The Filmumentaries Podcast

For this episode, number 85, the firstone of September 2023, I have VFX supervisor of choice for both Spielberg and Scorcese, namely Pablo Helman. Pablo and I spoke back in June 2023 about his career path and his work for Stephen and Marty. There will be a video version available for those of you that contribute via patreon on the second tier. Pablo left his home of Argentina in the early 1990s to...

This time I have the pleasure of sharing my conversations with Skywalker Sound’s Co-Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Wood, Sound Designer David W Collins and Re-recording Mixer Danielle Dupre. I spoke with Matthew and David together and then separately with Danielle. Matthew and David are Emmy nominated for Mandalorian Chapter 24, Matthew his also nominated for his work on Obi Wan Kenobi Part VI (...

For this, the second special Emmy nominees episode I got to speak with friend of the podcast and former guest VFX Animation Supervisor Hal Hickel (check out episode 68 for that conversation) along with Grady Cofer, Production Visual Effects Supervisor. We chat about their work on the show, the balance of innovation and tradition, the use of certain tools of their trade and the collaborative nature...

Welcome to this special episode of the Filmumentaries Podcast. Episode 82 in fact. Today is a small diversion from the usual. Rather than film history, I have three guests who are very much part of the film now, or TV now. These three gentlemen are at the forefront of VFX on Disney+’s Emmy award nominated show, Andor. Genuinely one of my favourite shows for a long time. So for this month, August 2...

For this episode, the second of July 2023, I spoke with Puppet Film Director and Creature Effects Artist Kevin McTurk. Kevin and I first connected on Facebook a couple of years ago, maybe it was more than that. We’ve been trying to find a suitable time to have him on the podcast since then. Well now is the time as Kevin has a project on Kickstarter as we speak. Kevin directs these amazing short fi...

For this episode, the first of July 2023, I spoke with Special Effects Supervisor Richard Van Den Bergh. I met Richard when he was one of the panellists on the Andor SFX/VFX panel at Star Wars Celebration in May this year. Richard is clearly an expert of his craft, whether it’s model making, making atmospherics or supervising. He’s had some much experience from starting in the industry on Ridley S...

My conversation today is with long time Lucasfilm film employee Miki Herman. She was engaged at Lucasfilm during the production of Star Wars and stayed long enough to work on the Ewok and Droids cartoons. She worked on the original Star Wars trilogy as production assistant, production coordinator and unit production manager, respectively. She was later a consultant for The Star Wars Holiday Specia...

For this episode, number 78, I spoke to composer Stu Phillips. Stu was born in 1929, is an American composer of film scores and television series theme music , He’s also a conductor and record producer. Though he is probably best known for composing the theme tunes to the television series Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider . After a career spanning decades, in 2002, he published his autobiogra...

Ok so for this episode, number 77 (cool number) I have a guest host in the shape of my co-author on the new Return of the Jedi Unauthorized timeline book, Justin Berger. So the conversation you’re about to hear is our interview with Jedi’s co-producer Jim Bloom about his time working on the film. We are so happy to say that he also wrote a wonderful introduction for the book. So today, 25th May, w...

This is a BONUS episode for May 2023. This is my conversation with editor Michael Harte about his new film "Still: A Michael J Fox Movie" , which is out today in cinemas and on Apple TV. Listen out for some exclusive clips of the film during our conversation. I hope you enjoy it. https://twitter.com/AppleTV #AppleOriginals #STILL This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener...

For this episode, number 75, I spoke with filmmaker and optical VFX expert Peter Kuran. Peter was one of the few people employed by George Lucas on Star Wars and became a core crew member at Industrial Light and Magic. He went on to have a long career in VFX and then became a director in his own right. I should point out that we had internet problems so some of the recording is garbled or lost. I’...

For this episode of the podcast, number 74, I spoke with VFX artist, expert, VFX twitter ambassador and all round good guy Todd Vaziri. Todd began his career right out of college and worked on shows like Charmed and Xena Warrior Princess for Flat Earth productions before moving to among others, Banned from the Ranch before landing at ILM for Attack of the Clones. Since then he’s worked on just abo...

Episode 73 If you remember, I interviewed House of the Dragon writer and showrunner, Ryan Condal back in September 2022, episode 59 I think. Well he and I have become friends and we chat quite a bit on Whatsapp. He suggested I speak to his Special Effects Supervisor on Dragon, Michael Dawson. “He’s been in the industry since Superman in the late 70’s. He’s a great guy and would be perfect for your...

Welcome to this DVD extra type episode. Here is my conversation with Van Ling, the guest on episode 71, talking about his time at the fabled Banned From The Ranch Entertainment. I hope you enjoy this little extra bonus episode. This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: h...

So for this episode I spoke with Van Ling. A name you may recognise. Perhaps for his work on laserdisc, DVD and blu ray, perhaps for his collaborations with James Cameron on The Abyss and Terminator 2 (you’ll love the story of how he got started with Cameron), or maybe for his time working on VFX at Banned From The Ranch Entertainment on films like Dante’s Peak or The Relic. Either way you’ll find...

For this episode, number 70, I finally spoke with director Patrick Read Johnson. He recently released his many years in the making, labour of love 5-25-77. A film that semi fictionalises and chronicles the early life of a character, named Patrick Read Johnson and his love of movies like 2001 A Space Oddysey, Star Wars and Close Encounters. I saw an early cut of this about ten years ago with severa...

For this episode, number 69 I spoke with ILM and Sony Picture Imageworks legend Ken Ralston . Ken started on VFX in advertising, then in 1976 he was employed to work on a little film called Star Wars. He remained at ILM for 20 years having worked on Star Wars, Star Trek, Dragon Slayer, Back to the Future , I mean the list is huge. He then went on to work as Visual Effect Supervisor and Creative He...

For this episode, number 68 I spoke with an animator at ILM, namely Hal Hickel. Now, if you’re on twitter you’ll know that Hal is a prolific tweeter. I’ve had a number of conversations with him online. Recently in one conversation it transpired that Hal had done some of the work on the 2004 version of Star Wars (A new hope), particularly on the redone Jabba scene. A redo of the 1997 special editio...

For this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with the ultra talented and lovely human being… Jean Bolte, that’s BoltE, rhymes with Nick Nolte as she told me. Jean has worked in the film industry for many years. She started in wigs and beard, then moved to ILM in time for Willow for which she was a model maker. The thumbnail for the episode shows Jean working on the ostrich for the famous morphi...

For episode 66, I have an Oscar winning director. But I don’t talk to him about his films at all. Instead I talk to him about a book he’s written. Lee Unkrich is probably best known by film fans as the director of Toy Story 3 and Coco. He of course won an Oscar for both of those movies. What you might not know is that he is a lifelong fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. For many years he has run...

In this episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I discuss the journey of Rose Degnan, a key figure in the visual effects industry, particularly her experiences at ILM during the production of Star Wars. The conversation covers her entry into filmmaking, the evolution of visual effects, the work culture at ILM, and the balance between personal life and a demanding career. Rose shares insights on the...

In this episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I engage in a deep conversation with VFX artist Steve Williams and director Scott Lieberich about the groundbreaking work behind Jurassic Park and the documentary 'Jurassic Punk.' We explore the challenges faced in the visual effects industry, the personal struggles of artists, and the evolution of storytelling in modern cinema. The discussion highlig...

In this episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I  interview VFX legend Dennis Murin, who shares his childhood inspirations, early experiments in filmmaking, and insights into the evolution of visual effects. The discussion highlights the challenges of entering the film industry, the impact of technology on filmmaking, and the creative approaches that define the art of cinema. Dennis reflects on th...

In this episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I discuss the upcoming Kickstarter for a documentary on production designer Joe Alves, who has an extensive career in Hollywood. The conversation transitions to insights from producer Jim Bloom, who shares his experiences in film production, including the challenges of moving Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) to Northern California, the intricacies of...

In this episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, I speak with Jim Bloom, an ex-ILM and Lucasfilm producer. We discuss Jim's early career in film, his experiences working on iconic films like American Graffiti and The Conversation, and his collaboration with renowned directors such as George Lucas and Francis Coppola. Jim shares insights into the filmmaking process, the challenges of working in the i...