Team Deakins

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 56 - RYAN WHITE - DIRECTOR Director Ryan White (GOOD NIGHT OPPY, THE KEEPERS, ASSASSINS) joins us on this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast to discuss his career and the field of documentary filmmaking. Born and raised in Dunwoody, Georgia, Ryan later enrolled in Duke University where he found his calling to direct documentaries after watching Agnès Varda's THE GLEANERS AND I. After welcoming him on the podcast, Ryan starts off strong by revealing how he's used previous episodes to study a particular department to help secure a job. He reflects on the state of the industry in which he came up that forced him to begin directing in his mid-20s and laments how today's industry can delay a young filmmaker from taking their first steps towards starting a career by employing them to assist those already established. We later learn how Ryan prefers to shoot his documentaries as intimately as possible over several years and how he and his producing partner Jessica Hargrave have typically sold their projects to distributors. Throughout our discussion, we reaffirm the value of learning by doing, of believing in your stories and talents when leaving the nest, and of listening to your mother. - Recommended Viewing: THE KEEPERS, GOOD NIGHT OPPY - This episode is sponsored by Dallas Film Commission

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 55 - JOHN SAYLES - ACTOR / WRITER / DIRECTOR / NOVELIST Actor, writer, director, and novelist John Sayles (MATEWAN, BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, LONE STAR) joins Team Deakins on this episode of the podcast for a discussion covering his long career in filmmaking and in fiction writing. A true multi-hyphenate, John first describes his postgraduate journey from working in an Italian sausage factory to enlisting in the Roger Corman film factory. John reflects on his luck having his first three screenplays produced under the legendary filmmaker and on the lessons he learned shooting his self-funded first feature. Working chiefly in independent American cinema, John considers the times and the market in which he came up that facilitated his filmmaking and offers advice for young filmmakers today. Among the many other topics of discussion, we consider the following: how John decides which medium best serves a story, the benefits of cutting in your head during production, and how comfortable an actor may or may not feel working out of an Econo Lodge in West Virginia. - This episode is sponsored by Dallas Film Commission

Bill Hader, the talented actor and showrunner known for 'Barry' and 'SNL,' shares his unique journey from Tulsa to Hollywood, including a humorous tale of being rejected from film school. He recounts chaotic and funny moments as a PA on low-budget films and discusses the challenges and joys of co-showrunning 'Barry' with Alec Berg. Hader highlights the art of casting, directing, and balancing the emotional depth of storytelling while addressing the evolving landscape of cinema and the importance of classic films.

Acclaimed costume designer Jenny Beavan shares her experiences working with the Merchant Ivory troupe, reusing clothing for characters, and the stories that costumes tell. She reflects on adapting after being deceived on a project and offers advice to aspiring costume designers.

In this episode, Ava DuVernay, writer and director of WHEN THEY SEE US, 13TH, SELMA, discusses her transition from running a publicity agency to filmmaking, her experience directing SELMA on a modest budget, and the power of dailies in her latest project. She also reflects on the impact of classic films on her childhood and shares her insights on the film industry's potential for positive change.

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 51 - GREIG FRASER - CINEMATOGRAPHER - THE BATMAN - PART 2 On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we're sharing the rest of our previously live-streamed conversation between Team Deakins and cinematographer Greig Fraser diving into his work on THE BATMAN. We start by talking all things lighting, and Greig shares how he and his team used non-film light fixtures to achieve a natural look in the film. We later discuss the importance of on-set chemistry and how a great attitude can outweigh experience when crewing. Greig shares how his team worked to match the menace of the Batmobile with the truck in Steven Spielberg's DUEL and how closely he worked with the art department during production. Greig also reveals which light best complimented Zoë Kravitz's makeup, and he pulls into focus the potential applications of an adjustable depth of field in the Volume lighting system. A link to the images mentioned in the episode can be found here. - This episode is sponsored by Dallas Film Commission & Falca

Cinematographer Greig Fraser discusses his work on THE BATMAN, including the challenges faced during production due to COVID-19. He talks about the creative process behind developing the film's visual aesthetic, the use of unique lenses, and the impact of location choices. They also explore the intersection of live-action and animation, the pros and cons of using live techniques versus computer-generated effects in shooting Batman, and different approaches to cinematography.

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 49 - RUTH DE JONG - PRODUCTION DESIGNER Team Deakins is joined by talented production designer Ruth De Jong (OPPENHEIMER, NOPE, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA). A creative scion of the accomplished production designer Jack Fisk, Ruth explains how Jack recruited her to assist him on THERE WILL BE BLOOD and the subsequent ten year partnership in which he was her mentor. She later reflects on how she's grown after each project as well as how to stay malleable after the train that is production leaves the station. Ruth also describes the invigorating responsibility she felt to deliver on OPPENHEIMER after director Christopher Nolan cut days from the schedule to balance the film's budget and the timely encouragement he gave her deep in production. She also shares her experiences working on TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN and how she worked off illustrations and paintings created by David Lynch to build and design the series' many scenes. - Recommended Viewing: OPPENHEIMER - This episode is sponsored by TrueCut Motion & Dallas Film Commission & Falca

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 48 - RYAN COOGLER - WRITER / DIRECTOR On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we're sharing our thoughtful conversation with writer and director Ryan Coogler (BLACK PANTHER, CREED, FRUITVALE STATION). An Oakland native, Ryan reveals how film became his family's second language and how his parents fostered his interest in cinema throughout his childhood. Later in our discussion, Ryan shares how he brought an athlete's mentality to film school by always trying to score a touchdown every time he picked up the camera to prove to himself and to those around him that he could build a career in filmmaking. Ryan also reflects on creating CREED with Sylvester Stallone, praising him as "the perfect collaborator" and acknowledging how he couldn't begrudge the creator of the ROCKY franchise for his cautiousness towards handing over writing duties for the first time in the franchise's history. We also discuss how the filmmakers that broke through in the culture Ryan consumed in his youth influenced his professional direction and how, by relying on his crew, Ryan is free to focus on his actors. - This episode is sponsored by Dallas Film Commission & Falca & TrueCut Motion

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 47 - BENICIO DEL TORO - ACTOR Team Deakins speaks with actor Benicio del Toro (SICARIO, TRAFFIC, THE FRENCH DISPATCH). Benicio expresses his gratitude to the Stella Adler Studio for serving him as a bastion in which he weathered the storm of rejections he faced early in his career. We discuss the definition of heroes on screen and what it means to play them, and Benicio considers the different demands of acting in superhero films in comparison to more grounded projects. We walk down memory lane remembering working together on SICARIO. Towards the end, we reflect that no production is the same experience and not one was the experience we thought it would be. - This conversation was recorded on May 2, 2023. - This episode is sponsored by Falca & TrueCut Motion & Dallas Film Commission