IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit artwork

IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

272 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★ - 77 ratings

Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. From screenwriting to film language to cinematography, we'll be examining the innovative ways today's best filmmakers are getting their visions out into the world.

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Episodes

'Love Lies Bleeding' Director Rose Glass

March 18, 2024 13:53 - 38 minutes

The director of "Saint Maud" takes us into the dark heart of her new noir romance. From the shocking gore to the authentic sex scenes, and even a touch of the cosmic, Glass breaks down how this movie goes so hard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Knox Goes Away' Director Michael Keaton

March 15, 2024 12:00 - 32 minutes

Michael Keaton joins us today for a chat about his work Directing and starring in this modern day film noir about a hitman with rapid-onset dementia. Hear how Keaton defied the expectations of a thriller in order to deliver a movie that is contemplative, tragic, and yet dryly funny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Dune: Part Two' Director Denis Villeneuve

March 04, 2024 15:32 - 33 minutes

It's time to go back to the desert! The mastermind behind the Dune series returns to Toolkit to breakdown the complicated hero's journey, making sandworm riding a reality, and why this sequel feels like such a different kind of movie than the first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Expats' Director Lulu Wang

February 23, 2024 05:00 - 31 minutes

Series creator and director Lulu Wang discusses carrying around a Zoom recorder on scouts and finding the rhythm (in more ways than one) of "Expats." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Masters of the Air' Writer John Orloff

February 01, 2024 17:00 - 30 minutes

The Apple TV Plus series “Masters of the Air” reunites screenwriter John Orloff with his “Band of Brothers” producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg. On this episode, Orloff discusses his rigorous approach to research and how that manifests itself as drama in some of the most visceral combat scenes ever filmed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Wanted Man' Director Dolph Lundgren

January 25, 2024 18:11 - 26 minutes

You probably know Dolph Lundgren as an actor from films like ROCKY IV and UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, but over the last 20 years he has quietly forged a directing career making modestly budgeted action films in the character-driven tradition of Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood. He joins Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his latest movie, WANTED MAN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Origin' Director Ava Duvernay

January 18, 2024 17:34 - 38 minutes

Ava Duvernay joins us to dig into the deep emotions and complex histories that make up her extraordinary new film Origin. Hear how she saw a vision for a film within the 'unadaptable' best selling book by Isabelle Wilkerson, and how she blended genre and film form to not only connect important moments of human suffering across time, but also infuse them with love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'The Zone of Interest' Director Jonathan Glazer

January 10, 2024 17:15 - 31 minutes

It has been nine years since Under The Skin, the last film from Jonathan Glazer. Once you hear him discuss the approach to the harrowing and complex subject matter of his new film, including bold approaches to the look and sound, you will understand why it took almost a decade to develop one of the best films of 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Air' Director Ben Affleck and Editor William Goldenberg

January 08, 2024 17:01 - 28 minutes

Editor William Goldenberg has cut all but one of director Ben Affleck’s features, and Affleck says their partnership was the key to making “Air” fly. On today’s episode Affleck and Goldenberg talk about evoking period through editing, fine-tuning performances, and much, much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Occupied City' Director Steve McQueen & Writer Bianca Stigter

January 04, 2024 14:27 - 24 minutes

The director and writer of Occupied City join us this week to explain how they crafted this very particular and precise cinematic experience, which presents a unique approach to a dark chapter in world history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Ferrari' Director Michael Mann

January 02, 2024 19:37 - 34 minutes

Director Michael Mann joins Filmmaker Toolkit to talk about his latest film, “Ferrari,” a movie he’s been working on in one form or another for decades. Mann discusses how he conceived and executed the film’s extraordinary racing sequences, why the movie contains two complementary styles of filmmaking, and how he worked with actors Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz to build their characters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Elemental' Director Peter Sohn

December 28, 2023 13:00 - 41 minutes

Peter Sohn has long been a fixture at Pixar, and this week he spoke with us about taking the leap from voice acting and writing to directing. Hear how he finds his story through his drawing pen, and why his family's immigrant experience formed the beating heart of Elemental. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Saltburn' Director Emerald Fennell

December 25, 2023 13:00 - 32 minutes

Director Emerald Fennell joined us to the joys of crafting a deeply unsubtle movie without being foolish, and how the many lush details of Saltburn illuminate its characters' murky morality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'The Color Purple' Director Blitz Bazawule

December 22, 2023 20:17 - 23 minutes

“The Color Purple” has already been a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, Academy Award-nominated film by Steven Spielberg, and Tony Award-winning Broadway show, but director Blitz Bazawule still found new areas to explore in his new adaptation of the stage musical. On this episode he talks about finding a visual language for the heroine Celie’s imagination, making the leap to big budget filmmaking, and choreographing every scene of the movie like a musical — even when the character...

'Killers of the Flower Moon' Director Martin Scorsese

December 20, 2023 16:42 - 37 minutes

This podcast was always conceived as a place where filmmakers could have the kinds of detailed, craft-centric discussions that Martin Scorsese would love. Now, for our 250th episode, the master himself joins us explain why his new film both is and isn't inspired by the American Western, and reflects on what keeps him passionate so far into his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Poor Things' Director & Actor/Producer Yorgos Lanthimos & Emma Stone

December 14, 2023 15:01 - 35 minutes

Director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone were nominated for Oscars for their first collaboration, “The Favourite,” and their new film “Poor Things” is even funnier, more moving, and more original. Lanthimos and Stone sat down with us to talk about their collaboration, the benefits of a stripped-down set even for an epic, and the challenges of editing such a unique movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project' Directors Joe Brewster & Michèle Stephenson

December 12, 2023 15:34 - 47 minutes

Nikki Giovanni was one of the most prominent poet-activists to come out of the late-60s Black Arts Movement, and, as this film explores, is one of the Godmothers of Afrofuturism and the Afropunk alternative arts scene. But "Going to Mars" is far from your standard issue profile documentary, instead husband-wife co-directors Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster use Giovanni's life and writing as a jumping off point for their own formal exploration as they "delved into the soul of a poet." Lear...

'The Pigeon Tunnel' Director Errol Morris

December 07, 2023 14:01 - 26 minutes

Errol Morris has interviewed many controversial figures from Donald Rumsfeld to Steve Bannon, but when he sat down with author and former spy David Cornwell - aka John le Carré - he finally met his match in terms of intelligence and preparation. Morris joined us to discuss the interview with Cornwell that resulted in “The Pigeon Tunnel,” one of the director’s most compelling and entertaining films to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Napoleon' Director Ridley Scott

December 04, 2023 19:10 - 26 minutes

Ridley Scott is one of those directors with almost too many great films to count, from classics like Blade Runner to modern favorites like The Martian. He joined us to discuss his newest film, detailing how he manages to shoot epics like this in a fraction of the time it takes other filmmakers, and how his partnership with Joaquin Phoenix has strengthened since Gladiator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep Dive: 'Barbie'

November 30, 2023 15:00 - 27 minutes

Greta Gerwig and the creative team of "Barbie" discuss the musical evolution of the Warner Brothers' film and the unusual way that the pop songs being written for the film ended up informing score, tone, the opening and ending of the film, and even Barbie's heart. This Deep Dive also features "Barbie" editor Nick Houy and co-composers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Music used in this episode: Pink Opening Theme - Barbie Score You Failed Me! - Barbie Score Dance The Night - Dua Lipa Deprog...

'Orlando, My Political Biography' Director Paul B. Preciado

November 29, 2023 15:01 - 43 minutes

The director of the boundary pushing documentary joins us to illuminate how this famous character from Virginia Woolf remains strikingly relevant in our time, and how we are all a bit of an Orlando. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Wish' Directors Fawn Veerasunthorn & Chris Buck

November 27, 2023 16:14 - 28 minutes

The directing team behind the latest Disney animated feature join us to discuss tapping into 100 years of Disney movie history to craft a film with its own sense of magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' Director Francis Lawrence

November 21, 2023 15:30 - 26 minutes

After helming the last three films in the previous Hunger Games film series, director Francis Lawrence returns for the much anticipated prequel. He joined us to discuss how he returned to the franchise, and how he attempted to take every aspect of the series in new directions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Thanksgiving' Director Eli Roth

November 16, 2023 13:00 - 50 minutes

Sixteen years after the world saw a trailer for it in Grindhouse, Eli Roth has turned Thanksgiving into a real horror movie. Roth shares how the movie finally made it to the screen, and the slasher b-movies he paid homage to with this throwback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Terms of Endearment' Director James L. Brooks

November 10, 2023 17:43 - 23 minutes

Whether you know it or not, today's guest has probably been involved in a movie or TV show you love. The celebrated director, writer, & producer joins us for the 40th anniversary of his directorial debut Terms of Endearment. Brooks shares memories from working with an all star cast as a first time director, and how his clear vision for the comedic tone made the movie a success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Anatomy of a Fall' Director Justine Triet

October 26, 2023 13:00 - 46 minutes

The director of one of the most talked about movies of the fall joins us to discuss making a courtroom thriller quite unlike any other, using film form to challenge the tropes of the genre and our obsession with true crime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Our Flag Means Death: Season 2' Director David Jenkins

October 12, 2023 15:54 - 31 minutes

Today we are joined by the captain himself: show-runner, creator, and now director David Jenkins. We go deep below decks to learn why Jenkins rejects many typical pirate tropes in order to protect the emotional truth of his characters, and how they represent his views on comedy and romance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Flora and Son' Director John Carney

October 05, 2023 12:59 - 33 minutes

The director of Once (2007) and Sing Street (2016) joins Toolkit today to discuss his latest film about creativity, music, and finding connection in Dublin. Listen to hear how classic musicals influence how Carney sees his stories, and even what he thinks of Taylor Swift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Physical' Creator Annie Weisman

September 28, 2023 13:15 - 42 minutes

The creator & showrunner of this darkly funny look at 80s culture and gender roles joined Toolkit to discuss the series' three season arc, the moving final episode, and that cruel inner voice so many of us seem to have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Dorktown' Director Jon Bois

September 14, 2023 12:00 - 34 minutes

Jon Bois talks the many facets of creating the epic nine-hour documentary "The History of The Minnesota Vikings" from the boss chart that anchors the series to unexpected music cues to novel uses for Google Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Bottoms' Director Emma Seligman

September 07, 2023 12:00 - 28 minutes

Emma Seligman discusses creating the riotous action comedy "Bottoms" from casting and stunt work to music and production design, and the project of bringing queer characters into timeless high school tropes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'How To With John Wilson' Director John Wilson

September 04, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes

John Wilson discusses his approach to both documentary and comedy, how he keeps track of all his b-roll, and what things he wanted to make sure How To With John Wilson taught audiences before he wrapped the series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'JFK' Director Oliver Stone

August 31, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes

The epic political thriller "JFK" was featured last weekend at the American Cinematheque, and we had the privilege to interview writer & director Oliver Stone live on stage. Stone talks about the impact of this controversial film, and reflects on its legacy today. You'll also hear some of the filmmaker's thoughts on the state of the industry today, and why he's an even angrier, more passionate filmmaker than ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Succession' Composer Nicholas Britell

August 24, 2023 15:32 - 1 hour

After seven years of scoring HBO’s “Succession,” Nicholas Britell reflects on completing his first TV series. What did he learn about working in TV? How did the series and his process evolve over the course of four seasons? Would he ever sign on to do another serialized series? Was it helpful for the “Succession” editors to use his previously recorded music to temp new episodes? Did his experience working on Wall Street, before becoming a film & TV composer, inform his understanding of the Ro...

'The Last of Us' Director Peter Hoar on 'Long, Long Time'

August 17, 2023 14:29 - 36 minutes

Director Peter Hoar joins us to talk about the episode of The Last of Us that had us all in tears. Peter discusses the power of telling gay stories, using both natural light and "On The Nature of Daylight," and how the crew of "The Last of Us" fell just as hard for Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) as the characters did for each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Steadicam' Inventor Garrett Brown

August 16, 2023 23:14 - 36 minutes

As part of 80s week over on the IndieWire site, we are featuring a special conversation with a filmmaker who forever changed the ways movies look and feel. His early work created the iconic look of movies like Rocky and The Shining, and today we are all living in the world Steadicam built. Garrett tells the story of why he needed to invent a new tool for cinematic motion, and reflects on how its legacy has shaped cinema in the decades since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

'Jury Duty' Showrunner Cody Heller

August 10, 2023 12:00 - 33 minutes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in The Truman Show, with every aspect of your reality crafted by a team of filmmakers? Showrunner and executive producer Cody Heller was tasked with creating just such a world for the star of Jury Duty; an entirely fake, month-long court case built from scratch and performed live for the unaware protagonist. Heller shares the wildly creative tricks her team used to keep up with the chaos of real life, and discusses how did Jury Duty managed t...

'Dahmer' Director Paris Barclay

August 01, 2023 12:00 - 37 minutes

This week on Toolkit we dive deep into a single episode of the Netflix hit series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The episode in question, Silenced, is one of the best hours of TV this year, and director Paris Barclay walks us through the incredible craft that made this story of a black, gay, deaf man so transporting and emotionally resonant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Barbie' Director Greta Gerwig & Editor Nick Houy

July 25, 2023 12:30 - 43 minutes

This episode is everything...because today we are talking Barbie! Both writer/director Greta Gerwig AND editor Nick Houy join us this week, and if you've seen the movie you know how crucial editing was to pulling it all off. The movie is a big swing, a wild ride, and a surprisingly personal and intimate project for something branded with one of the biggest names in the world. Greta walks us through how all that is possible, and the pair explore how they think about assembling stories not just...

'Justified: City Primeval' Showrunner & Director Michael Dinner

July 19, 2023 12:30 - 35 minutes

One of the greatest series in the history of TV, Justified, is back on the air with a haunting new subtitle. We talk this week with showrunner, writer, and director of Justified: City Primeval, Michael Dinner. He explores the reasons the show is making a triumphant return, what it was like coming back to a career-defining project after many years, and how this season was adapted from unexpected source material. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Director Kemp Powers

July 04, 2023 15:04 - 51 minutes

If you've seen Across the Spider-Verse you won't be surprised to learn such a complex film took three directors to helm. One of those directors, Kemp Powers, joins us to explain how they pulled it off with the same grace, ambition, and heart that defines the spider-people at the center of the story. Kemp breaks down the experience of essentially "shooting" the movie for four years, and how even when directing a crew of thousands he managed to work in personal inspiration from his own life. Af...

'Past Lives' Director Celine Song

June 27, 2023 16:00 - 35 minutes

One of our favorite things to do on Toolkit is speak with rising stars in the world of directing, and we got to do just that this week with Celine Song, whose debut film 'Past Lives' is landing firmly in the top of most "best of the year so far" lists. She explores how she tackled challenges unique to this particular love story, especially the careful presentation of language. Song wrote the script in two languages and sought an unusual level of control over subtitles in order to protect the ...

'Random Acts of Flyness' Creator Terence Nance

June 20, 2023 18:06 - 49 minutes

The creator and star of one of the most visually inventive and challenging shows of the year sits down with us this week to discuss the rich culture (and pop-culture) that informs the project. It's a series you have to see to fully comprehend, and Terence provides fascinating insights into how such an ambitious project came to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'The Flash' Director Andy Muschietti

June 16, 2023 14:25 - 23 minutes

Helming any superhero blockbuster is a massive balancing act, and few filmmakers had as much to bring together as Andy Muschietti for this multiverse-hopping epic. Hear him explain how he approached the legendary iconography of Batman (Batmen?) and the impressive technique used to capture his star's dual performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Extraction 2' Director Sam Hargrave

June 14, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes

Stunt coordinator turned director Sam Hargrave joins us to walk through his process making this satisfying sequel. He shares his thoughts on why so many stunt performers have recently become some of our best action directors, and explains how his close collaboration with star Chris Hemsworth allows for moving moments between the action (as well as incredible feats like 21 minute long take fight scenes). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Mrs. Davis' Creators Tara Hernandez & Damon Lindelof

June 13, 2023 12:19 - 35 minutes

It's an unusually zany quest for the holy grail on today's Toolkit as we sit down with the co-writers and creators of Mrs. Davis. They discuss the challenges of balancing wild comedic antics with some truly deep questions about religion and technology, and how a special blend of influences from Looney Tunes to Quentin Tarantino and Monty Python helped it all come to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Succession' Director Mark Mylod

June 06, 2023 19:00 - 34 minutes

We can't stop thinking about the end of Succession, so we had to sit down with Mark Mylod to dig into his directorial journey across the four seasons of this incredible show. He breaks down the many infamous moments from the finale, and also reveals which episodes along the way taught him what the style of the show would become. It's a conversation that will make you want to rewatch the series from the beginning with open eyes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'The Fisher King' & 'Time Bandits' Director Terry Gilliam

June 05, 2023 18:18 - 33 minutes

Two of Terry Gilliam's masterpieces recently received lavish Criterion Collection re-releases, packed with the insights and special features expected from the series. We felt this was a perfect excuse to sit down with Terry and take a humorous and thoughtful look back on the making of The Fisher King and Time Bandits. Hear the master reflect on everything from working with Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, to making an unusual kids movie within the studio system, and drop in many funny anecdot...

'The Last of Us' Director Craig Mazin

June 02, 2023 18:00 - 46 minutes

Craig Mazin is a huge fan of The Last of Us and it's characters, and that passion comes across beautifully when he described making the show. He dives deep into his meticulous approach to preserving the world of the game, adapting an interactive action game into a TV drama, and his feelings about the story's infamous relationship to the power and horror of love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'You Hurt My Feelings' Director Nicolle Holofcenter

May 26, 2023 15:54 - 25 minutes

A decade after their last collaboration, 2013's Enough Said, Holofcenter reunites with star Julia Louis-Dreyfus for another brilliant film about the complexities of relationships. The new film, about the fallout of a wife hearing what her husband really thinks of her work, is full of comedic possibility and penetrating insights on the subtle negotiations that make up a long lasting marriage. Holofcenter has become the master of American marital strife, and has a fascinating discussion with us...