Nicholas Lam: How Losing Everything Teaches Us What Really Matters
Against the backdrop of industry upheaval and the rise of AI, Nicholas Lam joins hosts Ava Benjamin Shorr and David Kruta to explore what it means to future-proof creativity. Lam critiques performative diversity initiatives, warns against chasing trends, and makes a case for human, low-fi storytelling as the antidote to algorithmic content. Taking a personal turn, Lam recounts losing his home in the Los Angeles fires of January 2025, and shares how the filmmaking community rallied to support him, reshaping his priorities and reinforcing the importance of showing up for others. That experience reframes his view of work, stripping away the false urgency of the industry and grounding him in relationships over accolades.Nicholas Lam’s Instagram | WebsiteAva Benjamin Shorr’s Instagram | WebsiteDavid Kruta’s Instagram | WebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Fujifilm, Sandisk and TCP Insurance.
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Mike Pecci: Hollywood Always Plays It Safe, So Show Them Something They Can’t Ignore
Director Mike Pecci joins host David Kruta to dissect the chaos of post-COVID Hollywood, the false promises of AI disruption, and the suffocating gatekeeping of the studio system. Pecci lays bare the existential challenges of trying to create authentic work in an industry gripped by fear, algorithmic control, and vanishing opportunities. In a world where pitching feels like shouting into a void, Pecci finds power in simply continuing to create, and the filmmakers who will survive are the ones who know how to make something out of nothing—and do it with heart. For him, AI is not the enemy. Mediocrity is. Mike Pecci’s Instagram | Website | Watch 12 KilometersDavid Kruta’s Instagram | WebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Fujifilm, Sandisk and TCP Insurance.
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Jim Geduldick: The Machines Are Here to Take Your Job, But Only if You Let Them
As fears mount over AI’s impact on creative labor, cinematographer and technologist Jim Geduldick joins host David Kruta to dissect the frenzy surrounding artificial intelligence and its encroachment into the film industry. As AI-generated imagery floods social media and marketing departments chase cost-cutting automation, Geduldick challenges the doom-and-gloom narrative with a nuanced, insider perspective—arguing that while jobs may shift, human storytelling will remain irreplaceable. However, decades of tech disruption, from DVX100s to LED volumes, won’t change the fact that great filmmaking has always been—and still is—about the people behind the lens.Jim Geduldick’s InstagramDavid Kruta’s Instagram | WebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Fujifilm, Sandisk and TCP Insurance.
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Matt Workman: From Light Meters to Game Engines and the Future of Cinematography
This week, we’re joined by Matt Workman—filmmaker, developer, and creator of Cine Tracer—for a candid look at the shifting landscape of cinematography. We explore how filmmakers can better communicate, justify resources, and protect their creative choices in a rapidly evolving industry, and why futureproofing your skillset now means knowing both a light meter and a game engine. From the emergence of virtual production to the democratization of 3D previsualization, Workman unpacks how technology like Unreal Engine, once reserved for high-budget productions, is becoming a daily tool for working DPs.Matt Workman’s Instagram | YouTubePeter Pascucci’s Instagram | WebsiteLauren Guiteras’s Instagram | WebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Fujifilm, Sandisk and TCP Insurance.
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Rachel Clark, BSC: A Meditation on Innocence, Silence, and the Space Between Words (Special Camerimage Episode)
Rachel Clark, BSC, brings a poetic realism to the screen, and in this special edition episode recorded at the Camerimage Festival, she reveals how she constructs that visual language. Joining hosts Ava Benjamin Shorr and Lauren Guiteras to reflect on the making of “Edge of Summer”, a lyrical coming-of-age film set in the haunting landscapes of Cornwall. Clark unpacks her immersive handheld approach, the challenge of lighting with only headlamps, and the deeply collaborative relationship with director Lucy Cohen. Their discussion explores the aesthetics of memory, adolescence, and the subtle power of image-making that trusts the viewer’s emotional literacy.If you are enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting our efforts on Patreon.Rachel Clark’s Instagram | WebsiteAva Benjamin Shorr’s Instagram | WebsiteLauren Guiteras’s Instagram | WebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Fujifilm, Creamsource and Sandisk, with special thanks to Kondor Blue.
Tune in to the Cinematography Salon Podcast every other Thursday for an enlightening journey into the realm of cinematography, hosted by Peter Pascucci and Ava Benjamin Shorr. Drawing inspiration from the rebellious ethos of historic art salons, our show serves as a platform for emerging talents to both showcase their art and challenge the conventional boundaries of our craft. Through our podcast, we connect like-minded filmmakers and catalyze the exchange of resources, ideas, and wisdom in the cinematography community.
New Zealand