HENRY JACKMAN’S GUIDE TO COMPOSING FOR MODERN CINEMA – S3 EP 9
Acclaimed composer Henry Jackman (Captain America: Civil War, The Gray Man, Cherry) joins Anthony and Joe Russo for an in-depth exploration of cinematic scoring. From early classical training to cutting-edge electronic textures, Jackman breaks down how theme, tone, and story intersect in film music. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/PcPjjzL9rIk FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Pizza Film School” is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 00:10 - Welcome Henry Jackman to Pizza Film School 01:45 - How Henry Got Into Music as a Child 02:49 - Life at St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir School 06:55 - From Classical Training to Rave Culture 08:51 - How Drum & Bass Changed Henry’s Musical Perspective 11:04 - The Blend of Classical and Electronic in Winter Soldier 13:05 - Scoring the Winter Soldier: Creative Risks & Storytelling 17:17 - Getting Discovered by Hans Zimmer 20:28 - Film Music Is Storytelling, Not Just Music 22:29 - How Cherry Was Scored with a Suite 25:30 - The Power of Music Over Dialogue in Film 27:00 - Cherry’s Final Scene: Emotion Without Words 29:37 - Writing the 10-Minute Cherry Suite 32:12 - Scoring as a Foundation for Storytelling 35:54 - Scoring the Civil War Airport Battle Scene 38:49 - Why the Music Slows Down at the Moment of Impact 40:00 - Underscoring Heroic Moments in Marvel 41:06 - The Misdirection in Civil War’s Nanosuit Scene 43:00 - Musical Heroism: From Strauss to John Williams 45:19 - Why Fantasy Lets You Embrace Earnestness 46:32 - Small Bites: Henry’s Quickfire Answers 47:05 - Music Henry Wishes He Could Hear for the First Time 50:39 - Henry’s Go-To Karaoke Song 50:53 - Henry’s Favorite Piece of Music
--------
52:02
THE ART OF FILM EDITING — A MASTERCLASS WITH JEFF FORD – S3 EP 8
Legendary film editor Jeff Ford (Avengers: Endgame, The Winter Soldier, The Electric State) joins Anthony and Joe Russo for a deep dive into the craft of editing, the collaborative nature of filmmaking, and the surprising origin of Iron Man’s iconic final line. A must-watch for anyone who wants to understand how movies are truly made. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/ocrWqQ1CAcA FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Pizza Film School” is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 00:30 - Meet Jeff Ford: Editor of the Avengers Saga 01:15 - Editing The Electric State with the Russo Brothers 02:00 - Jeff Ford’s Journey from Super 8 to Marvel 03:00 - The Essence of Editing: Writing with Picture 04:00 - Why Editing Never Matches the Original Script 05:30 - How Cap 2 United the Russos and Jeff Ford 07:00 - Paranoid Thriller Roots of The Winter Soldier 08:30 - Making “Everyone’s on the Same Movie” 10:00 - The Director-Editor Relationship 11:30 - Inside the Emotional Core of Marvel Scenes 14:00 - Breaking Down the Cap & Peggy Scene 17:00 - Editing Performances from Incomplete Footage 19:00 - The Character-Driven Arc of Steve Rogers 22:00 - Editing the Cap vs Bucky Final Fight 26:00 - How Music & Rhythm Shape Action Scenes 29:00 - The Role of Camera Operating in Editing 31:00 - Creating Emotional Endings That Last 33:00 - What Makes a Great Editor-Director Match 35:00 - Nick Fury’s Chase Scene: Action as Music 38:00 - Managing Chaos: Cutting Across Units 41:00 - Pre-Vis, Stunt-Vis & Planning the Cut 43:00 - Working with Directors Like Mann & Watts 45:30 - On-Set Rewrites & Actor-Driven Blocking 48:00 - Why Simplicity Wins in Performance Direction 50:00 - The Origin of “I Am Iron Man” 54:00 - Thematic Symmetry & Emotional Closure 56:00 - Jeff’s Favorite Show to Rewatch for the First Time 57:00 - Who Jeff Ford Would Love to Work With 58:00 - Advice to Young Editors and Filmmakers 59:00 - Wrap-Up: Jeff Ford on Chasing the Perfect Cut
--------
59:26
HOW TO SCORE ICONIC SCENES FROM AVENGERS: ENDGAME – WITH ALAN SILVESTRI – S3 EP 7
Legendary composer Alan Silvestri joins Anthony and Joe Russo at Pizza Film School to break down the unforgettable music behind Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and more. Alan Silvestri opens up about his earliest days composing with a pencil and paper, why empathy is essential for film music, and how his themes became emotional landmarks in the MCU. This one’s a masterclass in cinematic scoring. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/xPeBl6p83V4 FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Pizza Film School” is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 00:00 - Intro: Welcome to Pizza Film School 01:06 - Meet Alan Silvestri 01:45 - Alan Silvestri on Winemaking and Red Ranger Syrah 03:00 - Alan’s Musical Origin Story 05:25 - Composing Process: From Guitar to Orchestra 06:34 - Scoring Like a Sculptor 08:00 - Finding the Emotion in Film 09:38 - Creating the Avengers Theme 11:30 - Learning Storytelling Through Music 13:00 - Composing Through Empathy 14:39 - Advice for Young Composers 16:00 - How the Russos Met Alan Silvestri 17:00 - Breaking Down the Portal Scene in Endgame 21:00 - Using Music to Build an Emotional Arc 24:33 - Cap’s Return in Infinity War 27:00 - Leading the Audience with Music 29:00 - Thanos’ Emotional Victory and the Retirement Cue 33:00 - Final Notes and Thanos’ Ending Explained 36:00 - Audience Reactions and Scoring for Opera 38:00 - From Temp Music to Final Score 40:45 - Silvestri on Collaboration and Creative Direction 42:54 - Alan’s Career Advice: Know Your Role 47:00 - Gratitude, Legacy, and the Magic of Music 50:00 - Final Cheers and Farewell
--------
25:15
HOW TO MASTER CINEMATIC VISUAL STORYTELLING - WITH GEOFF HALEY - S3 EP 6
Get exclusive insights from Geoff Haley, the visionary cinematographer behind Avengers: Endgame's legendary scenes, Joker, Cherry, and Fast & Furious, as he reveals the secrets behind creating gripping action sequences and emotionally impactful visual storytelling with Anthony and Joe Russo. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/zjS7FWCldf8 FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Pizza Film School” is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 01:04 Meet Geoff Haley: Award-Winning Camera Operator 06:56 Insane American Beauty Filming Story 10:49 Geoff Haley Defines His "Imaginary Rectangle" 12:52 Geoff Haley: How I Prep for Filming Movies 15:42 Prepping Dramatic vs Action Scenes 17:46 How Geoff Haley Collaborates With Actors 19:43 Secrets to Great Cinematographer Relationships 21:23 Avengers: Endgame Tokyo Scene Secrets Revealed 27:24 Filming Rain Scenes: Hollywood’s Hidden Truth 29:14 Geoff’s On-Set Injury Story From Endgame! 30:07 Inside Avengers: Endgame’s Epic Funeral Shot 33:04 Psychology & Cinematography: Geoff’s Mind Trick 36:03 Geoff’s Unique Musical Filming Technique 38:09 Breaking Down Cherry’s Powerful Opening Scene 44:23 How Geoff Haley Films Green Screen Scenes
--------
48:21
How The Electric State and Blade Runner 2049 Were Built by an Oscar Winner! DENNIS GASSNER - S3 EP 5
Some of the most visually stunning films of all time—The Truman Show, Skyfall, 1917—owe their immersive environments to Dennis Gassner. On this episode of Pizza Film School, Anthony and Joe Russo sit down with the master designer to explore how he approaches storytelling through set design, how color and shape influence emotion, and why his first job on Apocalypse Now changed everything. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/r3SJaSwsIqs FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Instagram: @TheRussoBrothers @AGBOfilms #PizzaFilmSchool #agbofilms ABOUT THE SHOW: Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Pizza Film School” is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking world with each episode delving into creative processes, favorite films, and personal anecdotes from working in the industry, while enjoying a couple of slices from local pizzerias. An AGBO Production. 02:06 How Lawrence of Arabia Made Dennis Gassner a Filmmaker 03:23 Designing for Apocalypse Now – His First Big Break 05:21 Seeing His Work on Screen for the First Time in Apocalypse Now 06:26 The Hidden Story Behind the Apocalypse Now Poster 08:21 What It’s Like Designing for The Godfather Team 10:00 Creating the World of Field of Dreams – The Power of Smell 12:30 Pitching Miller’s Crossing to the Coen Brothers in One Word 16:24 How Architecture Inspired The Truman Show & 1917 19:30 Designing the Cinematic World of Skyfall 23:09 How the Nightclub Scene in The Gray Man Was Built 24:00 The Power of Color in Blade Runner 2049 & The Gray Man 29:21 Designing Laszlo’s Apartment – The Spider’s Web Concept 31:32 How the Gray Man Château Was Found and Designed 35:01 The One Movie That Changed His Career Forever 36:02 The Best Advice for Future Filmmakers 36:31 The One Genre He’s Dying to Design For 37:10 Bringing The Electric State to Life
Created and hosted by Anthony and Joe Russo, Pizza Film School is a video podcast that demystifies the filmmaking process and spreads some love to the Russo Brothers’ favorite films, filmmakers, and local pizzerias. Class is in session with the Russos as they dive deep behind-the-scenes with some of the industry’s top filmmakers, all while enjoying a slice or two of pizza. An AGBO Production.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AGBOYouTube
Ireland