joyous, and sad films of the year, the director behind "Cameraperson" talks about her process of making a Netflix film with her father about his dementia and inevitable death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How ‘Son of Saul,' 'Lincoln' and other scripted narrative films Influenced this Documentary’s Up-Close and Widescreen Subjectivity. From casting to editing, a deep dive into the Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Documentary at Sundance 2020, and the frontrunner for the 2021 Oscar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Possibly the film of the year, Garrett Bradley takes us inside the creation of her poetic cinematic process in making a film about love, family, and incarceration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Succession' Deep Dive: Creator Jeremy Armstrong and His Craft Team Break Down the Season 2 Finale – "The Is Not for Tears." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices