IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit
Chris O'Falt
300 episodes
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 page 5 of 6
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'The Regime' Creator Will Tracey
From building a fictional government around Kate Winslet, to the benefits and liabilities of shooting in real palaces, the show's creator joins us to break down this fabulously satirical look at modern day…
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'Hacks: Season 3' Director & Co-Creator Lucia Aniello
After a fantastic finale to Season 3, one of the minds behind "Hacks" sat down with us to explore how the show remains so keyed into the joys, costs and absurdity of making art (and also pulling off 4AM drone shots on…
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'Game Changer' EPs Sam Reich & Paul Robalino
The hit series from streaming service Dropout, "Game Changer," combines a '70s game show with the joy of messing with your friends. Two of the executive producers walked us through the comedic chaos of producing a show…
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'Robot Dreams' Director Pablo Berger
If the title "Robot Dreams" sounds familiar, this was one of the Animated Features nominated for last year's Oscars. Now expanding wide over the summer, it's the perfect time to catch up on this darling story of…
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'The Curse' Creator, Writer, & Star Benny Safdie
The co-director of "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems" returns to Toolkit to discuss his collaboration with Nathan Fielder on their bizarrely fascinating series, "The Curse." Always a student of filmmaking, Benny walks us…
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'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' Director George Miller
Over the last 45 years, writer-director George Miller has created the greatest action-adventure franchise in the history of cinema; the “Mad Max” saga. The latest entry in the series, “Furiosa,” is the most ambitious…
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'Girlfight' Director Karyn Kusama
The director of several modern classics, like Jennifer's Body and The Invitation, joins us to discuss her feature debut Girlfight, now on Blu-Ray from Criterion. Kusama reflects on working with Michelle Rodriguez in…
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'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' Creator Jerrod Carmichael
After coming out to the world on his HBO special Rothaniel, the writer, actor, and comedian brings us even deeper into his personal life with this new reality show. Jerrod joined us for a deep conversation about the…
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'True Detective: Night Country' Director Issa López
The show-runner and director for the fourth season of this classic series joins us to explore how she brought the central True Detective themes and mysteries to a brand new landscape; the dark and frozen tundra of…
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'I Saw The TV Glow' Director Jane Schoenbrun
After this and "We're All Going to the World's Fair" Schoenbrun has emerged as one of our most fully formed new indie filmmakers, using a mastery of genre and form to expose audiences to complex and fascinating ideas.…
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'The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed' Director Joanna Arnow
The director of the funniest movies in a long time joins the Toolkit today to discuss her bold new work of auto-fiction. Arnow explains how she arranged this series of small vignettes to create something grander that…
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'The Fall Guy' Director David Leitch
David has been a stunt performer, one of the top stunt co-ordinators in the business, and now is one of the biggest action directors of the last decade with films like of "Atomic Blonde" and "Bullet Train." He joins…
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'Vanderpump Rules' Executive Producer Alex Baskin
Veteran producer Alex Baskin takes us behind the scenes of one of the best non-scripted shows on television. Hear how they balance reality with emotional storytelling, and how they prevented last season's 'Scandoval'…
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'Wildcat' Director Ethan Hawke
The great actor-turned-director talks about developing the film for his daughter Maya Hawke (who stars as author Flannery O’Connor) after "Stranger Things" blew up, wrestling with O’Connor’s history with racism, what…
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'Challengers' Director Luca Guadagnino
For his fourth time joining the Toolkit discussion, director Luca Guadagnino takes us into the sultry, sweaty world of "Challengers." Much more than just a tennis movie, this film pushed Guadagnino to make bold choices…
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'Shogun' Creators Justin Marks & Rachel Kondo
The co-creators of the stunning FX miniseries join us to discuss the rigorous process that made the show so captivating, from period detail to character psychology and a nuanced approach to subtitles. Learn more about…
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'Dogfight' Director Nancy Savoca
This little seen 1991 gem is coming to the Criterion Collection. And even if you have seen this movie, the story of how it got made will shock you. Savoca talked about how she transformed a studio film destined to be…
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'The People's Joker' Director Vera Drew
You may remember "The People’s Joker" as that film Warner Brothers tried to shut down for copyright infringement during the 2022 Toronto film Festival. The more interesting story about this film is the ingenuity and a…
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'We Were The Lucky Ones' Director & EP Thomas Kail
Thomas Kail, of Hamilton and Fosse/Verdon joins us to discuss this gripping series about a Jewish family in Poland surviving WWII, and how he worked to make sure this holocaust story reflects upon the modern day.…
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'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Director Adam Wingard
Having helmed their big grudge match in 2021's Godzilla vs Kong, director Adam Wingard is now back for the big team up. Hear how Wingard and his team expanded the mythology of the series, introduced several new titans,…
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'Love Lies Bleeding' Director Rose Glass
The director of "Saint Maud" takes us into the dark heart of her new noir romance. From the shocking gore to the authentic sex scenes, and even a touch of the cosmic, Glass breaks down how this movie goes so hard.…
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'Knox Goes Away' Director Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton joins us today for a chat about his work Directing and starring in this modern day film noir about a hitman with rapid-onset dementia. Hear how Keaton defied the expectations of a thriller in order to…
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'Dune: Part Two' Director Denis Villeneuve
It's time to go back to the desert! The mastermind behind the Dune series returns to Toolkit to breakdown the complicated hero's journey, making sandworm riding a reality, and why this sequel feels like such a…
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'Expats' Director Lulu Wang
Series creator and director Lulu Wang discusses carrying around a Zoom recorder on scouts and finding the rhythm (in more ways than one) of "Expats." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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'Masters of the Air' Writer John Orloff
The Apple TV Plus series “Masters of the Air” reunites screenwriter John Orloff with his “Band of Brothers” producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg. On this episode, Orloff discusses his rigorous…
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'Wanted Man' Director Dolph Lundgren
You probably know Dolph Lundgren as an actor from films like ROCKY IV and UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, but over the last 20 years he has quietly forged a directing career making modestly budgeted action films in the…
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'Origin' Director Ava Duvernay
Ava Duvernay joins us to dig into the deep emotions and complex histories that make up her extraordinary new film Origin. Hear how she saw a vision for a film within the 'unadaptable' best selling book by Isabelle…
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'The Zone of Interest' Director Jonathan Glazer
It has been nine years since Under The Skin, the last film from Jonathan Glazer. Once you hear him discuss the approach to the harrowing and complex subject matter of his new film, including bold approaches to the look…
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'Air' Director Ben Affleck and Editor William Goldenberg
Editor William Goldenberg has cut all but one of director Ben Affleck’s features, and Affleck says their partnership was the key to making “Air” fly. On today’s episode Affleck and Goldenberg talk about evoking period…
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'Occupied City' Director Steve McQueen & Writer Bianca Stigter
The director and writer of Occupied City join us this week to explain how they crafted this very particular and precise cinematic experience, which presents a unique approach to a dark chapter in world history. Learn…
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'Ferrari' Director Michael Mann
Director Michael Mann joins Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his latest film, “Ferrari,” a movie he’s been working on in one form or another for decades. Mann discusses how he conceived and executed the film’s…
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'Elemental' Director Peter Sohn
Peter Sohn has long been a fixture at Pixar, and this week he spoke with us about taking the leap from voice acting and writing to directing. Hear how he finds his story through his drawing pen, and why his family's…
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'Saltburn' Director Emerald Fennell
Director Emerald Fennell joined us to the joys of crafting a deeply unsubtle movie without being foolish, and how the many lush details of Saltburn illuminate its characters' murky morality. Learn more about your ad…
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'The Color Purple' Director Blitz Bazawule
“The Color Purple” has already been a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, Academy Award-nominated film by Steven Spielberg, and Tony Award-winning Broadway show, but director Blitz Bazawule still found new…
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'Killers of the Flower Moon' Director Martin Scorsese
This podcast was always conceived as a place where filmmakers could have the kinds of detailed, craft-centric discussions that Martin Scorsese would love. Now, for our 250th episode, the master himself joins us explain…
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'Poor Things' Director & Actor/Producer Yorgos Lanthimos & Emma Stone
Director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone were nominated for Oscars for their first collaboration, “The Favourite,” and their new film “Poor Things” is even funnier, more moving, and more original. Lanthimos and Stone…
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'Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project' Directors Joe Brewster & Michèle Stephenson
Nikki Giovanni was one of the most prominent poet-activists to come out of the late-60s Black Arts Movement, and, as this film explores, is one of the Godmothers of Afrofuturism and the Afropunk alternative arts scene.…
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'The Pigeon Tunnel' Director Errol Morris
Errol Morris has interviewed many controversial figures from Donald Rumsfeld to Steve Bannon, but when he sat down with author and former spy David Cornwell - aka John le Carré - he finally met his match in terms of…
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'Napoleon' Director Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott is one of those directors with almost too many great films to count, from classics like Blade Runner to modern favorites like The Martian. He joined us to discuss his newest film, detailing how he manages…
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'Orlando, My Political Biography' Director Paul B. Preciado
The director of the boundary pushing documentary joins us to illuminate how this famous character from Virginia Woolf remains strikingly relevant in our time, and how we are all a bit of an Orlando. Learn more about…
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'Wish' Directors Fawn Veerasunthorn & Chris Buck
The directing team behind the latest Disney animated feature join us to discuss tapping into 100 years of Disney movie history to craft a film with its own sense of magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' Director Francis Lawrence
After helming the last three films in the previous Hunger Games film series, director Francis Lawrence returns for the much anticipated prequel. He joined us to discuss how he returned to the franchise, and how he…
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'Thanksgiving' Director Eli Roth
Sixteen years after the world saw a trailer for it in Grindhouse, Eli Roth has turned Thanksgiving into a real horror movie. Roth shares how the movie finally made it to the screen, and the slasher b-movies he paid…
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'Terms of Endearment' Director James L. Brooks
Whether you know it or not, today's guest has probably been involved in a movie or TV show you love. The celebrated director, writer, & producer joins us for the 40th anniversary of his directorial debut Terms of…
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'Anatomy of a Fall' Director Justine Triet
The director of one of the most talked about movies of the fall joins us to discuss making a courtroom thriller quite unlike any other, using film form to challenge the tropes of the genre and our obsession with true…
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'Our Flag Means Death: Season 2' Director David Jenkins
Today we are joined by the captain himself: show-runner, creator, and now director David Jenkins. We go deep below decks to learn why Jenkins rejects many typical pirate tropes in order to protect the emotional truth…
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'Flora and Son' Director John Carney
The director of Once (2007) and Sing Street (2016) joins Toolkit today to discuss his latest film about creativity, music, and finding connection in Dublin. Listen to hear how classic musicals influence how Carney sees…
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'Physical' Creator Annie Weisman
The creator & showrunner of this darkly funny look at 80s culture and gender roles joined Toolkit to discuss the series' three season arc, the moving final episode, and that cruel inner voice so many of us seem to…
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'Dorktown' Director Jon Bois
Jon Bois talks the many facets of creating the epic nine-hour documentary "The History of The Minnesota Vikings" from the boss chart that anchors the series to unexpected music cues to novel uses for Google Earth.…
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'Bottoms' Director Emma Seligman
Emma Seligman discusses creating the riotous action comedy "Bottoms" from casting and stunt work to music and production design, and the project of bringing queer characters into timeless high school tropes. Learn…
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