Team Deakins

EPISODE 51 -ANDREW PATTERSON - Director Team Deakins was excited to talk with emerging director, Andrew Patterson. After seeing his debut film, VAST OF NIGHT, we knew we wanted to talk with him. He leads us through the long path of getting his movie made, talks about his casting and the very interesting cadence of the dialogue of the film. He also speaks about wanting to make a movie that doesn’t start to looked aged but the look stays contemporary and what he did to achieve that. He also shares how he maximized his resources, what his first hires were and what he learned from his first film. A really interesting conversation with a very interesting filmmaker! REQUIRED EPISODE VIEWING: The Vast of Night

EPISODE 50 - JOSH BROLIN - Actor Team Deakins sits down with long time friend, actor Josh Brolin (TRUE GRIT, AVENGERS: ENDGAME, ONLY THE BRAVE, MILK). We learned so much from him - how going into law is similar to being an actor (who knew?) and how acting is like golf (learned something new!). He also tells us how his interest in human behavior drew him to acting and he shares the very funny story of his audition for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. He speaks of his experiences working with the Coen Brothers, he tells us what was involved in his THE AVENGERS role and shares how he was convinced to do SICARIO. He also goes into how he relates with the camera crew, his prep for films and how he uses instagram as a platform for his prose. And that’s only a part of what we talked about! Don’t miss it! RECOMMENDED EPISODE VIEWING: No Country for Old Men

EPISODE 49 - NICOLETTA MANI - Script Supervisor Team Deakins has the pleasure of talking with script supervisor, Nicoletta Mani (1917, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- FALL OUT, THE QUIET ONES). We get the chance to discover the wide range of this role in production from the breakdown of the script, day breakdown, script timing, editor notes, continuity and much more. We learn how the script supervisor acts as a conduit to the Editor and their relationship to the director and the other departments. We also talked about handling a shoot with multiple units and multiple cameras. We delved into continuity and when it matters and when it doesn’t. Nicoletta leads us through the different aspects to the job of script supervisor - a very informative episode!

EPISODE 48 - ROB LEGATO - VFX Supervisor Team Deakins speaks with VFX Supervisor, Rob Legato (THE LION KING, THE JUNGLE BOOK, HUGO, TITANIC). He walks us through some of the changes in VFX over the years and is quite vocal on his feelings on the different approaches - CG effects or model work. We learned a lot about his work on Jungle Book, The Lion King, Titanic and Apollo 13. We even talked about shooting 3D versus converting afterwards. Rob also told us his thoughts of the future of CG. A lot of information in this episode!

EPISODE 47 - TIM ROBBINS - Actor, Director Team Deakins has a great conversation with actor, director (and punk rocker, as you learn in the episode!), Tim Robbins (MYSTIC RIVER, THE PLAYER, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, DEAD MAN WALKING). Tim shares a lot of his thoughts on acting, the importance of “generous actors” and how fame can lead you astray. We learn about overcoming the temptation to take a job for the wrong reasons and the importance of patience when choosing your work. He tells us about his experience of working with Bob Altman, Clint Eastwood and Ron Shelton. We talk about his directing experiences and how directing made him a better actor. The movie “Easy Rider” even comes into the discussion! A fascinating conversation you won’t want to miss! RECOMMENDED EPISODE VIEWING: 5 Corners, Bull Durham, Bob Roberts

EPISODE 46 - ED ZWICK - Director Team Deakins has the opportunity in this episode to sit down with director, writer, producer Ed Zwick and discuss a wide range of subjects. Ed’s list of credits is long and includes THE SIEGE, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, and DEFIANCE). Ed tells us what is important to him as a director and why he thinks scale is important in a movie. He also speaks of the value of finding the action on the set rather than trying to set it beforehand either with pre-vis or storyboards. We talk about casting and he shares some examples of working with actors. He also speaks on what he thinks is the difference between film and television production as well as his belief that movies can make a difference. It is a great discussion with a passionate filmmaker and not one that you’d want to miss! RECOMMENDED EPISODE VIEWING: Courage under Fire, The Siege

EPISODE 45 - JAKE GYLLENHAAL - Actor Team Deakins had the opportunity to sit and talk with long time friend, actor Jake Gyllenhaal (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, PRISONERS, NIGHTCRAWLER). Jake speaks about his relationship with directors and with cinematographers. We speak about his work in Donnie Darko and Prisoners, as well as Jarhead and Wildlife. He speaks about how, as an actor, the final result is always in other people’s hands. He also shares how important the collaboration between actor and cinematographer is and the importance of creating a “safe place” for the actor in front of the camera. Although we were hoping he would explain the end of the movie Enemy (and he said he would!), we finished the episode without knowing any more! And we also got into the craft of building sand castles! A really fun conversation that gave us an insight into the world of an actor! Don’t miss it! RECOMMENDED EPISODE VIEWING: Donnie Darko, Jarhead

EPISODE 44 - FRANZ KRAUS Part 2 - Arriflex This is part 2 with Franz Kraus. We continue our conversation with Franz about all things digital. We talk lens, camera, the Trinity rig, viewfinders, the M camera (precursor of the Mini) and what might be coming in the future. A great chance to get all of those digital questions out into the open! It was an amazing experience to pick the brain of a person behind the development of digital technology.

EPISODE 43 - FRANZ KRAUS Part 1 - Arriflex Team Deakins sits down with Franz Kraus of Arriflex who has overseen most of the company’s digital visual advancements. We learn the history and progression into digital technology. He also walks us through the greater importance of dynamic range vs resolution. We learn how the sensor size affects the relationship between lens and subject. We speak about the Arri 65 camera as well as the LF camera. And much more! Franz was so generous with his knowledge that we have to split our session into two episodes!! It’s a great deep dive into digital technology!

EPISODE 42 - KK BARRETT - Production Designer Team Deakins sits down with production designer KK Barnett (HER, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, MARIE ANTOINETTE). It’s a great opportunity to delve into the job of the production designer and all it entails. We go into depth about how he works with the DP and the Director. He illustrates his process by talking specifically about scenes in Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are, and Adaptation. We talk about the difference in designing from an original script or a script based on a book. He shares his process of breaking down a script and offers advice to those starting out. We even talk about the proverbial “Telephone Box” set. An episode with a lot of information about production design! RECOMMENDED EPISODE VIEWING: Being John Malkovich, Marie Antoinette