Team Deakins

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 203 John Schwartzman - Cinematographer
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with cinematographer John Schwartzman (THE HOUSEMAID, THE HIGHWAYMEN, THE ROCK). John has worked on numerous high-budget, highly commercial films throughout his career, and we spend much of the episode discussing his approach to his work on those movies and his process overall. John's father, an entertainment lawyer for the likes of Stanley Kubrick and Hal Ashby, married into the Coppola filmmaking family while John was just a teenager, and we learn how John leveraged this connection and his skills at board games to win letters of recommendation from his uncle Francis Ford Coppola and friend-of-the-family George Lucas. We also discuss how John draws on his upbringing to help actors feel comfortable during a shoot, and he reflects on how he satisfies his creative needs in modern Hollywood. John also shares the pivotal pieces of advice he received from cinematographers such as Conrad Hall and Caleb Deschanel (Season 1, Episode 86) that instilled confidence in him, and we learn how and why he failed out of USC.

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 202 Christina Alexandra Voros - Director / Cinematographer
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director and cinematographer Christina Alexandra Voros (DUTTON RANCH, THE MADISON, YELLOWSTONE). A graduate of the NYU film program (Season 1, Episode 104), Christina discovered cinematography and directing while at school, and she walks us through her formative years there. After working her way through documentaries and features, Christina found steady work directing and shooting shows within the Taylor Sheridan universe, and we discuss the unique working conditions of those series and how she approaches doing two jobs at once. She reflects on what she brings to narrative films and series from her time in documentaries, and we discuss the flexibility one has when you're both the director and the cinematographer. We later learn up to five cameras can be rolling at once on a show like THE MADISON and DUTTON RANCH, and Christina helps us understand how you can direct a scene with so much simultaneous coverage.

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 201 Dean Goodine - Prop Master
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with prop master Dean Goodine (THE ORDER, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, UNFORGIVEN). From a small lumber town in Canada, Dean almost committed his life to the oil fields of Alberta before turning to film. Throughout the episode, Dean helps us understand what a prop master does for a movie, and, drawing on his extensive experience with firearms safety, we also discuss how he keeps sets safe. While learning what Dean's responsibilities are as a prop master, he shares how he collaborates with the costume department, and we also discuss how he adapts to working with different directors. In addition to film, Dean has also worked in television, and he reflects on dealing with the phenomenon of fandom while working on STARGATE. We also discuss the state of the Canadian film industry, historical and present-day, and Dean reveals how his own research and prep process has stayed the same. We worked with Dean on JESSE JAMES, and we had a great time catching up with him.
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If you enjoyed listening to Dean, you can learn more about him and his career in his book "They Don't Pay Me To Say No: My Life in Film and Television Props"

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 200 Tana Dubbe - Key Grip
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with key grip Tana Dubbe (ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, A STAR IS BORN, IRON MAN). Throughout the episode, Tana illuminates the responsibilities of the lesser publicized position, and she shares how and why she became one herself. We also learn how a key grip might work with the cinematographer, such as Tana's frequent collaborator Matty Libatique (Season 1, Episode 84), during prep and production, and we discuss her observations on the different working conditions of smaller and larger scaled projects. Tana later shares how her job has changed with the advent of new lighting and camera technologies, and she reveals how she and her team might work with the gaffer, electrical department, and the rigging grips to bring what a cinematographer wants into reality. We also discuss the importance of assembling a team you can trust to not only do the job but also treat others fairly, and Tana reflects on the evolution of women in the grip department.

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 199 Scott Frank - Writer / Director
In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with writer and director Scott Frank (DEPT. Q, THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT, LOGAN). Scott has worked across film and television over the course of his career, and as fans of his latest show, DEPT. Q, we were thrilled to have him on to talk about his work. Scott reveals how a college professor's life advice and interest in his budding screenwriting abilities eventually led to an office on the Paramount lot at age 24, and throughout the episode we discuss Scott's views on writing, directing, and the importance of character in a story. Scott also shares what he learned from watching his feature screenplays get made by other directors, and we learn why he decided to direct his own work himself. We later discuss his approach to casting and coverage, and Scott shares numerous pieces of advice from filmmakers such as Steven Soderbergh (Season 2, Episode 153), Sydney Pollack, and his own very wise wife.
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Recommended Viewing: DEPT. Q