Film and Television (Video)

Moderator Patrice Petro joins series co-creator Scott Frank in a discussion of Netflix’s series The Queen’s Gambit. Their discussion explores the drama of chess, the process of adapting a complex novel to the screen, and the role of the child prodigy. Frank discusses working with world renowned chess masters in the development of fictional games, and issues involved in production, casting and desi...

Writer/director Jeff Barnaby sat down with discussant Chelsea Vowel and Moderator Tyler Morgenstern to discuss his subversive zombie plague film, Blood Quantum. This discussion explored how the film took the contagion narrative and flipped it on its head. The speakers explored how the film confronts the violent history of Canadian settler-colonialism through its thoughtful use of genre, language,...

Moderator Matt Ryan joined screenwriter/co-producer Christina Hodson in a conversation about the chaotic, funny, action-packed movie Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). This discussion explored the transformation of the story from the Birds of Prey comics to the screen, as well as the major themes of emancipation, independence, and finding your own path. Christina...

Moderator Cheri Steinkellner joined writer/actor George McGrath (Globey/Pterri/Cowntess/Fish) and artist/designer/puppeteer Wayne White (Dirty Dog/Randy/Mr. Kite), as well as writer Bill Steinkellner in a conversation about the iconic Saturday morning television program Pee-wee's Playhouse. This freewheeling discussion explored the radical visual style, origins, and enduring legacy of the franchis...

Professor Maggie Hennefeld talks about the subversive nature of Charlie Chaplin’s famous WWII satire in this Q&A for The Great Dictator. Hennefeld also examines the debate over the effectiveness of its deployment of comedy to critique the cruelty of fascism. Alongside moderator Miguel Penabella, Hennefeld invites us to think about the controversiality of this film for its time and how it compares...

Moderator Alexandra Noi joins author Paul Gregory and director Marianna Yarovskaya in this Q&A for a discussion about their inspiring collaboration on Women of the Gulag. This book and documentary traverse the stories of the victims and survivors of the Gulag, demonstrating the resilience, suffering, and silencing of the women who lived under Stalins dictatorship. The conversation between Gregory,...

Writer, director, and musician Boots Riley talks about labor politics, surrealism, and hip-hop music in this Q&A for his 2018 subversive comedy Sorry to Bother You. Boots’ dedication to a lifetime of activism and storytelling lent itself to his insightful commentary about the social relevance and ideological impact of his film. Alongside moderator Miguel Penabella, Boots takes us into his mind and...

Co-directors/producers Jim Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham talk about their award-winning film, Crip Camp, giving insight to the disability revolution in America. This film tells a story of Camp Jened and offers a unique perspective on equality. Lebrecht and Newnham discuss their initial involvement with the project and the way that it has impacted their lives as well as millions of viewers. Series: "...

Kyung Hyun Kim, author of Virtual Hallyu: Korean Cinema of the Global Era joins moderator Sowon Park for a discussion of the 2019 subversive film Parasite. Winner of the Best Picture Academy Award in 2020, Parasite offers a raw and emotional look at class disparities in Korea. Kim and Park dissect the film’s themes of poverty, affluence, violence and language. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanit...

Co-directors/producers Sharon Shattuck and Ian Cheney discuss their film Picture a Scientist (2020), which chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. Their conversation gives insight to the films portrayal of the brutal harassment, institutional discrimination, and years of subtle slights faced by women in STEM. Shattuck and Cheney also delve into...

Jay Roach discusses the challenges in directing the Austin Powers Trilogy. In this video, Jay Roach talks with UCSB Pollock Theater Director, Matt Ryan, how he approached creating Austin Powers with Mike Meyers. With henchmen, fembots, and innuendo to spare, Austin Powers: quickly became a cultural phenomenon, spawning two sequels Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36510]

Director Darya Zhuk discusses making Crystal Swan, which is a vitriolic comedy set in Belarus circa 1996. The film follows a young female DJ who befriends a rural family in a scheme to obtain her U.S. visa so she can move to Chicago and pursue her house-music career. In her debut tragic comedy, director Darya Zhuk reveals a multilayered vision of time and place and paints a bright, kitschy, vibran...

The two-part documentary series "And She Could Be Next" (2020) tells the story of a defiant movement of women of color who are transforming politics from the ground up. The series was filmed during 2018 and 2019. It centers on those at the heart of the movement behind the New American Majority. "And She Could Be Next" features an entirely women of color creative team. Director/producers Grace Lee...

Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick discuss the challenges of writing genre bending screenplay of Zombieland. In this video, Reese and Wernick talk with UCSB Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan about how they approached balancing the comedy and horror. The screenwriters recounted stories of working with actors Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Bill Murray. Ser...

Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber discuss the challenges of telling the true-life story of the making of one of the worst films ever made, The Room written and directed by the eccentric Tommy Wiseau. In this video, Neustadter and Weber talk with UCSB Pollock Theater Director, Matt Ryan, how they approached balancing the comedic elements of the chaotic production of the movie The...

New film release models, cinemas in a post-COVID world, and opening night vibes at Magic Mike XXL all arise in this conversation about moviegoing during a pandemic between New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis, Art House Convergence managing director Alison Kozberg, and UC-Santa Barbara professor Ross Melnick. In this video, the three reminisce about favorite movie theater memories and find ho...

The challenge of representing global environmental change on screen, the complex process of documentary editing, and the difficulties of location shooting in sensitive areas all arise in this conversation between UC Santa Barbara film and media professor Alenda Chang and co-director Jennifer Baichwal about Anthropocene: The Human Epoch. In this video, Baichwal reflects on the conflicts environment...

The possibilities of the Nicaraguan revolution, the refusal of current government officials to speak on the record, and the importance of recording the stories of an aging generation all arise in this conversation between director/producer Jenny Murray and moderator Bianka Ballina about ¡Las Sandinistas!. In this video, Murray discusses the reemergence of Nicaraguan protests in 2018 and her film’s...

Bo Peep’s fierce leadership, modeling a character on a puppy, and the differences between writing for animation and live action all arise in this conversation about the Pixar legendary franchise between Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4) and Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan. In this video, Folsom and Ryan explore her career, the process of writing Toy Story 4, and her work in the Pixar universe. Seri...

Mr. Rogers' wizard-like powers with children and the moment Tom Hanks first appeared on set as Fred arise in this conversation between screenwriter/producer/actor Noah Harpster and Pollock Theater director Matt Ryan about A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. In this video, Harpster recounts his deep personal connection to the story and describes the joy of acting in scenes with Tom Hanks. Series:...

A much-abused wig, the ad-libbing of Michael Keaton, and the gender imbalance in 1980s film makeup departments arise in this conversation about Beetlejuice (1988) between award-winning makeup artist Ve Neill and Rachael Ball (Film and Media Studies, UCSB). In this video, Neill shares a series of illuminating and entertaining anecdotes from many of her iconic film projects including Mrs. Doubtfire,...

America’s pre-WWII anxieties, Depression-era economic disparity, and the potential for positive social movements arise in this conversation about Frank Capra (director) and Robert Riskin’s (screenwriter) film Meet John Doe (1941) between author Victoria Riskin (Robert Riskin and Fay Wray: A Hollywood Memoir) and film scholar Charles Wolfe. Riskin and Wolfe discuss the multiple endings shot for the...

The difficulty of restaging real world trauma on a film set, the challenge of character development based on individuals with non-disclosure agreements, and the power of women speaking truth to power all arise in this conversation about Bombshell (2019) between director Jay Roach and Pollock Theater director Matt Ryan. In this video, Roach discusses the amazing reaction of the cast and crew of Bom...

Advances in film restoration technology, the challenges of matching black and white footage with shades of military khaki, and the depth of Peter Jackson’s passion for all things World War I arise in this conversation about They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) between assistant editor Elliot Travers and Ross Melnick (Film and Media Studies, UCSB). Travers describes the convoluted path the film took from...

Preproduction collaboration on spatial design and character development, the value of bending rules in a supernatural narrative, and the potential for on-set innovation all arise in this freewheeling discussion about the critically-acclaimed Netflix series Russian Doll between production designer Michael Bricker and Carsey-Wolf Center assistant director Wesley Jacks. In the video, Bricker talks hi...