IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

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. Learn more...

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...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

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 fanta...

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. Learn more about your ad choic...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"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. Learn more about your...

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...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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...

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 rele...

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 peri...

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,...

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...

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. Learn...

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 with...

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. Lea...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

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 t...

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 perfor...

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 unpac...

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...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices