SEASON 2 - EPISODE 209 Robin Swicord - Writer / Director

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with writer and director Robin Swicord (WAKEFIELD, WHEN THEY SEE US, PRACTICAL MAGIC). Throughout the episode, Robin is frank about her experience working in the film industry as a woman, and we discuss how she's seen the culture and behaviour within the industry change over the years. Robin wrote the script for the 1994 adaptation of LITTLE WOMEN, and she shares what it took for the studio to finally greenlight the film after 12 years of development. She also reflects on the long development process of BENJAMIN BUTTON, and she reveals what her initial vision for the story was. After years as a writer, Robin was able to direct her first feature, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, and she shares how she cast the film on short notice and how she prepped for it as a first-time director. We later discuss how she shot her second film as a director, WAKEFIELD, in just 18 days, and she reflects on what she brought from her experiences on her first film to the second one.

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This episode is sponsored by Aputure ⁠

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 208 John Lee Hancock - Writer / Director

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with writer and director John Lee Hancock (THE HIGHWAYMEN, THE ROOKIE, A PERFECT WORLD). John was born and raised in Texas and we learn how he made the transition from practicing law to screenwriting and what he stayed busy with to survive in Los Angeles after moving there. John later reflects on learning filmmaking from Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner during the production of A PERFECT WORLD (which John wrote), and he reveals how he came up with the idea of the film. We also learn how producer Mark Johnson (Season 2, Episode 97) accidentally set him up to direct his first film, and John reveals some of the benefits of being a writer while also working as a director. John also reflects on the grand-scaled production of THE ALAMO, and we discuss the historical and cultural backdrop of Texas at the time of the events of the movie. Towards the end, John shares some information with us about his next film, and we discuss the economic difficulties of filming within the United States that lead to productions shooting abroad. 

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Recommended Viewing: A PERFECT WORLD

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 207 John Carroll Lynch - Actor / Director

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with actor and director John Carroll Lynch (BALLARD, LUCKY, FARGO). During our conversation, John tells us what originally drew him into acting, and we discuss an actor's function and place in film, television, and the theatre. As an actor, John has been directed by filmmakers ranging from Clint Eastwood to David Fincher to Ethan and Joel Coen (Season 1, Episode 33), and we discuss how he adapts to different methods of working. We later spend much of the episode discussing John's directorial debut, LUCKY, and we learn how he came to direct the film, how he worked with actor Harry Dean Stanton to develop a script based on his own life, and what it was about the film that attracted him to join in the first place. John also reflects on his experience directing the late David Lynch in the film, and we ask him what to expect in his next movie as a director. We worked with John on FARGO, and it was great catching up with him.

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Recommended Viewing: LUCKY

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 206 David Fortune - Writer / Director

In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with writer and director David Fortune, whose feature debut, COLOR BOOK, is now available to stream on Netflix. David grew up in East Atlanta, watching GOODFELLAS on repeat with his siblings, but it wasn't until a screening of BICYCLE THIEVES while studying at Moorehouse that he decided to become a filmmaker. Throughout the episode, we discuss David's winding path from film school to the making of his first feature, and we learn about the different types of fellowships and incubator programs that supported his development as a filmmaker. We also discuss the making of COLOR BOOK, and we learn how David prepared for the film, cast its leads, and built out the crew using mostly local talent from Atlanta. David also shares how much the film changed from the script to the final edit, and he reveals what inspired him to shoot the film in black and white. Plus, at the end, we learn a little about what he plans to explore in his next movie.

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Recommended Viewing: COLOR BOOK