

IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit
Chris O'Falt
Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. From screenwriting to film language to cinematography, we'll be examining the innovative ways today's best filmmakers are getting their visions out into the world.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 26, 2025 • 33min
'F1' Director Joseph Kosinski
The director of 'Top Gun: Maverick' returns to the big screen with his latest feat of cinematic speed. If you want to understand how they really shot F1, this is the interview to listen to. Kosinski breaks down why putting cameras on an F1 car was harder than an a fighter jet, and he reveals the key role VFX played in embedding this movie within an active F1 racing season.
Watch more interviews with today's top directors - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_oEavFHbDlFCGlOmGO71Tvzb1qEHofCg&si=9pUCNArDCxcyrX2b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 21, 2025 • 33min
'28 Years Later' Director Danny Boyle
After reigniting the zombie movie over two decades ago with the groundbreaking '28 Days Later,' Boyle returns to the directors chair along with his writing partner Alex Garland to innovate in the horror space once again. He breaks down the advanced iPhone rigs they used to capture a new sense of violent speed, and digs into the surprisignly emotional aspects of this sequel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2025 • 34min
'What We Do In The Shadows' Director Yana Gorskaya
Director, executive producer, and longtime "What We Do In The Shadows" editor Yana Gorskaya discusses why all directors should have to edit a TV comedy, the ambitious designs, props, and worldbuilding that went into creating an afterlife for its Staten Island vampires, the joys of shooting on film for the series finale, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 18, 2025 • 42min
'Materialists' Director Celine Song
The acclaimed writer and director of 'Past Lives' is back to explore the rules and rituals of love in the modern age once again. This time she draws on her own history as a matchmaker to craft a story that dissects romance tropes, and how we define value in other people, and ourselves.
Watch full episodes of the Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_oEavFHbDlFCGlOmGO71Tvzb1qEHofCg&si=WtwVXZZl-g-YC83a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2025 • 45min
Dropout's 'Very Important People' Director Tamar Levine & Actor Vic Michaelis
This send up of the interview format from our friends at Dropout challenges comedians to conduct conversations as elaborately created characters. From complex special effects and costumes to the reality breaking meta-narrative, there is a lot to dig into with this series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 5, 2025 • 33min
'Hacks' Showrunners Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs
Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs, two of the three co-creators of "Hacks" and two of its writers and directors, talk to IndieWire about giving Ava and Deborah an antagonistic relationship like never before in Season 4. The pair discuss how their team has continued to evolve the filmmaking language of the show and set new challenges for themselves — namely, a Late Night show for Deborah — while still bringing a half-hour Max comedy in on time.
Watch full episodes of the Filmmaker Toolkit on YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_oEavFHbDlFCGlOmGO71Tvzb1qEHofCg&si=9pUCNArDCxcyrX2b Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 3, 2025 • 1h 3min
'Ren Faire' Director Lance Oppenheim
The Filmmaker Toolkit sat down with the director of one of the most exciting, entertaining, and truthful pieces of cinematic non-fiction we've seen in a long while. The three part HBO docu-drama follows the succession battle that occurs when the 86 year old leader of an enormous Renascence Faire decides to step down as king. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 1, 2025 • 34min
'Mountainhead' Director Jesse Armstrong
The Emmy winning creator of 'Succession' is back on the Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss his feature directorial debut. Jesse was an erudite guest, exploring his writing process and how he approached some of the same themes of wealth and power as his previous work in new ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 30, 2025 • 23min
'The Phoenician Scheme' Director Wes Anderson
Today we welcome a true bucket list guest to the podcast, the incomparable Wes Anderson. Wes's new film draws inspiration from art history, bombastic historical figures, and his father in law. He talks us through these influences, and how watching old movies with his daughter has affected his film diet, and in turn his filmmaking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 27, 2025 • 29min
'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' Director Christopher McQuarrie
The steady hand behind the last four Mission: Impossible films is back on the Filmmaker Toolkit, but this Mission brings a different tone than before. Partly due to the attempt to tie the entire nearly three decade old series into the story, but also to allow enough budget and time to execute the two most impressive and dangerous sequences we've yet seen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices