SEASON 2 - EPISODE 149 - A LOOK AT TWO INSPIRATIONAL FILMS - with Joe Walker - Part 1

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, editor Joe Walker (Season 1, Episode 35) returns for the first half of a two-part discussion about the filmmaking behind two of our favourite films: Richard Brooks’ IN COLD BLOOD and Jean-Pierre Melville’s ARMY OF SHADOWS. The films may contrast in their expression of cinematic storytelling with each other and with films made today, but we find, over the course of these two episodes, that both films share and build on the fundamental elements of what makes a movie, a movie. This episode focuses on IN COLD BLOOD, and we discuss how the film frequently subverts expectations through its structure, cinematography, and editing. Joe also breaks down composer Quincy Jones’ evocative score, and he reveals how the film radically flew in the face of a soon-to-be-abandoned Hays Code. Additionally, we look at the innovations in filmmaking technologies and techniques from cinema’s youth to the 1960s, and Joe presents his theory of the 30-year-cycle of evolution in the film industry. Plus, we take a moment to consider the links between Soviet propaganda’s understanding of montage and the modern analytics and algorithms that manipulate how images are presented on the internet today.

-

Recommended Viewing: IN COLD BLOOD (1967), ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969)

-

This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Barco

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 148 - Pulling a Film Together - with Paula McGann

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with Paula McGann (1917, DARKEST HOUR, MIDNIGHT SKY). We had the pleasure of working with Paula on 1917, and we asked her to come on the podcast to discuss the work that goes into pulling a film together nowadays. Paula—after years of working for directors, producers, and in several departments on numerous films—has recently begun producing herself, and with several projects in various stages of development, we thought her perspective would be valuable to hear and share. Paula teaches us what the film marketplace actually is, and we explore several hypothetical situations such as breaking down a script without a director’s vision and handling a financier’s creatively disruptive note. Paula also shares an experience in which a project was taken away from her, and we discuss practicing resilience in a business of ups and downs. Throughout the episode, we discuss mentors, budgeting, sales agents, putting yourself out there, and finding your own way in the business.

-

This episode is sponsored by Profoto & Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 147 - Turning the Tables - TRUE GRIT - David Mullen

Cinematographer David Mullen (Season 1, Episode 83 & Season 2, Episode 113) returns for a new edition of the “Turning the Tables” series in this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast. David’s questions center around our work on the Coen Brothers’ 2010 version of TRUE GRIT, and we had a wonderful time answering them. In addition to the questions concerning how we actually made the film, we also discuss the long history of westerns and the visual variety within the genre. We also reveal the story behind the push-in in the opening shot of the film, what was on location and what was on stage, and how we shot the river crossing scene. We later reflect on working with then-child actor Hailee Steinfeld, and we discuss the script’s unique and engaging dialogue. We also reflect on the utility of cowboy hats and on the visual strength of westerns directed by John Ford and Sergio Leone, and we swap stories from our early-career, low-budget exterior shoots. Topics also include: film stocks, aspect ratios, lighting locations and sets, and nighttime nightmares shooting a black mare against a black sky.

-

Recommended Viewing: TRUE GRIT (2010)

-

This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Profoto