SEASON 2 - EPISODE 157 - Garret Dillahunt - Actor In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with actor Garret Dillahunt (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, DEADWOOD). We worked with Garret on NO COUNTRY and JESSE JAMES, and we had a wonderful time catching up with him. Garret shares how he made his way from rural Washington to the graduate program for acting at NYU, and we learn why he made the leap from theatre to film and television. While trading stories from NO COUNTRY, Garret shares a humorous episode involving himself, actor Tommy Lee Jones, the Coen brothers, and a bowl of wrapped candies, and we marvel at the Coens’ ability to nudge actors into shooting their storyboards. In the latter half of our conversation, Garret recalls his experiences shooting the television series DEADWOOD, and we learn how those experiences set the tone for the rest of his career. Garret also reveals how showrunner David Milch wrote the show as they shot it, and we discuss the different strategies and approaches to coverage. Plus, we discuss dealing with imposter syndrome, and Garret reflects on the actor-in-a-supporting-role’s tricky task of trying to find the vibe on a set at 2AM. - Recommended Viewing: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, DEADWOOD - This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Barco
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BARRY JENKINS - Director
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 156 - Barry Jenkins - Director In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director Barry Jenkins (MUFASA: THE LION KING, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, MOONLIGHT). How did Barry get from South Florida to Hollywood? What did he learn about himself on his walkabout around the country after leaving the industry? What did Barry struggle with in the gap between the release of his debut feature and MOONLIGHT? How did he survive the gonzo shooting schedule of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD? Why MUFASA? Barry answers all these questions and speaks on craft, process, and so much more in this extended and enriching conversation about his life, his films, and the many years he spent not actually making anything. Barry and his film school friends Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak also produce movies through their production company PASTEL, and we discuss why he feels it’s important to help introduce new filmmakers and new voices—particularly now. Plus, Barry reveals the premise of his unrealized Stevie Wonder time-travel script. - Recommended Viewing: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, MOONLIGHT, MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY - This episode is sponsored by Barco & Aputure
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FRED SPECKTOR - Agent
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 155 - Fred Specktor - Agent In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with agent Fred Specktor (CAA). Fred has actually seen it all—now in his 90s, he joined the mailroom at MCA (before its dissolution) after graduating college, and he’s been in the business ever since. After a stint as movie mogul Lew Wasserman’s assistant at MCA, Fred was fired, and he recounts his journey bouncing between outfits until landing at CAA where he has represented top Hollywood talent for the past four decades. Fred’s long career as an agent is populated with moments such as networking at a car accident and attending an acting class with Jack Nicholson, and he shares many of them with us throughout the episode. We also discuss the differences in Hollywood, moviegoing, and filmmaking between today and the previous century, and we learn how he still tackles his work with verve after a lifetime on the job. Plus, Fred makes his prediction for the future of the movies. - If you enjoy listening to Fred, we recommend reading THE GOLDEN HOUR. Fred’s career and life is one of the subjects of the novel which was written by previous guest (and Fred’s son) Matthew Specktor (Season 2, Episode 146). - This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Barco
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TRACY LETTS - Actor / Writer
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 154 - Tracy Letts - Actor / Writer In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with actor and writer Tracy Letts (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, BUG, HOMELAND). Born and raised in Oklahoma, Tracy struck out for Chicago after high school to find work as an actor in the city’s active theatre scene, and we learn why Tracy began writing plays himself. We also discuss cinema’s role as a messenger for exposing the stories of the stage to rural American communities without access to the theatre, and he shares his mixed experiences adapting his plays into films, from director William Friedkin’s tense vision of BUG to the Hollywood ensemble version of his Pulitzer Prize winning play AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. An accomplished actor as well, Tracy reflects on seeking advice for performing for the camera from his seasoned HOMELAND castmates Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, and he reveals how he felt when, after being replaced on a film he had written, he was asked to act in additional scenes invented for his character. Plus, Tracy quotes a critical review that ironically sold out the remaining shows of his first play KILLER JOE. - This episode is sponsored by Barco & Aputure
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STEVEN SODERBERGH - Director
SEASON 2 - EPISODE 153 - Steven Soderbergh - Director In this extended episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director Steven Soderbergh (BLACK BAG, TRAFFIC, OUT OF SIGHT). Steven credits his father for giving him the movie bug, and he shares how a young adulthood shooting short films and writing spec scripts in Louisiana led to the 8-years-in-the-making overnight success of his debut feature: SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE. We spend much of the episode discussing Steven’s insights into directing and filmmaking, and he opens up about his transition into shooting his own films under the alias Peter Andrews. Steven also reflects on directing OUT OF SIGHT, recalling how he ended up with the job, when a studio note protected him from his own instinct to be lean in the film’s edit, and why he felt the movie was at stake when he went to war to cast Jennifer Lopez. Steven also stresses the importance of character and reputation in the business, and he recalls the pitfalls of acting like an egomaniac that he witnessed while crewing in his early days. We also discuss the value of establishing a basic grammar and set of rules specific to the film one is making, and Steven shares how he tries to listen to what a movie wants “itself” to be. - Recommended Viewing: OUT OF SIGHT - This episode is sponsored by Aputure & Barco
The Team Deakins podcast is an ongoing conversation between acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins and James Deakins, his collaborator, about cinematography, the film business and whatever other questions are submitted. We start with a specific question and end....who knows where! We are joined by guests periodically. Followup questions can be posted in the forums at www.rogerdeakins.com.
New Zealand