IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

Stunt coordinator turned director Sam Hargrave joins us to walk through his process making this satisfying sequel. He shares his thoughts on why so many stunt performers have recently become some of our best action directors, and explains how his close collaboration with star Chris Hemsworth allows for moving moments between the action (as well as incredible feats like 21 minute long take fight scenes). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an unusually zany quest for the holy grail on today's Toolkit as we sit down with the co-writers and creators of Mrs. Davis. They discuss the challenges of balancing wild comedic antics with some truly deep questions about religion and technology, and how a special blend of influences from Looney Tunes to Quentin Tarantino and Monty Python helped it all come to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We can't stop thinking about the end of Succession, so we had to sit down with Mark Mylod to dig into his directorial journey across the four seasons of this incredible show. He breaks down the many infamous moments from the finale, and also reveals which episodes along the way taught him what the style of the show would become. It's a conversation that will make you want to rewatch the series from the beginning with open eyes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of Terry Gilliam's masterpieces recently received lavish Criterion Collection re-releases, packed with the insights and special features expected from the series. We felt this was a perfect excuse to sit down with Terry and take a humorous and thoughtful look back on the making of The Fisher King and Time Bandits. Hear the master reflect on everything from working with Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, to making an unusual kids movie within the studio system, and drop in many funny anecdotes along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craig Mazin is a huge fan of The Last of Us and it's characters, and that passion comes across beautifully when he described making the show. He dives deep into his meticulous approach to preserving the world of the game, adapting an interactive action game into a TV drama, and his feelings about the story's infamous relationship to the power and horror of love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A decade after their last collaboration, 2013's Enough Said, Holofcenter reunites with star Julia Louis-Dreyfus for another brilliant film about the complexities of relationships. The new film, about the fallout of a wife hearing what her husband really thinks of her work, is full of comedic possibility and penetrating insights on the subtle negotiations that make up a long lasting marriage. Holofcenter has become the master of American marital strife, and has a fascinating discussion with us diving into how she achieves her signature tonal balance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love & Death tells the true story of an affair gone horribly wrong, and Director Lesli Linka Glatter joined us to explore all the lurid details. The television directing legend, with credits on Mad Men, Twin Peaks, Homeland, and many more, explains how she balanced the entertaining tone of the series with the authentic horror of this real life tragedy, and why a scene involving just two people in a laundry room was the hardest scene of her career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schrader joins us in the IndieWire studio this week to discuss the third film in his loose "a man in a room" trilogy, following 'First Reformed' and 'Card Counter.' These movies center on a particular kind of existential loner, in this case an reformed white supremacist hiding from his past in a garden community. Hear Schrader explain how digital technology and smaller budgets have liberated his filmmaking, and how 'Master Gardener' draws from and comments on the long cinematic history of troubled, loner men. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stepping up to helm the tenth installment of one of Hollywood's biggest franchises is enough of a challenge, but director Louis Leterrier also had to step into the role with the movie already in progress. He discusses the challenges and upsides of joining a project already in motion, and how he managed to keep his trademark humor and personality in tact in a massive worldwide tentpole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As his hit show enters its final season on HBO, Bill Hader returns to Toolkit to break down his newest, weirdest ideas from the director's chair. As director for every episode this season, Hader's control over the artistic vision of the show has never been stronger, which comes with even more pressure and expectations. Hear how he found ways to improve on his previous work on the series, and what he hopes the future holds for Bill Hader, movie director. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices