IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit

Director Megan Park sat down with IndieWire's Sarah Shachat to discuss her new time-travel coming of age movie. Park discusses the wonderfully quirky Canadian-ness of the movie, and how she found the perfect "Old Ass" late in the process with Aubrey Plaza.

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IndieWire's Chirs O'Falt sat down with Co-Directors of one of the most urgent and powerful documentaries of the year while they were in town for the New York Film Festival. Basel is a Palestinian activist who had been filming his rural West Bank farming community as it had been destroyed by Israel's occupation. He builds an unlikely alliance with the Israeli journalist Yuval, who had been traveling to the region to report on what was going on in the West Bank.

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The director of 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front is back with a story of a very different conflict: choosing the next Pope. Berger chatted with IndieWire’s Chris O’Falt about directing the impeccable Ralph Fiennes, making multiple scenes of voting feel dramatic, and how he inserted honest absurdities into the serious proceedings.

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Richard Linklater sat down with IndieWire's Chris O'Falt back in June for the premiere of 'Hit Man,' one of the most fun movies of this year. Linklater explains the decision making that went into crafting the film's many twists and turns, and explores his deep collaboration with star Glen Powell.

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Today on Toolkit, something special: for the 30th anniversary of the action classic "Speed," IndieWire's Jim Hemphill interviewed the director and stars live on stage at the American Cinematheque for their recent Beyond Fest screening of the movie.

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Director Aaron Schimberg takes us under the hood of his fascinating new film, which follows Sebastian Stan as a man with a condition that causes tumors to grow in the skin of his face. The story takes us through black comedy, thriller, and explores the streets of New York in an honest, gritty way we haven't seen since the films of the 70s. And Aaron opened up about his personal relationship to the story and actor Adam Pearson, who has the condition in real life.

Around 48:00 we ask Aaron about his screening series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and he breaks down how each film inspired "A Different Man."

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The creators of the hit HBO series join Chris O'Falt on Toolkit to discuss the season finale. They get surprisingly candid about the ways they needed to improve as writers and show runners after the first two seasons, and dive into the many choices that made season three a titanic leap forward.

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The film that Francis Ford Coppola has been working on for a quarter century, that he spent 120 million of his own fortune to finance, is finally hitting theaters this weekend. Listen to Francis talk about how he rediscovered his craft in the long journey to the screen, and opens up about some of the on-set controversies.

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Mark Duplass, the writer and producer of the new Netflix series Penelope, sat down with Chris O'Falt to discuss the maverick way he brought this project to screen. From inspiration he took from conversations with his kids about their mental state, to the potential future he sees for an indie-TV market to rival indie-film, Mark covered a range of fascinating topics in this conversation.

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Ever been curious about visiting a psychic? Too skeptical to try? Lana Wilson's new documentary might be for you. Hear Wilson share the story of an Election Night 2016 story that sparked her fascination into the psychic community, and why she thinks it's not really about believing, but something more.

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Paul Schrader returns to Toolkit to discuss the film he is most proud of from his long career, "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters." Schrader walks through the challenges he faced getting the film made, including wearing a knife proof vest on set due to death threats from the right-wing government, and why the story of this Japanese artist has fascinated him for decades.

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Lee Daniels joins IndieWire features writer Jim Hemphill to discuss his new Netflix film “The Deliverance,” which combines elements of spirituality, social realism, melodrama, dark comedy, and horror to create a consistently entertaining and intensely involving viewing experience. Daniels talks about working in the horror genre for the first (and probably last) time, the challenges of making a movie with several younger actors, how he turned Glenn Close into an archetype often seen in life but rarely on screen, and much more.

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The creator of "Dear White People" sat down with us to talk about his new 4-part docuseries that explores the forgotten influences and power of black film. Listen in to learn about some of the untold stories of black Hollywood, and hear how his peers like Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay reacted to watching this cinematic history.

- You can watch this entire conversation on IndieWire.com or on the IndieWire Youtube page -

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Today we’re joined by writer-director JT Mollner, here to talk about his audacious new thriller STRANGE DARLING - which IndieWire has called “the best horror film in years.” JT talks about finding an unusual structure for his tale, working with first-time feature cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, and why shooting on 35mm film should remain a priority.

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Zaillian's adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel was some of the best, most carefully considered TV we've seen this year. On the podcast he discusses his approach, including why it was essential the show be presented in rich black and white cinematography.

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Martha Coolidge appears on the podcast to talk about her debut feature, “Not a Pretty Picture,” which is newly restored and available from Criterion. The movie, an audacious documentary/narrative hybrid, depicts Coolidge’s own sexual assault with power, intelligence, and sensitivity. Coolidge discusses why she chose this unusual form to tell her story, how it informed her later work, and what it led to in terms of a Hollywood career.

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Set during a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, "Good One" is a gorgeous coming of age film that focuses more on interiority than dramatic plot. Director India Donaldson walks us through the struggle of filming outside in the woods, and gives a fantastic lesson on modern independent filmmaking.

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"Curb Your Enthusiasm" director and showrunner Jeff Schaffer joins the podcast to talk about bringing the show to a satisfying conclusion, working with non-actors like Bruce Springsteen and Willie Geist, and whether or not this is really the end. Plus, a special guest makes a surprise appearance!

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Noah Hawley has been the show-runner of "Fargo" since it premiered in 2014, and the latest season might be the best yet. Hear how Hawley and his team carefully managed the tone and subverted expectations for Season 5, and also get a tease for his upcoming "Alien" TV show.

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The director of the classic mock-umentary This Is Spinal Tap has made his first actual documentary, a moving reflection on the life and career of his childhood friend, Albert Brooks.

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For the 20th anniversary of the game-changing thriller, we sat down with the director of "Collateral" to hear his thoughts on being one of the first major theatrical features to embrace hi-def digital photography. You'll also hear his thoughts on directing stars Jamie Fox and Tom Cruise, and how he adapted the story and characters when the setting changed from New York to LA.

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Creator, writer and director Nida Manzoor joins us to talk everything 'We Are Lady Parts' season 2. Nida shares how she handled navigating new songs including the banger "Malala Made Me Do It", with a cameo from the legend herself.

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One of the biggest breakouts from Sundance this year was the feature debut of writer/director Sean Wang, based on his experiences as a 13 year old Taiwanese American growing up in 2008 California. Sean spoke with us about how his time at google prepared him to capture the ways screens and technology affect the relationships in the film, and how he realized Didi was as much about immigrant mothers as a coming of age story.

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The director of the Oscar nominated Minari returns with a surprising follow up, and it's the most fun blockbuster of the summer. What isn't a surprise is Isaac's thoughtful insights into using the big budget tools for the first time, what inspired him about real life storm chasers, and why Miranda Lambert had to be on the soundtrack.

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The Russian Doll creator brings her flair for mystery to the Star Wars universe with The Acolyte. Headland joined us the morning after the series finale to discuss the show's bold narrative structure, her unique take on Star Wars witches, and how she choreographed the lightsaber fights character-first.

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Martin Scorsese and his long time editor Thelma Schoonmaker have delivered another marvelous piece of film history with their new documentary, "Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger." Schoonmaker analyzes the impact of one of the most important cinematic partnerships of all time, and shares stories of how her late husband Michael Powell advised Scorsese on several of his early films.

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The final film in the horror trilogy that began with “X” and “Pearl” has arrived. For “MaXXXine,” director Ti West talks about creating a period film on a budget, working with Kevin Bacon to create one of cinema’s slimiest detectives, and how directing episodic television gave him the chops to take his filmmaking to the next level.

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Kevin Costner revitalized the Western genre with his first film as director, “Dances With Wolves.” He talks about returning to the West for the ambitious epic “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” and explains what still interests him about the Western and why he’s taking the biggest gamble of his career on this passion project.

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After the VFX heavy world building of Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos has delivered something more akin to his earlier work on Dogtooth and Killing of a Sacred Deer. Hear how he guided Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe and the other actors through multiple roles across 3 stories, and get a peek into Yorgos's game-filled rehearsal process.

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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 authoritarianism

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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 the Vegas strip).

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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 where the game changes every episode.

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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 friendship and New York City in the 80s. Hear how Pablo fell in love with animation directing, and how he inspired his animators with films from silent comedy masters like Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd.

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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 through what he learned making a show unlike anything we've ever seen.

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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 and original yet. Miller talks about how and why he keeps raising the bar for himself and for action movies as a whole.

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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 her first movie role, and her intentions from several decades ago, and how the film has aged since.

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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 power of the camera to reveal truth, what it took for him to fall in love, and how he collaborated with his crew to relinquish control of his own image.

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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 Alaska's months long winter.

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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. They spoke with us about making their much anticipated new movie, as well as reflected on their journey to directing.

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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 speaks to a greater truth.

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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 Toolkit to break down making his newest film as a love letter to stunts and the way Hollywood used to make action flicks. And we get into his biggest stunt of all: pulling off a rom-com in the middle of a huge action movie.

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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' from breaking the show.

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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 he learned about directing from all the greats he’s worked with as actor, and why the theme of creativity and what it means to be an artist has become the driving force behind so much of his own work as an artist at this stage of his career.

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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 with camera and music, and lean into storyboards and rehearsal more than his previous work.

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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.

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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 another Porky’s teen sex comedy into a subtle masterpiece. Savoca talks about how her young star, River Phoenix, saved the ending from being reshot by the studio and his incredible talent and moral compass at just 20 years old.

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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 punk rock spirit in which it was created. Drew takes us on a journey of how her origin story as a trans woman coming up in the comedy world started (in her head at least) to merge with that of the Joker, and the rather unusual way this film was dreamed up.

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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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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, and integrated VFX with some spectacular location shooting.

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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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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 deliver a movie that is contemplative, tragic, and yet dryly funny.

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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 different kind of movie than the first.

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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."

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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 approach to research and how that manifests itself as drama in some of the most visceral combat scenes ever filmed.

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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 character-driven tradition of Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood. He joins Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his latest movie, WANTED MAN.

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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 Wilkerson, and how she blended genre and film form to not only connect important moments of human suffering across time, but also infuse them with love.

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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 and sound, you will understand why it took almost a decade to develop one of the best films of 2023.

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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 through editing, fine-tuning performances, and much, much more.

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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.

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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 extraordinary racing sequences, why the movie contains two complementary styles of filmmaking, and how he worked with actors Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz to build their characters.

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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 immigrant experience formed the beating heart of Elemental.

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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.

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“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 areas to explore in his new adaptation of the stage musical. On this episode he talks about finding a visual language for the heroine Celie’s imagination, making the leap to big budget filmmaking, and choreographing every scene of the movie like a musical — even when the characters were just talking.

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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 why his new film both is and isn't inspired by the American Western, and reflects on what keeps him passionate so far into his career.

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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 sat down with us to talk about their collaboration, the benefits of a stripped-down set even for an epic, and the challenges of editing such a unique movie.

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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. But "Going to Mars" is far from your standard issue profile documentary, instead husband-wife co-directors Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster use Giovanni's life and writing as a jumping off point for their own formal exploration as they "delved into the soul of a poet."

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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 intelligence and preparation. Morris joined us to discuss the interview with Cornwell that resulted in “The Pigeon Tunnel,” one of the director’s most compelling and entertaining films to date.

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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 to shoot epics like this in a fraction of the time it takes other filmmakers, and how his partnership with Joaquin Phoenix has strengthened since Gladiator.

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Greta Gerwig and the creative team of "Barbie" discuss the musical evolution of the Warner Brothers' film and the unusual way that the pop songs being written for the film ended up informing score, tone, the opening and ending of the film, and even Barbie's heart. This Deep Dive also features "Barbie" editor Nick Houy and co-composers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt.

Music used in this episode:

• Pink Opening Theme - Barbie Score
• You Failed Me! - Barbie Score
• Dance The Night - Dua Lipa
• Deprogramming - Barbie Score
• The Pope of Greenwich Village - Dave Grusin, Musica
• Starlight Express
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax (Laser Version)
• It Might Be You (Theme from Tootsie)
• Ken Thinks - Barbie Score
• Stairway to Weird Barbie - Barbie Score
• To Live And Die In L.A - Wang Chung
• Mattel - Barbie Score
• What Was I Made For - Billie Eillish
• What Was I Made For (Instrumental) - Barbie Score
• Meeting Ruth - Barbie Score
• I’m Just Ken
• The Warmth Of Your Gaze - Barbie Score

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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.

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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.

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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 attempted to take every aspect of the series in new directions.

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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 homage to with this throwback.

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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 Endearment. Brooks shares memories from working with an all star cast as a first time director, and how his clear vision for the comedic tone made the movie a success.

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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 crime.

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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 of his characters, and how they represent his views on comedy and romance.

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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 his stories, and even what he thinks of Taylor Swift.

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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 have.

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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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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.

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John Wilson discusses his approach to both documentary and comedy, how he keeps track of all his b-roll, and what things he wanted to make sure How To With John Wilson taught audiences before he wrapped the series.

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The epic political thriller "JFK" was featured last weekend at the American Cinematheque, and we had the privilege to interview writer & director Oliver Stone live on stage. Stone talks about the impact of this controversial film, and reflects on its legacy today. You'll also hear some of the filmmaker's thoughts on the state of the industry today, and why he's an even angrier, more passionate filmmaker than ever.

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After seven years of scoring HBO’s “Succession,” Nicholas Britell reflects on completing his first TV series. What did he learn about working in TV? How did the series and his process evolve over the course of four seasons? Would he ever sign on to do another serialized series? Was it helpful for the “Succession” editors to use his previously recorded music to temp new episodes? Did his experience working on Wall Street, before becoming a film & TV composer, inform his understanding of the Roys? Plus, Britell explains why he wrote the last two pieces of “Succession” music (including the choir music used over the final end credits) well before seeing the series finale.

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Director Peter Hoar joins us to talk about the episode of The Last of Us that had us all in tears. Peter discusses the power of telling gay stories, using both natural light and "On The Nature of Daylight," and how the crew of "The Last of Us" fell just as hard for Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) as the characters did for each other.

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As part of 80s week over on the IndieWire site, we are featuring a special conversation with a filmmaker who forever changed the ways movies look and feel. His early work created the iconic look of movies like Rocky and The Shining, and today we are all living in the world Steadicam built. Garrett tells the story of why he needed to invent a new tool for cinematic motion, and reflects on how its legacy has shaped cinema in the decades since.

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in The Truman Show, with every aspect of your reality crafted by a team of filmmakers? Showrunner and executive producer Cody Heller was tasked with creating just such a world for the star of Jury Duty; an entirely fake, month-long court case built from scratch and performed live for the unaware protagonist. Heller shares the wildly creative tricks her team used to keep up with the chaos of real life, and discusses how did Jury Duty managed to be a fascinating social experiment and a goofy hysterical comedy all at the same time.

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This week on Toolkit we dive deep into a single episode of the Netflix hit series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The episode in question, Silenced, is one of the best hours of TV this year, and director Paris Barclay walks us through the incredible craft that made this story of a black, gay, deaf man so transporting and emotionally resonant.

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This episode is everything...because today we are talking Barbie! Both writer/director Greta Gerwig AND editor Nick Houy join us this week, and if you've seen the movie you know how crucial editing was to pulling it all off. The movie is a big swing, a wild ride, and a surprisingly personal and intimate project for something branded with one of the biggest names in the world. Greta walks us through how all that is possible, and the pair explore how they think about assembling stories not just on Barbie, but across their collaborations on Lady Bird and Little Women.

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One of the greatest series in the history of TV, Justified, is back on the air with a haunting new subtitle. We talk this week with showrunner, writer, and director of Justified: City Primeval, Michael Dinner. He explores the reasons the show is making a triumphant return, what it was like coming back to a career-defining project after many years, and how this season was adapted from unexpected source material.

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If you've seen Across the Spider-Verse you won't be surprised to learn such a complex film took three directors to helm. One of those directors, Kemp Powers, joins us to explain how they pulled it off with the same grace, ambition, and heart that defines the spider-people at the center of the story. Kemp breaks down the experience of essentially "shooting" the movie for four years, and how even when directing a crew of thousands he managed to work in personal inspiration from his own life. After you listen you'll want to run right out to the theater to catch all the incredible details Kemp points out.

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One of our favorite things to do on Toolkit is speak with rising stars in the world of directing, and we got to do just that this week with Celine Song, whose debut film 'Past Lives' is landing firmly in the top of most "best of the year so far" lists. She explores how she tackled challenges unique to this particular love story, especially the careful presentation of language. Song wrote the script in two languages and sought an unusual level of control over subtitles in order to protect the nuances of the love story, just two of many reasons 'Past Lives' feels both deeply personal and incredibly confident in its craft.

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The creator and star of one of the most visually inventive and challenging shows of the year sits down with us this week to discuss the rich culture (and pop-culture) that informs the project. It's a series you have to see to fully comprehend, and Terence provides fascinating insights into how such an ambitious project came to life.

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Helming any superhero blockbuster is a massive balancing act, and few filmmakers had as much to bring together as Andy Muschietti for this multiverse-hopping epic. Hear him explain how he approached the legendary iconography of Batman (Batmen?) and the impressive technique used to capture his star's dual performance.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The cast and filmmakers behind Showtime’s “George & Tammy” break down the creative choices that went into bringing two country music legends to life. Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon and others discuss the decision to record all the musical performances live, explaining how it was accomplished and why it was crucial to telling the stories of these icons.

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For her adaptation of a beloved novel, the 'Edge of Seventeen' director understood a gentle hand was needed when approaching the nostalgia around this story. Kelly explains how she applied that gentle touch to period detail, as well as how she captured a truly authentic sense of childhood awkwardness. From the writing process to the edit room, Kelly shares many fascinating insights into this fantastic and much anticipated film.

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One of the preeminent American horror auteurs is back with his third feature, and for the director of Hereditary and Midsommar, it's no small thing to say this is his most ambitious film to date. Hear Aster discuss how he leveled up his craft, convinced Joaquin Phoenix to trust him, and stepped beyond the horror genre to encompass the bizarre totality of Beau's mind.

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The co-creator of The Knick joins us to talk about stepping onto Perry Mason as a showrunner for Season 2. Hear how he achieved the team's ambitious goals to expand the scope of the story, deepen the already fantastic characters, and craft a beguiling mystery.

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With this horror classic getting a 20 year anniversary Blu-Ray release this year, we sat down with Rob Zombie to reflect on the making and impact of his debut film. He recalls wild stories from getting the movie made, and opens up about his journey since then finding his artistic voice within the industry.

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"I just want those old version to die forever," director Gregg Araki told us during our discussion of the release of the long awaited restoration. Twenty eight years since the film was last properly seen at its Sundance debut, hear Araki unpack his long emotional journey with the film, and what it took for this restoration to bring his original vision back to the big screen.

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The director of all four John Wick movies sat down to discuss the secrets behind the stunning action and stylistic flare of his iconic series. Stahelski goes deep on the many influences he drew from to keep pushing the boundaries of what Wick can be in this third sequel. With the scope of the film drawing from epics like Lawrence of Arabia, and the fight scenes inspired by Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse musicals, hear how the franchise stays engaging by rooting itself in classic cinematic language.

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Showrunners Nora & Lilla Zuckerman discuss how they built ten "all killer" mysteries for "Poker Face," even in episodes where no one actually, as well as how their work in the genre space helped them understand Charlie Cale and the importance of building stories that use every part of the Buffalo.

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After years as the star of the Creed franchise, Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut in this emotional third sequel. Jordan opened up with us about the challenges of directing intense physical scenes while maintaining his energy as an actor, and the trust and grace he received from his cast that made it possible. He also goes deep on how his passion for anime revamped the visual style an emotional storytelling of the fight scenes, and how real life fathers Muhammad Ali, Jamie Fox, Kobe Bryant, and his barber inspired the girl-dad relationship between Adonis and his young daughter.

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In 1987, Robert Townsend co-wrote, directed, starred in and self-financed (using his savings and credit cards) “Hollywood Shuffle” as a reaction against the lack of opportunities for black actors at the time. 36 years later, the film stands alongside “Stranger Than Paradise,” “She’s Gotta Have It,” and “sex, lies, and videotape” as a classic of the independent film movement and has been newly released on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection. Townsend sat down with Toolkit to talk about the “dark ages” of 1980s independent film, how he turned his frustrations into the raw material of hilarious farce, and how the lessons learned on “Hollywood Shuffle” continue to fuel his successful directing career.

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Acclaimed cinematographer Mandy Walker sat down with us to talk about filming the life and art of one of the most iconic performers of all time. Mandy reflects on her long partnership with director Baz Luhrmann, and gives an inside look at what it takes to bring a massive crew in line with his unique creative vision. Capturing Elvis on film the way Baz envisioned meant extensive research into period-accurate cameras and lighting, developing a way to track the story through changing film stocks, and even teaching her camera operators Elvis's dance choreography.

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The seminal teenage hangout movie is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and Criterion has released a 4K restoration packed with insight into the making of this classic. To celebrate, we sat down with Linklater and discussed what exactly makes Dazed and Confused so endearing and enduring to audiences a generation later. From stories of casting, struggling with the structure of the script, and battles for the rights to the iconic soundtrack, hear the now established director reflect back on being a young filmmaker looking to find his voice in the face of the hollywood system.

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The body-horror satire Infinity Pool is one of the best films to premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and Cronenberg sat down with Toolkit to get into all the grisly details. Hear about the difficulty directing actors when the basic nature of the scenes may be up to interpretation, and the many creative challenges that come from making an ambiguous movie that still has an impact on the audience.

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The director of the newest horror film from Blumhouse joined us to discuss her disturbing tale of the intense impact children have on a relationship. Banjamin breaks down her strategies for directing the child actors in terrifying scenes, how her story fits into the legacy of scary child movies, and why it was important to make a great movie about relationships before the horror even began.

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Alice Diop, director of "Saint Omer," discusses why the film sits at an intersection between fiction and documentary, how sound and editing each influence the way the viewer understands what happens and connects the film's two protagonists, and the powerful, political impact of centering black women in the camera frame.

Note: a French version of this conversation with Diop's answers presented without translation begins at 16:03.

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Join us for a double interview this week, as we go deep with the Director and Editor of the box office sensation. With the actors and action all happening for real in fighter jets thousands of feet in the air, hear how the filmmaking team managed to direct the action from the ground, and how they turned hundreds of hours of cockpit footage into some of the most thrilling sequences of the year.

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Writer and Director Damien Chazelle sits down with us to explain how he pulled off the huge swing that is Babylon. Hear which silent filmmakers and stars most influenced his epic of Hollywood excess, what it was like working with lead actors with wildly different levels of fame, and how he managed to make that ambitious ending a reality.

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Writer and Director Rian Johnson joins us to chat about crafting the second cinematic mystery in the Knives Out series. Rian discusses the pressures of delivering on the satisfaction of the original while striking out in new thematic directions with Glass Onion, and how he tackled the challenge of developing another group of memorable characters while balancing the on-set staging and blocking of the all-star cast.

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Luca Guadagnino returns to talk with us about his entrancing new film, the coming-of-age cannibal romance Bones and All. Luca opens up about his experiences on the road in the American midwest, and why this tale of disenfranchised youth was a perfect beginning to him making films in the States. Also hear how he deepened his creative partnership with lead actor Timothée Chalamet, and how his performance became an even more vital part of the filmmaking process than their collaboration on Call Me By Your Name.

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The Academy Award winning director of The Revenant sat down with us to discuss his return to Mexico, and how he delved into his character's subconscious to create an intimate epic of the mind. Iñárritu explains how making radical decisions in every department was key to capturing the feeling of a dream that resists literal interpretation, and why it was crucial to embrace fiction as a way of unpacking personal reality.

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Join our discussion with visionary filmmaker James Cameron as he walks us through the cutting edge technology he and his team developed for this long awaited return to the world of Avatar. Learn how he once again pioneered new performance capture technology, allowing actors to perform underwater and giving them much more creative freedom than a live action filmmaking approach. Cameron unpacks how motion capture shapes the creative process at every step, impacting the writing and editing as much as what happens on set.

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Learn about the making of one of the year's most powerful films from Laura Poitras, the award winning director of Citezenfour, and her editor Amy Foote. The two filmmakers explain how they met photographer Nan Goldin, and how they combined her voice with her incredible photographs to tell the story of her challenging the powerful Sackler family.

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Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert discuss the collaboration that allowed them to make "Everything Everywhere All At Once" maximalist AF. From the summer camp vibes on their set to their poetic relationship with sound design, hear how this duo crafted their incredible journey through the multiverse.

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The crafts team behind Prime Video's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" discuss the creative choices that went into making a series that is by and for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. 

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Director Daniel Roher takes us behind the scenes of making his thrilling documentary, the story of the fearless opposition leader to Vladimir Putin's oppressive regime. A social media master and fierce public speaker, Alexei Navalny was so effective at rallying the people of Russia against the Kremlin, they attempted to assassinate him in the summer of 2020. Roher describes what it was like to film Navalny while he recovered in Germany and planned his fateful return, and why making this movie felt as much like a thriller as his subject's life.

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Creator Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy join Toolkit to discuss the joys of worldbuilding inside the Star Wars universe, structuring the first season of "Andor," and how score influenced the show's writing and editing.

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Director Ryan White takes us inside the making of this delightful documentary chronicling the journey of Mars rover Opportunity, which had a planned 90 day mission but ended up surviving fifteen years. Hear how the crew brought Oppy's groundbreaking mission to life using hundreds of hours of archival footage from NASA, and partnering with the VFX powerhouse Industrial Light and Magic to create a digital Mars from scratch. And learn about the deep bonds that formed between this intrepid rover and her human operators millions of miles away.

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Director Mark Mylod discusses channeling Ralph Fiennes' character to create the look and feel of his "eat the rich" satirical thriller.

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The director of the Netflix limited series “Unorthodox” talks about adapting New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s book to the big screen. Schrader discuss how her experience telling the real life story of “Unorthodox” and being an actress in Germany helped her tackle the all-too-real story of reporting the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal, and why she doesn’t buy the media’s comparisons between “She Said” and other journalist classics like “All The Presidents Men” and “Spotlight.”

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Director Shaunak Sen goes inside how he found and created the most innovative visual language of any film this year. A process that involved throwing away a year’s worth of footage, and starting over, all in an effort the avoid to pitfalls that so many films with touch upon ecological or political issues fall into. 

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Director Sara Dosa and producer Shane Boris join Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss the formal and tonal choices they made in order to capture the adventurous spirits of Katia and Maurice Krafft in "Fire of Love." 

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Film scholar and public radio fixture Elvis Mitchell speaks about directing "Is That Black Enough for You?!?" and why the 1970s were the greatest decade ever for Black film.

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Directors Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes join Toolkit discuss the creative pillars holding up their documentary "The Janes," why it was important to make Chicago a character in the story, the extensive challenge and surprising finds of using archive material from the period, and their and the film's relationship to the modern politics of abortion.

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On this episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, Field talks about how he turned his unusual script about a famous conductor in personal and professional free fall into a riveting character study, with help from star Cate Blanchett, collaborating during the height of the pandemic, thematic ideas like the corrupting nature of power and practical concerns like casting the other parts, and both Field's and Blanchett's delight in sharing their growing excitement about the milieu in which the film takes place.

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"DIG!" and "We Live in Public" director Ondi Timoner joins Toolkit to discuss the unintentional road to "Last Flight Home" and the work of making the cameras that documented her father's last days as invisible as possible.

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In James Gray's new film "Armageddon Time," he returns to the kind of intimate, precise character study with which he made his name. Gray speaks about visual style, memory, and why he loves movies to begin with.

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Director Margaret Brown discusses the cinematic and narrative choices that helped shape the story of "Descendant" – from building the sounds of the South to collaborating with the film's subjects to resurfacing the filmmaking of Zora Neale Hurston.

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Charlotte Wells joins the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast to talk about the evolution of her first feature: creating anchor points for memory within the story of the film, the joys of working with DV camcoder footage and the liminal place it sits between objective and subjective points of view, refining perspective and the sense of memory in editing "Aftersun" together, finding immediacy within a specific time period through the look of the film, and even more.

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Series creator Armando Iannucci discusses the benefits of satire while working in genre, building a future out of our ridiculous present, and how the pandemic influenced the HBO comedy's second season.

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If you were an action fan in the 1970s, ’80s, or ’90s, one of the great pleasures of filmgoing was the experience, every year or two, of a new Walter Hill movie. No one else was really making movies like him, and no one had before; Hill created a body of work that spoke to American culture both past and present where the jokes are funny but the bullets are real. On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, Hill speaks about returning to his favorite genre, the Western with his new film "Dead for a Dollar."

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Director Nicholas Stoller, of "Neighbors" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" fame, joins Filmmaker Toolkit to discuss his process developed on some of the best comedy films of the last couple decades and how he applied it to his latest film, 'Bros.'

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Writer-director Andrew Dominik wrote his adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' novel "Blonde" in about four weeks — and then waited 12 years for the opportunity to bring it to the screen. The "Killing Them Softly" director joins Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his decade-plus-long journey to bring Joyce Carol Oates' fictionalized portrait of Marilyn Monroe to the screen, and the epic study of trauma and Hollywood's exploitation of it that he created.

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Ti West, director of "X" and "Pearl," stops by Toolkit to discuss how he landed on the golden age of Hollywood aesthetic he captured for his horror prequel, how he achieved the film's singular look, and how he tapped into a more formal style of filmmaking where blocking and framing can tell the entire story of a family and lead us to understand Pearl herself.

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On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, creator and star of 'Mo', Mo Amer discusses how he and his team built a series that juggles a tone that can fuse comedy and drama, how they built the show's hip and absurd sense of humor, and how they made filmmaking choices that spotlight the city (Houston) and the culture (the Palestinian diaspora) at the show's heart.

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Director George Miller joins this week’s episode of Toolkit to talk about the making of his latest film, “Three Thousand Years of Longing.” Miller discusses the film’s place in his career as a “palate cleanser” after the high-octane “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the philosophical underpinnings of the script, and why working with actors who are also filmmakers - in this case Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba - yields the best work.

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Executive producer and director Jamie Babbit discusses how the new Amazon Prime Video series "A League of Their Own" uses its camera to turn the show's large cast into a team and breaks down the cinematic language she found to highlight both the joys of playing baseball and of falling in love.

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Jerrod Carmichael joins this week to talk about the creation of "Rothaniel," the ways in which it's changed his approach to telling stories for an audience, and some of the filmmaking choices that helped make the special as natural and also as elegant as possible.

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"Succession" executive producer and director Mark Mylod joins this episode of Toolkit to discuss putting together the show's third season and discusses the extra charge the series got from shooting in Italy, how "Succession" organizes scenes in order to capture the most impactful performances, the ways in which the show uses its opulent backup to keep the characters in perspective, and even more.

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As a young screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan saw the special effects magicians at Industrial Light & Magic bring his most spectacular acts of imagination to life. Over 40 years after his work on “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Kasdan returned to the world of ILM for “Light & Magic,” a six-part documentary series chronicling the biggest effects developments of the 20th century through the stories of the men and women responsible for them – most of all Kasdan’s first employer, George Lucas. In this episode Kasdan talks about why he left fiction filmmaking behind for documentaries, how Lucas changed the movies forever, the mistakes Kasdan made on his own special effects extravaganza “Dreamcatcher,” and why “Top Gun: Maverick” made him excited about the movies again.

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Peele knows you'll have questions after seeing 'Nope,' but to what degree did he figure out the the life and history of his new film's alien life form? Peele answers that question, as he breaks down the process of making his UFO cinematically real, and what he learned from filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino.

'Nope' is a masterpiece of sound, and in second half of the podcast [19:40], we interview the films sound designer Johnnie Burn.

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On this episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, showrunner Peter Gould and executive producer Vince Gilligan join to talk about the ending of "Better Call Saul." No Season 6 spoilers here, but they discuss the show's writing process, the personnel decisions that have helped elevate the series, how the camerawork has evolved over the course of the show, and some of the storytelling philosophy that has stood them in good stead since "Breaking Bad."

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On this episode of Filmmaker Toolkit, creator Danny McBride discusses the latest season of "The Righteous Gemstones" and his philosophy for everything from where the humor needs to come from, shooting action comedy, and maximizing his resources on a television schedule and budget.

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On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, we speak with show creator David Jenkins and director/star Taika Waititi about their collaboration creating this ambitious comedy for HBO Max. The pair discuss everything from the visual influences that help "Our Flag Means Death" walk a tonal tightrope to the visual effects innovations that made shooting on television schedule possible.

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On this edition of IndieWire's Deep Dive: Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville joins director Jeremy Podeswa, the crafts team, and cast to discuss how the show's timelines and themes come together in Episode 10, "Unbroken Circle"

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In this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcsat, Natasha Lyonne discusses the games that "Russian Doll" Season 2 is playing (of which time-travel via the 6 Train is only one), why this was a Pink Floyd season, how she refined her preparation as both a director and an actor over the pandemic, plus a little love for Sergio Leone.

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On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, Bill Hader discusses the latest season of Barry and digs into his directing work on Episode 6, "710N". Hader talks about when and why he embraces generic conventions (and when he doesn't), what he likes about long takes, the benefits of eschewing coverage, and how he constructed a chase sequence in the spirit of Jacques Tati.

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On this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, we speak with Peter Jackson and his longtime collaborator, editor Jabez Olssen about their work distilling hundreds of hours of audio, dozens of hours of video, and 40 years of mythology about the Beatles' Get Back sessions into a documentary that tries, going day by day, to lay out the experience of the sessions that led to the Beatles' last live performance. Jackson and Olssen discuss what putting visuals to familiar audio changed, how they found ways around seemingly inaudible or unusable material, and why they set out to make a documentary that wasn't a Beatles break up story.

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On this episode of the Filmmaker’s Toolkit podcast, showrunner Sterlin Harjo talks about why he could only make (this version) of "Reservation Dogs" in his native Oklahoma, and what opportunities open up to a series when rooting it in a specific place that TV hasn't really seen before – and certainly not from a Native perspective. That, plus the steps in teaching an audience how to laugh at survival humor, the benefits of taking an epic approach to outwardly small stories, the trouble with manufacturing hail, and why the show's mythological elements live very matter-of-factly alongside its teen comedy.

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Kogonada discusses the cinematic components of "After Yang" from how memory relates to the processof filmmaking to the importance of a science fiction story with domestic stakes. All of that, plus: the importance of spaces that can tell their own stories, the differences between film and short story, how the quality of light impacts the film, and a little bit of love for Robert Bresson.

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Creator and executive producer Soo Hugh discusses how she tackled the globe and time-spanning 'Pachinko' by thinking about was the show wasn't and then discovering what the show was.

All of that, plus: challenges of creating characterization in translation, the different visual styles of the show, and what a historical epic that isn't fetishizing period can look like.

Slightly spoiler-y conversation about Episode 7 from 19:30 - 21:27.

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For a surprise bonus episode of Filmmaker's Toolkit, we have a conversation with 'Dune' cinematographer Greig Fraser. He gets into how he and director Denis Villeneuve achieved the correct sense of scale, the power of simplifying the frame, the film's concentrated, strategic bursts of color, and more.

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Matt Reeves dives into his desire for greater subjectivity in a Batman story, influences from "The Wrong Man" to "The Long Halloween," the compulsive physicality of Robert Pattinson's performance, and how he found the light (and the dark) in Gotham.

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Go inside the Matrix with long-time Wachowski collaborators supervising sound editors Dane Davis and Stephanie Flack as we listen to examples from ‘Matrix Resurrections’ and hear how the franchise has sonically evolved.

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Mike Mills discusses the philosophy, iconic imagery, and blend of documentary and narrative that come together to give "C'mon C'mon" its richness and soul.

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Director Maggie Gyllenhaal and editor Affonso Gonçalves discuss their creative partnership and how they pushed both image and sound on "The Lost Daughter."

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A look at PTA's creative process, the unique way he approaches filmmaking, and his new film with long-time collaborators: 

• [1:20]: Co-cinematographer Michael Bauman
• [11:40]: Supervising Sound Editors / re-recording mixers Christopher Scarabosio & David Acord 
• [18:39]: Costume Designer Mark Bridges

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Go inside Lowery and Droz Palmero's collaboration on the year's Best Cinematography.

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Fukunaga and Sangren break down their realistic, but painterly approach to Daniel Craig's final installment as James Bond, with incredible insights to film's use of color, camera movement, and emotional storytelling.

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The legendary director ("The Piano") dives into her process and collaborations in making the Netflix western. This is followed [26:30] by a conversation with her editor Peter Sciberras, who breaks down how he and Campion carefully navigated the relationship between Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) – as they needed to maintain the mystery, mounting sexual energy, and growing sense of foreboding as the film unfolded. Sponsored by MGM/United Artists Releasing.

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He’s back. The action maestro behind “Fast Five” and “Fast & Furious 6” returns to the franchise that was never the same without him. While on the podcast, Justin talked about what it’s actually like to direct big action scenes that are being shot thousands miles away, while he’s on a soundstage with the Vin Diesel and the cast, and how he integrates practical stunt work with VFX and cast performance. 

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One of the three co-creators of the new HBO Max series “Hacks,” Aniello also directed six of the 10 episodes (including the first three) and together with cinematographer Adam Bricker employed a purposeful and effective use of the camera so sorely missing from most half-hour comedy series. On the podcast Lucia discusses casting a non-standup in Jean Smart, creating her routines, and how she used the camera to tell the story of Deborah Vance (Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder). Bricker joins the second half of the podcast to talk about creating the look of a classic Vegas and avoiding the pitfalls inherent with cross-shooting a comedy series. 

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The “In the Heights” director on his original pitch to Lin-Manuel Miranda to direct his Tony award winning musical. We break down the opening number, the “When the Sun Goes Down” dance up the side of the building, and Jon’s distinct use of movement.  

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The “P-Valley” showrunner talks about growing up in Memphis and how going to strip clubs informed how her Starz TV series celebrates the culture and art form of stripping. Hall discussed how she was inspired by Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” and used color light to capture the beauty of her casts’ dark skin tones. The playwright-turned-TV creator also talked about her experience of being a first time showrunner, what she is building off for Season 2 (about to start filming), where she’ll step into the director’s chair for the first time. 

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Co-star Anna Konkle talks about the "half-therapy, half-masochist" process of reliving her middle school years through her "Pen15" character, writing the incredible “Vendy Wiccany" (witch) episode, and working with her 13 year-old stars. 

And at the 27:26 mark, co-creator Sam Zvibleman, who directed all seven episodes of Season 2A, joins the podcast to talk the restraint of Season 2, the influence of "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and the low-fi 90s filmmaking aesthetic of "Pen15," the difficulty of cutting 50 minute episodes down to 30, and what's like to shoot every episode in 4 days.  

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How did creator and star Michaela Coel make “I May Destroy You”? We go inside her process with two close collaborators, as we discuss Coel stepping into the role of Arabella through costume, visually adapting her 12 brilliant scripts, capturing the spirit of East London, the constantly evolving rewrite process, and that surreal final episode. 

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McQueen and Kirchner go inside how they created the magic of the “Lovers Rock” dance scenes, how McQueen’s own life was saved by the heroic mothers featured in “Education,” the fight to shoot 16mm, and how they approached making 5 individual movies in this remarkable anthology. 

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Barry Jenkins returns to the podcast with his long-time cinematographer James Laxton to discuss their epic journey in shooting all 10 episodes of the Amazon Original Series “Underground Railroad.” 

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