Team Deakins

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 116 - Melinda Sue Gordon - Still Photographer On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, still photographer Melinda Sue Gordon (OPPENHEIMER, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, LICORICE PIZZA) joins us to discuss the ins and outs of on-set still photography. We learn how Melinda Sue fulfills studio requests while navigating the many personalities of a cast and crew just trying to make the day, and she shares her approach to capturing images that faithfully represent the characters and tone of a film’s story. We later learn why Melinda Sue pivoted to still photography after studying cinematography at AFI, and she reveals how she cold-called her way onto RAISING ARIZONA early in her career. We also discuss how she successfully adapted to the advent of digital photography, and we learn how most of her images are only ever used internally at a studio to develop a marketing campaign—and (in a major scoop) Melinda Sue reveals which widely-distributed still from KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON was actually a composite. At the end of the conversation, Melinda Sue shares her advice to aspiring on-set still photographers listening in, and we reflect on the pleasure of staring at one static photograph amidst today’s glut of imagery. - This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 115 - Dominic Tuohy - Special Effects Supervisor Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy (THE BATMAN, 1917, EDGE OF TOMORROW) joins us in this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast to discuss the craft of special effects. With a father active in the film industry, Dom was taken in by the special effects team at Pinewood Studios at an early age, and he's been working in the department for the past 40 years. Throughout the episode, we discuss the invaluable verisimilitude of special effects, and Dom muses over the magic inherent to filmmaking’s smoke and mirrors. He later unmasks the secrets behind pulling off the Batmobile chase in THE BATMAN, and we learn how stunt coordinator Rob Alonzo creatively spent his time during the pandemic induced pause in production to pre-visualize the sequence. Dom also reveals the painstaking (and sometimes painful) work that he and his team endure to push the envelope and make an effect even better. Towards the end of the conversation, Dom reveals how he advises any young person interested in making a life out of making movies, and we reflect on the high price (and deep pleasure) of working in the industry. - This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 114 - PEDRO PÁRAMO - with Rodrigo Prieto On this special episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, our friend and former guest Rodrigo Prieto (Season 1, Episode 112) joins us to discuss his directorial debut, PEDRO PÁRAMO, an adaptation of the eponymous and iconic Mexican novel written by venerated author Juan Rulfo. The focus of our conversation centers around Rodrigo’s experiences as a first-time director, and we cover the lifetime of the film’s journey from prep to release. Rodrigo starts by sharing how he came to direct the project in the first place, and he reveals why he felt he could be the one to tell this story today. We later discuss the novel’s legacy within Mexico and Latin America, and we learn how the themes of the complex story informed many of Rodrigo’s creative choices, from retooling the script to casting the appropriate actors. Rodrigo also shares what his biggest surprise was as a first-time director, and he reflects on the naturalistic direction of his telling of the story while discussing the 1967 adaptation of the novel. We also discuss the leniency with light enabled by modern digital cameras, and Rodrigo reveals how an added budgetary pressure can lead many to avoid spending money on lighting packages of any kind. Throughout the episode, Rodrigo reflects on his love for the magic trick that is cinema, and we learn if and how often he plans to direct again!   PEDRO PÁRAMO is available worldwide on Netflix. - Recommended Reading: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo  - Recommended Viewing: PEDRO PÁRAMO - This episode is sponsored by Aputure

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 113 - Technical Knowledge for Cinematographers - with David Mullen In this special episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we’re joined by our friend and cinematographer David Mullen (Season 1, Episode 83) to discuss what and how much technical knowledge a cinematographer ought to know these days. The conversation includes specific explanations of technical details (such as the difference between film grain and digital noise) and more general subjects (such as the importance of telling a story and eliciting an emotional response from the audience). We also share a number of work stories, including Roger’s early-career exposure to cinematographer Douglas Slocombe’s internal light-meter and David’s experience seeing his work on a TV show smothered by a yellow filter during post. Reflecting on the diversity in images in older Hollywood films despite limited film stock and optical options, we maintain the position that the look of a film is the product of a cinematographer’s eye (rather than the technology one uses), and David elucidates how cinematographer Oswold Morris developed the desaturated look of director John Huston’s adaptation of MOBY DICK using the technology available to him to serve the storytelling. We also reflect on the lost knowledge of how films were made in the early digital days of the 2000s and stress the need to study and remember filmmaking history, recent and ancient. Towards the end, we also consider director Yasujiro Ozu’s prolific and effective use of a single 50mm lens when the conversation drifts towards the phenomenon of people avoiding “boring lenses”. Plus, we highlight the need to understand basic high school mathematics (no excuses!).   Cinematographers at all levels, from the aspiring to the battle-worn, can enjoy and learn from this discussion, and we hope you enjoy listening. - This episode is sponsored by Aputure