To the White Sea

Today we’re joined by our friend, the mega-talented and ever-thoughtful Benh Zeitlin, director of Glory at Sea, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Wendy. We’re thrilled to welcome Benh to the study group as we cross the threshold on pages 31-32, and see Muldrow’s journey plummet into action. From here, we break down act breaks, specifically the crucial transition from Act 1 to Act 2. We discuss the...

This is an emergency podcast. We discuss the deluge of Coen brothers headlines including the premiere of the Drive-Away Dolls trailer, and the Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke feature in Empire Magazine which reveals, amongst many fascinating tidbits, that Ethan and Joel Coen are at work on a new project. We also discuss Ray’s new music video for Bonnie “Prince” Billie and pluck some all important pins...

We’re back with an episode we are beyond excited to share with you. Today we’re joined by legendary storyboard artist and key Coens collaborator J. Todd Anderson. Anderson has drawn storyboards for every Coen brothers film since Raising Arizona, as well as The Tragedy of Macbeth and the upcoming Drive-Away Dolls. He also directed The Naked Man which he co-wrote with Ethan Coen. We get into a wide-...

Today we read pages 27-28 and refract the screenplay's beams through a prism called Guiding Lights. Coens characters who are struggling to find their bearings look to maps, mathematics, icons, and guidebooks. Do they get the guidance they seek or are they led down a primrose path? Coens Covered: Barton Fink, Tuileries (short), World Cinema (short), A Serious Man Plus: Climates, Crumb, Dick Tracy T...

In today's episode we read pages 25-26 before beaming through the prism with a new and exciting catchphrase. It's all about sneaky, sneaky sneaks. Sneaking around. Sneaking here and sneaking there. Sneaking everywhere. Coens covered:  Burn After Reading; Raising Arizona; Hail, Caesar!; Bridge of Spies Plus (of course): SNEAKERS (1992) If you're enjoying To the White Sea please follow us on social...

Today we read pages 23-24 and discuss father figures in the films of the brothers Coen. The conversation is oceanic and infused with psychodrama, so we hope you enjoy it :) Coens covered: Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Big Lebowski If you're enjoying the show please follow us on social media, tell your friends about the show, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. For r...

Today we’re back in the studio with a classic Ray and Jordan episode. We read pages 21-22 and discuss unforgivable protagonists, lead characters who defy traditional story conventions, as well as the laws of man and the almighty. They function as a sort of off-ramp for audiences, which isn’t often what you want from a main character. What makes them so unforgivable and why can’t they just save the...

In today’s episode, recorded live at Dunkunsthalle in a roundtable study group format, we discuss teamwork in the Coens’ films. Sequences where three or more characters form a coalition and try to accomplish something together.  Coens covered: Hail, Caesar!; O Brother Where Art Thou; Inside Llewyn Davis; True Grit; The Big Lebowski Thank you to Austin Purnell for co-hosting, JT Anderson for photog...

In this live episode we bring you the Q&A from our screening of Ben Brewer’s astonishing short film A Folded Ocean at Dunkunsthalle . If you’d like to watch A Folded Ocean online it is streaming for one week on the Dunkunsthalle site! Stream A Folded Ocean now through 5/16! Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, Jeff Delauter, Sam Geller, Ben Hosley

Today’s episode is mega! We’re joined by amazing filmmaker and VFX artist Ben Brewer. We read pages 17-18 and break down sequences in the Coens’ films that feature eye-popping—and potentially budget-breaking—special effects. We analyze what makes an effects shot “work”, and the crucial story context that that entails. We also dive into Ben’s mind-blowing short film A FOLDED OCEAN and hear about hi...

Today we're so excited to be joined by our dear friend, composer and musician, Dan Romer. We read pages 15-16 and discuss Dan's unique, POV-driven approach to composing scores for films and TV shows. Then we freefall through this week's prism: it's all about moments in Coens films when the tone shifts radically. Along the way we read from Carter Burwell's notes on how the films and their scores ca...

On this episode we’re joined by one of our favorite filmmakers, Emily Kai Bock. We read pages 13-14 and analyze five action sequences that careen between do-or-die realism and out-and-out phantasmagoria. Coens covered: No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, A Serious Man For more of Emily’s work visit emilykaibock.com . Afterlife music video. A Funeral for Lightning s...

In this bonus live episode we bring you the Q&A from Xander Robin - Mutations in Nature: Hidden Florida Movies , an evening of short films, sizzle reels, and discussion at Dunkunsthalle . Watch Lance Lizardi on Vimeo. Watch Are We Not Cats on Tubi. Event Producer + Audio Engineer: Sam Geller Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, Jeff Delauter, Danny Garfield, Ben Hosley Like the show? Buy some merch o...

We’re thrilled to bring you today’s episode and today’s guest, filmmaker Xander Robin. We read pages 11-12 and stare into the unknown through a fractured prism of glints, glimpses and glimmers. Please join us at Dunkunsthalle for Xander Robin - Mutations in Nature: Hidden Florida Movies . It’s going to be amazing; don’t miss it! Thursday, April 13. 730pm. 64 Fulton St. Manhattan. Coens covered: Le...

In our first bonus episode we bring you the Q&A from our live screening of Z Behl's film Geppetto 2.0 at Dunkunsthalle . Featuring writer/director Z Behl and producer Julia Simpson. Watch Geppetto 2.0 at the following link: https://vimeo.com/432671444 Event Producer + Audio Engineer: Sam Geller Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, Joey Frank, Jeff Delauter, Ben Hosley

Today we welcome our first ever guest to the TTWS study group, artist and filmmaker Z Behl. We read pages 9-10, and then take a deep dive into this week’s theme—Help Me—scenes where Coens characters ask for help. Do they get it? You’ll have to listen and find out. We have another live event coming up we’re super excited about. Next week filmmaker Xander Robin will be our guest on the show, and on...

We read pages 7-8 and discuss a fundamental aspect of storytelling: setup. We look at how the Coens put pieces on the board and advance them, and how these opening moves set—and set off course—expectations for what's to come. We also discuss Theater 2 at the Lincoln Square 13. >>> IMPORTANT LIVE EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: If you're in NYC, join us at the Dunkunsthalle gallery at 64 Fulton Street...

We're back with pages 5-6. This week we bring you a wide-ranging discussion about a recurring Coens motif: when there's a little guy and there's a big guy, and they go versus on each other.

In our first episode, we read pages 1-2 and discuss cold open monologues in the Coens’ films.

We read pages 3-4 and discuss how the Coens build story and character through a particular type of montage sequence.